Northern Ireland Aviation Enthusiast's Forum
Military Aviation => Historical Military Aircraft => Topic started by: Angry Turnip on January 14, 2019, 08:25:14 PM
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As a new feature I am going to do a short daily profile of British historic military and/or civil aircraft,that are perhaps slightly less well known than others from the same stable, mainly from defunct companies.
Avro Lincoln.
The Avro Lincoln,or Avro Type 694,a British four-engined heavy bomber,which first flew on 9 June 1944.The first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V,but were renamed Lincoln I and II.It was the last piston-engined bomber operated by the RAF.
WWII ended before the Lincoln went into action,but production of the type proceeded and was adopted in quantity,the RAF and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operated the Lincoln during the Malayan Emergency.Lincolns also saw some use in civil aviation,often being operated as aerial test beds for aero-engine research.
The Lincolns of Bomber Command were phased out from the mid-1950s and had been completely replaced by jet bombers by 1963.The last in RAF service were five operated by No. 151 Squadron,Signals Command,at RAF Watton,which were retired on 12 March 1963.
Other aircraft were also derived from the Lincoln.A dedicated maritime patrol aircraft,designated as the Avro Shackleton,was developed for the RAF and the South African Air Force.Avro decided to develop a commercial airliner,known as the Tudor,which dipped extensively into the parts bin of the Lincoln.
View of Avro Lincoln credit to Skytamer Images
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Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle.
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a British twin-engine transport,that entered service during the WWII.Designed as a medium bomber,it was used for transport duties,paratroop transport,and glider towing.RAF Albemarle squadrons participated in D-Day,and the assault on Arnhem during Operation Market Garden.
It was powered by 2 Bristol Hercules XI radial engines of 1590 hp each,giving it a top speed of 265 mph.The aircraft was always expected to be of use as a contingency and to be less than ideal,despite this a batch of 200 was ordered in Oct 1938.The first Albemarle (P1360) first flew on 20 March 1940 at Hamble Aerodrome.
Plans for using it as a bomber were dropped due to delays in reaching service,it was not an improvement over current medium bomber types.The Soviet Air Force placed a contract for delivery of 200 Albemarles in October 1942.In May 1943,the Soviets suspended deliveries and cancelled them in favour of Douglas C-47`s.
The first RAF operational flight was on 9 February 1943,by a 296 Squadron Albemarle which dropped leaflets over Lisieux in Normandy.RAF Albemarles took part in many British airborne operations,including Sicily,D-Day and Arnhem,towing various glider types such as the Horsa etc.
The RAF Heavy Glider Conversion Unit,replaced the Albemarles with Handley Page Halifaxes in February 1946 and the type was retired from operational units.
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For a while there was a painting of an Albemarle in the Clubhouse at EGAD! In the narrow corridor from the apron-side door into the lounge.
Will have to check for it next time I'm down.
That has reminded me to find if there was any connection between the type and Newtownards, none comes to mind.
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Bristol Type 163 Buckingham
The Bristol Type 163 Buckingham,was a twin engine medium bomber for the RAF.It was built in small numbers,and was used mainly for transport and liaison duties.By the time the design entered production, requirements had changed,the Buckingham was not considered suitable for daytime use over Europe.In January 1944 it was decided that all Buckinghams would be sent overseas to replace Vickers Wellingtons.
Once the Buckingham's handling problems were revealed,it was soon realised that the type was of little use.As a result,it was cancelled in August 1944.A batch of 119 were built,while uses for the aircraft were sought,a conversion to a communications aircraft was devised.54 had been built as bombers,the remainder were converted for high-speed courier duties with RAF Transport Command as it had a useful 300mph top speed.
65 Buckingham bombers were unfinished on the production line,they ended up being rebuilt as the Buckmaster,a trainer for the similar Brigand.The Buckmaster continued to serve as a trainer until its eventual retirement in the mid-1950s.Powerplant: 2 × Bristol Centaurus VII air-cooled radial engine of 2,520 hp each.
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Boulton Paul Balliol
The Boulton Paul Balliol,and Sea Balliol were military advanced trainers,for the RAF and the FAA.Designed to replace the North American Harvard,it used the Rolls-Royce Merlin 35 1245hp engine.The second prototype,powered by the intended Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop,first flew on 17 May 1948,the world's first single-engined turboprop aircraft to fly.The Merlin powered Balliol,designated Balliol T.2,first flew on 10 July 1948.
Due to the change in air-training policy,the Balliol was only delivered to one Flying Training School,No.7 at RAF Cottesmore,replacing their Harvards.They later served at the RAF College,Cranwell until replaced there by the de Havilland Vampire T.Mk 11 in 1956.The Balliol also saw limited squadron service from 1953 with No. 288 Squadron RAF based at RAF Middle Wallop,until the squadron was disbanded in September 1957.12 Mk.2s went to the Royal Ceylon Air Force,7 from cancelled RAF contracts,and five from RAF stocks.
Sea Balliol T21 WL732 former Royal Navy and A&AEE aircraft is on display at the RAF Museum Cosford.
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BAC TSR-2
The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 was a twinjet strike and reconnaissance aircraft for the RAF.The TSR-2 was designed to penetrate a well-defended forward battle area at low altitudes and very high speeds.Also to provide high-altitude,high-speed stand-off,side-looking radar and photographic imagery and signals intelligence,and aerial reconnaissance.TSR-2 was the victim of ever-rising costs and inter-service squabbling over Britain's future defence needs,which led to the controversial decision to scrap the programme in 1965.
The most advanced aviation technology of the period was incorporated in order to make it the highest-performing aircraft in the world in its projected missions.The USA put tremendous pressure on the UK government to order an adapted version of the General Dynamics F-111,a decision that itself was later rescinded as costs and development times increased.The replacements included the Blackburn Buccaneer and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II,both of which had previously been considered and rejected early in the TSR-2 procurement process.
Only one of the three airframes flew,and flight tests revealed vibration problems,and issues with the landing gear,but these niggles were soon addressed.Over a period of six months, a total of 24 test flights were conducted.The basic flying qualities of the aircraft which,according to the test pilots involved,were outstanding.Speeds of Mach 1.12 and sustained low-level flights down to 200 ft (above the Pennines) were achieved.The last test flight took place on 31 March 1965.
At two Cabinet meetings held on 1 April 1965,it was decided to cancel the TSR-2 on the grounds of projected cost,and instead to obtain an option agreement to acquire up to 110 F-111 aircraft with no immediate commitment to buy.
The TSR-2 tooling,jigs and many of the part completed aircraft were all scrapped at Brooklands within six months of the cancellation.Two airframes eventually survived: the complete XR220 at the RAF Museum,Cosford and XR222 much less complete at Duxford.The only airframe ever to fly XR219,along with the completed XR221 and part completed XR223 were taken to Shoeburyness and used as targets to test the vulnerability of a modern airframe and systems to gunfire and shrapnel.
The apparent haste with which the project was scrapped has been the source of much argument and bitterness since. The TSR-2, nonetheless, remains a lingering "what if?" of British aviation.
Aeronautical engineer Sir Sydney Camm (designer of the Hawker Hurricane) said of the TSR-2: "All modern aircraft have four dimensions: span, length, height and politics. TSR-2 simply got the first three right."
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Many years ago when I visited Brooklands parts of the jigs and formers were still lying in the long grass. Such a sad story.
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I have a video (remember them?) called TSR2 The Untold Story,it features great footage of the test flights.
One in particular when it is being tailed by a BAC Lightening,the TSR2 fires up one engine on reheat (afterburner) only,as there was a problem with the other,but it leaves the Lightening for dead.
Even with both of it`s Avons on full burn it could barely keep up-impressive stuff.
It`s on You Tube....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edClNWhKFEU
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de Havilland Flamingo
The de Havilland DH.95 Flamingo was a twin-engined high-wing monoplane airliner first flown on 22 December 1938.During the WWII some were used by the RAF as a transport and for general communications duties.
A product of chief designer R.E.Bishop,it was the first all-metal stressed-skin aircraft built by de Havilland;control surfaces were fabric covered.It was powered by two 890 hp Bristol Perseus XIIIC air-cooled radial engines driving three-bladed D.H hydromatic variable-pitch propellers.
Two pilots were seated side by side with a radio operator behind them in the cockpit,the cabin accommodating up to 17 passengers.It had a retractable undercarriage,slotted flaps,and was considered a promising sales prospect for the company,capable of competing with the American Douglas DC-3 and Lockheed Model 10 Electra.The first prototype flew on 22 December 1938,with an initial production run of twenty aircraft proposed.
A single military transport variant was built as the DH.95 Hertfordshire.It had oval cabin windows instead of rectangular ones,and seating for 22 troops.
Following the success of the first test flights,Jersey Airways ordered three 17-seat aircraft,and this was followed by orders from the Egyptian government and the Air Ministry.The Air Ministry aircraft were to be used by the Air Council and the King's Flight. The King's Flight aircraft was to be used in the event of the royal family having to leave the country but in the end it was passed to the RAF.
BOAC ordered eight aircraft to be powered by the Perseus XVI and originally intended as ten-seaters.BOAC were later allotted the aircraft ordered by the Egyptian Government.The BOAC Flamingoes were not popular,with a lack of spares,the airline decided to withdraw the type.RAF aircraft were withdrawn from use during the war and were slowly scrapped to provide spares for the remaining aircraft.
British Air Transport restored the original former Admiralty aircraft which flew again on 27 May 1952,based at Redhill Aerodrome,which was closed in 1954 and the last flying Flamingo was dismantled and scrapped.
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de Havilland Hornet
The de Havilland DH.103 Hornet was a twin-piston engined fighter aircraft.It was earmarked to conduct long range fighter operations in the Pacific theatre against Japan, but the war ended before the Hornet reached operational squadron status.
It bore a family resemblance to the larger Mosquito,but was an entirely fresh design,albeit one that drew extensively upon experiences from,the construction techniques used in the Mosquito.
The Hornet was powered by a pair of highly developed Rolls-Royce Merlin engines,producing 2,070 hp each,which drove four-bladed propellers.Main armament was four short-barrelled 20 mm Hispano V cannons,other munitions typically used included various rockets and bombs.
It was unusual for a British design in having propellers that rotated in opposite directions;the two engine crankshafts rotated in the same direction but the Merlin 131 added an idler gear to reverse its propeller's rotation (to clockwise, viewed from the front).This cancelled the torque effect of two propellers turning in the same direction that had affected earlier designs.On production Hornets the conventionally rotating Merlin 130 was on the port wing with the Merlin 131 on the starboard.
In mid-1946,the Hornet entered squadron service with 64 Squadron,based at RAF Horsham St Faith.Operationally,the Hornet F.I lasted only a short time before being superseded by the improved F.3 version,which flew at the Farnborough Air Show in June 1946.In 1951,considerable numbers of Hornets were redeployed from Fighter Command to the squadrons of the Far East Air Force (FEAF),and participated in combat operations during the Malayan Emergency.It proved to be very reliable; 45 Sqn Hornets, based in Singapore, achieved a total of 4,500 operational sorties over five years, more than any other squadron in the FEAF.
On 21 May 1955,the last operational Hornet sortie was flown;by mid-1956,all Hornets had been recorded as having been withdrawn from operational service.No complete examples of the Hornet remain in existence today.
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English Electric Kingston
The English Electric P.5 Kingston was a twin-engined biplane flying boat.When the English Electric Company was formed in 1918 from several companies,the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company brought with it the two prototype Phoenix P.5 Cork`s.After a redesign the Cork reappeared as the English Electric P.5 Kingston.
The first attempt at flight 12 May 1924 ended abruptly at the point of take off,the crew were thrown from the aircraft,which began to sink,but it was re-floated and repaired.
The second prototype`s attempt was onn 25 May 1925,changes had been made including four bladed props,just after becoming airborne the engines left their mountings and the wing structure failed causing cracks in the hull.The second Kingston I N9710 first flew on 13 November 1925 at Lytham and was flown to RAF Calshot for service trials along with the third flying-boat N9711.A fourth aircraft re-emerged as N9712 with a new duralumin hull and became the sole Kingston II.Test flights revealed it`s performance was not up to scratch,the metal hull was used for tests at Farnborough.
The last aircraft to be built, N9713,had a completely redesigned hull,but this reverted to wooden construction,and was known as the Kingston III.It was intended to produce a metal-hulled variant of the Kingston III but the day the Kingston III left Lytham for Felixstowe in 1926 the company closed its aircraft department,until the late 1930`s.
With War in Europe looming,English Electric was instructed by the Air Ministry to construct a "shadow factory" at Samlesbury Aerodrome in Lancashire to build Handley Page Hampden bombers.
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Fairey Gordon
The Fairey Gordon was a two crew biplane light bomber and utility aircraft.Powerplant was 1 × Armstrong Siddeley PantherIIa radial engine of 525 hp.Armament was one fixed, forward-firing .303-inch Vickers machine gun,and a .303-inch Lewis Gun in the rear cockpit,plus 500 pounds (230 kg) of bombs.
The prototype was first flown on 3 March 1931.178 new-built aircraft were made for the RAF,a handful of earlier Fairey IIIFs being converted on the production line.
154 Mark Is were built,before production switched to the Mark II which had a larger fin and rudder;only 24 of these were completed before production switched to the Swordfish.
It had mostly been retired from RAF and Royal Navy FAA service prior to the Second World War,but a few squadrons still operated them in Egypt.Six of these aircraft were transferred to the Egyptian Air Force.
49 Gordons were dispatched to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in April 1939,41 entering brief service as pilot trainers.The aircraft were worn out and showing signs of their service in the Middle East.The last of these – and the last intact Gordon anywhere – was struck from RNZAF service in 1943.
On 12 April 1940 two trainee pilots Walter Raphael (pilot) and Wilfred Everist (passenger) of 1 Service Flying Training School were flying NZ629 from Wigram on a flight over the Southern Alps,it entered a spin then recovered,only to crash into trees where it became entangled.
In 1976 it was relocated – still largely suspended from trees.It is the only known survivor of a Gordon Mark I,and is under long term restoration in New Zealand.
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In 1976 it was relocated – still largely suspended from trees.
Gordon Bennett, what a tale!
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Gloster Gauntlet
The Gloster Gauntlet was a single-seat biplane fighter of the RAF,designed and built by in the 1930s.It was the last RAF fighter to have an open cockpit and the penultimate biplane fighter in service.A total of 204 Mk IIs were produced in the UK,this new model used a revised construction method based on that used by Hawker following it`s takeover of Gloster,it was much easier to build and repair than Gloster's welded structure.Powerplant was 1 × Bristol Mercury VI S2 9-cylinder radial engine,645 hp giving a useful top speed of 230mph.Armament was a pair of 0.303 in Vickers machine guns.
The Gauntlet Mk II entered service with 56 Squadron and 111 Squadron in May 1936,at the height of its career,it equipped 14 Squadrons of RAF Fighter Command.In the late 1930`s they were passed on to freshly formed units as their first equipment to allow them to gain training before receiving more modern fighters.A flight of Gauntlets remaining in service with No.3 Sqn RAAF in the Middle East when Italy declared war in 1940.These were briefly used for ground-attack operations against the Italians before being retired from operations.
Seventeen Gauntlets IIs were licence-produced in Denmark,while 25 ex-RAF machines were supplied by South Africa as support to Finland in 1940 as a result of the Winter War.Although obsolete,they were used as advanced trainers by the Finns.
The only airworthy Mk II in the world, GT-400,is registered in Finland,where it spends its summers in Kymi Airfield Aviation Museum near Kotka.
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Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow
The Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow was a heavy bomber of the 1930s,operated by the RAF,being used for most of the Second World War as a transport.It was a twin-engine,high-wing monoplane with a fixed undercarriage.Powerplant was 2 × Bristol Pegasus XX nine-cylinder radial engine,of 925 hp each.
On 14 August 1936,months before the first Harrow flew,the Ministry put in an order for 100 aircraft,the first Harrow flew on 10 October 1936 from Radlett.
The nose and dorsal turrets were armed with a single Lewis gun,while the tail turret carried two Lewis guns,(later replaced by Vickers K machine guns).A bombload of up to 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) could be carried under the cabin floor,with the aircraft being able to carry a single 2,000 lb (910 kg) bomb.
The first Harrow was delivered to No. 214 Squadron RAF on 13 January 1937,all 100 were delivered by the end of the year,with five bomber squadrons of the RAF being equipped.
It was phased out as a frontline bomber by the end of 1939 but continued to be used as a transport.At the height of the German night Blitz against Britain in the winter of 1940–1941.Six Harrows equipped No. 420 Flight RAF which used lone Harrows to tow Long Aerial Mines (LAM) into the path of enemy bombers.The LAM had an explosive charge on the end of a long cable.
Three Harrows were operated by Flight Refuelling Limited,and refuelled Short Empire Flying Boats on transatlantic services,two from Gander,Newfoundland and one based in Foynes Ireland.The last five Harrows were retired by the RAF 25th May 1945.
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Hawker Henley
The Hawker Henley was a two-seat target tug derived from the Hawker Hurricane,that was operated by the RAF during World War II.It was originally intended to be a light bomber that could also be deployed in a close-support role as a dive-bomber,but changes in requirements changed it`s role.
The Hawker design team chose to focus on developing an aircraft similar in size to the Hurricane fighter.There would be economies of scale if some assemblies were common to both aircraft.They shared identical outer wing panels and tailplane jigs,and both were equipped with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine,as it offered the best power-weight ratio as well as a minimal frontal area.
It`s first flight was 10th March 1937 powered by a Merlin "F" engine,at Brooklands.Further test flights confirmed the excellence of its performance.It could reach a top speed of 300 mph.However the Air Ministry had by this point decided that it no longer required a light bomber,thus it was relegated to target-towing duty.Production was subcontracted to Gloster Aircraft and 200 were ordered.
Unfortunately,it was soon discovered that unless the aircraft were restricted to an unrealistically low towing speed of 220 mph,the rate of engine failures was unacceptably high,attributed to a cooling system matched to the Henley's original missions,but inadequate when towing a target at high engine speed but low airspeed.
They were relegated to towing larger drogue targets with anti-aircraft co-operation units,proving themselves even less well-suited to this role;the number of engine failures increased and there were difficulties releasing drogue targets.By mid-1942 the Henley had largely been withdrawn from service.
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Miles Monarch
The Miles M.17 Monarch was a light,touring aeroplane of the 1930s.It was a single-engine,three-seat,cabin monoplane with a fixed,tailwheel undercarriage.The Monarch was a development of their earlier Whitney Straight,with an enlarged fuselage,allowing a third seat in part of what had been the luggage space.
It first flew 20th Feb 1938,eleven aircraft were built between 1938 and 1939,six of these to British customers,the rest going to export.
Powerplant was a De Havilland Gipsy Major I four-cylinder air-cooled inline piston engine,of 130 hp.
On the outbreak of war,five of the British-registered machines were impressed by the Air Ministry; one machine belonging to Rolls-Royce acquired camouflage paint but remained in its owner's service.All but one of these survived the war,though a Dutch-registered aeroplane (PH-ATP) was destroyed in a German raid on Schiphol on 10 May 1940.The remaining Monarchs led uneventful but useful careers;a number survived into the Sixties.G-AFJU is displayed at the National Museum of Flight at RAF East Fortune near East Linton, Scotland.
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Nieuport Nighthawk
The Nieuport & General Aircraft Co. Ltd.was formed on 16 November 1916 to produce French Nieuport aircraft under licence.During 1917,the company started to design its own aircraft,( hiring Henry Folland as chief designer ),the second of which was the Nieuport Nighthawk,a single seat biplane fighter for the RAF and the RNFAA.
It was to be powered by the new ABC Dragonfly,a radial engine under development which was meant to deliver 340 hp while weighing only 600 lb.
An initial order for 150 Nighthawks was placed in August 1918,well before prototypes or flight-ready engines were available,the first prototype,F-2909 flew in Spring 1919.
By this time,it was clear that the Dragonfly had serious problems,being prone to extreme overheating,when the engine could be persuaded to work,the Nighthawk showed excellent performance.
In September 1919,it was finally recognised that the Dragonfly was unsalvagable and the engine programme was cancelled.
Seventy Nighthawks were completed by Nieuport and the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company,with a further 54 airframes without engines being completed.
In a vain attempt to work out the problems with the Dragonfly engine,four Nighthawks were retained by the R.A.E. with experiments carried out in 1920–21.
Nieuport & General closed down in August 1920,and the rights to the Nighthawk were purchased by the Gloster Aircraft Company,who also hired Folland as chief designer.
Gloster proceeded to produce a number of derivatives of the Nighthawk,using stocks of components acquired by the company from the cancelled production run,calling them the Gloster Mars.
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Saunders-Roe A.36 Lerwick
The Saunders-Roe A.36 Lerwick was a British flying boat built by Saunders-Roe Limited (Saro).An Air Ministry Specification was for a medium-range flying boat for anti-submarine,convoy escort and reconnaissance duties to replace the Royal Air Force's biplane flying boats.
The Lerwick was of all-metal construction,with a conventional flying boat hull,and two stabilising floats carried under the wings.It was powered by two Bristol Hercules radial engines and initially had twin fins and rudders.For defence,it was equipped with three powered gun turrets,it could also carry various bombs,and depth charges.
It first flew on 31 October 1938, after numerous delays during design and construction.It was immediately found to be unstable in the air,and on the water and not suited to "hands off" flying.This was a major problem in an aircraft designed for long-range patrols.Numerous adjustments,failed to remedy its poor handling characteristics,which included a vicious stall.In mid-1939,four were allocated to 240 Squadron but by October the squadron had stopped flying them.
The Lerwick programme was cancelled on 24 October but restarted just a week later,as with the start of the World War II,aircraft were urgently required.
April 1941,209 Squadron began receiving the Catalina.The last of a total of 21 Lerwicks was delivered in May,but the type was withdrawn from front-line service in the same month.Most of the remaining Lerwicks were transferred to Invergordon;three were sent to 240 Squadron for service trials at Helensburgh.
In mid-1942,the Lerwicks were briefly returned to service,for operational training with 422 Squadron and 423 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force,based at Lough Erne. By the end of 1942 the type had been declared obsolete and by early 1943 the survivors had been scrapped.
Of the 21 aircraft built,10 were lost to accidents,and one for an unknown reason.
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Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a single-seat biplane fighter of the RAF during WW I.It came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of the conflict,in late 1918.
The Snipe was not a fast aircraft by the standards of its time,but its excellent climb and manoeuvrability made it a good match for contemporary German fighters.The first prototype Snipe,powered by a Bentley AR.1 rotary engine was completed in October 1917.The 2nd with a new,more powerful Bentley BR.2 engine,which gave 230 hp,flew late November 1917--It was the last rotary to be used by the RAF.
It`s fixed armament consisted of two 0.303 in Vickers machine guns on the cowling,and it was also able to carry up to four 25 lb bombs for ground attack work,identical to the Camel's armament.The Snipe began production in 1918,with more than 4,500 being ordered,but the run ended in 1919,with just under 500 being built,the rest being cancelled due to the end of the war.There was only one variant,the Snipe I,although two aircraft were re-engined with a 320 hp ABC Dragonfly radial engine and these entered production as the Sopwith Dragon.
The first squadron to equip with the new fighter was No. 43,based at Fienvillers in France,replacing its Camels with 15 Snipes on 30 August 1918.
It flew its first operational patrols on 24 September 1918,it also saw service with No. 4 Squadron Australian Flying Corps (AFC) from October 1918.
By the end of 1919,only a single squadron,No 80 was equipped with the Snipe.It took part in the Allied intervention on the side of the White Russians during the Russian Civil War against the Bolsheviks,twelve being used by the RAF mission in north Russia.Most had been retired from service by the early 1920`s.
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Supermarine Southampton
The Supermarine Southampton was a 1920s biplane flying boat,one of the most successful flying boats of the interwar period.It was a twin-engine biplane,with the tractor engines mounted between the wings.The Mk I had both its hull and its wings manufactured from wood,but the Mk II had a hull with a single thickness of metal (duralumin) (the Mk I had a double wooden bottom).This change gave a weight saving of 900 lb (409 kg) allowing for an increase in range of approximately 200 miles.
The first flight of a production aircraft was made on 10 March 1925,and delivery to the RAF started in mid-1925,with No. 480 (Coastal Reconnaissance) Flight at RAF Calshot.The aircraft had three positions for machine guns,one in the nose and two staggered in the rear fuselage.The type quickly became famous for long-distance formation flights,the most notable was a 27,000 mile expedition in 1927 and 1928,carried out by four Southamptons of the Far East Flight,setting out from Felixstowe via the Mediterranean and India to Singapore.
Southamptons were sold to a number of other countries,eight new aircraft were sold to Argentina,with Turkey purchasing six and Australia buying two ex-RAF Mk 1 aircraft.
Japan also purchased a single example,which was later converted into an 18-passenger cabin airliner.One RAF aircraft was loaned to Imperial Airways,with British Civil Registration G-AASH,for three months from December 1929.83 Southamptons were constructed,over a ten year period.
The restored wooden fuselage of Supermarine Southampton 1 N9899 is on display at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon.
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Supermarine Spiteful
The Supermarine Spiteful was a Rolls-Royce Griffon-engined fighter,designed as a successor to the Spitfire.It featured an entirely new wing design,intended to improve its safe operations at higher speeds.It allowed the landing gear to be re-arranged to a modern inward-retracting design,also a larger vertical tail was added to improve the marginal stability of Spitfires with the Griffon engine.
It first flew 30th June 1944,and was ready for production as the war was ending,but was passed over in favour of jet-powered designs.Of the original order for 150 Spitefuls, only 19 aircraft were completed.
The main problem of the Spitfire's wing was the aeroelasticity,at high speeds the light structure behind the strong leading edge torsion box would flex,changing the airflow and limiting the maximum safe diving speed to 480 mph.To be able to fly higher and faster,a radically new wing would be needed.At high speeds compressibility had become a major problem with the increasingly powerful fighters,and the new wing went some way to addressing the issue.To improve the pilot's view over the nose,the 2375 hp RR Griffon 69 engines were mounted tilted downwards slightly.
There was some uncertainty over whether jet aircraft would be able to operate from the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers so it was decided to develop a naval version of the Spiteful,subsequently named Seafang.
The Seafang featured folding wingtips,a "sting"-type arrester hook and a Griffon 89 or 90 engine,driving two new Rotol three-bladed contra-rotating propellers.The first one produced was a converted Spiteful XV (RB520) but with the successful operation of the de Havilland Sea Vampire from the carrier HMS Ocean in 1945,the need for the Seafang also disappeared.
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Supermarine Attacker
The Supermarine Attacker was a single-seat naval jet fighter built for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA).It has the distinction of being the first jet fighter to enter operational service with the FAA.Like most other first-generation jet fighters,it had a short service life due to the rapid development of increasingly advanced aircraft.
It used the laminar flow straight-wings of the Supermarine Spiteful,meant to replace the Spitfire.The Attacker project was intended to provide an interim fighter for the RAF while another aircraft,the Gloster E.1/44 also using the Nene engine,was developed.An order for 24 pre-production aircraft,six for the RAF and the remaining 18 for the Fleet Air Arm was placed on 7 July 1945.
The RAF rejected both designs (Spiteful and Attacker) since they offered no great performance advantage over the contemporary Gloster Meteor and the de Havilland Vampire,the RAF's first two operational jet aircraft.The prototype Attacker,TS409 land version was first flown on 27 July 1946,by test pilot Jeffrey Quill.The tail-down attitude meant that when operating from grass airfields the jet exhaust would create a long furrow in the ground,and made it more difficult to land on aircraft carriers.
The first navalised prototype,Type 398 TS413 flew on 17 June 1947 flown by test pilot Mike Lithgow.Orders for the FAA were placed in November 1949,and the first production aircraft to fly was the F.1 variant in 1950,entering service with the FAA in August 1951.The first squadron being 800 Naval Air Squadron; the F.1's armament consisted of four 20 mm Hispano cannons,with 125 rounds per gun.It was powered by a single Rolls-Royce Nene Mk. 101 turbojet engine.
The Attacker had a brief career with the FAA,not seeing any action during its time with the FAA and being taken out of first-line service in 1954.It remained in service with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) for a little while longer,being taken out of service in early 1957.The Attacker was replaced in the front line squadrons by the later and more capable Hawker Sea Hawk and de Havilland Sea Venom.182 were built,the Pakistan Air Force aquired 36,and operated them until the late 1950`s.
Attacker F.1 Serial number WA473 is on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset,UK.
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182 were built,the Pakistan Air Force aquired 36,and operated them until the late 1950`s.
I remember reading that the Attacker was very unpopular in Pakistan, whether due to its own faults or being their first jet with its learning curve. There was a letter campaign by "Mothers of the Air Force" to have them grounded which culminated with the Chief of the Air Force saddling-up and flying a demo in one to prove that they were 'safe'.
I haven't the foggiest notion where I read that.
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Vickers Vixen
The Vickers Vixen was a general-purpose biplane of the 1920s.It was a single-bay biplane with a steel tube fuselage and wooden wings,powered by a 450 hp Napier Lion engine.
The first prototype the Type 71 Vixen I,civil registration G-EBEC,flew in February 1923.It was tested at Martlesham Heath and showed good performance,prompting modification to a day bomber role as the Type 87 Vixen II,which was fitted with a ventral radiator.The Vixen I and II formed the basis of the Venture army co-operation aircraft for the Royal Air Force and the Valparaiso for export purposes.
Next came the Vixen IV,which was intended for use as a night fighter,it showed improved performance over the Lion-powered versions,but it was not successful.It was later modified with the enlarged wings of the Vixen III as a general-purpose aircraft (the Type 124 Vixen VI) for evaluation as a private venture.
The Military Aviation Service of Chile placed an initial order for twelve Vixen Vs in May 1925,this being increased to 18 in July.Prone to engine problems owing to the problems with the special fuel (⅔ petrol to ⅓ benzol) required for the high-compression Lion V engine,and requiring frequent re-rigging owing to the use of wooden wings in the high temperature of Northern Chile,the Vixen Vs,operated by the Grupo Mixto de Aviación N° 3.were popular in Chilean service.
Vixens participated in bombing raids against mutinying ships of the Chilean Navy during the Sailors' mutiny of September 1931.
After rejection by the RAF,the Vixen VI,piloted by the Test pilot Joseph Summers and Colonel Charles Russell of the Irish Air Corps,carried the first Irish Air Mail, between Galway and London.
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Vickers Vildebeest
The Vickers Vildebeest,and the similar Vickers Vincent were two very large two/three-seat single-engined biplanes.The prototype was,an all-metal fuselage aircraft with single-bay unstaggered fabric-covered wings and tail.First flown in April 1928 as the Vickers Type 132,powered by a Bristol Jupiter VIII radial engine,later changed to the Bristol Pegasus II-M3 air-cooled radial,of 635hp.An initial production order was placed in 1931 for nine aircraft,with the first production machines flying in September 1932.
The RAF ordered 150 to serve as light bombers/torpedo bombers,and in army cooperation roles.In 1931 Vickers designed as a private venture a general purpose version of the Vildebeest to replace the RAF's Westland Wapitis and Fairey IIIFs,supporting the Army in the Middle East.
Named the Vickers Vincent:differences from the Vildebeest were minimal,principally removal of torpedo equipment,provision for an auxiliary fuel tank,and other minor changes.The Vincent was unveiled to the general public for the first time at the 1935 RAF flying display at Hendon,but deliveries had already been made to No.8 Sqn at Aden in late 1934.Between 1934 and 1936,197 Vincents were built for or converted from Vildebeests for the RAF.
The Vildebeest was purchased in moderately large numbers by the RAF from 1931,mainly based in Scotland and Singapore.By 1937,it equipped six squadrons in Iraq,Aden,Kenya,Sudan,and Egypt.At the outbreak of the Second World War,101 Vildebeests were still in service with the RAF.The two British-based squadrons flew coastal patrol and convoy escort missions until 1940,when their Vildebeests were replaced by the Bristol Beaufort.The two Singapore-based squadrons were still waiting for their Beauforts when Japan invaded Malaya in December 1941,and the obsolete biplanes had to be deployed against the Japanese attackers.
The Vildebeest also served in Spain,with the Spanish Republican forces,and 12 Vildebeests were purchased by the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1935 for coastal defence duties,with a further 27 acquired from RAF stocks in 1940–41.A Vildebeest/Vincent composite airframe is being restored by the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum at Wigram.
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Vickers Warwick
The Vickers Warwick was a multi-purpose twin-engined military aircraft developed and operated during WWII used mainly by the RAF,but also used by some Polish Sqds and the RAAF,as well as a small number of civil versions used by BOAC.
It was intended to serve as a larger counterpart to the Wellington bomber;the two aircraft shared similar construction and design.Unlike the smaller Wellington, development of the Warwick was protracted by a lack of suitable high-powered engines with which to power the type.First flight was on 13 August 1939,delays to its intended powerplant,the Napier Sabre,led to alternatives being explored in the form of the Bristol Centaurus and Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial.
Due to the powerplant delays,it was no longer viable as a heavy bomber,and was placed into operational use by the RAF in various other capacities,such as under RAF Transport Command,in addition to its adoption by RAF Coastal Command as an air-sea rescue and maritime reconnaissance platform.During mid-1943,a single Warwick Mk I was converted to become the Warwick Mk II prototype;the main difference was the fitting of Centaurus IV engines.
A total of 219 Warwick Mk I aircraft were constructed,the last 95 of these with 2,000 horsepower R-2800-47 engines.Early testing showed the Warwick to be under-powered and with severe handling problems,especially when flown on a single engine.The version of Double Wasp fitted to early models proved extremely unreliable with many in-flight failures; later versions fitted with the Centaurus engine had better performance but the handling problems were never solved.
From 1943,Warwicks were loaded with the 1,700 lb (770 kg) Mk IA airborne lifeboat,and used for air-sea rescue.It was laden with supplies and powered by two 4 hp motors,it was aimed with a bombsight near to ditched aircrew,and dropped by parachute into the sea from an altitude of about 700 ft.
Warwicks were credited with rescuing crews from Halifaxes,Lancasters,Wellingtons and B-17`s,and during Operation Market Garden,and from Hamilcar gliders,all of which ditched in the English Channel or North Sea.
In total 846 aircraft in different versions were completed.
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Vickers Vanguard/Merchantman
The Vickers Vanguard was a British short/medium-range turboprop airliner introduced in 1959,a follow-up to its highly successful Viscount design,but with considerably more internal space.It was largely ignored by the market,only 44 were built,ordered by Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) and British European Airways (BEA).In the early 1970s most were converted to freighters,those from BEA becoming the Merchantman.These freighters remained in service for many years,with the last one not retiring until 1996.
The main difference between the Viscount and Vanguard was the fuselage.The revised larger upper portion gave a roomier interior,with increased cargo capacity below the floor.
Rolls-Royce delivered its new Tyne design with a nominal 4,000 hp,allowing a higher service ceiling and cruising speed.The Vanguard was one of the fastest turboprops ever flown,production aircraft had 4 × Rolls-Royce Tyne RTy.11 Mk 512 turboprops producing 5,545 hp each,so the Vanguard was certainly overpowered.
It entered service with BEA and TCA in late 1960,and soon took over many of BEA's busier European and UK trunk routes.Initial seating was 18 first-class at the rear and 108 tourist,but this was changed to 139 all-tourist,in which configuration,the Vanguard had very low operating costs per seat/mile.The remaining BEA fleet passed to British Airways on 1 April 1974 and the last BA passenger flight with the type was on 16 June 1974.TCA used their`s with two flights from Toronto and Montreal via intermediate stops to Vancouver.The fleet was also used on services from Toronto and Montreal to New York and Nassau.
BEA operated nine Vanguards modified to the V953C "Merchantman" all-cargo layout from 1969,a large forward cargo door was incorporated.The Merchantmen continued in service with BA until late 1979 when the remaining five were sold.Air Bridge Carriers purchased several,and operated them until 1992,when it changed its name to Hunting Cargo Airlines.Hunting Cargo operated its last V953C flight on 30 September 1996 and donated the aircraft,registered G-APEP,to Brooklands Museum on 17 October 1996.
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Westland Walrus
The Westland Walrus was a British spotter/reconnaissance biplane,developed from the Airco DH.9A.The initial attempt was carried out by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft,adding provision for an observer and removing the stagger from the wings.Westland further modified the aircraft to produce the Walrus,with a 450 hp Napier Lion II engine replacing the Liberty of the DH.9A.
The Walrus was a single-engined,two-bay biplane,fitted with an extra cockpit for the observer/radio operator behind the gunner's cockpit.The observer also had a prone position for observing in a ventral pannier.The undercarriage was jettisonable and the aircraft was fitted with floatation bags for safe ditching,together with arresting gear to aid landing on aircraft carriers.
The prototype`s first flight was in early 1921,it proved to have poor flying characteristics,described by Westland's test pilot Stuart Keep as "a vicious beast.".However,a further 35 were ordered for the RAF and RN.Despite the extensive navalisation,for carrier borne deployment,the Walrus never operated from carriers.
Production aircraft began to be delivered to No. 3 Sqn RAF,at RAF Leuchars in Fife in 1921.No.3 Sqn was split up to form independent Fleet Spotter Flights in 1923.
It continued in service in the Fleet spotting role until it was replaced by the Avro Bison and Blackburn Blackburn in late 1925.
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Westland Whirlwind (fighter)
The Westland Whirlwind was a twin-engine heavy fighter,the first single-seat,twin-engine,cannon-armed fighter of the RAF.It first flew 11th Oct 1938,and was one of the fastest combat aircraft in the world,and with four Hispano-Suiza HS.404 20mm autocannon in its nose,the most heavily armed.Problems with its Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines badly delayed the project,and only 116 Whirlwinds were built.During WW II,just three RAF squadrons were equipped with the type,despite its success as a fighter and ground attack aircraft,it was withdrawn from service in 1943.
The airframe was built mainly of stressed-skin duraluminium,with the exception of the rear-fuselage,which used a magnesium alloy stressed skin.The pilot sat high under one of the world's first full bubble canopies,and with the low and forward location of the wing,visibility was good (except for directly over the nose).
Hopes were so high for the design that it remained "top secret" for much of its development.The Whirlwind was quite small,only slightly larger than the Hurricane but smaller in terms of frontal area.The landing gear was fully retractable and the entire aircraft was very "clean" with few openings or protuberances.Radiators were in the leading edge on the inner wings rather than below the engines.
The Whirlwind was most often used in ground-attack missions over France,attacking German airfields,marshalling yards,and railway traffic.It was also successful in hunting and destroying German E-boats which operated in the English Channel.At lower altitudes,it could hold its own against the Bf 109.
After retirement in December 1943,all but one of the surviving Whirlwinds were sent to 18 Maintenance Unit at Dumfries,where they were scrapped.P7048 was retained by Westland and was granted a civil certificate of airworthiness on 10 October 1946,with the registration G-AGOI.It was used as a company hack for a short time before being withdrawn in 1947 and scrapped.
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Westland Wyvern
The Wyvern began as a Westland project for a naval strike fighter,with the engine located behind the pilot,driving a propeller in the nose via a shaft that passed under the cockpit floor.The prototype W.34;the Wyvern TF.1,first flew at Boscombe Down on 16 December 1946 with Westland's test pilot Harald Penrose at the controls.
From prototype number three onwards,the aircraft were navalised and carried their intended armament of four Hispano 20 mm cannon in the wings,and have the ability to carry a torpedo under the fuselage or a selection of bombs and rockets under the wings.
Powerplant was 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Python turboprop engine of 3,560 hp driving 4-bladed Rotol contra-rotating,13 ft props.The first Python-powered TF.2 flew on 22 March 1949 and this aircraft introduced the ejection seat to the type.The Python engine responded poorly to minor throttle adjustments,so control was by running the engine at a constant speed and varying the pitch of the propellers.The aircraft was declared ready for service in 1952.
The Wyvern S.4 entered service with 813 Naval Air Squadron in May 1953,it had not yet obtained clearance for carrier operations,this was issued in April 1954.They were in service with the Fleet Air Arm from 1954 to 1958.Wyverns equipped 813 Squadron,827 Squadron,830 Squadron and 831 Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm.
The Wyvern soon showed a worrying habit for flameout on catapult launch;due to the high G forces resulting in fuel starvation.A number of aircraft were lost off HMS Albion's bows and Lt. B. D. Macfarlane made history on 13 October 1954 when he successfully ejected from under water after his aircraft had ditched on launch and had been cut in two by the carrier.
All Wyverns were withdrawn from service by 1958: while in service and testing there were 68 accidents,39 were lost and there were 13 fatalities;including two RAF pilots and one United States Navy pilot.
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Westland 30
The Westland 30 was a medium helicopter based on the Westland Lynx.Westland had studied a larger version of the Lynx for civil use,originally named "WG-30 Super Lynx" before being changed to "Westland 30".It shared transmission,rotor blade and other components with the Lynx,but had a new airframe.The fuselage is a conventionally built structure of aluminium while composites are used for the tail boom.The prototype WG30 made its first flight on 10 April 1979,and made an appearance at the Paris Air Show the same year.
As a civilian carrier,fitted with airstair or sliding doors it could carry up to 22 passengers with a baggage compartment at the rear of the fuselage.As a military aircraft it could carry 14 troops with equipment, 17 without or six stretchers and medical attendants.
The first of three Westland 30-100s was delivered to British Airways Helicopters on 6 January 1982,to support gas rigs in the southern sector of the North Sea.Omniflight Helicopter Services operated the type on behalf of Pan American World Airways,linking JFK Airport with Pan Am's heliport in central Manhattan.Services ended on 1 February 1988,and the helicopters were returned to Westland;most ending up at The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare.
Chief operator of the type was Pawan Hans of India.The UK government agreed with India to supply 21 Westland 30s for oil exploration duties using a British grant of 65 million pounds.It was soon found that they were ill-suited to Indian conditions,and after two fatal accidents,the fleet was grounded in 1991.The aircraft are believed to remain in storage in the UK and India.
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I think that`s most of the major UK types dealt with.I will move on to USA types,should be a few to keep me busy.
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American Eagle A-101
The American A-1 and A-101 were US-built light 2/3-seat biplanes of the 1920s.The American Eagle A-1 was designed in late 1925 as a training aircraft to replace the WW I biplanes of various types then in use by the Porterfield Flying School.
The prototype A-1 first flew on 9 April 1926.Modifications made to the design in 1927,including ailerons on the lower wings,led to the A-101 designation.
The 90 h.p.Curtiss OX-5 engine was initially fitted,but the upgraded 100 h.p.Curtiss OX-6 was fitted to later production A-101s.
A total of approximately 300 A-1/A-101 aircraft had been completed by 1929.
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Bell P-59 Airacomet
The Bell P-59 Airacomet was a twin jet-engined fighter aircraft, the first produced in the United States.Major General Henry H.Arnold became aware of the UK's jet program when he attended a demonstration of the Gloster E.28/39 in April 1941.He requested,and was given the plans for the aircraft's powerplant,the Power Jets W.1.
An example of the engine,the Whittle W.1X turbojet,was flown to the U.S in October 1941 along with drawings for the more powerful W.2B/23 and a small team of Power Jets engineers.On 4 September,the U.S. company General Electric was given a contract to produce an American version of the engine,which subsequently became the General Electric I-A.
The aircraft first flew during high-speed taxiing tests on 1 Oct 1942 with Bell test pilot Robert Stanley at the controls,although the first official flight was made by Col Laurence Craigie the next day.Tests on the three XP-59As revealed several problems including poor engine response and reliability,poor lateral stability,and general performance that was below expectations.
The 13 service test YP-59As had a more powerful engine than their predecessor,the General Electric J31,but the improvement in performance was negligible.One of these aircraft,the third YP-59A was supplied to the RAF (receiving serial RG362/G),in exchange for the first production Gloster Meteor I, EE210/G.British pilots found that the aircraft compared very unfavorably with the jets that they were already flying.
Bell eventually completed 50 production Airacomets,20 P-59As and 30 P-59BsEach was armed with one 37 mm M4 cannon and 44 rounds of ammunition and three .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns with 200 rounds per gun.By 1950, all examples of the Airacomet were no longer airworthy.Disposal of the aircraft included use as static displays,instructional aids in military training,and as static targets.
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Brewster SB2A Buccaneer
The Brewster SB2A Buccaneer was a single-engined mid-wing monoplane scout/bomber built for the RAF and USN between 1942 and 1944.It was also supplied to the USAAF and USMC.
It`s design was heavily based on the earlier Brewster SBA scout-bomber,sharing the single-engined,mid-winged monoplane layout,but was larger and had a more powerful engine.Power was a single Wright R-2600 engine which drove a three-bladed prop.It was armed with two forward-firing 0.50 inch calibre machine guns in the fuselage and two 0.30 machine guns in each wing.It was also intended to have an enclosed gun turret.The aircraft could carry up to 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of bombs in an internal bomb bay.
Serious problems within Brewster also caused major delays.The company was badly run,and its workforce frequently took strike action.After Brewster missed deadlines to deliver aircraft to the US Navy,it was taken over by the Navy in April 1942.Production continued to be slow,and many of the completed SB2As suffered from defects.
Deliveries of Brewster Bermudas to the RAF commenced in July 1942.They judged that the type was unsuitable for combat,and most of the Bermudas delivered to them were converted to target tugs.Five were transferred to the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy for assessment – four as dive bombers and one as a target towing tug.
Due to the poor performance of the SB2A,many of the completed aircraft were scrapped by the RAF and US Navy without having been flown operationally.
The US Navy cancelled its remaining order of the type in 1943.A total of 771 SB2As were eventually completed.
Many historians regard the SB2A as one of the worst aircraft of WWII.The National Naval Aviation Museum's website notes that "overweight, underpowered, and lacking maneuverability,the Brewster SB2A Buccaneer was a classic failure".
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Champion Lancer
The Champion 402 Lancer is a twin-engine tandem seat trainer based on the tricycle gear Champion 7FC Tri-Traveler,but powered by two wing-mounted Continental O-200-A engines.
The Lancer was the least expensive American-built twin engine airplane.Other design goals included simplicity,ease of maintenance,low operating costs,and the ability to operate from rough or unimproved strips.The high wing and high engine position give good propeller clearance.Built with metal tube construction and fiberglass covering and has fixed landing gear and propellers.
It first flew in 1961 and production began in 1963,it was designed specifically for flight schools seeking an inexpensive way to train students for a multi-engine rating.
The front seat was equipped with a control yoke,while the rear-seat pilot had a centre stick.Both seats were equipped with engine controls mounted overhead,with solo flight being performed from the front.Braking was controlled with a lever on the right-hand side of the front-seat instrument panel;differential braking was not possible, and no brake controls were provided for the rear-seat pilot.
Single engine performance was poor as was visibility due to the engine nacelles,particularly for the rear-seat pilot,and for both pilots during banked turns.Engine noise in the cockpit was a problem.The sidewall-mounted elevator trim lever looks very similar to the throttle lever of the single-engine Aeronca Champion which creates a risk that an experienced Champion pilot may confuse the two. In most respects, the Lancer's flight performance is equal or slightly inferior to that of the popular Cessna 150,an airplane that uses a single O-200 engine rather than two.
Some flight schools initially viewed the Lancer's marginal single-engine performance favorably,as students trained in a Lancer found other twin-engine types comparatively easy to fly.However,sales were very limited;production began in 1963 and ended later in the same year with only 25 to 36 aircraft built.As of November 2018,the highest serial number of any 402 Lancer in the FAA aircraft registry is 25.
Photo from Abpic.co.uk
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Columbia XJL
The Columbia XJL is a large single-engined amphibious aircraft designed by Grumman Aircraft but built by the Columbia Aircraft Corp.It was intended to replace the Grumman J2F Duck but the type did not reach production status.
The final 330 examples of the Duck were built in 1941/42 under sub-contract by the Columbia Aircraft Corp,retaining the J2F-6 designation.
It had a crew of six and capacity for 6 passengers,powerplant was 1 × Wright R-1820-56,of 1,350 hp
Grumman completed a major re-design of the aircraft for the USN as a Wright R-1820-56 powered monoplane amphibian.
The new design was turned over to the Columbia Aircraft Corporation for development and construction so that Grumman could focus on the production of fighter aircraft for the USN.
The aircraft resembled the J2F Duck,except for its monoplane layout,and has been referred to as a "single-winged Duck" dispite being an new design.The USN ordered three XJL-1 experimental aircraft from Columbia.
Two,assigned USN BuAer Nos 31399 and 31400,were delivered to the USNs test establishment Maryland for evaluation in 1946.The two aircraft tested were found to have repeated structural failures of various components and testing was abandoned on 21 September 1948.
The aircraft were deleted from the USN inventory in February 1949.No further orders were placed for production of the JL design.
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Consolidated PB2Y Coronado
The PB2Y Coronado is a large flying boat patrol bomber used by the US Navy during World War II in bombing, antisubmarine, and transport roles.
The USN began planning for the next generation of patrol bombers,after deliveries of the PBY Catalina had begun in 1935.Orders for two prototypes,the XPB2Y-1 and the Sikorsky XPBS-1,were placed in 1936 and the prototype Coronado first flew in December 1937.
The design was finalized as the PB2Y-2,with a large cantilever wing,twin tail with very marked dihedral,and four Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engines.The inner engines were fitted with four-bladed reversible pitch propellers;outer engines had standard three-bladed feathering props,later marks had engines replaced with single-stage R-1830-92`s.
Coronados served in combat in the Pacific with the USN,in both bombing and antisubmarine roles,but many served as transport and hospital aircraft.RAF Coastal Command had hoped to use the Coronado as a maritime patrol bomber,but it`s range was unsuitable,consequently the Coronados supplied to the RAF were outfitted purely as transports, serving with RAF Transport Command.The 10 aircraft were used for transatlantic flights.
They served as a major component in the Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) during World War II in the Pacific theater,again range limited them to transport service in the American naval air fleet.
By the end of World War II,the Coronado was outmoded as both a bomber and a transport,and virtually all of them were quickly scrapped by the summer of 1946.
Only one known example remains,at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola,Florida.
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Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf
The Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf was a USN torpedo bomber of WWII and a competitor and contemporary to the Grumman TBF Avenger.
The original design was not by Consolidated Aircraft,but rather by Vought,the first prototype flew two weeks after Pearl Harbor.It`s performance was deemed superior to the Avenger so the Navy placed an order for 1,000 examples.Powerplant was 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-6 Double Wasp radial engine of 2,000 hp.
The aircraft was armed with 4 x.50inch machine guns and a single 0.30inch machine gun,also it could carry 2000lb of bombs,or one torpedo.
The prototype was damaged in a rough arrested landing trial,and when repaired a month later was again damaged in a collision with a training aircraft.
Due to flight test delays Vought had become heavily overcommitted to other contracts,especially for the F4U Corsair fighter,and had no production capacity.
It was arranged that Consolidated-Vultee would produce the aircraft (as the TBY),but had to wait until the new production facility in Allentown,Pennsylvania,was complete, which took until late 1943.
The production TBYs were radar-equipped,with a radome under the right-hand wing.The first aircraft flew on 20 August 1944.By this time though,the Avenger equipped every torpedo squadron in the Navy,and there was no longer a requirement for the Sea Wolf.
Orders were cancelled after production started,and the 180 built were used for training.
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Convair XC-99
The Convair XC-99 was a prototype heavy cargo aircraft built by Convair for the USAF,developed from the Convair B-36 Peacemaker bomber,and shared the wings and some other structures with it.
It was the largest piston-engined land-based transport aircraft ever built,first flight was on 24 November 1947 in San Diego,after extensive testing it was delivered to the Air Force on 26 May 1949.
The capacity of the XC-99 was 45,000 kg of cargo or 400 fully equipped soldiers on its double cargo decks.A cargo lift was installed for easier loading.The engines face rearward in a pusher configuration like the B-36.
The Convair Model 37 was a large civil passenger design derived from the XC-99 but was never built.It was to be of similar proportions to the XC-99; 182 ft 6 in length,
230 ft wingspan,and a high-capacity,double-deck fuselage.The projected passenger load was to be 204,and the effective range of 4,200 miles.
Fifteen aircraft were ordered by Pan American Airways for transatlantic service.However,fuel and oil consumption of the six 3,500 hp Wasp Major radials meant that the design was not economically viable.The hoped-for turboprop powerplants did not materialize fast enough,and a low number of orders were not sufficient to initiate production.
The US Air Force determined that it had no need for such a large,long-range transport at that time,and no more were ordered.
The sole XC-99 served until 1957,including much use during the Korean War.It made twice weekly trips from Kelly AFB to the aircraft depot at McClellan Air Force Base,California,transporting supplies and parts for the B-36 bomber,returning by way of other bases or depots making pick-ups and deliveries along the way.
During its operational life,the XC-99 logged over 7,400 hours total time,and transported more than 60 million pounds (27,000 metric tons) of cargo.
The aircraft made its last flight on 19 March 1957, landing at Kelly Air Force Base, where it would remain for the next 47 years.It was subsequently transported in the summer of 2012 to Davis-Monthan AFB and is stored in Area 20 of the 309 AMARG complex,the so-called "Boneyard",pending financial resources sufficient to restore the aircraft and return it to NMUSAF for display.
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Convair R3Y Tradewind
The Convair R3Y Tradewind was an American 1950s turboprop-powered flying boat.The USN had requested Convair in 1945 to design a large flying boat using new technology developed during WW II,especially the laminar flow wing and developing turboprop technology.Their response was the Model 117.The Navy ordered two prototypes on 27 May 1946, designated XP5Y-1, the first aircraft first flew on 18 April 1950 at San Diego.The Navy decided not to proceed with the patrol boat version,instead directing that the design should be developed into a passenger and cargo aircraft.
It was designated the R3Y-1 Tradewind and first flew on 25 February 1954.Major changes were the removal of all armament and of the tailplane dihederal,the addition of a 10 ft port-side access hatch,and redesigned engine nacelles to accept improved T40-A-10 engines.Cabin soundproofing and airconditioning were added for pressurised accommodation for 103 passengers or 24 tons of cargo.As a medevac aircraft,92 stretcher cases could be carried.
A total of eleven aircraft were built.The first two prototypes built were in P5Y configuration armed with 8,000 lb of munitions (bombs, mines, depth charges, torpedoes) and five pairs of 20 mm cannon in fore and aft side emplacements and a tail turret.The next five were built as R3Y-1 aircraft,intended for troop transport and inflight refuelling tanker service.The final six were built as the R3Y-2 variant with a lifting nose and high cockpit (similar in concept to the C-5 Galaxy's nose and cockpit) for heavier transport and landing-ship duties.
The R3Y set a transcontinental seaplane record of 403 mph in 1954 by utilizing the speed of high-altitude jetstream winds,this record still stands.
After service trials the aircraft were delivered to US Navy transport squadron VR-2 on 31 March 1956. Problems with the engine/propeller combination led to the ending of Tradewind operations and the unit was disbanded on 16 April 1958.
The six R3Y-2s were converted into four-point in-flight tankers using the probe-and-drogue method.In September 1956 one example was the first aircraft to successfully refuel four others simultaneously in flight in 1956, refuelling four Grumman F9F Cougars.The program was halted after thirteen aircraft were built,the reason being the unreliability of the Allison T-40 turboprops.The crash of one of the two XP5Y-1 aircraft was judged due to catastrophic engine failure;when little progress was being made with the engine problems,All the P5Y and R3Y aircraft were grounded in 1958 and subsequently broken up.
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Convair 990 Coronado
The Convair 990 Coronado was an American narrow-body four-engined jet airliner,a stretched version of their earlier Convair 880 produced in response to a request from American Airlines.They wanted a larger passenger capacity than the 880,which was the smallest of the first-generation U.S. jet airliners and the 990 began flight testing January 24, 1961.One change from the 880 was the large anti-shock bodies on the upper trailing edge of the wings to increase the critical Mach and reduce transonic drag.The inboard shock bodies,which were larger,were also used for additional fuel tankage.
The 990 was lengthened by 10 ft (3.0 m),which increased the number of passengers from between 88 and 110 in the 880 to between 96 and 121 in the 990,still fewer passengers than the contemporary Boeing 707 (110 to 189) or Douglas DC-8 (105 to 173),although the 990 was 25–35 mph faster than either in cruise.The engines were also changed to the uprated General Electric CJ-805-23s,which were unique in that they used a fan stage at the rear of the engines,compared to the fan stage at the front of the engine found on the Pratt & Whitney JT3D that powered the 990's competitors.The engine was a simplified,non afterburning civil version of the J79,like most versions of the J79,the CJ805 and CJ805-23 were smoky, although secondary operator Spantax eventually had their 990 aircraft refitted with smokeless combustion chambers in the 1970s.
The 990 did not meet the specifications promised,and American Airlines reduced their order as a result.The 990A was developed by adding fairings to the engine nacelles, among other changes.Despite the modifications the aircraft never lived up to its promise of coast-to-coast nonstop capability from JFK to LAX.AA began to dispose of their 990As in 1967.
The Convair 990A is still the fastest non-supersonic commercial transport to have ever been produced.During May 1961, one of the pre-production 990 prototype aircraft set a record of .97 Mach in level flight at an altitude of 22,500 ft.,equivalent to a true airspeed of 675 mph.This was before the various aerodynamic drag-reduction changes were applied to the later 990A,as such,it would have been capable of speeds slightly in excess of 700 mph.
Swissair bought eight 990As beginning in 1962,operating them on long-distance routes to South America, West Africa, the Middle and Far East, as well as on European routes with heavy traffic. Their fleet was withdrawn from service in 1975. Scandinavian Airlines also operated Coronados on their long-haul schedules to Tokyo and other destinations in the Far East.
The failure of airlines to broadly accept the Convair 880 and 990 led Convair's parent company,General Dynamics,to suffer what at the time was one of the largest corporate losses in history.Convair exited the jet airliner business,although they later profitably built fuselages for the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, KC-10 and MD-11.
When the major airlines retired their Convair 990s,they found a second life on charter airlines.Spantax of Spain had a large fleet until the mid-1980s and so did Denver Ports of Call.In 1967,Alaska Airlines purchased Convair 990 PP-VJE from Varig,and operated it as N987AS in scheduled airline service until 1975.
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Culver Model V
The Culver Model V was a two-seat cabin monoplane designed and built by the Culver Aircraft Company.It was based on the pre-World War II Cadet and using the wartime experience with radio-controlled aircraft the company designed a two-seat cabin monoplane.It had a low-set cantilever wing with the outer panels having a pronounced dihedral,it also featured a tricycle retractable landing gear and an enclosed cabin with side by side seating for two.
It was unique in that it had a system called Simpli-Fly Control where the aircraft was automatically trimmed for takeoff,landing and cruise.It operated by turning a small metal wheel between the two seats and lining up two arrows with the correct mode of flying the aircraft.Interconnecting controls then adjusted the trim according to the arrow settings.Only a limited production run of 350 Model Vs was achieved before the company went bankrupt.
In 1956 the Superior Aircraft Company bought the assets of Culver and put the Model V back into production as the Superior Satellite.The main difference was the use of a 95 hp Continental engine which increased the cruise speed to 130 mph.Only a prototype and five production aircraft were built.
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Curtiss F11C Goshawk
The Curtiss F11C Goshawk was a 1930s USN biplane fighter aircraft that saw limited success but was part of a long line of Curtiss Hawk airplanes.
The USN wanted an improved derivative of the Model 34C,F6C as the F11C.It contained major changes that included the 600 hp Wright R-1510-98 radial engine,single-leg cantilever main landing-gear units,metal covered control surfaces,and two .30 in machine guns supplemented by a hardpoint under the fuselage for a 474 lb bomb,or a fuel tank.
After tweeks and changes,the XF11C-2 came to be regarded as the prototype for the F11C-2,of which 28 examples were ordered as dual-role fighter-bombers in October 1932.
From March 1934,the aircraft were revised with a semi-enclosed cockpit and a number of other modifications before they received the revised designation BFC-2 in recognition of their fighter-bomber or,as the Navy would have it,bomber-fighter role.
The last aircraft in the XF11C-2 contract was converted to the prototype XF11C-3,featuring a more powerful R-1820-80 engine and manual operated retractable landing gear.
The only U.S. Navy units to operate the F11C-2 were the Navy's famous "High Hat Squadron",VF-1B aboard the carrier Saratoga,and VB-6 briefly assigned to Enterprise.In March 1934,when the aircraft were redesignated BFC-2,the "High Hat Squadron" was renumbered VB-2B,and then VB-3B,and retained its BFC-2s until February 1938.
The F11C-2 Goshawk was produced in two export versions as the Hawk I and Hawk II fighters.Both versions carried the same armament as the production F11C-2.
Only the Hawk II was exported in quantity with Turkey,the first customer taking delivery of 19 on August 30,1932.
Colombia placed an order at the end of October 1932,receiving an initial batch of four twin float-equipped Hawk IIs,the first of a total of 26 float fighters delivered by the end of July 1934.
They used Hawk II and F11C-2 based in floats in the Colombia-Peru War in 1932-1933.
Nine Hawk IIs were supplied to Bolivia,of which three had interchangeable wheel/float undercarriages;four went to Chile,four to Cuba,two to Germany,one to Norway and 12 to Thailand as Hawk IIIs.
The Chinese Nationalist Air Force received 52 F11Cs as Hawk IIs and fought against the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Thai Hawk IIIs saw action during World War II,including against the RAF.On 8 April 1944,a Thai Hawk III was shot down by a No. 211 Squadron RAF Bristol Beaufighter over Lamphun.
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Curtiss SBC Helldiver
The Curtiss SBC Helldiver was a two-seat scout bomber and dive bomber,it was the last military biplane procured by the United States Navy.On 30 June 1932,BuAer signed a contract with Curtiss to design a two-seat monoplane with a parasol wing and a retractable undercarriage.Powered by a 625 hp Wright R-1510-92 fourteen cylinder,two row,air-cooled radial engine driving a two-blade propeller.
This fighter was designated XF12C-1.Most production versions used the Wright R-1820-34 radial engine of 850 hp.
Two crewmen,pilot and radio operator/gunner,were housed in tandem cockpits enclosed by a sliding canopy and the turtledeck behind the rear cockpit could be folded down to allow the gunner to use his machine gun.
In August 1936,the Navy signed a contract for 83 SBC-3s (Curtiss Model 77A) Delivery of the SBC-3s to the fleet began on 17 July 1937 when the first aircraft were issued to Scouting Squadron Five (VS-5) serving in USS Yorktown (CV-5) however,Yorktown was not commissioned until 30 September 1937 and the ship then began sea trials.
On 10 December 1937,VS-5 went aboard Yorktown and served aboard her until replaced by Douglas SBD-3s Dauntlesses in 1940.They were obsolete even before World War II and were kept well away from combat with Axis fighters.
They were also operated by the USMC,the last SBC reported in Marine squadron service was an SBC-4 at American Samoa in service with VMSB-151 on 1 June 1943.The French Navy had ordered 90,50 were to be shipped to Brest from Halifax,there was only room for 44,due to other types being carried.
The two ships sailed from Halifax on 16 June 1940,two days later,Brest fell to the Germans and both ships were ordered to Fort-de-France,Martinique,in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
They arrived on 27 June,the SBC-4s were unloaded and rolled to a field at the Pointe des Sables region and stored in the open.Under tropical climatic conditions,the aircraft stored were slowly rotting and were no longer airworthy and were eventually scrapped.
Those left at RCAF Station Dartmouth were aquired by the RAF designated as "Cleveland Mk. Is" and shipped to England in the aircraft carrier HMS Furious.They were delivered to RAF Little Rissington,and later used by No.24 Squadron at RAF Hendon.These aircraft were never used operationally and became ground trainers.
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Curtiss SO3C Seamew
The Curtiss SO3C Seamew was developed as a replacement for the SOC Seagull as the USN's standard floatplane scout.Curtiss named the SO3C the Seamew but in 1941 the USN began calling it by the old name Seagull,causing some confusion.The Royal Navy kept the Curtiss name,(Seamew),for the SO3Cs that they ordered.
The main design requirements was that the Seamew had to be able to operate both from ocean vessels with a single center float,and from land bases with the float replaced by a wheeled landing gear.
Powerplant was 1 × Ranger XV-770-8 inline air-cooled inverted V12 engine,600 hp,which was an unreliable brute.Inflight stability problems were mostly resolved with the introduction of upturned wingtips and a larger rear tail surface that extended over the rear observer's cockpit.Poor flight performance and a poor maintenance record led to the SO3C being withdrawn from US Navy first line units by 1944.The older biplane SOC was taken from stateside training units and restored to first-line service on many US Navy warships until the end of World War II.
A fixed undercarriage version,was ordered by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm under the terms of Lend-Lease.Later versions,known as the Seamew Mk.I,were the SO3-2C variant. 250 Seamews were allocated and some 100 actually delivered.Deliveries to the RN started in January 1944,but it was declared obsolete in September the same year and completely removed from service in 1945.
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Dayton-Wright XPS-1
The Dayton-Wright XPS-1 was an American single-seat fighter interceptor aircraft.It was desgined and built as an United States Army Air Service Pursuit Alert (Special) requirement for an interceptor.
It used many of the advanced features of the earlier Dayton-Wright RB-1 Racer developed for the 1920 Gordon Bennett race.The racer had a pilot cockpit entirely enclosed in the streamlined fuselage.Construction consisted of a wooden semi-monocoque fuselage with the cantilever wing constructed entirely of wood and fitted with leading- and trailing-edge flaps.Powerplant was 1 × Lawrance J-1 radial piston engine of 200 hp
The XPS-1 had a parasol monoplane configuration with wooden flying surfaces whose fuselage was a fabric-covered steel-tube structure.The main feature retained from the RB Racer was its retractable undercarriage.The unusual design was a tailskid undercarriage with the main units designed to retract into the lower fuselage sides.
The landing gear was hand-operated using a chain-and-sprocket system,and could be raised or lowered fairly quickly.
Three aircraft were ordered as the XPS-1, one was used for ground tests while the remainder were slated for flight trials.Test flights began in 1923 but the performance was so poor the United States Army Air Service refused to accept the design.The three examples remained the only type produced for the PS category.
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Douglas A-33
The Douglas A-33 (Model 8A-5) was an updated version of the Northrop A-17 for the export market,with a more powerful engine and increased bomb load.The Northrop A-17,was a two-seat,single-engine,monoplane,attack bomber,in British Commonwealth service,A-17s were called Nomads.
The 8A-5 was powered by a 1,200 hp Wright R-1820-87 engine and was fitted with four wing mounted 0.30 in machine guns,two 0.50 in machine guns in pods below the wing and a rear-firing flexibly mounted 0.30 in gun,plus it could carry up to 2,000 lb of bombs.
The Norwegian government ordered 36 8A-5s which not had been delivered before Norway was invaded by the Germans.Completed between October 1940 and January 1941,the aircraft were delivered to a training center in Canada that had been set up for the Norwegian government-in-exile,at Toronto Island Airport,Ontario.
After the loss of two aircraft and a reassessment of the training needs now met by the use of other aircraft,the remaining 34 Model 8A-5Ps were sold to Peru.Later,31 were repossessed by the Army Air Corps at the start of World War II.These aircraft,designated A-33,were used for training,target tug,and utility duties.
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Douglas A2D Skyshark
The Douglas A2D Skyshark is an American turboprop-powered attack aircraft,developed from the highly successful A-1 Skyraider.While it resembled the Skyraider,the A2D was different in many ways.
The 5,100 hp Allison XT-40-A2 had more than double the horsepower of the Skyraider's R-3350.The XT40 installation on the Skyshark used contra-rotating propellers to harness all the available power.Wing root thickness decreased, from 17% to 12%,while both the height of the tail and its area grew.
Engine-development problems delayed the first flight until 26 May 1950,made at Edwards Air Force Base.The first prototype XA2D-1,BuNo 122988,on 19 December 1950,crashed on its 15th flight.Navy test pilot Cdr. Hugh Wood was killed attempting to land,he was unable to check the rate of descent,resulting in a high-impact crash.
Additional instrumentation and an automatic decoupler was added to the second prototype,but by the time it was ready to fly on 3 April 1952,16 months had passed,and with all-jet designs being developed,the A2D program was essentially dead.
By the summer of 1954,the A4 Skyhawk was ready to fly,and time had run out for the troubled A2D program.Due largely to the failure of the T40 program to produce a reliable engine, the Skyshark never entered operational service.
Twelve Skysharks were built, two prototypes and ten preproduction aircraft.Most were scrapped or destroyed in accidents,and only one has survived.
A2D-1 Skyshark, BuNo. 125485,is at the Gillespie Field Annex of the San Diego Air & Space Museum in El Cajon,California.It was restored for static display by Pacific Fighters.
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Douglas B-23 Dragon
The Douglas B-23 Dragon was a twin-engined bomber developed as a successor to the B-18 Bolo.The design incorporated a larger wingspan with a wing design very similar to that of the DC-3,a fully retractable undercarriage,and improved defensive armament.
The B-23 was the first operational American bomber equipped with a glazed tail gun position.The tail gun was a .50 calibre gun,which was fired from the prone position by a gunner using a telescopic sight.
Engines were 2 × Wright R-2600-3 radials,of 1,600 hp,which gave a top speed of 282mph and a cruise speed of 210 mph with a range of 1400 miles.
The first B-23 flew on July 27,1939 with the production series of 38 B-23s manufactured between July 1939 and September 1940.
The 38 B-23s built were never used in combat overseas,although for a brief period they were employed as patrol aircraft stationed on the west coast of the United States.The B-23s were primarily relegated to training duties,although 18 of the type were converted as transports and redesignated UC-67.
With its wartime experience with the type, GE bought and used five of them. Howard Hughes (among others) used converted B-23s as personal aircraft.
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Douglas BTD Destroyer
The Douglas BTD Destroyer was a dive/torpedo bomber developed for the United States Navy during World War II.A small number had been delivered before the end of the war, but none saw combat.On 20 June 1941, the USN placed an order with the Douglas Aircraft Company for two prototypes of a new two-seat dive bomber to replace both the Douglas SBD Dauntless and the new Curtiss SB2C Helldiver,designated XSB2D-1.
It was a large single-engined mid-winged monoplane.It had a laminar flow gull-wing,and unusually for a carrier-based aircraft of the time,a tricycle undercarriage.It was fitted with a bomb bay and underwing racks for up to 4,200 lb of bombs,defensive armament consisted of two wing-mounted 20 mm cannon and two remote-controlled turrets, each with two .50 in machine guns.
The prototype first flew on 8 April 1943,demonstrating excellent performance,being much faster and carrying nearly double the bombload of the Helldiver,and orders for 358 SB2D-1s quickly followed.The U.S.N changed its requirements,wanting single-seat carrier-based torpedo/dive bombers without defensive turrets, and Douglas reworked the SB2D by removing them and second crewman position.This allowed more fuel and armor,wing racks could carry not just one but two torpedoes,producing the BTD-1 Destroyer. The orders for SB2Ds were converted to BTD-1s, with the first BTD flying on 5 March 1944.
By the time Japan surrendered in August 1945,only 28 had been delivered,and production was cancelled,none saw combat action.Heinemann and his team were already working on developing the single-seat BT2D that became the Douglas A-1 Skyraider.
BTD-1 Destroyer,Bureau Number 4959, is under restoration for display at the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, Elmira-Corning Regional Airport, Elmira, New York.
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Douglas C-133 Cargomaster
The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster was a 4 engine large turboprop cargo aircraft built between 1956 and 1961 for use with the USAF.It was designed to meet the requirements for the USAF's Logistic Carrier Support System SS402L for a new strategic transport.A featured a high-mounted wing,external blister fairings on each side for the landing gear, and rear and side-loading doors ensured that access to,and the volume of,the large cargo compartment were not compromised by these structures.The cargo compartment (90 ft/27 m in length and 12 ft/3.7 m high) was pressurized, heated, and ventilated.
The first Cargomaster flew on 23 April 1956 and first C-133As were delivered to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) in August 1957 and began flying MATS air routes throughout the world.Two C-133s established transatlantic speed records for transport aircraft on their first flights to Europe.The fleet of 50 aircraft proved itself invaluable during the Vietnam War.The Cargomaster soldiered on until the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy entered service in the early 1970s.
Several hundred Minuteman and other ICBMs were airlifted to and from their operational bases by C-133s.They also transported Atlas,Saturn and Titan rockets to Cape Canaveral for use as launch boosters in the Gemini,Mercury and Apollo space programs.Of 50 aircraft built,nine were lost in crashes and one was destroyed in a ground fire.
By 1971,shortly before the introduction of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy,the Cargomaster was obsolete as well as being worn out,and all were withdrawn from service.
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I remember they determined the cause of some of the crashes being that it vibrated itself to pieces, so the survivors were fitted with big metal reinforcing straps on the rear fuselage.
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That`s quite correct,it was discovered the airframe split at the cargo door.The fix was indeed a band around the airframe to strengthen it,rather like a big jubilee clip.
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Douglas DC-1
The Douglas DC-1 was the first model of the famous American DC (Douglas Commercial) commercial transport aircraft series.Only one example of the DC-1 was built,but the design formed the basis for the DC-2 and DC-3.
Boeing had launched the 247,a twin-engined all-metal monoplane with a retractable undercarriage,but their production capacity was reserved to meet the needs of United Airlines,part of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation which also owned Boeing.TWA needed a similar aircraft to respond to competition from the Boeing 247,five manufactures were invited to submit designs.
Donald Douglas doubted that there would be a market for 100 aircraft,the number of necessary to cover development costs.Nevertheless,he submitted a design consisting of an all-metal,low-wing,twin-engined aircraft seating 12 passengers,a crew of two and a flight attendant.
The aircraft exceeded the specifications of TWA even with only two engines,through the use of controllable pitch propellers.It was insulated against noise,heated,and fully capable of both flying and performing a controlled takeoff or landing on one engine.
Only one aircraft was produced.The prototype made its maiden flight on July 1,1933.During a half-year of testing it performed more than 200 test flights and demonstrated its superiority over the most popular airliners at that time.TWA accepted the aircraft on 15 September 1933 with a few modifications (mainly increasing seating to 14 passengers and adding more powerful engines) and subsequently ordered 20 examples of the developed production model which was named the Douglas DC-2.
The DC-1 was sold to Lord Forbes in the United Kingdom in May 1938, who operated it for a few months before selling it in France in October 1938.Later operated by Iberia Airlines from July 1939 with the name Negron it force-landed at Málaga,in December 1940 and was damaged beyond repair.
Almost 200 DC-2`s were built,entering service with TWA in May 1934,and then in 1936 came the DC-3,over 16,000 were produced in various civil and military versions.
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Douglas DT
The Douglas DT torpedo bomber was the Douglas Aircraft Company's first military contract,forging a link between the company and the United States Navy.USN Contract No. 53305 of April 1, 1921 set out the specifications that resulted in the purchase of three DT (D for Douglas, T for torpedo) folding-wing aircraft.
The first flight was in November 1921 and production continued until 1929.
The DT used a welded steel fuselage with aluminum covering the forward and center sections and fabric covering the rear section.Douglas built 46 DT-1 and DT-2 torpedo bombers for the U.S. Navy,Norwegian Navy,and Peruvian Navy.90 aircraft were completed in total,several under license.
It could be fitted either with pontoons or wheeled landing gear and could carry a 1,800 lb torpedo.They operated off the U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier,USS Langley,from land bases,and from seaplane tenders.Several were flown by the Marine Corps.Powerplant was 1 × Liberty L-12 V-12 water-cooled piston engine,450 hp and it carried a crew of two.
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Douglas DC-5
The Douglas DC-5 was a 16-to-22-seat civilian,twin-engine propeller aircraft,designed to use either Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet or Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial engines.
It was the first airliner to combine shoulder wings and tricycle landing gear,which was innovative for transport airplanes.It provided better ground handling and better ground visibility for the pilots.The fuselage was about two feet above the ground,so loading of passengers and cargo was easier than aircraft with the then-standard conventional landing gear.Prior to the US entry into World War II, one prototype and four production aircraft were built.
The aircraft made its first flight on February 20, 1939 with Carl A. Cover at the controls.This sole prototype (in 1940 configured with just eight seats) became the personal aircraft of William Boeing,who named it Rover.It was later impressed into the US Navy and converted for military use as an R3D-3 variant in February 1942.
The first customer for the DC-5 was KLM,the four aircraft sold to KLM were used in its colonial subsidiaries Surinam and Curaçao,and also in the Dutch East Indies.
A dozen DC-5s were completed.Some were pressed into military service with the USAAF.The Japanese operated one of the captured KLM machines,after repairing it and flying it back to Japan.
The USN ordered seven aircraft;3 were delivered as R3D-1s,the first of which crashed before delivery.The remaining four were R3D-2s for the USMC and were equipped with 1,015 hp R-1820-44 engines,a large cargo hold,and 22 seats for paratroopers.
After World War II,production of the DC-5 was not resumed because of the abundance of surplus C-47 aircraft released into civil service and converted to DC-3s.
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Douglas X-3 Stiletto
The Douglas X-3 Stiletto was a 1950s experimental jet aircraft with a slender fuselage and a long tapered nose.Its primary mission was to investigate the design features of an aircraft suitable for sustained supersonic speeds,it was,however seriously underpowered for this purpose and could not even exceed Mach 1 in level flight.
The goal of the aircraft was ambitious—it was to take off from the ground under its own power,climb to high altitude,maintain a sustained cruise speed of Mach 2,then land under its own power.The aircraft was also to test the feasibility of low-aspect-ratio wings,and the large-scale use of titanium in aircraft structures.
The X-3 featured an unusual slender,streamlined shape having a very long,gently-tapered nose and small trapezoidal wings.The aim was to create the thinnest and most slender shape possible in order to achieve low drag at supersonic speeds.The extended nose was to allow for the provision of test equipment while the semi-buried cockpit and windscreen were designed to alleviate the effects of "thermal thicket" conditions.
The low aspect ratio,unswept wings were designed for high speed and later the Lockheed design team used data from the X-3 tests for the similar F-104 Starfighter wing design.Due to both engine and airframe problems,the partially completed second aircraft was cancelled,and its components were used for spare parts.
The official first flight was made by Bridgeman on 20 October,and lasted about 20 minutes.He made a total of 26 flights (counting the hop) by the end of the Douglas tests in December 1953. These showed that the X-3 was severely under-powered and difficult to control. Its takeoff speed was an unusually high.More seriously,it did not approach its planned top speed.
Its first supersonic flight required that the airplane make a 15° dive to reach Mach 1.1.The X-3's fastest flight,made on 28 July 1953,reached Mach 1.208 in a 30° dive.A plan to re-engine the X-3 with rocket motors was considered but eventually dropped.
For the X-3,the roll test flight was the high point of its history when it had experienced "roll inertia coupling,"in which a manoeuver in one axis will cause an uncommanded manoeuver in one or two others.The aircraft was grounded for nearly a year after the flight,and never again explored its roll stability and control boundaries.It made another ten flights between 20 September 1955 and the last on 23 May 1956,then it was subsequently retired to the U.S. Air Force Museum.
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Fairchild 71
The Fairchild 71 was a high-wing monoplane passenger and cargo aircraft,for both military and civilian use as a rugged bush plane.It was a progressive development of the Fairchild FC-2W2 light transport.
Its first upgrade was the FC-2,whose several improvements included slightly swept-back wings; wingspan increased to 50 feet; engine power nearly doubled; and interior changes to improve passenger comfort.The FC-2 first flew in 1926.Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp B/C 9-cylinder radial piston of 420 hp,which gave it a cruising speed of 106mph.
The FC-2W was a further development,later known as the Model 71 was built in the USA between 1928 and 1930.In 1929 Fairchild formed a company in Canada (Fairchild Aircraft Limited) at Longueuil, Quebec in 1929 to support the Canadian operators of Fairchild aircraft. The Canadian company also set up a factory production line for the Model 71, developing a variant for the Canadian military.
The Canadian-built aircraft differed from the US version in that all the passenger-comfort features were removed, and the craft were built specifically for aerial photography.
The USAAS acquired one Model 71 for evaluation,eight more service-test aircraft,designated YF-1 were ordered; all nine were later redesignated C-8.
The RCAF,another major military operator,evaluated the Fairchild 71 in mid-June 1930.Thirty four RCAF FC-71s were operated from 1930 to 1946.Along with the earlier FC-2 series, the RCAF FC-71 was utilized primarily in the aerial photographic survey role as well as northern transport.
Most of the Model 71 production ended up in the hands of bush plane operators in Canada and the United States. Civilian operators likewise found the 71 a rugged, reliable and highly useful utility transport, well suited for northern and remote operations.
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Fairchild 45
The Fairchild Model 45 was a 1930s American five-seat cabin monoplane.It first flew on 31 May 1935 and it was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional cantilever tail unit and a retractable tailwheel landing gear.It was powered by a 225 hp Jacobs L-4 radial and had a luxury five-seat interior as standard.Flight testing showed that the aircraft performed well,although it was described as sedate.
Company predictions were that the Model 45 would have only limited market appeal in that form,therefore only the prototype was built.Fairchild then upgraded the prototype with a larger engine,the 320 hp Wright R-760 radial,for evaluation.In this configuration it was designated the Model 45-A and was placed in production,with about 16 units being completed.
One aircraft was bought as an executive transport by the USN as the JK-1.After the United States entered the Second World War,two aircraft were impressed into service with the USAAF as the UC-88.
Greg Herrick requested drawings of a Fairchild 45 tail section for an ongoing restoration project in 1997.The request was refused,claiming the design was a trade secret.
He then submitted a FOIA request,and a lawsuit followed that was debated in the US Supreme Court.This led to the "Herrick amendment" added to the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act of 2012,releasing the ATC type certificate information for 1,257 aircraft first certified in 1927 through the beginning of WW II in 1939.
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Fairchild XC-120 Packplane
The Fairchild XC-120 Packplane was an experimental transport aircraft,developed from the company's C-119 Flying Boxcar,and was unique in the unconventional use of removable cargo pods that were attached below the fuselage,instead of possessing an internal cargo compartment.
The XC-120 Packplane began as a C-119B fuselage (48-330, c/n 10312) which was cut off at a point just below the flight deck.The wings were angled upwards between the engines and the fuselage,raising the fuselage by several feet and giving the plane an inverted gull wing appearance.Smaller diameter "twinned" wheels were installed forward of each of the main landing gear struts to serve as nosewheels,while the main struts were extended backwards.
All four landing gear units,in matching "nose" and "main" sets,could be raised and lowered in a scissorlike fashion to lower the aircraft and facilitate the removal of a planned variety of wheeled pods which would be attached below the fuselage for the transport of cargo.The goal was to allow cargo to be preloaded into the pods;it was claimed that such an arrangement would speed up loading and unloading cargo.
Powerplant was 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radials of 3,250 hp,the first flight was 11th august 1950,and production aircraft were to be designated C-128.
Only one XC-120 was built,though the aircraft was tested extensively and made several airshow appearances in the early 1950s,the project went no further.
It was tested by the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, in 1951,before the project was abandoned in 1952.The prototype was eventually scrapped.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07PDAzxwA2M
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Fairchild T-46
The Fairchild T-46 (nicknamed the "Eaglet") was a light jet trainer aircraft of the 1980s.The USAF launched its Next Generation Trainer (NGT) program to replace the Cessna T-37 Tweet primary trainer in 1981.
Fairchild-Republic submitted a shoulder-winged monoplane with a twin tail,powered by two Garrett F109 turbofans and with pilot and instructor sitting side by side.Part of the idea was an expectation of increasing levels of general aviation traffic.A pressurized trainer would permit training at higher altitude,leading to fewer restrictions on the new pilots.
A flyable 62% scale version known as the Model 73 NGT,this first flew on 10 September 1981.A major requirement was for the aircraft to be able to go into a spin,and to have easy recovery,this was demonstrated using the Model 73 NTG.
Fairchild's design,to be designated T-46, was announced winner of the NGT competition on 2 July 1982,with the USAF placing an order for two prototypes and options for 54 production aircraft.It was planned to build 650 T-46s for the USAF by the early 1990`s.
The aircraft first flew on 15 October 1985,six months later than originally programmed date of 15 April.Costs had increased significantly during the development process, with the predicted unit cost doubling from $1.5 million in 1982 to $3 million in February 1985.Testing did not reveal any major problems, but Secretary of the Air Force cancelled procurement of the T-46,while allowing limited development to continue.Attempts were made in Congress to reinstate the program,which resulted in the FY 1987 budget being delayed,an amendment was passed to the 1987 Appropriations Bill to forbid any spending on the T-46 until further evaluation of the T-46 against the T-37 and other trainers took place.
The project was cancelled a little more than a year later,for reasons that largely remain controversial.The T-46 was the last project of the Fairchild Republic Corporation,and after the program termination Fairchild had no more income.Without any new contracts and the NGT program cancelled,the company closed the Republic factory in Farmingdale,New York,bringing 60 years of Fairchild aircraft manufacturing to an end.
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Globe Swift
The Globe Swift,also known as the Globe/Temco Swift,is a light,two-seat sport monoplane from the post-WW II period.The Swift was designed by R.S."Pop"Johnson in 1940,the design was financially secured by John Kennedy,president of the Globe Medicine Company,to be built by his new Globe Aircraft Company,but WW II interrupted their plans.
The 85 hp GC-1A Swift advertised as the "All Metal Swift" re-designed by K.H."Bud" Knox,received its type certificate on 7 May 1946.Two prototypes were built but the design remained much the same as the type that entered production.Globe built about 408 GC-1As.
Later it received a more powerful engine of 125 hp making it the GC-1B.Globe,together with TEMCO,built 833 GC-1Bs in six months,however Globe was outpacing sales of the Swift,and did not have enough orders to sell all of the aircraft being built.As a result Globe was forced into insolvency.
TEMCO obtain the type certificate,tooling,aircraft,and parts to enable them to continue production in late 1947 in the hope that reviving production would enable TEMCO to recover their loss.
TEMCO went on to build 260 more aircraft before shutting Swift production down permanently in 1951.
The type certificate for the Swift was obtained by Universal Aircraft Industries (later Univair) along with all production tooling.Spare parts continued to be built until 1979 when the Swift Museum Foundation under the leadership of President Charlie Nelson purchased the Type Certificate,parts and tooling
The most unusual variant of the series became a separate design,the TEMCO TE-1/T-35 Buckaroo which was built in a short-run first as a contender for a USAF trainer aircraft contract,later transferred to foreign service as a military trainer.Several of these trainers have since returned to the civil market.
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Now I didn't know that the Buckaroo derived from the Swift! Likewise the winning T-34 was based on the bigger Bonanza.
TEMCO had another go at a US Navy requirement with the TT-1 Pinto jet trainer, again the Navy took a handful and trained some pilots on it but chose the T-2 Buckeye instead.
Of course as part of LTV they later made the grade with the F-8
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Gee Bee Model Z
The Granville Gee Bee Model Z was an American racing aircraft of the 1930s,the first of the Super Sportster aircraft built by Granville Brothers Aircraft of Springfield, Massachusetts,with the sole intent of winning the Thompson Trophy,which it did in 1931.However,it soon suffered a fatal crash during a world speed record attempt,starting the reputation of the Gee Bee aircraft as killers.
The Granville Brothers decided in July 1931 to build an aircraft to compete in that years Thompson Trophy competition at the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio.They hoped that a victory in the race would lead to additional orders for their line of sporting aircraft.
The Gee Bee (for "Granville Brothers") Model Z,was named City of Springfield.It was a small,stumpy airplane,basically the smallest possible airframe constructed around the most powerful available engine,a supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-985 "Wasp Junior" radial engine,producing 535 hp.
It first flew 22nd Aug 1931 and quickly proved to be tricky to fly,but fulfilled every expectation with regards to its speed.Flown by pilot Lowell Bayles,it attained the speed of 267.342 mph at the National Air Races during the Shell Speed Dash qualifying on September 1.It went on to win the Goodyear Trophy race,run over a course of 50 miles,the next day at an average speed of 205mph.On the September 5,Bob Hall,flew it to victory in the General Tire and Rubber Trophy race,then won again the next day in a free-for-all event.
In the Thompson Trophy Race on September 7,Bayles won with an average speed of 236.24 mph,winning over competitors including Jimmy Doolittle amongst others.
The Gee Bee Z was then re-engined with a larger,750-hp Wasp Senior radial,in preparation for an attempt at a world speed record for landplanes at Wayne County Airport in Detroit.Unofficially clocked at 314 mph on a trial run,beating the previous record of 278 mph by attaining 281.75 mph on December 1, 1931,but the margin was too small for the record to be officially registered.A further record attempt on December 5, 1931,ended in tragedy,the aircraft suffered a wing failure and rolled into the ground, killing Bayles.Tests of a reproduction aircraft have shown that the Gee Bee Z was susceptible to aerodynamic flutter at high speed.
Film of the crash of the Gee Bee Z has become some of the most well known footage from the era of air racing. The crash also helped to establish the reputation of Gee Bee racing aircraft as killers.The Super Sportster design would be refined into the Gee Bee Model R for the 1932 air race season.
Two reproductions of the Gee Bee Z have been constructed.One,a faithful reproduction of the original aircraft,was constructed by Jeff Eicher and Kevin Kimball of Mount Dora, Florida, and is housed in the Fantasy of Flight museum in Lakeland, Florida.The other was a movie prop for the Walt Disney feature film The Rocketeer.
The Granville Brothers built only 24 aircraft and only two original aircraft are known to exist.
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Grumman AF Guardian
The original design concept for what would become the Guardian,the XTB2F of 1944,was a twin-engine aircraft with a 3,600lb weapons load and a range of 3,700 miles,but it was considered to be too large for practical use from an Essex-class aircraft carrier,and was cancelled in 1945.
The XTB3F-1S carried a crew of two seated side-by-side and an armament of two 20 mm cannon and 4,000 lb of bombs,torpedoes and/or rockets,and made its first flight on 19 December 1945.Then on 24th Dec 1945,the Navy changed the role of the aircraft from torpedo-bomber to anti-submarine warfare.The required equipment could not be fitted into a single aircraft,so two variants would be produced, one as a hunter and another as a killer.
The hunter aircraft would not carry any armament,but instead two extra crew members and a ventral radome for APS-20 radar and ECM.This aircraft,the XTB3F-1S first flew in November 1948.The "killer" deleted the cannon of the torpedo bomber,but retained the bomb bay,added a third crewmember,a searchlight,and short-range radar,and as the XTB3F-2S first flew in January 1949.Powerplant was a single Pratt & Whitney R-2800-48W "Double Wasp" radial of 2,400 hp.
Redesignated as AF-2W and AF-2S,they entered fleet service on 27 September 1950 with three aircraft delivered to VS-24,with full service introduction shortly after with VS-25. A total of 193 AF-2S Guardians were built.In 1952,the AF-3S (hunter) was introduced,fitting a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) for the detection of submerged submarines; 40 of this variant were built.The last Guardian was delivered to the Navy in March 1953,with a total of 389 built.
The Guardian saw service in the maritime patrol role during the Korean War,however it proved unpopular with pilots,underpowered and heavy on the controls;the aircraft suffered from a very high accident rate.Just after the Korean War ended,it began to be replaced by the Grumman S2F Tracker,the U.S. Navy first purpose-built ASW airplane to combine the hunter and killer roles in a single airframe.The Guardian remained in service with the US Naval Air Reserve until 1957.
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Grumman G-65 Tadpole / Colonial Skimmer
The Grumman G-65 Tadpole was an American prototype light amphibian.It was a two/three-seat shoulder-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear.It was powered by a 125hp Continental C125 engine above the rear fuselage driving a pusher propeller.
It first flew on 7 December 1944.Although not developed by Grumman,one of the design team,David Thurston,later developed the design into a family of amphibians including the Colonial Skimmer and Lake Buccaneer.
In 1946 David Thurston established the Colonial Aircraft Corporation at Sanford Maine to build his design for a small amphibian flying boat,the Skimmer.
The design was an all-metal shoulder-wing cantilever monoplane with a single-step hull and stabilizing floats fitted under each wing.A retractable tricycle landing gear allowed land operation.
The 115hp Avco Lycoming engine with a pusher propeller was pylon-mounted above and aft of the enclosed cockpit.
The cabin had side-by-side seating for a pilot and passenger with room behind for another passenger.
The prototype XC-1 Skimmer first flew on July 17 1948,powered by a 115 hp Lycoming O-235 engine,but was later re-engined with a 125 hp Lycoming O-290.
24 examples of the C-1 Skimmer were built and these were followed by 18 examples of the higher powered four-seat variant known as the C-2 Skimmer IV,which through a succession of companies became the Lake Buccaneer.
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Grumman XF5F Skyrocket
The Grumman XF5F Skyrocket was a prototype twin-engined shipboard fighter interceptor.In 1938 Grumman presented a proposal to the USN for a twin engine carrier based fighter with an unusual configuration.The design was was for a lightweight fighter powered by two 1,200 hp Wright R-1820 engines,with propellers geared to rotate in opposite directions to cancel out the effects of each engine's torque, promising high-speed,and climb rate.The XF5F Skyrocket was a low wing monoplane with a short fuselage that began aft of the wing's leading edge with a twin tail assembly that featured a pronounced dihedral to the horizontal stabilizer.The main landing gear and tail wheel were fully retractable.
The aircraft flew for the first time on 1 April 1940.Modifications were made to the prototype including reduction in the height of the cockpit canopy,revising the armament installation to four 0.5 in machine guns in place of cannon,a redesign of the engine nacelles,adding spinners to the propellers,and extending the fuselage forward of the wing.These changes were completed on 15 July 1941.
Later that year,USN Bureau pilots tested the XF5F-1 in a fly-off against the top allied fighters,analysis of all the data definitely favored the F5F,with the Spitfire in a distant second.
However the difficulty of building the twin-engine fighter had ruled out the Skyrocket,and that the Bureau had settled on the Wildcat for mass production.
Additional changes were needed after further flight tests that were not completed until 15 January 1942.Meantime Grumman began work on a more advanced twin-engine shipboard fighter,and further testing with the XF5F-1 supported the development of the newer design.
The prototype continued to be used in various tests,until it was struck from the list of active aircraft after it made a belly landing on 11 December 1944.
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Grumman XF10F Jaguar
The Grumman XF10F Jaguar was a prototype swing-wing fighter aircraft for the USN in the early 1950s.Although it never entered service,its research pointed the way toward the later General Dynamics F-111 and Grumman's own F-14 Tomcat.
The Navy's interest in the variable-geometry wing was based on concerns that the ever-increasing weight of its jet fighters was making aircraft carrier operations unduely hazardous,as existing aircraft already had marginal carrier performance.The requirement for high-speed performance demanded swept wing layouts that did not lend themselves to good takeoff characteristics,thus the prospect of combining the two in a single aircraft was enticing.
The XF10F featured a T-tail,with the horizontal stabilator,a small pivoting center body with a delta servo control at the nose and a larger rear delta main wing,mounted atop the vertical fin.The single Westinghouse XJ40-WE-8 turbojet engine was fed by cheek intakes.The high,shoulder-mounted wing could be moved to two positions: a 13.5° sweep for takeoff and landing and a 42.5° sweep for high-speed flight.The XF10F-1 was not armed, but production aircraft would likely have had four 20 mm cannon and pylons for bombs and rockets,much like other contemporary Navy fighters.
It`s configuration presented many of the same handling problems as the earlier Bell X-5 experimental aircraft,with some vicious spin characteristics.Development was hampered by its use of the chronically unreliable turbojet engine,which,as on other aircraft of this period,made the Jaguar dangerously underpowered.
Test pilot Corwin "Corky" Meyer,the only pilot to fly the Jaguar,described it as entertaining to fly "because there was so much wrong with it.
The Navy was not encouraged by the results,and the rapid development of larger carriers with angled flight decks and steam-driven catapults made the swing-wing configuration unnecessary.
The prototype XF10F-1 first flew on 19 May 1952.It was used for some 32 test flights throughout the year,but in April 1953,the Navy canceled the program,and with it,the 112 production aircraft that had been ordered.The sole flying aircraft and the uncompleted second prototype were shipped to Naval Air Material Center in Philadelphia for barricade testing, and the static test aircraft was later used as a gunnery target.
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General Dynamics–Grumman F-111B
I know some of you may be thinking "F-111,that`s a very well known aircraft",but this version was a different beast,so it`s worthy of inclusion.
The General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B was a long-range carrier-based interceptor aircraft that was planned to be a follow-on to the F-4 Phantom II for the US Navy.
It was designed in parallel with the F-111 "Aardvark", which was adopted by the USAF as a strike aircraft,but the F-111B suffered development issues and changing Navy requirements for an aircraft with maneuverability for dogfighting.
The F-111B was not ordered into production and the prototypes were used for testing before being retired.It would be replaced by the smaller and lighter Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which carried over the engines,AWG-9/Phoenix weapons system,and similar swing-wing configuration.
The F-111B was part of the 1960s TFX program.The USAF's TAC was largely concerned with the fighter-bomber to be a follow-on to the F-105 Thunderchief.
Meanwhile,the USN sought a long-range,high-endurance interceptor to defend its aircraft carrier battle groups,they wanted an aircraft with a more powerful radar, and longer range missiles than the F-4 Phantom II to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles.
In June 1961,Secretary McNamara ordered the go ahead on TFX despite Air Force and the Navy efforts to keep their programs separate.The USAF wanted a tandem seat aircraft for low level penetration, while the Navy wanted a shorter, high altitude interceptor with side by side seating.Differences in required performance also became an issue.
General Dynamics' proposal was selected from 6 manufacurers in November 1962 due to its greater commonality between Air Force and Navy TFX versions.
The nose was 8.5 feet shorter due to its need to fit on existing carrier elevator decks,and had 3.5 feet longer wingspan to improve on-station endurance time.
General Dynamics teamed with Grumman for assembly and test of the aircraft.Grumman would build the F-111A's aft fuselage and the landing gear.The first test F-111A was powered by YTF30-P-1 turbofans and used a set of ejector seats,since the escape capsule was not yet available.It first flew on 21 December 1964.The first F-111B was also equipped with ejector seats and first flew on 18 May 1965.
Excessive weight plagued the F-111B throughout its development.The prototypes were far over the requirement weight.Design efforts reduced airframe weight but were offset by the addition of the escape capsule.The additional weight made the aircraft underpowered.
With the F-111B program in distress, Grumman began studying improvements and alternatives.In 1966,the Navy awarded Grumman a contract to begin studying advanced fighter designs.Grumman narrowed down these designs to its Model 303 design.With this the F-111B's end appeared near by mid-1967.By May 1968 both Armed Services committees of Congress voted not to fund production and in July 1968 the DoD ordered work stopped on F-111B.A total of seven were delivered by February 1969.
The replacement was the Grumman F-14 Tomcat,which derived from Grumman's initial Model 303 design,reused the TF30 engines from the F-111B,though the Navy planned on replacing them with an improved engine later.Although lighter than the F-111B,it was still the largest and heaviest U.S. fighter to takeoff and land from an aircraft carrier.
Flight tests on the continued at NAS Point Mugu,California and NAWS China Lake,California even after the program had been terminated.
The F-111B's last flight was with 151792 from California to New Jersey in mid-1971.The seven aircraft flew 1,748 hours over 1,173 flights.
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Harlow PC-5
Max Harlow was an aeronautical engineer and instructor at the Pasadena Junior College.Under his tutelage,the aircraft designated PJC-1 was designed and built as a class project.
It was destroyed in a spin test,but the PJC students then built a modified design,and incorporated a slightly larger vertical stabilizer.
This became the PJC-2 model,certified by the FAA on 20 May 1938.It was one of the first,airplanes designed and built in the U.S. with a stressed-skin semi-monocoque structure—a revolutionary design feature for the time. Harlow saw the potential and formed the Harlow Aircraft Company to build PJC-2 aircraft at Alhambra Airport.
Next they designed a version of the PJC-2 as a tandem two-seat training aircraft.The PC-5 had a revised fuselage with dual controls.The aircraft first flew in July 1939 but it failed to interest the USAAC.
Howard Hughes' business partner, J.B. Alexander,backed the project and had flown in early examples of the aircraft.
Harlow licensed the manufacturing rights to the PC-5 to Cub Aircraft of Canada during the wartime buildup.Only five aircraft had been built when the company was taken over by the Intercontinent Corporation.
Components for 50 aircraft were supplied to the Indian company Hindustan Aeronautics, who were to assemble the aircraft for use by the Indian Air Force as the PC-5A. The first PC-5A flew in August 1941,but it is not known how many were assembled and flown.
Powerplant was 1 × Warner Super Scarab 165-D 7-cylinder radial piston engine,of165 hp giving a max speed of around 150 mph.
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Howard Aircraft Corporation DGA-11
Howard Aircraft Corporation was a small United States aircraft manufacturer in the 1930s and 1940s. The factory was initially on the south side of Chicago Municipal Airport.
During World War II a second plant was opened at DuPage Airport west of Chicago.
One of the aircraft produced by the company was the DGA-11,powered by a nine-cylinder 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine,was purportedly the fastest four-seat civil aircraft of the late 1930s,able to achieve a top speed of about 200 mph.
A favorite of the high society and Hollywood circles,the DGA-11 cost about $16,500 in 1938 — expensive for the time,a slower and less costly version,the DGA-12,used a 300 hp Jacobs engine.
Production of the Howard Aircraft Corporation from 1936 to 1939 totaled about 30 aircraft.In 1939,Howard increased production and developed the 5-place DGA-15,building about 40 of the four/five-seater aircraft,powered by one of three different engines.Founder,Ben Howard,left the company at this time to join Douglas Aircraft Company as test pilot.
The onset of WW II signaled the end of the civil Howard aircraft line.The USN procured about 525 modified DGA-15s for use as the GH-2 Nightingale air ambulance,the GH-1 and GH-3 utility transport,and the NH-1 instrument trainer aircraft.
Exceptionally roomy and high-powered,the modified DGA-15 was known for being difficult to land and unforgiving—earning the unwanted nickname of “Ensign Eliminator.”The U.S. Army Air Corps also acquired a variety of prewar Howard aircraft as utility aircraft.
Stockholders elected not to produce civilian aircraft after the war,then sold the aviation assets,and used the proceeds to buy an electric-motor manufacturing company in Racine, Wisconsin,and named it Howard Industries.
Photo from abpics.co.uk
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International F-18 Air Coach
The International F-18 Air Coach was a 1920s American biplane transport that was designed and manufactured by the International Aircraft Corporation in Long Beach, California.Perhaps better known for their F-17 Sportsman model.
Only six F-18's were ever built.One these aircraft,Miss Hollydale,flew in the 1927 Dole Air Race between Northern California and Hawaii.The F-18 had a cabin for four passengers and an open cockpit with side-by-side seating for a pilot and a fifth passenger.
Powerplant was 1 × Wright J-5 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine,of 220 hp giving a modest top speed of 120mph or 95 mph cruise.
The company stopped manufacturing F-18's by 1928 and sold its rights to the aircraft in 1931.
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Interstate Cadet
The Interstate Cadet was a two-seat tandem,high wing,single-engine monoplane light aircraft,similar looking to the Piper J-3 Cub and it`s variants.
The original version,the S1 prototype,was powered by the 50 hp Continental A50 engine,but was soon upgraded to the Continental A65 engine and redesignated as the S1-A-65F.
This was a popular and common engine used in many small American two-seat aircraft of the time.
During World War Two the S1-B1 version with a 90hp Franklin engine was produced,known in the US military under the L-6A Grasshopper designation.
An Interstate Cadet,flown by aviator Cornelia Fort and an unknown student,was one of the first aircraft to be attacked by IJNAS Japanese naval planes en route to the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7,1941.The aircraft was restored in 2012 and is still flying as N37266.
In 1945 the rights to the aircraft were sold to Harlow Aircraft Company,which in turn resold the tooling and parts to the Call Aircraft Company of Wyoming in 1946 for $5000. Callair rebuilt a number of S-1, S-1A and L-6s, some with engine upgrades,for local ranchers and bush pilots as well as two examples of their own serial numbered CallAir S-1A-90C before production ended.
One of the main reasons it did not sell well was,that it cost almost three times the amount of the comparable Piper J-3 Cub.However,a closer look at the two aircraft reveals that the Cadet was faster,stronger and could be operated in a more rugged environment with its Oleo strut/Compression spring suspension system.
Popular upgrades for this airframe included larger engines(75/85/90/100 hp), better brakes, and a different tailwheel system.
In the late 1960s the type certs and tooling were bought by the newly formed Arctic Aircraft Company who transformed the S-1B1 into a bush plane by upgrading structural elements of the fuselage,landing gear and wings.
This aircraft was designated the S-1B2, was used a Lycoming O-320 160 HP engine and a McCauley propeller for increased performance and was certified in 1975 as the Arctic Tern.
The new Type certification also covered installing the same engine in otherwise standard Interstate Cadets.
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I'm enjoying this series!
A few comments on recent items:
- Howard Industries is still going, they are now based in Mississippi. Back in the 1950s they had a brand of electric motor called the Cyclohm which is a smudge-approved pun.
- Although maligned for being too heavy the Seapig was only three tonnes heavier than an F-14 and could launch with less wind over deck, and with more fuel. And could land with plenty of fuel and all six Phoenix missiles.
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Thank you for your comments-good to know that this is of interest.
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Interstate TDR
The Interstate TDR was an early unmanned combat aerial vehicle — referred to at the time as an "assault drone" — developed during the WWWII for use by the United States Navy.
It was capable of being armed with bombs or torpedoes.
Due to the limitations of the technology of the time,development of the project was given a low priority,but by the early 1940s the radar altimeter and television made the project more feasible,and following trials using converted manned aircraft,the first operational test of a drone against a naval target was conducted in April 1942.
Interstate Aircraft received a contract from the Navy for two prototype and 100 production aircraft to a simplified and improved design,to be designated TDR-1.
Control of the aircraft would be conducted from either a control aircraft,usually a Grumman TBF Avenger,with the operator viewing a tv screen showing the view from a camera mounted aboard the drone along with the radar altimeter's readout,or via a pilot on board the TDR-1 for test flights.
It was powered by two Lycoming O-435 piston engines of 220 hp each,it had a remarkably simple steel-tube/moulded wooden skin design,making little use of strategic materials so as not to impede production of higher priority aircraft.
In 1944,under the control of the Special Air Task Force,the TDR-1 was deployed to the South Pacific for operations against the Japanese.
Aircraft equipped a single mixed squadron (Special Air Task Group 1) along with TBM Avenger control aircraft,and the first operational mission took place on September 27,conducting bombing operations against Japanese shipping.
Despite success,the assault drone program had already been canceled after the production of 189 TDR-1 aircraft,due to a combination of continued technical problems,and the fact that more conventional weaponry was proving adequate.
The final mission was flown on October 27,with 50 drones having been expended on operations,31 aircraft successfully striking their targets,without loss to the pilots of STAG-1.Following the war,some TDR-1s were converted for operation as private sportsplanes.
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Javelin Wichawk
The Javelin Wichawk is a sporting biplane designed in the early 1970s and marketed in plan form for amateur construction.
It is a conventional design with staggered single-bay wings of equal span braced with N-struts and having fixed,tailwheel undercarriage.
Powerplant usually 1 × Lycoming O-360 of 180 hp,giving a max speed of 140mph,with a cruise of around 110mph.
The pilot and a single passenger sit in side-by-side configuration in an open cockpit,but the plans include options for the aircraft to be built in two- or three-seat tandem configuration instead.The fuselage and empennage are of welded steel tube construction,with the wings built with wooden spars and aluminium alloy ribs,all covered in doped aircraft fabric.
In January 2014 nine examples were registered in the USA with the FAA,but a total of 18 had been registered at one time.
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Kellett KD-1 / XO-60
The Kellett KD-1 was a 1930s American autogyro built by the Kellett Autogiro Company,using the experience gained in building Cierva autogyros under licence.
It developed the KD-1 which was similar to the contemporary Cierva C.30.It had two open cockpits,a fixed tailwheel landing gear and was powered by a 225 hp Jacobs L-4 radial engine.
It had the distinction of being the first practical rotary-wing aircraft used by the United States Army and inaugurated the first scheduled air-mail service using a rotary-wing aircraft.
After testing of the prototype a commercial variant designated the KD-1A was put into production.It had a three-bladed rotor with folding blades and a number of minor detail improvements.A KD-1B which was a KD-1A with an enclosed cockpit for the pilot was operated by Eastern Airlines and inaugurated the first scheduled rotary-wing air-mail service on 6 July 1939.
In 1935 the US Army bought a KD-1 for evaluation and designated it the YG-1,then a second aircraft followed which had additional radio equipment and was designated the YG-1A; these two aircraft were followed by a batch of seven designated YG-1B.In 1942 seven more were bought for use in the observation role as the XO-60.Six XO-60s were re-engined with 300 hp Jacobs R-915-3s and re-designated YO-60.
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Kellett XR-10
The Kellett XR-10 was a military transport helicopter developed in the 1940s that only flew in prototype form.It was designed in response to a USAAF Instruction issued for the development of a helicopter to transport passengers,cargo,or wounded personnel within an enclosed fuselage.Kellet was already developing in the XR-8,with twin intermeshing rotors,and was accepted by the Air Force on 16 October over proposals by Sikorsky, Bell, and Platt-LePage.
The XR-10 resembled a scaled-up XR-8,although its twin engines were carried in nacelles at the fuselage sides,driving the rotors via long driveshafts and the aircraft was skinned entirely in metal.The first of two prototypes flew on 24 April 1947.Powerplant was 2 × Continental R-975-15,of 425 hp
During test-flights,the same problem that had been encountered with the XR-8's rotor system emerged when blades from the two rotors collided in flight.With fixes in place, flight testing continued,but on 3 October 1949,the first prototype crashed due to a control system failure which killed Kellett's chief test pilot.
The project was abandoned shortly after,and a 16-seat civil variant design,the KH-2,never left the drawing board.
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Kellett KD-1 / XO-60
The Kellett KD-1 was a 1930s American autogyro built by the Kellett Autogiro Company,using the experience gained in building Cierva autogyros under licence.
One was delivered to the Japanese army and reverse-engineered by Kayaba as the Ka-1. A couple of hundred were built and as well as observation they flew off a carrier for coastal anti-submarine patrols with depth charges, that's the only armed use of a gyro I can think of outside a Bond film!
The KD-1 / Ka-1 could hover by holding the nose high and applying full power.
Afer the war Kayaba had another go at gyros by hacking-up a Cessna 170:
http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/kayaba_heliplane.php
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Kinner Envoy
The Kinner C-7 Envoy was a 1930s four-seat cabin monoplane built by Kinner Airplane & Motor Corporation.The Envoy was a four-seat version of the Kinner Sportwing.It had low wings fitted with wire bracing from fuselage points just below the cabin windows.The fixed tailwheel undercarriage was fitted with streamlined spats.The low-set tailplane was braced by wires from the middle of the fin.All very 1930`s chic.
Four civil examples were completed from 1934,when the aircraft had it`s first flight.These were fitted with a 300 h.p. Kinner C-7 engines and were sold to civil pilot owners.These were followed in 1936 by three aircraft for the United States Navy for use in communications work and designated XRK-1.The USN machines served until the early years of World War II.The Imperial Japanese Navy evaluated a single example as the LXK.
When delivered the USN examples were fitted with a 340 h.p. Kinner R-1044-2 engine,one example used for VIP transport was later fitted with a 400 h.p. Pratt & Whitney R-985-38 radial engine.
The C-7 was the last of Kinner's production models.
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LTV XC-142
The Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) XC-142 was a tiltwing experimental aircraft designed to investigate the operational suitability of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) transports.In 1959 the United States Army,Navy and Air Force began work on the development of a prototype V/STOL aircraft that could augment helicopters in transport-type missions.Vought responded with a proposal combining engineering from their own design arm,their proposal won the design contest,and a contract for five prototypes was signed in early 1962.
During the prototype development the Navy decided to exit the program,they were concerned that the strong propeller downwash would make it difficult to operate.
The first prototype made its first conventional flight on 29 September 1964,first hover on 29 December 1964,and first transition on 11 January 1965.The first XC-142A was delivered to the Air Force test team in July 1965.During the test program,a total of 420 hours were flown in 488 flights.
The five XC-142As were flown by 39 different military and civilian pilots.Tests included carrier operations,simulated rescues,paratroop drops,and cargo extraction.
The basic design was fairly typical for a cargo aircraft,consisting of a large boxy fuselage with a tilted rear area featuring a loading ramp.It had a wingspan of 67 ft (20 m) and was 58 ft (18 m) long overall.The boxy cockpit accomedated the crew of two pilots and a loadmaster.The wing was high-mounted and the tail surfaces were a "semi-T-tail" to keep the rear area clear during loading.Tricycle landing gear were used,with the main legs retracting into blisters on the fuselage sides.In normal parked configuration it would appear to be a conventional cargo plane.
For V/STOL operations,the aircraft "converted" by tilting its wing to the vertical.Roll control during hover was provided by differential clutching of the propellers, while yaw used the ailerons,which were in the airflow.For pitch control the aircraft featured a separate tail rotor,oriented horizontally to lift the tail,as opposed to the more conventional anti-torque rotors on helicopters that are mounted vertically.
When on the ground,the tail rotor folded against the tail to avoid being damaged during loading.The wing could be rotated to 100 degrees,past vertical,in order to hover in a tailwind.The C-142 was powered by four General Electric T64 turboshaft engines cross-linked on a common driveshaft,which eliminated engine-out asymmetric thrust problems during V/STOL operations, to drive four 15.5-foot (4.7 m) Hamilton Standard fiberglass propellers,giving the aircraft excellent all-around performance which included a maximum speed of over 400 mph,making it one of the fastest VTOL transport aircraft of the era.
After reviewing the C-142B proposal,the tri-services management team could not develop a requirement for a V/STOL transport.XC-142A testing ended,and the remaining flying copy was turned over to NASA for research testing from May 1966 to May 1970.
In service it would carry 32 equipped troops or 8,000 pounds of cargo.A civilian version,the Downtowner,was also proposed.This was designed to carry 40–50 passengers at a cruise speed of 290 mph using only two of its engines.
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Kinner Envoy
one example used for VIP transport was later fitted with a 400 h.p. Pratt & Whitney R-985-38 radial engine.
That seems like an hellacious amount of power for a four-seater. In contrast even a top-line Cessna 182 only has 235hp!
LTV XC-142
Shorts took out a license for European production of the C-142, had it gone ahead with backing from the US forces. Such a shame that it didn't. 42 years later the Osprey entered service...
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LTV L450F
The LTV L450F,also known as the L45ŘF,was a prototype quiet reconnaissance aircraft,developed by Ling-Temco-Vought in the late 1960s for use in the Vietnam War by the US Military.Under a $1 million USD contract by LTV Electrosystems,the L450F was developed from a Schweizer SGS 2-32 sailplane,modified by Schweizer to LTV's specifications.
The modifications included stronger wing spars,a thicker wing skin,installation of a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engine driving a three-bladed prop,and main landing gear based on that of the Grumman Ag-Cat agricultural aircraft.An alternative configuration,using a piston engine,was also proposed.
The prototype flew in February 1970,but was destroyed during its third flight,on 23 March that year,the pilot successfully bailed out.
A second prototype was then completed and flown,successfully completing the testing program,and a third prototype was ordered as the unmanned XQM-93 drone.
Four examples of the XQM-93 were contracted for by the USAF,however the Compass Dwell project was subsequently cancelled.
On the 27 March 1972 Donald R.Wilson reached the altitude of 15 456 m (50 708 ft) in horizontal flight flying the remaining L450F,registered N2450F,setting a new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale international record,this record still stood as of 27 March 2012.
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Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar
The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar is a passenger transport aircraft of the WWII era.Sales of the 10–14 passenger Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra,had proved disappointing,so in order to improve the type's economics,Lockheed decided to stretch the aircraft's fuselage by 5ft 6",allowing an extra two rows of seats to be fitted.
The prototype for the revised airliner,designated Model 18 by Lockheed,was converted from the fourth Model 14,one of a batch which had been returned to the manufacturer by Northwest Airlines.
The modified aircraft first flew in this form on September 21st 1939,another two prototypes being converted from Model 14s,with the first newly built Model 18 flying on February 2, 1940.
The Lodestar received its Type certificate on March 30,1940,allowing it to enter service with the first customer,Mid-Continent Airlines that month.Sales to US domestic customers were relatively slow as most US airlines were already committed to the DC-3,with only 31 Lodestars going to US airlines.Overseas sales were a little better, with 84 aircraft ordered by various airlines.Pratt & Whitney or Wright Cyclone powerplants were installed.
When the United States started to build up its military air strength in 1940–41, many American-operated Lodestars were impressed as the C-56. This was followed by the construction of many new-build Lodestars which were flown by the U.S. Army Air Forces as the C-60 and by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps as the R5O. Lend-lease aircraft were used by the RNZAF as transports.
One was purchased in 1942 to serve as Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas' personal aircraft.This aircraft was specially designed for that purpose and had 11 seats.
Many Air Forces operated the type including the RAF,RAAF,RNZAF,SAAF,RCAF,NAF,BAF and several others.
After the war many Lodestars were overhauled and returned to civilian service, mostly as executive transports.A few were even converted to tricycle landing gear.
Surviving New Zealand NZNAC aircraft were sold back overseas in 1951/52,six more were later imported and converted for aerial topdressing.A single Lodestar served with the Israeli Air Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.A number of skydiving operations in the United States used Lodestars during the 1970s and 1980s.
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Lockheed R6V Constitution
The Lockheed R6V Constitution was a large,four propeller-driven,double-decker transport aircraft developed in the 1940s by Lockheed as a long-range,high-capacity transport and airliner for the U.S. Navy and Pan American Airways.Only two of the aircraft were ever built,both prototypes.
The design requirements,initially designated Lockheed Model 89,called for a large transport aircraft to improve upon the Navy's fleet of flying boats.
Pan Am was involved in the study because such an aircraft had potential use as a commercial airliner.This transport would carry 17,500 lb pounds of cargo 5,000 miles at a cruising altitude of 25,000 feet and a speed greater than 250 mph.The aircraft would be fully pressurized and large enough so that most major components could be accessed and possibly repaired in flight.For example,tunnels led through the thick wings to all four engines.
The Constitution design had a "double bubble" fuselage, the cross section of which was a "figure eight".This unorthodox design,originally created in 1937 by Curtiss-Wright's chief aircraft designer and first introduced with the Curtiss C-46 Commando,utilized the structural advantages of a cylinder for cabin pressurization,without the wasted space that would result from a single large cylinder of the same volume.
The original order was for 50 aircraft,but this was drastically cut back to just two aircraft after VJ Day.
The Constitution had operational difficulties which prevented it from meeting its original design objectives.The large airframe needed more power than the four Pratt & Whitney R-4360s could deliver,and the engines had cooling problems.While this could be compensated for by flying with engine cowl flaps partially open,it increased drag and decreased range.
The Navy operated the two Constitutions through the end of the 1940s and into the 1950s. By 1949 the Navy announced that it could no longer afford to operate them, and offered them to airlines on a five-year lease.There was no interest from airlines in using the Constitutions (the airline version was named the Model 189), so the Navy retired both aircraft in 1953.
They went into storage at NAS Litchfield Park,Arizona in 1955.Both aircraft and 13 spare engines were sold for $97,785.Lockheed proposed the Model 389 and Model 489 airliners based on the Constitution, which would have accommodated up to 169 passengers.Neither of these "paper" projects received much interest from civil operators.
The first Constitution was brought to Las Vegas,where it served as an enormous billboard for Alamo Airways,before being scrapped by Howard Hughes when he acquired the property.The second example was scrapped sometime later near Opa-Locka Florida.
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Martin B-10
The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to be regularly used by the United States Army Air Corps,entering service in June 1934.Along with its features of closed cockpits,rotating gun turrets retractable landing gear,internal bomb bay,and full engine cowlings,which would become the standard for bomber designs worldwide for decades.It made all existing bombers completely obsolete.In 1932,Martin received the Collier Trophy for designing the XB-10.
Following the success of the XB-10,a number of changes were made,including reduction to a three-man crew,addition of canopies for all crew positions,and an upgrade to 675 hp engines.The Army ordered 48 of these on 17 January 1933.The first 14 aircraft were designated YB-10 and delivered to Wright Field,starting in November 1933, and used in the Army Air Corps Mail Operation.The production model of the XB-10, the YB-10 was very similar to its prototype.
In 1935,the Army ordered an additional 103 aircraft designated B-10B.These had only minor changes from the YB-10.Shipments began in July 1935.B-10Bs served with the 2d Bomb Group at Langley Field,the 9th Bomb Group at Mitchel Field,the 19th Bomb Group at March Field,the 6th Composite Group in the Panama Canal Zone,and the 4th Composite Group in the Philippines.In addition to conventional duties in the bomber role,some modified YB-10s and B-12As were operated for a time on large twin floats for coastal patrol.
With an advanced performance,the Martin company fully expected that export orders for the B-10 would flood in.The U.S. Army owned the rights to the Model 139 design.Once the Army's orders had been filled in 1936,Martin received permission to export Model 139s,and delivered versions to several air forces.Six Model 139Ws were sold to Siam in April 1937,powered by Wright R-1820-G3 Cyclone engines;20 Model 139Ws were sold to Turkey in September 1937,powered by R-1820-G2 engines.
Rapid advances in bomber design in the late 1930s meant that the B-10 was eclipsed by the time the United States entered World War II. The Model 139s in combat in China and South East Asia suffered the same disadvantages as the other early war medium bombers,i.e. not enough armour and guns,while it could not outrun the latest fighters.
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Martin Maryland
The Martin Model 167 was an American-designed medium bomber that first flew in 1939.In response to a USAAC light bomber requirement issued in 1938,the Glenn L. Martin Company produced its Model 167,which was given the official designation XA-22.Martin's design was a twin-engine all-metal monoplane,capable of around 310 mph with a crew of three.The XA-22 was not adopted for operational service in the U.S.,the contract was won by the Douglas DB-7,which became the A-20 Havoc,but Martin received foreign orders,and about 450 of these fast,twin-engined bombers were built.
The prototype Model 167W was powered by twin-row Pratt & Whitney R-1830-37 Twin Wasp engines,which were replaced in French production aircraft by single-row nine-cylinder Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines,the Twin Wasps were then restored for the British Maryland.
All versions of the Model 167 were armed with six machine guns,four fixed guns in the wings,one dorsal gun and one ventral gun.In the prototype,these guns were all 0.30 in Browning machine guns.The dorsal gun was mounted in a fully retractable turret,but he French aircraft used license-built Belgian Fabrique Nationale FN-Brownings,with a lighter semi-retractable dorsal turret.
The most unusual feature of the Model 167 was the very narrow fuselage,the crew of three was carried in two isolated compartments:the bombardier sat in the nose below the pilot and the gunner was in the mid-upper twin-machine gun turret in a separate rear compartment,isolated by a bulkhead.
Due to a U.S. embargo on arms exports after the beginning of WW II,many aircraft were impounded for two months before being shipped to Europe.When the Germans invaded France there were only four bomber squadrons equipped.They were quickly sent to the front lines where they performed well with their adequate speed and excellent maneuverability for an aircraft in this class.Approximately 215 Martin 167s were delivered to France.
32 aircraft had been completed to French specifications and were later converted to British requirements in the UK.Engines were changed to the Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp and various weapons and instruments were replaced.The last 43 of the order were completed as required by Glenn Martin.All these aircraft received the designation Maryland Mk.I. A further 150 aircraft had been ordered directly by Britain with two-speed superchargers on their Twin Wasps and were designated Maryland Mk.II.
Many of the aircraft were shipped to Egypt and Malta in time for the 1941 fighting there.The RAF used it mainly for photo-recon operations in North and East Africa,being faster than the Blenheim.
A Maryland bomber was the aircraft that photographed the Italian fleet before and after the Battle of Taranto on 11 November 1940.The pilot of that Maryland was Adrian Warburton,who scored his five confirmed kills with the Maryland's forward-firing guns.
Three Maryland Mk.I aircraft were transferred to the Fleet Air Arm and were mainly used for target towing duties.On 22 May 1941,an example of 771 Naval Air Squadron based at Hatston in the Orkney Islands,reported that the German battleship Bismarck had left Bergen,confirming that she was breaking out into the Atlantic.
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Martin MO-1
The Martin MO was an observation monoplane built for the United States Navy.The Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics designed a three-seat observation monoplane to use a cantilever wing,similar to one developed by the Dutch company Fokker.
Production of the aircraft,designated the MO-1,was contracted to the Glenn L. Martin Company with an order for 36 aircraft.The MO-1 was a shoulder-wing cantilever monoplane with a slab-sided fuselage and a fixed tailwheel landing gear.
It had an all-metal structure with a fabric covering,and was powered by a 435hp Curtiss D-12 engine.,and had a crew of three.In 1924 one aircraft was fitted with float landing gear for evaluation.
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Martin P6M SeaMaster
The Martin P6M SeaMaster,was a 1950s strategic bomber flying boat for the United States Navy.A victim of budget cuts and USAF interference,the Navy chose to create a "Seaplane Striking Force",useful for both nuclear and conventional warfare,including reconnaissance and minelaying.
Groups of these planes supported by seaplane tenders or special submarines could be located close to the enemy,and being mobile,they would be hard to neutralize.
Both Convair and Martin submitted proposals,and Martin`s was chosen as more promising.An order for two prototypes was issued which was projected to lead to six pre-production aircraft and a projected twenty-four production aircraft.
The Allison J71-A-4 turbojet was employed,fitted in pairs in overwing pods to keep the spray out of the intakes.Wings swept at 40° were used; they displayed a notable anhedral and were designed with tip tanks that doubled as floats on the water.Many features of Martin's XB-51 bomber prototype were used,including an all-flying "T" tail and a rotating bomb bay—pneumatically sealed against seawater in the P6M.
The first flight of the XP6M-1 came on 14 July 1955,early tests showed that the engines were mounted too close to the fuselage and scorched it when afterburners were used,leading to angling the engines slightly outward in subsequent aircraft.Flight testing was initially successful,but,on 7 December 1955,a control system fault destroyed the first prototype with the loss of all aboard.
The first pre-production YP6M-1 was completed about a year later,testing resuming in January 1958.
The Navy and Martin felt that a new version,the P6M-2,would be a more useful aircraft.The first was rolled out in early 1959.Changes included new,more powerful Pratt & Whitney J75 engines,an aerial refueling probe,improved avionics,and a canopy with better visibility.A buddy refueling drogue kit had also been developed to fit in the bomb bay.Three had been built by summer 1959 and Navy crews were moving them through operational conversion when the program was abruptly canceled in August of that year.
Also problems had been identified due to the larger engine nacelles required for the J75s.There were also handling issues on the water,including a tendency for the tip floats to dig in under certain situations,and engine surges.
These were eventually solved,but time had run out just as the first crews were training for its operational debut.Eisenhower's administration was making major defense budget cuts that forced the Navy to make tough choices.
Martin tried unsuccessfully to market the technology in the civilian market,with a version called the SeaMistress but there were no takers,the company soon abandoned the aircraft business entirely to focus on missiles and electronics.The P6M was the final aircraft constructed by the Glenn L. Martin Company.
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Martin 4-0-4
The Martin 4-0-4 was a pressurized passenger airliner,in addition to airline use initially in the United States,it was used by the United States Coast Guard and United States Navy as the RM-1G (later as the VC-3A).
A development of the earlier Martin 2-0-2 it had structural changes to the wings,pressurization and was lengthened slightly to take 40 passengers.Like the earlier 2-0-2, the 4-0-4 was a cantilever monoplane with a standard tail unit.It had an airstair in the lower tail section and retractable tricycle landing gear and was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB16 radial piston engines.
First deliveries in 1951 were made to Eastern Air Lines (EAL),which had ordered 60 and Trans World Airlines (TWA),which had ordered 40.The only other new aircraft from the production line were delivered to the United States Coast Guard which had ordered two as executive transports with the designation RM-1G later changed to RM-1 and then in 1962 to VC-3A.In 1969 they were transferred to the USN and were withdrawn from use by 1970.
TWA operated its 40 4-0-4s under the name "Skyliner" on scheduled services between 1 September 1950 and the last flight on 29 April 1961.EAL operated its 4-0-4s in the eastern USA using the class name "Silver Falcon".The first EAL schedule was flown on 5 January 1952 and retirement came in late 1962.
Later in their airline career,as they became displaced from the EAL and TWA fleets by turbine-powered aircraft,4-0-4s became popular with "second level" operators, Southern Airways operated 25 model 4-0-4s on a network of scheduled services from Atlanta in October 1961,all were ex-Eastern Airlines aircraft.Southern Airways' last 4-0-4 service was flown on 30 April 1978.
A total of 103 aircraft were built at the Glenn L. Martin factory in Baltimore.In February 2008 the last airworthy 4-0-4,an ex TWA aircraft,was ferried to the Planes of Fame Museum in Arizona.
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McDonnell FH Phantom
The McDonnell FH Phantom was a twinjet fighter aircraft designed and first flown during WW II for the US Navy.The Phantom was the first purely jet-powered aircraft to land on an American aircraft carrier and the first jet deployed by the United States Marine Corps.Although with the end of the war,only 62 FH-1s were built,it helped prove the viability of carrier-based jet fighters.
McDonnell was invited by the navy to cooperate in the development of a shipboard jet fighter,using an engine from the turbojets under development by Westinghouse Electric Corporation.Three prototypes were ordered on 30 August 1943 and the designation XFD-1 was assigned.Under the 1922 US Navy aircraft designation system,the letter "D" before the dash designated the aircraft's manufacturer.The Douglas Aircraft Company had previously been assigned this letter,but the USN elected to reassign it to McDonnell because Douglas had not provided any fighters for navy service in years.
The engines were buried in the wing root to keep intake and exhaust ducts short,offering greater aerodynamic efficiency than underwing nacelles,and they were angled slightly outwards to protect the fuselage from the hot exhaust blast.Placement of the engines in the middle of the airframe allowed the cockpit with its bubble-style canopy to be placed ahead of the wing, giving the pilot excellent visibility in all directions.
Folding wings were used to reduce the width of the aircraft in storage configuration.Provisions for four .50-caliber machine guns were made in the nose,while racks for eight 5 in rockets could be fitted under the wings,although these were seldom used in service.Adapting a jet to carrier use was a much greater challenge than producing a land-based fighter because of slower landing and takeoff speeds required on a small carrier deck.The Phantom used split flaps on both the folding and fixed wing sections to enhance low-speed landing performance,but no other high-lift devices were used.Provisions were also made for Rocket Assisted Take Off (RATO) bottles to improve takeoff performance.
When the first XFD-1,serial number 48235,was completed in January 1945,only one Westinghouse 19XB-2B engine was available for installation.Ground runs and taxi tests were conducted with the single engine,and such was the confidence in the aircraft that the first flight on 26 January 1945 was made with only the one turbojet engine.With successful completion of tests,a production contract was awarded on 7 March 1945 for 100 FD-1 aircraft.With the end of the war,the Phantom production contract was reduced to 30 aircraft,but was soon increased back to 60.
Production models used Westinghouse J30-WE-20 engines with 1,600 lbf (7.1 kN) of thrust per engine.Halfway through the production run,the Navy reassigned the designation letter "D" back to Douglas,with the Phantom being redesignated FH-1.
The first Phantoms were delivered to USN fighter squadron VF-17A (later redesignated VF-171) in August 1947;the squadron received a full complement of 24 aircraft on 29 May 1948.The Phantom's service as a frontline fighter would be short-lived due to limited range and light armament – notably,its inability to carry bombs,made it best suited for duty as a point-defence interceptor aircraft.Also,its speed and rate of climb were only slightly better than existing propeller-powered fighters and fell short of other contemporary jets.
Including the two prototypes,a total of 62 Phantoms were finally produced,with the last FH-1 rolling off the assembly line in May 1948.
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McDonnell 119/220
The McDonnell 119/220 was a business jet from the mid-1950s.It was originally designed to compete for the USAF UTX/UCX (Utility-Trainer Experimental/Utility-Cargo Experimental) contract,but it lost out to the Lockheed L-1329 JetStar (C-140 in Air Force service),the McDonnell corporation began efforts to market the type commercially.
It had a configuration that was unique by bizjet standards,with four jet engines mounted in individual pods underneath a low wing;it could accommodate ten passengers in a luxury executive configuration but could carry as many as 26.
McDonnell`s tactic was to draw up a deal with Pan American World Airways that would have involved the airline leasing 170 jets for five years,but when no other airline orders where forth coming.
They renamed the plane the Model 220 and started urgent marketing efforts to sell the aircraft as a business jet,including contacting the 750 largest corporations in the United States.There were no takers,even for the single prototype that had already been constructed.
The McDonnell Corporation used the airplane as a VIP transport for a few years before donating it to the Flight Safety Foundation's research facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
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McDonnell XV-1
In 1951,the USAF/USAA announced a competition to develop a compound helicopter, an aircraft that could take off and land vertically, like a helicopter, but could cruise at higher airspeeds than conventional helicopters.
On 20 June 1951, the Air Force and Army signed a Letter of Intent with McDonnell to award a contract to develop an aircraft based on their design.McDonnell had benefited from previous design work on the Model M-28 and had a complete mockup ready for inspection by the Army and Air Force by November 1951.They were given approval to begin fabrication of what was then designated the XL-25 ("L" for Liaison),later the designation was changed to XH-35. Finally, the aircraft became the first vehicle in the convertiplane series as the XV-1.
McDonnell enlisted Kurt Hohenemser and Friedrich von Doblhoff,the Austrian helicopter designer of the WNF 342,to provide technical direction in developing the tip-jet driven rotor system.After almost 2 years the first aircraft (serial 53-4016) was ready for flight testing by early 1954.
The XV-1 fuselage consisted of a streamlined tube mounted on skid landing gear,with a rear-mounted engine and a pusher propeller.It also had tapered stub wings mounted high on the fuselage.In turn,twin tailbooms and twin vertical surfaces,interconnected by a horizontal stabilizer elevator,were mounted to the wings.A three-bladed main rotor powered by blade tip pressure jets was mounted on top of the fuselage,above the wing roots.
It featured a single Continental-built R-975 radial piston engine that powered twin air compressors,which pumped air via ducts to the main rotor for vertical flight,while the engine drove the two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal flight.The cockpit consisted of tandem pilot and copilot stations,or the aircraft could accommodate a pilot and three passengers,or a pilot and two stretchers.
As flight testing continued, McDonnell completed the second machine,which was modified from the original XV-1.The second XV-1 also featured two small tail rotors mounted on the outboard side at the end of each tailboom.These were a result of the hover test flights that showed the lack of yaw authority when using rudders only.The original XV-1 would later be modified with the tail rotors.The second XV-1 became the first rotorcraft to exceed 200 mph nearly 45 mph faster than the helicopter speed record at the time.
After three years and nearly 600 hours between the two aircraft,the XV-1 contract was canceled in 1957.Ultimately,it was determined that the XV-1's convertiplane configuration was too complex for the small advantages gained over conventional helicopters.
The Army retained 53-4016,which was transferred to the USAA Museum at Fort Rucker, Alabama.53-4017,the record-setting,second prototype,was donated by the Army to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C. in 1964.
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McDonnell Douglas YC-15
The McDonnell Douglas YC-15 was a prototype four-engine short take-off and landing (STOL) tactical transport.In 1968, the USAF started work on a series of prototype proposals,submitted by Bell, Boeing, Fairchild, McDonnell Douglas and the Lockheed/North American Rockwell team.On 10 November 1972,the two top bids (from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas) were selected and the companies were awarded development contracts for two prototypes each.McDonnell Douglas' prototype was designated YC-15.
McDonnell Douglas's design incorporated a non-swept supercritical wing,which dramatically lowers transonic wave drag compared to more conventional shapes,at the same time offering excellent low-speed lift.Most contemporary aircraft used swept wings to lower wave drag,but this led to poor low-speed handling,which made them unsuitable for STOL operations.The design team featured externally blown flaps to increase lift.This system uses double-slotted flaps to direct part of the jet exhaust downwards,while the rest of the exhaust passed through the flap and then followed the downward curve,until the introduction of the turbofan the hot and concentrated exhaust of existing engines made the system difficult to use.
A four engine layout was used,the YC-15 borrowed components from other McDonnell Douglas aircraft,with its nose gear coming from the Douglas DC-8 and the nose section & cockpit being derived from the Douglas DC-10.
Two YC-15s were built,one with a wingspan of 110 feet (72-1876) and one of 132 feet (72-1875).Both were 124 feet long and powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17 engines, each with 15,500 pounds-force of thrust.
The first flight was on 26 August 1975 and the second prototype followed in December.They were tested for some time at McDonnell Douglas as the Boeing entry was not ready until almost a year later.In November 1976,both designs were transferred to Edwards Air Force Base for head-to-head testing,including lifting heavy loads like tanks and artillery.
The YC-15s completed a 600-hour flight test program in 1977.Then the Air Force asked if it was possible to use a single model of the AMST for both strategic and tactical airlift roles, or alternatively,if it was possible to develop non-STOL derivatives of the AMST for the strategic airlift role.
Both the YC-14 and YC-15 met or exceeded the AMST specifications under most conditions,however the increasing importance of the strategic vs. tactical mission eventually led to the end of the AMST program in December 1979.
In the end,neither the YC-15 nor the Boeing YC-14 was ordered into production,although the YC-15's basic design would be used to form the successful McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) C-17 Globemaster III.
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McDonnell Douglas X-36
The McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft was a stealthy subscale prototype jet designed to fly without the usual tail assembly.
This configuration was designed to reduce weight,drag and radar cross section,and increase range,agility and survivability.
The X-36 was built to 28% scale of a possible fighter aircraft,and was controlled by a pilot in a ground-based virtual cockpit with a view provided by a video camera mounted in the canopy of the aircraft.A canard forward of the wing was used as well as split ailerons and an advanced thrust vectoring nozzle for directional control.The X-36 was unstable in both pitch and yaw axes,so an advanced digital fly-by-wire control system was used.
It`s first flight was 17 May 1997,it made 31 successful research flights.It handled very well,and the program is reported to have met or exceeded all project goals. McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in August 1997 while the test program was in progress; the aircraft is sometimes referred to as the Boeing X-36.Despite its potential suitability,and highly successful test program,there have been no reports regarding further development of the X-36 or any derived design as of 2017.
Powerplant was 1 × Williams International F112 turbofan,700 lbf,giving a max speed of around 230mph,and a service ceiling of 20,000ft.
The two protypes are reserved in the USA,one in Ohio,and the other in California.
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Meyers OTW
The Meyers OTW (Out To Win) was a 1930s training biplane designed by Allen Meyers and built by his Meyers Aircraft Company from 1936 to 1944.The OTW was a conventional biplane with tandem seating for two in open cockpits and a fixed tailwheel landing gear.It first flew on 10 May 1936 with a 125hp engine.
The aircraft was produced in two main variants;the OTW-145 powered by a 145 hp Warner Super Scarab,and the OTW-160 powered by a 160 hp Kinner R-5 engine.
The 160hp version had a modest top speed of 120mph and a cruise of just over 100mph.It had a 2-bladed fixed pitch propeller.Just over 100 were built.
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Monocoupe 90
The Monocoupe 90 was a two-seat, light cabin airplane built by Donald A. Luscombe for Monocoupe Aircraft.The Monocoupes were side-by-side two-seat lightplanes of mixed wood and steel-tube basic construction with fabric covering.It was a braced high-wing monoplane with fixed tailskid landing gear,and the rear fuselage lines that were to become one of the signature features of the Monocoupes.
Early models of the aircraft was powered originally by either a 60 hp Anzani engine or the unsuccessful 65 hp Detroit Air Cat radial.In 1930 Monocoupe introduced the Model 90 with refined lines and a fuselage that was slightly longer and wider,marketed as Model 90 and Model 90A versions with a 90 hp Lambert R-266 radial engine.
The final two high performance Monocoupe models developed from the Model 90 were the Model 110 with a 110 hp Warner Scarab,and the Model 125 with a 125-hp Kinner B-5 engine.
The majority of the Monocoupe 90s to be built were sold to and flown by private pilot owners.However they were operated by Free French Forces,later Armée de l'Air as the Monocoupe 90 AF.
Nineteen delivered early 1943 by sea to Egypt,to be reassembled by RAF MU 109.Main delivery to create a flying school (GE 11) in Syria,opening September 1,1943.The Monocoupe 90 proved too sensitive to be used for basic training and many accidents occurred until the school disbanded January 4, 1944.One aircraft survived the war and remained on the French civil register until written-off in 1962.
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Naval Aircraft Factory N3N
The Naval Aircraft Factory N3N was a tandem-seat,open cockpit,primary training biplane aircraft from the 1930`s.
The N3N was successfully tested as both a conventional airplane and a seaplane,the seaplane used a single float under the fuselage and floats under the outer tips of the lower wing.
The prototype XN3N-1 was powered by a radial Wright designed Wright J-5 engine and had a fixed undercarriage.An intial order for 179 production aircraft was received;towards the end of the first production run the engine was replaced with the Wright R-760-2 Whirlwind radial.
The N.A.F. delivered 997 N3N aircraft beginning in 1935.These included 180 N3N-1s and 816 N3N-3s.Four N3N-3s were delivered to the United States Coast Guard in 1941. Production ended in January 1942 but the type remained in use through the rest of World War II.The N3N was the last biplane in US military service.
The N3N was unique in that it was an aircraft designed and manufactured by an aviation firm wholly owned and operated by the U.S. government (the Navy, in this case) as opposed to private industry.For this purpose,the USN bought the rights and the tooling for the Wright R-760 series engine and produced their own engines.These Navy built engines were installed on Navy built airframes.
Postwar,surviving aircraft were sold on the US civil aircraft market and bought for operation by agricultural aerial spraying firms and private pilot owners.A number are still active in the USA.
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Naval Aircraft Factory SBN
The Naval Aircraft Factory SBN was a three-seat mid-wing monoplane scout bomber/torpedo aircraft designed by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation,built under license by the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia.
The USN issued specifications for a scout bomber in 1934 and Brewster won the competition.The Navy ordered one prototype,designated the XSBA-1,on 15 October 1934.
It was a two-seat,single-engine monoplane with retractable landing gear and an internal bomb bay that could accommodate a 500-pound bomb.A crewman in the rear seat was armed with a flexible machine gun.
The prototype XSBA-1 first flew on 15 April 1936,and was delivered to the Navy for testing,fitted with a Wright R-1820-4 Cyclone 770-horsepower engine.
It achieved a top speed of 254 mph with a range of 1,000 miles at cruising speed.Problems were found during testing and the aircraft was given a revised tail and rudder and a more powerful Wright R-1820-22 Cyclone 950-horsepower engine,with which it reached a top speed of 263 mph.At the time, it was believed to be the fastest single-engine bomber in the world.
Brewster was unable to manufacture production models of the XSBA-1,so the Navy acquired a license to produce the aircraft itself at the Naval Aircraft Factory.
In September 1938,the Navy placed an order for 30 aircraft,but due to pressures of work at the NAF,it did not deliver the first aircraft,re-designated the SBN, until November 1940;he remaining aircraft were delivered between June 1941 and March 1942.
They were bsolete before their delivery in 1941,however some of the early production aircraft were used for carrier operations trials with Torpedo Squadron Eight (VT-8) in 1941 and then passed on for use as trainers aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8).None of the SBNs saw combat.With a lack of spare parts,the aircraft were withdrawn from service from August 1942.
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North American AJ Savage
The North American AJ Savage (later A-2 Savage) was a carrier-based medium bomber built for the United States Navy.At the end of World War II, the USN began a design competition on 13 August 1945 for a carrier-based bomber which could carry a 10,000-pound bomb.Later that year,the Navy decided that it needed to be able to deliver atomic bombs and that the AJ Savage design would be adapted to accommodate the latest Mark 4 nuclear bomb.
The first prototype made its maiden flight two years later on 3 July 1948,The AJ-1 was a three-seat,high-wing monoplane with tricycle landing gear.For carrier operations, the outer wing panels and the tailfin could be manually folded.It was fitted with two 2,300-brake-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800-44W Double Wasp piston engines, mounted in nacelles under each wing with a large turbocharger fitted inside each engine nacelle,and a 4,600-pound-force Allison J33-A-10 turbojet in the rear fuselage. Intended to be used for takeoff and maximum speed near the target,the jet was fed by an air inlet on top of the fuselage that was normally kept closed to reduce drag.
A photo-reconnaissance version of the Savage,initially known as the AJ-1P but later as the AJ-2P,was ordered on 18 August 1950.It had improved R-2800-48 piston engines and the tail was redesigned to add 1 foot of height to the tailfin.The 12° dihedral of the tail stabilizers was eliminated and the rudder enlarged which slightly lengthened the aircraft.Early AJ-2Ps retained the three-man crew,but late-model aircraft added a fourth crewman to the upper cockpit facing aft.
Around 1954, NATC modified the sole surviving XAJ-1 to conduct inflight refueling tests using the probe and drogue configuration.The turbojet engine was removed and the fuel hose and its drogue extended out from the jet's former exhaust opening.Aircraft in service retained the turbojet and had their bomb bay doors modified to accommodate the hose and drogue.They were refueling aircraft during late 1954.
The aircraft was not popular aboard ship as "it was so big and cumbersome that it complicated any other flight operations the ship was required to conduct."One problem was that the wings had to be folded one at a time by a crewman on top of the fuselage with a portable hydraulic pump,a time-consuming process,so that the bomber could be moved out of the way to allow other aircraft to land or take off.
Most of the USN examples had been retired from 1960,but a small number were converted to operate as water bombers in the fire fighting role.
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North American B-45 Tornado
The B-45 began development in 1944,when the U.S. War Department,called for a group of jet bombers grossing between 80,000 lb and 200,000 lb.The proposal from North American Aviation (NA-130) won,and on September 8, 1944,the company began production of three prototypes based on the NA-130.
The B-45 proved a superior design, and on January 2, 1947, a contract for immediate production of B-45As was signed,but not long after the future of the B-45 became increasingly uncertain,and in mid-1948 the U.S. Air Staff began to question its value.Soon afterwards,President Truman's budget restraints reduced Air Force expenditure and B-45 production was reduced to a total of 142 airframes.
Plagued by engine problems along with numerous other minor flaws,the B-45 regained importance when after the US entered the Korean War in 1950,it proved its value both as a bomber and as a reconnaissance aircraft.The progress of weapons technology had led to a great reduction in the weight and size of nuclear weapons in the U.S.inventory, allowing smaller aircraft to carry out nuclear strikes,a mission which had initially been confined to heavy bombers.Suddenly,the small fleet of B-45s had great value again as a nuclear deterrent.
RB-45s of the 323rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron began to arrive in Japan supplementing the World War II-era piston-engine RB-29s which had proved to be easy targets for North Korean MiGs.The RB-45s provided valuable intelligence throughout the remainder of the Korean War,despite the limited number of airframes available.RB-45Cs flew many daylight missions until early 1952,when they were switched to night operations after an RB-45 was almost lost to a MiG-15.
By 1954 the RB-45C had been replaced by the RB-47E.The phased-out RB-45Cs then went to the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron,which operated them until they were withdrawn from operational use in the spring of 1958.By the end of the 1950s,all B-45s had been removed from active service.However,a few continued to act as test aircraft into the early 1970s.
Under Operation Ju-jitsu,in July 1951 four aircraft were leased to Britain from the 91st SRW to form 'Special Duties Flight, Sculthorpe'.Stripped of all USAF markings and then applied with RAF markings,the four aircraft were attached to a USAF squadron based at RAF Sculthorpe,in eastern England.They were tasked with flying deep-level reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union to gather electronic and photographic intelligence.The Special Duties Flight conducted missions during the period 1952–54.
Subsequent flights over the Soviet Union were carried out using English Electric Canberras under the codename Project Robin,operating at much higher altitudes of around 54,000 ft.
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North American P-64
The North American P-64 was the designation assigned by the USAAC to the North American Aviation NA-68 fighter,an upgraded variant of the NA-50 developed during the late 1930s.Seven NA-50s were purchased by the Peruvian Air Force,which nicknamed it Torito ("Little Bull").
Six NA-68s ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force were seized before export by the US government in 1941,after the Franco-Thai War and growing ties between Thailand and the Empire of Japan.These aircraft were used by the USAAC as unarmed fighter trainers.
It was developed as a simple single-seat,low-wing,single-engined fighter for export.The design was based on the NA-16/BT-9 basic training aircraft of 1935.The NA-16 evolved into a series of aircraft that were some of the most widely used advanced and basic training aircraft produced by any country,and provided the basic design for a single-engined fighter intended for small countries that needed a simple aircraft with modern capabilities and features.
The NA-50 was powered by an 840 hp Wright R-1820-G3 radial air-cooled engine that gave the NA-50 a top speed of 295 mph at 9,500 feet.It was armed with two .30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns.The aircraft were manufactured in May 1939.
One of the six intercepted Thailand-bound P-64s which survived being used for training and liaison is now displayed at the EAA AirVenture Museum. This aircraft has been restored to flying condition, with the engine running again in 2013, followed by its first flying appearance at the 2016 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow.
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North American FJ-1 Fury
The North American FJ-1 Fury was the first operational jet aircraft in USN service,and was developed by North American Aviation as the NA-135.Ordered in late 1944 as the XFJ-1 in competition with proposals from Douglas and Vought,the Fury began as a straight-wing,tricycle gear fighter with a single turbojet passing through the fuselage.
The first flight of the prototype XFJ-1 took place on 11 September 1946,with the first of 30 deliveries beginning in October 1947.The FJ-1 made the USN's first operational aircraft carrier landing with a jet fighter at sea on 10 March 1948 aboard USS Boxer,pioneering US jet-powered carrier operations and showing the need for catapult-equipped carriers.The Fury was capable of launching without catapult assistance,but on a crowded flight deck the capability was of limited use.Taking off without a catapult launch limited the FJ-1 to a perilous,slow climb that was considered too risky for normal operations.
No provision for wing-folding had been made as dive brakes mounted in the wings made that option unfeasible.In order to conserve carrier deck space,a "kneeling" nose undercarriage along with a swivelling "jockey wheel" allowed the FJ-1 to be stacked tail-high,close to another FJ-1.
Powerplant was an Allison J35-A-2 turbojet of 4,000 lbf,with armament of 6 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the nose.The initial order for 100 units was trimmed to only 30 aircraft which were mainly used in testing at NAS North Island, California.
Although VF-51 went to sea on Boxer by May 1949,the FJ-1s were phased out in favor of the new F9F-2 Panther.Ending its service career in U.S. Naval Reserve units, the FJ-1 eventually was retired in 1953.
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North American Navion
The Navion was originally designed at the end of World War II by North American Aviation as the NA-143 (but produced under the NA-145 designation).It was designed for the civilian market but also attracted the interest of the USAAF.
It is a single-engine,unpressurized,retractable gear,four-seat aircraft.It was later built by Ryan Aeronautical Company and the Tubular Steel Corporation (TUSCO).
The Army Air Force ordered 83 of the NA-154 version,designated the L-17A,to be used as a liaison aircraft personnel and cargo carrier,and trainer for the university-based Reserve Officers Training Corps flight training program,35 of which were later converted to L-17C standard by the Schweizer Aircraft Company by fitting them with L-17B model features such as an auxiliary fuel tank.
Ryan Aeronautical Company bought the design in 1948,and built approximately 1,200 examples over the following three years.Ryan designated the aircraft the Navion A with a 205 hp Continental E-185-3 or -9 and,later,the Navion B with 260 hp engines of either the Lycoming GO-435-C2,or optionally the Continental IO-470 engine.The Navion A`s became the basis for the military L-17B.
TUSCO took over production of the Navion in the mid-1950s,manufacturing D, E and F models with a variety of enhancements including tip tanks and flush rivets.Navion Rangemaster aircraft were manufactured from 1961 to 1976.Their production followed that of earlier canopy-models.TUSCO also introduced the Navion Rangemaster G model in 1960,which incorporated all previous advancements,replaced the Navion's sliding canopy with a side door,enlarged the cabin,created five separate seats,and standardized use of tiptanks and larger,late-model Continental engines.
The last few Navions were manufactured by Navion Aircraft Company during a short production run ending in 1976 during one of several attempts to restore the airplane to commercial viability.As of 2010,many Navions are still flying and there is an active Navion owners community.On 18 March 2003 Sierra Hotel Aero Inc of South St. Paul, Minnesota purchased the type certificate.
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North American O-47
The North American O-47 is an American observation fixed-wing aircraft monoplane used by the United States Army Air Corps.It had a low-wing configuration,retractable landing gear,and a three-blade propeller.
The O-47 was developed as a replacement for the older biplane types such as the Douglas O-38,however it was larger and heavier than most preceding observation aircraft.It`s crew of three sat in tandem under the long canopy,it also had windows in the belly as the wings presented a problem to downward observation and photography.
Design for the XO-47 prototype originated as the GA-15 with General Aviation in 1934,it was a subsidiary of North American Aviation,it had a 850 hp Wright R-1820-41 engine.
The Air Corps ordered 174 O-47s in 1937 to 1938,roughly half of which were assigned to National Guard units.In 1938, the Army ordered 74 O-47Bs with a redesigned engine cowling for better cooling, an uprated engine,a 1,060 hp Wright R-1820-57 and improved radio equipment.
The O-47 was a heavy aircraft,it lacked manoeuvrability and during WWII single-engined aircraft like the Piper L-4 and Stinson L-5 proved more capable of operating with ground troops,while fighters and twin engine bombers showed greater ability to perform recon and photo duties.The O-47s during World War II,except for those caught at overseas bases by the Japanese attacks,were relegated to secondary duties such as towing targets,coastal patrol,and anti-submarine patrol.
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OT Timm N2T Tutor
The Timm N2T Tutor was a training monoplane built by the Timm Aircraft Corporation,founded by Otto Timm for the United States Navy as the N2T-1.
It was a conventional tandem open-cockpit monoplane trainer first flown on the 22 May 1940.Power was a 160 hp Kinner R-5 radial engine,the N2T was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a tailwheel landing gear.
It had an unusual feature in that the airframe structure was made from resin,impregnated and molded plywood,creating a composite material stronger and lighter than plywood.This process was patented as the Nuyon process and marketed as the Aeromold process.
The PT-175-K variant was fitted with a Kinner R-53 engine,this was followed by the PT-220-C with a 220 hp Continental W-670-6 engine and larger tail.
It was evaluated by the USN,which ordered 262 aircraft in 1943 as the N2T-1,with only slight changes from the prototypes.The Navy nicknamed it "Tiny Timm.",the entire initial order was delivered in 1943 with no follow-on contract due to the military placing too many orders for Army and Navy trainers.
Although popular and relatively reliable,the N2T-1 was not built for long-term use,especially being made almost entirely of a wood based composite material that proved to be susceptible to decomposing.
N2Ts are preserved in U.S. museums including examples at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida and at the Air Zoo at Kalamazoo Municipal Airport,Michigan.
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Orenco D
The Orenco D was a biplane fighter aircraft,designed by Orenco and built by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company.It was the first fighter type of completely indigenous design to enter US military service.
The D prototype was offered to the US Army Air Service at the end of 1918.It was a two-bay biplane of all-wood construction,and fabric covered.It was powered by a 300 hp Hispano-Suiza engine which give it a top speed of around 140mph,it was armed by 2 × .30 in (7.6 mm) machine guns.Intial tests showed the aircraft had excellent handling and performance.
The military ordered 50 production aircraft,but put the production order up for bidding.Curtiss Aircraft entered the lowest bid and built the fighter,modifying it slightly with a wider wingspan and redesigned ailerons.The first Curtiss Orenco D flew on 26 August 1921.
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On Mark Marksman
The On Mark Marksman was a high-speed civil executive aircraft converted from surplus Douglas A-26 Invader airframes.They also produced the On Mark Executive and the On Mark Marketeer.The first conversions mainly involved the removal of military equipment and replacement with fairings and civil avionics, sealing of the bomb bay doors, soundproofing, and additional cabin windows.
In 1957 the company had developed a major modification that replaced the "carry-through" section of the rear wing spar with a circumferential steel "ring spar" that freed the fuselage space for better passenger accommodation and cockpit access.Other major improvements included a broad-chord metal-skinned rudder,Douglas DC-6 wheels and brakes, an APU,autopilot and additional fuel tanks inside the wing and the addition of wingtip tanks.It also had an extended fiberglass nose for baggage (or a radar) which increased the overall length by about 26".
Further development continued into the 1960s into what became the On Mark Marksman.The major difference was the addition of full pressurization.Improvements were also made to the cockpit with the incorporation of Douglas DC-6 flat glass windscreens and cockpit side windows.A replacement fuselage roof structure was added from the new windscreens,tapering back to the original tail section.By 1963, six Marksman conversions had been carried out for civil customers, the final seventh and eighth being a special purpose version with terrain-following radar and a cargo-dropping hatch for low level air-drops,designed by and delivered to CIA-associated companies.(Sssh!)
Between June and October 1967,the first of two aircraft,conducted low level nighttime supply drops to CIA related forces in Laos during the so-called "Secret War". The program was discontinued because the aircraft was too fast for accurate drops even with the special onboard equipment,and looked too much like a type of strike aircraft known to operate in the area.This was cited as often causing forces on the ground to be wary of turning on their marking lamps.The aircraft was damaged on takeoff at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base after being transferred to Overseas Aeromarine, Inc.
In the end,both aircraft were handed over to the 1198th Operational Evaluation and Training (OT&E) Squadron at Norton Air Force Base,California,a unit known for alleged participation in agent dropping and other clandestine missions in Southeast Asia eg (Project Heavy Chain).The Squadron evaluated the two Marksman,but apparently found no use for them and scrapped both aircraft,which suffered from a chronic Invader issue of nose gear failure.
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Oh how I lusted after the Marksman as a Small Smudge... those huge props and svelte fuselage.
One oddity I remember was that it could be loaded with full fuel, all five passengers and maximum payload and still be below its structural maximum weight. Probably unique in aviation history!
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Paramount Cabinaire
The Paramount Cabinaire was a 1920s designed cabin biplane, designed by Walter J.Carr.The prototype Cabinaire was formed around a welded steel tube Travel Air 2000 fuselage modified for an enclosed cabin.A new center section of wing was added and Travel air wings were reinstalled onto the center sections.The upper wing was modified and mounted several inches above the enclosed cabin.
The biplane aircraft featured a radial engine, and conventional landing gear.The upscale cabin used two individual upholstered wicker seats in the front and a wicker bench seat for passengers. The interior used velor finishing, nickel plating, mohair rugs, mahogany panels and roll-down windows.Each production model differed slightly from each other with choices of engines, and landing gear and aileron improvements.
In 1929, Viola Gentry and Jack Ashcroft attempted an endurance record for flight with aerial refueling in a modified Cabinaire SN#5 named The Answer.The name was chosen in response to the Army aircraft that had completed previous endurance records, the Question Mark.Just a tad sarcastic!
The aircraft had a 55-gallon cabin tank, and 21 gallon wing tanks installed for the attempt.The Answer crew was unable to refuel after the first ten hours of flight due to fog and crashed 28 June 1929, killing Ashcroft.
In 1930, a Cabinaire was entered in the 4814 mile long Ford National Reliability Air Tour, placing 15th out of 18.The same aircraft has been restored and was still flown in 2011.
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Pazmany PL-1/PL-2
The Pazmany PL-1 Laminar and Pazmany PL-2 are US two-seat trainer and personal light aircraft, designed by Ladislao Pazmany to be marketed as a homebuilt aircraft by his company Pazmany Aircraft Corporation.
The PL-1 Laminar was the first design,the prototype first flew on the 23 March 1962.It is a cantilever low-wing monoplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear.It has side-by-side seating for a crew of two and is powered by a 95 hp Continental C-90 piston engine.The Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) acquired plans and built a PL-1 for evaluation with a first flight on 26 October 1968.
AIDC then built 58 aircraft designated the PL-1B for the Republic of China Air Force and fitted with a 150 hp Avco Lycoming O-320 engine.
The PL-2 which had a slight increase in cockpit width and changes to the structure to make it`s construction easier for homebuilders.The PL-2 was evaluated by a number of air forces in south-east Asia. It was built under license in Indonesia as the Lipnur LT-200.
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Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser
The Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser is a small touring aircraft of the late 1940s.
In 1947,the PA-12 design was adapted to a four-seat layout by widening the cabin at the instrument panel and adding slotted flaps.The original high-wing and fixed tailwheel undercarriage layout features remained.The PA-14 prototype made its first flight from the company's Lock Haven Pennsylvania factory on 21 March 1947.
A second PA-14 was completed on 6 February 1948 and the first deliveries were made later that year.Powerplant was a Lycoming O-235-C1 air-cooled flat four, of 115 hp
238 examples were completed,mainly sold to private owner pilots in the United States,but overseas sales included several to France.The aircraft was launched at a time of serious financial difficulty for the company,soon after the release of the Family Cruiser, Piper was placed in receivership, from which it later successfully emerged.
126 examples remained registered in the US in April 2011, of which 81 were based in Alaska and 13 aircraft were registered in Canada.Some were fitted with floats.
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Piper-PA-28R-300 Pillán
The PA-28R-300 Pillán was developed by Piper Aircraft as a two-seat military trainer for assembly in Chile,based on a PA-32R fuselage with a new center-section and stronger wing stressed for aerobatics.The first prototype designated XBT first flew on 6 March 1981 and was followed by a second prototype,designated YBT.
The second prototype first flew on 31 August 1981 and was then delivered to Chile.The prototype XBT was delivered in January 1982 but was written off on 10 March 1982.
Production of kits at Vero Beach commenced with three pre-production kits which were delivered for assembly in Chile,then it produced 120 kits for assembly again in Chile, for the Chilean and Spanish Air Force.
The first production aircraft was delivered by ENAER to the Chilean Air Force Air Academy in August 1985, the Spanish aircraft were assembled in Spain by CASA.
Apart from a small number of turbine powered aircraft, all Pilláns were powered by a 300 hp Textron Lycoming AEIO-540-K1K5 six cylinder horizontally opposed piston engine.
Performance is 192mph max sea level speed,and a cruise of 165mph,in 1985 a turboprop variant was developed by ENAER as the T-35A Aucan.
Spain and Chile are the main operator of the type,but it is also in use with several South American Air Arms, but only in small numbers.
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The Spanish air force name for the type translates as 'sieve' because it sifts potential pilots from no-hopers. Always seemed a bit blunt to me!
Ah the word finally came back to me: Tamiz
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In Mapuche which is spoken in south-central Chile and west central Argentina,it means volcano or ancestral spirit--that would make more sense. :-)
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Piper PA-35 Pocono
The Piper PA-35 Pocono was a 16/18 seat commuter airliner developed in the late 1960s.
Piper started the design work in 1965 for a twin-engined piston non-pressurized commuter airliner and the prototype first flew on 13 May 1968.It was a low-wing monoplane that was intended to be powered by two 475 hp Lycoming TIO-720-B1A piston engines, but during development the tail area was increased, the fuselage stretched and the engines uprated to 520 hp variants.
Development was stopped in 1969 initially to let the company develop other aircraft, but the halt was also influenced by the lack of a suitable engine and a number of third-level airline operators in the US going out of business.In 1970 the company proposed a four-engined and a turboprop version, but they were not developed.
In 1978 a cooperation program between Piper and WSK Mielec (Poland) was planned.As part of this one fuselage with wings was transported from Florida to Poland and a team of designers was assembled at the R&D Center in Mielec.The program was named M-19,but the program was abandoned when the An-28 program was launched in Mielec and the PA-35 fuselage was moved to the city of Widełka.
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Piper PA-48 Enforcer
The Piper PA-48 Enforcer is a turboprop-powered light close air support aircraft built by Piper in the 1970s. It is a development of the World War II-era North American P-51 Mustang fighter.The concept was originally created and flown as the Cavalier Mustang by David Lindsay, owner of Cavalier Aircraft, in response to the USAF PAVE COIN program, but Cavalier did not have the manufacturing abilities to mass-produce the Enforcer, so the program was sold to Piper by Lindsay in 1970.
Cavalier initially mated a Rolls-Royce Dart 510 turboprop to a Mustang II airframe.This privately funded prototype was also intended for the same CAS/COIN mission that the Mustang II was built for.
In 1971, Piper built two Enforcers by heavily modifying two existing Mustang airframes, fitting them with Lycoming YT55-L-9A turboprop engines along with numerous other significant modifications. One airframe was a single seat (called the PE-1 and FAA registered as N201PE), the other a dual-control aircraft (the PE-2, registered N202PE). Prior to the Pave COIN evaluation, N202PE was lost in a crash off the Florida coast on 12 July 1971 due to flutter caused by a Piper-modified elevator trim tab. Although the Enforcer performed well in the 1971–1972 Pave COIN test flown by USAF pilots, Piper failed to secure a USAF contract.
In 1984, with a $US12 million appropriation from Congress, Piper built two new Enforcers, giving the new prototypes the designation PA-48.These aircraft were evaluated by the USAF, but flown only by Piper test pilots.
By the time the PA-48s were completed, they shared less than 10 percent of their structure with the P-51,and were longer and larger.
The two PA-48s were tested during 1983 and 1984 at Eglin Air Force Base,and Edwards Air Force Base.As in the Pave COIN tests of 1971, the PA-48s were found to perform well in their intended role, but the Air Force again decided not to purchase the aircraft.
Two still exist,in 2014, PA-48 N482PE completed restoration and is on display at the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base.N481PE has been fully restored and is currently in storage at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
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Piper PA-47 PiperJet
The Piper PA-47 PiperJet was a single-engined very light jet (VLJ) that was intended to be developed and built by Piper,however following a change of ownership at Piper, it was decided to redesign the aircraft into the PiperJet Altaire.
The PiperJet was announced in October 2006,as a competitor to the Eclipse 500 and Cessna Citation Mustang.The aircraft's fuselage was the same cross section as the propeller-driven Piper PA-46 series, with a 4 feet increase in length.It was to be capable of carrying up to 7 passengers and cruise at 360 knots at a maximum altitude of 35,000 feet Maximum range was expected to be 1,300 nautical miles with a full-fuel payload of 800 pounds.Piper selected Williams International to supply its FJ44-3AP turbofan engine for the PiperJet.
Due to the engine being mounted above the center of gravity,addition of power would push the nose down,Piper designers incorporated an automatic pitch trim system to coordinate horizontal stabilizer angle of incidence with power setting.This system was later replaced by a vectored thrust nozzle,developed by Williams International, which resulted in reduced weight and simplified manufacturing processes.
Piper announced that it had received 180 pre-orders.An entry-into-service date of early 2010 was initially anticipated,later changed to 2011-12.In October 2009 the company indicated that it had delayed the delivery of the first customer aircraft to mid-2013 and had informed depositors.
The PiperJet did not enter production and in October 2010 Piper announced it would instead develop an aircraft with a larger circular-section fuselage known as the Piper PiperJet Altaire.The 160 customers who had placed orders for the PiperJet retained their delivery positions with the new aircraft and at the same price. On 24 October 2011, despite the Altaire's development being "on schedule and on budget", the program was indefinitely suspended by Piper due to economic issues, with the company laying off a number of workers who had been assigned to the project.
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Quest Kodiak
The Quest Kodiak is an US utility aircraft featuring a high-wing,unpressurized,a single-engine turboprop with a fixed tricycle landing gear and is suitable for STOL operations from unimproved airfields.
Design began in 1999,it made its maiden flight on October 16, 2004 and was certified on 31 May 2007 before first delivery in January 2008.
The aircraft can accommodate 10 people.It features short-field capability and good useful load,with its STOL performance coming from a fixed, discontinuous leading edge on the outboard wing and the 750 hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop engine.Passenger seats are track-mounted and removable, it has access doors for the pilots and the aft clamshell door, with automatic steps, allows cargo loading or eight passengers boarding.The Kodiak's aluminum fuselage can be repaired in the field and offers a 54 in × 57 in (137 cm × 145 cm) cargo door.
In June 2010, Wipaire, Inc. was granted certification allowing Wipline 7000 Amphibious Floats to be installed on Kodiaks.In November of that same year it was also certified for flight into known icing after the installation of a TKS system,which protects exposed surfaces via glycol-based fluids.
The Kodiak is bigger than the DHC-2 Beaver, but smaller than the DHC-3 Otter or Cessna Caravan. It has more power than the older deHavillands and takes off in less space than the Caravan.
The first Kodiak was delivered to launch customer Spirit Air in January 2008.By September 2013, 100 Kodiaks had been built, with the 100th aircraft being delivered to US operator Sunstate Aviation.
The 200th aircraft was delivered in December 2016 for a record yearly production of 36 Kodiaks, while the production facility was extended by 25 percent in September to cope with growing demand.
The 250th was delivered in 2018, as the highest time aircraft surpassed 5,000 hours.
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Rans S-9 Chaos
The Rans S-9 Chaos is a US single-engined, tractor configuration, single-seat, mid-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter in 1986 for aerobatics.
The idea was for an inexpensive aerobatic aircraft that will allow sportsman competition aerobatics to be flown or even advanced aerobatics if inverted fuel and oil systems are installed.The Chaos is also a capable cross country aircraft.
The S-9 features a welded 4130 steel tube cockpit, with a bolted aluminum tube rear fuselage. All fuselage, wing and tail surfaces are covered in dope and fabric. The reported construction time is 500 hours.The basic engine is the Rotax 503 of 50 hp, with the Rotax 582 of 64 hp and the Hirth 3701 of 100 hp available as options.
The S-10 Sakota aerobatic two-seater was later developed from the S-9,there were 215 S-9s built and flown by December 2011.Two are based in the UK.
Pic from abpics
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Rans S-19 Venterra
The Rans S-19 Venterra is a single-engined,tractor configuration,two-seats in side-by-side config,low-wing monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter as a light-sport aircraft.
The S-19 is an aluminum semi-monocoque design, with stressed skin construction supported with bulkheads, formers and stringers.The fuselage, wing and tail surfaces are covered in sheet aluminum.
It has tricycle landing gear with a fully castering nosewheel and steering via differential main wheel braking.The standard engine is the Rotax 912ULS of 100 hp allowing a cruise speed of 128mph.The Venterra is available as a complete factory-built aircraft and in kit form for amateur construction.
Around 40 have been built so far,mainly US registered,but there is one on the UK register.G-SXIX
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Well that's a lot prettier than the Coyote...
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Rud Aero RA-3
The RA-3 is a single engine two-seat,side-by-side configuration,low wing,tricycle gear of composite construction.The aircraft is built using carbon fiber throughout.
It has a cambered training wing that can be exchanged for a constant chord symmetrical wing for advanced aerobatic training.
The aircraft is designed to operate as an FAR Part 21.24 aircraft, with future modifications to meet American LSA standards.
Powerplant is a Lycoming IO-360 Horizontally opposed piston aircraft engine of 180 hp.Maximum speed is 150mph,with a cruise speed of 135mph.
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Rutan VariViggen
The Rutan VariViggen is a homebuilt aircraft designed by Burt Rutan.The aircraft is a tandem two-seater of primarily wooden construction with a delta wing and a canard foreplane.The prototype was designated Model 27, and the production version was Model 32.
The VariViggen was named after the Swedish fighter,the Saab 37 Viggen.Rutan became interested in aircraft which resisted stalls and spins,and the VariViggen was his first full scale design.After four years of work, the aircraft made its first flight in April, 1972.In order to increase efficiency, the Model 32 (also known as the VariViggen SP) had a slightly longer fuselage, a larger wingspan and winglets.It is powered by a 150 hp Lycoming O-320 aero engine in pusher configuration.
The Rutan Aircraft Factory sold 600 plan sets for the VariViggen to homebuilders,eventually only about 20 of the aircraft were built.Following the crash of one in New Brunswick, Canada in September 2006 due to wing tank fuel contamination,fewer than five are currently still flying.The prototype aircraft, N27VV, was donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum in 1988.
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Rutan Defiant
The Rutan Model 40 Defiant is a four-seat,twin-engine aircraft with the engines in a push-pull configuration.
The prototype Defiant, N78RA, was first flown on 30 June 1978.It had been intended as a proof-of-concept of a very safe light twin design, requiring little trim change and no pilot action in case of engine failure,and with good single engine performance.
In 1979 the Rutan Aircraft Factory announced they would proceed with certification of a Defiant-based light twin.Adequate financing was not secured for this project,and the design was modified for homebuilt construction as the Model 74.
Powerplant is 2 × Lycoming O-320,of 160 hp each,giving a max speed of 210mph.The Defiant is built using fiberglass layup over Styrofoam core shapes in the same manner as the Rutan VariEze. The main gear is fixed, and there are no flaps. The Propellers are fixed-pitch non-feathering.176 sets of plans were purchased before RAF discontinued selling them in 1985.Nineteen are registered with the FAA as of 2005.
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Rutan Model 72 Grizzly
The Rutan Model 72 Grizzly is a tandem-wing STOL research aircraft.
It is a composite-construction aircraft featuring three lifting surfaces:A front wing with approximately half the span of the main wing and a classical cruciform empennage. Front and main wings are connected by a pair of struts with square cross-section which also serve as fuel tanks.Both wings carry flaps on part of their span for STOL.
The Grizzly is intended for use as a bush plane with unique safety and comfort, the four-seater could be used by two persons as a camper for back-country activities with its seats folded to become a 6 ft long bed. A planned amphibian version of the Grizzly was never realized.
The unusual undercarriage has four low-pressure,small-diameter main-wheels,on two cantilever spring struts,with a spring mounted tail-wheel assembly.The four-seat cabin is completely enclosed with a combination of flat, squared and outward-bulged tear-drop shaped windows.It`s first flight was on 22 January 1982 and lasted over two hours.
Powerplant is 1 × Lycoming O-360B 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine,180 hp.
After completion of testing the Grizzly was donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh in 1997
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Republic P-43 Lancer
The Republic P-43 Lancer was a single-engine,all-metal,low-wing monoplane fighter,first delivered to the United States Army Air Corps in 1940.
The Seversky Aircraft Company,which in 1939 changed its name to Republic,constructed a range of private venture,one-off variants of its P-35 design,featuring different powerplants and enhancements,from which the P-43 was derived.
The YP-43 prototype was powered by an R-1830-35 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine with a General Electric B-2 turbo-supercharger generating 1,200 hp and driving a three-blade variable-pitch propeller.Armament consisted of two synchronized .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the cowl and a single .30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun in each wing.
The first of 13 YP-43s was delivered in September 1940, the last in April 1941.Early testing revealed a strong tendency to yaw during takeoff and landing rolls,fixed by redesigning the tailwheel.Although the aircraft exceeded the initial USAAC performance requirements,by 1941 it was clearly obsolete.The USAAC felt the basic P-35/P-43 design had run it`s course for further improvement in performance and shifted its interest to the new promising P-47.
Due to delays with the P-47,it was decided to order 54 P-43s to keep the Republic production lines operating. An additional 125 P-43A-1s were ordered for China through the Lend-Lease program, originally intended to equip the Third American Volunteer Group (AVG). These initially differed in the Air Materiel Command specification from earlier P-43s in being armed with two 0.50 in machine guns in each wing and no fuselage guns, and having basic armor and fuel tank protection.By 1942, a total of 272 P-43s were built, including all its variants, a remarkable number considering the original intention was to not build any.
The Lend-Lease aircraft were delivered to China through Claire Chennault's American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers.The P-43 performed poorly in combat in the hands of the Chinese Air Force against Japan due to its great vulnerability;it was replaced by other types in early 1944.
The aircraft that were not sent to China were modified for photo-reconn duties or training.Eight P-43s (four P-43A-1s and four P-43Ds) were loaned to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 and served with No. 1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit.The RAAF flew many long range, high-altitude photo reconnaissance missions before the six survivors were returned to the USAAF in 1943.
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Republic XF-12 Rainbow
The Republic XF-12 Rainbow was a four-engine, all-metal prototype reconnaissance aircraft designed in the 1940`s.
The proposal was for a reconnaissance aircraft which included a requirement for speed (400 mph), ceiling (40,000 ft), and range (4,000 nmi).It`s primary objective was for high-speed overflights of the Japanese homeland and key enemy installations.During World War II, due to the extended range requirements of operating in the Pacific, existing fighters and bombers were being used for missions for which they were never intended. The need existed for an aircraft specifically designed for the photo-reconnaissance mission with adequate speed, range, and altitude capabilities for its missions to be successful.
The XF-12's first flight was made on 4 February 1946.During the flight testing and development period,it demonstrated the capability of operating at 45,000 feet (14,000 m), at a speed of 470 mph (760 km/h), over a range of 4,500 mi (7,200 km), so it met and exceeded the design goals for which it had been designed.
It was powered by four of the new Pratt & Whitney R-4360-31 Wasp Major 28-cyl. four-row air-cooled radial piston engines,of 3,250 hp each.
The original design called for contra-rotating propellers,due to the added complexity and reliability issues,the propellers were never installed.The aircraft used standard four-bladed Curtiss Electric propellers for all flights.
The USAF canceled the entire XF-12 program in late 1948.The primary reason for its demise was the availability of both Boeing B-29 Superfortress and B-50 types to meet the long-range photo-reconnaissance requirement.
Republic had intended to also build an airline version of the aircraft to be known as the RC-2.This variant was supposed to be a "stretched" version of the XF-12, growing in length from 93 ft 9 in to 98 ft 9 in, with the addition of a fuselage "plug" in front of the wing.Also the complex Plexiglas nose section was supposed to be replaced with a solid metal nose,changes to the engines and superchargers were also included in the civil design.
Had the XF-12 Rainbow been available in 1944,it almost inevitably would have been ordered in quantity,and along with its civilian counterpart, the whole postwar structure of aircraft markets might have been altered. As it was, the XF-12 disappeared into oblivion, despite its graceful lines and high performance.
It`s high speed, near-perfect streamlined form, and neatly cowled engines make it a design classic, often unappreciated, and not very well known. The XF-12 was the fastest, four engine pure piston-powered aircraft of its day, and the only one ever to exceed 450 mph in level flight.
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Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech
The Republic XF-84H "Thunderscreech" was an experimental turboprop aircraft derived from the F-84F Thunderstreak. Powered by a turbine engine that was mated to a supersonic propeller, the XF-84H had the potential of setting the unofficial air speed record for propeller-driven aircraft.
The USAF Wright Air Development Center was the key sponsor of the Republic Project 3347 turboprop fighter, the initial inception came from a U.S. Navy requirement for a carrier fighter not requiring catapult assistance.Originally known as XF-106,the project and its resultant prototype aircraft were redesignated XF-84H.
A projected contract for three prototypes was scrubbed when the US Navy cancelled its order,the remaining XF-84H prototypes became pure research aircraft built for the Air Force’s Propeller Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB to test supersonic propellers.
The XF-84H was created by modifying a F-84F airframe, installing a 5,850 hp Allison XT40-A-1 turboprop engine in a centrally-located housing behind the cockpit with a long extension shaft to the nose-mounted propeller.The turbine engine also provided thrust through its exhaust; an afterburner which could further increase power to 7,230 hp was installed but never used.
It was destabilized by the powerful torque from the propeller, as well as inherent problems with supersonic propeller blades. A number of exotic blade configurations were tested before settling on a final design.
First flown on July 22, 1955, the XF-84F had incredible acceleration but soon its impracticality was discovered.It was unsuited to combat due to the engine's 30 minute warm up time but the most serious concerns were vibration generated from the 12-foot propeller diameter and mechanical failures of the prop pitch gearing.
Lin Hendrix, one of the Republic test pilots assigned to the program, flew the aircraft once and refused to ever fly it again, claiming "You aren't big enough and there aren't enough of you to get me in that thing again".Test pilot Hank Beaird took the XF-84H up 11 times, with 10 of these flights ending in forced landings.
The XF-84H was almost certainly the loudest aircraft ever built, earning the nickname "Thunderscreech" as well as the "Mighty Ear Banger".On the ground "run ups", the prototypes could reportedly be heard 25 miles away.Unlike standard propellers that turn at subsonic speeds, the outer 24–30 inches (61–76 cm) of the blades on the XF-84H's propeller traveled faster than the speed of sound even at idle thrust.The aircraft was notorious for inducing severe nausea and headaches among ground crews.In one report, a Republic engineer suffered a seizure after close range exposure to the shock waves emanating from a powered-up XF-84H.
Engine and equipment failures coupled with the inability to reach design speeds and subsequent instability experienced were insurmountable problems, the USAF cancelled the program in September 1956.
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Taylorcraft F-19 Sportsman
The Taylorcraft Model F-19 Sportsman is a two-seat cabin monoplane designed and built by Taylorcraft Aircraft as the first new product of the reformed Taylorcraft Aviation Company.
C.G. Taylor and his brother formed the Taylor Brothers Aviation Corporation in 1929,it had produced several thousand light single-engines by the time it went bankrupt in 1946. It emerged in 1947 as Taylorcraft Inc. and produced light airplanes until 1958, when it ceased production.
In 1968 a new company, Taylorcraft Aviation Corporation, was formed, primarily to provide support for the thousands of airplanes still operational.
In 1973 the company geared up to produce an updated Taylorcraft B, now named the Model F-19 Sportsman.It was similar to the Model B but incorporated more power,and better performance.Production continued until early 1980, when the company chose to switch to the higher-powered Model F-21.
Powerplant was 1 × Continental O-200 of 100 hp,giving a max speed of 127mph and a cruise speed of 115mph with a range of 400 miles.
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Due to a line fault, I have had no tinterweb since Saturday morning, 3x KN vans just away after much fiddling and gadget testing.
Hopefully normal service will resume shortly.
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Taylorcraft Ranch Wagon
The Taylorcraft Model 20 Ranch Wagon was a four-seat cabin monoplane designed as a development of the earlier experimental Model 18.
It`s construction was of moulded fibreglass over a tubular framework.It had a conventional landing gear and powerplant was a nose-mounted 225 hp Continental O-470-J engine,which was sufficent to give a max speed of 160mph and a 150mph cruise.
It came in four main versions,
Model 20 Ranch Wagon Utility model powered by a 225hp Continental O-470-J engine.
Model 20 Zephyr 400 Tourer variant of 1958 with detailed changes from the basic Model 20.
Model 20AG Topper Agricultural variant. Chemical hopper or tank in rear of cabin.
Model 20 Seabird Floatplane variant.
Approx 40 were built.
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VanGrunsven RV-1
The RV-1 is a Stits Playboy that was constructed with modifications by Richard VanGrunsven.The aircraft was the first of a series of Van's aircraft that became popular homebuilt aircraft.
The first RV-1 was a Stits SA-3A completed on 3 October 1965.It is a single seat strut-braced, low-wing aircraft with conventional landing gear. The engine was upgraded from the normally-fitted 65 hp powerplant to a 125 hp Lycoming O-290G.The resulting aircraft had good performance,but a high landing speed.On 16 August 1965,the aircraft was registered as an RV-1.
Other modifications included a new aluminum wing with flaps,and a bubble canopy.The fuselage uses welded steel tube construction in contrast to the RV series that followed which uses all-aluminum fuselage construction.The flaps reduced the stall speed to 50 mph. A second series of modifications included a more streamlined cowling, wheel pants and modified horizontal tail surfaces.
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Van's Aircraft RV-9
The Van's RV-9 and RV-9A are two-seat, single-engine, low-wing homebuilt airplanes sold in kit form.The RV-9 is the tail-wheel equipped version while the RV-9A features a nose-wheel.
The RV-9 was designed from the start as a two-seater, side-by-side, touring aircraft and as such it forgoes the aerobatic capabilities and the lighter handling for more stability and economy.Design horsepower is 118-160 and the prototype was flown with a Lycoming O-235 powerplant of 118 hp as a proof-of-concept.
Compared to the similar RV-7, the RV-9 has a wing of increased span and higher aspect ratio using a Roncz airfoil. The RV-9 has a slow stall speed, and docile handling suitable for low-time pilots.Cruise speed is 167 mph even with the 118 hp engine.
The RV-9 is unique in Van’s aircraft history in that the tricycle gear RV-9A version was flown first on June 15, 2000, three years before the tail wheel version flew. The later conventional landing gear equipped RV-9 was first flown by its designer in 2002. The RV-9A features solid circular spring steel landing gear, the aircraft is steered with differential braking.
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Viking SF-2A Cygnet
The Viking SF-2A Cygnet, also called the Sisler SF-2A Cygnet and the HAPI SF-2A Cygnet, is a STOL amateur-built aircraft,designed by Bert Sisler and produced by Viking Aircraft LLC.The aircraft is supplied in the form of plans for amateur construction.
It is a development of the earlier Sisler SF-2 Whistler introduced in 1973.The design features a strut-braced shoulder-wing, a two-seats-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.
The aircraft's recommended engine power range is 60 to 82 hp and standard engines used include the 82 hp Volkswagen four-stroke powerplant.Construction time from the supplied kit is estimated as 1700–1800 hours.The aircraft is made from wood, 4130 steel tubing and covered in doped aircraft fabric.
In July 2016 a total of 19 SF-2A Cygnets were registered in the US with the FAA,four with Transport Canada and seven with the CAA in the United Kingdom.
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Vought FU-1 / FU-2
The Vought FU was a biplane fighter aircraft in service with the USN during the late 1920s.
In 1926 the Navy gave Vought a contract for 20 convertible land/sea fighters.Vought already had a two-seat observation plane, the UO-1, basically a VE with additional fuselage streamlining and a Wright J-3 radial engine.This was made into a fighter by closing one cockpit and adding machine guns, and upgrading to a 220 hp Wright R-790 Whirlwind with a supercharger.
The newly designated FU-1 was able to reach a speed of 147 mph at 13,000 ft.
The FU-1s were delivered to VF-2B based in San Diego, California.One was assigned to each of the battleships of the Pacific Fleet, where they were launched from catapults. They spent eight months in this role, but as the squadron went to aircraft carrier operations, the further-aft cockpit proved to have a visibility problem when maneuvering around a carrier deck.In response,the forward cockpit was re-opened,the resulting aircraft being designated FU-2.
As well as the USN,the Peruvian Air Force and Navy operated two aircraft each.Twenty aircraft were built in total.
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Vought SBU Corsair
The Vought SBU-1 Corsair was a two-seat, all-metal biplane dive bomber, built for the USN.
The aircraft was equipped with a closed cockpit, had fixed landing gear, and was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535 700hp radial air-cooled engine, as had the F3U-1, but also included a controllable pitch propeller and a new NACA cowl with adjustable cowling gills on the trailing edge of the cowl.
The adjustable cowling gills permitted better control of cooling airflow over the engine.Max speed was 205mph, with a cruising speed of a more sedate 122mph.
Armament consisted of 1 x fixed forward firing 0.30in Browning machine gun, and 1 x 0.30inch rear firing machine gun in the rear cockpit,it could also carry a 500lb bomb.
It`s first flight was in May 1933,the SBU-1 completed flight tests in 1934 and went into production under a contract awarded in January 1935.The Corsair was the first aircraft of its type, a scout bomber, to fly faster than 200 mph. The last SBU Corsairs were retired from active service in 1941, being reassigned as trainers.
As well as being operated by the USN,the type also served with the Argentine Navy,125 aircraft were built.The name "Corsair" was used several times by Vought's planes; the O2U/O3U, SBU, F4U, and the A-7 Corsair II.
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Vought F6U Pirate
The Vought F6U Pirate was the Vought company's first jet fighter,designed for US Navy during the mid-1940s.The XF6U was a small aircraft with tricycle landing gear and with straight wings and tail surfaces.The wings were short enough that they did not need to fold.
The most unusual feature of the aircraft was its use of "Metalite" for its skin,made of balsa,sandwiched between two thin sheets of aluminum. "Fabrilite" was also used for the surfaces of the vertical stabilizer and rudder; this was similar to Metalite but used fiberglass instead of aluminum.Underneath the cockpit were four 20 mm (0.79 in) M3 autocannon.
After a company contest to name the aircraft,the initial prototype received the name Pirate and made its first flight on 2 October 1946.Flight tests revealed severe aerodynamic problems,mainly caused by the airfoil section and thickness of the wing. The vertical stabilizer also had to be redesigned to smooth out the airflow at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers.Other changes included the addition of dive brakes on the sides of the fuselage and the replacement of the Metalite panels near the engine exhaust with stainless steel ones.
To improve the lacklustre performance, the 3rd prototype,which first flew on 10 Nov 1947,was lengthened by 8 feet to use a Westinghouse J34-WE-30 afterburning engine of 4,224 lbf thrust,the first USN fighter to have such a powerplant.
Before the flight testing of the prototypes was completed,30 production aircraft were ordered.They incorporated an ejection seat and a redesigned vertical stabilizer as well as two auxiliary fins.
The first production F6U-1 performed its initial flight on 29 June 1949,and 20 of the aircraft were provided to VX-3, an OES based at NAS Patuxent River.The judgment from the evaluation was that the Pirate was unacceptable for operational use.On 30 October 1950, BuAer informed Vought of the Navy's opinion of the Pirate "The F6U-1 had proven so sub-marginal in performance that combat utilization is not feasible.".
The 30 production aircraft had only a total of 945 hours of flight time,31.5 hrs each.Some aircraft flew only 6 hrs which was enough for little more than their acceptance flight and the flight to their disposition.
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Vought F7U Cutlass
The Vought F7U Cutlass is a USN carrier-based jet fighter and fighter-bomber of the early Cold War era. Allegedly based on aerodynamic data and plans captured from the German Arado company at the end of World War II, though Vought designers denied any link to the German research at the time.It`s first flight was 29th Sept 1948.
Former Messerschmitt AG senior designer Waldemar Voigt, who supervised the development of numerous experimental jet fighters in Nazi Germany, contributed to its design with his experience in the development of the Messerschmitt P.1110 and P.1112 projects.
The design featured low aspect ratio,swept wings,with twin wing-mounted tail fins either side of a short fuselage.The cockpit was situated well forward to provide good visibility for the pilot during aircraft carrier approaches.The design was given the company type number of V-346 and then the official designation of "F7U" when it was announced the winner of a USN competition.
The aircraft had all-hydraulic controls which provided artificial feedback so the pilot could feel aerodynamic forces acting on the plane.The hydraulic system was not ready for front-line service and was unreliable.
The F7U was also largely let down by its underpowered Westinghouse J34 turbojets,an engine that some pilots liked to say "put out less heat than Westinghouse's toasters." Naval aviators called the F7U the "Gutless Cutlass".None of the 14 F7U-1s built between 1950 and 1952 became approved to be used in squadron service.Test pilots found it a stable weapons platform, maneuverable, fun to fly and the strengthened airframe to be sturdy.Test pilots particularly praised its high roll rate at 570 degrees/s, three times faster than most production jets at the time.
The F7U's performance suffered due to a lack of sufficient engine thrust;its carrier landing and takeoff performance was notoriously poor.The J35 was known to flame out in rain, a very serious fault.
The first fleet squadron to receive F7Us was Fighter Squadron 81 (VF-81) in April 1954.Few squadrons made deployments with the type, and most "beached" them ashore during part of the cruise owing to operating difficulties.
The US.Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, flew two F7U-1 Cutlasses as a side demonstration during their 1953 show season in an effort to promote the new aircraft,but did not use them as part of their regular formation demonstration.
During a flight to an airshow at Naval Air Station Glenview in Chicago, one of the two Blue Angels aircraft had an engine flameout forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing at NAS Glenview.His wingman Lt Edward "Whitey" Feightner, was redirected to make his landing at Chicago's former Orchard Airpark, which had been expanded and renamed O'Hare Airport. The runway had just been completed and was covered with peach baskets to prevent aircraft from landing until it was opened. Feightner was told to ignore the baskets and land on the new runway. As a result, Feightner's F7U became the first aircraft to land on the new runway for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
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Vought SB2U Vindicator
The Vought SB2U Vindicator is a carrier-based dive bomber developed for the US Navy in the 1930s, the first monoplane in this role.
In 1934,the USN issued a requirement for a new monoplane Scout Bomber for carrier use,Vought submitted the XSB2U-1,a conventional low-wing monoplane configuration with a retractable tailwheel landing gear,the pilot and gunner being seated in tandem under a long greenhouse-style canopy.A Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin-Wasp Junior 750hp radial engine drove a two-blade constant-speed propeller, which was intended to act as a dive brake.A single 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb could be carried on a swinging trapeze to allow it to clear the propeller in a steep dive, while further bombs could be carried under the wings to give a maximum bombload of 1,500 lb.
First flight was 4th Jan 1936,it was accepted for operational evaluation on 2 July 1936, the prototype XSB2U-1, BuNo 9725, crashed on 20 August 1936.However it`s successful completion of trials led to further orders.An export version for the French Navy was produced,it had an 825hp engine and was known as the the V-156-F,40 of this type were delivered and they saw action in the early part of WWII,but were outclassed by Luftwaffe aircraft.
Aside from the US Navy,the SB2U also served with the USMC,VMSB-131 and VMSB-241 were the only two USMC squadrons that fielded the Marine-specific SB2U-3 between March 1941 and September 1943. VMSB-241's Vindicators saw combat at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm,took over a French order for 50 V-156B-1 export versions similar to the SB2U-3 and powered by a 750hp R-1535-SB4-G engine,it was designated Chesapeake Mk.I,they were fitted with 4 x .303 forward firing machine guns.Fourteen Chesapeakes were used to equip a reformed 811 NAS on 14 July 1941 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent.The squadron crews referred to it as the "cheesecake", intended to use them for anti-submarine patrols, and they were earmarked for the escort carrier HMS Archer.
They were withdrawn from 811 Squadron in November 1941 for use as training aircraft and the unit was re-equipped with the biplane Fairey Swordfish.
There were 260 examples of all Vindicator variants produced, and a single example is preserved at the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola.
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Vought XF5U
The Vought XF5U "Flying Flapjack" was an experimental U.S. Navy fighter designed by Charles H. Zimmerman for Vought during World War II.The unorthodox design consisted of a flat,disc-shaped body serving as the lifting surface.Two piston engines buried in the body drove propellers located on the leading edge at the wingtips.
It was a much developed version of the original V-173 prototype,the XF5U-1 was a larger aircraft.With an all-metal construction, it was almost five times heavier, with two 1,600 hp P & W R-2000 radial engines.The unusual configuration was designed to create a low aspect ratio aircraft with low takeoff and landing speeds but high top speed.
The XF5U attempted to overcome the tip vortex problem using the propellers to actively cancel the drag-causing tip vortices.The propellers are arranged to rotate in the opposite direction to the tip vortices,the aim being retaining the higher-pressure air below the wing.With this source of drag eliminated, the aircraft would fly with a much smaller wing area, and the small wing would yield high maneuverability with greater structural strength.
An ejection seat was fitted to allow the pilot to clear the massive propellers in the event of an in-flight emergency.Although the prototype was unarmed, a combination of machine guns and cannons would have been installed under the nose.The XF5U design was promising,however,it came at the time when the USN was switching to jet propelled aircraft.By 1946,the project was already long over its expected development time,and well over budget.
The Navy finally canceled the project on 17 March 1947,the prototype aircraft (V-173) was transferred to the Smithsonian Museum for display.Although two aircraft were constructed, a lone XF5U-1 underwent ground runs but never overcame serious vibration problems.Taxi trials culminated in short "hops" that were not true flights.The only completed XF5U-1 proved to be so structurally solid that it had to be destroyed with a wrecking ball.
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Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III
The Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III was an aircraft developed by Chance Vought as a successor to the successful Vought F-8 Crusader program, and as a competitor to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
The Crusader design team was also working on a larger aircraft with even greater performance, internally designated as the V-401.Externally similar to the Crusader and sharing with it such design elements as the variable incidence wing, the new fighter was larger and was powered by the Pratt & Whitney J75-P-5A engine generating 29,500 lbf of afterburning thrust.To deal with Mach 2+ flight conditions it was fitted with large vertical ventral fins under the tail which rotated to the horizontal position for landing.
The XF8U-3 was officially labeled "Crusader III and first flew on 2 June 1958.The first time that the aircraft exceeded Mach 2.0 in level flight was on August 14, during its 38th test flight,well before the rival F4H-1.In fly-offs against the Crusader III's main competitor, the future McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, demonstrated that the Vought design had a definite advantage in maneuverability. John Konrad, Vought's chief test pilot,stated that the Crusader III could fly circles around the Phantom II.However it emerged that combat workload was extremely high for the single seat Crusader.
The Phantom's considerably larger payload and the ability to perform air-to-ground as well as air-to-air missions, trumped Vought's fast but single-purposed fighter. For similar reasons, the Phantom would replace the Navy's F-8 Crusader as the primary daylight air superiority fighter in the Vietnam War.
The F8U-3 program was canceled with five aircraft built. Three aircraft flew during the test program, and, along with two other airframes, were transferred to NASA for atmospheric testing, as the Crusader III was capable of flying above 95% of the Earth's atmosphere. NASA pilots flying at NAS Patuxent River routinely intercepted and defeated U.S. Navy Phantom IIs in mock dogfights, until complaints from the Navy jocks put an end to the harassment.
All of the Crusader IIIs were later scrapped.
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Waco 9
The Waco 9 is an American-built three-seat biplane design that first flew in 1925.The Model 9 was of rugged construction to meet the barnstorming requirements of the period. The cost when new was between $2,025 and $2,500.A Waco 9 was flown in the 1926 Ford National Reliability Air Tour.
The Waco 9 was the first of the steel-tubed fuselage aircraft designs to be built by the Advance Aircraft Company,which became the Waco Aircraft Company circa 1929.
The Model 9 was a three-seat open cockpit biplane with the ailerons on the upper wings extending outboard of the main wing surfaces.
Model 9s were fitted with a variety of engines including the 90 hp Curtiss OX-5, the 100 hp Curtiss OXX-6, up to the 150 hp Hisso A.
By 2007, a few examples remained airworthy in the USA, and five aircraft were held by museums.
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Wittman Tailwind
The Wittman W-8 Tailwind is a popular two-seat light aircraft for homebuilding.It is a high-wing,braced cabin monoplane of taildragger configuration. Construction is with a steel tubing fuselage,wooden wings, and fabric covering.
The Tailwind is the third in a series of high-wing aircraft designed by Sylvester J."Steve" Wittman (1904–1995), a well-known air racing pilot and race plane designer.
A model of the 1965 Wittman Tailwind may be found in the Sun 'n Fun Museum.In 1953, the Tailwind became the first aircraft covered under the FAA's Experimental category to be certified to carry a passenger. Whilst crude looking by modern standards, it outperformed many similar factory-built planes, and only with the advent of composite construction were new designs able to achieve similar speed per horsepower and range.
Usual powerplant is 1 × Lycoming O-320, 160 hp giving a max speed of 200mph.The aircraft can be built as a taildragger or with a tricycle undercarriage, W-9 or W-10 Tailwind.
The example below G-CFON used to be a resident at Newtownards,but it now lives in Scotland.
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Wright Model R
The Wright Model R was a single-seat biplane built by the Wright Company in Ohio,in 1910.Sometimes known as the Roadster or the Baby Wright,it was designed for speed and altitude competitions.
It was derived from the Wright Model B, and was a two seat biplane with rear-mounted twin rudders mounted in front of a single elevator and carried on wire-braced wood booms behind the wing and was powered by a 30 hp Wright four-cylinder inline water-cooled engine driving a pair of pusher propellers via chains.
Two examples were flown at the International Aviation Tournament in November 1910, one being a standard model flown by Alec Ogilvie and the other being a special competition model known as the Baby Grand, which had a 60 hp V-8 engine and a reduced wingspan of 21 ft 5 in.Orville Wright succeeded in flying the Baby Grand at a speed of nearly 70 mph Both aircraft were entered for the second Gordon Bennett Trophy competition which was held at the meeting, but the Baby Grand, flown by Walter Brookins, suffered an engine failure during a trial flight on the race day and crashed heavily. Ogilvie's aircraft also had engine problems, but after repairs finished third.
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World Aircraft Vision / Sentinel
The World Aircraft Vision, also called the Sentinel, is an American STOL amateur-built aircraft, produced by the World Aircraft Company.
A development of the World Aircraft Spirit, the Vision has a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit that is 48.5 in (123 cm) wide, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration. It also has large clear plastic doors and an enlarged front windshield to enhance visibility.
The aircraft's recommended engine is the 100 hp Rotax 912ULS four-stroke powerplant.The tricycle landing gear is strengthened for rough field operations and includes an adjustable nose strut shock absorber.Electric rudder trim is standard.
Vision kits are fully assembled at the factory and then disassembled for customer delivery and may be shipped pre-painted.
As of October 2012, the design appears on the Federal Aviation Administration's list of approved special light-sport aircraft.Two have been registered with the FAA to date.
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Oops, I forgot about some other "V" aircraft.
Vultee V-1
The Vultee V-1 was a 1930s single-engined airliner built by the Airplane Development Corporation, designed by Gerard Vultee.
The prototype (V-1) was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tailwheel landing gear. It could carry a pilot and six passengers and first flew on February 19, 1933.It was powered by a 650 hp Wright SR-1820-F2 Cyclone engine.
Production aircraft were designated the V-1A and had a slightly larger and longer fuselage for two pilots and eight passengers,they had a 735 hp Wright Cyclone R-1820-F2 radial engine.
American Airlines bought at least 13 V-1As and the V-1 prototype ( it was modified for two pilot operation) and they entered service in 1934.On introduction, they were the fastest commercial airliners of their day.By 1936, they were sold, having been replaced with twin-engined aircraft when the Bureau of Air Commerce severely limited the use of single engine airliners.
V-1ADs were operated by several private companies or individuals as high-speed executive aircraft, they had an uprated 850hp engine.
Seven former American Airlines aircraft, plus eight others were used by the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War, with machine guns and under-fuselage bomb racks fitted. Four of the aircraft were captured by the Nationalists.
The V-1 was used in the filming of Jungle Queen (1944) with Clark Gable, and The Tarnished Angels (1957).
The V-1AD Special NC16099 ( with a 1,000 hp Wright Cyclone R-1820-G2 radial engine) is the sole survivor of the 25 V-1`s built,and is preserved on public display at KEZF Shannon Air Museum in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
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Vultee P-66 Vanguard
The Vultee P-66 Vanguard was a USAAF fighter aircraft.It was the product of a concept by the Vultee Aircraft Division of the AMC of developing four aircraft designed for different roles from a set of common wings and aft fuselage and tail assemblies.
In 1938,Richard W. Palmer started the detailed design of the V-48 fighter member of the quartet.The aircraft featured a metal-covered, semi-monocoque fuselage and fully retractable landing gear, and was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 air-cooled radial engine.
It first flew in Sept 1939,and was given the name Vanguard.The second aircraft first flew on February 11, 1940. As a result of flight tests, a number of changes were made to the design including substantially increasing the areas of the horizontal and vertical tail surfaces.
On 6 February 1940, the Swedish government ordered 144 Vanguards as the V-48C.The production prototype flew on 6 September 1940. The model V-48C was similar to the V-48X except for installation of a later version of the R-1830 engine with better higher altitude performance and provision for four .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns in the wings and two .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the fuselage.
Production deliveries began in September 1941, the U.S. government placed an embargo on exporting the aircraft to Sweden. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, all Vanguards were assigned the designation P-66. Production ended in April 1942.Approximately 50 aircraft were retained by the USAAF.
The British took possession of 100 P-66s as the Vanguard I with plans to use the aircraft as an advanced trainer in Canada.After trials however,the British then relinquished the aircraft to China where 104 Vanguards (including USAAC examples) were shipped under the Lend-Lease program.
The Chinese received the assembled fighters via India by late 1942; Chinese Vanguards had USAAF insignia and serials as well as Chinese markings and Vultee serials on factory models.It was no match for the agile Japanese fighters in high-g maneuvers and relied on hit-and-run tactics.The P-66 in Chinese service was largely replaced by Curtiss P-40s in 1943.
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Vultee XP-54
Vultee had submitted a proposal in response to a USAAC request for an unusual configuration prototype fighter.
The Vultee design won the competition,designating it Model 84, a descendant of their earlier Model 78. After completing preliminary engineering and wind tunnel tests, a contract for a prototype was awarded on 8 January 1941. A second prototype was ordered on 17 March 1942.
The XP-54 was designed with a pusher engine in the rear part of the fuselage. The tail was mounted rearward between two mid-wing booms, with the 12-ft propeller between them. The design included a "ducted wing section" developed by the NACA that enabled installation of cooling radiators and intercoolers in the inverted gull wing. The Pratt & Whitney X-1800 engine was initially proposed as the powerplant but after its development was discontinued, the liquid-cooled 2300hp Lycoming XH-2470 was substituted.
In September 1941, the XP-54 mission was changed from low altitude to high altitude interception,therefore a turbo-supercharger and heavier armor had to be added.
Unusual features included the nose section which could pivot through the vertical,up and down.In the nose, two 37 mm T-9 cannon were in rigid mounts while two .50 cal machine guns were in movable mounts. Movement of the nose and machine guns was controlled by a special compensating gun sight. Thus, the cannon trajectory could be elevated without altering the flight attitude of the aircraft.
Flight tests of the first prototype,began on 15 January 1943,with initial trials showing performance to be substantially less than expected.Development of the XH-2470 engine was discontinued and, although it appeared possible to substitute the Allison V-3420 engine without substantial airframe changes, the projected delay and costs resulted in a decision not to put it into production.The prototypes continued to be used in an experimental program until problems with the Lycoming engines and lack of spare parts caused termination.
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Vultee V-11
The Vultee V-11 and V-12 were American attack aircraft of the 1930s,developed from the Vultee V-1 single-engined airliner.
It retained the single-engined, low wing format and all-metal stressed skin structure of the V-1,but combined a new fuselage with accommodation for the two or three crew members under a long greenhouse canopy with the wings and tail surfaces of the Vultee V-1.
The V-11-G Original two-seat light bomber was powered by one 1,000 hp Wright R-1820-G2 Cyclone engine.An initial order for 30 two-seat V-11Gs was placed by China before the end of 1935.This was followed by orders in 1939 for two versions (the V-12-C and V-12D) of the more powerful V-12 variant.The majority of these were planned to be assembled from kits at the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company factory near the China-Burma border.The V-11s and V-12s were used as light bombers and achieved some success,before the aircraft were withdrawn from bombing missions to training and liaison duties in 1940.
In February 1939 the Brazilian Army Air Corps acquired 10 Vultee V-11–GB2s for long range bombing.26 aircraft were eventually used by the Brazilian Air Force.
In the late 1930s, the USAAC was favoring twin engine light attack aircraft but seven YA-19 aircraft were ordered in the summer of 1938 for comparison purposes.The YA-19s were armed with six .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns and 1,080 lb (490 kg) bombs in an internal bomb bay, powered by a 1,200 hp Twin Wasp radial engine and was manned by a crew of three – pilot, observer/gunner, and bombardier/photographer.Tests showed that twin engine attack aircraft were faster, could be better armed and carried a larger bomb load so no further YA-19s were ordered.
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Zenith STOL CH 801
The Zenith STOL CH 801 is a four-seat sport STOL aircraft available in kit form from the Zenith Aircraft Company.
The CH 801 is based on the general design and features of the smaller two-seater STOL CH 701 model.It offers a useful load of 1,000 lb (450 kg), which is double the 701's 500 lb (230 kg).While the aircraft look similar they do not share any common parts.
Usual powerplant is 1 × Lycoming O-360 of 180 hp,giving a leisurely cruise speed of 105mph and a stall speed of around 40mph.
The STOL CH 801 is made from sheet aluminium and employs a deep wing chord,with full-length leading edge slots and trailing edge flaperons to develop high lift at low speed, while maintaining a short wing-span for maximum strength and ground maneuverability.By the end of 2011 160 CH 801s had been completed and were flying.
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Zivko Edge 540
The Zivko Edge 540 manufactured by Zivko Aeronautics is a highly aerobatic aircraft.
It is capable of a 420 degree per second roll rate and a 3,700 foot per minute climb rate,it has been flown to victory on the international Unlimited aerobatics circuit several times since the mid-1990s.A tandem-seat version is sold as the Edge 540T.
Powerplant is 1 × Modified 340hp Lycoming AEIO-540 Hartzell composite,3 blade prop,giving a max speed of 230 kts or 265mph if you prefer.
The Zivko Edge 540 is a popular aircraft,often used in the Red Bull Air Race World Series.
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That`s the USA taken care of, now to Europe and first up France. Just to repeat these are military or civil aircraft that may not be so well known to some.
Abraham Iris
The Abraham Iris was a two-seat touring airplane produced in the early 1930s in two slightly different versions,the Iris I with a 100 hp Hispano-Suiza piston engine, and the Iris II with a 95hp Renault engine.The Iris was a conventional parasol wing monoplane with a neatly faired-in engine.
Max speed was around 110mph
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ANF Les Mureaux 120
The ANF Les Mureaux 120 was a 1930s three-seat military night reconnaissance monoplane.
It was designed to meet a 1928 French Aéronautique Militaire requirement for a three-seat night reconnaissance aircraft.The prototype was first flown in 1931,powered by two 300 hp Lorraine Algol engines.It was followed by a second aircraft, designated ANF Les Mureaux 121, powered by 300 hp Gnome-Rhône 7Kb engines, which flew later the same year.
Max speed was around 140mph with a range of 920 miles.It was armed with one twin machine-gun in nose cockpit and one in midship cockpit.
The aircraft failed to gain any interest from the French military and did not enter production.
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ANF Les Mureaux 180
The ANF Les Mureaux 180 was a prototype French fighter aircraft of the 1930s.It was designed and built by Les Ateliers de Construction du Nord de la France et des Mureaux.
It was a single-engined, two-seat, gull wing monoplane.
It first flew on 10 February 1935 with a 690 hp Hispano-Suiza 12X brs engine and a single fin and rudder.It had a max speed of 235 MPH and a range of around 460 miles.
In April 1935 the 180 was modified with a Hispano-Suiza 12X crs motor-canon engine, it had 20mm cannon that fired through the propeller hub. The aircraft was also fitted with two wing-mounted 7.5mm machine guns.The observer also had a machine gun mounted on a flexible mount and the tail unit was changed to two vertical surfaces.Testing continued until April 1936, but the project was abandoned when the design was considered to be obsolete.
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Arsenal VB 10
The Arsenal VB 10 was a French fighter aircraft developed during and shortly after WW II. It was a low-wing monoplane with retractable tailwheel undercarriage and of largely orthodox configuration. It was an evolution of a design that began with the Arsenal VG 10 before WW II, the VB 10 added a second engine behind the cockpit which drove a second propeller, coaxial with and contra-rotating to the propeller driven by the engine in the nose.
In January 1937 Arsenal were given a contract to develop a twin-engined heavy interceptor built from wood, powered by two 590 hp Hispano-Suiza 12X engines mounted in tandem inside the fuselage.Work on the VG 10 was abandoned in June 1937 in favour of the VG 20, which was essentially similar but powered by two 900 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines. The VG 20 was abandoned in turn in January 1938, but the design work and studies were used for the design of the all-metal VB 10.
Due to WW II little progress was made during France's occupation, the prototype did not fly until after VE day. By then, it was clear that the future of the fighter lay with jet power, but development of the VB 10 continued as a safety net for France's jet fighter programmes.
In December 1945, a contract for 200 machines was placed by the French government, the first of which flew on 3 November 1947. By the time the fourth had been delivered in September 1948, the entire order was cancelled,only 6 examples were completed.
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Arsenal VG 90
The Arsenal VG 90 was a carrier-based fighter aircraft built in 1949, but which was not developed past the prototype stage.
It us up against the SNCAC NC 1080 and Nord N.2200 for an Aéronavale contract, tragically both VG 90 prototypes were destroyed in fatal crashes early in the development stages.
It was powered by 1 × Hispano-Suiza-built Rolls-Royce Nene,5,000 lbf thrust, giving a max speed of 570mph,it was armed with 3 × 30 mm cannons,
and could also carry a pair of 500kg bombs.
The VG 90 had a similar configuration to Arsenal's VG 70 and VG 80 research aircraft, with a high wing and all-swept flying surfaces, air intakes were mounted on the fuselage sides.
The first accident occurred on 25th May 1950,when an undercarriage door sheared off in flight and struck the aircraft's tail. Test Pilot Pierre Decroo was killed in the crash. The second claimed the life of pilot Claude Dellys, and took place on 21 st February 1952 when the tail was torn off due to aerodynamic flutter.The ejection seat system malfunctioned and did not fire. A third prototype, then under construction, was abandoned.
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Amiot 143
The Amiot 143M was a late 1930s French medium bomber designed to meet a requirement for a bomber capable of day/night bombing, long-range reconnaissance and bomber escort.
In 1928, the French Air Ministry issued a specification for a multi-seat combat aircraft to act as a light bomber, reconnaissance aircraft and long-range escort fighter.
Amiot received an order for two prototype Amiot 140s, to be evaluated against the competing Bleriot 137, Breguet 410 and SPCA 30.
The Amiot 140 was a high-winged cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction, with corrugated wing skinning and a fixed tail wheel undercarriage. The pilot sat in an open cockpit, with cockpits for gunners in the nose and dorsal positions. A glazed gondola under the forward fuselage carried a bombardier/gunner, ensuring that the gunners had a clear field of fire.
The first prototype was fitted with Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr engines to allow flight testing, making its maiden flight on 12th April 1931 with the second prototype completed in Feb 1932 but the continued non-availability of its intended engines, the Lorraine-Dietrichs or turbocharged Hispano-Suizas, meant that it never flew. Despite this, on 23 November 1933 an order was placed for 40 Amiot 140s, to be powered by 880 hp Lorraine 12Q Eider engines.
The FAM had revised its requirements,concentrating on the bombing role and for better performance. Amiot redesigned the aircraft and incorporate lessons learned during testing of the Amiot 140. The gondola under the fuselage was enlarged, allowing easier operation of the aircraft's guns and a radio-operator to be carried. Manually operated gun turrets were provided in the nose and dorsal positions.Orders were placed for two prototypes, differing only in the engines fitted, with the Amiot 142 having Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines and the Amiot 143 having Gnome-Rhone 14K radial engines. The 143 flew first, on 1 August 1934, with the 142 not flying until January 1935.As it was decided to allocate the Hispano-Suiza engines to fighters, the Amiot 143 was selected,the existing order for 40 Amiot 140s being converted to 143s.
The Amiot 143 had the same high-wing and fixed undercarriage as the Amiot 140, with the wing thick enough to allow crew access to the engines by a tunnel between the wing spars. The pilot sat in an enclosed cockpit, level with the leading edge of the wing and the navigator-bombardier, who was also provided with flying controls,sat in the glazed gondola beneath the pilot. After 40 aircraft had been completed, the design was further revised, with the aircraft being fitted with a longer nose and changes to the defensive gun placements.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Amiot 143s equipped 5 metropolitan groupes together with a single African based groupe.Following the start of the Battle of France, the Amiot 143M was mainly used in night attacks against German airfields and lines of communications, with losses relatively low.Some planes of II/38 served as transports for the French in Syria. This groupe later went over to the Allies after their landings in Africa.The last Amiot 143M was retired from service in February 1944.
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Amiot 354
The Amiot 350 series originated in the same 1934 requirement as a rival to the Lioré et Olivier LeO 451.
The Amiot 340 prototype was involved in a propaganda misinformation flight to Berlin in August 1938 to convince the Germans that the French employed modern bombers.Over 120 were ordered by the French government that year,but production delays and order modifications ensured that September 1939 saw no delivered aircraft.The order of this very modern aircraft reached 830,though ultimately only 80 machines were received by the Air Ministry.The main variant was the twin-tailed 351; however, due to various delays, the single-tailed 354 was accepted into service as an interim type.
The Amiot 351 was planned to mount one 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine gun in nose and ventral positions and one 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in the dorsal position. However technical problems with the armament installation,meant many aircraft went to operational units with only a light machine gun in the dorsal position.
In May 1940, the Amiot 351/354 was in the process of equipping just two bomber groupes based at Avignon.Though 200 were in the final stages of construction, only 35 were ready for flight.Powerplant was a pair of Gnome-Rhône 14N-48 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial piston engines of 1,061 hp each.By June, the Amiot 351/354 was also delivered for GB I/34 and GB II/34, neither flying them in combat.At that time, all Amiot 351/354s were based on the northern front.Three had been lost in combat, ten in training accidents.All aircraft were ordered to evacuate to Africa on 17 June, 37 surviving the journey.Five Amiot 351/354s continued to be used as mail planes after the Battle of France and four Amiot were commandeered by the Luftwaffe as transports.
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Avions Mauboussin M.120
The Mauboussin M.120 was a trainer and touring aircraft built in France in the 1930s and again in the years following World War II.
The aircraft was based on a 1931 Peyret-Mauboussin collaboration between Louis Peyret and Pierre Mauboussin, the Peyret-Mauboussin PM.XII, and like it, was a low-wing cantilever monoplane of wooden construction.Pilot and instructor sat in tandem, open cockpits.
Mauboussin built a number of prototypes himself, followed by a small series manufactured for him by Breguet in 1934. At one stage Mauboussins were produced by the Société Zodiac.The aircraft first flew in 1932 and was popular in international touring aircraft contests.
In 1936,Fouga, then a builder of railway rolling stock, purchased all rights to the design as part of an effort to enter the aircraft industry, and was able to secure a contract from the Armée de l'Air to supply the type as the M.123.
Powerplant for the M.123 was a Salmson 9Adr,60 hp,enough for a modest top speed of 100mph. Production was restarted by Fouga after the war for the French flying clubs.116 were built in total.
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Avions Max Holste MH.52
The Avions Max Holste MH.52 was a 1940s French-built two-seat touring or training monoplane.
Developed in the mid-1940s,the MH.52 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with twin fins and rudders and a fixed tricycle landing gear.It had a raised cockpit with side-by-side seating for the pilot and trainee or passenger.The canopy was framed with forward-opening transparent sliding doors.
The prototype first flew on 21 August 1945 and was powered by a variety of inline engines developing between 95 and 150 hp.
The 150 hp version had a top speed of 143 mph and a useful range of 370 miles.
A development of the MH.52 was the sole MH.53 Cadet which had a fixed tailwheel landing gear and a lower powered 135 hp De Havilland Gipsy Major 10 engine.
A total of 13 production aircraft were built by the end of the 1940s.Most were flown by aero clubs and private pilots in France, but three examples were delivered to Egypt.
Two MH.52s survived in the 2000s. No.4 is awaiting restoration to fly at an airfield near Paris. No.11 is privately stored by a group located at an airfield near Bergerac.
It`s design is very similar to the ERCO Ercoupe, and it`s various incarnations.
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Avions Max Holste MH.260 Super Broussard
Built in prototype form as the Avions Max Holste MH.260 Super Broussard, ("Super Bushranger"), was a turboprop-powered, uprated version of the piston-engined Avions Max Holste MH.250 Super Broussard, that was further developed into the Aérospatiale N 262.
It was designed in partnership with Nord Aviation to carry 23 passengers or 3,445 kg (7,595 lb) of cargo on short fields, as a modern equivalent of the DC-3.The MH.260 was a high-wing, twin-engine turboprop aircraft powered by 980 hp Turbomeca Bastan engines.The fuselage was of all -aluminum construction with fabric covered control surfaces.The landing gear retracted into fuselage-mounted fairings.
The design was taken over by Nord and production started to fill a French government order for ten aircraft under the designation Nord 260. No orders were received from outside the government as the nascent Nord 262 offered better performance. Eight Nord 260s were completed and delivered to a few airlines on lease for short periods before final delivery to the French Air Force.
Cruise speed was 235 mph,with a range of 930 miles.Just nine aircraft were completed.
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Blériot XXI
The Blériot XXI was an early French aircraft built by Blériot Aéronautique.
The aircraft was a shoulder-wing monoplane powered by a 70 hp Gnome Gamma 7-cylinder rotary engine driving a two bladed propeller.Pilot and passenger were seated in side-by-side configuration: the control column was centrally mounted and there were two sets of rudder pedals, so that it could be flown from either seat.
It had a rectangular fuselage tapered to a horizontal knife-edge at the tail. Lateral control was effected by wing-warping, the wires leading to a single inverted V-strut cabane above the fuselage and a similar V strut beneath. Petrol was stored in three tanks: a pair of gravity tanks were located under the top decking in front of the cockpit, pressure-fed from a larger tank under the seats.
The undercarriage was a variant of the well-proved pattern used on the Blériot XI, with the wheels mounted on a trailing arm free to slide up and down and sprung by bungee cords.A Type XXI was one of the two Blériot designs entered for the 1912 British Military Aeroplane Competition.
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Blériot 115
The Blériot Bl-115 was a French biplane 4 engine airliner of the 1920s,it was a large aircraft, mounting one pair of engines on the upper wing and one pair on the lower.
It first flew on 9 May 1923, the prototype crashed on 23 June, killing its pilot.
It was powered by 4x 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ac engines,giving it a leisurely top speed of 112mph, cruising speed was around 90 mph.
The third and fourth machines built (Roland Garros and Jean Casale) were used in Colonel de Go˙s' attempts to trial air routes to Africa.
They departed France on 18 January 1925,arriving in Colomb-Béchar, Algeria, on 28 January.The expedition ended in disaster on 7 February in Niamey, Niger when the Jean Casale crashed on take-off, killing its radio operator and seriously injuring its two pilots, including Dagnaux.
Only six aircraft were completed.
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Blériot 127
The Blériot 127 (or Bl-127) was a French bomber aircraft of the 1920s and early 1930s,developed from the Blériot 117.
It was a large monoplane of conventional configuration that featured open gunner's positions in its nose and at the rear of its two underwing engine nacelles.
Powerplant was 2 × Hispano-Suiza 12Hb V-12 water-cooled piston engines of 550 hp each driving 2-bladed fixed pitch wooden propellers. Max Speed was approx 135 Mph,armament consisted of 2 × forward trainable 7.7 mm (0.30 in) Lewis guns in nose and 2 × rearward trainable 7.7 mm (0.30 in) Lewis guns in each of two engine nacelles plus up 1000 kg of bombs.
Forty-two aircraft were operated by the Armée de l'Air from 1929 until 1934, by which time they were thoroughly obsolete.
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Blériot 5190
The Blériot 5190 was a French transatlantic mail plane of the 1930s.It was a large parasol-wing monoplane flying boat with an unusual design, featuring a low-profile hull and a crew compartment housed in the thick pylon that supported the wing.
It was powered by four engines,Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr`s, of650 hp each arranged with three along the leading edge of the wing, and the fourth on the centreline of the trailing edge.
The first flight was on the 3rd Aug 1933, by the end of 1934,the aircraft named Santos-Dumont had completed two proving flights across the South Atlantic.In February 1935 the Santos-Dumont entered service. From then until April, she carried all of France's transatlantic mail at the rate of one crossing per week until rejoined by la Croix du Sud and a new Farman F.220 named Le Centaure.As part of this small fleet, the Santos-Dumont continued in this role until June 1937. Altogether, by that time, she had made 38 crossings of the Atlantic.
The French government had ordered a further three 5190s from Blériot, and the company had borrowed heavily in order to build the aircraft. Without warning, the contract was cancelled without explanation or compensation,forcing the firm into bankruptcy. Louis Blériot died of a heart attack soon afterwards, on 1 August 1936.
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Blériot-SPAD S.33
The Bleriot-SPAD S.33 was a small airliner developed soon after World War I.
It was a conventional configuration biplane but its design owed much to the Blériot company's contemporary fighter`s such as the S.20.Four passengers could be carried in an enclosed cabin within the fuselage, and a fifth in the open cockpit beside the pilot,(the cheap seat!).
It proved to be a great success, the S.33 dominated in it`s class throughout the 1920s,initially on CMA's Paris-London route,and later on continental routes.
It`s powerplant was a Salmson CM.9 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine offering 260 hp, which gave a cruise speed of around 105mph and range of 650 miles.
In total 41 S.33`s were built,an improved version known as the S.46 followed later with a 370 hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12Da engine.
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Blériot-SPAD S.61
The Blériot-SPAD S.61 was a French biplane fighter aircraft developed in 1923.
The prototype S.61 was evaluated by the French Air Force alongside the S.51 as a potential new fighter,but like its stablemate, was rejected.It first flew 6th Nov 1923.
The Polish Air Force (also purchased the S.51) was impressed and ordered 250, plus purchase licences for local production.The Romanian Air Force also ordered 100 aircraft,of which 30 were built in Poland,by the CWL.
The production version for Poland and Romania,was powered by a 450 hp Lorraine-Dietrich 12E W-12 engine with supplementary supercharger. French versions had a similar 430 hp engines and the racers had up to 500hp in different versions.
Despite building them under licence, they had a poor reputation in Poland due to numerous crashes, many attributed to a weak wing mounting,From 1926 to 1931, 26 pilots were killed while flying the S.61.
They were used in France for racing and record-setting attempts, for example,on 25 June 1925, Pelletier d'Oisy won the cross-country Coupe Michelin in an S.61,and another of the type won the 1927 competition and was placed second in 1929.
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Blériot-SPAD S.510
Designed in 1930,this open-cockpit biplane first flew in 1933 and entered service in 1936.Performance was similar to the Gloster Gladiator.The S.510's armament consisted of 4 machine guns as either a combination of 2 fuselage-mounted guns, plus 2 in under-wing gondolas or with all 4 in under-wing gondolas.
This gave it a heavy punch attack capability than most earlier biplane fighters,and equalled that of the final biplanes used by the British and Italians, the Gladiator and Fiat CR.42 Falco.
When it was designed many pilots and experts strongly believed that biplanes would prove better fighters than monoplanes because of their tighter turning circles,but some thought the S.510 was doomed to obsolescence before it even flew.
It was overshadowed by the faster Dewoitine D.510 monoplane, an order of 60 aircraft was placed in August 1935 when French ace pilot Louis Massot demonstrated the S.510 to excellent effect, showing its superior maneuverability and rate of climb.
Powerplant was a Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine of 692hp, which gave a max speed of around 235mph and a range of 540 miles.
The S.510 entered service in early 1936,they were intended as transition aircraft between the Morane-Saulnier MS-225 and the Morane-Saulnier MS-406.
At the outbreak of WW II, the S.510 served in reserve squadrons only,metropolitan reserves were mobilized into the II/561 based in Havre-Oteville. From January 18, 1940 over a period of weeks, the S.510s were replaced with Bloch MB.151 aircraft, the groupe changing designation to GC III/10. The S.510s returned to their training role. Approximately ten S.510s had been sent to French North Africa where, by the Battle of France, they were mobilized into a fighter group, the GC III/5, but their age allowed them to be used for training flights only.
The Blériot SPAD S.510 was the last French biplane fighter to be produced.
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Bloch MB.131
The Bloch MB.130 and its derivatives were a series of French monoplane reconn-bombers developed during the 1930s.
It was developed in response to the August 1933 French Aviation Ministry request for a reconnaissance and tactical bomber.It was an all-metal, twin-engine, low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear, and armed with three 7.5mm MAC1934 flexible machine guns, one each in the nose, dorsal turret, and ventral gondola.
It first flew on 29 June 1934, and despite it`s moderate performance, soon entered production, 40 machines being ordered in October 1935. An improved version, the MB.131 was first flown on 16 August 1936, but still needed more work to overcome its deficiencies. The radically revised second prototype which flew on 5 May 1937 eventually formed the basis for series production, with aircraft being manufactured by SNCASO, the nationalised company that had absorbed Bloch and Blériot. Total production (including prototypes) was 143.
Powerplant was a pair of Gnome-Rhône 14N-10/11 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engines,producing 950 hp each.Max speed was a leisurely 217 mph,range was around 800 miles
It entered service in June 1938, the MB.131 went on to equip seven reconnaissance Groupes, six in metropolitan France and one in North Africa. Upon the outbreak of the war, the metropolitan Groupes suffered heavy losses in attempts at daylight reconnaissance of Germany's western borders.
They were subsequently restricted to flying night missions, though they still suffered heavy losses even then.
After the Battle of France, the aircraft left in Vichy possession were relegated to target towing duty. 21 planes were reported captured by the Luftwaffe in inoperable condition, but photographic evidence suggests at least a few flew for the Nazis.
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Bloch MB.170
The Bloch MB.170 and its family of derivatives were French reconnaissance bombers designed and built shortly before World War II.
They were the best aircraft of this type available to the Armée de l'Air at the outbreak of the war, with speed, altitude, and maneuverability that allowed them to evade interception by most German fighters of the time. They were too few in number to make any measurable impact on the Battle of France,but they continued in service with the Vichy forces after the armistice.
The first prototype, the MB 170 AB2-A3 No.01,was equipped as a two-seat attack bomber or a three-seat reconnaissance aircraft, made its maiden flight on 15 February 1938.
It was powered by two 970 hp Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines and was armed with a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannon in the nose, two 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns in the wing, with another machine gun flexibly mounted in the rear cockpit, with a ventral cupola housing either a rearward firing machine gun or a camera.The second prototype, the MB 170 B3 No.2 was a dedicated three seat bomber, with the ventral cupola housing the camera removed, a revised canopy and larger tail fins.
The MB.175 succeeded the MB.174 on the assembly lines in full flow.This version, a dedicated bomber,it had a redesigned bomb bay capable of carrying bombs of 100–200 kg (220-440 lb), where the MB.174 was limited to 50 kg (110 lb) bombs. The MB.175's fuselage was lengthened and widened to accommodate this greater capacity, but only 25 were delivered before France's defeat.
Like the majority of the modern equipment of the Armée de l'Air during the campaign, they arrived too late and in insufficient numbers. At the time of the armistice, most surviving MB.174s and 175s had been evacuated to North Africa. A few were recovered by the Germans and then used for pilot training. During the Vichy government rule on the French empire, MB.174s frequently flew over Gibraltar to monitor the British fleet.
After Operation Torch, as French forces split from Vichy to side with the Allies, remaining examples of the MB.170 line flew their final combat missions during the Battle of Tunisia.
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Bloch MB.220
The Bloch MB.220 was a French twin-engine passenger transport airplane built by Société des Avions Marcel Bloch during the 1930s.It some respects it`s design was similar to the DC-3.
The MB.220 was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane powered by two 915 HP Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines and had a retractable landing gear.Usualcrew was four, with seating for 16 passengers, with eight seats each side of a central aisle. The prototype first flew in December 1935, and was followed by 16 production aircraft.
By mid 1938, the type was being utilised by Air France on European routes. The first service was between Le Bourget and Croydon was flown on 27 March 1938 with a scheduled time of 1 hour 15 minutes. During World War II, most MB.220s were taken over as military transports, including service with German, Free French and Vichy French air forces. Air France continued to fly the aircraft (as MB.221s) after the war on short-range European routes. It sold four aircraft in 1949 but within a year all had been withdrawn from service.
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Bloch MB.480
The Bloch MB.480 was a French twin-engined torpedo-bomber/reconnaissance floatplane designed just before the start of the Second World War.
In May 1937, the French Air Ministry placed an order with Société des Avions Marcel Bloch for two prototype floatplanes intended to fulfill a French Navy requirement for a twin-engined torpedo-bomber/reconnaissance floatplane.
The Bloch MB.480 was a low-winged monoplane that resembled the earlier Bloch MB.131 reconnaissance/bomber landplane.It was powered by two 1,060 hp Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines and carried a crew of five. Defensive armament was a 7.5 mm Darne machine gun in the nose and a ventral bath, while a 20 mm cannon was fitted in a powered dorsal mounting. A usful load of bombs, torpedoes or auxiliary fuel tanks could be carried in an internal bomb bay.
The first prototype made its maiden flight in June 1939. The aircraft's twin tail was raised to avoid spray on take-off and landing, and the tail fins were cropped to ensure a good field of fire for the dorsal cannon after the tail assembly had been raised. The second prototype flew in October 1939.
Testing was relatively successful, the French Navy had meanwhile decided that the torpedo-bomber reconnaissance role could be better met by landplanes.On 9th September 1939, Bloch was told to suspend development trials, while on 10th December it was officially announced that no orders would be placed for either the MB.480 or its two competitors, the SNCAC NC-410 and the Loire-Nieuport 10.
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Breguet 19
The Breguet 19 was designed as a successor to a highly successful World War I light bomber, the 14. A new, updated design was flown in March 1922, featuring a conventional layout with a single 450 hp Renault 12Kb inline engine. The aircraft was built in a sesquiplane platform, with lower wings substantially smaller than the upper ones.After trials, the Breguet 19 was ordered by the French Army's Aéronautique Militaire in September 1923.
The first 11 Breguet 19 prototypes were powered by a number of different engines. A "trademark" of Breguet was the wide usage of duralumin as a construction material, instead of steel or wood. At that time, the aircraft was faster than other bombers, and even some fighter aircraft.
The fuselage,was ellipsoid in cross-section, with a frame of duralumin tubing.The front section was covered with duralumin sheets, and the tail and wings were canvas covered. It had a conventional fixed landing gear with rear skid. The crew of two, pilot and observer/bombardier, sat in tandem in open cockpits, with dual controls.
A fixed 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine gun with an interrupter gear was operated by the pilot, while the observer had twin 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Lewis Guns.There was also a fourth machine gun, which could be fired by the observer through an opening in the floor.
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Breguet 26T
The 26T was an attempt by the Breguet company to find a civil market for their 19 warplane by mating its wings, tail surfaces and undercarriage to an entirely new fuselage design and new engine.A Gnome et Rhône 9Ab (licence-built Bristol Jupiter),of 420 hp,which gave it a max speed of 128mph.
One of the two Breguet-built civil examples,the engine was later changed back to the Lorraine 12Ed inline, as used on the Br.19.
It could carry six passengers within an enclosed cabin, while the pilots sat in an open cockpit ahead of the upper wing.CASA purchased a licence to build another two in Sain for the domestic market, and France's Aviation Militaire purchased two more as air ambulances under the designation Bre.26TSbis.
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Breguet 460
The Breguet 460 was a light bomber, initially designed a multifunctional aircraft,by the French aviation authorities.
Based on aspects of the Breguet 413,it was a monoplane fitted with two powerful radial Gnome et Rhône 14Kjrs engines, having a more aerodynamic design, although it kept the tail of the obsolete 413. Production was delayed due to minor design problems,and when the first prototype of the Breguet 460 Vultur flew, it could not achieve the 400 km/h (250 mph) required for a high-speed bomber.The French Air Ministry lost interest in this unit and concentrated on projects by other companies.
The Spanish Civil War provided the French aircraft industry with an opportunity both for getting rid of obsolete aircraft and for testing new developments,thus the Breguet 460 prototypes ended up in the Spanish Republican Air Force. One of the units seen in a picture of the Spanish conflict has an improved, more modern tail of the same type that would be used later for the Breguet 470 Fulgur airliner.
Details of Spanish units operating them are sketchy at best,it is known that one of these aircraft was based at the Celrŕ airfield towards the end of the conflict and that it belonged to the Night Flight Group no. 11, which comprised the Vultur and two Bloch MB.210.
The Breguet Br 462 was a modernized version of the 460, although still similar,it made its first test flight towards the end of 1936. The forward fuselage was redesigned to look more aerodynamic and the aircraft was fitted with two Gnome Rhone 14NO engines that allowed it to reach a speed of 402 km/h (250 mph).It has been described as similar to the Breguet 461 that was supplied to Japan in 1935.
Plans were made forinstallation of 1,350 hp engines, expected to give it a speed of around 300 mph.Defensive armament was a forward-firing 20 mm cannon and two rear-firing machine guns.
Only three Breguet 462s were built. Two of them served in the Vichy French Air Force where they did not see much action and were scrapped in 1942.
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Breguet G.11E
The Breguet G.11E was a French passenger coaxial rotors helicopter flown soon after World War II. Only one was built, development ceased when funding ran out.
Breguet developed his wartime studies of a project named the G.34 into the two-passenger Breguet G.11E, otherwise known as the Société Francaises du Gyroplane G.11E.
It was a much larger aircraft, the G.11E used the same coaxial, three blade twin rotor layout as on the Gyroplane Laboratoire.It was initially powered by a fan cooled
240 hp Potez 9E nine cylinder radial engine midmounted under the concentric rotor shafts.The control column alters cyclic pitch via swashplates,and pedals make torque corrections and control yaw by changing the relative collective pitch of the two rotors.A mechanical inertial governor limited rotor acceleration; the pilot could increase the collective pitch over that set by the governor but not below it, emergencies apart.
The first flight was made on 21 May 1949 but tests showed that the G.11E was very underpowered,so the engine was changed to a bigger nine-cylinder radial, a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior.The name was changed to G.111 and some re-design accompanied the power increase; the rotor diameter was increased by 1.00 m (3 ft 3 in) and the fuselage lengthened to include two more seats so that four passengers could be carried.
The G.111 began flight tests in 1951 but these were not completed as SFG were declared bankrupt the following year.
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Breguet Deux-Ponts
The Breguet 761/763/765 are a family of 1940s and 1950s French double-deck transport aircraft,Deux-Ponts (Double-Decker) was not an official name.
Design work on the Breguet 761 double-deck airliner even before the end of WWII.It was decided that a medium-range airliner with seating for over 100 passengers would be built. The design envisaged using readily available engines with the aim of ease of manufacture and an early first-flight date.
The prototype Br.761, F-WASK, first flew at Villacoublay on 15 February 1949,it was powered by four 1,580 hp SNECMA 14R-24 radial engines.It was followed by three Br.761S pre-production aircraft powered by 2,020 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-B31 radial engines.These were fitted with 12 ft 1˝in Hamilton Standard propellers.The aircraft successfully completed their trials incident-free.Their first flights were in 1951 and 1952.
The French Government ordered 12 production aircraft, the Breguet 76-3, which was later redesignated Br.763.Six aircraft were to be operated by Air France and the other six by the Ministry of Transport. The 763 had more powerful engines, a larger wingspan, strengthened wings and a three-crew flight deck (earlier aircraft had four crew). The 763 first flew on 20 July 1951 and entered service with Air France during autumn 1952.
Air France aircraft had accommodation for 59 passengers on the top deck, and 48 on the lower deck, although the aircraft was capable of carrying 135 passengers in a high-density layout.During 1964 Air France transferred six Br.763s to the French Air Force. They also acquired the three pre-production Br.761S aircraft and four new Br.765 Sahara freighter aircraft with removable cargo doors.They provided the French Air Force with a valuable transport fleet for moving personnel and materials to the Pacific nuclear testing areas.The Sahara fleet was retired in 1972.
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Breguet 941
The Breguet 941 was a French four-engine turboprop STOL transport aircraft developed by Breguet in the 1960s.
Louis Charles Breguet developed a concept for a Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft using four free-turbine turboshaft engines to drive a common powershaft, which, in turn drove four oversize propellers, which were evenly spaced along the leading edge of the wing with large, full-span, slotted flaps, with the arrangement known as "l'aile soufflée" or blown wing.
An experimental prototype, powered by four Turbomeca Turmo II engines, the Breguet 940 Integral, first flew on 21 May 1958,and was used to prove the concept, demonstrating excellent short field performance.This led to an order being placed in February 1960 for a prototype of an aircraft employing the same concept,but capable of carrying useful loads.This aircraft,the Breguet 941,first flew on 1 June 1961.
Further testing of this prototype resulted in an order for four improved production aircraft, the Breguet 941S for the French Air Force, first flying on 19 April 1967. These were fitted with more powerful engines and a modified rear cargo door to allow for air-drops.
The 941 prototype was tested extensively by both France, and the USA, where a license agreement had been drafted with McDonnell Aircraft.The prototype, known as the McDonnell 188 in the US, was evaluated by both NASA and the US military, but no orders were placed.
The second Br 941S also carried out a tour of the USA, being evaluated as a STOL passenger airliner for operation from small city airports,again, no orders resulted.The aircraft demonstration activity included flights for Eastern Airlines in the northeast U.S.
The four Breguet 941S aircraft entered service with the French Air Force in 1967,they were retired in 1974.
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Breguet Br 904 Nymphale
The Breguet Br 104 Nymphale (English: Nymph) is a two-seat trainer and competition sailplane, built in France in the 1950s.
The Nymphale is a two-seat development of the double World Gliding Championships (WGC) winning Br 901 Mouette.It is larger all round, with a 2.72 m (8 ft 11 in) increase in span and 1.43 m (4 ft 8 in) longer, but is still built of wood and fabric like the single-seater.
The mid mounted wings,are straight-tapered like those of the 901,but differ in having no sweep on the leading edge so that at mid-chord the wing is forward-swept.
The lengthened cockpit,has the same style of fuselage contour following canopy as the 901 but is divided into front and rear sections,with the rear stretching back over the wing leading edge.
It`s first flight on 26 May 1956,3 prototypes were completed,and fifteen production series 904S Nymphales were built in the late 1950s and widely used by gliding clubs.
The Nymphale also competed: one placed 5th in the two-seater class of the 1956 WGC held at Saint-Yan in France.Six aircraft remain airworthy, all in France.
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Brochet MB.70
The Brochet MB.70 was a light two-seater aircraft developed in France in the early 1950s for recreational flying and amateur construction.
It was a high-wing braced monoplane that seated the pilot and passenger in tandem within a fully enclosed cabin. It was fitted with fixed tailwheel undercarriage layout and was of all-wooden construction.
A requirement from the Service de l'Aviation Légčre et Sportive for a new light aircraft for French aeroclubs speeded progress, and a series of development machines were built with a several different engines, eventually leading to the Brochet MB.80.
The MB.72 of which five were built used a Continental A65 horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine 0f 65hp,giving the aircraft a very sedate max speed of 81mph.
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Caudron Type D
The Caudron Type D was a French pre-WW I single seat,twin-boom tractor biplane, a close but slightly smaller relative of the two seat Caudron Type C.
The Type D was a two bay biplane with an inner bay only about half the width of the outer. Both two spar fabric covered wings had rectangular plans apart from angled tips. There was no stagger, so the two sets of parallel interplane struts were parallel and vertical.The upper wing overhang produced by the sesquiplane modification was supported by extra parallel pairs of outward leaning interplane struts,and wire bracing completed the structure.
The Type D first appeared in December 1911 and in total thirteen were built.One was sold in England and three others to China,the Chinese aircraft had the more powerful 45 hp 6-cylinder Anzani radial engine.This engine was again mounted uncowled, showing its characteristic ring exhaust.
Another Type D powered by a larger 6-cylinder Anzani, producing 60 hp, was delivered from Paris on 21 June 1912 by Guillaux to Mr Ramsay in London.
It had a longer nacelle which seated two, had curved, raised decking immediately ahead of the cockpit and was suspended between the innermost interplane struts.
Caudron referred to this version as the Type D2. With tanks for 125 l (27 imp gal; 33 US gal) it had an endurance of around 3 hours.
It is not known how many aircraft were constructed in the UK by Ewen Aviation or its successor, British Caudron.
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Caudron R.11
The Caudron R.11, was a French five-seat twin-engine bomber,reconnaissance and escort biplane developed and produced during the First World War.
It was originally intended to fulfill the French Corps d'Armee reconnaissance category.The R11 was similar to the Caudron R.4, but with a more pointed nose, two bracing bays outboard the engines rather than three, no nose-wheel, and a much bigger tail.
The engines were housed in streamlined nacelles just above the lower wing,they were a pair of Hispano-Suiza 8Bba V-8 water-cooled piston engines,210 hp each.
Max speed was around 120mph and it was armed with five 7.7 mm (0.30 in) Lewis machine guns.
The French army ordered 1000 R.11s,and production began in 1917, with the first aircraft completed late in that year.In February 1918 the first squadron R.26 was equipped. The last squadron to form before the Armistice was R.246, at which point 370 planes had been completed and production ended soon after.
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Caudron C.27
The Caudron C.27 was a French biplane, a two-seat basic trainer which also competed successfully in the 1920s.
It was a two bay biplane,without stagger or significant dihedral.It had rectangular plan wings,each built around two wooden spars and they were fabric covered.These were braced with parallel interplane struts, assisted by piano-wire bracing. There were simple parallel cabane struts between the upper wing centre section and the upper fuselage longerons.Ailerons were fitted only to the upper wing.
The C.27 was powered by a 80 hp Le Rhône 9C nine cylinder air-cooled rotary engine,driving a two blade propeller and with a cowling which surrounded its upper three-quarters.
This give it a max speed of around 80mph,later versions had more powerful engines fitted,up to 130 hp.These were designated C.125`s.
The exact date of the first flight,is not known but the aircraft was flown publicly at Orly at the end of June 1922.Two years later a C.27 won the 1924 Zenith Cup, a trophy based on fuel consumption and load carrying ability.The C.128 was again very similar but powered by a 120 hp Salmson 9AC, a nine-cylinder, air cooled radial engine.
At least twenty-one C.27, C.125, C.127 and C.128 aircraft appeared on the French civil register at one time.
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Caudron C.430 Rafale
The Caudron C.430 Rafale was a fast, two seat French touring monoplane.
It was a two-seat development of the single seat Caudron C.362, the winner of the 1933 Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe.It was slightly larger and heavier, though with a lower wing loading,the Rafale was a low wing cantilever monoplane, wood framed and covered with a mixture of plywood and fabric.
It`s one piece,single spar wing was strongly straight tapered to elliptical tips and was plywood covered with an outer layer of fabric.There were flaps inboard of the ailerons.
It had an air cooled 150 hp inverted four cylinder 6.3 l (384 cu in) inline Renault 4Pei Bengali engine in the nose,driving a two blade, two position variable pitch propeller.This gave an impressive top speed of 190 mph and a cruise of 160mph.
On 31st March 1934,about a week after its first flight, the C.430 F-AMVB set a new International speed record of 181 mph over 100 km (62 mi) for aircraft with an empty weight less than 560 kg (1,235 lb).
Hélčne Boucher, a prominent French pilot in the mid-1930s, died in a landing approach accident in F-AMVB on 30 November 1934.Just two aircraft were completed.
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Caudron C.440 Goéland
The Caudron C.440 Goéland ("seagull") was a six-seat twin-engine utility aircraft developed in France in the mid-1930s.Eighteen subtypes were built over it`s production run.
It`s construction was almost wooden throughout,with wooden skinning except for the forward and upper fuselage sections,which were skinned in metal.It was a conventionally configured low-wing cantilever monoplane with tailwheel undercarriage.The main undercarriage units retracted into the engine nacelles.
Standard configuration was a crew of two,seating for six passengers,with baggage compartments fore and aft, and a toilet to the rear.
Production of the C.440 and its varients continued until the outbreak of WWII, at which time many C.440s were pressed into military service.Following the fall of France, some were operated by the German Luftwaffe and Deutsche Luft Hansa. Another user was the Slovenské vzdušné zbrane - it ordered 12 aircraft as the C.445M in 1942.
Production began again after the war for military and civil use as a transport and as a twin-engined trainer.In the postwar reorganisation of the French aircraft industry, Caudron became part of SNCA du Nord and the aircraft became the Nord Goeland; 325 of these were built.Commercial operators included Air France, SABENA, Aigle Azur and Compagnie Air Transport (CAT).
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Caudron C.710.
The C.710 were a series of light fighter aircraft developed by Caudron-Renault for the French Air Force just prior to the start of World War II.
The contract that led to the C.710 series was offered in 1936 to quickly raise the number of modern aircraft in French service, by supplying a "light fighter" of wooden construction that could be built rapidly in large numbers without upsetting the production of existing types.The contract resulted in three designs, the Arsenal VG-30, the Bloch MB.700, and the C.710. Prototypes of all three were ordered.
A common feature of the Caudron line was a long nose that set the cockpit far back on the fuselage.The nose housed the 450 hp Renault 12R-01, a supercharged inverted and air-cooled V-12 engine that resulted from putting together two 6Q engines.The landing gear was fixed and spatted, and the vertical stabilizer was a seemingly World War I-era semicircle instead of a more common trapezoidal or triangular design. Armament consisted of a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.9 cannon under each wing in a small pod.
The C.710 prototype first flew on 18 July 1936.[3] Despite its small size, it showed good potential and was able to reach a level speed of 292 mph during flight testing. Further development continued with the C.711 and C.712 with more powerful engines, while the C.713 which flew on 15 December 1937 introduced retractable landing gear and a more conventional triangular vertical stabilizer.
The final evolution of the 710 series was the C.714 Cyclone, a variation on the C.713 which first flew in April 1938 as the C.714.01 prototype. The primary changes were a new wing airfoil profile, a strengthened fuselage, and instead cannons, the fighter had four 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns in the wing gondolas. It was powered by the newer 12R-03 version of the engine, which introduced a new carburettor that could operate in negative g.
The French Air Force ordered 20 C.714s on 5 November 1938, with options for a further 180. Production started at a Renault factory in the Paris suburbs in summer 1939.Deliveries did not start until January 1940. After a series of tests with the first production examples, it became apparent that the design was seriously flawed. Although light and fast, its wooden construction did not permit a more powerful engine to be fitted,with the result that the Caudron was withdrawn from active service in February 1940.
In March, the initial production order was reduced to 90, as the performance was not considered good enough to warrant further production contracts. Eighty were diverted to Finland to fight in the Winter War. These were meant to be flown by French pilots,only six aircraft were delivered, and an additional ten were waiting in the harbour when deliveries were stopped.
On 18 May 1940, 35 Caudrons were delivered to the Polish Warsaw Squadron,I/145, stationed at the Mions airfield. After just 23 sorties, adverse opinion of the fighter was confirmed by frontline pilots who expressed concerns that it was seriously underpowered and was no match for contemporary German fighters.
On 25 May, only a week after it was introduced, French Minister of War Guy La Chambre ordered all C.714s to be withdrawn from active service. However,the French had no other aircraft to offer, the Polish ignored the order and continued to fly the Caudrons. Despite flying a fighter hopelessly outdated compared to the Messerschmitt Bf 109E, the Polish pilots scored 12 confirmed and three unconfirmed victories in three battles between 8 June and 11 June, losing nine in the air and nine more on the ground. Among the aircraft shot down were four Dornier Do 17 bombers, and also three Messerschmitt Bf 109 and five Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters.
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Caudron Aiglon
The Caudron C.600 Aiglon is a 1930s French two-seat monoplane sport/touring aircraft built by Caudron–Renault.
The Aiglon (en: Eaglet) was designed by Marcel Riffard after he took over the design department when Caudron merged with Renault.It was a two-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane with tandem open cockpits,the first of two prototypes first flew in March 1935 from Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
In December 1935 a C.610 special long-distance single-seat version with increased fue was flown from Paris to Saigon at an average speed of 80 mph.
Powerplant was usually a Renault 4Pgi Bengali Junior inline piston engine,of 100 hp giving a max speed of around 135mph,other engines were fitted to some versions.
With the outbreak of the Second World War many of the aircraft were requisitioned by the French Government for use as liaison aircraft by the Armée de l'Air. Total production of the Aiglon was 203 aircraft, including 178 of the basic Renault 4Pgi Bengali Junior powered model.
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CAMS 33
The CAMS 33 was a reconnaissance flying boat built in France in the early 1920s.It was designed in response to a French Navy requirement for new flying boats for various roles.
Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine (CAMS) submitted prototype aircraft in two categories for the Navy requirement,as both a reconnaissance aircraft and a transport.The design was a conventional biplane flying boat with equal-span unstaggered wings and two engines mounted in a single nacelle in tractor-pusher configuration.
It featured an open cockpit for two pilots, plus open bow and dorsal gun positions on the reconnaissance machine, or an enclosed cabin for seven passengers on the transport version, which was not selected for production.
The armed reconnaissance version was accepted as the 33B.Twelve aircraft were eventually produced for the French Navy,equipping Escadrille 1R1 at Cherbourg.
Yugoslavia purchased another six machines.The 33T prototype flew under civil registration for a few years, but was unable to attract customers.
They were powered by 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8F,of 275 hp each, giving a max speed of around 110mph.
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CAMS 54
The CAMS 54 was a development and more powerful version of the French CAMS 51 civil transport and naval reconnaissance flying boat,designed for transatlantic flights.
It was a single-bay biplane with equal span,rectangular plan wings mounted without stagger.The upper wing was in three parts, a short centre section and two long outer panels; the lower wing had two inner panels, mounted on the upper fuselage and strengthened by short, parallel pairs of struts to mid-fuselage, and two outer panels.
It was powered by a pair of engines in push-pull configuration, mounted above the fuselage and just below the upper wing on two inward-leaning pairs of tubular N-struts.Their mounting also supported the wing centre-section with parallel pairs of struts outwards to the spars.Two types of engine could be used, either 500 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Mbr V12 enclosed in a common streamlined cowling, or 480 hp) Gnome-Rhône 9Akx Jupiter nine-cylinder radials, mounted uncowled for cooling, with a circular section cowling between them.
The CAMS 54's first flights were made in late March 1928, powered with the Hispano-Suiza engines.By 12 May 1928 it was making long test flights with the Gnome et Rhône radials.On 22 July the CAMS 54, with the radial engines, named La Frégate and crewed by Paris, second pilot and wireless operator Cadou and flight engineer Marot, flew to Horta, Azores.The first eight hours were uneventful at speeds around 109 mph, but failure of the rear engine then seriously slowed the aircraft and the 1,290 mi;flight lasted about 14 hr 15 min,at an average speed of about 90 mph.
Inspection of the engine after landing showed it could not be repaired and also that the heavy loads sustained by the forward engine operating alone had caused serious wear, ruling out further long flights. The French Marine Ministry therefore decided to bring La Frégate back to the mainland by boat.
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Potez-CAMS 141
The Potez-CAMS 141 was a French long range reconnaissance flying boat of the late 1930s. Intended to equip the French Navy, only a single prototype was completed before the German invasion of France halted production.
The 141 was designed by Chantiers Aéro-Maritimes de la Seine (or CAMS, which since 1933 had been part of Potez) to meet a 1935 French Navy specification for a long range marine reconnaissance flying boat to replace obsolete aircraft.
It was a four engined monoplane, powered by Hispano-Suiza 12Y liquid-cooled V-12 piston engines,of 860 hp each.Max speed was just under 200mph,cruise was around 160mph.
It had a high aspect ratio wing mounted above the fuselage and a twin tail.It was armed with a dorsal turret carrying two 7.5 mm Darne machine guns, with a further two machine guns in lateral barbettes and two in waist positions.
After evaluation, a production order for four aircraft was placed, with a further 15 being ordered before the start of the WWII.The prototype, named Antarčs entered service with Escadrille E8 of the French Navy in September 1939, flying its first patrol mission over the Atlantic on 20 September 1939.
No production aircraft had been completed by the time of the Armistice in June 1940, with Antarčs being evacuated to Port Lyautey in Morocco.
It was operated by the Vichy French Navy,until the allied invasion of North Africa, when after brief fighting, the French armed forces in North Africa joined with the Free French. Antarčs continued in service, carrying out patrols over the Central and South Atlantic.Antarčs was retired and scrapped early in 1944.
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CFA D.7 Cricri Major
The CFA D.7 Cricri Major was a French-built light civil aircraft of the 1940s.
It was a postwar-built light high-wing monoplane with enclosed two-seat tandem glazed cabin with fixed tail-wheel undercarriage, powered by a 90hp Salmson 5Aq-01 radial engine. Cruise speed was 80mph with a max speed of 93 mph, it had a range of just over 300 miles.
An initial series of ten Cricri (Cricket) Majors was completed and these were bought by aero clubs and private pilots.The design was rather outdated and no further examples were completed.Four D.7s remained in service in 1956 and one example, F-BFNG remained airworthy in 1967. This aircraft has been restored to airworthiness and was operational in 2005.
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CAB Minicab
The CAB GY-20 Minicab is a two-seat light aircraft built in France in the late 1940`s.
Its design was a scaled-down version of Yves Gardan`s designed SIPA S.90. The pilot and passenger sit side by side and access to the cockpit is via a one-piece perspex canopy that hinges forwards. Gardan's intention was to produce a low-cost, easy-to-fly, easy-to-maintain aircraft with the possibility of homebuilding the aircraft.
The prototype Minicab first flew at Pau-Idron on 1 February 1949.CAB manufactured a total of 22 Minicabs.This was followed by a larger number completed by amateur builders in France and other countries.Several Minicabs are currently active in the UK have been rebuilt to the JB.01 standard developed by M. Jean Barritault. Falconar sold plans for a tricycle gear homebuilt model named the Minihawk.
It was powered by a Continental A65 four-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine,of 65 hp,which gave it a cruising speed of around 100mph or a max of 112 mph.
Type certification was obtained in mid-April 1949.Approx 160 aircraft were completed,over 130 were home builds.
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Couzinet 70
The Couzinet 70 was a 1930s French three-engined commercial monoplane built by Société des Avions René Couzinet founded by René Couzinet.
The Couzinet 70 Arc-en-Ciel III (Rainbow) was developed from the 1920s Couzinet 10 Arc-en-Ciel, which first flew on 7 May 1928, the Couzinet 11 and Couzinet 40.
The larger span Couzinet 70 was developed originally as a mail plane for use of Aéropostale's South Atlantic service.
It was a low-wing monoplane with an usual sweep up to the vertical stabiliser,and featured a fixed undercarriage.
The aircraft was powered by three Hispano-Suiza 12Nb V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine,of 650 hp each.The wing mounted engines could be accessed in flight through tunnels in the wing.
After route-proving in 1933 the aircraft was modified and re-designated the Couzinet 71 and entered service with Aéropostale in May 1934.
It had a crew of four,cruising speed was around 160 mph with a max speed of 174 mph,range was over 4200 miles.Only three aircraft were completed.
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Dewoitine D.7
The Dewoitine D.7 was a French ultra-light sport plane built in the mid 1920s.
The D.7 was a conventionally laid-out monoplane, with a thick cantilever shoulder wing.Its single seat,open cockpit,provided with a small windscreen,was over the wing.
It had conventional, fixed, tailskid landing gear.
The D.7 could be powered by any small engine; the Salmson AD.3 radial engine, the Clerget 2K flat twin, Vaslin flat-four or Vaslin water-cooled six cylinder inline engines were fitted.
Performance was leisurely to say the least,12hp gave top speed of 55mph.
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Dewoitine D.19
The Dewoitine D.19 was a fighter aircraft built in France in 1925 in response to a French Air Force request.
A development of the D.1, the D.19 shared the D.1's parasol-wing configuration,but featured an all-new wing of increased span,and had double the engine power.
It was rejected by the French Air Force,but a demonstration for the Swiss government in August 1925 led to an order for three aircraft.
One example was sold to Belgium, incorporating changes requested by the Swiss which included a change in the wing (more similar to the D.1), and the replacement of the radiators with a more conventional frontal radiator.
Powerplant was a Hispano-Suiza 12Jb V-12 water-cooled piston engine of 400 hp,which gave it a top speed of around 160mph.It was equipped with a pair fixed,forward-firing 7.7 mm (0.30 in) machine-guns.
The first Swiss D.19 was entirely constructed by Dewoitine in France, the remaining two aircraft were supplied to be assembled by the Swiss factory EKW. The aircraft were used for many years by the Swiss Fliegertruppe as trainers for fighter pilots, remaining in service until 1940. Just five aircraft were completed.
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Dewoitine D.26
The Dewoitine D.26 was a military trainer developed in Switzerland for the Swiss Air Force in parallel with the D.27 fighter.
After the end of WW I, the lack in demand for aircraft forced Dewoitine to close his company and move to Switzerland in 1927.
The D.26 airframe was similar to that of the D.27,differences included the engine cowling was omitted on the D.26;and the radial engine was smaller and produced 340 hp.
it first flew in December 1929,10 examples were built by Dewoitine for assembly by the Swiss factory K+W Thun in Switzerland. These were followed by an order for two more aircraft equipped with a slightly higher-powered version of the Wright 9Q engine that powered the initial batch, and one of the original D.26s was similarly re-engined.
The D.26 enjoyed a long service life, not being withdrawn until 1948. At this time, they were transferred to the Aero-Club der Schweiz where they were used as glider tugs. The last example was not retired from aeroclub use until 1970,it was preserved at the military aviation museum at Dübendorf.
Only 2 planes are still airworthy in original condition, number 286 is based in Grenchen LSZG and number 284 is based in Lausanne LSGL.Both planes touring in airshows as "Patrouille Dewoitine - Swiss Air Force 1931".
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Dewoitine D.30
The Dewoitine D.30 was a ten-seat cantilever monoplane built in France in 1930.It first appeared in public at the Paris Aero Show in December 1930.It was a single-engine, ten-seat passenger aircraft with a high cantilever wing and rectangular-section fuselage.
It was powered by a 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr water cooled, upright V-12 engine.This engine cowling followed the profile of the two cylinder banks, and drove a two-blade propeller;it was cooled with a Lamblin radiator mounted ventrally at its rear.
The D.30 first flew on 21 May 1931.A second prototype followed but was modified into a trimotor aircraft, designated the Dewoitine D.31 and powered by three Hispano-Suiza 9Q nine-cylinder radial engines.The outer engines were each mounted well below the wing via pairs of struts. Apart from the three engines and a consequent increase in weight and slight reduction in length, the D.31 was very similar to the D.30.
It first flew on 12 January 1932, initially powered by the 230 hp 9Qa engine variant,but in 1935 these were replaced by 320 hp 9Qbs.The outer engines remained uncowled but the central one had a long chord cowling.
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Dewoitine D.500 Series
The Dewoitine D.500 was an all-metal, open-cockpit, fixed-undercarriage monoplane fighter aircraft designed and produced in France.
On 18 June 1932, the prototype performed its first flight.During November 1933, an initial quantity of sixty aircraft was ordered on behalf of the French Air Force, for whom the type was to serve as a replacement for the Nieuport 62. On 29 November 1934, the first production D.500 made its first flight.
Aircraft armed with a pair of twin nose-mounted machine guns were designated as D.500 while those fitted with a single 20 mm cannon that fired through the propeller hub received the designation D.501.The most significant derivative of the type was the D.510, the main difference was the use of a more powerful Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine,of 860 hp; minor refinements included a slightly lengthened nose, an increase in fuel capacity and a refined undercarriage arrangement.
A total of 381 D.500s and its derivatives were built by the end of production.The design was further developed into the more capable Dewoitine D.520, which featured an enclosed cockpit and a retractable undercarriage.
During July 1935, the initial models of the aircraft, the D.500 and D.501, were inducted into the Armée de l'Air.During October 1936, the first examples of the more powerful D.510 variant were also delivered.By September 1939,the early D.500/501 models had been relegated to regional defense and training squadrons.
Fourteen D.501s (named D.501L), originally sold to Lithuania, and two D.510s ostensibly intended for the Emirate of Hedjaz, saw service with the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War, arriving some time during mid-1936. When the French government found out about the delivery of the D.510s, they demanded the return of the 12Y engines.The Russians had already copied it as the Klimov M-100 engine.
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Dewoitine D.770
The Dewoitine D.770 was a prototype French twin-engined attack aircraft of the late 1930s.
In August 1937,the French Air Ministry requested designs for a light attack bomber.SNCAM, the nationalised Dewoitine company, proposed a three-seater twin-engined aircraft to meet this requirement, with two prototypes being ordered,the Dewoitine D.770 to be powered by two Hispano-Suiza 12Y V12 engines,and the Dewoitine D.771 to be powered by two Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines but otherwise similar to the D.770.
The prototype D.770 was completed at SNCAM's Toulouse factory in the spring of 1939.It was a mid-winged cantilever monoplane of stressed skin all-metal construction, with a monocoque fuselage and a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. A 20-mm cannon and two 7.5 mm machine guns were mounted in the aircraft's nose, and could be moved to an angle of -15 degrees aimed by the pilot. A single machine gun was flexibly mounted in the dorsal position, with two more machine guns in a ventral position, while eight 50 kg (110 lb) bombs could be carried in a bomb-bay.The crew of three were protected by armour plating.
The D.770 made its first flight on 27 June 1939,the aircraft demonstrated good speed,but it suffered from engine cooling problems and poor stability,testing was slow, and was not complete in June 1940 when the French surrender resulting in the test programme being abandoned.The D.771 version was completed in December 1939,but never flew, as the French Air Force favoured other types,and SNCAM were flat out producing the Dewoitine D.520 fighter. Both prototypes were scrapped in 1941.
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Dewoitine HD.730
The Dewoitine HD.730 was a prototype French reconnaissance floatplane of the 1940s.It was a single-engined, low-wing monoplane designed to be catapult-launched from warships of the French Navy.
Two prototypes ordered in 1938,it was a low-wing monoplane of all-metal stressed-skin construction. It was fitted with an inverted gull-wing, which folded immediately outboard of the twin floats to aid storage onboard ship, and it had twin tail fins.The two-man crew or pilot and observer sat in tandem under an enclosed canopy.
The observer could operate a single flexibly mounted machine gun and a fixed machine gun was operated by the pilot.The aircraft was powered by a single 220 hp Renault 6Q inverted six-cylinder air-cooled piston engine driving a two-blade propeller.Cruise speed was a sluggish 140mph and range was around 840 miles.
The first prototype flew in February 1940, with the second following in May.Testing showed that it was underpowered,it was proposed that the planned 40 production aircraft would be use a 350 hp Béarn 6D powerplant. These plans were stopped by the French surrender in June 1940, with the two prototypes being stored.
Despite the Armistice, development continued, with a significantly revised third prototype being built,to avoid Axis controls on the production of military aircraft, it was officially described as a commercial liaison aircraft for use in France's overseas colonies.
It made its maiden flight on 11 March 1941,but testing revealed that its wings were too small and the HD.731 was abandoned.Work on the HD.730 restarted on 21 July 1945. Testing was successful,but the French Navy now had no need for a catapult floatplane, as catapults had been removed from its ships,so the project was abandoned.
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Donnet-Denhaut Flying Boat series
The Donnet-Denhaut flying boat was a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft produced in France during the First World War. Known simply as "Donnet-Denhaut" or "DD" flying boats, the DD-2, DD-8, DD-9, and DD-10 designations were applied to denote the various changes in configuration made during their service life.
The aircraft were developed in response to a French Navy request,they were biplane flying boats of conventional configuration with two-bay unstaggered wings and a rotary engine mounted pusher-fashion on struts.The French Navy ordered some 90 aircraft in this original configuration dubbed DD-2.
In 1917,the aircraft was redsigned to take advantage of the new Hispano-Suiza 8 engine,the Navy ordered another 365 machines. Donnet-Denhaut increased the wingspan by adding a third bay to the wing and a place for a second gunner, bringing the total crew to three.This version (known as the DD-8) became the most produced, with around 500 aircraft built.The DD-8 was also known as the Donnet-Denhaut 300-hp.
Further changes added a second machine gun to each gunner's station (the DD-9) and twin engines mounted in a push-pull configuration (the DD-10). Following the war, a few military surplus DDs were remanufactured as the Donnet HB.3 and operated commercially.
DD flying boats were operated by the US Navy in Europe, flying from Dunkirk to protect convoys from submarines.50 aircraft of this type were purchased.
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Dyn'Aéro CR.100 Series
The Dyn'Aéro CR.100 is a French kit built single engine, two-seater monoplane,primarily for aero club use.
The CR.100 is a conventional single engine, low-wing monoplane, with the large control surface areas and absence of dihedral expected in an aerobatic aircraft. The structure is mostly wood and fabric, though the main wing spar is a plywood and carbon laminate composite and carbon covered ply is an option for the wing surfaces.
Full dual controls,including a pair of left hand throttles,are fitted A sliding bubble canopy covers the cockpit and is faired behind into a rounded fuselage top deck. The wide track main conventional undercarriage has cantilever legs in fairings, with wheels usually in spats.The CR.100T variant offers the alternative of a tricycle undercarriage.
It is powered by a 180 hp Lycoming O-360 flat-4 engine,driving a fixed pitch,two-bladed propeller.Max speed is around 190 mph with a cruise of 160mph.
The CR.110 variant has a Lycoming engine uprated to 200 hp .The CR.120 high agility version is intended to be competitive using the 200hp uprated engine.
It differs from the CR.110 in having almost full span ailerons and a shorter span to increase the roll rate, at the cost of the flaps,structurally it has an entirely carbon fibre airframe.
The CR.120 was also intended for use as a military trainer.The first flight of the CR.100 was on 27 August 1992.The CR.120 flew in September 1996 and the CR.100T in November 2000.
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Dyn'Aéro MCR4S
The Dyn'Aéro MCR4S is a four-seat development of the French two seat, single engine Dyn'Aéro MCR01. It first flew in early 2000 and is sold as a kit for homebuilding in several versions.
The main changes are an increase in fuselage length to accommodate an extra row of seats with generous windows and the replacement of the flaperons seen on the long span variants of the MCR01, which have wings of about the same span as those of the MCR4S, with slotted flaps.
The cabin seats up to four,depending on the variant,in two side-by-side rows.Entry is via the large,forward hinged,two piece canopy.
A variety of Rotax flat four engines may be fitted, driving a two or three blade propeller, which may have fixed or variable pitch.
For example the top spec model uses a Rotax 914 UL flat four piston engine, turbocharged, air and water cooled, driving constant speed propeller,produces 113hp,enough for a max speed of 155mph or a cruise of around 140mph.
The Dyn'Aéro MCR4S flew for the first time on 14 June 2000.as a matter of interest,the MCR4S structure has been used by EADS Defence & Security for its EADS Surveyor 2500 drone.
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Etablissements Borel hydro-monoplane.
The Borel Hydro-monoplane (also called Bo.8) was a French seaplane produced in 1912.
The aircraft, which was developed from the 1911 Morane-Borel monoplane, was a tractor monoplane powered by an 80 hp Gnome Lambda rotary engine.A curved aluminium cowling covered the top of the engine, and the sides of the fuselage were also covered with aluminium as far aft as the rear of the cockpit.Two seats were arranged in tandem, with the pilot sitting in front and dual controls were fitted.The main undercarriage consisted of a pair of flat-bottomed floats.Lateral control was achieved by wing warping.
One example was entered in the 1913 Schneider Trophy competition, but crashed during the elimination trials.Another, flown by George Chemet, was the winner of the 1913 Paris-Deauville race.
Military operators included Italy with the Corpo Aeronautico Militare, the UK RNAS and RFC,and in Brazil with the Brazil Navy and Police.
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Farman MF.11
The Maurice Farman MF.11 Shorthorn is a French aircraft developed before World War I by the Farman Aviation Works.It was used as a reconnaissance and light bomber during the early part of World War I, later being relegated to training duties.
The Maurice Farman Shorthorn was the aircraft in which Biggles, Capt W.E. Johns' fictional character,took to the air in "Biggles Learns To Fly".
The MF.11 differed from the earlier Farman MF.7,in lacking the forward-mounted elevator, the replacement of the biplane horizontal tail with a single surface and a pair of rudders mounted above it,and the mounting of the nacelle containing crew and engine in the gap between the two wings.The aircraft was also fitted with a 0.30 in machine gun for the observer,whose position was changed from the rear to the front in order to give a clear field of fire.The engine was a Renault 8-cylinder air-cooled inline, of 100 hp.
The MF.11 served in both the British and French on the Western Front in the early stages of WWI. As a light bomber it flew the first bombing raid of the war when on 21 December 1914 an MF.11 of the Royal Naval Air Service attacked German artillery positions around Ostend.
It was withdrawn from front-line service on the Western Front in 1915, but continued to be used by the French in Macedonia and the Middle East, while the British also used it in the Dardanelles,and Africa.The Australian Flying Corps (AFC), provided with the MF.11 by the British Indian Army, operated it during the Mesopotamian campaign of 1915–16.
Italy's Societŕ Italiana Aviazione,licence-built a number of MF.11s under the designation SIA 5 from early 1915, fitted with a fixed forward machine gun and a 100 hp Fiat A.10 engine.
There are a few surviors in air museums in Canada, Belgium and Australia.
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Farman HF.30
The Henry Farman HF.30 was a two-seat military biplane designed in France around 1915, which became a principal aircraft of the Imperial Russian Air Service during the First World War.
The HF.30 was not adopted by other Allied air forces, and the manufacturers reused the "Farman F.30" designation for the Farman F.30 in 1917.
The basic airframe of the HF.30 was very similar to the earlier and smaller F.20, a two-bay biplane with a shorter lower wing,a long v-shaped tail framework, and similar control surfaces - ailerons on the outer sections of the upper wings, and a single rudder and a high tailplane at the rear. It differed by reviving the raised fuselage position of the 1913 MF.11, positioning the cockpit and engine between the wings rather than mounting them directly on top of the lower wing, and it was the first Farman to adopt the robust v-strut undercarriage that was becoming standard.
It improved on the underpowered F.20 by utilizing the much more potent 150 hp Salmson 9 radial engine,this gave it a top speed of 85-95mph.
At the start of the First World War the Farman type pusher biplane was widely regarded as the best available design for a combat aircraft. The unobstructed position of the cockpit provided a very wide field of fire for a forward-facing gun, not to mention a good view ahead and to the sides for piloting, aerial reconnaissance and artillery spotting. The greater lift of a biplane design enabled the plane to carry a heavier cargo, such as a payload of bombs under the wings. The relatively simple airframe was also seen as suitable for mass production, especially before synchronization gear became widely available, these criteria were enough to outweigh the superior speed and flight performance offered by monoplane designs with a tractor propeller.
Unusually the HF.30 was used exclusively by the Imperial Russian Air Service, and serial production appears to have taken place principally or entirely in Russia.The HF.30 appears to have been produced principally by the Dux Factory in Moscow, although some level of construction seems to have also taken place at several of the other major Russian aircraft factories.
There are sketchy references to the type's involvement in air combat,but it is not clear how far the HF.30 had been deployed before two consecutive developments in 1916 that curtailed its usefulness.The Air Service began to restrict the air superiority role to new high-performance planes equipped with synchronization gears, like the imported Nieuport 11; then, the HF.30 was definitively outclassed in combat by new opponents, beginning with the Albatros D.I fighter and the Albatros C.V scout. Furthermore, the HF.30's "pusher" engine came to be regarded as a large, exposed target from rearward attacks.
The wide availability of the type also meant that it was acquired by other emerging states of Eastern Europe.In 1919, a captured example became the first plane of the Estonian Air Force.
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Farman F.110
The Farman F.110 was a French two-seat artillery observation biplane designed and built in the 1920`s.
The F.110 was an effort by Farman to produce an artillery observation aircraft normally supplied to the French military by rivals Breguet.Mainly of aluminium alloy construction it was a biplane design with a tailskid landing gear.Powered by a water-cooled 260 hp Salmson 9Z radial piston engine which was caused considerable drag because of the need for a large radiator box under the nose.
Armament was one fixed forward-firing 7.7mm (0.303in) machine-gun and two further machine-guns on flexible mounts in observers cockpit.
The pilot and observer had an open cockpit with glazed panels in the sides and the floor to give the observer a good view.After a first flight in 1921 the Aéronautique Militaire ordered 175 aircraft,however the F.110 suffered structural problems and after some modification only 50 aircraft were delivered and the type was not developed further.
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Farman F.120 Jabiru Series.
The Farman F.120 and its derivatives were a family of multi-engine airliners and bombers of the 1920s built by the Farman Aviation Works.
The Jabiru, which was named after a Latin American stork, was a fixed-undercarriage sesquiplane powered by either two, three or four engines, depending on the variant. It featured an unusually broad chord, low aspect-ratio main wing and a very deep fuselage.The tri-motor variant had the centerline engine mounted high, giving it an unusual appearance.
The F.121 or F.3X was the first version to fly, with four 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ac V8 engines mounted in tandem push-pull pairs mounted on stub wings,however this caused cooling problems for the rear engines.The F.120/F.4X version followed shortly afterwards,powered by three 300 hp Salmson Az.9 radial engines.Later versions included a single F.122, modified from an F.4X,powered by two 400 hp Lorraine 12Db engines.Two military versions were built, the F.123 with two 450 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Hb V12s, or F.124 with two 420 hp Gnome et Rhône 9Ad Jupiter radial`s.
To say it was an ugly aircraft is somewhat of an understatement, however it saw service with several European airlines,it could carry nine passengers and were operated until the late 1920`s.
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Farman F.200 Series
The Farman F.200 was a civil utility aircraft produced in France in the 1930s.
It was derived from the F.190,but featured a revised fuselage that did away with its predecessor's enclosed cabin. Instead, it was a parasol-wing monoplane with open cockpits in tandem for the pilot and one or two passengers. It was intended primarily to be a trainer,but it was also marketed as being suitable as a photographic platform or a cargo/mail plane.
A number of different engines were used ranging from 100hp to 120hp,which gave it a top speed of around 100mph - 110mph depending on the engine type fitted.
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Farman F.300 Series.
The Farman F.300 and F.310 were high-wing strut braced monoplane airliners with fixed tailskid undercarriage.
They had a trimotor layout and the cockpit and an 8 passenger compartment were fully enclosed.Most saw service in Farman's own airline, whose twelve F.300 variants made up half its fleet in 1931.
One variant, the F.302, was specially built as a single-engine machine to make an attempt at a number of world records.On 9 March 1931,Réginensi and Lalouette set new distance and duration records over a closed circuit with a 2,000 kg payload, flying 1,664 miles in 17 hours.Another, the F.304 was built as a special trimotor for Marcel Goulette to make a long-distance flight the same month from Paris to Tananarive and back.
The F.301 had 3 × Salmson 9Ab 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine,of 230 hp each. These allowed a max speed of 143mph with a normal cruise of 120mph.
22 aircraft were completed in 6 different production versions.
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Farman F.430
The Farman F.430 was a 1930s French light transport,two variants with different engines were known as the F.431 and F.432.
The F.430 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a tail-wheel landing gear,powered by two wing-mounted de Havilland Gipsy Major piston engines.It had a closed cockpit and the cabin had room for a pilot and five passengers.
The prototype F-ANBY appeared in 1934 and the F.431 variant with 180 hp Renault Bengali-Six inverted piston engines was exhibited at the 1934 Paris Salon de l'Aeronautique.
A further variant with 180 hp Farman radial engines was designated the F.432.
After the company had been nationalised and became part of SNCAC a variant with a retractable landing gear (the Centre 433) was completed, and flown for the first time in December 1938.The F.430 and two F.431s were used by Air Service between Paris and Biarritz. Just seven aircraft were completed in total.
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Farman F.500 Series
The Farman F.500 Monitor was a 1950s Franco-Belgian two-seat training aircraft.
Farman had earlier produced the Stampe SV.4 under licence,and with co-operation of Stampe,they designed a two-seat training monoplane using SV-4 components designated the Farman F.500.The prototype, named the Monitor I, first flew on 11 July 1952,it was a cantilever low-wing monoplane of mixed construction and conventional tail unit.
It was powered by a 140 hp Renault 4Pei engine,and had a fixed tailwheel landing gear and two crew in tandem under a continuous canopy.
In many respects it looked rather similar to the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk.
The production version designated the Monitor II went into production and first flew on 5 August 1955,it had all-metal wings and a more powerful Salmson-Argus 220hp engine.
Production also took place in Belgium with Stampe et Renard under the designation SR.7B Monitor IV.
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Ferber IX
The Antoinette III, which was originally called the Ferber IX, was an early experimental aircraft flown in France in the late 1900`s.
It was based on Ferdinand Ferber's previous design the Ferber VIII, and was quite unlike other Antoinette aircraft.It was renamed when Ferber became a director of the Antoinette company.
It was a two-bay biplane without a fuselage or any other enclosure for the pilot. A single elevator was carried on outriggers ahead of the aircraft, and a fixed fin and horizontal stabiliser behind.The undercarriage was of bicycle configuration and included small outriggers near the wingtips.Power was provided by an Antoinette 8V water cooled V-8 engine driving a tractor propeller.
Between July and September 1908,Ferber made a number of progressively longer flights,the longest recorded being on 15 September when he covered 6 miles in around 10 mins.
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Fouga CM.8 Series
The Fouga CM.8 or Castel-Mauboussin CM.8 was a French sailplane glider of the 1950s.
The CM.8 was a single-seat aircraft of conventional sailplane design and designed for aerobatics.
Two prototypes were built: the CM.8/13, with a 13-metre wingspan and a conventional tail layout, and the CM.8/15 with a 15-metre wingspan and a V-tail.
Tests showed excelent performance of the aircraft and this led to experiments with mounting a small turbojet on the dorsal fuselage, exhausting between the tail fins.
The first of these flew on 14 July 1949, powered by a Turbomeca Piméné. Designated the CM.8R this combined the 13-metre wing of the CM.8/13 with the V-tail of the CM.8/15. Two examples were built, and as experiments progressed in the 1950s, they were fitted with increasingly more powerful engines, and shorter wingspans.
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Fouga CM.10
The Fouga CM.10 was an assault glider designed for the French Army shortly after World War II, capable of carrying 35 troops.
The CM.10 was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration with fixed tricycle undercarriage. Flight tests with the glider prototypes had mixed results with the first prototype crashing on 5 May 1948. A production order for 100 was placed with Fouga, but it was cancelled after only 5 gliders had been completed.
Later Fouga adapted the design as an airliner, adding two 580hp SNECMA 12S piston engines. wo of the production CM.10 gliders were converted to the powered version, CM.100-01, the first prototype (F-WFAV),first flew on 19 January 1949, but no order resulted for this aircraft.
It was later tested with Turbomeca Piméné turbojets mounted on the wingtips as the CM.101R-01.The second aircraft, which was converted as CM.101R-02, (F-WFAV), was first flew on 23 Aug 1951.Only seven aircraft were completed.
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Fouga CM.175 Zéphyr
The Fouga Zéphyr (company designation CM.175) was a 1950s French two-seat carrier-capable jet trainer for the French Navy,developed from the land-based CM.170 Magister.
Originally designated CM-170M Esquif, the prototype first flew on 31 July 1956, and was redesignated as the CM.175 Zéphyr soon after. Carrier trials were conducted from HMS Eagle (R05) and HMS Bulwark (R08) off the French coast.
It differed from the Magister in being equipped with an arrester hook and a modified structure and undercarriage strengthened for naval carrier operations.The Zéphyr also included a nose-mounted light.It did not have ejection seats,so new sliding canopy hoods were fitted which could be locked open during carrier launchings and landings.
One six-round rocket pod could be mounted under each wing for weapons training, and two guns could be fitted in the nose, but these were seldom carried. Thirty-two aircraft were delivered.
The first production aircraft made it`s first flight on 30 May 1959 and entered service in October 1959 with 59S the deck landing school at Hyéres. The squadron used only 14 aircraft at a time with the others being kept in short-term storage and rotated to even out the flying hours. In 1962 the unit formed an aerobatic team using the Zéphyr called the Patrouille de Voltige d'Hyéres.
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FBA Type A,B, and C
The FBA Type A and the similar Type B and C were a family of reconnaissance flying boats produced in France prior to and during World War I.
The Type A had a single-bay wing, while the larger Type B and C had two bay wings which otherwise only differed in the engine installed, with the type B using a 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape and the type C using a 130 hp Clerget 9B.The pilot and observer sat side by side in the open cockpit.
The RNAS contracted for 20 type B's from Norman Thompson, who was responsible for building flying surfaces for hulls provided from France, which differed by having a rectangular all-flying rudder in place of the D shaped rudder used on French examples. The Type A was the only version with a fin attached to the rudder although some aircraft had a field modification with a fin being added between the hull and the tailplane.
The French Aéronautique Maritime, and Italian Navy followed with orders for Type Bs and Cs in 1915. The FBA flying boats were used for naval patrols and frequently encountered their opposing German and Austro-Hungarian Navy counterparts which led to some being converted to single seaters armed with a machine gun. Three Type Bs became the first aircraft operated by the Portuguese Navy.
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FBA 17 Series
The FBA 17 was a training flying boat produced in France in the 1920s.
Similar in layout to the aircraft that FBA had produced during WW I,the Type 17 was a two-bay biplane with unequal-span,unstaggered wings with side-by-side open cockpits.
Apart from service with the French Navy, a small number were sold to the Polish Navy, the Brazilian Air Force, and also civil operators.
Some versions were built as amphibians, and others had fittings to allow them to be catapulted from warships.
The most commonly used engine was the Hispano-Suiza 8A, a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine that produced 140hp to 180hp depending on the specific subtype fitted.
The US Coast Guard purchased an example in 1931 for test and evaluation, they were pleased with the design, and arranged for the type to be built under licence by the Viking Flying Boat Company in Connecticut.Six aircraft were eventually produced and served with the Coast Guard under the designation OO until the outbreak of World War II.These were fitted with Wright R-760 engines with a gear-driven supercharger to boost its power output to 225hp.
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FBA 310
The FBA Type 310 was a 1930s French touring flying boat or amphibian built by the Franco-British Aviation Company.
The Type 310 was the last design from FBA, and was their only monoplane flying boat.It was designed to sell into a growing market for touring flying-boats in the 1920s and 1930s, the 310 was a shoulder-wing flying boat with stabilizing floats attached to the struts that braced the wing to the hull. It was powered by a single 120 hp Lorraine 5Pc radial engine driving a pusher propeller. The engine was strut-mounted above the wing, with the cabin accommodating a pilot and two passengers.
An amphibian version was also built as the 310/1, but the added weight of the landing gear meant that only one passenger could be carried.
Design and development ceased in 1931 with the lack of both orders and funds, and the factory closed in 1934 when the company was sold to Société des Avions Bernard.
Six Type 310`s and 3 Type 310/1`s were completed.
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Gourdou-Leseurre GL.2
The Gourdou-Leseurre GL.2 (originally, the Gourdou-Leseurre Type B) was a French fighter aircraft which made its maiden flight in 1918.
The GL.2 was a development of the Gourdou-Leseurre Type A which had shown promising performance in testing,but had been rejected by the Aéronautique Militaire due to concerns about the wing design.
The Type B featured not only a new wing,braced by four struts on either side in place of the two per side on the Type A, but also a revised fin and rudder and strengthened undercarriage.20 examples were delivered in November 1918, designated GL.2C.1 in service, but the end of the war meant a loss of official interest.
Gourdou-Leseurre continued development,and by 1920 had an improved version,designated GL.21 or B2 ready for exhibition at the Paris Salon de l'Aéronautique that year.
Two years later, a further revision appeared as the GL.22 or B3. This featured a redesigned wing of greater span, and modified horizontal stabiliser and landing gear.
It proved to be a moderate success,selling 20 to the Aéronautique Maritime as the GL.22C.1, as well as 18 to Finland, 15 to Czechoslovakia, 15 to Estonia, one to Latvia, and Yugoslavia.
The engine was usually a Hispano-Suiza 8Ab,180 hp which gave decent performance, but other engines were used at times.
Manufacture of the GL.22 resumed in an unarmed version known to the company as the B5 and purchased by both the Aéronautique Militaire and Aéronautique Maritime as the GL.22ET.1 for use as an advanced trainer. One of these aircraft was used for trials aboard the aircraft carrier Béarn.
Well into the 1930s, specialised aerobatic versions were produced as the B6 and B7 for Jérôme Cavalli and Fernand Malinvaud respectively, with a second B7 built for Adrienne Bolland.
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Gourdou-Leseurre GL.30, GL40 and GL50 Series
The Gourdou-Leseurre GL.30 was a racing aircraft built in France in 1920 which formed the basis for a highly successful family of fighter aircraft based on the same design.
Like most of Gordou-Lesserre's earlier aircraft, it was a parasol wing design but its planform was trapezoidal rather than rectangular.It was fitted with a beefy Gnome et Rhône 9A Jupiter VIII 9-cyliner air-cooled radial piston engine,of 600 hp.
The GL.31, which had a greater span, almost double the wing area, a fixed undercarriage,and a Gnome-Rhône 9A engine.It was armed with four machine guns,two in the forward fuselage and two in the wings. The GL. 31 was not flown until 1926 and then abandoned, overtaken by the GL.32, the company's entry in a 1923 Aéronautique Militaire competition to select a new fighter. It returned to a rectangular plan wing.
Eventually, 475 of this basic version, dubbed LGL.32C.1 in service, would be ordered by the Aéronautique Militaire and 15 more by the Aéronautique Maritime. Romania ordered a further 50 aircraft of the same design as the examples in French service, Turkey ordered 12 (these designated LGL.32-T) and another one may have been purchased by Japan.
The GL.32 was not long-lasting, and attrition took a heavy toll,by 1934, all remaining examples were relegated to training and as instructional airframes; at the start of 1936, only 135 remained of the original 380 purchased. A number of these were sold to the government of the Second Spanish Republic and to the autonomous Basque Government. Another aircraft was supplied to the Basques in 1937, modified as a dive bomber along the lines of the previous French trials.
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Gourdou-Leseurre GL-812 HY.
The Gourdou-Leseurre GL-812 HY was a 3-seat reconnaissance floatplane from the early 1930`s.
The prototype,known as the L-2,was built in 1926-27.It has a steel tube fuselage,and rectangular wooden wing,the tail had two fins, one above and one below the fuselage.
The entire plane was fabric covered, except the 380 hp Gnome-Rhône 9A Jupiter engine, which was uncowled. The prototype was flown to Copenhagen,and was demonstrated to representatives of several countries.
Six prototype L-3s were constructed,they featured a larger 420 hp Jupiter,steel spars instead of wood, and stronger struts,which allowed for shipboard catapult launching. After successfully testing the L-3, the French navy ordered 14 production GL-810 HY aircraft.The first production 810 HY flew on 23 September 1930, taking off from the Seine at Les Mureaux.
In 1931, 20 GL-811 HYs were ordered, for operation from the seaplane carrier Commandant Teste and from 1933 to 1934 twenty-nine GL-812 HYs and thirteen GL-813 HYs were ordered.
The aircraft had a crew of three,(pilot, observer and gunner),armament consisted of 1 x fixed forward-firing synchronised 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun and 2 x 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine guns on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit, a small bomb load could also be carried.
Most aircraft had been retired by 1939,but that August the remaining aircraft were brought together to re-equip the recently re-activated and mobilized Escadrilles 1S2 and 3S3 to perform coastal anti-submarine patrols.
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Gourdou-Leseurre GL-832 HY
The Gourdou-Leseurre GL-832 HY was a 1930s French light shipboard reconnaissance floatplane.
In 1930 the French Navy issued a requirement for a light coastal patrol seaplane mainly for use in the French colonies.Gourdou-Leseurre built and designed a prototype GL-831 HY which was a modification of the companies earlier GL-830 HY with a smaller Hispano-Suiza radial engine.
It first flew on 23 December 1931 and after testing,in 1933 the French Navy ordered 22 aircraft designated GL-832 HY,this had a less powerful engine (230HP) than the prototype, (250HP)
The two crewed aircraft GL-832 HY was a metal construction low-wing monoplane with fabric covered wings and twin floats.There was two open cockpits in tandem for the crew, each cockpit having a windscreen.The first production aircraft flew on 17 December 1934 and the last on 12 February 1936.
The French Navy used the GL-832 HY on second-line cruisers and on smaller colonial sloops.The smaller sloops did not have a catapult and the aircraft were lowered into the sea using a crane. The aircraft were still operational at the start of the Second World War and were not retired until 1941.
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Hanriot D.I
The Hanriot D.I was a French monoplane racing aircraft,designed in France in flown in early 1912.
René Hanriot had hired Alfred Pagny,from Nieuport as a designer in 1911. Pagny's designs reflected Nieuport practice, particularly with the replacement of Hanriot's graceful boat-like shell fuselages with flat sided, deep chested desgins.His first such monoplane design for Hanriot was the D.I, often known as the Hanriot-Pagny monoplane though since Hanriot sold his aircraft interests to another of his designers,later in 1911 this aircraft is alternatively known as the Ponnier D.I.
The Hanriot D.I was a single seat, Nieuport style mid wing monoplane, with slightly tapered, straight edged wings. Landing wires on each side met over the fuselage at a short pyramidal four strut pylon like that on the Nieuport IV. The single, open cockpit was under the pylon.It was powered either by a 50 hp Gnome rotary engine, partially enclosed in an oil deflecting cowling, open at the bottom or a 6-cylinder Anzani static radial engine of similar power output.
At least one D.I was built early in 1912 in the UK by the recently founded Hanriot (England) Ltd company.
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Hanriot HD.2 Series.
The Hanriot HD.2 was a biplane floatplane fighter aircraft produced in France during the First World War.
The design was based on that of the HD.1, but was a purpose-built floatplane,rather than just a modified type.It had larger tail surfaces and a shorter wingspan with greater area.Like its predecessor, though, it was a conventional single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span.
The HD.2 was developed specifically as an interceptor to defend flying boat bases, but soon was used as an escort fighter to protect French reconnaissance flying boats.The US Navy also bought 10 examples with wheeled undercarriages, designated HD.2C.
The French and USN used these aircraft in early experiments in launching fighters from warships. The USN replicated the French trials where a HD.1 had been launched from a platform built on top of one of the turrets of the battleship Paris and built a similar platform on the USS Mississippi to launch a HD.2 from. The French Navy also converted some of their HD.2s to wheeled configuration and used them for trials on the new aircraft carrier Béarn.
A final experiment in launching a HD.2 from a ship was carried out in 1924 with two new-built examples designated H.29.A launching system was developed where the aircraft were equipped with three small pulley-wheels, one on each tip of the upper wing, and one at the tip of the tail fin. These ran along metal rails that had been attached to project horizontally from the mast of the battleship Lorraine. This did not work as planned, succeeding only in dumping the aircraft into the water below.
Only 15 aircraft were completed however they used a range of engines 130 HP, 170 HP and 180 HP.
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Hanriot HD.3 Series
The Hanriot HD.3 C.2 was a two-seat fighter aircraft produced in France during World War I.
Similar in appearance to a scaled-up HD.1, the Hanriot HD.3 was a conventional,single-bay biplane with staggered wings of equal span.The pilot and gunner sat in tandem, open cockpits and the main units of the fixed tailskid undercarriage were linked by a cross-axle.Short struts braced the fuselage sides to the lower wing.
It`s first flight was in June 1917,flight testing revealed excellent performance, and the French government ordered 300 of the type in 1918.When the war ended the contract was cancelled with around 75 aircraft having been delivered to the Aéronautique Militaire and at least 15 to the Aéronautique Maritime.Powerplant was aSalmson 9Za nine-cylinder water-cooled radial engine of 260 hp,which gave a max speed of around 120 mph and a cruise of 105 mph.
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Hanriot HD.15
The Hanriot HD.15 was a French two seat fighter aircraft from the 1920`s fitted with a supercharger for high altitude performance.
It was powered by a Hispano-Suiza 8Fb 8-cylinder upright water-cooled V-8 engine fitted with a Rateau turbo-supercharger intended to maintain sea level powers to altitudes up to 5,000 m.
The fuselage of the HD.15 had tubular cross-section longerons with similar, triangularly arranged, cross bracing.The pilot's open cockpit was just behind the main wing spar, under a deep trailing edge cut-out to improve upwards and forward vision.it had two fixed forward firing 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Darne machine guns.
Behind was the observer's cockpit, fitted with a mounted pair of 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Darne machine guns. The fuselage was fabric covered from the pilot's cockpit aft. The Hispano engine, enclosed under a metal cowling, was cooled with a pair of circular cross-section radiators mounted ventrally between the undercarriage legs.It had a fixed conventional undercarriage,with mainwheels on a single axle mounted on the lower fuselage by two pairs of V-struts.
It first flew in April 1922 and should have been in competition with the Gourdou-Leseurre GL.50, but the two seat reconnaissance fighter programme had been abandoned before this date. The whole high altitude fighter project,was dropped due to the inability of Rateau to deliver reliable superchargers in quantity.
The Japanese Army became interested in supercharger-engined fighters and in 1926 the prototype HD.15 was sold and delivered to them.An order for three more followed, but the ship taking them to Japan was sunk by a tidal wave enroute.
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Hanriot H.35
The Hanriot H.35 was a 1920s French intermediate training monoplane designed and built by Avions Hanriot.
It was developed from the earlier H.34 basic trainer and was a two-seat strut-braced parasol monoplane.The H.35 was powered by a 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ab piston engine. Twelve aircraft were built for use with the Hanriot flying school and also the Societe Francaise d'Aviation at Orly.
A 1925 development of the H.35 was the H.36 which was a twin-float equipped version powered by a 120 hp Salmson 9Ac piston engine.An order for 50 H.36s was placed by Yugoslavia, but only 12 H.35`s were completed.
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Hanriot H.43 Series.
The Hanriot H.43 was a military utility aircraft produced in France in the late 1920s and early 1930s which was primarily used by the Aéronautique Militaire as a trainer.
It was an entirely new design from Hanriot,which had been concentrating on developments of the HD.14 for several years.The H.43 was a conventional single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span and a fuselage of fabric-covered metal tube.The pilot and passenger sat in tandem, open cockpits and the main units of the fixed, tailskid undercarriage were linked by a cross-axle.
Two prototypes appeared in 1927 and were followed by the LH.431 in 1928, a much-modified version that dispensed with the sweepback used on both the upper and lower wings of the H.43.It had a new tail fin and added metal covering to the sides of the fuselage.This was ordered into production by the Aéronautique Militaire, which ordered 50 aircraft.These were slightly different from the LH.431 prototype, having divided main undercarriage units, wings of slightly greater area, and redesigned interplane struts.
The Army acquired nearly 150 examples for a variety of support roles including training, liaison, observation, and as an air ambulance.At the Fall of France in 1940, 75 of these aircraft remained in service.
H.43 variants were also operated by civil flying schools in France, as well as 12 examples purchased for the military of Peru.
Various engines types were fitted in the different sub types, some 7 or 9 cylinder anything from 200hp up to almost 300hp.Around 160 aircraft were completed.
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Lorraine-Hanriot LH.70
The Lorraine-Hanriot LH.70 or S.A.B. LH.70 was a French trimotor designed to a 1930 government programme for a colonial policing aircraft.
The aircraft programme was led by the Direction Générale Technique and one of its requirements was for all metal construction to withstand the hot and humid climates of French African colonies.Another was to provide a large and flexible load carrying space, so it could be used for variety of tasks.
It had a high wing,built in three parts: a short central section which joined the fuselage and two outer panels occupying the majority of the span.The wings were constructed around four spars and, like the rest of the aircraft were duralumin skinned.There were high aspect ratio ailerons over more than half the span.
The LH.70 was powered by three 300 hp Lorraine 9Na Algol nine cylinder radial engines with narrow chord ring cowlings.Two were mounted on the undersides of the wings with full-chord nacelles and the third engine was on the nose of the fuselage.The fully enclosed cabin was just ahead of the wing, seating the pilots side-by-side with dual controls. Behind that was the main load carrying space, up to 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in) high, accessed via a port side,door just aft of the wing trailing edge and lit by a strip of small rectangular windows under the wing.
To cope with rough colonial landing fields the LH.70 needed a robust undercarriage.Its 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in) track determined by the separation of the outer engines.
The exact date of the LH.70's first flight is unknown but it thought to be late 1932,two examples were reported as under construction at Bordeaux-Merignac and in January 1933,one LH.70 was at Villacoublay where Descamps demonstrated it to S.T.I.Aé officials. At the same time the other LH.70 was at Bordeaux undergoing modifications.At Villacoublay modifications to the LH.70 required a redetermination of the centre of gravity.It was back in Bordeaux early in 1934,but returned,after three months, Deschamps once again demonstrated the aircraft.It did not succeed in the competition for a production contract, which was won by the Bloch MB.120.Their history after this is unknown,just two examples were completed.
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Hanriot H.110 / H.115
The Hanriot H.110 was an unusual pusher configuration,twin boom,single seat fighter aircraft built in France in the early 1930s.
The all-metal H.110 had an open cockpit and engine in a short central nacelle.It was powered by a 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs supercharged upright water-cooled V-12 engine behind the pilot, driving a three-blade pusher propeller.The pilot's headrest was smoothly faired into the engine cowling. Max speed was 220mph with a cruise of 185mph.
It began flight testing in April 1933.Against its smaller and lighter competitors,it proved slower and less manoeuvrable and was returned to Hanriot for modification.
It flew in April 1934 as the H.115, with its engine uprated to 691 hp, a new four-blade propeller with variable-pitch and a revised nacelle, shortened forward of the cockpit by 360 mm.A 33 mm APX cannon was now housed in a fairing below the nacelle as an alternative to the earlier pair of Chatellerault 7.5 mm machine guns. With its new engine and propeller the H.115 was slightly quicker than the earlier version,with a top speed of 242 mph.After more modifications and tweeks over the winter of 1934-5 it returned to Villacoublay in June 1935 and was officially flight tested until mid August, but failed to attract a contract.
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Hanriot H.230 Series
Hanriot H.230 was a French twin-engined advanced trainer.The aircraft was produced by the nationalized factory SNCAC.
The prototype H.230.01, made its first flight in June 1937.The aircraft resembled its predecessor,the H.220 fighter-bomber, but had a lightened and simplified structure.
It was powered by two 172 hp Salmson 6Af engines and its configuration included a short crew canopy faired into the upper decking of the rear fuselage and a conventional strut-braced tail unit, and the fixed main landing gear units incorporated spatted wheel fairings. During further tests it was decided to modify the wingtips to improve stability. Later twin fins and rudders were introduced and the power was increased with new 230 hp Salmson 6Af-02 engines.
The Hanriot H.232.01 had a single fin and rudder and was equipped with twin 220 hp Renault 6Q-02/03 engines plus retractable landing gear.The H.232.02, which made its maiden flight in August 1938,introduced a redesigned cockpit and this aircraft was tested between October 1938 and May 1939.
The type was then given a twin fin and rudder tail assembly and was flown in this new configuration in December 1939, then redesignated H.232/2.01.
The French Air Ministry made an initial order of 40 H.232.2's,but this was soon extended to 57.The French Air Force started to receive their H-232.2's in February, 1940, and received a total of 35 before the defeat against the Germans in June 1940.
The Germans captured 22 aircraft of this type, and since they did not have any use of them, Finland placed an order for three aircraft from the Germans.One was destroyed in an accident during the ferry flight to Finland, the other two saw service as advanced trainers in the Finnish Air Force and were written off on January 2, 1950. During the Winter War the French had planned to send 25 aircraft of this type to Finland. The German aircraft were scrapped in 1942.
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Kellner-Béchereau EC.4
The Kellner-Béchereau EC.4 and Kellner-Béchereau ED.5 were a pair of French training aircraft with side-by-side seating and a novel "double wing" patented by their designer, Louis Béchereau. The principal difference was that the EC.4 had an all-wood structure whereas the ED.5 was all-metal.Both were single-engine, mid-wing cantilever monoplanes.
In the 1930s,aircraft designer Louis Béchereau set up Avions Kellner-Béchereau, a collaboration with the well-known automobile coach builders Kellner. In 1936–37 the company built a series of small monoplanes exploiting one of Béchereau's patents.A full span lateral division of the wing into two sections forming a "double wing", a little like that used by Junkers but with a more equal division of area.
The wing was first tested on the single-seat Kellner-Béchereau E.1 on 1936, which was followed by two larger and more powerful two-seaters, the EC.4 and ED.5.
Both of these were designed to meet the French Air Ministry's requirement for a pre-military trainer aircraft to be used by the clubs set up in the "Aviation Populaire" programme.
The dimensions of the EC.4 and ED.5 were the same,as were seating,engine and undercarriage.The loaded weight of the metal aircraft was 25 kg less.
Performance was similar, with identical maximum speeds; the lighter ED.5 had a 3 mph lower stalling speed but a 35 mi shorter range.
The Kellner-Béchereau designs were not ordered,the Air Ministry preferring the Caudron C.270 and the Salmson Cri-Cri which were both bought in large numbers.Instead, Kellner-Béchereau, along with other manufacturers, built the Cri-Cri under licence.
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Lebaudy Patrie
The Lebaudy Patrie was a semi-rigid airship (196ft long),built for the French army in Moisson, France, by sugar producers Lebaudy Frčres.It was designed by Henri Julliot, Lebaudy's chief engineer, the Patrie was completed in November 1906 and handed over to the military the following month.The Patrie was the first airship ordered for military service by the French Army.
Following the successful completion of test operations,in both tethered and untethered flight in November 1907 the Patrie was transferred under her own power to her operational base at Verdun, near the German border. Due to a mechanical fault, the Patrie became stranded away from her base on 29 November 1907 in Souhesmes and during a storm on 30 November she was torn loose from her temporary moorings and, despite the efforts of some 200 soldiers who tried to restrain her, she was carried away by the high winds.
After crossing the English Channel and passing unseen through English airspace during the night, the Patrie was sighted over Wales and Ireland on 1 December.
She made a brief landfall near Belfast, before rising again to be blown out over the Atlantic Ocean.Following a sighting from a steamship off the Hebrides, she was never seen again.
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Levasseur PL.2
The Levasseur PL.2 was a French biplane torpedo bomber designed by Pierre Levasseur for the French Navy.
This was the second design of Pierre Levasseur and was a single-seat unequal-span biplane inspired by designs from Blackburn Aircraft.It had a fixed tailskid landing gear and was powered by a nose-mounted Renault engine of 580HP.
The first prototype flew in November 1922,a second prototype had a four-bladed propeller and other powerplant improvements.Nine production aircraft were built in 1923, these were fitted with ballonets and jettisonable landing gear for operations at sea.It had one 7.7mm machine gun and could carry a bomb/torpedo load of 450KG.
The aircraft entered service in 1926 aboard the French aircraft carrier Béarn and continued in use until they were scrapped in 1932.
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Levasseur PL.4
The Levasseur PL.4,was a carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft produced in France in the mid 1920s.
It was a single-bay biplane that carried three crew in tandem, open cockpits. They were purchased by the Aéronavale to operate from the aircraft carrier Béarn, it incorporated several safety features,from small floats attached directly to the undersides of the lower wing, the main units of the fixed, tailskid undercarriage could be jettisoned in flight, and the underside of the fuselage was given a boatshape and made watertight.
Power was from a Lorraine-Dietrich 12Eb W-12 water-cooled piston engine, of 450 hp which gave a max speed of around 110mph.It was armed with a 7.7mm machine gun mounted to a Scarff Ring in the centre cockpit,40 aircraft were built for the Aéronautique Navale.
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Levasseur PL.8
The Levasseur PL.8 was a single engine,two-seat long-distance record-breaking biplane aircraft modified from an existing Levasseur PL.4 carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft produced in France in the 1920s.
The aircraft were built in 1927, specifically for pilots Charles Nungesser and François Coli for a transatlantic flight attempt to win the Orteig Prize.Just two examples of the type were built, with the first PL.8-01 named L'Oiseau Blanc (The White Bird), that gained fame as Nungesser and Coli's aircraft.
It was based on the PL.4 for the Aéronavale,the PL.8 was a conventional single-bay wood and fabric-covered biplane that carried a crew of two in a side-by-side open cockpit.
Modifications included the reinforcement of the fuselage,the main cockpit widened to allow Nungesser and Coli to sit side-by-side,and the wingspan was increased to approximately 15 m (49 ft).Additional fuel tanks were also added.Their plan was to make a water landing in New York in front of the Statue of Liberty so the features of the PL4 being able to land in water were retained.
A single W-12ED Lorraine-Dietrich 460 hp engine was used with the cylinders set in three banks spaced 60° apart from one another, similar to the arrangement used in Napier engines.The engine was tested to ensure it would last the entire flight and was run for over 40 hours while still in the Parisian factory.
The aircraft was painted white and had the French tricolor markings, with Nungesser's WW I flying ace logo: a skull and crossbones, candles and a coffin, on a black heart.The biplane carried no radio and relied only on celestial navigation, a specialty of Coli from his previous flights around the Mediterranean.
In 1928, a second PL.8 was built,with a Hispano-Suiza 12M 500 hp engine.The PL.8-02 was intended as a long-range record breaker but modified as an air mail carrier. On 20 December 1929, the second PL.8-02, registered F-AJKP based at Dakar while flown by pilot Henry Delaunay, was badly damaged when it hit a pothole on landing at Istres and not repaired.
L'Oiseau Blanc took off at 5:17 a.m. 8 May 1927 from Le Bourget Field in Paris, heading for New York.The biplane weighed 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) on takeoff, extremely heavy for a single-engined aircraft.The intended flight path was a great circle route, which would have taken them across the English Channel, over southwestern England and Ireland, across the Atlantic to Newfoundland, then south over Nova Scotia, to Boston, and finally to a water landing in New York.
Tens of thousands of people crowding Battery Park in Manhattan to have a good view of the Statue of Liberty, where the aircraft was scheduled to touch down,but after their estimated time of arrival had passed, with no word as to the aircraft's fate, it was realized that the aircraft had been lost.
Rumors circulated that L'Oiseau Blanc had been sighted along its route, in Newfoundland, or over Long Island, and despite the launch of an international search, after two weeks, further search efforts were abandoned.
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Levasseur PL.15
The Levasseur PL.15 was a three crew torpedo bomber seaplane developed in France in the early 1930s.
It was a development from Levasseur's PL.14 that had, in turn, been developed from the carrier-based PL.7.The PL.14 retained the PL.7's boat-like fuselage,the PL.15 was a purpose-built seaplane with an all-new,slender designed fuselage.It had a rearward-firing machine gun,and could carry bombs or torpedos.
Powerplant was a Hispano-Suiza 12Nb, of 650 hp,which gave the aircraft a top speed of around 130mph and a cruise speed of 115mph.
The Aéronavale ordered 16 PL.15s,and purchased and deployed the prototype as well.These were in service from 1933 to 1938, when they were put into storage.The PL.15s were recommissioned with the outbreak of war in September 1939, and were used for anti-submarine patrol along France's Atlantic coast.
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Lioré et Olivier LeO 7
Lioré-et-Olivier was a French manufacturer of aircraft of the 20th century,founded in 1912 by Fernand Lioré and Henri Olivier.The company was nationalized in 1936,and later merged with several other aero manufactures to form the Société Nationale des Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud-Est (SNCASE) on 1 February 1937.
The Lioré et Olivier LéO 7 was a French bomber escort biplane designed and built for the French Air Force.It was a three-crew bomber escort biplane developed from the LéO 5 ground-attack biplane.In 1922 the production version began to energe (the LéO 7/2) had a wide-track landing gear and gunner's cockpits in the snub nose and amidships.The pilot was located in a cockpit just behind the wing trailing edge.
It was powered by a pair of Hispano-Suiza 8Fb V-8 engines of 300 hp each, which gave a max speed of 118mph.
Twenty LéO 7/2s were built followed by 18 LéO 7/3s which were a navalised version with increased wingspan.
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Lioré et Olivier LeO 12
The Lioré et Olivier LeO 12 was a night bomber which first flew in June 1924.
It was a large biplane of conventional design, with three-bay equal-span wings and twin engines mounted in nacelles on struts.The main undercarriage units were faired in long spats.Construction throughout was mainly duralumin,then skinned in fabric.The pilot's cockpit was open, and there was a second cockpit further back for a gunner.
The two engines were Lorraine-Dietrich 12Db, producing 400 hp each, which gave a max speed of just over 125mph.
The French Air Force was not interested in the type,so three of the four examples built were modified for other roles.One became a 12-seat passenger transport that Lioré et Olivier operated on an airline subsidiary, another had its cockpit and gunner's hatch enclosed and was used by the French air ministry as an experimental testbed.
The third received new engines and better defensive armament and was again demonstrated to the army.The reception to this type,the LeO 122,was a little more enthusiastic,so Lioré et Olivier used it as the basis for further development work that would result in the successful LeO 20.
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Lioré et Olivier LeO H-190 Series
The Lioré et Olivier H-190 was a flying boat airliner produced in the late 1920s.
It was a single-bay biplane with un-staggered wings,it had a single Gnome et Rhône 9Ad Jupiter 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine of 420 hp mounted underneath the upper wing and supported on struts in the interplane gap. The first flight was in early 1926 and proved reasonably successful.
Early examples had the pilot's open cockpit located behind the wing,but this was later relocated further forward.Military versions had 4x 7.7 mm (0.30 in) Lewis machine-guns on twin flexible mounts in front and rear gunner's compartments.
Although it was developed as a passenger transport,versions of the H-190 were also built as catapult-ready mail planes to be launched from transatlantic liners,and used for coastal patrol.
A sole LeO H-194 was flown by Marc Bernard together with a CAMS 37 flown by René Guilbaud in a long-distance expeditionary flight across Africa in late 1926.They covered 17,000 miles in three months,visiting various French African colonies.
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Lioré et Olivier LeO H-240 Series
The Lioré et Olivier LeO H.242 was a French-manufactured flying boat that was used for European passenger air services in the 1930s.Several were operated by Air France.
The first flight was 1929,but they did not enter service until 1933 as the H-242.
They were powered by four Gnome-Rhône 7Kd Titan Major 350hp radial engines,using a push-pill configuration.Two were built for Air France and delivered in December 1933 and February 1934,they could carry ten passengers.
Then came the H242/1 a revised production version, with a modified engine installation.Twelve were built for Air France and delivered between March 1935 and May 1937, carrying twelve passengers. Most H.242/1s were fitted with wide chord NACA cowlings over the front engines only.
In total 15 aircraft were completed,Air France retired them in 1942.
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Sud-est LeO H-246
The LeO H-246 was a large four-engined flying boat from the late 1930s.
It was designed to meet a 1935 requirement for a commercial flying boat for use on Mediterranean routes of Air France.It was a four-engined parasol monoplane of mixed construction and powered by four 720 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xir liquid cooled V12 engines.The four engines were mounted in streamlined nacelles ahead of the leading edge of the wing.It had a duralumin hull of similar layout to that the H-47 which accommodated seats for 26 passengers and a crew of four.
The aircraft was built by Sud-Est and made its maiden flight from the Étang de Berre on 30 September 1937.Air France ordered six H-246.1 aircraft in January 1938, plus the prototype also after a refit to production standard for commercial service.
The refurbished prototype and the first production aircraft were being readied for commercial service when the World War II broke out in September 1939.The French Navy planned to requisition the H-246s as maritime patrol aircraft, but Air France still needed them,so the Navy agreed to take over only four of the aircraft.This allowed Air France to commence operations with the prototype on the Marseille–Algiers route on 14 October 1939.
The third production aircraft was completed for the Navy in June 1940, with a glazed position in the nose for a bombardier/navigator, bomb racks below the wings and four 7.5 mm Darne machine guns as defensive armament.It entered service on 25 August 1940, the only aircraft of the type actually to be operated by the French Navy, with the remaining aircraft going to Air France.
In November 1942, the Allies landed in French North Africa and, in response,German forces occupied Vichy France.They seized the single French Navy H-246,along with three Air France aircraft.The Luftwaffe took over the three seized aircraft,fitting them with five MG 15 machine guns as defensive armament and carrying up to 21 soldiers or 14 stretchers.They were used for various tasks,including transport in Finland.
The ex-French Navy H-246 was destroyed at Lyon by Allied attacks in the spring of 1944.After the war, the two surviving H-246s were used by Air France to restart the Marseille–Algiers service, continuing in use until September 1946.
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Lioré et Olivier LeO H-43
The Lioré et Olivier LeO H-43 was a reconnaissance seaplane produced in the 1930s.
It was a strut-braced, mid-wing monoplane of largely conventional design, provided with an observation balcony underneath the fuselage.It was designed to be launched by catapult from warships and, after a first flight in Dec 1934,trials continued.
Disagreements and redesigns meant the prototype underwent much modification before an order for 20 machines was placed by the Aéronavale. Even after this, a major redesign to the forward fuselage was specified as part of the production order.This meant that the first test flight of the production version did not take place until 13 July 1939, by which time the H-43 was already obsolete.
The aircraft had a crew of three,and was powered by a Hispano-Suiza 9Vb,of 650 hp,which gave performance of max speed of just under 140mph with a cruise of 117mph.It was fitted with two fixed forward firing machine guns.The 20 examples purchased briefly equipped two squadrons from February 1940, but all were withdrawn with the Fall of France.
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Lioré et Olivier LeO 45
The Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 45 was a four crew French medium bomber that was used during and after WWII.
The LeO 45 was a low-wing monoplane,all-metal in construction,and equipped with a retractable undercarriage and powered by two 1,060 hp Gnome-Rhône 14N engines.
The prototype,made its first flight on 15 January 1937,was fitted with two 1,100 hp Hispano-Suiza engines.The LeO 45 had been developed as a modern and advanced bomber for the new Armée de l'air, which had gained its independence on 1 April 1933.It was introduced to operational service in 1938, it was a very effective and capable bomber.
It was too late to provide any useful contribution during the Battle of France in the face of an invasion by Nazi Germany.As a result of the Armistice of 22 June 1940, the type continued to be manufactured and operated by occupied Vichy France as Free France forces operated the aircraft.
On 29 November 1937, an order for 20 production machines was received, the first of which being specified for delivery in May 1938.On 26 March 1938, a further 20 LeO 450 was ordered in line with the French Air Ministry's new plan of reequipping of 22 bomber units.
In October 1938, it was specified that all production LeO 45 aircraft were to be equipped with Gnome-Rhône engines in place of the Hispano-Suiza powerplants.However,this caused considerable delays in the delivery of the first production aircraft.The first LeO 45 performed its maiden flight on 24 March 1939.Further production issues were encountered as a result of supply problems with Gnome-Rhone engines and associated propellers.
By September 1939, the eve of the outbreak of the Second World War, there were a total of 749 LeO 45 aircraft on order; this included several different variants of the type,including aircraft outfitted with American-built Wright GR-2600-A5B engines, and 12 aircraft which had been ordered for the Greek Air Force.At the same point, there were only 10 LeO 451 bombers in French Air Force service, while another 22 were in the process of being delivered. It was at this point that a flurry of additional wartime production orders were issued, calling for hundreds more aircraft to be manufactured, amounting to around 1,549 LeO 45 aircraft of various models.
Following the war, the 67 surviving aircraft were mostly used as trainers and transports.The LeO 451 was withdrawn in September 1957, making it the last pre-war French design to retire from active duty.
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Loire Aviation / Loire 11
Loire Aviation was a French aircraft manufacturer in the inter-war period, specializing in seaplanes, and based in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Loire was founded in 1925 as a division of Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, a shipbuilding company based at St Nazaire.ACL were interested in diversifying into the new area of naval aviation, combining its knowledge of metal work and naval construction to produce seaplanes for the French mail service.
The Loire 11 was a French three-seat general-purpose monoplane,and the first original design by the company and was to meet a requirement for a general-purpose transport for operation in the French colonies.
It was a strut-braced high-wing monoplane with three-seats and was powered by a 300 hp Lorraine Algol radial engine.This gave a max speed of 125mph and a cruise of 110mph.
Only two prototypes were produced in 1930 and the project was abandoned in 1931 despite encouraging results from trails as it failed to interest the French government.
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Loire 46
The Loire 46 was a French single-seater fighter aircraft of the mid-1930s.
The Loire 46 was a development of the Loire 43 and 45.It retained their gull mono-wing configuration, open cockpit, and fixed landing gear.The first of five prototype Loire 46s flew in September 1934.It had excellent handling characteristics and 60 production aircraft were ordered by the Armée de l'Air.
They were powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14Kfs 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial piston engine of 930 hp.Armament was four fixed 7.5 mm (0.295 inch) MAC 1934 machine guns mounted in the wings.
The first production aircraft arrived at fighter Escadrilles in August 1936.A little later In September 1936, the five prototype Loire 46s were sent to the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War.
By the beginning of World War II, the Loire 46 was obsolete and most of these fighters had been relegated to Armée de l'Air training schools,where they were used as advanced trainers. However, one fighter Escadrille was still equipped with the Loire 46 during the early weeks of the war.They were outclassed against modern German fighters
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Loire 70
The Loire 70 was a 1930s French long-range maritime reconnaissance flying boat.
It was designed to meet a 1932 French Navy requirement,the prototype first flew on 28 December 1933.It was an all-metal monoplane,with a braced high wing, and three radial engines mounted above the wing,two as tractors and one as a pusher.Armament was six 7.5mm (0.295 in) Darne machine guns and four 150kg bombs could be carried.
The original engines, three 500 hp Gnome et Rhône 9Kbr radials,were not powerful enough and were replaced with 740 hp Gnome-Rhône 9Kfr radials.These gave the aircraft a cruising speed of 105mph and a max of 145mph.
The seven production aircraft and prototype were delivered to the French Navy, serving with Escadrille E7 in Tunisia.In the early days of World War II, the aircraft carried out patrols in the Mediterranean area. An Italian raid on their base on 12 June 1940,destroyed 3 of the 4 surviving aircraft the fate of the last aircraft is unknown.
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Loire 210
The Loire 210 was a French single-seat catapult-launched fighter seaplane designed for the French Navy.The prototype first flew at Saint Nazaire on 21 March 1935.
The fuselage came from the earlier Loire 46 fitted with a new low-wing which was foldable for shipboard stowage.It had a large central float and two underwing auxiliary floats and was powered by a single nose-mounted Hispano-Suiza 9Vbs radial engine of 720hp.Cruising speed was 125mph, with a max speed of 185mph,it had a range of around 460 miles.
The prototype was fitted with two wing mounted machine guns, and was evaluated by the French Navy against a number of other types,with the 210 achieving a production order for 20 aircraft in March 1937.Production aircraft were fitted with four wing-mounted Darne machine guns.
The aircraft entered service in August 1939,but within three months five aircraft had been lost due to structural failure of the wing,so the remaining aircraft were grounded and withdrawn from use.
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Loire-Nieuport 161
The Loire-Nieuport 161 was a single seat,single engine,all metal,low wing monoplane fighter built in France in the mid 1930`s. Loire and Nieuport had merged in 1934,but retained separate offices.
Later in 1936 further mergers happened when they were nationalised and became part of SNCAO.
The 161 was Loire-Nieuport`s first products and was in response to a requirement for a new advanced monoplane fighter.It was powered by an upright V-12 Supercharged Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs of 860hp giving a top speed of just under 300mph.It had a cantilever wing and a wide track retractable undercarriage,it first flew in early October 1935,although it did not have it`s intended engine as they were not ready. Instead it flew with a 600hp Hispano-Suiza engine driving a two bladed prop.
In 1936 it flew with the improved engine and featured a 3 blade variable pitch prop.It featured a 200mm cannon that fired through the spinner and was mounted between the engine cylinder banks, it also had two machine guns of 7.5mm calibre mounted in the wings.
Three prototypes were built, the first was lost in a crash in Sept 1936, which had a significant delay on the test programme. The second prototype was lost in April 1938,by which time development was halted, as the contract had been awarded to another type, the Morane Saulnier MS405. The fourth LN161 was left uncompleted.
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Loire-Nieuport LN-40 Series
The Loire-Nieuport LN-40 was a series of French Naval dive-bombers produced in the late 1930`s.
In mid 1937 an order was placed for a prototype,followed up by orders for seven production aircraft for the carrier Bearn, and a further three for evaluation by the Air Force.The land version would be named LN-41 plans were to order over 180 aircraft for several squadrons.
The prototype made it`s first flight on the 6th July 1938,with another in Jan 1939 and a third later in May 1939.Flight tests found the dive brakes were almost useless, they were removed and the extended landing gear doors could be used as airbrakes.
The aircraft was much too slow for the air forces requirements, they requested a faster version which would become the LN.42 which had a more powerful 860hp against 690hp engine.
In July 1939 an order was placed for 36 LN401`s for the Navy and 36 de-navalised LN411`s for the Army. Deliveries began in September 1939.The aircraft were completely outclassed by German aircraft during The Battle Of France, and losses were heavy.In total some 68 aircraft were completed.
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Morane-Borel monoplane
The Morane-Borel monoplane (sometimes referred to as Morane-Saulnier Type A was an early French single-engine, single-seat aircraft.
The Monoplane was a mid-wing tractor configuration monoplane powered by a 50 hp Gnome Omega seven-cylinder rotary engine driving a two-bladed propeller. Lateral control was effected by wing warping and the empennage consisted of a fixed horizontal stabiliser with tip-mounted full-chord elevators at either end and an aerodynamically balanced rudder, with no fixed vertical surface. In later examples the horizontal surfaces were modified.
The Monoplane achieved fame when Jules Védrines flew one to victory in the 1911 Paris-to-Madrid air race, the only competitor to finish the four-day course. Later in the year he came second in the Circuit of Britain, flying an aircraft powered by a 70 hp Gnome.
As of 2007, a single example remains extant, undergoing conservation work at the Canada Aviation Museum
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Morane-Saulnier N
The Morane-Saulnier N, also known as the Morane-Saulnier Type N, was a French monoplane fighter aircraft of the First World War.
The Type N was a streamlined aircraft, but it was not easy to fly due to a combination of stiff lateral control caused by using wing warping instead of ailerons, sensitive pitch and yaw controls caused by using an all flying tail, and very high landing speed for the period. The Type N mounted a single unsynchronized forward-firing 7.9 mm Hotchkiss machine gun which used the deflector wedges first used on the Morane-Saulnier Type L, in order to fire through the propeller arc. The later I and V types used a .303-in Vickers machine gun.
It entered service in April 1915 with the Aéronautique Militaire designated as the MoS-5 C1. It also equipped four squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps, in which it was nicknamed the Bullet.
In total 49 aircraft were built but it was quickly rendered obsolete.
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Morane-Saulnier T
The Morane-Saulnier T (or Morane-Saulnier MoS.25 A.3) was a French biplane reconnaissance aircraft.
It was a large, five-bay biplane of conventional configuration, with unstaggered wings of equal span. The tapered rear fuselage and large triangular vertical stabilizer were reminiscent of those used on Morane-Saulnier's smaller designs.The engines were mounted in streamlined nacelles supported by struts suspended between the wings and the propellers on the Type T were sometimes fitted with large spinners.The landing gear consisted of two main units, each of which had two wheels joined by a long axle, plus a tailskid and a nosewheel.Three open cockpits in tandem were provided, with one gunner in the nose, and another behind the wing, while the pilot was under the top wing.
The aircraft were introduced into service in August 1917,ninety aircraft were built,but almost all were retired by early 1918.
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Morane-Saulnier AI
The Morane-Saulnier AI (also known as the Type AI) was a French parasol-wing fighter aircraft produced during World War I.
The AI was development of the Morane-Saulnier Type N concept, and was intended to replace the Nieuport 17 and SPAD VII in French service, in competition with the SPAD XIII.
Its Gnome Monosoupape 9N 160 CV rotary engine was mounted in a circular open-front cowling. The strut braced parasol wing was slightly swept back. The spars and ribs of the circular section fuselage were wood, wire-braced and covered in fabric.Production aircraft were given service designations based on whether they had 1 gun (designated MoS 27) or 2 guns (designated MoS 29).
By mid-May 1918, most of the aircraft were replaced by the SPAD XIII.After structural problems had been resolved, the aircraft were then relegated to use as advanced trainers, with new purpose built examples being designated MoS 30.Many were used post-war after having been surplussed off, as aerobatic aircraft,Fifty-one MoS 30s were purchased by the American Expeditionary Force as pursuit trainers.
Three surviving AIs are flown from La Ferté-Alais.The Fantasy of Flight collection in Florida has an AI that was sold to the United States Army Air Service in 1918 for testing at McCook Field in Ohio until being sold off for private use. It later joined the Tallmantz Collection which was then acquired by Fantasy of Flight in 1985 and restored in the late 1980s.
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Morane-Saulnier BB
The Morane-Saulnier BB was a military observation aircraft produced in France during World War I for use by Britain's Royal Flying Corps.
It was a conventional single-bay biplane design with pilot and observer in tandem, open cockpits. The original order called for 150 aircraft powered by 110-hp Le Rhône 9J rotary engines, but shortages meant that most of the 94 aircraft eventually built were delivered with 80 hp Le Rhône 9C rotaries.A production licence was sold to the Spanish company (CECA), which built twelve fitted with Hispano-Suiza engines in 1916.
It equipped a number of RFC and RNAS squadrons both in its original observation role and, equipped with a forward-firing Lewis gun mounted on the top wing, as a fighter.
In total 107 aircraft were built.
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Morane-Saulnier MS.130 Series
The Morane-Saulnier MS.129 and its derivatives in the MS.130 series were a family of military trainer aircraft produced in France in the 1920s.
They were conventional, parasol-wing monoplanes with open cockpits in tandem and fixed tailskid undercarriage. The initial version, the MS.129, was produced in small numbers for the Romanian Air Force and civil users, but the major production version was the MS.130, which equipped the French Navy and a number of foreign air arms,including China,Brazil,Belgium and Portugal and others.
The second MS.130 prototype won the 1929 Coupe Michelin, flown by Michel Detroyat with an average speed of 120 mph.
The MS.130 was further developed as the MS.230, and at least two MS.130s were later rebuilt to this new standard.Around 150 were built.
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Morane-Saulnier M.S.225
The Morane-Saulnier M.S.225 was a fighter aircraft of the 1930s.It was produced in limited quantities to be used as a transitional aircraft between the last of the biplanes and the first monoplane fighters.
It was a parasol monoplane, with a wide fixed landing gear, and powered by a 500hp Gnome-Rhône 9Krsd radial engine. Having a circular fuselage the M.S.225 was much more robust than its immediate predecessor, the M.S.224.
The Morane-Saulnier M.S.225 was first shown in the form of a model at the Paris Air Show of 1932. After successful flight tests of the prototype, series production started at immediately.
Classified in the category C.1 (single-seat fighter), 75 aircraft were produced. A total of 53 aircraft were delivered to the Air Force in November 1933.The Aéronavale received the first of the 16 aircraft it had ordered in February 1934. Three were also sold to China.At the outbreak of World War II, only 20 M.S.225s were still in flying condition, the majority of them being scrapped in mid-1939.
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Morane-Saulnier MS.350
The Morane-Saulnier MS.350 was a French aerobatic trainer first flown in Feb 1936.Just a single example was built.
It was a two bay biplane with equal span wings. In plan these were straight tapered, with sweep only on the leading edge, and with elliptical tips. The trainer was powered by a neatly cowled, 240 hp Renault 6Pei 6-cylinder inverted air-cooled inline engine,driving a two bladed propThis gave it a max speed of 158 mph,with a cruise of around 140mph.
It`s outstanding aerobatic displays across pre-war Europe made the MS.350 well known. It survived the war and was registered as F-BDYL in 1954 in the name of Jean Cliquet, Morane-Saulnier's chief test pilot, and based at Ossun. From 1956 it was owned by Morane-Saulnier and flew from their base at Villacoubly until it was wrecked in Italy on 8 December 1964.
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Morane-Saulnier Vanneau
The Morane-Saulnier Vanneau (en: plover) is a two-seat basic trainer from the 1940`s.
It was designed in Vichy France as the MS.470 prototype,and first flew on 22 December 1944, successful testing lead to an order from the French Air Force of a revised version the MS.472. The Vanneau was a low-wing monoplane with a pilot and student in tandem under a long glazed canopy. It had a retractable tailwheel landing gear and the prototype was powered by a 690 hp Hispano-Suiza 12X inline engine.
The production version MS.472 was powered by a 570 hp Gnome-Rhône 14M-05 14-cylinder radial engine and first flew on 12 December 1945.Deliveries to the French Air Force starting in December 1946. From December 1947 the French Navy received 70 of the MS.474 variant modified for carrier operations.
Just over 500 aircraft were completed by the time production ended and the Vanneau remained in service with the French Air Force and Navy into the late 1960s.
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Morane-Saulnier MS.570 Series
The Morane-Saulnier MS.570 was a civil utility aircraft produced in small numbers in France in the mid 1940s. It was a development of the MS.560 aerobatic aircraft with a redesigned fuselage that added a second seat,side-by-side with the pilot's and a more powerful Renault 4Pei engine of 140 hp.
It`s first flight was 19th December 1945 and the aircraft had good response,it`s engine was powerful enough to near 160mph.
Like its predecessor, the MS.570 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable tricycle undercarriage. It was an all metal aircraft,the fuselage having a semi-monocoque structure.
The cockpit was enclosed by an expansive bubble canopy that slid rearwards to provide access,and another feature was the wings could be folded for storage.Only 10 aircraft were completed.
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Morane-Saulnier MS.603
The Morane-Saulnier MS.603 was a French-built two-seat light aircraft of the late 1940s.
It was one of three aircraft constructed in the MS.600 series to compete in an officially-sponsored 1947 contest for a light two-seat side-by-side club aircraft to be powered by a 75 hp engine.
The first MS.600, powered by a 75 hp Mathis G-4F piston engine, was a fixed gear, low-winged monoplane of mixed construction, with a single fin and the tailplane set just above the fuselage with a perspex canopy over a side-by-side cockpit for two people. All three aircraft, MS.600, MS.602 and MS.603, were ready for flight in 1947 with the MS.600 flying on 4 June 1947.
Another development, the MS.602, powered by a 75 hp Minie 4DA piston engine, was similar in most respects to the MS.600 and flew on 24 June 1947.
A more powerful derivative emerged as the MS.603, powered by a 100 hp Hirth HM 504A-2 engine and fitted with a fixed tricycle undercarriage.
The tailplane was also changed to a higher set position on the fin which was supported by struts.
Registered as F-WCZU in the experimental series, and re-registered F-PHQY in the amateur-operated series, the MS.602 was owned by Messieurs Gambi and Chanson and based at Saint-Cyr-l'École airfield, west of Paris.By 1983, the aircraft had been withdrawn from service and later scrapped.
The sole MS.603, construction No. 1, was initially registered F-WCZT and later re-registered F-PHJC. It was flown for many years by the Aero Club de Courbevoie. By 1963 it was operated by M. Jean Forster, based at Guyancourt airfield,but was withdrawn from use by 2006 when it was stored at the Musee de l'Aviation du Mas Palegry - near Perpignan.
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Morane-Saulnier MS-700 Pétrel
The Morane-Saulnier MS-700 Pétrel (English: Petrel) was a French four-seat cabin-monoplane from the late 1940`s.
It was a twin-engine, low-wing, cabin-monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear and powered by two 160 hp Potez 4D-33 four-cylinder, inverted inline piston engines.
The prototype, with French test registration F-WFDC, first flew on 8th January 1949.The aircraft was intended as a light liaison aircraft and the second prototype made a demonstration tour of Africa at the end of 1950.In 1952 the second prototype was re-engined with Mathis G8-20 engines and re-designated MS-701.
On 3rd January 1951 a third prototype first flew, it was a MS-703 with a longer fuselage for six-seats and two 240 hp Salmson engines. It was used by the company for a number of years and the first prototype was due to be modified in the late 1950s to the same standards as the MS-703 but with 220 hp Potez engines.
It was not converted and instead was withdrawn from use.Only the three prototypes were built and the type did not enter production.
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Morane-Saulnier MS.755 Fleuret
The MS.755 Fleuret was a prototype French two-seat jet trainer from the early 1950`s. It was a side-by-side low mid-wing monoplane with a T-tail and powered by two 800 lbf Turbomeca Marboré II turbojets.The prototype with French test registration F-ZWRS first flew on 29 January 1953.
The aircraft was not ordered,the Air Force decided on the Fouga CM.170 Magister instead and only one Fleuret was built.In March 1954, the sole prototype MS.755 was disassembled, crated and shipped to Begumpet Air Force Station, India, for tropical weather and trainer-suitability trials with the Indian Air Force.
Morane-Saulnier's Chief Test Pilot, Monsieur Jean Cliquet, and a team of 4 or 5 technicians accompanied the aircraft.The assigned IAF senior pilots were impressed with the MS.755 as a trainer, and ran a series of flight instruction tests where low time students with only 10 hours total flying experience transitioned to the jet and soloed with no problems.
The IAF tests of the MS.755 ended in June 1954 and the aircraft was then crated and shipped back to France,again without any orders for the aircraft.
The Fleuret II which was an enlarged four-seat development, was designed and produced as the MS.760 Paris,which did go into production,with over 210 being built.
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Morane-Saulnier Epervier
The MS.1500 Epervier (Sparrowhawk) was a 1950s French two-seat ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft.
It was designed to meet a requirement for a counter-insurgency aircraft for use by the French Air Force in Algeria.The Epervier was a tandem two-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane.
The prototype first flew on the 12 May 1958 powered by a 400 hp Turbomeca Marcadau turboprop.A second prototype was fitted with a 700 hp Turbomeca Bastan turboprop engine, which gave a max speed of just under 200mph.
Just the two prototypes were completed,the aircraft failed to attract any orders and it did not go into production.
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Nieuport VI
The Nieuport VI was a sport monoplane produced in France in the 1910s.
Like its predecessors, the Nieuport VI was a wire-braced, mid-wing monoplane of conventional design, powered by a single engine in the nose driving a tractor propeller. It differed, however, in being a three-seater rather than a single seater and it used steel for part of its internal structure where earlier designs had used only timber.
It was produced initially as a seaplane and designated VI.G, with twin pontoons as undercarriage, and a teardrop-shaped float under the tail. The pontoons were fitted with small planes at either side of their nose ends to protect the propeller, and reduce the tendency for the nose ends of the floats to submerge while taxiing.A crank was provided inside the cockpit that wound a spring that could be used to turn the engine over.The Type VI also featured a joystick for lateral control in place of the Blériot-style "cloche" controls used on earlier Nieuport designs.
A landplane version for military use was designated the Nieuport VI.M. Military Type VIs were built under licence in Italy by Nieuport-Macchi in Italy, and in Russia.
It`s first flight was August 1912,the aircraft was used in several air races,sporting events and various record attempts.
At the outbreak of World War I, a number of Type VI.M landplanes remained in French, Italian, and Russian service,as did six Type VI.G seaplanes with the French Navy.
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Nieuport 11
The Nieuport 11 (or Nieuport XI C.1 ), nicknamed the Bébé, was a French World War I single seat sesquiplane fighter aircraft, designed by Gustave Delage.
The Nieuport 11 was a smaller, simplified version of the Nieuport 10, designed specifically as a single-seat fighter. Like the "10" the "11" was a sesquiplane, a biplane with a full-sized top wing with two spars, and a lower wing of much narrower chord and a single spar.The sesquiplane layout reduced drag and improved the rate of climb, as well as offering a better view from the cockpit while being substantially stronger than contemporary monoplanes.A drawback was, the narrow lower wing was sometimes subject to aeroelastic flutter at high air speeds, a problem that affected the later "vee-strut" Nieuport fighters.
The Nieuport 11 reached the French front in January 1916, and 90 were in service within the month.It outclassed the Fokker Eindecker in every respect, including speed, climb rate and manoeuvrability. It featured ailerons for lateral control rather than the Fokker's wing warping, giving lighter, quicker roll response, and its elevator was attached to a conventional tail plane which provided better pitch control as opposed to the all-moving, balanced "Morane type" elevators of the Fokker.
During the course of the Battle of Verdun in February 1916, the combination of the Nieuport 11s technical advantages and its concentration in dedicated fighter units allowed the French to establish air superiority, forcing radical changes in German tactics.
Some Nieuport 11s and 16s were fitted to fire Le Prieur rockets from the struts for attacks on observation balloons and airships.
By March 1916 the Bébé was being replaced by both the Nieuport 16 and the much improved Nieuport 17, although Italian-built examples remained in first line service longer, as did Russian examples.
Thereafter the Nieuport 11s continued to be used as trainers.
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Nieuport 14
The Nieuport 14 (or Nieuport XIV A.2) was a military reconnaissance sesquiplane produced in France during the First World War.
It was to have been a two-seat reconnaissance machine capable of making a flight of 110 miles and back while carrying a useful bomb load. Nieuport's design started with the Nieuport 12 reconnaissance aircraft, but had its fuselage stretched to balance out the single nose mounted Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine and its wingspan increased by the addition of an additional bay.Protracted development saw some refinement in the engine installation and the wing area increased from 28 m2 (300 sq ft) square meters to 30 m2 (320 sq ft) resulted in it entering service mid 1916.
Its failure as a combat aircraft meant a dedicated trainer variant was developed, the Nieuport 14 École with dual controls, nosewheels to guard against nose-over accidents, and an 80 hp Le Rhone 9C rotary engine in the place of the original V-8.When further refined, the trainer version was redesignated the Nieuport 82 E.2 and would be nicknamed Grosse Julie.
Deliveries to reconnaissance squadrons commenced in late 1916, replacing obsolete Voisin III and V types. However, changing priorities resulted in production being curtailed as the Hispano-Suiza engines were desperately needed for SPAD VII fighters, and several units that had planned on operating the Nieuport 14 became fighter units,operating the Nieuport 17.
With production halted remaining machines were relegated to training duties and as unit hacks.While the Nieuport 14 only saw service in France, the Nieuport 82 served more widely.
Aside from flight schools in France, Brazil operated 9 Nieuport 82s from 1919 to 1924, and Japan operated a small number, with at least one acquiring the civil registration J-TOXC.
The first Native American and African-American female aviator Bessie Coleman did some of her training in a Nieuport 82 in France.
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Nieuport 15
The Nieuport 15 (or Nieuport XV) was a French World War I bomber aircraft.
It was a development and scaled up Nieuport 14, the new bomber was built in the summer of 1916 and the first prototype was ready for testing in November of that year.
The Nieuport 15 was a two-bay sesquiplane with V-struts and a newly designed tailplane including a heart shaped elevators.It was powered by a 220 hp Renault 12F V-12 engine,with Hazet radiators mounted on each side of the fuselage.
During limited flight testing the controls and landing gear were found to be unsatisfactory and the French quickly abandoned the bomber.In December 1916 it was declared obsolete but the British showed some interest and had ordered 70 aircraft but after the tests proved disappointing, all orders were eventually cancelled with just four aircraft completed.
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Nieuport Madon
In October 1917 Nieuport began construction of a prototype monoplane fighter known as the Nieuport Madon, a strut braced monoplane.
The shoulder mounted wing was supported by sizeable lift struts attached to the landing gear, which featured an additional lifting area between the wheels. A section of wing root was cut away to improve downward visibility.The fuselage and wing were fabric covered.It was armed with two synchronized 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine guns.
The first prototype made its first flight in early January 1918,powered by a 150 hp Gnome Monosoupape 9N rotary engine,which gave a max speed of around 140mph,and good general performance.
The second prototype first flew in late January 1918 with the slightly more powerful 180 hp Le Rhône 9R.This had a revised wing whose inboard trailing edges were cut away to an elongated fin. On 1 May 1918 the second prototype was rejected in favour of the Monosoupape powered model.The Madon did not enter service and just the two were built
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Nieuport-Delage NiD 580
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 580 R.2 was a contender for a French government contract for a long range, two seat reconnaissance aircraft, issued in 1928.
The specification called for an all-metal aircraft, fast and with a good climb rate and long range capability.It led to prototypes from eight manufacturers,one of the terms of the specification required the manufacturers to use a Hispano-Suiza 12Nb water-cooled V-12 engine of 650Hp.
The NiD 580 was a monoplane with a two-part parasol wing,it was supported on each side by a pair of parallel, duralumin struts from the lower fuselage to the wing spars and attached centrally, low over the fuselage.The engine was mounted in the nose, enclosed in a close fitting cowling which followed the profiles of the two cylinder banks.
The pilot's cockpit was near the trailing edge gave a forward view under the wing. The observer/gunner had a separate cockpit close behind the pilot with a rounded wing cut-out improved the upward field of view from both. Both cockpits had unusual, multiframed windscreens and the observer's at least could be folded.This position was also fitted with a flexible machine gun mounting.
The French government purchased two NiD 580s, as they did with the other prototypes.The date of it`s first flight is not known but both flew during the trials which lasted about a year. The winner was the ANF Les Mureaux 111,so the Nieuport-Delage did not go into production.
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Nieuport-Delage NiD 640
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 640 was a French four-passenger transport monoplane.
It was an all-wood high-wing cantilever monoplane powered by a nose-mounted radial engine,with an enclosed cockpit for two-crew forward of the wing and a cabin for four passengers further back.
It`s first flight was 1927,but it did not enter service until 1930.The aircraft was powered by 220 hp Wright J-5C radial engine and was followed by 12 production aircraft designated NiD 641 powered by a 240 hp Lorraine 7M Mizar radial.
The NiD 640 was converted to an ambulance aircraft and later had a Mizar engine fitted to bring it to 641 standard.One aircraft was powered by a 235 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx Major engine and designated the NiD 642 but it did not find a buyer and was later scrapped.
Seven NiD 641 aircraft were flown by Société des Transports Aériens Rapides (STAR), a subsidiary of Nieport-Delage, on cargo and passenger services from Paris.
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Nieuport-Delage NiD-120 Series
The Nieuport-Delage NiD 120 series was a series of French single-seat parasol monoplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s.
In 1930, the Armée de l'Air issued a specification for a single-seat fighter to be powered by a 650 hp engine and required to reach a speed of around 217 mph and a height of 29,500 ft.
A staggering 27 designs were offered by French manufacturers, of which one was selected for development to prototype status.Nieuport's design was a parasol monoplane with the wing mounted just above the fuselage on short struts. An aperture was cut out of the wing immediately above the pilot's cockpit, allowing the pilot to raise his seat so that his head was just above the wing for a better upwards view.
The engine was cooled using a radiator built into the wing, where air was sucked in through slots in the leading edge of the wing and expelled through the trailing edge.
A fixed tailwheel undercarriage was fitted.
Two versions were proposed,the Nieuport-Delage NiD 121, powered by a Lorraine-Dietrich 12H water-cooled V12 engine and the other, the NiD 122, powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12X engine of similar layout.
First to fly on 23 July 1932 was the Hispano-powered NiD 122,and the NiD 121 following on 25 November 1932.The NiD 121 was tested by representatives of the Peru Air Force in September 1933, and an order was made for six aircraft that could be fitted with either wheeled or floatplane undercarriages. A prototype of the Peruvian fighter flying on 18 July 1934.
A final version, the NiD 125, was built for evaluation by the Armée de l'Air, featuring a more powerful Hispano-Suiza 12Y engine with a 20 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub, and with the wing mounted radiators replaced by more conventional types,mounted on the sides of the fuselage.The single prototype flew in June 1934, but despite good performance, a similarly powered and armed version of the Dewoitine D500, the D.510 was chosen for production.
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Nord Noralpha Series
The Nord 1100 Noralpha was a French-built and re-engined Messerschmitt Bf 108 produced by Nord Aviation.
The Noralpha was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a braced horizontal tail surface and single rudder. It had a retractable tricycle landing gear. The engine was nose-mounted and it had an enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating for two and room behind for a further two passengers.
Construction of the Messerschmitt Bf 108 was transferred to the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Nord (usually known as Nord) at Les Mureaux,in occupied France in 1942.
The company built two prototypes of the Messerschmitt Me 208 during 1943/44. One survived the liberation and was redesignated as the Nord 1100.
The company then produced a re-engined version of the Nord Pingouin with a Renault 6Q-10 engine as the Nord 1101.It was designated the Ramier by the French military.
One Nord 1104 Noralpha was fitted with a 240 hp Potez 6D-0 for testing,and two earlier 1101 Noralphas were converted with Turbomeca Astazou II turboshaft engines as the S.F.E.R.M.A.-Nord 1100 Noralpha in 1959.
Nord built 200 production examples of the Noralpha and these served as communications aircraft with the French Air Force and French Navy.The final Air Force Noralphas were replaced during 1974-75, whilst a few naval examples continued for a brief period.
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Nord Norélan
The Nord 1221 Norélan was a 1940s three-seat training monoplane.
It was first flown on 30 June 1948,the Norélan was a single-engined low-wing cantilever monoplane with a distinctive large dihedral angle to the wings, and an odd bubble type canopy.
The aircraft was to have a retractable tricycle landing gear the design was changed to a fixed tailwheel landing gear.A number of variants with different engines were produced but no production orders were received.
The first prototype had a 180hp Mathis 8G-20 inverted Vee engine,later changed a 180hp Régnier 4L-02 inline engine which gave a max speed of around 150mph.
Just three aircraft were completed before the project was wound up.
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Nord Noroit
The Nord 1400 Noroit was a French reconnaissance and air-sea rescue flying boat designed and built by Nord Aviation for the French Navy.
The Noroit was an amphibian flying boat, a cantilever gullwing monoplane with a two-step hull. It had a cantilever horizontal tail surface with three vertical surfaces.
The enclosed cabin for the seven crew with a large cabin in the rear for use in rescue operations. The aircraft had two engines located one on each wing leading edge.
The prototype as a flying boat first flew on 6 January 1949 powered by two 1,600 hp Gnome-Rhône 14R radial engines.
The second aircraft was fitted with a retractable tailwheel landing gear for amphibious operation which was later retrofitted to the prototype.
The next two aircraft first flew in 1949, were designated the Nord 1401 Noroit and were fitted with two 1,800 hp Junkers Jumo 213 engines and both were tested with two Bristol Hercules radial engines.
These two aircraft were modified to production standard as the Nord 1402 Noroit and were followed by 21 production aircraft.The last aircraft was delivered to the French Navy in 1956.
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Nord 1500 Griffon
The Nord 1500 Griffon was an experimental ramjet-powered fighter aircraft designed and built in the mid-1950s by French state-owned aircraft manufacturer Nord Aviation.
It was part of a series of competing programs to fill a French Air Force specification for a Mach 2 fighter.Design of the Griffon originated in a late 1940s requirement for a high speed interceptor.
Flight tests favoured a delta configuration, which was incorporated into design studies using a variety of powerplants. Powered by a large ramjet with turbojet sustainer, the Griffon was renamed from the SFECMAS 1500 Guépard (Cheetah) after SFECMAS was merged with SNCAN to form Nord Aviation.
Two prototypes were ordered initially 24 August 1953, with the final contract, (No. 2003/55) in 1955. Although intended to fulfil a requirement for a light interceptor capable of operation from 1,000m grass runways, the two prototypes were ordered without military equipment for research purposes.
It was constructed mainly of light alloys, the Griffon comprised a large tubular fuselage which supported the middle set delta wings, fin with rudder and the forward fuselage, which extended forwards over the turbo-ramjet air intake. The forward fuselage housed the single-seat cockpit and carried small delta canards on either side of the cockpit. The tricycle undercarriage retracted into the wings and the underside of the air intake.
After proving the aerodynamic aspects and systems of the Griffon, the 1500-01 was retired in April 1957. Flying continued with the Griffon II after its first flight on 23 January 1957. With Major André Turcat at the controls, the Griffon II reached a top speed of Mach 2.19 (2,330 km/h or 1,450 mph) in 1958, proving the soundness of the basic design. However, the aircraft met several technical difficulties, such as kinetic heating, due to the lack of temperature-resistant materials, such as titanium, in the parts of the airframe experiencing the high temperatures.The ramjet was found to work well at high speed, but was unstable at medium speeds.
A preserved Nord 1500-02 Griffon II aircraft is on display in the French Air and Space Museum, at Le Bourget, near Paris.
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Nord 2100 Norazur
The Nord 2100 Norazur was a 1940s French civil transport monoplane.
The Norazur was a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear.It was powered by two wing-mounted 420Hp Potez piston engines in pusher configuration.
It had an enclosed cabin for ten passengers or freight and was operated by a crew of two.
It was designed to meet a post-war requirement for a light transport and training aircraft it first flew Norazur at Les Mureaux on 30 April 1947.An additional prototype with 390 hp Béarn 6D-07 engines is believed to have been built.With other similar designs available the type did not enter production.
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Nord 3202 Series
The Nord Aviation 3202 was a 1950s French military trainer aircraft designed and built by Nord Aviation to meet a French Army requirement for a two-seat basic trainer.
The 3202 was a cantilever low-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and a nose-mounted inline piston engine. It had an enclosed tandem cockpit for pupil (front) and instructor (rear).
Powerplant was a Potez 4D 32 four-cylinder air-cooled inline engine,240 hp,but other similar 260 hp engines were also used.Max Speed was around 160mph with a cruise of 130mph.
100 aircraft were built,plus two prototypes,post retirement from military use, many examples were sold to the civilian market.
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Nord 3400
The Nord 3400 Norbarbe was a French two-seat observation and casualty-evacuation aircraft for the French Army Light Aviation.
The 3400 was a braced high-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and an enclosed cabin with tandem seating for a pilot and observer.
The prototype F-MBTD first flew on 20 January 1958, powered by a 240 hp Potez 4D-30 engine.A second prototype with an increased wing area followed,which was powered by a 260 hp Potez 4D-34 engine,which led to a production batch of 150 ordered by the French Army in the same configuration as the second prototype.
Max peed was 146 mph with a cruise of 118 mph and a range of around 620 miles.it was produced between 1959 and 1961 with 152 examples being completed.
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Nord 260
The Nord 260, built in prototype form as the Max Holste MH.260 Super Broussard, ("Super Bushranger"), was a turboprop-powered, uprated version of the piston-engined Max Holste MH.250 Super Broussard.
The MH.260 was designed in partnership with Nord Aviation to carry 23 passengers or 3,445 kg of cargo on short/rough airstrips.It was a high-wing, twin-engine turboprop aircraft powered by 980 hp Turbomeca Bastan engines.These allowed a cruise speed of around 235mph.
The fuselage was of all -aluminum construction with fabric covered control surfaces and the landing gear retracted into fuselage-mounted fairings.It`s first flight was late July 1960.
The design was taken over by Nord and production was commenced to fill a French government order for ten aircraft under the designation Nord 260. No orders were received from outside the government as the nascent Nord 262 offered better performance. Eight Nord 260s were completed and delivered to a few airlines on lease for short periods before final delivery to the French Air Force.
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Nord NC.850 Series
The Nord NC.850 (originally the Aérocentre NC.840) was a light aircraft developed in France in the late 1940s for use by French aeroclubs, it also saw military use for airborne observation.
The NC.850 series was developed from the Aérocentre NC.840 in response to a competition sponsored by the French government to find a domestically-produced machine for club use.
Aérocentre's entry was an ungainly high-wing, strut-braced monoplane with a fully enclosed cabin and fixed, tailwheel undercarriage. The fuselage construction was tubular, and the wings had a metal structure, the entire aircraft being skinned in fabric.
The competition was won by the SIPA S.90, but the government ordered 100 examples of this,runner-up design.These production examples, designated NC.853,differed from the prototypes in having twin tails, the fins mounted on the ends of the horizontal stabiliser.
Only 27 of the order had been completed, however, when Aérocentre was liquidated and its assets bought by Nord.The new owners continued production, with their machines identified with designation NC.853S.
In March 1951,Nord flew a heavily modified version of the design for use as an observation aircraft by the French Army.Known as the NC.856 Norvigie, this featured a more powerful engine and a lengthened and more extensively glazed cockpit.
The army ordered 112 examples which were mostly flown in the artillery spotting role,and a civil version was also offered, orders were not forthcoming and just two were built.
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Nord Aviation N 500 Cadet
The Nord Aviation N 500 Cadet was a single-seat VTOL research aircraft built by Nord Aviation in 1967.
It was to evaluate principles of the Tilt Duct propulsion concept for VTOL aircraft. The enclosed cabin contained an ejection seat.Two turboshaft engines were located side by side in the rear part of the fuselage.
They drove two 1.5m diameter props through interconnected shafts. The ducts could be turned to the horizontal position for vertical lift during takeoff and landing, and then rotated to the vertical position for forward flight. Directional control of the Nord 500 during vertical flight was done by small winglets attached to the bottom of each duct. During forward flight the aircraft was controlled using a conventional rudder/elevator tail setup.
The first Nord 500 was finished in the beginning of 1967, it was used for a variety of mechanical and ground tests. In July of 1968 a second prototype made its first tethered flight,there were never any free flights made, so the target of a 220 mph top speed were never tested.
Later Nord merged with the Aerospatiale Corporation and it was renamed the Aerospatiale N 500. A more powerful and advanced version of the aircraft was planned,but by 1971 the project was canceled.
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Peyret-Mauboussin PM XI
The Peyret-Mauboussin PM XI was a French high-wing touring aircraft of the early 1930s.
The PM XI was designed by Peyret-Mauboussin as a Salmson-engined two-seat touring and sporting aircraft of wooden construction.It was an enlarged and more powerful development of the single-seat Peyret-Mauboussin PM X.JustTwo examples were built.
Airframe c/n 02 was finished first and first flew on 9 July 1930. It was registered as F-AJUL. c/n 01 F-AKFD was ordered by the French Service Technique.
In July F-AJUL took part in the Challenge International de Tourisme 1930 touring aircraft contest,but damaged a landing gear in a compulsory landing.In November one was flying at their Orly base and the other was under test for its CoA at Vélizy – Villacoublay Air Base.
F-AJUL was later flown by Rene Lefevre from Paris to Tananarive, Madagascar, between 1 and 14 December 1931. The total distance flown was 11,000 km at an average speed of 120 km/hour. He also flew it, after fitting additional fuel tanks from Paris to Saigon in 10 days during December 1932, a distance of 6,500 miles The return trip in February 1933 took 8 days.
This aircraft is stored without wings at the Musee Castel-Mauboussin at Cuers-Pierrefeu airfield near Toulon in southern France, and can be viewed by request.
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Potez SEA VII
The Potez SEA VII, otherwise known simply as the Potez VII, was an early airliner developed in France shortly after the First World War.
It was a civil version of the SEA IV military aircraft that Henry Potez had developed with the Société d'Etudes Aéronautiques.At the wars end, the French military cancelled its orders for the SEA IV and the company dissolved.
Potez believed that the design had potential in peacetime and founded Aéroplanes Henry Potez in 1919 to refurbish war-surplus machines for civil use.
This led to a revision of the design as the SEA VII, it differed from its predecessor in having an enclosed cabin for two passengers occupying the rear fuselage.
The wings were also enlarged to reduce their loading,to allow for slower, gentler landings.The aircraft were powered by a single Lorraine-Dietrich 12Da of 370 hp giving a cruising speed of 110 mph.
Cie Franco-Roumaine purchased twenty-five examples to use on services to Eastern European destinations during the 1920s.
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Potez X
The Potez X was a French 1920s general-purpose colonial transport aircraft.
It was was a three-engined biplane with a fixed nosewheel landing gear and a tailskid. The first version was the Potez X A which was powered by three 140 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Aa piston engines, two were strut-mounted between the upper and lower wings and one in the nose.
It had an enclosed cabin for 10 passengers with the pilot in an open cockpit behind the cabin.Later the engines were changed to more powerful 180hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ab versions.These gave a max speed just over 100mph and a leisurely cruise speed of around 82mph.
Two other variants were built with 280 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Bec engines, the X B was a military version,and the X C a commercial type.
The Potez X formed the basis of two similar airliners in the Potez XVIII and Potez XXII.
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Potez 29
The Potez 29 was a 1920s French passenger biplane designed and built by Avions Henry Potez.
The Potez 29 was a biplane powered by a nose-mounted 450 hp Lorraine 12Eb broad-arrow piston engine.Max speed was 135mph with a cruise speed of 115mph.
It had fixed landing gear with a tail skid and was based on the earlier Potez 25, with the same wings and engine, the Potez 29 had a new fuselage with an enclosed cockpit for two crew.
There was a cabin for five passengers.The 29 proved to be a success; it entered service with civilian airlines, and 120 were delivered to the French Air Force, mainly as an air ambulance and light transport. A small number were operated by the Royal Air Force. 146 aircraft in total were completed and the first flight was in 1927.
Civilian versions had a slightly more powerful 480 hp Gnome-Rhône 9Ady Jupiter radial engine,just 15 of these were built.
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Potez 36
The Potez 36 was a French two-seat touring or sport monoplane,which made it`s first flight in 1929.
It was a high-wing braced monoplane with a conventional fixed landing gear; it featured an enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating for a pilot and a passenger.
The 36 had some unusual features including rearward folding wings to make it easier to store or to tow behind a vehicle. Some of the aircraft had Potez-designed leading-edge slats.
It proved to be popular with both French private owners and flying clubs with a small number being used by the French Air Force during the 1930s as liaison aircraft.
The 60 hp Salmson 5Ac radial engine was enough for a max speed of around 95mph, but a cruise of 80pmh would be more common.Later versions had engines of up to 100hp.
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Potez 50
The Potez 50 or Potez 50 A2 was a French two seat military multi-rôle aircraft, first flown in 1931.
It did not go into service but despite this seven variants using five different engines were produced,one setting several speed with load records and another,the Potez 506,setting three altitude records.
The Potez 50 and its variants were powered by five different nose mounted engines, two inlines and three radials.The first of these was a 600 hp Lorraine 12Fd Courlis water-cooled W-12 engine, enclosed by a close fitting metal cowling which followed the contours of its three-cylinder banks.
There was a large, rectangular, honeycomb radiator on the fuselage underside at the rear of the engine, equipped with a shutter.
The central part of the fuselage around the cockpits was ply skinned,with fabric further back.The pilot's open cockpit was under a cut-out in the upper trailing edge which widened his field of view; he controlled a fixed, forward firing machine gun and the gunner/observer's position close behind had a pair of machine guns on a flexible mount as well as radio and photographic equipment.
The date of the first flight of the Potez 50 is not known but it had already been tested by the end of June 1931 as it was selected,along with three other prototypes,to make a publicity tour of eastern Europe which began on 5 July.Two Potez 50s were flying by the summer of 1932, one with an Hispano engine and the other with another radial, a supercharged, fourteen cylinder,700 hp Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major.
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Potez 540
The Potez 540 was a French multi-role aircraft of the 1930s.
It was twin-engine aircraft to fulfill a 1932 specification for a new reconnaissance bomber. Built as a private venture, the aircraft was designated the Potez 54,it flew for the first time on 14 November 1933. It was intended as a four-seat aircraft capable of performing duties such as bomber, transport and long-range reconnaissance.
The Potez 54 was a high-wing monoplane, of mixed wood and metal covering over a steel tube frame.
The prototype had twin fins and rudders, and was powered by two 690 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs V-12 engines in streamlined nacelles, which were connected to the fuselage by stub wings.
The main landing gear units retracted into the nacelles,and auxiliary bomb racks were mounted beneath the stub wings.It featured manually operated turrets at the nose and dorsal positions, as well as a semi-retractable bin-style ventral turret. During development, the original tailplane was replaced by a single fin and rudder, and in this form, the type was re-designated the Potez 540 and delivered to the Armee de I'Air on 25 November 1934.A total of 192 Potez 540s were built.
The aircraft`s first combat was in the Spanish Civil War, where they were operated by the Spanish loyalist side.The aircraft was a poor design and was already obsolete just two years after its introduction, when confronted by the higher performance German and Italian planes of the same period, the Potez 540 proved itself a failure in Spanish skies during the Civil War and was labelled as 'Flying Coffin' by Spanish Republican pilots.
In the late 1930s, the aircraft were truly obsolete so they were relegated to French transport units.They were also used as paratrooper training and by September 1939 and the beginning of World War II, they had been largely transferred to the French colonies in North Africa, where they continued to function in transport and paratrooper service. Their role in even these secondary assignments was problematic given their poor defensive armament and vulnerability to modern enemy fighters. Following the French surrender to Germany in June 1940, Potez 540s still flying served the Vichy French Air Force mainly in the French overseas colonies. Most of these machines were retired or destroyed by late 1943.
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Potez 650
The Potez 650 was a French-built military transport aircraft that saw service in World War II, it was based on the Potez 62 airliner.
The Potez 62 was a high-wing twin-engine monoplane,construction used wood for the fuselage and a fabric-covered metal structure for the wings.Passengers for the first time in France enjoyed noise reduction and heating of the cabin. It was, by all accounts, considered trouble-free, safe and comfortable. The type however did not have a very long career, as it was quickly made obsolete by more modern and much faster airliners types.
The Potez 650 received relatively minor modifications: Hispano-Suiza 12X liquid-cooled inline engines instead of the Gnome-Rhône 14K radials, a less sophisticated cabin with accommodation for 14 paratroopers and their equipment (one squad) or 10 wounded (for the medevac role), and a larger door system for bulky loading.The first paradrop from a Potez 650 occurred on May 1937.
The French military did not have plans for paratroopers, which did not fit well with its defensive doctrine of the pre-World War II era.Only two paratrooper companies were formed, and never reached full strength, and just 15 Potez 650s were manufactured. They were not sufficient in numbers even for such a small number of men, so the big Farman 224 airliner which had just been refused by Air France was pressed into military service.
After the armistice, paratrooper units were officially disbanded, although training jumps were performed in North Africa. The Potez 650s were transferred to a military transport unit. When Free French and British forces attacked the French protectorates of Syria and Lebanon in mid-1941, the Vichy government established an airbridge to resupply its troops in the Middle East. Potez 650s took a significant share of the work.
In late 1936, the Romanian Air Force expressed interest in acquiring foreign military aircraft. The Potez 650 was selected, but Romania required Gnome-Rhône 14K engines to be fitted like originally on the Potez 62, since a license to manufacture these engines had already been acquired by Industria Aeronautică Română. Six examples of this new variant, designated Potez 651 were ordered in 1937, although it seems only four were operationally used.
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Potez 662
In 1936 the Potez company became part of the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautique du Nord (S.N.C.A.N.), under the Law for the Nationalisation of Military Industries.
They followed up their first four engined aircraft, the 661 of 1937 with the Type 662, which was almost identical aside from having much more powerful engines In place of the 220 hp Renault 6-Q inverted inline engines off the 661, the 662 had 680 hp Gnome-Rhône 14M Mars radials, providing much improved performance.
The 662 was a commercial aircraft with seating for up to twelve passengers. It was a low wing cantilever, almost all-metal monoplane. The wing tapered with an almost straight trailing edge that carried outboard balanced ailerons and split trailing edge flaps over the whole of the centre section.
The four Mars small diameter 14-cylinder radials were conventionally mounted of the front wing spar,enclosed with wide cowlings and large spinners,driving three bladed variable propellers.
Internally the wing was strengthened and the fuel tank capacity was increased by 37% to provide for the higher consumption.
The standard seat arrangement was for twelve,but two seats could be removed to allow the installation of chaises-longues for longer flights.The pilots' cabin was enclosed, with side by side dual control seating. The tail unit carried twin vertical endplate fins, slightly oval on a tailplane that had strong dihedral. The balanced rudders and elevators were metal structures with the only fabric covering used on the aircraft. The elevators carried trim tabs,and there was a small tailwheel, with the main undercarriage retracting into the inner engine nacelles.
The Potez 662 made its first flight on 26 July 1938 at Meaulte. It made an impression at the 1938 Paris Aero Show, not least because it was the only completed new commercial aircraft present.
Though just one 662 was built before the war,it was originally intended for Air France,with the expectation of orders to follow, but it was taken over by the French Air Ministry for its own use.No more were built,despite suggestions that it might be produced in occupied France for German use.
The single example built crashed Nov 12th 1941 near Valleraugue Gard with the loss of all 7 on board.
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Potez 840
The Potez 840 was an all-metal cantilever-wing monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. It had a crew of three and a cabin for 18 passengers.
It was powered by four 440 shp Turbomeca Astazou II turboprop engines.The prototype first flew on 29 April 1961; a second aircraft flew in June 1962 and had more powerful 600 shp Turbomeca Astazou XII.
The second prototype carried out a sales tour of North America and it was planned to build a batch of 25 aircraft for Chicago-based Turbo Flight Inc. but only two more prototype aircraft were built.
The next two aircraft were designated the Potez 841 and were powered by 550 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-6 turboprop engines.Another two modified Astazou-powered aircraft were produced, one in 1965 and one in 1967. A total of eight aircraft were completed,and it was the last aircraft to bear the Potez name.
There were plans to build Potez 840s in a factory in Baldonnel in the ROI, with financial aid from the Irish government,but the factory was closed in 1968 without completing any aircraft.
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Potez-CAMS 141 Just when you thought I was done with Potez, I found a few more of note.
The Potez-CAMS 141 was a French long range reconnaissance flying boat of the late 1930s.It was intended to equip the French Navy,but only a single prototype was completed before the German invasion of France stopped production.
It was designed to meet a 1935 French Navy specification for a long range marine reconnaissance flying boat to replace obsolete aircraft such as the Breguet Bizerte,the prototype first flew on 21 January 1938, starting trials in August 1938.
It was a four engined monoplane, powered by 860hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines, with a braced,wing mounted above the fuselage and a twin tail.It was armed with a dorsal turret carrying two 7.5 mm Darne machine guns, with a further two machine guns in lateral "cheek" barbettes and two in waist positions. A production order for four aircraft was placed, with a further 15 being ordered before the start of WW2.
The prototype, named "Antarčs" entered service with the French Navy in September 1939.Additional orders for Potez-CAMS 141s were placed shortly after the start of the war, with delivery expected from June 1940, but these orders were cut back owing to changing priorities and the realisation that the loss rate of long range flying boats was very low.
No production aircraft had been completed by the time of the Armistice in June 1940, with Antarčs being evacuated to Morocco. It was operated by the Vichy French Navy, continuing in service until the Allied Invasion of North Africa,when the French armed forces in North Africa joined with the Free French. Antarčs continued in service, carrying out patrols over the Central and South Atlantic.Antarčs was retired and scrapped early in 1944.
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Potez-CAMS 161
The Potez-CAMS 161 was one of three French large, six-engined flying boats intended as airliners on the North Atlantic route.In the summer of 1938, the 161's aerodynamics had been investigated and refined with the Potez-CAMS 160, a 5/13 scale flight model. An exact date for the first flight is not known, however a report in Flight gives it as within few weeks before 7 December 1939, with "further flying tests" in the first half of 1942.
The 161 was powered by six 664 kW Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs liquid cooled V-12 engines driving three blade propellers.These were cooled via both wing surface and frontal radiators, the latter retracted after take-off.Its two step hull was flat sided forward of the wing but more rounded to the rear. Ten square windows on each side lit the passenger cabin, where twenty were provided with seating and sleeping compartments and flown and looked after by a crew of six.
It had been painted in Air France Atlantique trim and at some point it received a French civil registration. It seems to have been destroyed by enemy fire toward the end of World War II, but there is disagreement on exactly when and where,some claim the Baltic, others to Lake Constance.
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Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan II
Reims Aviation Industries was a French aircraft manufacturer located in the city of Reims, most recently producing the F406 Caravan II. Reims Aviation was a wholly owned subsidiary of GECI Aviation.
In 1960 a cooperative agreement was signed with Cessna to produce light aircraft for the European market.It was officially born as Reims Aviation in 1962, mainly producing the FR172 Reims Rocket, a more powerful version of the Cessna 172. In 1989 Reims Aviation bought back all the shares held by Cessna and became a private French aircraft manufacturer.
Production of the single-engined airplanes was halted, and only the F406 remained in production.
The company entered receivership on 10 September 2013. On 25 March 2014, the Commercial Court of Reims approved the transfer of the Company's aircraft maintenance, cabin management, integration and installation systems assets to ASI Innovation, and the transfer of its F406 assets to Continental Motors, Inc. With the disposition of the company's assets, its parent company, GECI Aviation, was also liquidated on 17 April 2014.Continental has indicated that it plans to continue production of the F406 in Mobile, Alabama.
The Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan II is a turboprop twin engine utility aircraft manufactured and designed by Reims Aviation in cooperation with Cessna.
It is a twin turboprop,fourteen-seat low-wing monoplane of conventional aluminium and steel construction.The aircraft first flew on 22 September 1983,and was produced by Reims Aviation until the company's 2013 folded.
The F406 is aimed at passenger and small cargo transport, and civilian and military surveillance. For extra cargo capacity a cargo pod can be fitted to the belly of the aircraft. The Surmar is a new maritime surveillance version of the aircraft with extra equipment such as a 360 degree radar.
Though the F406 is more expensive to operate than single-engine aircraft of the same passenger capacity such as the Cessna 208 Caravan, having two engines means it complies with European regulations regarding commercial operations, which only allow multi-engine aircraft for commercial instrument flight.
The Type Certificate transferred only had approval to produce spare parts and not the whole aircraft.
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Romano R.5
The Romano R.5 was a French reconnaissance flying boat built in 1932.
In 1929 the French Air Ministry drew up a programme of military aircraft specifications to meet France's needs over the next few years. One part called for a reconnaissance and observation seaplane and the R.5 was Romano's response; funding had not been secured so just one was built.The Romano R.5 first flew in September 1932.
The Romano R.5 was an all-metal flying boat.It featured a parasol wing built in three parts; its centre section mounted a 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr water-cooled V-12 engine in tractor configuration on its leading edge and was braced over the fuselage by parallel pairs of struts from its outer ends to the mid-fuselage.Structurally it was a mixture of steel and duralumin, with dural skinning, the wing was built around two spars; in the centre section these were elaborated into a girder.
The R.5 had a pair of Dornier-style sponsons, mounted on the lower sides of the fuselage instead of wing mounted floats.There were plans to use these to contain retractable wheels to turn the R.5 into an amphibian.
In the nose section was a position for mooring,navigation equipment and a machine gun mounting. The pilots' cabin was ahead of the propeller disc, fully enclosed and with side-by-side seats and dual controls. Behind the wing there were positions for a navigator who also operated the bomb release controls and for a radio and camera operator. Behind them was a dorsal gunner's position, midway between the trailing edge and the tail. The fuselage became slender to the rear, where the tall fin carried a deep, rounded unbalanced rudder. The R.5's tapered tailplane was raised out of the spray track.
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Romano R.16
The Romano R.16 was a three engine, high wing monoplane designed for policing and other rôles in France's African colonies.
In 1930 the Direection Générale Technique issued a requirement for an aircraft to operate in the French Colonies. It was to have three Lorraine 9N Algol engines and an all-metal structure, capable of reconnaissance, observation, policing and bombing as well as medical evacuations or general transport.The Romano R.16 was one of nine prototypes built for this programme.
The R.16 was powered by three 300 hp Lorraine 9N Algol nine cylinder radials enclosed by long chord cowlings. One was in the nose of the fuselage and the other were mounted under the wing centre section from the forward wing struts, aided by bracing struts rising inwards to the wing root and short vertical struts to the forward spar. Long nacelles behind the outer engines tapered to the rear wing strut.
The pilots' cabin was below and just ahead of the wing leading edge, fitted with side-by-side seating and dual controls. Behind there was a generous cabin, accessed via a large port side door. Aft of the cabin, just behind the trailing edge was a dorsal gunner's position.Each tailplane was braced on the vertex of a V-strut from the lower fuselage and the tail surfaces were steel tube structures with fabric covering.
The R.16 flew for the first time in February 1933.By May the initial tests were complete.It then went to Villacoublay for official tests, which were completed by early September.
The Colonial trimotor contract was awarded to the Bloch MB.120, so no more R.16s were built. The sole example appeared in the prototypes section of the French civil aircraft register as F-AKGE, with the type name Romano 160[6] and was used by the Commander of the 5th Aerial Region of French North Africa as his personal transport. A photograph taken at Cannes in 1937 shows that by then it had been adapted to carry passengers, the cabin now lit by long, continuous windows on each side. It also had a revised vertical tail with an unbalanced rudder.
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Romano R.82
The Romano R-82 was a two-seat intermediate and aerobatic biplane trainer from the mid 1930`s.
The prototype Romano R-80.01 was a private venture design by Chantiers aéronavals Étienne Romano for a two-seat aerobatic biplane to use as a demonstrator.
It was tested in 1935 with a 179 kW 240 hp Lorraine 7Me radial engine,but later fitted with a 280 hp Salmson 9Aba radial and re-designated the R-80.2.Two more prototypes were built which were sold on to private owners.
Romano became part of the nationalised SNCASE in 1937 and the French Air Force ordered the R-82 into production with 147 aircraft being delivered. The French Navy also ordered 30 R-82s and all Air Force and Navy aircraft had been delivered by May 1940.
In 1938 two aircraft were ferried to Spain and used by the Spanish Republican government against the Nationalists.
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Romano R.90 Series
The Romano R.90 was a prototype single-seat French floatplane fighter of the 1930s. Just one R.90 was built, but the type formed the basis of the Romano R.83 and Romano R.92 fighters.
The R.90 was a biplane of mixed construction, with a welded steel-tube fuselage and wooden, single-bay wings.The upper wings were gulled into the top of the fuselage to give a better view for the pilot.Two floats were fitted.with an armament of four 7.5mm machine guns, two in the lower wing and two in the floats.
It made its maiden flight in August 1935, powered by a 720 hp Hispano-Suiza 9Vbrs radial engine.It reached a speed of 219 mph.In October that year it was re-engined with a 680 hp Hispano-Suiza 14Hbrs radial in a NACA cowling, increasing the speed and the floats were modified.It was re-engined again as the R.92 in October 1937 with a 900 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs-1 V12 engine.A 20mm cannon firing through the propeller boss was added but despite reaching 248 mph,faster than any of the other competitors,the R.90 was not ordered into production.
The aircraft attracted the Spanish Republican Air Force, which placed an order for 24 of a landplane derivative, the Romano R.83. This differed in having a conventional fixed tailwheel undercarriage, a non-gulled upper wing and was to be powered by a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engine. These aircraft were to be assembled in secret by the Belgium company LACEBA. Flight testing in Belgium was carried out with a 280 hp Salmson 9ABa engine, to give the impression that the aircraft was a trainer,the more powerful engines to be fitted when the aircraft was delivered to Spain.
The first six R.83s were delivered to Barcelona between April and July 1938. The six R.83s were re-engined with the intended Wasp-Junior engines and were used as advanced trainers.
The remaining 18 R.83s had not been completed by the time the Spanish Civil War ended in April 1939.
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Romano R.110
The Romano R.110 was a twin-engine 3-seat fighter aircraft, from the late 1930s.
In late October 1934, the French Air Ministry released a specification for a twin-engine multi-seat fighter aircraft, which would be required to fulfil several roles.
A three seat version (C3 under the French designation scheme) would be used to command formations of smaller single-engine fighters, while two seat versions would be used to daylight bomber escort and attack (C2) or as night-fighters (CN2). Bids were received from a number of aircraft designers, including Breguet,Hanriot,Potez and Romano.
The Romano design, the R.110, was a low-winged monoplane with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. It was of mixed wood and metal construction, and was powered by two 450 hp Renault 12R-2 air-cooled V-12 engines. It carried the specified armament of two fixed 20 mm cannon and a single flexibly mounted 7.5 mm machine gun.
Construction of the prototype was very slow and the aircraft did not fly until 30 March 1938. By this time, the Potez 630 had already been chosen to meet the requirement and was about to enter production, so development of the R.110 was discontinued with just one aircraft completed.
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Salmson-Moineau S.M.1
The Salmson-Moineau S.M.1 A3, (later Salmson Sal. 1 A3), was a French armed three-seat biplane long range reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War.
The S.M.1 A3 was developed from 1915 to meet a French military requirement, which called for a three-seat long range reconnaissance aircraft with strong defensive armament. The S.M.1 was unconventional, powered by a single 240hp Salmson 9A liquid-cooled radial,mounted in the fuselage powering two airscrews mounted between the wings with a system of gears and drive shafts.
The unusual layout was chosen by Moineau to minimise drag. The twin airscrew layout allowed a wide field of fire for the two gunner-observers, one seated in the nose and one behind the pilot.
Both gunners operated ring-mounted flexible 37 mm APX cannon.The airframe was fairly conventional,the box fuselage was mounted on a system of struts between the wings.
The undercarriage included a nose wheel, intended solely to prevent the aircraft nosing over, and a tail skid.
The aircraft was flight tested in early 1916 and was sufficiently successful to receive an order for 100 aircraft although the performance was inferior to similar types.
In service the S.M.1 was not successful. The nose-wheel undercarriage proved fragile,and would collapse if misused.The complex transmission system was difficult to service in the field and the performance of the aircraft was generally poor.
Records show that around 155 S.M.1s were built in total.The type was largely withdrawn from service in 1917 after a short service life.A small number of aircraft remained in use until late 1918. Some S.M.1s were supplied to the Imperial Russian Air Service, but they were no better liked in Russia.
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Salmson Phrygane
The Salmson Phrygane ("Caddisfly") was a French light aircraft of the 1930s.
The Phrygane was a conventional, high-wing strut-braced monoplane with fixed tailwheel undercarriage and a fully enclosed cabin for the pilot and either two or four passengers, depending on the version. Salmson sold about 25 examples before the outbreak of World War II.
The Phrygane was flown by private pilot owners and by aero clubs. Several aircraft survived the war and the few postwar examples were built by CFA. A D-211 was still in service at Lille Lesquin airfield in 1965.
The main production version was D-2 Phrygane –with 135hp Salmson 9Nc engine (23 built), which gave a max speed of 122mph and a cruis of around 100mph.
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Salmson D6 Cricri
The Salmson D6 Cricri ("Cricket") was a French light aircraft of the 1930s.
It was a conventional, parasol-wing monoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage and seating in tandem open cockpits for the pilot and passenger.
Originally intended for recreational flying, the type achieved its greatest success when it was selected by the French government to equip the Aviation Populaire,resulting in sales of over 320 machines.It was also used as a trainer and patrol aircraft in the French Air Force.
Following the war, CFA attempted to revive the design as the CFA D7 Cricri Major. This differed from its predecessor mainly in having a more powerful engine and an enclosed cabin.
Eventually, only ten examples were built.
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Scintex Rubis
The Scintex ML 250 Rubis was a French civil utility aircraft of the 1960s.
Scintex Aviation had manufactured the two-seat Emeraude from the late 1950s. In 1960 the firm designed the ML 145 four-seat low-wing cabin monoplane, powered by a 145 h.p. Continental O-300-B engine, the single example of which first flew on 25 May 1961.
It was quickly developed into the ML 250 with a larger five-seat cabin and fitted with a 250 hp Lycoming O-540 engine.This first flew on 3 June 1962.The aircraft was of an all-wood construction, having a semi-monocoque plywood-covered fuselage and cantilever tapered low wing. The tail fin was swept and the aircraft, unusually, was fitted with a fully retractable tailwheel undercarriage.
Performance was good with a max speed of 196mph and a normal eco-cruise of 170mph,max range was just under 850nmi.
Eight production examples of the ML 250 Rubis were completed by Scintex during 1964-1965.It suffered from competition from contemporary all-metal aircraft types such as the Piper Comanche.
The Rubis has remained in service with French private pilots and four were still airworthy in 2005.
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SECAN Courlis
The SECAN SUC-10 Courlis (Curlew) was a French touring monoplane designed and built by Société d'Etudes et de Construction Aéronavales (SECAN).
It was a four seater all-metal high-wing monoplane,fixed tricycle undercarriage,and twin booms supporting a tail unit. It`s engine was a 190 hp Mathis G8R piston type,mounted in the rear fuselage using a pusher configuration.
The prototype, registered F-WBBF, first flew on 9 May 1946.Production was started and a total of 144 aircraft were completed with a number being exported to South America.
Major problems with the engine ( power loss and overheating) resulted in the withdrawal of the engine's type certificate and some airframes were never fitted with an engine and scrapped.
The company did test fit the aircraft with a 220 hp Mathis engine but production was ended.Most had been withdrawn from service by the late 1950`s.
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SNCAC NC.211 Cormoran
The SNCAC NC.211 Cormoran was a large four-engined military transport aircraft for passengers and freight.
In 1945, the French military wanted to create paratrooper regiments,but they realised they did not have any suitable aircraft for the role.The Chief of Staff, ordered the Direction Technique Industrielle to evaluate interest for a new transport aircraft project. SNCAC and Breguet Aviation answered the request and the SNCAC NC.210 was selected in December 1945 when a contract for 105 aircraft was awarded.It`s design was thought to be rather ugly and bulky looking,but it met most of the requirements, at least on paper.
The NC.211 originated as the NC.210 powered by four 2,200 hp Gnome-Rhône 18R 18-cylinder radial engines.A change of engine type to the 1,600 hp Gnome-Rhône 14R the designation changed to NC.211. Intended to provide the French Air Force, ( Armée de l'Air (ALA), with strategic transport and paratrooping capability the Cormoran was a large four-engined aircraft with a double-deck fuselage, high-set wing and tricycle undercarriage.
The Cormoran had a conventional tail unit with tailplane attached to the extreme rear of the fuselage and fin.The cockpit was situated forward of the wing leading edge above the forward fuselage which also had large clamshell doors to the 150 m3 (5,297 cu ft) lower deck cargo compartment. Passengers, paratroops and stretchers were to have been carried in both the lower cabin and upper cabin, which was on the same level as the cockpit aft of the wing. The retractable twin-wheeled undercarriage legs retracted into the rear of the inboard engine nacelles and the underside of the forward fuselage.
After the fuselage of the first prototype was displayed at the 1946 Salon dÁeronautique in Paris on November 15, 1946 the first flight was delayed due to hydraulic problems in the landing gear.
The first prototype Nc.211-01 was ready to fly in July 1948 making its only flight on 20 July 1948 at Toussous. During the flight a mis-match between the flight control surfaces caused the crash of the aircraft and the loss of all five on board.
Flight testing of the first production aircraft, from 9 April 1949, quickly revealed disappointing performance, leading to loss of confidence in the aircraft's ability to fulfil the required specifications, and perhaps even the safety of the design, resulting in cuts to the contract to just ten production airframes. Flying with this aircraft ceased on 7 July 1949 with approximately 30 hours total flying time, after which the aircraft was used to house radio transmitters on the airfield at Villacoublay until it was scrapped circa 1972/3.
All remaining aircraft and components were scrapped at Bourges or at Billancourt airfield, just two were complete and nine partially constructed.
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SNCAC NC.510
The SNCAC NC.510 was a twin-engine French reconnaissance, army co-operation and advanced training aircraft, built in the late 1930s.
The fuselage consisted of two sections,the forward part, including the enclosed cockpit where the pilot was seated forward of the wing leading edge and an observer, provided with dual controls, behind him, was spruce framed and plywood covered. The observer could also access a long, largely transparent, ventral observation structure. The rear fuselage section was also spruce-framed but internally wire-braced and fabric-covered. A rear-facing glazed enclosure over the wing trailing edge held the rear gunner/radio operator.
Legs and wheels were enclosed in fairings, and there was a sprung tail skid. The aircraft carried three machine guns, one fixed in the nose and one moveable in each of the rear dorsal and the ventral positions.Flares and phosphorus bombs plus a mixture of handheld and remotely operated cameras for reconnaissance were carried in racking.
The NC.510 first flew on 20 June 1938,powered by a pair of 770 hp Gnome-Rhône 9Kfr 9-cylinder air-cooled radials driving two-blade, wooden, fixed-pitch propellers.
However in December that year it was on display at the Paris Aero Salon with 14-cylinder 680 hp Gnome-Rhône 14M double-row radial engines and three-blade propellers.Although these had a smaller displacement than the earlier 9Ks and a lower power output, they were more compact, reducing the engine frontal area by 47%.The cleaned-up version first flew with its new engines on 14 January 1939 and was designated the NC.510M.
A final version, the NC.530, was further aerodynamically cleaned up,mainly by the removal of the ventral gondola. It first flew on 28 June 1939. Two were completed but no production order was forthcoming.
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SNCAC NC-600
The SNCAC NC-600 was a prototype French twin-engined long-range fighter aircraft, developed by SNCAC from the earlier Hanriot H.220 fighter.
The design was now intended to meet a 1936 specification for a long-range fighter. The H.220-2 was exhibited at the 1939 Brussels Air Show to represent the NC-600, but the real NC-600 was a further redesigned aircraft, with new wings and revised tail surfaces, and was now being offered as a two-seat aircraft as previously the requirement was for a 3 person crew.
The proposed armament was also revised, with two additional fixed forward firing machine guns and the two rear-firing guns replaced by a single flexibly mounted cannon.
Powerplant was a pair of Gnome-Rhône 14M0/01 14-cylinder, two-row radial engines, producing 710 hp each,enough for a max speed close to 340mph.
The NC-600 prototype flew on 15 May 1940,again other types were preferred, with orders being placed for 40 Potez 671s and at least 300 SE.100s. Work on the six-aircraft evaluation batch was stopped by the German occupation of SNCAC's Bourges factory with just two aircraft completed.
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SNCAC Nord NC.850
The Nord NC.850 was a light aircraft developed in France in the late 1940s for use by French aeroclubs, but which also saw military use.
Production examples, designated NC.853, differed from the prototypes in having twin tails, the fins mounted on the ends of the horizontal stabiliser.[2] Only 27 of the order had been completed, however, when Aérocentre was liquidated and its assets bought by Nord.The new owners continued production, with their machines identified with designation NC.853S.
In March 1951,a heavily modified version of the design for use as an observation aircraft by the French Army.Known as the NC.856 Norvigie, this featured a more powerful engine and a lengthened and more extensively glazed cockpit.The army ordered 112 examples which were mostly flown in the artillery spotting role,and while a civil version was also offered, no orders came in and only two were built.
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SNCAC NC.1070
The SNCAC NC.1070 was a piston engined attack and torpedo bomber designed and built in France after World War II. The 2nd prototype, the NC1071, was the first French multi-jet turbine powered aircraft.
The NC.1070 was a contemporary of the Nord 1500 Noréclair and was intended to take a similar rôle. It was a twin engine aircraft of unconventional layout with twin booms, twin fins and a double horizontal tail. The central fuselage was short compared with the wing span, and extended beyond the tail.
It was powered by a pair of SNECMA 14R fourteen-cylinder, two-row, air-cooled radial engines mounted ahead of the wing.There were three crew,a bomb aimer/observer housed in a partially glazed nose, the pilot in a conventional cockpit which merged into a raised rear fuselage and, in the extreme tail just beyond the fins, a rear gunner in a turret.
The aircraft was first flown on 23 May 1947.Tests continued into 1948 but,it was seriously damaged in a belly landing on 9 March 1948 and did not fly again.Instead,SNCAC concentrated on the jet powered second prototype,the NC.1071.
This was powered by a pair of 5,000 lbf Rolls-Royce Nenes, mounted in booms like the piston engines of the NC.1070, though rather further forward, positioned below the wing and with their tailpipes emerging from the previously pointed boom ends.
Because of the lowered booms/tailpipes the lower, fixed horizontal tail was removed.The rear gun position was replaced by a partially glazed observer's position and the bottom of the rudder was clipped to avoid the jet exhaust. Apart from these engine induced changes the NC.1071 was aerodynamically very similar to the NC.1070, with the same dimensions.Its maximum speed was increased by nearly 40% at altitude and it had a greater ceiling, 43,000 ft but its range, much reduced, to around 600 miles.
The NC.1071 made its first flight on 12 October 1948. It suffered damage to its undercarriage on 27 April 1949, flew again in 1950 and was modified after significant structural distortion was discovered in flight.Though both an all weather fighter variant (NC.1072) and an attack bomber (NC.1073) were considered, they were not built and development was abandoned at the end of NC.1071's flight tests.
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SNCAC NC 1080
The SNCAC NC.1080 was a prototype single-seat carrier-based fighter aircraft first flown on 29 July 1949.
It was designed as a single-seat, carrier-borne fighter for the French Navy, the NC.1080 competed for this role against the Arsenal VG 90 and Nord 2200.
The NC.1080 was fitted with a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet, and was designed to be capable of carrying three 30mm cannon.It was a low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction.On 29 July 1949, the aircraft had its first test flight, during which problems were noted regarding two control surfaces: the spoilers and tailplane.
SNCAC was dissolved that same year, further testing of the prototype was carried out by the French military at Brétigny and Villaroche air bases,but during a test flight on 10 April 1950, the plane crashed for unknown reasons and was damaged beyond repair.
Consequently, further development of the design was immediately halted and later the Aéronavale adopted the de Havilland Sea Venom in 1952.
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SNCAC NC.2001 Abeille
The SNCAC NC.2001 Abeille (Bee) was a single engine, twin intermeshing rotor helicopter designed and built in France in the late 1940s.
The design of the Abeille was directed by René Dorand at the helicopter division of SNCAC.An intermeshing rotor layout was chosen instead of a tail rotor design. Its twin, two blade rotors were driven by shafts which leaned out of the fuselage side-by-side.The rotor blades, which began some way from the hub, were heavily tapered,pitch and roll were adjusted from the control column by altering cyclic pitch via a pair of swashplates,and yaw by changing the relative collective pitch of the two rotors with the pedals.
Forward tilt of the rotor shafts was automatically linked to forward speed, and a single lever controlled both the collective pitch and the throttle through an electrical link.
The Abeille was powered by a 575 hp Renault 12S, an inverted, liquid-cooled V-12 engine.
The aircraft had a pod and boom, all-metal fuselage. The nose was fully glazed with two side by side crew seats ahead of a cabin with a bench seat for three passengers,with the engine and gearboxes mounted behind them.On the second machine the tailplane was lowered to the top of the fuselage and had a pair of fins,each roughly elliptical and mounted from its top.The Abeille's fixed main landing gear had two wheels on a single axle positioned a little behind the rotor shafts and mounted on broad, single struts to the mid-upper fuselage, together with a smaller nose wheel.
Three examples of the Abeille were built. The first was destroyed by a fire before it had flown. The second made its first flight on 28 June 1949, piloted by Claude Dellys. SNCAC was closed in that month, its assets distributed between three remaining state owned firms and as a result the Abeille programme was abandoned; the second machine did not fly again and the third never flew.
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SNCAO CAO.600
The SNCAO CAO.600 was a French prototype twin-engined torpedo-bomber of the Second World War.
In 1937 the French Air Ministry launched a specification to replace the Aéronavale's torpedo-bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, both obsolete biplanes, aboard the French Navy's two planned new aircraft carriers.The requirement demanded that the new aircraft, which was to act as a torpedo-bomber, level bomber and recon aircraft, had to have a maximum speed of over 186 mph, with an endurance of 3.5 hours as a torpedo-bomber and 6 hours on recon missions. Unusually for a carrier-based aircraft, the specification demanded that the new aircraft be twin-engined, carrying a crew of two as a torpedo bomber and three as a bomber or recon aircraft.
Two prototypes were ordered with the (SNCAO) on 15 June 1939, with a similar order for two of the competing designs.The SNCAO CAO.600 was an all-metal monoplane with an inverted gull wing and a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. The pilot and bombardier/navigator sat in separate cockpits with individual stepped windscreens, with the navigator in the extreme nose and the pilot above the leading edge of the wing. The radio-operator/gunner sat further back,with his cockpit behind the wing. It was powered by two Gnome-Rhône 14M radial engines, which gave it a max speed of 235mph and a cruise of 185mph.
The first prototype first flew on 21 March 1940, from Villacoublay to Istres on 31 March. It had completed 35 flying hours by 25 June when the test programme was stopped by the French surrender to Germany. The second prototype, which had folding wings required for carrier operations, was abandoned incomplete, while the first prototype was dismantled and stored until it was finally scrapped following the German occupation of Southern France in November 1942.
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SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc
The SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc was a French four-engined airliner produced by SNCASE (Sud-Est).
Air Afrique needed a new airliner for its African services so Marcel Bloch proposed a development of his Bloch MB.160 aircraft, the Bloch MB.161, which after World War II became the SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc. Design work on the new aircraft began in 1937.The prototype, first flew on 15 December 1939 powered by four Gnome-Rhône 14N radial engines of 1,020HP each.The aircraft underwent a slow development programme with test flying was not completed until January 1942.The French Vichy government placed an order for twenty in December 1941,but none were built.
The programme was finally abandoned following Allied bombing of the factory at Saint-Martin-du-Touch, Haute-Garonne in 1944.
Following the liberation of France the government led by De Gaulle authorised production to be resumed with the first series production aircraft, designated the SE.161 and registered F-BATA, first flying either on 25 August 1945 or 17 September 1945.An initial batch of 40 production examples was completed for Air France between October 1945 and April 1948.
The Languedoc was an all-metal four-engined low wing cantilever monoplane airliner with a twin fins and rudders. It had a crew of five (pilot, co-pilot/navigator, radio operator, flight engineer and steward) Standard cabin accommodation was for 33 passengers seated in eleven rows of three, two on the starboard side and one to port. An alternative first class arrangement was for 24 seats. A 44-seat higher density version was introduced by Air France in 1951.
A total of 100 aircraft were built for Air France, the French Air Force and French Navy.The only export customer for new production aircraft was the Polish airline LOT which bought five with some being refitted with Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engines.
The SE.161 was named the Languedoc before it entered service with Air France on the Paris to Algiers route from 28 May 1946.By October they were withdrawn from service with a number of faults, including landing gear problems, poor view from the cockpit when landing in bad weather and a lack of de-icing equipment and cabin heating.
The Gnome Rhône engines also had a very short time between overhauls, but was considered by many as unable to operate in winter conditions and unsafe to fly.
They re-entered service in 1947, re-engined with the reliable American-built Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines, with de-icing equipment, medium-range cockpit radios, and limited cabin heating, the designation changing to SE.161.P7. These essential enhancements partially reassured commercial airline customers. The Languedoc was soon a familiar type on Air France's increasing European network and continued until summer 1952,when they were steadily replaced by the popular Douglas DC-4.
The largest military operator was the French Navy, which operated 25 different Languedoc aircraft over the years. The first aircraft were delivered in 1949 and used as long-range transports between Paris, Marseille and Lyon, and North Africa; later aircraft would be used as flying classrooms for non-pilot aircrew training. The flying classrooms were modified with both a nose radar set and a ventral "dustbin" radar. The aircraft was withdrawn from Naval service in 1959.
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SNCASE SE.200
The Sud-Est SE.200 Amphitrite was a flying boat airliner built in France in the late 1930s.
It was a large, six-engine design with a high-set monoplane wing, and twin tails. The aircraft was developed in response to a French air ministry specification of 1936 for a transatlantic airliner for Air France with a 3700 mile range.Designs were submitted by several companies, and all had approval for construction of at least one prototype.
Four SE.200s were under construction at the outbreak of the World War II, and work on them continued after the fall of France, along with a fifth machine now started. The first aircraft, christened Rochambeau flew on 11 December 1942.Following testing, it was seized by the German occupation and taken to the Bodensee, where it was destroyed in an air-raid by RAF Mosquitos on 17 April 1944. A USAAF raid on Marignane on 16 September destroyed the second SE.200 and badly damaged the others.
Enough work on the third SE.200 had been carried out to make salvage worthwhile after the war. This aircraft eventually flew on 2 April 1946 but was damaged in a hard landing in October 1949 and was not repaired.Plans existed to also complete the fourth aircraft, but it came to nothing, and it and the fifth machine were scrapped. The remains of the first SE.200 were raised by Dornier in 1966.
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SNCASE Armagnac
The SNCASE S.E.2010 Armagnac was a large French airliner of the late 1940s built by SNCASE (Sud-Est).
The aircraft was designed originally around a requirement for an 87-passenger, long range airliner issued in 1942, the S.E. 2000 was to have been powered by four 2,100 hp Gnome-Rhône 18R engines. At an early stage, the S.E. 2000 was abandoned in favour of a larger, more capable version, the S.E. 2010 Armagnac. The Armagnac was a cantilever mid-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear designed for transatlantic service. A number of versions were planned from a 60-passenger "sleeping berth" version to 84-passenger, 108-passenger and 160-passenger versions.
The first prototype which flew on 2 April 1949 but it was lost on 30 January 1950 while still undergoing testing.The first production series aircraft F-BAVD flew on 30 December 1950.
Although the S.E.2010 was powered by Pratt & Whitney R-4360-B13 Wasp Major engines, a concern that the final design was underpowered led to a redesign.The final (15th) production aircraft was intended to be re-engined with 5,400 hp Allison T40 turboprops, but production was curtailed at eight aircraft and the more advanced version was never built.
One Armagnac, S.O. 2060, ended its days as an engine test-bed, alternately fitted with turbojet engines fitted in a nacelle below the fuselage.
At the time, the Armagnac was one of the largest civil aircraft ever built with a wingspan of almost 50 meters and weight over 77 tonnes. The large pressurized cabin was intended for a three tier sleeping compartment configuration which ultimately was not fitted to any of the S.E.2010 versions.Initial production of 15 aircraft was planned for delivery to launch customer Air France.
However after evaluation of the prototype, the airline declined delivery in 1952, citing inadequate performance. Despite being designed for transatlantic service, the aircraft's range of 5,000 km, was inadequate for the 6,500 km required to operate such a service. Additionally, the aircraft was too large to be operated profitably for shorter range routes.
Most Armagnacs were broken up in 1955, although two were used to transport the French contingent to the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia. The visiting aircraft were ferried to Mangalore Airport.F-BAVI, one of the Melbourne caravan was the last SNCASE Armagnac survivor, and was scrapped in 1975 at Bordeaux/Merignac after having lain derelict for many years.
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SNCASE SE-2300
The Sud-Est SE-2300 or S.N.C.A.S.E. SE-2300 was a two/three seat low wing, single engine touring aircraft, built just after WWII.
It first flew on 26 October 1945.It was a conventionally laid out, all metal, two seat, single engine cantilever monoplane, with tapered low wings.The wings had a centre section integral with the fuselage and two outer panels, all covered with electrically welded skin.
The fuselage of the SE-2300 was constructed from four pre-formed panels welded together. A 140 hp Renault Bengali 4 four cylinder, inverted, air-cooled inline engine,with a two blade propeller.
The over-wing cabin seated two side-by-side with dual controls,and behind these seats was space for a third (optional in the SE-2300 and standard in the SE-2310 variant) and baggage.
There were access doors and rear view transparencies on both sides. At the rear, the tailplane was mounted at mid-fuselage and the fin and deep rudder were straight tapered.
The first and only SE-2300 had a fixed conventional undercarriage with pneumatic springing, faired main legs and wheels and a swivelling tailwheel. The two SE-2310s had tricycle undercarriages, first unfaired,but the second with faired legs and spats.
With a four-seat version, the SE-2311 under development but unbuilt, the three seat SE-3010 was entered into a 1946 French Transport Ministry contest for a four-seat tourist aircraft in February 1946. It was unsuccessful, the award going to the Nord 1200 Norécrin and development of the SE-2300 series was abandoned. The last example remained in use until at least 1956 as a company transport.
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SNCASE SE-3000
The SNCASE SE-3000 was a development of the Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache (Dragon) was a helicopter built in Germany during World War II.
A single 1,010 hp Bramo 323 radial engine powered two three-bladed rotors mounted on twin booms on either side of the cylindrical fuselage.Although the Fa 223 is noted for being the first helicopter to attain production status, production of the helicopter was hampered by Allied bombing of the factory, and only 20 were built.
SNCASE`s version was designed for basic transport purposes, and had accommodation for four passengers.It was powered by a 720 hp Bramo "Fafnir" engine,but only three were built, the first flown on 23 October 1948.
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SNCASE Baroudeur
The SNCASE S.E.5000 Baroudeur was a French single-engined lightweight fighter designed by SNCASE (Sud-Est) for the NATO NBMR-1 "Light Weight Strike Fighter" competition.
The Baroudeur was a lightweight fighter, designed to operate from grass airfields, designed in the early stages of the Cold War. The idea behind the unusual design was to operate tactical jet interceptors from unprepared sites in case the air force bases were destroyed. It used a wheeled trolley that could be used for take off from grass, and three retractable skids (the third at the tail for landing) for take off from snow- or ice-covered surfaces.
The three-wheeled trolley had provision to use rockets if needed to assist. Apart from the landing gear the aircraft was a shoulder-wing monoplane with a swept wing and tail surfaces,powered by a SNECMA Atar 101C turbojet .
The first of two prototypes flew on the 1 August 1953. Three pre-production aircraft designated the S.E.5003 were also built with Atar 101D turbojet engines but the type was not ordered into production.
The five prototype and preproduction aircraft were disposed of as gunnery targets at Cazaux airforce base.A non-profit concern organisation (Ailes Anciennes Le Bourget, with ties to Le Bourget Air Museum) managed to scavenge most of the remains of three or four wrecks to create one SE 5003 in display condition.
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SNCASE Aquilon
SNCASE (Sud-Est) licence-built 121 Sea Venom FAW.20 as the Aquilon for the French Navy.The Sea Venom was the navalised version of the Venom NF.2 two-seat night fighter.
Aquilon 20 – 4 examples assembled from the parts provided by de Havilland plus - 25 locally built.
Aquilon 201 – Single prototype built in France.
Aquilon 202 – Two-seat version with ejector seats, an American AN/APQ-65 radar and air-conditioning - 50 built.
Aquilon 203 – Single-seat version with an American AN/APQ-94 radar and equipped with racks for air-to-air missiles. Prototype converted from Aquilon 202 plus - 40 built.
Aquilon 204 – Two-seat training version without guns. - 6 Converted from Aquilon 20.
The Aquilon saw service with the French Navy until being withdrawn from service in 1965. Aquilon 203 No.53 is currently preserved at Rochefort-en-Terre, France.
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SNCASO Sud-Ouest Bretagne
The Sud-Ouest S.O.30 Bretagne was a 1940s French airliner.
The Bretagne was designed by a group of designers and engineers based at Cannes from May 1941 following the invasion of France.The design was for a medium capacity civil transport, a twin-engined mid-wing all-metal monoplane. The prototype ( S.O.30N ) first flew on 26 February 1945.
The initial production version was designated the S.O.30P Bretagne with two versions with different engines.
The S.O.30P-1 was fitted with Pratt & Whitney R-2800-B43 engines,producing 2000hp each, and the S.O.30P-2 used Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CA13 engines of 2,434 hp each.
The aircraft operated with a crew of five and could carry between 30 and 43 passengers. A cargo version ( S.O.30C ) with a revised interior and uprated stronger floor, and large cargo door. The aircraft was operated as an airliner, but mainly by the French Airforce and Navy as a multi-role medium transport.
Some aircraft were fitted with two underwing Turbomeca Palas turbojet engines for auxiliary power. Other aircraft were used for engine-trials fitted with the SNECMA Atar 101 and licence-built Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets.
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SNCASO SO.80 Biarritz
The Sud-Ouest Corse was a French mail and passenger transport aircraft, built by SNCASO.
The Corse began as the S.O.90 Cassiopée, a nine-passenger aircraft. The S.O.93 Corse and S.O.94 Corse II prototypes were developed as the S.O.95 Corse III. The aircraft was a cantilever mid-wing monoplane, powered by two 580 hp Renault 12S engines,and it was equipped with a retractable conventional landing gear. One prototype was built which first flew 17th July 1947.
There was seating up to 13 passengers, and the seats could be quickly removed in order to carry more cargo.
Intended to serve Air France, it failed their aircraft requirements. 60 aircraft were built for Aeronavale, and a small number for other overseas airlines.
45 Corse III`s were built for the military,these served with both the French Air Force, and the French Navy.
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SNCASO Sud-Ouest Djinn
The Sud-Ouest S.O.1221 Djinn is a French two-seat light helicopter.It was the first indigenous French helicopter, as well as being one of the first practical European helicopters to be produced.
The Djinn was also the first rotorcraft to harness tip-jet propulsion to enter production.
The Djinn was developed to function as a practical implementation of the earlier experimental Sud-Ouest Ariel rotorcraft. The rotors were driven by compressed-air jets at the end of each blade, which had the benefit of eliminating the need for an anti-torque tail rotor. On 2 January 1953, the proof-of-concept S.O.1220 performed its first flight; it was followed by the first of the S.O.1221 Djinn prototypes on 16 December 1953. During the flight test program, one of the prototypes was recorded as having achieved a world altitude record of (15,712 ft).
The French Army encouraged the construction of a pre-production batch of 22 helicopters, which were used for evaluation purposes. The first of these flew on 23 September 1954.
Three of the pre-production helicopters were acquired by the United States Army, designating it as the YHO-1, for the purpose of participating in their own series of trials.According to some sources the US Army at first held little interest in the type, but had found the YHO-1 to be an excellent weapons platform, yet they had been compelled to abandon interest by political opposition to the purchase of a non-American aircraft.
The French Army ordered a total of 100 helicopters and it was operated in variety of mission roles, such as liaison, observation, training purposes; when flown with a single pilot, it could be outfitted with two external litters for the casualty evacuation mission. In addition to the French military, a further ten countries placed orders, including a batch of six for the the German Army.
Production of the Djinn came to an end during the mid-1960s, by which point a total of 178 Djinns had been produced; it had been replaced by the more conventional, Aérospatiale Alouette II.
Some Djinns had been sold onto civil operators; it was often equipped for agricultural purposes, being fitted with chemical tanks and spray bars.
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SNCASO Sud Aviation Vautour
The Sud-Ouest Aviation (SNCASO) S.O. 4050 Vautour II (Vulture) was a French jet-powered bomber, interceptor, and attack aircraft from the late 1950`s.
In June 1951, the French Armée de l'Air issued a detailed requirement for a jet-powered aircraft capable of functioning in several roles, including as a bomber, a low-level attack aircraft, or an all-weather interceptor.In response to this French aircraft manufacturer SNCASO decided to adapt its existing S.O. 4000 design so that it could perform the desired missions roles.
An initial order for three prototypes was placed, and on 16 October 1952, the first prototype of the revised design, which had been designated as the S.O. 4050, conducted its first flight.
A follow-on order for six pre-production aircraft was soon received; one of which was powered by a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engines and another had Rolls-Royce Avon engines.
The remainder were powered by the French Atar as would production aircraft, having proven to be established and,capable of sufficient power for the Vautour to take off while carrying a full payload.
Subsequently given the name Vautour II, the aircraft was manufactured in three variants.During 1958, the aircraft entered service with the AdA; the Vautour would remain in use by the AdA for several decades. While the final French aircraft being retired from frontline service during 1979, a number were retained and soldiered on in various secondary duties into the early 1980s.
The Vautour was capable of being equipped with various armaments. In Israeli service, it was typically armed with a pair of 30 mm cannons, and up to four removable underwing rocket pods, with 19 air-to-ground rockets each; up to 3,000lb of bombs or alternatively a maximum of 232 68 mm rockets could be accommodated internally in the bomb bay. 4,000lb of bombs could also be mounted externally.The Vautour IIB bomber could be used to carry and deploy nuclear weapons in addition to its conventional arsenal. The internal bomb bay of a single aircraft could contain either one AN-11 or one AN-22 nuclear bomb; however, in AdA service, the primary carrier of nuclear weapons would quickly be transitioned to the newer and more capable Dassault Mirage IV, which supplemented and eventually replace the Vautour IIB bomber.
No Vautour IIAs would enter AdA service and around 30 were believed to be constructed, 18 of which being sold to Israel at a relatively low price. In place of the IIA, the Vautour IIB was ordered instead, which could perform level bombing runs across all altitudes, as well as the low altitude toss bombing attack profile.To address a deficiency of the Vautour emphasis was placed upon the introduction and perfection of aerial refueling techniques in the AdA. This led to the adoption of a 'buddy pack' to enable pairs of Vautours to refuel one another in mid-air, allowing for the range factor to be addressed.
In Israeli service, the Vautour had an active combat career. As early as 1959, the type was being used against Egyptian targets; the Vautour would also participate in a series of actions throughout major conflicts between Israel and its neighbours, including the Six-Day War and the War of Attrition. Israeli Vautours were normally used to conduct bombing and strafing runs, along with several air-to-air engagements.Overall, a total of 15 Vautours were recorded as having been lost in combat. Remaining examples were retired during 1971 in favor of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk; the last aircraft retired from operational service during March 1972, their final role being decoy aircraft flown in the vicinity of the Sinai. The Israelis were pleased with the Vautour's range and versatility, and it was well regarded in Israeli service.
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SNCASO.Sud-Ouest Triton
The Sud-Ouest SO.6000 Triton was an early experimental French jet aircraft.
It has the distinction of being the first indigenously-designed jet-powered aircraft to be flown by the nation, having been designed and manufactured during the 1940s by the French aircraft construction consortium SNCASO.
Amongst the first new aviation projects to be launched in post-war France was the SO.6000.The aircraft is based upon a clandestine effort conducted during the German occupation of France,and shortly after the end of the conflict, the new French government issued a requirement, calling for a total of five prototype aircraft to be constructed for testing.The development of home designed jet aircraft was seen as of national importance to the government,intended to symbolise the speedy recovery of France's industrial and military strength.
The SO.6000 was a compact and unarmed two-seater, having a deep-set fuselage with a mid-mounted straight wing.The spacious fuselage provided sufficient space for multiple engine models to be fitted. The availability of such a powerplant to install upon the aircraft was no straightforward issue. At one stage, it had been planned for the type to receive a French-designed Rateau-Anxionnaz GTS-65 turbojet engine.However, as a result of the delays in development, it was decided to instead adopt the German-designed Junkers Jumo 004-B2 engine for use upon the first prototype.
On 11 November 1946, the first prototype performed its first flight,the timing of the flight was deliberate,the French government were keen to demonstrate that they possessed technological parity with Germany, Great Britain, and the United States.However the Junkers engine was only capable of producing up to 1,980 lb of thrust and was quite underpowered for the SO.6000, being barely capable of achieving sustained flight and therefore lacked practicality. Further prototypes did not use the Junkers engine.
The second prototype was used for static testing only, while the three other aircraft were powered by a license-built model of the British Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet engine, the last of these performing its first flight in November 1950.None of the aircraft would be powered by the intended GTS-65 engine, the development of which would eventually be terminated.
When flown with the Nene engine, the SO.6000 was capable of achieving up to 593 mph, but was also plagued by vibration and stability issues at high speed.
Further development of the SO.6000 was ultimately abandoned during the early 1950s without any direct follow-on; the SO.6000 was never use in any operational circumstance. The type had been rendered obsolete by the rapid pace of advancements, both in terms of jet propulsion and aerospace capabilities generally, with numerous jet-powered designs being produced around this time.
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SAB AB-20
The SAB AB-20 was a large four engine twin boom French bomber built in the early 1930s.
It was a development of the three-engine Dyle et Bacalan DB-70 airliner. The change of manufacturer's was the result of the financial failure of Dyle et Bacalan in 1929, followed by its immediate reappearance as SAB, who took over DB-70 development.
The aircraft was built around a thick, wide chord airfoil centre section which provided generous internal space for passengers. The engines were mounted on this structure as were twin fuselages to carry the tail. The outer wings were of normal thickness and chord, and the cockpit and undercarriage were also attached to the centre section. The generous intra-wing volume equally offered crew, fuel and bomb-room for military purposes. Initially the AB-20 was intended to have three engines like its predecessor, but during the design phase there was a military request for a bombardier's position and a gunner's cockpit in the nose, which required the removal of the centre engine and its replacement by two extra wing-mounted engines.
The new central crew pod was flat-sided and tapered forwards to a complicated cylindrical nose, formed by a simple lower part with an overhanging, windowed cabin for the navigator/bombardier and an open gunner's cockpit, fitted with a machine gun ring, directly above. The nose also carried a long, cone probe with fine extensions, possibly pressure sensors. Further rearward there was an enclosed pilot's cabin. A second gunner was stationed, on top of the centre section and a third fired from a ventral turret.
By early 1934 a much developed version, the AB-21 had appeared. It had the new V-12 Lorraine Petrel water-cooled engines and a tapered, filleted cantilever wing without the struts used on the AB-20 and DB-70. The undercarriage had also been fitted with streamlined legs and wheels in long cowlings. The nose was further complicated, retaining the upper, open gunner's position but now with double underhanging windowed positions.
Trials of an airborne sideways-firing 75 mm gun were carried out with the AB-20 prototype modified as the AB-22. Firing trials were halted after damage was caused to the lower wing skin by blast from the gun muzzle. Just two of these distinctive aircraft were built as no orders were placed.
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SAB DB-80
The SAB DB-80 and SAB DB-81 were single engine, all-metal French light transports aimed at the air mail market,from the 1930`s.
The DB-80 was a single engine, high wing aircraft giving easy access by two port-side doors to a cabin with two passenger seats and to a separate mail compartment behind them. The pilot sat ahead of the passengers under the wing leading edge. Two differently engined versions were built: the DB-80 had a 100 hp Hispano-Suiza 6P six cylinder, upright water-cooled inline and the DB-81 a 120 hp Lorraine 5Pc five cylinder radial engine.
In late March 1930 the DB-80's test flights were on hold, waiting for good weather,over a month later tests were underway but the first flight did not take place until 27 June 1930.
The Lorraine powered DB-81 flew in August,after which testing of the pair continued successfully though interrupted by SAB test pilot Charles Deschamps' absence at Villacoublay for official trials of the DB-20.In October the DB-80 was re-engined with a Lorraine and renamed DB-81.
There is no record of any further examples being built nor accurate and reliable performance figures.Just the two aircraft were built.
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Société d'Aviation Letord, Let 1 to Let 7 series.
The company was formed in the early 1910s by the French aviation industrialist Émile-Louis Letord, and it produced a number of twin-engined biplanes for the French military during World War I.
The Let.1 to Let.7, were essentially similar biplanes with, variously unequal span or equal span wings, powered by two tractor engines in nacelles mounted on short struts or directly on the lower wings and had a fixed tailskid undercarriage.
Some aircraft were equipped with a strut-mounted nosewheel to protect the aircraft and its crew from "nosing-over" while landing. The pilot sat in an open cockpit under the upper wing trailing edge, with a gunner in an open position immediately behind, with a third crew-member in an open position in the nose where he could act as gunner, observer, and bomb-aimer.
The Letord reconnaissance bombers saw widespread service from mid 1917, with 121 operational on the Western Front by November 1917. Most were no longer in front-line use by the Armistice in November 1918.
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Société des Avions Bernard. AB 1
Société des Avions Bernard was a French aircraft manufacturer of the early 20th century.
The Adolphe Bernard AB was a family twin-engined French biplane aircraft, built near the end of the First World War. It was the first original design from the Adolphe Bernard factory, which had previously produced SPAD aircraft to government contracts. It was a twin engine biplane bomber, carrying 600 kg of bombs.
The AB 1 BN2 was a wooden three bay biplane,which used Hispano-Suiza V-8 piston engines, of which type there was a surplus after the Armistice.
The first AB 1 BN2 was built in 1918 and first flew that year. There were plans for a variant using more powerful Hispano-Suiza 8Ba engines, the AB 2, but this was not built. Post war, two civilian variants were started, the post-carrying AB 3 and the passenger only or passenger plus post AB 4. The AB 3, one of which was completed in 1920.The AB 4, which had the same engines as the proposed AB 2, carried a maximum of seven passengers. Its fuselage was on display at the 6th Paris Aero Show in December 1919, but it was not completed.
Ten AB 1s were produced after the Armistice but did not see squadron service.
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SAB Bernard 190
The Bernard 190 or Bernard-Hubert 190 was a French airliner of 1928. It was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration.
It was based on the Bernard 18, and kept the same basic design but featured redesigned tail surfaces, an enlarged cabin, and offered its flight crew a completely enclosed cockpit.
The 190 is best remembered for the exploits of the three 191GRs. The first built was used by Louis Coudouret in an attempt to cross the North Atlantic in August 1928. This was unsuccessful when the aircraft first refused to leave the ground in Paris, and was later turned back by Spanish authorities unwilling to permit the flight. On 7 July 1929, Coudouret crashed the aircraft near Angoulęme and was killed.
The second example was used in the first successful French aerial crossing of the North Atlantic. It was painted bright yellow and dubbed "Canary Bird" it departed Old Orchard Beach, Maine on June 13, 1929 and piloted by Jean Assolant, René Lefčvre and Armand Lotti.
It completed the crossing to Oyambre, near Comillas, Cantabria, Spain, in 29 hours 52 minutes, even with a stowaway (Arthur Schreiber) aboard. This aircraft is now preserved in the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.
The third 191GR was used by Antoine Paillard to set two world airspeed records, for 62 mi with a 4,400 lb payload, and for 620 mi with a 1,000 kg 2,200 lb payload.
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SAB Bernard 70 Series.
The Bernard 70 was a 1920s design for a French single-seat monoplane fighter aircraft by the Société des Avions Bernard.It was developed into a racing monoplane designated the Bernard S-72, and was further developed into single-seat fighters, the Bernard 74-01 and Bernard 74-02.
The Bernard S-72 was a wooden stressed skin constructed low-wing monoplane powered by a Gnome-Rhône 5Bc radial engine and had a fixed landing gear. Flown by Paillard, the Bernard S-72 participated in the 1930 Coupe Michelin race. On 29 June, but had to retire near Lyon as a result of engine failure.
The S-72 was re-engined with a Gnome-Rhône 7Kb and re-designated the Bernard S-73. The S-73 was then developed into the Bernard 74 single-seat fighter and retained the Titan-Major engine.
Two prototypes were built with the first flying in February 1931, powered by a 280 hp Gnome-Rhône 7Kbs radial engine,the second was fitted with a 360 hp Gnome-Rhône 7Kd engine and first flew in October 1931.Both were armed with wo fixed 7.7mm (0.303in) synchronised Vickers machine-guns.
The first prototype 74 was re-engined with a Gnome-Rhône 9Kbrs radial engine and re-designated the Bernard 75 it was later used as a pilot-trainer but no further aircraft were built.
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Société des Avions Blanchard Brd.1
The Blanchard Brd.1 was a French reconnaissance flying boat, to the 1923 STAé HB.3 specification, used by the French navy in the 1920s.
It was a large biplane with two engines mounted in the gap between the wings, each engine driving a pusher propeller. In 1924, one Brd.1 was used to set several world altitude records for seaplanes.
The aircraft was powered by 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8Fe V-8 water-cooled piston engines, of 260 hp each, driving two blade fixed pitch props, which gave a max speed of around 110mph.
Crew was usually 3 or 4, and it carried a 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine-gun on flexible mount in bow, another 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine-gun in flexible mount in rear fuselage, and around 300kg of bombs.
The French Navy ordered 24 aircraft, but most were retired from service after 3 years.
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Société des Avions Marcel Bloch MB.81
The MB.81 was a French military aircraft for use as a flying ambulance since it was designed to carry one passenger, in or out of a stretcher.
The aircraft was designed to be able to seek patients or casualties by scouting, even at high altitudes, during military operations in mountainous countries, like then-French Morocco over the Atlas Mountains.
The main design feature made it possible to transport a casualty lying down, in a compartment between the pilot and the engine. The wings could be adapted to hold casualties, remaining constantly under the sight of the pilot and connected to him by an onboard communication system.
The MB.80 made its first flight in the summer of 1932. It was an all-metal monoplane with low wings,equipped with a French Lorraine 5Pc of 120 hp which allowed it to reach a speed of 120 mph at an altitude of 21,000 ft.It was able to take off and land in a very short space.
The aircraft was built without assistance from the government, but an initial order of 20 was placed by the Ground French Forces (the Armée de l'Air was founded later in 1933), and it was one of the aircraft that relaunched Marcel Bloch in the aeronautical industry.
The production model, called the MB.81, was fitted with a French uprated Salmson 9Nd of 175 hp. It took part in military operations in Morocco and in Syria at the beginning of the 1930s.
The MB.81 entered service in 1935, and was used extensively throughout North Africa and the Middle East. A small number were used in 1939-1940, before the French surrender, and in July 1941 in the battle for Syria between the Vichy French and the British/Free French.
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Société des Avions Marcel Bloch MB.120
The Bloch MB.120 was a French three-engine colonial transport aircraft from the 1930`s.
The MB.120 design was selected by the French government for transport use in French overseas territories. It was an all-metal high-wing cantilever monoplane.
The prototype was developed from the MB.71.Standard set up was for a crew of three and up to 10 passengers. The civil aircraft normally carried only four passengers, the rest of the aircraft was filled with mail. Ten production aircraft were produced, six for civil use and four for the French Air Force.
The aircraft entered operation in 1934 for Air Afrique, which was an airline founded by the French government in May 1934 to provide service between the French African territories. Both the civil and military aircraft served only in French Africa.
Power was provided by 3 Lorraine 9Na Algol 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, of 300 hp each,max speed was around 160 mph, but a normal cruise was 120mph.
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SFCA Lignel 20
The SFCA Lignel 20 was a French, single engine, low wing monoplane, one of a series of this type built by SFCA in the 1930s.
The Lignel 20 was a low wing cantilever monoplane of entirely wooden construction apart from its engine mounting. In the nose a 220 hp Renault 6Q-03, an air-cooled, inverted six cylinder inline engine supercharged to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) was mounted on steel tube bearings.
Behind the engine fuselage had an oval section.The cockpit was behind the wing trailing edge; though primarily a single seat aircraft a passenger could be accommodated. The cockpit glazing was faired into a raised rear fuselage.
The Lignel 20 had retractable landing gear with mainwheeels on forked cantilever legs from the outer edges of the centre section, swinging outwards into wing recesses. There were covers attached to the inner side of the forks, acting as aircraft fairings when retraction was complete.
The aircraft first flew on 15 April 1937. Two were built. During 1937 the second of these was re-engined with a more powerful 280 hp Régnier R-161 which increased its maximum speed to 260 mph. It was redesignated the SFFCA Lignel 20S and first flew in November 1937. It was announced at the 1938 Paris Salon that the Lignel 20S was being fitted with a supercharged, eight cylinder Régnier engine producing 360 hp, in preparation for attempts in 1939 on world records in the 8 l capacity engine category; with this engine the maximum speed was 290 mph.
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SFCA Taupin
The SFCA Taupin was a French tandem-wing aircraft, designed to provide a simple, stable and safe aircraft able to take-off and land in small spaces.
In 1935 they designed and built the tandem wing Taupin which, apart from a different engine, was very similar to the earlier Peyret VI of 1933.
Taupin is the French vernacular name for beetles of the family Elateridae or click-beetles, known for their ability to jump rapidly into the air.
The Taupin had rectangular plan wings, the forward one providing 65% of the wing area, both mounted on the central fuselage.The wings were mounted with equal and significant dihedral. Both had full-span flaps which were interconnected and could move differentially as ailerons,and together as camber changing flaps, a system first used on the glider and acknowledged as the source of its "extraordinary controllability".
The exact date of the Taupin's first flight is not known, but it was thought to be late October 1935 when it took part successfully in the 1935 Tour de France des Prototypes.
Later that year it went for certification at Villacoublay; it returned to SFCA in January 1936 for modifications.It lived up to its name, needing only 15 m (49 ft) to take off.
During 1937 SFCA introduced a two-seat version of the Taupin, the Taupin 5/2. This had a 60 hp Regnier inverted inline engine, wings with duralumin tube spars and side-by-side seats. Take-off weight rose by 80% but the dimensions were only slightly increased.
After World War II SFCA introduced the metal framed Lignel 44 Cross-Country, which was slightly larger than the Taupin 5/2, with a 74 hp Régnier 4 D2 inverted inline engine and a new, enclosed cabin fuselage; the seats, accessed by side doors, were still under the trailing edge of the wing though without a cut-out. As in the earlier designs there was no vertical separation of the wings, both mounted on the upper fuselage longerons. It was 20% heavier than the Taupin 5/2 and had a maximum speed of 84 mph.
The final production figures were forty-eight Taupins,four Taupin 5/2s and one Lignell 44. The reconstructed French pre-war register shows that many of the single seat aircraft were used in the national Aviation Populaire programme, though others were used by French aero-clubs.At least two of the tandem wing types flew for several years after WW II.
The Lignel 44 was destroyed in an fatal accident in May 1955, killing Louis Clément, but Taupin F-AZBG remained on the French register in 2014.
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Société Industrielle Pour l’Aéronautique (SIPA) was a French aircraft manufacturer established in 1938 by Émile Dewoitine after his previous company, Avions Dewoitine, was nationalized.
From 1938-1940, SIPA principally manufactured parts for other French aircraft companies. After WWII, and developed a series of trainers for the French Air Force.
SIPA S.90, The SIPA S.90 was a French-built two-seat light touring and training aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s.
The prototype first flew on 15 May 1947,it had won a French government competition for a new light two-seat aircraft for operation by the French aero clubs.The initial production S.90 was a low-wing aircraft with fixed tailwheel undercarriage and side-by-side seating for two. It was powered by a 75 hp Mathis G4F engine. Just four examples were built.
100 aircraft were ordered by the government, on behalf of the aero clubs, and these were powered by the 75 hp Minie 4DC engine as the SIPA S.901.The first flew on 25 June 1948 and deliveries were completed in the early 1950s. Various spec and power engines were later installed in the S.901, giving rise to new model numbers.
The S.90 series found buyers in the secondhand market and examples have flown with private owners in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Nine further aircraft were built later with plywood covering in lieu of fabric, receiving new designations. In 2001,15 examples remained airworthy in France, Switzerland and the UK.
Total production of all models was 113 aircraft.
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SIPA S.200 Minijet
The SIPA S.200 Minijet was a French two-seat light sporting jet aircraft, with a single engine jet.
The first of two prototypes made its first flight on 14 January 1952.The aircraft had a shoulder-wing and twin booms supporting vertical stabilisers with a tail plane joining the two booms.
The cabin was located in the central fuselage, and accommodated two people side-by-side.The entire canopy hinged forward to assist access to the small cabin. The second prototype was fitted with attachment points for auxiliary wingtip fuel tanks. The Minijets were stressed for aerobatics.
Power was by a single 330 lb s.t. Turbomeca Palas jet engine, which gave the aircraft a max speed of 245mph with a normal cruise of around 220mph.Max ceiling was 26000ft.
The Minijet was designed for the dual role of high-speed, short-range liaison and transitional training.A pre-production batch of five Minijets was completed in 1955/56, but plans for further construction were cancelled.
The final production SIPA Minijet F-PDHE is owned by the Collection Bezard at Persan-Beaumont Airport NW of Paris and can be seen by prior arrangement only. Another survivor exists in the USA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu0WFTL_Z0Q (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu0WFTL_Z0Q) A short clip of a Minijet performing a low pass, there are other clips on youtube of the aircraft,but they are RC models.
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SIPA S.1000 Coccinelle
The SIPA S.1000 Coccinelle was a light civil utility aircraft of the 1950s.
The Coccinelle was designed by Yves Gardan for SIPA as a very low cost all-metal trainer of very simple construction, intended for aero club use.
It was a two-seat side-by-side low-winged aircraft with fixed-tricycle undercarriage and incorporated a number of standard car parts.
The prototype first flew on 11 June 1955. Series production was intended to commence in 1956, but only two further examples were completed, the last was exported to Argentina.
The aircraft were fitted with a Continental C90-8F 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine of 90 hp, which gave a cruise speed of 110mph or max speed of 125mph.
In 2001, the first and third aircraft remained airworthy in France and Argentina, respectively.By 2010 F-BHHL no longer appeared on the French civil register, as of March 2013 LV-GFG remained active in Argentina.
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SIPA Antilope
The SIPA S.251 Antilope was a low-wing monoplane, seating four or five and powered by a single turboprop engine.
The Antilope was one of the first turboprop powered light aircraft. Apart from its engine, it was a conventional all-metal low-wing machine. The cantilever wing was built around two spars and was a semi-monocoque structure.
The Antilope was powered by a 665 hp Turbomeca Astazou X driving a 3-bladed FH76 propeller, on a long spinner, ahead of the surrounding air intake.This gave a cruising speed of 240mph and a max speed of 280mph
The cabin had seats for up to five, two at the front and a bench seat behind. In a proposed air ambulance configuration, the Antilope would have carried two stretchers and a medic. Access to the cabin was via a large rear hinged door on the right hand side.
It first flew on 7 November 1962 and gained certification in April 1964. Later that year, P. Bonneau set six international Class C1c (1000 – 1750 kg) records with it, achieving for example a speed of 267 mph over a 3 km course and reaching an altitude of 34,186 ft.
The aircraft was exhibited at the 1965 Paris Air Show wearing registration F-BJSS. By mid 1966 development had been completed without a decision to commence production. The production version would have been known as the SIPA S.2510 Antilope but none were built; the prototype (F-WJSS) carried the designation S.251 on its fin.
The sole Antilope is undergoing restoration in a private museum, owned by the Association Antilope, at Montpelier-Mediterranee Airport, in southern France.
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Société Latham 43
The Latham 43 was a flying boat bomber from the 1920s for service with the French Navy.
It was a two-bay biplane with unstaggered wings, and engines mounted tractor-fashion on struts in the interplane gap. The pilot sat in an open cockpit, with a gunner (0.303) in an open bow position, and another in an open position (0.303) amidships.
Two examples, designated Latham 42 powered by liquid-cooled Vee engines were evaluated by the navy in 1924, leading to a contract for 18 aircraft powered by air-cooled Gnome et Rhône 9Aa, of 380 hp each. These were designated Latham 43 by the manufacturer and HB.3 in naval service, they remained in service between 1926 and 1929.
Eight other machines with the original liquid-cooled Lorraine engines were sold to Poland.
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Société Latham 47
The Latham 47,or Latham R3B4 in Naval service, was a twin-engine flying boat designed and built for the French Navy.
The Latham 47 was designed to fill a French Navy requirement for a long-range flying boat with a transatlantic capability. The prototype appeared in 1928, although it was lost in a fire after two flights. The Type 47 was a large biplane powered by two 500hp Farman 12We engines mounted in tandem below the upper wing.Cruising speed of the aircraft was around 100mph.
The flight crew sat side by side in an open cockpit,with two further machine-gun equipped area`s were located in the nose and amidships.
Twelve production aircraft were built and delivered to the French Navy.
Two further aircraft were built as the Latham 47P as civilian mail carriers with Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines. These 47Ps were used on Mediterranean routes until 1932.
On 6 June 1928 a Latham was tasked to help search for the airship Italia which had crashed on pack ice in the Arctic Ocean just north of Spitsbergen in late May.
The aircraft, piloted by Norwegian Leif Dietrichson and Frenchman René Guilbaud, picked up the explorer Roald Amundsen and a colleague at Bergen.
On 18 June the aircraft left Tromsř, Norway to fly across the Barents Sea, but it disappeared without a trace until, on 31 August the same year, the torn-off port float was found off the coast of Troms and, in October,some more wreckage was found on Haltenbanken.
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SPAD (Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés) was a French aircraft manufacturer, active between 1911 and 1921.
The SPAD S.A (also called S.A.L.) was a French two-seat tractor biplane.
The SPAD A.1 prototype was the first aircraft produced by SPAD following its reorganization from the pre-war Deperdussin company. It was designed to carry its pilot in the normal position, and also an observer in a nacelle ahead of the propeller. This configuration gave the observer a clear field of view to the front and sides without the drag penalty of the typical pusher. However, communication between the pilot and the observer was almost impossible,it also put the observer at risk of being crushed in a "nose-over". Mechanisms to allow a gun to fire through the propeller were not yet available, and the observer's nacelle on the S.A-1 represented a temporary solution.
The aircraft was fitted with a 110HP Le Rhône 9J rotary engine,which permitted a top speed of 95mph.The SPAD S.A.2 was an improved version of the S.A.1 which first flew on 21 May 1915.
The S.A-2's 110 hp engine frequently suffered from overheating, so the design reverted to the S.A-1s 80 hp Le Rhone in the S.A-4, with the same engine being retrofitted to some S.A-2s.
The S.A had a short career in the French Aviation Militaire, and was quickly replaced in service by less dangerous aircraft.The Imperial Russian Air Service operated the SPAD S.A-2 and S.A-4 for a longer period of time due to a shortage of available aircraft. Some 57 S.A-2s and S.A-4s went to the Imperial Russian Air Service. During winter operations, Russian aircraft were fitted with skis instead of wheels.
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SPAD S.XII
The SPAD S.XII or SPAD 12 was a French single-seat biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War developed from the successful SPAD 7.
It was inspired by the ideas of French flying ace Georges Guynemer, who proposed that a manoeuvrable single-seat aircraft be designed to carry a 37 mm cannon, a weapon which had previously been mounted only in large two-seat "pusher" aircraft.
The gun chosen for the SPAD XII was a new 37 mm (SAMC), built by Puteaux, for which 12 shots were carried. The Hispano-Suiza aviation engine had to be geared to allow the gun to fire through the propeller shaft. The aircraft also carried a single 0.303 inch synchronized (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun mounted on the starboard side of the nose.
To carry the heavy cannon the airframe was lengthened and the wingspan and wing area increased.To accommodate the canon the engine was replaced by the geared 220 bhp model 8Cb, and gave the SPAD XII a clockwise rotating propeller, as seen from a "nose-on" view.
Early production models were highly successful after overcoming initial problems with the reduction gear between engine and propeller,however, deliveries were slow, the SPAD VII and later SPAD XIII having top priority, and even the modest total of 300 aircraft which were ordered were not all completed.Best estimates are only 20 produced.
No units were entirely equipped with SPAD 12s. They were distributed one or two per squadron.Few were delivered to combat units, 8 being recorded on strength in April and again in October;Single examples for testing were delivered to the Royal Flying Corps and one to the Aviation Section of the American Expeditionary Force, with the AEF's 13th Aero Squadron receiving the aircraft, which was given the number "0".
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SPAD S.XV
The SPAD S.XV was a single-seat fighter designed and offered to fulfil a 1918 specification.
The 1918 C1 specification called for a medium altitude fighter with 220 kg payload and a 21,300 ft service ceiling, a max speed of 150 mph.The specification called for the use of different engine types, one of which was the 160 hp Gnome Monosoupape 9Nc rotary engine.
SPAD, designed a single-bay biplane with un-staggered, equal span wooden wings and a moulded plywood monocoque fuselage. The cowled Gnome engine was mounted in the nose, driving a 2-bladed propeller. Two 7.70 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine-guns were mounted in the forward upper decking, firing through the propeller disc, using synchronising gear.
First flown on 31 July 1917, the low power of the Gnome engine limited any performance advantage over the SPAD S.XIII, so production was not authorised. The moulded plywood monocoque fuselage concept, however, was used extensively in subsequent designs due to its light weight and high strength.
None of the five S.XVs were accepted by the Aviation militaire.
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SPAD S.XX
The S.XX was an upgrade of the S.XVIII and was a two-seat fighter biplane which carried a pilot and tail gunner. The design was fairly conventional, but featured an upper wing with a pronounced sweep-back. This was joined to the lower wing by large I-struts. Like its predecessor, the S.XX became known colloquially as the "Herbemont", after its designer.
Originally the French government issued an open-ended contract for these aircraft at the rate of 300 per month, however, this was cancelled at the Armistice, before any aircraft had been delivered.
The order was later revived to obtain a modern fighter for France's post-war air force, and 95 were purchased. Additionally, the Japanese Mitsubishi company bought three examples, and the government of Bolivia bought one.
In 1918, a S.XX set the world airspeed record for a two-seat aircraft, with a speed of 143 mph.
The standard engine was a 300hp Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline engine rated for a max speed of 135mph, but several aircraft had custom built engines with airframe tweaks for racing and speed records.
1920 saw S.20s used to break records not only in their own class, but the world absolute airspeed record three times over. On February 28, Jean Casale reached 176 mph, but this was soon broken by Bernard de Romanet, first on October 9 with a speed of 182 mph, and then on November 4 at 193 mph.The same year, the two S.20bis-5s competed in the Gordon Bennett Cup.
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Sud Aviation
Sud-Aviation was a French state-owned aircraft manufacturer, originating from the merger of Sud-Est SNCASE and Sud-Ouest SNCASO on 1 March 1957. Both companies had been formed from smaller privately owned business`s that had been nationalized into six regional design and manufacturing pools prior to WW II.
Sud Aviation SE-116 Voltigeur
The twin turboprop Sud Aviation SE-116 Voltigeur of the late 1950s was an army support aircraft capable of observation and ground attack operations.
The first prototype had 800 hp Wright Cyclone nine cylinder radial engines mounted ahead of the wing leading edges, with cowlings, largely above the wing, projecting beyond the trailing edge. On the second prototype the Cyclones were replaced with 760 hp Turbomeca Bastan turboprops in much more slender cowlings on the top of the wings.
The aircraft had tricycle gear with main legs that retracted backwards into under-engine cowlings; the nose wheel retracted into the fuselage. Each main leg carried a pair of wheels to assist with operations from rough strips.
The Voltigeur was fitted with two 20 mm (0.79 in) guns and six underwing attachment points for bombs and rockets.The piston-engined Voltigeur was first flown on 5 June 1958 by Roger Carpentier who also took the turboprop version on its first flight on 15 December 1958.
A few weeks later, on 9 January 1959, Carpentier, Yves Crouzet and Marcel Hochet were killed when tail flutter developed in a high-speed run. After tests of the SE-117 first pre-production machine, conducted in collaboration with Marcel Dassault, the Voltigeur programme was abandoned with just three aircraft completed.
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Voisin III
The Voisin III was a French World War I two-seat pusher biplane multi-purpose aircraft.
The first Voisin III was powered by a 130 hp Salmson M9 engine water-cooled 9 cylinder radial engine, later examples used the similar 150 hp Salmson P9 or R9.
It had a range of 120 miles, a top speed of 65–70 mph and a ceiling of 10,990–19,690 ft depending on engine and manufacturer.
The pilot sat ahead of the passenger, who could fire weapons, release bombs or take photos,some versions could carry up to 330lbs of bombs. It incorporated a light steel frame structure which made it highly durable when operating out of makeshift wartime military aviation airfields.
It became one of the most common Allied bombers early in the war. Significant numbers were purchased by the French and the Imperial Russian Air Force. Russia ordered more than 800 from France and built a further 400 under license and over 100 were built in Italy and 50 in the United Kingdom.Small numbers were purchased by Belgium and Romania. One French aircraft was forced to land in Switzerland in 1915 after running low on fuel in combat with a German aircraft and was put into service with the Swiss Fliegerabteilung.
Like many aircraft of its era, Voisin III was a multi-purpose aircraft. Its missions included day- and night bombing, reconnaissance, artillery spotting and training.
It is notable for being the aircraft used for the first successful shooting down of an enemy aircraft on October 5, 1914, and to have been used to equip the first dedicated bomber units, in September 1914.
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Voisin VI
The Voisin VI or Voisin Type 6 was a French pusher biplane bomber aircraft of World War I.
The first Voisin Type VI entered service in 1916 and replaced the Voisin III on the production lines. However, the Voisin 155 hp Salmson engines were held in low regard by their crews.
Despite the more powerful engine, the Voisin Type VIs' payload was only marginally better and the maximum speed was only a very sedate 70 mph- not enough improvement to make a difference, while climb rate suffered substantially.
A single Voisin Type VI was fitted with a second Salmson in the nose of the fuselage, driving a tractor propeller. It is believed that the intention was to test a possible twin pusher and tractor propellor configuration for a new bomber planned by Voisin.
Approximately 50 Voisin Type VIs were built, and these served alongside the Voisin Type IIIs during 1916.
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Voisin XII
The Voisin XII was a prototype French two-seat four-engine biplane bomber built near the end of the First World War.
The Voisin XII was a long-range night bomber with four 220hp Hispano-Suiza 8Bc V-8 water-cooled piston engines mounted in pairs in tandem.
The aircraft was built in response to the BN2 requirement for a long-range night bomber. Just one prototype was built and test flights were successful, but the war's end prevented the Voisin XII from being ordered into production.
The aircraft had a max speed of 90mph and a range of just over 430 miles. It had a 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Lewis gun, with the option for one 37 mm (1.457 in) Hotchkiss cannon, and could carry a bombload of around 1,800lbs.
It was the last aircraft Voisin produced, After WWI, Gabriel Voisin abandoned the aviation industry in favor of vehicle construction under the name Avions Voisin.
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Wassmer WA-40 Series
Wassmer was a woodworking company formed by Bernard Wassmer in 1905, which later became an aircraft manufacturer specializing in gliders.
The Wassmer WA-40 Super 4 Sancy is a French single-engined light aircraft of the 1960s and 70s. It was a low-winged monoplane with a retractable nosewheel undercarriage. The fuselage was of steel tube construction with fabric covering, while the wings were wooden. The first prototype flew on 8 June 1959,and received French certification on 9 June 1960.
With the 53rd production aircraft ( in 1963 ), a swept vertical fin and rudder were introduced (designated WA.40A; first flew in January 1963 and receiving French certification in March 1963); all further units produced continued the swept design.
In 1965 the WA.41, with fixed landing gear was introduced, named Baladou. In March 1967 the Super 4/21 Prestige was introduced, powered by a 235 hp Lycoming O-540 engine, it also featured a variable-pitch propeller, autopilot, and IFR instrumentation. Wassmer suffered financial difficulty in early 1977, and became insolvent in September 1977.
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Wassmer WA-80
The Wassmer WA-80 Piranha is a French two-seat low-wing cabin monoplane trainer.It had a similar construction as the company's WA-50 four-seater, however the WA-80 was a scaled down version.
The prototype, registered F-WVKR, first flew in November 1975 powered by a 100 hp Rolls-Royce Continental O-200 engine.Wassmer appointed a receiver and suspended production in 1977 after 25 had been built.
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Wassmer Cerva CE.43 Guépard Series.
Wassmer decided to produce an alternate all-metal version of the Wassmer WA.4/21. He teamed up with Siren SA to form a joint-company known as Consortium Europeén de Réalisation et de Ventes d'Avions (CERVA). The two aircraft have identical dimensions but the all-metal Guépard is heavier.
The prototype first flew on 18 May 1971 and was exhibited at the 1971 Paris Air Show. The aircraft was certified on 1 June 1972,and the French government ordered 26 aircraft, eight for the Navy, and 18 for the Airforce.
First deliveries to private customers began in 1975 and by the time production ended in 1976 44 aircraft had been produced with some being exported including to Finland.
Components for the Guépard were manufactured by Siren and final assembly, equipment fit and flight testing was carried out by Wassmer at Issoire.
Two new versions were developed, the CE.44 Couguar powered by a 285 hp Continental Tiara 6-285 engine, and the CE.45 Léopard powered by a 310 hp Avco Lycoming TIO-540.
Development ended when the Wassmer went into liquidation in 1977.
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Well, that is France done, time to move on to Spain.
Aeronáutica Industrial S.A. is a Spanish aeronautical company. It took over another company, Talleres Loring which had been founded by Jorge Loring in 1923.
AISA González Gil-Pazó GP-1
The González Gil-Pazó GP-1 was a single-engine, two-seat open cockpit training aircraft, built in Spain in the 1930s to compete for a government contract.
The Gil-Pazo No1 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane, built of wood and metal with plywood skinning, seated two and had an unfaired conventional undercarriage. It was powered by an ADC Cirrus engine. Almost no specifications are known, but it first flew in June 1932 and was last recorded at Cuatro Vientos, Madrid in July 1936.
In 1934 a specification for a two-seat trainer was issued and Gil-Pazó's response was a development of the No1,named GP-1. The aircraft had two open cockpits and a trousered undercarriage was similar to the Miles Hawk Major in appearance. Its wings, of semi-elliptic plan, had a wooden structure and a stressed plywood skin.For its first flight in June 1934 it was powered by the same Cirrus engine as the No.1 but this was replaced by a 195 hp Walter Junior inverted inline engine for the competition.
The Gil-Pazó GP-1 was the winner, and in 1936 González Gil and Pazó received an order for 100 aircraft. These were to be built by AISA but none of these had been completed by July 1936 at the start of the Spanish Civil War.
AISA retreated to Alicante. About forty GP-1s were built there during the war in a collaboration with Hispano-Suiza.About thirty of the forty GP-1s built at Alicante were captured by the Nationalist forces and given military serials. After the war at least twelve of these were given Spanish civil registrations; one remained on the register until 1961.
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(AISA) INTA HM.1 Series
The INTA HM.1, also known as Huarte Mendicoa HM-1, was a 1940s Spanish primary trainer designed by the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeronáutica (INTA) and built by (AISA).
The HM.1 was a two-seat primary training monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear. It was followed by a number of similar aircraft with equipment and accommodation changes.
The last of the family was the HM.7 built in 1947 which was an enlarged four-seat version powered by a 240 hp Argus As 10C engine, the HM.7 was the last powered aircraft designed by the Institute.
The HM.1 first flew in 1943 and had a fixed undercarriage.Later models had enclosed cockpits and retractable gear.It soldiered on in Spanish service till the end of the 1950’s, it was not a very successful aircraft and had a reputation for poor handling,especially spin recovery.
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AISA I-11
The I-11 was a Spanish built two-seat civil utility aircraft from the 1950s.
The original design was by another Spanish aircraft company Iberavia, its first of two prototype flew on 16 July 1951. Iberavia was acquired by AISA before the aircraft had gone into production.
It was a low-wing monoplane with a fixed, tricycle undercarriage and a large, bubble canopy over the two side-by-side seats.
AISA decided to continue with development, but made some changes to the design, reducing the size of the canopy, and replacing the undercarriage with a taildragger arrangement. This configuration entered production in 1952 with an order from the Director General for Civil Aviation for 70 aircraft for use in Spain's aeroclubs. The Spanish Air Force then ordered 125 for use in training.
It was powered by a 90hp Continental C90-12F Four-cyliner air-cooled engine, which was good for a max speed of 125mph with a cruise of 110mph.
The Air Force later requested 200 aircraft, but with tandem seating, which were designated I-115 and powered by a 150 hp ENMA Tigre inverted air-cooled engine.
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AISA I-115
The AISA I-115 is a low-wing single-engined military primary trainer with tandem seating, which went into service with the Spanish Air Force in 1956.
The I-115 was a development of the I-11B, but was a longer machine because the SAF wanted tandem seating for its trainers, had a slightly greater span and was considerably heavier.
These changes called for more power, so the I-115 used a 150 hp ENMA Tigre inverted in-line engine.The first prototype flew on 20 June 1952.
About 200 I-115s were delivered to the SAF, 150 by the Spring of 1956; at that time there was an order for another 150. They were initially known as the type EE.6, but became the E.9 which was in service from 1956 to 1976. Despite the long service, there was criticism of its spinning behaviour and its weight.
Most E.9s were powered by the Tigre engine but some late models had the 145 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major engine and others a 190 hp Lycoming O-435-A.
Many I-115s were sold to civilians at the end of their military service and in 2014 seven were still on the Spanish civil register. Three of these were in museums but were active until at least 2009
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Aerotécnica AC-12
The Aerotécnica AC-12 Pepo was a Spanish two-seat light helicopter of the 1950s.
It was designed by Jean Cantinieau and like his other designs featured a distinctive "spine" above the fuselage pod that carried the engine ahead of the rotor assembly. Development costs were subsidised by the Spanish government, and the first of two prototypes flew on 20 July 1954.
Power was supplied by a 168 hp Lycoming O-360-B2A air-cooled flat-four engine.Twelve aircraft (two prototypes and 10 production) were ordered for the Spanish Air Force where they served for three years under the designation EC-XZ-2.
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Aerotécnica AC-14
The Aerotécnica AC-14 was a Spanish five-seat light helicopter of the 1950s, designed by Jean Cantinieau.
The AC-14 continued Cantinieau`s practice of mounting the engine ahead of the main rotor, and like the Norelfe, used the ducted exhaust from the turboshaft to counter the torque of the main rotor at low speeds, while at high speeds the exhaust gases were deflected rearwards to increase speed, torque being compensated for by movable twin tail fins.
The first of prototype flew on 16 July 1957. Power was from a 400hp Turbomeca Artouste IIB engine, which gave a max speed of 110mph and a cruise of 92mph.
A pre-production order for ten aircraft was placed by the Spanish Air Force where they served designation EC-XZ-4. No production followed, as they were costly compared to used Bell 47G-2 and G-3.
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CASA III
Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) was founded by José Ortiz-Echagüe in 1923.
The CASA III was a 1920s Spanish two-seat monoplane.
In 1929 using experience from the production of licence-built aircraft the company built the CASA III. It was originally designed as a light bomber monoplane for the Aeronáutica Naval air arm of the Spanish Navy, but its performance was poor the prototypes ending up as trainers at Pollensa´s Naval Air School.
The CASA III was a parasol wing monoplane with a fabric-covered steel tube fuselage. It had tandem open cockpits, and wide track fixed conventional landing gear with a tail skid.
The wings were hinged at the rear spar and they could be folded for storage or transport.
The prototype first flew on 2 July 1929 and was powered by a 90 hp Cirrus III piston engine.A total of nine aircraft were built, all with different engines, including the de Havilland Gipsy III and the Elizalde A6 radial engine.The last aircraft built was delivered to the Spanish Navy.
Power plants included:- de Havilland Gipsy I, de Havilland Gipsy II, de Havilland Gipsy III, Isotta Fraschini Asso 80 R., Lorraine 5P, Walter Venus and Elizalde D V.
During the Spanish Civil War all the remaining CASA IIIs were operated by the Republican forces and none survived the conflict.
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CASA 2.111
The CASA 2.111 was a medium bomber derived from the Heinkel He 111 and produced in Spain under licence.
During the Spanish Civil War, in 1937, the Spanish Nationalist Air Force received a number of He 111Es. There was a requirement for more modern aircraft,in 1940, CASA negotiated a contract with Heinkel to produce 200 of the new He 111 H-16 in Seville.Setting up production was slow, with little support from Germany, but Spain managed to locate a store of Jumo 211F-2 engines in France, and this enabled completion of 130 Jumo powered aircraft in three versions, a bomber, reconn bomber and dual trainer.
The first Spanish-built aircraft flew on 23 May 1945. At the end of the war, access to the German-built Junkers engines became a major problem, but CASA found an alternative with the Rolls-Royce Merlin 500. In April 1956, 173 Merlin engines were ordered and installed on the aircraft in a nacelle type originally developed by Rolls-Royce for the Beaufighter II and later on the Avro Lancaster. The newly Merlin-powered bombers and reconnaissance bombers became the 2.111B and 2.111D, respectively.
A nine-passenger transport, the 2.111T8, was also developed and produced.Spanish 2.111s served into the late 1960s and,some of the transports, early 1970s. Many of the aircraft retired in the 1960s, and some were used in films such as Battle of Britain and Patton,due to the resemblance to Heinkel He 111s.
The CASA 2.111 was used in combat in the close air support role during the Ifni War in 1957-1958. Approximately 14 Spanish licensed built CASA 2.111s survive today in various conditions on display or in storage.
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CASA C.127
The CASA C.127 was license-built version of the Dornier Do 27.STOL Utility Aircraft.
Dornier's facilities in Spain designed the Do 25 to a Spanish military requirement for a light utility aircraft, as a precursor to the production Do 27. Powered by a 150 hp ENMA Tigre G.V engine, the Do 25 was not selected for production.
The Do 27 seated four to six, and the original prototype first flew in Spain on 27 June 1955. Most production aircraft were built in Germany, the first German-built aircraft first flight was on 17 October 1956. 50 more were manufactured in Spain by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA as the CASA-127. In addition to the military operators in Germany and Spain, Portugal received 40 new-build and 106 ex-German machines.
Powerplant for most models was a 275hp Lycoming GO-480-B1A6 6-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine.
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CASA C-201 Alcotán
The CASA C-201 Alcotán ("Kestrel") was a 1950s transport aircraft, for the Spanish Air Force.
The aircraft was the result of an agreement between the Spanish government CASA, to develop a transport aircraft for the air force capable of carrying a payload of one tonne over a range of 1,000 km (620 mi). The design was a twin-engine low-wing cantilever monoplane. The main units of the tailwheel undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles.
The first of two portotypes flew on 11 February 1949. An order for twelve pre-production aircraft and one hundred series aircraft was then placed. The pre-production machines were planned to demonstrate a range of different equipment fits for the airframe. A number of engines were also to be evaluated, including the 475 hp Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah that had powered the prototypes.
The Pratt & Whitney R-1340, and the locally produced ENMASA Sirio were also used in a number of the aircraft.
Due to problems in the supply of powerplants and propellers, the Alcotan project began to suffer. Spain's domestic engine industry was not capable of producing powerplants in sufficient quantity, and Spain was unable to afford to import foreign engines. The shortage of engines meant that by 1956, only eleven complete aircraft had been finished and delivered.
By 1962, the project was finally cancelled, without the engine problem ever having been resolved. By then, CASA had 96 complete airframes in storage awaiting powerplants, these were scrapped, and the Spanish government compensated the manufacturer.
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CASA C-202 Halcón
The CASA C-202 Halcón was a twin-engine transport aircraft, from the early 1950`s.
The Halcón was designed for use on Spain's international air routes. It had tricycle landing gear and a heated/air-conditioned cabin which could accommodate fourteen passengers.
Twenty aircraft were initially ordered, and delivered to the Spanish Air Force with the designation T.6.
The aircraft were powered by 2 ENMASA Beta B-41 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, of 775 hp.These allowed a max speed of 233 MPH and a cruise of 208 MPH.
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CASA C-207 Azor
The CASA C-207 Azor was a transport aircraft and was a scaled-up version of the CASA C-202 Halcón.
It was developed as an airline-suited aircraft, for short- to mid-range routes that were common in Spain and other Europe areas. The Azor was deemed almost obsolete and uneconomical for its time, for which better aircraft were available for its role.
CASA turned to the Spanish Air Force, which had interest in new transport aircraft,and CASA had previously experimented with transport aircraft to replace types already in service, such as the CASA C-201 and CASA C-202. They were plagued with unreliable engines and were cancelled.
The 207A was built for the Air Force with a capacity of 40 passengers plus a crew of four.They were powered by 2 Bristol Hercules 730 radial piston engines of 2040 hp each.
A batch of ten C-207C (or T.7B) were built with large doors and capacity for 37 Paratroops.
Two survivors are at the Spanish Air Force museum, one is at Getafe Air Base, one is preserved in the exterior in Sevilla after a 2015 restoration.
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CASA C-212 Aviocar
The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium cargo aircraft designed for civil and military use.
CASA introduced the C-212, a twin engined 18 seat transport aircraft that would be capable of fulfilling a variety of military roles, including passenger transport, ambulance aircraft and paratroop carrier, while also being suitable for civil use.The first prototype flew on 26 March 1971. In 1974, the Spanish Air Force decided to acquire the Aviocar to update its fleet.
The C-212 has a high-mounted wing, a box fuselage, and a conventional tail and tricycle undercarriage is non-retractable. It can carry 21–28 passengers depending on configuration. Since the C-212 has an unpressurized fuselage, it is limited to relatively low-flight-level airline usage below 10,000 ft, thus ideal for short legs and regional airline service.
Airlines noted the type's success with the military, so CASA developed a proposed commercial version, the first examples of which were delivered in July 1975.
In August 2006 a total of 30 CASA C-212 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service around the world. The -400 was introduced in 1997 with a glass cockpit and more powerful engines.
Its operators including numerous charter and short-haul aviation companies and several national air forces. The C-212 is also in the service of the United States Army Special Operations Command with the designation C-41A.
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Hispano HA-100
The Hispano HA-100 Triana was a military trainer aircraft developed in Spain in the 1950s.
It was the first aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt after World War II, and was a conventional, low-wing cantilever tandem monoplane with retractable tricycle undercarriage.
The programme was initiated when the Spanish government issued a requirement in 1951 for a new trainer aircraft. Hispano proposed two versions with different engine power, the HA-100E and HA-100F, the former for basic training, the latter for advanced training, and the construction of two prototypes of each was undertaken.
Development was full of problems with suitable parts, and most particularly with engines. The ENMASA Sirio was originally selected for the HA-100E, but was unavailable, the ENMASA Beta was used instead.
It was a much heavier and powerful engine than had been envisaged for the basic trainer.The performance of this engine was far from satisfactory, and when the second prototype flew in February 1955 (the first HA-100F), it was powered by a Wright R-1300.
Flight testing went well and positive results were achieved, the HA-100 performed well in comparative tests against the American T-28 Trojan, leading to a contract for 40 of the aircraft.
However, obtaining engines remained a stumbling block, with Spain unable to afford to import the Wright engine in quantity. Eventually, production ground to a halt, and the decision was taken to scrap the airframes under construction, salvaging only the wings and empennages for use on the HA-200 project. Just two aircraft were completed.
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Hispano HS-42
The Hispano HS-42 and its derivative, the HA-43, were advanced military trainer aircraft produced in Spain in the late 1940s.
The basic design was that of a conventional, low-wing, cantilever monoplane with seating for the pilot and instructor in tandem. The HS-42 had fixed, tailwheel undercarriage with spatted mainwheels, while the HA-43 had retractable main units.
It was powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 27 seven-cylinder radial engine of 390 hp, which gave a max speed of around 210mph and a cruise of 183mph. It was armed with 2 × fixed, forward-firing 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns in wings.
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Hispano HA-200
The Hispano HA-200 Saeta was a twin-seat jet advanced trainer.
During the early 1950s, Willy Messerschmitt worked on the HA-100 Triana, a piston-engine prototype trainer, the design would subsequently serve as the basis for the HA-200.
The two aircraft directly shared many design features, including the wing, tail unit, and tricycle undercarriage; original elements were largely confined to the area forward of the cockpit.
It was Spain's first indigenously-developed aircraft to be powered by the turbojet engine. On 12 August 1955, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight, flown by Major Valiente, the company's chief test pilot.He praised the prototype's handling qualities, stating them to be light and responsive.
The French Turbomeca Marboré turbojet engine had been selected and Spain had successfully negotiated a license to locally produce the engine. Development was slow and protracted, the first production aircraft, which was designated as HA-200A, first flew during October 1962. Shortly thereafter, the initial version of the aircraft were delivered to the Spanish Air Force; in service, it was operated under the service designation E.14.
The trainer model was shortly followed on by a single-seat version, designated as HA-220, which was designed to perform ground attack missions. On 25 April 1970, this new model made its first flight. During the early 1970s, the ground attack-orientated HA-220 entered into service with the Spanish Air Force, which designated the type as C.10.It remained in service for barely a decade, all of the C.20s being withdrawn from Spanish service by the end of 1981.
During 1959, an agreement was reached so the HA-200 was produced under license in Egypt. Both the airframe and the engines were locally manufactured.A total of 85 HA-200s were reportedly constructed between 1960 and 1969. In Egyptian Air Force service, the type was commonly referred to as the Helwan HA-200B Al-Kahira.
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Hispano-Suiza E-30
The Hispano Suiza E-30, later renamed Hispano E-30 , was designed in Spain in 1930 as a multi-purpose intermediate trainer.
It was a single engine, parasol wing monoplane.The wing of the E-30 was straight edged, with rounded wing tips and a large, rounded cut-out in the trailing edge above the fuselage to improve visibility from the rear cockpit, the wings could be folded to save space.
The first prototype, flew in 1930 and was designated E-30 H, was powered by an upright V-8 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ab engine. It had a maximum speed of 112 mph or cruise of 100mph. A second prototype flew the following year, powered by a 220 hp Hispano-Wright 9Qa, an early licence-built version of the 9-cylinder radial Wright Whirlwind. The third prototype had a modified wing fitted with flaps and Handley Page slots for low speed flight. Production aircraft used a slightly developed version of this radial, the 250 hp Hispano-Wright 9 Qd which gave a top speed of 140mph and cruise of 115mph.
The E-30 could be armed,if required, options included a fixed, forward firing 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine gun or a similar gun in the rear cockpit. Up to six 12 kg (23 lb) bombs could be attached to under fuselage and fuselage side racks.
The Aeronáutica Militar purchased ten E-30s in 1932-3 and another five in 1935. The Aeronáutica Naval ordered seven between 1933-4, though they were later reported as having eight. The Militar aircraft had their radial engines cowled with Townend rings and driving a metal propeller; their wings carried Hadley Page slots. the Naval machines had uncowled engines, wooden propellers and foldable wings.
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Hispano-Suiza E-34
The Hispano-Suiza E-34, later renamed Hispano HS-34, was a single engine, tandem seat biplane, designed as a basic trainer.
The E-34 had a rectangular cross-section fuselage formed from steel tubing with internal wire bracing. Its cockpits were open. The undercarriage used a pair of internally sprung mainwheels with balloon tyres and a tailskid.It had unswept single bay wings of the same span and constant chord, with some stagger. The wings were fabric-covered wooden structures.
The prototype and production series aircraft were powered, as the specification required, by a 105 hp Walter Junior four-cylinder inverted inline engine, although the second prototype was fitted with the more powerful 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major of the same configuration.Performance was a top speed of around 110mph and a cruise of 85mph.
The E-34 did not win the Aeronáutica Militar competition, and was therefore not ordered, but the Aeronáutica Naval placed an order for twenty five in August 1935. Only five had been built before the Spanish Civil War put an end to production of non-combat aircraft. Just 6 aircraft were completed.
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Loring R-1
The Loring R-1 or R-I was a reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber produced fromthe late 1920s.
It was the firm's first aircraft of its own design, it had manufactured aircraft under license, beginning with Fokker C.IV`s and later built some of Juan de la Cierva's autogyro prototypes, such as the Cierva C.7 and Cierva C.12.
The R-1 was a biplane with staggered wings that were braced with struts in a Warren truss-like configuration.The pilot and observer sat in open cockpits in tandem.
Thirty examples were produced for the Spanish Army. They remained in service until December 1931 when they were phased out during military restructuring promoted by Manuel Azańa, the new Minister of War of the republican government. He wanted to modernize the Spanish Military and cut down the expenses of the state.
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Loring R-III
The Loring R-III or R-3 was a 1920s two-crew sesquiplane reconnaissance and light attack aircraft.
During the mid 1920s, General Primo de Rivera's dictatorship the R-III entered a contest along with the Potez 25 for the modernization of the Military Air Arm. Both machines had similar characteristics, but the Military Directory decided on the Loring R-III to promote local industry, thus the Aeronáutica Militar placed an order of 110 aircraft.
In October and November 1926 three variants of the R-3 were exhibited at the National Aeronautics Exhibition in Madrid. The R-3, the C-1 fighter and the T-1 light trainer. Neither the fighter nor the trainer variants, went into production. The aircraft was powered by an 800 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Hb engine, which allowed a max speed of around 145mph.
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That`s Spain finished, now on to Italy.
Aerfer Ariete
The Aerfer Ariete (Ram) was a prototype fighter aircraft built in Italy in 1958.
The Ariete was a derivative of the Aerfer Sagittario 2, and was an attempt to bring that aircraft up to a standard where it could be a viable mass-produced combat aircraft.
It retained much of the Sagittario 2's layout, with a nose intake and ventral exhaust for the main Derwent engine, the Ariete added a Rolls-Royce Soar RS.2 auxiliary turbojet engine to provide additional power for climbing and sprinting. This used a dorsal, retractable intake with its exhaust at the tail.
No production version followed and just two aircraft were completed, and were evaluated by the Italian Air Force. A proposed version with an auxiliary rocket engine instead of the turbojet, the Aerfer Leone, was abandoned before a prototype could be built.
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Aer Lualdi L.59
The Aer Lualdi L.59 was an Italian helicopter that failed to reach quantity production.
The L.59 was the culmination of work by Carlo Lualdi throughout the 1950s, and was an enlarged version of earlier two-seat designs.The L.59 featured four seats accommodated in an extensively glazed cabin.
It was a conventional pod-and-boom design with skid landing gear, the aircraft had the slightly unusual feature of having its engine mounted in the nose, turning the main rotor by a long driveshaft that reached through the cabin.It was powered by a 260hp Continental IO-470-D air-cooled flat-six engine.
Two Macchi-built prototypes began flight tests in 1960. Civil certification was achieved in August the following year. Although faultless, the performance of the L.59 was not comparable with that of other helicopters on the market at the time. Macchi planned an initial production batch of 50 machines, but only a single example was sold - one of the prototypes was purchased by the Italian Army for evaluation purposes,but no orders were placed. The prototype was exhibited at the 1963 Paris Air Show, but again, no orders were obtained for the aircraft.
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Ambrosini S.7
The Ambrosini SAI.7 was an Italian racing aircraft flown before World War II that later entered production as a military trainer (designated S.7) after the war.
The SAI.7 was built to compete in the Avioraduno del Littorio rally, which departed Rimini on 15 July 1939.Two SAI.7s were fitted with special glazed fairings extending from the canopy to the nose,for extra streamlining. The aircraft began its proving flights too late, and were disqualified from the competition, but on August 27, one of them set a new world airspeed record for a 100 km closed circuit, at 403.9 km/h (252 mph) powered by a Hirth HM 508D engine.
During WWII, the Regia Aeronautica was interested in the aircraft as a trainer for fighter pilots, and a revised version entered limited production in 1943 as the SAI.7T. Only 10 were built, but in 1949 a modernised version powered by an Alfa Romeo engine of 225hp was produced, 145 of them for the re-formed Italian Air Force, including some single-seat versions.
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Ambrosini SAI.10
The Ambrosini SAI.10 Grifone ("Griffon") was a military trainer aircraft produced in small numbers for the Italian Regia Aeronautica early in World War II.
The Ministero dell' Aeronautica ordered a prototype primary trainer from Ambrosini. This aircraft, was a parasol monoplane of mixed construction, it first flew on July 8 1939, and a production batch of 50 was ordered, but this was soon reduced to just 10, all of which were delivered in 1940.
Production aircraft differed by having a 85hp Fiat A.50 radial engine in place of the prototype's CNA D. Other engine fits that were trialled included an example with a Siemens-Halske Sh 14, and one with an Alfa Romeo 110; this latter machine designated SAI.11. Another experimental development that did not enter production was a float-equipped SAI.10 Gabbiano ("Seagull").
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Ambrosini SAI.207
The Ambrosini SAI.207 was a light fighter interceptor built entirely from wood.
The SAI.207 was developed from the Ambrosini SAI.7 racing and sporting aircraft after the light fighter concept had been proven with the Ambrosini SAI.107 prototype. It was designed to have a lightweight structure and light armament to allow lower-powered engines to be used, without unduly reducing performance.
The first of three prototypes flew in the Autumn of 1940 with a 540 hp Isotta Fraschini Gamma engine, the Sai.107 reached a speed of 350 mph and manoeuvrability proved to be excellent.
In level-flight the performance of the SAI.207 was impressive. Armament consisted of two fuselage-mounted 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns.The Ministero dell' Aeronautica placed a production order for 2,000 machines, plus a pre-production batch of 12 aircraft for operational testing.The SAI.207 used a 750hp Isotta Fraschini Delta III R.C.40 inverted V-12,giving an impressive max speed of just under 400mph.
Flight testing revealed some major shortcomings, the low power and high wing loading resulted in poor climb performance; the rear cylinders of the engine overheated during recovery from a dive; the light structure also led to problems, with the second prototype wing exploding during a dive recovery due to internal pressure build up, and the wooden structure was also badly affected by rain or humidity.
Despite its speed, Italian pilots were not impressed by the type and its service in the summer of 1943 quickly ended. The aircraft of 83rd Squadriglia were returned to SAI-Ambrosini to be refurbished.
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Ambrosini S.1001
The Ambrosini S.1001 Grifo ("Griffin") was an Italian light airplane that appeared shortly after the end of World War II.
It was the first plane built by SAI Ambrosini postwar, the prototype flew in 1947 and was derived from the pre-war SAI.2S. It was a four-seat monoplane with spatted fixed undercarriage.
A small series was produced for the Italian aeroclubs with an Alfa Romeo 110-ter engine of 130 hp. Three examples were bought by the Italian Aeronautica Militare (AMI), which used them between 1948 and 1950.
A two-seater version powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major of 160 hp was offered to the AMI as a trainer. but they were not interested, although a few aircraft were built as the S.1002 Trasimeno for aeroclubs.
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Ambrosini Rondone
The Ambrosini Rondone is two/three-seat light touring monoplane of the early 1950s.
The Rondone was designed as a modern touring aircraft, for aero clubs, Stelio Frati prepared the basic design for the prototype two-seat F.4 Rondone I which was built by CVV in 1951.
This was followed by nine production examples produced by SAI Ambrosini in collaboration with Aeronautica Lombardi.
It is of wooden construction with a plywood-covered one-piece single spar wing,and a monocoque fuselage.The tricycle undercarriage is retractable,and the aircraft had two-position flaps and dual controls fitted.The two-seater had an 85 hp Continental engine.
The Rondone II has an extended cabin with additional rear side windows,it was a three-seater with a 90 hp Continental C90-12F engine.Some were later fitted with a 135 hp Lycoming O-290-D2 engine. In total 20 aircraft were completed with a few still airworthy.
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Agusta A.105
The Agusta A.105 was an Italian rotorcraft designed by Agusta, however it was never developed beyond the prototype stage.
The A.105 was designed to have a simple manufacturing process, it was planned to be a liaison, aerial photography and high-speed transport helicopter, it was powered by the Agusta built Turbomeca-Agusta TA-230 turbine engine.
The A.105 and A.105B were displayed at the 1965 Paris Air Show, the latter wearing Italian Air Force markings.
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Agusta AZ.8L
The Agusta AZ.8L, was an Italian airliner prototype first flown on 9 June 1958.
It was a low-wing monoplane with tricycle undercarriage and used an all-metal construction. Filippo Zappata's design was a development of his unused design twin-engined transport, the AZ.1.
When the AZ.8L failed to attract customers, Agusta abandoned the project to focus on its helicopter manufacturing operations, in particular a new Zappata design, the A.101.
It was powered by 4 Alvis Leonides 503/2 9 cyl. air-cooled radial piston engines, of 540 hp each, which gave a cruise of around 250mph and range of 1500 miles.
The aircraft first flew 9th June 1958, just one was completed and it was retired in 1963.
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Agusta A.106
The Agusta A.106 was a single-seat light helicopter designed to provide an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platform for the destroyers of the Italian Navy.
The aircraft was provided with a sophisticated electronics suite by Ferranti for autostabilisation and contact identification.A pair of torpedoes could be slung under the fuselage.
The tail and two-bladed main rotor could be folded for shipboard stowage, and the skid undercarriage had fittings for flotation bags if required.
Two prototypes were built, the first flying in November 1965. A pre-production batch of 5 was cancelled by the Navy in 1973.
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Ansaldo A.1 Balilla
The Ansaldo A.1, was Italy's only domestically-designed fighter aircraft of World War I.
The first prototype was completed in July 1917, but acceptance by the Air force did not occur until much later that year. Test pilots were not enthusiastic in their evaluation, they found a marked increase in performance over the earlier SVA.5, but the A.1 was still not as manoeuverable as the French types in use by Italy's squadrons, notably the Nieuport 17, which was also produced by Macchi in Italy. This resulted in a number of modifications, including a slight enlargement of the wings and rudder, and a further 10% increase in engine power.
While the fighter's speed was impressive, it proved difficult to fly. Nevertheless, the air force ordered the A.1 anyway.
The first of an original order of 100 machines entered service in July 1918. The A.1s were mostly assigned to home defence duties. In the four months before the Armistice, A.1s scored only one aerial victory, an Austrian reconnaissance aircraft.Despite this, the air force ordered another 100 machines, all of which were delivered before the end of the war. At the armistice, 186 were operational, of which 47 aircraft remained on hand with training squadrons, and the rest were to be put in storage.
The A.1 was built under license in Poland for the Polish Air Force, and was also operated by the Soviet and Latvian Air Force.Some also found their way to South America via a promo tour for the aircraft.
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Ansaldo A.120
The Ansaldo A.120 also known as the FIAT A.120, since FIAT bought Ansaldo, was a reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1920s. It was a conventional, parasol-wing monoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage. It had a crew of two with the pilot and observer in tandem open cockpits. The prototype flew in 1925, and over 70 were completed.
The design was based on a wing developed for the Ansaldo A.115 and the fuselage of the Dewoitine D.1 fighter which Ansaldo had built under licence. The type was operated in modest quantities by the Italian Air Force, and was exported to the air forces of Austria and Lithuania, the latter's machines remaining in service until the Soviet annexation of the country.
It was powered by a 550hp Fiat A.22 piston engine,in production versions which gave a max speed of around 155mph.
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Ansaldo A.300
The Ansaldo A.300 was an Italian general-purpose biplane aircraft built from 1920 to 1929.
It was a single-engined two-crew open cockpit biplane of mixed metal and wood-and-fabric construction, powered by a water-cooled Fiat A.12bis V12 engine. Most variants had two fixed Vickers guns and one mobile gun mounted in the rear cockpit. It first flew in 1919.
The A.300/3 was a three-crew version intended for reconnaissance, of which around 90 were delivered. The most significant variant was the A.300/4, again mostly three-crew, which started full production in 1923, just as Ansaldo was absorbed into FIAT. This became the standard multi-role aircraft in the newly formed Regia Aeronautica and served in Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Corfu, Libya and Eritrea.
They served as a light bombers, transports, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft, and finally as an advanced trainer, some examples in service as late as 1940. 50 examples were also license-built in Poland but were not a success due to poor build quality.
The A.300 was one of the most numerous aircraft of its time, with the production run of the A.300/4 alone, at 700 units, exceeding the total production of any other type of the 1920s except the Breguet XIX and Potez 25. Despite this, it remains one of the least documented types.
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Ansaldo SVA
The Ansaldo SVA was a family of Italian reconnaissance biplane aircraft of World War I.
It was originally conceived as a fighter, but was found inadequate for that role. However, with its impressive speed, range and operational ceiling,its top speed making it one of the fastest of all Allied combat aircraft in World War I, gave it the right properties to be an excellent reconnaissance aircraft and even light bomber. Production of the aircraft continued well after the war, the final examples were delivered during 1918.
The SVA was a conventionally laid-out unequal-span biplane - it was unusual in featuring Warren Truss-style struts joining its two wings, and therefore having no transverse (spanwise) bracing wires. The plywood-skinned fuselage had the typical Ansaldo triangular rear cross-section behind the cockpit, transitioning to a rectangular cross section going forwards through the rear cockpit area, with a full rectangular cross section forward of the cockpit.Two minor variants were produced, one with reconnaissance cameras, the other without cameras but extra fuel tanks.
It was powered by a 200 hp SPA 6A 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, which gave it a max speed of around 140mph.
The Italian Air Force's High Command urged for the SVA to be provided in vast quantities; thus, production output made rapid advances. Only 65 aircraft had been completed by the end of 1917, 1,183 SVAs were build during 1918; this made the type the second-most numerous aircraft to be built by the Italian aviation industry.
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Aviamilano A2
The Aviamilano A2 or A2 Standard is an Italian high performance Standard Class sailplane.
The A2 was designed in the early 1960s at the Polytechnic University of Milan by Carlo Ferrarin, his cousin Francis Ferrarin and Livio Sonzio. It is a single-seat cantilever mid-wing monoplane, its high-aspect-ratio wing built around an all-metal torsion box and spar. It is skinned with light alloy, the centre section trailing edges carries air brakes.
Its fuselage is similar to that of the Aviamilano CPV1 with a wooden structure and ovoid cross-section. The rear part is plywood skinned, but the forward part is covered with glass fibre.
It has a long, single, semi-reclining seat cockpit with a single piece canopy following the fuselage contours is placed ahead of the leading edge.
The A2 first flew in 1964 and a short production run began in 1966. In all, five were built,one of which remained on the Italian civil register in 2010.
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Aviamilano Sequoia Falco
The aircraft was designed by Italian designer Stelio Frati in 1955, and was originally built by Aviamilano, then Aeromere and later Laverda.
It is a single-engined, propeller driven lightweight 2-seater aerobatic aircraft, designed for private and general aviation use.The Falco was sold in kit or plans form for amateur construction.
The design was adopted in the US in the 1980s and converted to kit form. The aircraft is regarded as one of the best handling, strongest, and most aesthetically pleasing designs made available to home builders, with high performance includes a 200mph max speed and 6g aerobatic capability, powered by a 160hp Lycoming O-320-B1A air-cooled flat-four engine.
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Aviamilano Nibbio
The Aviamilano F.14 Nibbio is a four-seat, single engine cabin monoplane from the late 1950s.
The Nibbio is a conventionally laid out,low wing monoplane, seating four in two rows. It is a scaled-up version of Frati's successful two seat F.8 Falco. The Nibbio has a wooden structure and is mostly plywood skinned with fabric overall, though the rear control surfaces have only fabric covering.The Nibbio first flew on 16 January 1958.
The upper fuselage line merges into the cabin glazing over a baggage space behind the rear bench seat. The front seats have dual controls and the cabin access is via a starboard side door.
The Nibbio is powered by a 180 hp Lycoming O-360 air-cooled four cylinder horizontally opposed engine, fed fuel from one fuselage and two wing tanks. It has an electrically retractable tricycle undercarriage with hydraulic brakes and a steerable nosewheel. The max speed of the aircraft was around 210mph.
Including the prototype, just eleven aircraft were completed.
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Aviamilano Scricciolo
The Aviamilano P.19 Scricciolo "Wren" was a light civil trainer aircraft built in the 1960s.
The Scicciolo was designed to compete in a competition by the Aero Club d'Italia for a light civil trainer. The aircraft was evaluated by the Milan Aero Club and the CVV P.19 emerged victorious and two batches of twenty-five were produced at Aviomilano.
It is a low-wing monoplane with tailwheel undercarriage, some were fitted with tricycle gear and designated P.19Tr. The pilot and instructor sat side by side under a large bubble canopy. The fuselage was of fabric-covered steel tube construction while the wings and tail surfaces were made of wood with plywood covering.
After 1964, a few examples were fitted with a 150 hp Lycoming O-320 engine, ( instead of the standard 100hp Continental O-200-A air-cooled flat-four ) , for use as glider tugs and designated P.19R
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Breda A.4
The Breda A.4 was a biplane trainer produced in Italy in the mid-1920s.
It was of conventional configuration with a two-bay unstaggered wing and seating for the pilot and instructor in tandem open cockpits.It made it`s first flight in 1926 with a 130hp 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line engine.Aside from civil use, the A.4 was also adopted by the Regia Aeronautica as a trainer. At least some examples were produced in floatplane configuration as the A.4idro.
Production versions were powered by a 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8 V-8 water-cooled piston engine, and known as the A4 HS.Max speed was around 100mph with a 80 mph cruise.
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Breda A.7
The Breda A.7 was a reconnaissance aircraft developed in Italy for use by the Regia Aeronautica in 1929.
It was a parasol monoplane of conventional configuration with tailskid undercarriage. The pilot and observer sat in tandem, open cockpits. A single prototype of a long-range example, originally designated A.7 Raid and later A.16 (or Ba.16) was also constructed, but the air force showed no interest in it.
14 aircraft were completed fitted with various engine types, from 400hp to 510hp.
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Breda A.9
The Breda A.9 was a biplane trainer produced in 1928 for the Regia Aeronautica. It featured a single-bay, unstaggered wing cellule and fixed tailskid undercarriage.
The student and instructor sat in tandem, open cockpits. A slightly smaller version, designated A.9-bis was developed for use in Italy's aeroclubs.
It was powered by a 25HP Isotta-Fraschini Asso 250 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, which gave it a max speed of 115mph or a cruise of 95mph.
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Breda Ba.15
The Breda Ba.15 was a two-seat light aircraft produced in the late 1920`s.
It was a high-wing braced monoplane that seated the pilot and passenger in tandem within a fully enclosed cabin. Ba.15s were fitted with a wide variety of engines,the most popularly selected was the 110hp Walter Venus, but some were powered by Cirrus III, de Havilland Gipsy, Colombo S.63, Walter Mars I, and Isotta-Fraschini 80 T engines.
Some Ba.15s were operated by the Regia Aeronautica, one example is preserved at the Science Museum in Milan. A Ba.15 was bought in 1929 by an Italian resident in Paraguay, Nicola Bo. The plane had the Italian civil registration I-AAUG. This aircraft was later sold to the Paraguayan Military Aviation and used in the Chaco War as a light transport plane with the serial T-8. It was destroyed in an accident in 1933.
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Breda Ba.19
The Breda Ba.19 was a single-seat aerobatic biplane aircraft, later developed as an air force trainer in 1928.
The Ba19 was a single-bay, unequal-span, unstaggered biplane which seated its pilot in an open cockpit. A few Ba.19s were produced as two-seaters with a second open cockpit in tandem.
The aircraft entered service in 1931 and were used throughout the 1930s for display flights by the Squadriglia di Alta Acrobazia Aerea, performing formation aerobatics.
It was powered by a 200hp Alfa Romeo licence-built Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine, which permitted a top speed of 130mph, and a cruise of around 105mph.
Of the 42 built, just one survives,perched in an inverted position in a museum in Trento, NW Italy.
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Breda Ba.27 / Metallico
The Breda Ba.27 was a fighter produced in the early 1930s.
The Ba.27 was a low-wing braced monoplane, of steel tube construction, skinned with light corrugated alloy metal, it had wooden wings and tailplane. Evaluation of the two prototypes by the Regia Aeronautica in 1933 was very negative, which resulted in an extensive redesign. The fuselage shape was made more rounded and the pilot's open cockpit was moved forward and slightly higher to improve visibility. The corrugated alloy skinning was also replaced with smooth sheet metal.
A prototype of this revised version, known as the Metallico, first flew in June 1934, but it`s appraisal was still disappointing, but despite the lack of domestic interest, the type was ordered by the Republic of China for use against Japan. Out of eighteen machines ordered, only eleven were actually delivered.
Production aircraft were powered by a 540hp Alfa Romeo Mercurius radial engine, which gave the aircraft a top speed of around 235 mph. Armament was 2 fixed, forward-firing 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns.
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Breda Ba.32
The Breda Ba.32 was an airliner prototype from 1931.
The Ba.32 prototype first flew in 1931, It was a low-wing trimotor monoplane with fixed, spatted main landing gear. It was powered by three 320hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines. It had a crew of two, and its cabin could accommodate up to 10 passengers.
Despite displaying good flight characteristics, no production orders ensued and no further examples were built.
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Breda Ba.44
The Breda Ba.44 was a biplane airliner developed in the mid-1930s.
The Ba.44 was developed from the de Havilland Dragon Rapide, which Breda had purchased a manufacturing licence for. Breda believed some changes would better suit the aircraft to the company's manufacturing techniques, the biggest differences in the prototype Ba.44 was the design of the cockpit and empennage, and the change to locally produced Colombo S.63 engines.
In production, however, these were changed back to the same 185 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engines as the Dragon Rapide.
Four examples were purchased by Ala Littoria, which used it on its Albanian routes, while the prototype was sold to the Regia Aeronautica, which operated it as a VIP transport and air ambulance in Libya. The excellent performance of the aircraft in this role led to the air force impressing the civil Ba.44s in 1936.
The government of Paraguay purchased one Ba.44 for its Military Aviation in 1933 and it was used as an air ambulance/transport in the Chaco War. In 1945, this Ba.44 was transferred to the first Paraguayan Airline, L.A.T.N. (Líneas Aéreas de Transporte Nacional) and was withdrawn from service in 1947.
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Breda Ba.64
The Breda Ba.64 was a single-engine ground-attack aircraft used by the Regia Aeronautica during the 1930s.
The Ba.64 was designed in 1933 to requirements set out by the Regia Aeronautica.They wanted an aircraft able to undertake multiple roles: fighter, bomber and reconnaissance.
It was an all-metal, low-wing monoplane with a wire braced tail unit and fixed tail wheel. The open cockpit was placed forward on the fuselage in line with the wing roots to provide an excellent field of vision down as well as forward.
Two prototypes powered by a 700 hp Bristol Pegasus were developed, the first as a two-seater bomber with an armament of four 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns in the wings and up to 400 kg (882 lb) of bombs in racks under the wings.The second was a single-seater fighter configuration fitted with a semi-retractable main landing gear that when in its rearward retracted position, provided less drag as well as protection in case of a wheels-up landing.
The first prototype flew in 1934 but testing revealed a disappointing performance despite the use of a variable-pitch, three-blade propeller. A limited production order was placed for a composite variant that combined the two-place configuration of the bomber with the semi-retractable fighter landing gear. The production variant was powered by a 650 hp Alfa Romeo 125C and although single-seat variants were built, all the Ba.64s were converted to two-place bomber/attack aircraft with a single 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun mounted in the rear cockpit. Production of the 42 Ba.64s was complete by 1936.
They saw limited use in front-line service, the Ba.64s were relegated to second-line duties although a small number survived until March 1943.
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Breda Ba.79S
The Breda Ba.79S was a four-seater private aircraft from the late 1930s.
It was a single-engined high-wing monoplane with a well equipped cabin for four. The wings were joined to the upper fuselage and braced with streamlined struts.The wings had almost straight leading edges with taper on the trailing edges and rounded tips. The tailplane was mounted at mid-fuselage height and was braced to the rounded fin, which carried a wide chord and unbalanced rudder. The tail surfaces were fabric over wooden frames.
The aircraft was powered by a 200 hp Alfa-Romeo 115 six-cylinder inverted inline engine,which gave the Breda 79 a long-nose look. It had a two-bladed propeller, max speed was an impressive 155mph.
The fuselage was a fabric-covered welded steel structure,behind the engine and under the wings was the cabin with four seats in two rows of two.Glazing was extensive, including a roof window, and the cabin was both thermally and acoustically insulated with controllable ventilation.
The divided undercarriage had widely splayed legs attached at the bottom of the wing bracing struts, carrying semi-spatted wheels.
The first Breda 79, c/n 78001 was registered as I-ABFU on 20 April 1936 together with a second example, I-ABFT c/n 78002 but it is not known when they first flew. Records are sketchy, but three seem to have been flown and used by the Ministero Aeronautica.
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Breda Ba.88
The Breda Ba.88 Lince ( Lynx ) was a ground-attack aircraft used by the Italian Regia Aeronautica during World War II.
The aircraft was designed to fulfill a 1936 requirement by the Regia Aeronautica for a heavy fighter bomber capable of a maximum speed of 325+ mph, armament of 20 mm cannons and range of 1,240 mi.The Ba.88 was an all-metal, twin-engine, two-crew monoplane,and it first flew in October 1936. The project was derived from the aborted Ba.75.
It was powered by two 1000hp Piaggio P.XI air-cooled radial engines, and drove two three-blade, continuous-speed 10.4 ft diameter Breda propellers. The engine nacelles also carried the two main undercarriage units. The aircraft had a twin tail to provide the dorsal 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine gun with a better field of fire.
The aircraft had three nose-mounted 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Breda machine guns and another Breda (7.7 mm/0.303 in caliber, with 250-500 rounds) with a high arc of fire, was fitted in the rear cockpit and controlled by a complex motorised electrical system. A modern "San Giorgio" reflector gunsight was fitted, and there was also provision to mount a 20 mm cannon instead of the central Breda-SAFAT machine gun in the nose.
Production numbers of the first series (started in 1939) were 81 machines made by Breda, and 24 by IMAM . The first series included eight trainers, with an elevated second pilot's seat. This was one of the few combat aircraft to have a dedicated trainer version, but it was not enough to prevent the overall failure of the programme.
The second series totalled 19 Breda and 24 IMAM machines fitted with small engine cowling rings. There was a limited evolution in this series, with the second series mainly being sent straight to the scrapyard.
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Breda-Zappata BZ.308
The B.Z.308 was a four-engined civil transport developed in the late 1940s for operation over both European and transatlantic routes.
It was a large low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, powered by four Bristol Centaurus radial engines driving five-bladed propellers. It featured a large tailplane with endplate fins and rudders, and had fully retractable landing gear. The fuselage had an oval cross-section, and accommodated a flight crew of five and 55 passengers in two cabins; a version was planned with seats for up to 80.
Construction began during 1946, under aircraft designer Filippo Zappata at Breda's Sesto San Giovanni works, however the Allied Commission halted the work, which did not restart until January 1947. Problems in the delivery of Bristol Centaurus engines delayed the first flight, which was on 27 August 1948, although flight testing went well, the project was abandoned as a result of financial problems, anticipated competition from American airliners in the postwar market, and pressure (under the Marshall plan) to close down Breda's aeronautical section. Breda subsequently stopped producing aircraft entirely.
The prototype B.Z.308 was acquired by the Italian Air Force in 1949 as a transport aircraft (MM61802). Despite orders in 1950 from India, Argentina and Persia, only the prototype was built, allegedly also due to pressure from the allies for Italy to refrain from competing in civilian aircraft manufacture after the war.
The prototype, which passed to the Italian Air Force in 1950, was used to fly between Rome and Mogadishu until 21 February 1954, when it was damaged beyond repair by a collision with a cement truck, and was abandoned in a field in Somalia before being broken up.
The aircraft made a brief appearance in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday, as all you Audrey Hepburn fans will know. ;)
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Breda-Pittoni BP.471
The Breda-Pittoni B.P.471 was an Italian twin-engine airliner/military transport produced by Breda, as part of its efforts to get back into aircraft manufacturing following WWII.
The prototype first flew in 1950.The aircraft was an all-metal twin-engine monoplane of stressed-skin construction. It had a retractable tricycle undercarriage and wings were of an inverted-gull configuration, this allowed the main landing gear to be short and light.
It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, of 1,200 hp each, and had a cruising speed of around 255 mph.
The cabin had room for 18-passengers or cargo/freight. Breda proposed many uses for the aircraft including a civil airliner and freighter, military navigation trainer or utility freighter. With no interest from buyers the prototype was operated by the Italian Air Ministry as a staff transport, until it`s retirement in late 1954.
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CANT 6
The CANT 6 was a flying boat designed for Italian military service in 1925. The first flight of the type was also in this year.
It was a large biplane of conventional design with three × Lorraine-Dietrich 12Db, 400 hp each engines mounted in nacelles within the interplane gap. Only a single example was produced in its original military configuration,and two further aircraft redesigned as 11-seat passenger aircraft. One of these was retained by CANT, but the other entered airline service with Societŕ Italiana Servizi Aerei.
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CANT 10
The CANT 10 was a flying boat airliner produced in Italy in 1925.
It was a conventional biplane design with single-bay, unstaggered wings of equal span, having seating for four passengers within the hull, while the pilot sat in an open cockpit. The engine was mounted in pusher configuration just below the centre of the wing.It was powered by a Fiat A.12bis, of 300 hp, which permitted a cruise speed of 90 mph.
CANT 10 flying boats were used by Societŕ Italiana Servizi Aerei for over a decade, linking destinations in the Adriatic Sea.
Two aircraft were used by a company called TAXI AEREI in Buenos Aires, operating flights from the River Plate. One of them was lost in an accident and the other one was bought by the Paraguayan government for the Naval Aviation in 1929; it was used as a transport during the Chaco War and was withdrawn from use in 1933.
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CANT 22 and CANT 22R1
The CANT 22 was a flying boat airliner built in Italy in the 1920s and operated by Societŕ Italiana Servizi Aerei (SISA) on their Adriatic routes.
It was a conventional biplane design with unstaggered wings braced by Warren trusses. The three engines were mounted in nacelles carried in the interplane gap. Accommodation for passengers was provided within the hull, the pilots sat in an open cockpit.
Although it was originally designed to carry eight passengers, an engine upgrade on later examples allowed the addition of two more seats.
The first aircraft flew in 1927, and 10 machines were completed in total.
The Cant 22 was powered by three 200 hp Isotta-Fraschini piston engines.
The Cant 22R.1 was powered by two 250 hp Isotta-Fraschini piston engines,and one 510 hp Isotta-Fraschini piston engine.
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CANT 26
The CANT 26 was an Italian two-seat biplane trainer from 1928.
It was an unusual product from CANT as it was a landplane. It was a two-seat biplane with tailwheel landing gear and powered by an Isotta Fraschini Asso 80 hp engine.
Just seven examples were built, one of which competed in the Challenge 1929 trials, and another of which was temporarily converted into a seaplane. One aircraft was registered in Argentina as R-183,it was later sold to an Italian citizen resident in Paraguay.He later sold it to the Paraguayan Military Air Arm, where it received the serial T-6 and it was used as a liaison aircraft.
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CANT Z.501
The CANT Z.501 Gabbiano (Gull) was a high-wing central-hull flying boat, with two outboard floats. It was powered by a single engine installed in the middle of the main-plane, and had a crew of 4 or 5.
It served with the Italian Regia Aeronautica during World War II, as a reconnaissance aircraft.
The prototype Z.501 first flew in 1934, the aircraft had a very slim fuselage, a high parasol wing and a single wing-mounted engine nacelle.The prototype had a 750 hp inline Isotta Fraschini Asso-750.RC engine, with a circular radiator that made the installation resemble a radial engine, although it was actually a liquid-cooled inline.
Production versions had an 880hp Isotta Fraschini Asso XI R.2C.15 ,driving a three bladed prop, which gave a cruise speed of around 150 mph and a max speed of 170 mph.
The engine nacelle design was extended to carry a rear-facing machine gun, while other guns were mounted in the centre fuselage and nose. All were 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns. A bomb load of up to 640 kg could be carried under the wings.
The aircraft served with the air arms of Italy, Romania and Spain, all were retired by 1950.
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CANT Z.509
The CANT Z.509 was a three-engine Italian floatplane developed from the Z.506A, it was designed to be used as a long range postal aircraft.
It was a larger and heavier development of the Z.506A, three aircraft were built in 1937 for Ala Littoria. The aircraft were for use on the airline's transatlantic postal service to South America.
The aircraft was a twin-float seaplane powered by three 1000 hp Fiat A.80 R.C.41 radial engines.Cruising speed was around 215 mph, and a max speed of 265 mph.
With the outbreak of World War II, development of the type was abandoned with just three aircraft built.
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CANT Z.511
The CANT Z.511 was a four-engine long-range seaplane,originally designed for the Central and South Atlantic passenger routes, it was later adapted as a military transport and special bombing raider.
The design called for a large four-engine, twin-float seaplane began at the end of September 1937, when the technical department of CRDA who required a long-range seaplane for carrying mail, cargo and passengers to Latin America.
These plans were cancelled on the outbreak of World War II, but a version of the aircraft was adapted for long-range maritime patrol, armed with 10 single-mount 12.7 mm (0.500 in) machine guns in both side gun positions, in two upper turrets, and belly positions. Plans were made to install 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon in a front turret or in a glazed nose position, and more machine guns in a tail position.
It could carry up to 4,000 kg of bombs in an internal bay and on outer wing positions: up to four launch racks, for 454 mm (17.9 in) air-launched torpedoes for surface attack, or "Maiale" manned torpedoes or midget submarines for special operations.
The aircraft was powered by 4 × Piaggio P.XII RC.35 air-cooled radial piston engines of 1,500 hp each.
The Z.511 had its first test flights between October 1940 and March 1942. The prototype was then transported to Grado, Venezia for further evaluation.
After the division of the Italian forces, one aircraft was appropriated by the Fascist Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. It had been damaged only weeks before by British fighters, which had strafed it on Lake Trasimeno where it was undergoing final trials.
It was transferred to the seaplane base at Vigna di Valle, where it was sabotaged by base personnel to prevent it falling into the hands of either the Allies or the Germans.
The other aircraft, still under construction at the CRDA factory, was retained by Axis forces and scrapped.
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CANT Z.515
The CANT Z.515 was a twin engine monoplane floatplane designed and built for maritime reconnaissance in Italy.
The aircraft was the result of a requirement for a reconnaissance seaplane with light bombing capability. It was smaller and lighter than the 3 engine CANT Z.506 reconnaissance bomber.
The Z.515 was a cantilever low wing monoplane with straight tapered wings ,dihedral and rounded tips. There were flaps inboard of the ailerons,it was powered by a pair of 750 hp V-12 Isotta-Fraschini Delta engines, mounted well forward of the leading edge.The rear engine mounting also supported the forward attachment points for the rearward sloping, N-form struts to the two long, single stepped floats. The floats were braced by inverted-V struts to the bottom of the fuselage. The Z.515's tailplane was mounted on top of the fuselage with greater dihedral than the wing and carrying endplate fins.
The lower nose of the Z.515 was completely glazed, with the long cockpit largely forward of the wing leading edge. There was a low dorsal machine gun turret and three further lower calibre machine guns. Up to 600 kg of bombs could be carried.
The CANT Z.515 first flew in 1939 but was not developed further. Some suggest a first flight date of 8 or 9 July 1940. The Regia Aeronautica approved the production of the Z.515 in 1941 with 64 aircraft ordered from CANT, and 50 from Aeronautica Sicula, a company in Palermo. Only ten were completed.
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CANT Z.1010
The CANT Z.1010 was a single engine, five seat Italian passenger aircraft flown in the mid-1930s. Just one example was completed, as no orders were forthcoming.
The Z.1010 was a wooden monoplane with a high wing of elliptical plan .On each side,a pair of V lift struts ran from the lower fuselage to the two wing spars, assisted by struts. The tail surfaces were conventional and curved in profile, with a rudder that ran down to the base of the fuselage between split elevators.
The control surfaces were unbalanced and the fin and tailplane externally braced together. The aircraft was powered by a licence built Alfa Romeo version of the de Havilland Gipsy Major 4-cylinder inverted inline engine, which produced 120 hp and drove a two blade propeller.This gave a cruise speed of 108 mph and a max speed of around 130 mph.
Behind the pilot's side windows, two further rectangular windows on each side lit the passenger cabin, the forward one on the port side incorporated into a cabin access door. The Z.1010 had a fixed, conventional undercarriage with enclosed, faired mainwheels on faired half axles mounted on the lower fuselage.
The Z.1010 had been built for the Littorio Air Rally, starting on 24 August 1935, which it attended shortly after its first flight on 14 August 1935.
The aircraft attracted no orders despite attending several rallies; it was badly damaged in 1936 in practice for the Saharan Circuit competition and was not rebuilt.
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CANT Z.1011
The twin-engined CANT Z.1011 was one of two bombers of similar size and powered by the same engines, from the mid-1930s.
The other was the better known three-engined CANT Z.1007, which in the end was the type ordered by the Regia Aeronautica of which over 650 were built between 1938 and 1943.
The CANT Z.1011 was a low wing cantilever monoplane with a wooden structure. The wings had three wooden spars, spruce and plywood ribs and plywood covering. The entire trailing edge was occupied by ailerons and inboard flaps. The fuselage was flat sided with plywood covering. The tailplane, placed on top of the fuselage, was braced to it with pairs of parallel struts and carried twin fins and rudders.
The engines were conventionally wing mounted and the main legs and wheels of the tailwheel undercarriage retracted rearwards into cowling extensions behind them.
The cocpit area was over the leading edge of the wing, with a bomb-aimer's position in the nose. There were dorsal and ventral gunner's positions respectively over and aft of the wing, each equipped with twin machine guns.
Power was provided by two 820hp Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI.RC 60° V-12, water-cooled supercharged piston engines,which gave a max speed of around 230mph, or a cruise of around 210mph.
The Z.1011 made its first flight on 2 March 1936 powered by 950 hp Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major RC radial engines, but these were soon replaced.Just five Z.1011 prototypes were built before the Regia Aeronautica chose to order the three-engined Z.1007. After that decision the Z.1011 was used as a transport.
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CANT Z.1012
The CANT Z.1012 was a small three-engined monoplane built in Italy in the late 1930s.
In 1937 CANT (Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico) won a contract to build an aircraft for the Italian diplomatic corps in their embassies,the result was the CANT Z.1012
It was a low wing cantilever monoplane with an aerodynamically clean wooden structure and plywood skin.The cabin, over the wing, was fully glazed and had a starboard side seat for one passenger beside the pilot,and a bench seat behind for two more. A third row could be included if a lower fuel load was carried. The rear of the bench seat folded to access a baggage compartment.
The Z.1012 was powered by three inverted air-cooled inline engines, one mounted in the nose and the other two in wing fairings. There were two engine options,120 hp) Alfa-Romeo 110, a four-cylinder unit, or its six-cylinder relative, the 185 hp Alfa-Romeo 115. The more powerful engines raised the top speed by 30 mph . The main undercarriage units retracted into the engine fairings but the tail wheel was fixed.
The aircraft first flew on 13 November 1937 with the four-cylinder engines, appearing at the Belgrade air show that summer.This aircraft was used by the Italian Air Attaché in Washington.
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Caproni Ca.1 (1910)
The Caproni Ca.1 was an experimental biplane built in Italy in 1910. It was the first aircraft to be designed and built by aviation pioneer Gianni Caproni.
It was a light single-engine biplane featuring an uncovered rectangular truss as a fuselage, two mainplanes of equal span, a biplane tailplane and a twin-propeller pulling configuration.
The wings were fitted with ailerons and had a conventional structure, with tubular plywood spars and wooden ribs supporting a fabric covering.
The tail assembly consisted of two vertical surfaces which acted as rudders and as stabilizers, and of two horizontal surfaces whose fixed portion had a lifting and a stabilizing function, while a movable section acted as an elevator. This was controlled by the pilot, using a yoke. The wings were fitted with a patented device that allowed its angle of incidence to vary, in order to experiment with different aerodynamic conditions; the tailplanes were fitted with a similar device in order to compensate for the attitude changes caused by the adjustment of the wings.
The four-cylinder 25hp Miller fan engine drove two wooden two-blade counter-rotating propellers by means of two roller chains. A safety device would block both propellers in case of the failure of one of the chains.
The Ca.1 flew for the first time on 27 May 1910; although the flight was mainly successful, the aircraft crashed while landing and was badly damaged; it was repaired, but never flew again. The Ca.1 is now on display at the Volandia aviation museum, Malpensa Airport, Milan.
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Caproni Ca.1 Bomber (1914)
The Caproni Ca.1 was an Italian heavy bomber of the World War I era.
The Ca.1 was a three-engine biplane of fabric-covering and wooden construction. It had four crew members in an open central pod: two pilots, a front gunner, and rear gunner-mechanic, who manned upper machine guns, standing upon the central engine in a protective cage, just in front of the rear propeller. The Ca.1 had a tricycle landing gear.
After replacing early models with more powerful inline engines, the air arm of the Italian Army became interested in purchasing the Caproni 300 hp (later known as the Ca.32), which they designated the Ca.1. A total of 166 aircraft were delivered between August 1915 and December 1916.
The Ca.1 entered service with the Italian Army in mid 1915 and first saw action on August 20, 1915, attacking the Austrian air base at Aisovizza. Fifteen bomber squadrons were eventually equipped with Ca.1, Ca.2, and Ca.3 bombers, bombing mostly targets in Austria-Hungary. The 12th squadron operated in Libya. In 1918 three squadrons operated in France.
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Caproni Ca.4
The Caproni Ca.4 was an Italian heavy bomber of the World War I era.
The huge Ca.4 was a three-engine, twin-fuselage, triplane of wooden construction with a fabric-covered frame.It shared the unusual layout of the Caproni Ca.3, being a twin-boom aircraft with one pusher engine at the rear of a central nacelle, and two tractor engines in front of twin booms, providing a push-pull configuration. The twin booms carried a single elevator and three fins.The main landing gear was fixed and consisted of two sets of four wheels each.
It featured an open central nacelle attached to the underside of the center wing. It contained a single pusher engine, pilot, and forward gunner. The remaining engines were tractor mounted at the front of each fuselage.The aircraft was usually powered Liberty L-12 V-12 water-cooled piston engines, of 400 hp each,but other types were fitted.
At least one variation of the central nacelle seated the crew in a two-seat tandem format with the forward position for a gunner/pilot and the rear position for the pilot. Others used a forward gunner with side-by-side pilot positions to the rear of the gunner. Two rear gunners were positioned, one in each boom behind the center wing. An engineer or second pilot could also be accommodated in that location.
The new bomber was accepted by the Italian Army under the military designation Ca.4, but it was produced in several variants, differing in factory designations.
Ca.4s were tested by the Italian Air Force in 1917 and began operations in 1918. They were used for attacking targets in Austria-Hungary. In April 1918, six Ca.42s were issued to the British RNAS but were never used operationally and they were returned to Italy after the war. At least three CA.42s were sent to the USA for evaluation.
Figures vary for the number of aircraft completed, but it is thought to be 45 to 55.
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Caproni Ca.18
The Caproni Ca.18 was a military reconnaissance aircraft built in Italy shortly prior to World War I.
The Ca.18 was a monoplane of conventional configuration and fixed tailskid undercarriage. The wings were mounted to the fuselage with a bayonet fitting, to facilitate the rapid assembly and dismantling of the aircraft.It became the first Italian-designed and -built aircraft to see service with the Italian armed forces.
It made it`s first flight in 1913, but did not enter service until 1915 due to to the initial lack of interest in the aircraft.
The aircraft was originally designed for a government competition in early 1913, but no orders for the aircraft were forthcoming until the nationalisation of the Caproni company later in the year, when a small batch was built for the 15th Squadron.It was powered by a Gnome rotary engine of 80 hp, which gave it a max speed of 75 mph and a cruise of around 62 mph.
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Caproni Ca.20
The Caproni Ca.20 was an early monoplane fighter. Developed by Giovanni Battista Caproni in 1914.
The Ca.20 was derived from the Ca.18, an observation monoplane. It used a more powerful engine, the Rhône. It used an unusual rounded nose cover for the wooden propeller which was cowled smoothly to match the fuselage and pierced to allow engine cooling. The improved aerodynamics helped speed and manoeuvrability and as it was designed as a fighter, a Lewis machine gun was installed above the pilot, placed above the propeller disc, with an eye level sight.
Only a single Caproni Ca.20 was built, because the Italian government rejected the design in favour of bomber aircraft.It made it`s first flight in 1914, then later stored in a barn on Giovanni Battista Caproni's property for 85 years, before being sold to the Museum of Flight in Seattle in 1999.
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Caproni Ca.90
The Caproni Ca.90 was a prototype Italian heavy bomber designed and built by Caproni.
The Ca.90 was a six-engined inverted sesquiplane designed as a heavy bomber and first flew in 1929, at the time it was the largest aircraft in the world.
It had two tandem pairs of 1,000 hp Isotta-Fraschini Asso 1000 W-18 inline piston engines mounted above the lower wing, each pair driving a four-bladed pusher and a two-bladed tractor propeller. Another pair of engines was mounted above the fuselage.Only one Ca.90 was built.the Caproni Ca.90 remained the largest landplane until the arrival of the Tupolev ANT-20 in 1934.
It`s lower wingspan was 152 ft 11 in and upper was 114 ft 6 in, and the fuselage was almost 90ft long.
The aircraft had 12 machine guns for defense, and could carry a 18,000lb bomb load, max speed was 127 mph with a cruise of around 115 mph.
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Caproni Ca.97
The Caproni Ca.97 was a civil utility aircraft produced in Italy in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
It was originally designed, as high-wing braced trimotor monoplane of conventional configuration with one engine mounted on the nose, and two carried on strut-mounted nacelles at the fuselage sides. Examples were also produced with only the nose mounted engine.The typical single engine was an Alfa Romeo Jupiter VIII Ri 9-cyl air-cooled radial piston engine,of 500 hp.
Some aircraft were used by airlines in small numbers.Military versions were used by the Regia Aeronautica in colonial policing roles.Thirteen aircraft in all were completed.
The aircraft first flew in 1927,it was flown by a single pilot,military versions had a crew of 4 or five,these were armed with two 0.30 in machine guns.
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Caproni Ca.101
The Caproni Ca.101 was a three-engine Italian airliner which later saw military use as a transport and bomber.
The aircraft was planned as a civil airliner, it was soon converted to the bomber/transport role. The aircraft was a typical 1920s design. It had three engines, one in the nose and one under each wing, high wings and a fixed undercarriage.The fuselage was of quadrangular cross-section, was made of steel tubes covered with fabric, as were the wings and tail. The floor was made of wood.
A variety of engines were used, sometimes with a composite layout: The Piaggio P.VII (370 hp), the Alfa Romeo Jupiter (420 hp), and other models of (240 hp) and (270 hp).
Exports of the Ca.101 were made to Australia, China and Paraguay. Hungary bought 20 aircraft for use as air mail aircraft.
The Ca.101bis, designed for use in Italy's colonies, was slightly larger and heavier than the original model.It was fitted with an Alfa Romeo Jupiter in the nose, and an Armstrong Siddeley Lynx under each wing, giving it over 800 hp in total. The ceiling was improved to 18,045 ft, but the greater drag and weight reduced the maximum speed to 127 mph, and the endurance to only six hours.
The Regia Aeronautica ordered 72 Ca.101 and 34 Ca.102.
Though the Ca.102 was more advanced, only the Ca.101 served in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. It was vulnerable to small arms fire, the aircraft proved generally effective. Several were also used as airliners, flying from Italy to Africa.
In 1939, the Regia Aeronautica retired their Ca.101's. The Ca.102's were apparently retired before that, possibly because the twin-engine layout gave less overall reliability.
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Caproni Ca.113
The Caproni Ca.113 was an advanced training biplane produced in Italy and Bulgaria in the early 1930s.
It was a development of the Ca.100, it was a more powerful and robust aircraft capable of aerobatics. It was a conventional design with two cockpits in tandem, single-bay staggered wings of equal span, and mainwheels covered by large spats.It was powered by Piaggio Stella P.VII C.35, of 370 hp which gave the aircraft a max speed of 155 mph.
The Ca.113's abilities were demonstrated by winning the aerobatic trophy at the 1931 Cleveland Air Races, and its use in setting a number of aerial records, including a world altitude record of 14,433 m (47,352 ft) set by Renato Donati on 11 April 1934.
Other records included a women's world altitude record of 12,010 m (39,400 ft) set by Contessa Carina Negrone in 1935. Also world endurance records for inverted flight set by Tito Falconi at the US 1933 National Air Races, who flew inverted from Los Angeles to San Diego and after the race meet, and made an inverted flight from St. Louis to Chicago.
The Ca.113 was also produced by the subsidiary that Caproni established in Kazanlak, Bulgaria,where it was known as the Chuchuliga ("Skylark") and was produced in a number of versions designated KB-2, KB-3, KB-4 and KB-5 in 1938-1939, some of which were armed. 107 of these aircraft were produced, most going to the Bulgarian Royal Air Force, where they saw service until 1944.
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Caproni Ca.114
The Caproni Ca.114 was a fighter biplane produced in Italy in the early 1930s.
Caproni designed the Ca.114 in 1933 to compete against other designs to provide the Regia Aeronautica, with a new single-seat fighter. Its airframe was based on the Caproni Ca.113 trainer, it was a single-bay biplane with staggered wings of equal span. The fuselage was made of steel tubing covered by detachable metal panels on the forward part of the aircraft, and fabric on the rear, the two-spar wooden wings were also fabric-covered. The Bristol Mercury IV radial engine was geared, supercharged, rated at 530 hp, and drove an adjustable-pitch three-bladed propeller. Armament consisted of two fixed forward-firing 7.7-millimeter machine guns.
After official flight trials, the Regia Aeronautica rejected the Ca.114 in favour of the Fiat CR.32. But, Caproni found a buyer in the Peruvian Aviation Corps, which ordered 12 examples in April 1934. These aircraft were delivered in batches, the first in late November 1934, and the second in January 1935.
The heavy exhaust collector ring was removed and replaced by individual exhaust stacks, which improved the aircraft max speed.After the war the Ca.114s were withdrawn from the front line and four aircraft employed in training duties until late 1944 when they were grounded and, shortly after, scrapped. Around 36 aircraft had been built in total.
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Caproni Ca.164
The Caproni Ca.164 was a training biplane produced in Italy shortly prior to World War II. The prototype was designated the Ca.163, built by Caproni Taliedo and first flown on 17 November 1938.
It was intended as a follow-on to the Ca.100 and shared that aircraft's layout with a slightly smaller upper wing.The prototype was designated the Ca.163, first flew on 17 November 1938.
Flight tests revealed poor handling characteristics, which made it completely unsuitable for its intended role. Despite this, the Regia Aeronautica acquired some 280 examples of the Ca.164 to use in liaison roles within bomber units. Some of these were pressed into use for tactical reconnaissance during the Croatian campaign. The Armée de l'Air also purchased 100 aircraft.
No examples of the Ca.164 survive, but the prototype Ca.163 is on display at the Gianni Caproni Museum of Aeronautics, Trento Airport, Italy.
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Caproni A.P.1
The Caproni Bergamaschi AP.1 was an Italian monoplane attack aircraft.
It was developed from the Ca.301, a single-seat fighter version of a similar design that was not put into production, the AP.1 was a two-seater. It was fitted with a more powerful Alfa Romeo Radial 126 RC.34, 780 hp engine, which gave a max speed of around 215 mph.
It was designed to serve both as a fighter and an attack aircraft, and was a low-wing monoplane with a fixed landing gear of mixed construction, having trouser-covered legs.
The AP.1 prototype first flew on 27 April 1934. An initial batch of 12 aircraft was delivered within 1936. In the same year, the Regia Aeronautica ordered a second series with improvements including a more powerful Alfa Romeo engine and more aerodynamic landing gear. In service, the large landing gear trousers were often removed for ease of maintenance.
It took part in the Spanish Civil War, but its unsatisfactory performance led to its quick replacement.Four examples were acquired by El Salvador, and another seven were sold to Paraguay.
Approx 60 aircraft were completed including 3 prototypes.
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Caproni Ca.308 Borea
The Caproni Ca.308 Borea ("North Wind") was a small airliner built in the mid-1930s.
The Ca.308 was a streamlined, low-wing cantilevered monoplane design of conventional configuration, with a fixed undercarriage fitted with spats.
The prototype, designated Ca.306, was shown at the Milan Exhibition of 1935.The design of the Ca.308 subsequently served as the basis for a large family of military aircraft, beginning with the Caproni Ca.309.
The Italian airline Ala Littoria ordered five examples, and the Italian government ordered two aircraft for general-purpose use by its colonial administration.All these aircraft received the Ca.308 designation, and were powered by two de Havilland Gipsy Six six-cylinder inline engines of 200 hp each.
Max speed was around 205 mph with a normal cruise of around 155 mph.Eight aircraft including the prototype were completed, before production changed to the Ca.309
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Caproni Ca.309
The Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli was an Italian aircraft used in World War II.
The aircraft was based on the Ca.308 Borea transport. It was intended to replace the obsolete IMAM Ro.1 biplane, and to serve as a reconn and ground-attack aircraft.
The Ca.309 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a crew of three, it was powered by two 390 hp Alfa Romeo 115-II (or 115-I) 6-cylinder inverted air-cooled in-line piston engines.Max speed was around 160 mph with a cruise of 130 mph. It was armed with 3 × 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda SAFAT machine guns, and could carry a small bomb load of 300kg.
It`s first flight was in 1937, it was also produced in Bulgaria, 24 of which were built, known as the Kaproni-Bulgarski KB 6/KB 309 Papagal.
The Ca. 309 served in Libya during the first part of World War II with the Auto-Saharan Company, with good operational results.
After the loss of the African colonies the surviving planes were returned to Italy, where they were used as transports. Two Ghiblis were bought by the Paraguayan government for its Military Air Arm.
They were used as transports from 1939 to 1945 and in that year they were transferred to Líneas Aéreas de Transporte Nacional (LATN), the Paraguayan first airline which was run by the Military.They were in active service until the early 1950s and later sold to a private owner.
Approx 270 aircraft were completed including those built in Bulgaria.
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Caproni Vizzola F.5
The Caproni Vizzola F.5 was an Italian fighter aircraft from the late 1930`s.
The F.5 was developed in parallel with the Caproni Vizzola F.4, with which it shared a common airframe. Design began in late 1937, the aircraft had a welded steel-tube fuselage and wooden wings; the fuselage was covered with duralumin, and the wing had a stressed plywood skin.The F.5 had a two-row 14-cylinder 870 hp Fiat A.74 R.C. 38 radial engine.
Max speed was 320 mph, and the aircraft was armed with 2 × 12.7 mm (0.5 in) forward-firing Breda-SAFAT machine guns.
The F.5 prototype first flew on 19 February 1939 and the aircraft displayed very high manoeuverability during official testing, which prompted an order for both a second prototype and 12 preproduction models. The last preproduction aircraft was selected for use as a prototype in a renewed F.4 program, but the rest of the F.5 order was delivered to the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force).
The Regia Aeronautica assigned the 11 preproduction F.5 fighters to the 300° Squadriglia, 51° Stormo for operational use. By 1942, they were serving as night fighters.
The F.5 was offered to foreign customers, Aeroplani Caproni subsidiary in Peru acquired the license rights for local manufacture, but no F.5s were ever built in Peru.
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Stipa-Caproni
One of the oddest looking aircraft ever built, and slightly out of strict alphabetical order,the Stipa-Caproni, also generally called the Caproni Stipa, was an experimental Italian aircraft designed in 1932.
It featured a barrel-shaped fuselage with the engine and propeller completely enclosed by the fuselage, the entire fuselage was a single ducted fan. The Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) was not interested in pursuing development of the Stipa-Caproni, its design influenced the development of jet propulsion.
Designer Luigi Stipa's basic idea, which he called the "intubed propeller", was to mount the engine and propeller inside a fuselage that formed a tapered duct, or venturi tube, and compressed the propeller's airflow and engine exhaust before it exited the duct at the trailing edge of the aircraft.This is a similar principle as used in turbofan engines, but used a piston engine to drive the compressor/propeller rather than a jet engine.
Stipa spent years studying the idea whilst working in the Engineering Division of the Italian Air Ministry. He determined that the venturi tube's inner surface needed to be shaped like an airfoil in order to achieve the greatest efficiency. He also determined the optimum shape of the propeller, the most efficient distance between the leading edge of the tube and the propeller, and the best rate of revolution of the propeller. He petitioned the Italian Fascist government to produce a prototype aircraft, seeking to showcase Italian technological achievement in aviation,they contracted the Caproni company to construct the aircraft in 1932.
The fuselage was a short barrel-like tube, open at both ends to form the tapered duct, with twin open cockpits in tandem mounted in a bulge on top. The wings were elliptical and passed through the duct and the engine nacelle inside it. The propeller was mounted inside the fuselage tube, flush with the leading edge of the fuselage, and the 120-horsepower de Havilland Gipsy III engine that powered it was mounted within the duct behind it at the midpoint of the fuselage. The aircraft had low, fixed, spatted main landing gear and a tailwheel.
Testing showed that the design did increase the engine's efficiency as Stipa had calculated, and additional lift provided by the shape of the interior of the duct itself allowed a very low landing speed of only 42 mph and assisted the Stipa-Caproni in achieving a higher rate of climb than other aircraft with similar power and wing loading. The placement of the rudder and elevators in the exhaust from the propeller wash at the trailing edge of the tube gave the aircraft handling characteristics that made it very stable in flight, although they later were enlarged to further improve the plane's handling.
As the aircraft did not perform noticeably better than conventional designs, the Regia Aeronautica decided to cancel further development. No further prototypes were built.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_FH7wsugIg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_FH7wsugIg)
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Caproni Ca.316
The Caproni Ca.316 was a reconnaissance seaplane produced in Italy during World War II, it was intended for catapult operations from Italian Navy ships.
It was one of the large family of Caproni designs derived from the Ca.306 airliner prototype of 1935, and more directly a modification of the Ca.310 Idro seaplane.
The aircraft was powered by two 616 hp Piaggio P.VII radial engines, which gave a max speed of 205 mph, it had a crew of 3 and was armed with a 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine gun,and could carry a bomb load of 400kg.
It`s first flight was 14th Aug 1940,the basic Ca.310 design was modified with the attachment of large pontoons carried underneath the engine nacelles on streamlined pylons, and a revised nose with extensive glazing on the ventral surface.
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Caproni Ca.331
The Caproni Ca.331 Raffica ("Gust of Wind" or "Fire Burst") was an Italian aircraft from the early 1940s as a tactical reconnaissance aircraft/light bomber.
The Ca.331 O.A. prototype, was a twin-engine low-wing monoplane with an unstepped cockpit and glazed nose.It had duralumin stressed skin on both its fuselage and wings, and its wings were of an inverted gull-wing configuration. It had two Isotta Fraschini Delta RC.40 engines rated at 770 hp each. The aircraft had a three-man crew of pilot, observer/gunner, and radioman/gunner, it was armed with four 12.7-millimeter (0.5-inch) Breda-SAFAT machine guns—two in fixed mounts in the wing roots firing forward, one in a dorsal turret, and one in a ventral mount. The Ca.331 O.A. also had a bomb bay capable of carrying up to 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds) of bombs and four external bomb racks under its wings.
The Ca.331 O.A. prototype first flew on 31 August 1940,but its original Piaggio propellers proved unsuitable, their replacement with Alfa Romeo-built propellers in 1941 resulted in the aircraft having greatly improved performance. In 1941 Caproni delivered the prototype to the Regia Aeronautica , which began official tests with good results. However, the Regia Aeronautica handed the aircraft back without a production order. The Luftwaffe then requested control of the aircraft for trials in Germany. Although the Luftwaffe was impressed with the aircraft, again no orders were received.
By 1942, Italy perceived a greater need for air defense capabilities.In May 1942 the Italian Air Ministry ordered the second Ca.331 prototype, originally planned as a second Ca.331 O.A., to be completed as the first prototype of a night fighter version. The night fighter prototype was designated Ca.331 C.N., it also was known as the Ca.331B.
The Ca.331 C.N.,first flew in the summer of 1942, differed from the Ca.331 O.A. in having a stepped cockpit and less nose glazing. Its armament was installed in the spring of 1943 and consisted of four fixed forward-firing 20-millimeter Mauser MG 151 cannon and four 12.7-millimeter (0.5-inch) Breda-SAFAT machine guns—two forward-firing and fixed, one in a dorsal turret, and one in a ventral mount. Its original 800-hp 12-cylinder air-cooled Isotta Fraschini Delta IV engines were replaced by the spring of 1943 with improved 850-hp versions of the Delta IV. Like the Ca.331 O.A. prototype, it was at the Caproni airfield at when the Italian armistice took effect on 8 September 1943, and it suffered the same fate: The Germans seized it there, disassembled it and shipped it to Germany.
A second Ca.331 C.N. prototype was built, differing from the first in having an armament of two 20-millimeter Ikaria cannon and four 12.7-millimeter Breda-SAFAT machine guns, all mounted in the nose. It was still being assembled when Italy surrendered to the Allies on 8 September 1943, it was also seized by the Germans.
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Caproni Campini N.1
The Caproni Campini N.1, also known as the C.C.2, was an experimental jet aircraft built in the 1930s. The N.1 first flew in 1940 and was briefly regarded as the first successful jet-powered aircraft in history, before news emerged of the German Heinkel He 178's first flight a year earlier.
The N.1 was powered by a motorjet, a type of jet engine in which the compressor is driven by a conventional reciprocating engine.It was an experimental aircraft, designed to be a technology demonstrator, proving the practicality of jet propulsion. On 27 August 1940, the maiden flight of the N.1 occurred at Caproni facility in Taliedo, near Milan.
Flight tests with the first prototype led to a maximum speed of approx 320 mph being achieved. On 30 November 1941, the second prototype was flown from Milan's Linate Airport to Rome's Guidonia Airport, in a highly publicised event that included a fly-past over Rome and a reception with Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. Testing of the N.1 continued into 1943, by which point work on the project was disrupted by the Allied invasion of Italy.
The N.1 achieved mixed results, while it was commended as a milestone in aviation, the performance of the aircraft was underwelming, lower than some existing conventional aircraft of the era, while the motorjet engine was incapable of producing sufficient thrust to deliver viable performance levels to be used in a military combat aircraft.
The surviving prototype is now on display at the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle, near Rome.
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Caproni Vizzola F.6
The Caproni Vizzola F.6 was a World War II-era Italian fighter aircraft.
It was a single-seat, low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable landing gear. Two prototypes were built, one designated F.6M and the other as F.6Z.
The F.6 design was the result of a project to adapt the airframe of the Italian Caproni Vizzola F.5 fighter with the German Daimler-Benz DB 605A liquid-cooled inverted V-12 engine. To accomplish this, the Caproni retained the F.5 fuselage but designed metal wings to replace the wooden wings used in the F.5. The new aircraft was designated F.6M, with "F" standing for Fabrizi, the designer of the F.5, and "M" for Metallico. It was designed to carry twice the offensive armament of the F.5, with four 12.7-millimeter (0.50-inch) Breda-SAFAT machine guns; the prototype F.6M flew with two of these mounted in the fuselage and provision for two more in the wings.
The F.6M prototype first flew in September 1941, using a large radiator mounted under he nose, just behind the propeller, but flight tests showed that this location produced significant drag, and the prototype was reworked to mount the radiator on the belly.
After Caproni began to design the F.6M, it began work on a second F.6 prototype, this time designed to use the Isotta-Fraschini Zeta R.C.25/60 24-cylinder X-type engine and designated the F.6Z, with "Z" standing for Zeta. The aircraft was to carry three 12.7-millimeter (0.50-inch) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, one in the fuselage and two in the wings. Problems with engine development greatly delayed the F.6Z, but it finally flew in August 1943,despite the engine not producing the power expected. The project was halted by the Allies invasion in Sept 1943
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Caproni Ca.193
The Caproni Ca.193 was an Italian liaison and air-taxi aircraft.
The design work started in 1945 and only the prototype was built. It was the last aircraft the Caproni company designed and built in Milan.
The aircraft was of all-metal construction, with cantilever mid-wings complete with detachable tips. The leading edges were swept-back, and had flaps inboard of the ailerons. The fuselage was a monocoque structure, with a hinged nose to allow loading of a stretcher or other loads. Seating was for five passengers,and a single pilot or two pilots and three passengers. The tailplane had twin fins and the tricycle landing gear was retractable. The two Walter Minor 6-III 6-cylinder in-line piston engines,of 160 hp each were mounted towards the rear of the wing, driving 2-bladed propellers.
The first flight of the prototype, I-POLO, was flown at Linate Airport, Milan, on 13 May 1949. The aircraft was then briefly tested by the military in Rome, but was returned to the manufacturer with no orders forthcoming. Several variants were then considered, including the use of turboprop engines, a radar-equipped naval patrol version,but none was implemented.
The aircraft was purchased by the Air Force as MM56701 in March 1950, and in July 1952 it was sold for civilian use, it was withdrawn from use in 1960. It is now on display, after refurbishment in 1991, at the Gianni Caproni Museum of Aeronautics in Trento, Italy.
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Caproni Trento F-5
The Caproni Trento F.5 was a small two-seat trainer designed by Stelio Frati and built by Aeroplane Caproni Trento.
By the 1950s the Caproni company had collapsed, one of the group members to continue working was Aeroplane Caproni Trento, based at Gardola in Trento. It was originally involved with aircraft maintenance and support, but the company decided to design and build a small jet trainer in 1951.
The F.5 aircraft was designed by Stelio Frati and was a low-wing all-wood monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear. The engine was a small Turbomeca Palas turbojet located in the fuselage. It had two inlet ducts, one either side of the fuselage and the exhaust was below the rear fuselage. It had an enclosed cabin with tandem seating for an instructor and student and was fitted with a jettisonable canopy.
The small (331 lbf) thrust turbojet was only able to achieve a max speed of 225 mph.The F.5 made its maiden flight on 20 May 1952. It was the first jet aircraft developed in postwar Italy, and although it was evaluated by the Italian Air Force it gained little interest, and was not ordered into production.The prototype, registered I-FACT, is on display at the Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni in Trento.
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Caproni Vizzola Ventura
The Caproni Vizzola C22 Ventura was a light jet-powered aircraft developed for use as a military trainer.
It was of conventional sailplane configuration and had a family resemblance to the Caproni gliders, although the Ventura had an mostly metal aircraft.It had a side by side cockpit under a bubble canopy; weapons hardpoints were provided under each of the high-mounted wings and the aircraft featured a retractable, tricycle undercarriage.
The aircraft made it`s first flight 21st July 1980, and proved to be stable and fairly agile, but was tricky to land due to it`s short undercarriage clearance, although this was easily adjusted.
It was powered by two Microturbo TRS 18-046 turbojets, of just 220 lbf thrust each, but a max speed of 295 mph, with a cruise of 215 mph.
In 1981, Agusta acquired 50% of the C22 programme and proposed a new version, the C22R, a reconnaissance aircraft also capable of Forward Air Control and ELINT operations. The basic C22J trainer was exhibited at the Farnborough Air Show in 1980 and September 1982, but failed to attract orders, and the proposed C22R was not built.
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CNA PM.1
The CNA PM.1 was a single-engine light sport and training aircraft designed and built in Italy at the start of WW II.
The PM.1 was designed by students at the Instituto di Construzioni Aeronautische del Regio Politecnico di Milano in a 1938 competition for a modern, two-seat light private training and sports aircraft. It`s name came from Polytechnic Milano. The prototype was built by CNA,[and made it`s first flight on 25 October 1939.
The PM.1 was a cantilever high-wing monoplane. Its wing was straight-tapered, with rounded tips and long span ailerons, built of wood with a plywood skin.The fin and rudder were rounded and pointed; the rudder featured a trim tab.The fuselage was also wooden and plywood-covered, with flat-sides and car-type doors giving access to the side-by-side seats in the cabin which was placed under the leading edge of the wing.It had a conventional undercarriage with mainwheels on centrally mounted, faired V-form half axles, and a tailskid.
Power came from a 60 hp CNA D.4 flat four engine driving a 2-blade propeller. Max speed was 112 mph with a cruise speed of 90 mph. An order for 10 aircraft was placed in August 1942, but the partially completed aircraft were destroyed in an Allied bombing raid on Rome in July 1943.
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Fabbrica Aeroplani Ing. O. Pomilio
Pomilio FVL-8
The Pomilio FVL-8 was a biplane fighter aircraft built by Fabbrica Aeroplani Ing. O. Pomilio for the Engineering Division of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps.
It was built from of a wood framework, and covered in plywood. The wings were separated from the fuselage by struts. It was powered by a 290hp Liberty 8 engine, and armed with two machine guns. Six prototypes were constructed, the first had its first flight in February 1919, but no orders for production aircraft were forthcoming.
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Fabbrica Aeroplani Ing. O. Pomilio Gamma
FAIP designed and manufactured the Gamma, which was a wooden, single-seat, single-bay biplane with wings of unequal span, the upper wing being of greater span than the lower.
It was powered by a 200-hp SPA 6A water-cooled engine driving a two-bladed propeller, which gave a max speed of around 140 mph.
The Gamma prototype first flew early in 1918. An official commission observed a demonstration, but concluded that although it was fast and had good maneuverability, its rate of climb was insufficient to merit a production order. FAIP responded with the Gamma IF, fitted with a more powerful Isotta Fraschini V6 engine rated at 250 hp.
After another demonstration of the Gamma IF in 1918, they could not agree on whether it merited a production order. During the final weeks of World War I, the commission finally decided to order a small number of Gamma IF fighters, although the Gamma IF never entered active service.
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Fabbrica Aeroplani Ing. O. Savoia-Pomilio SP.3
The Savoia-Pomilio SP.3 was a reconnaissance and bomber aircraft built during the First World War.
It was a development of the family of designs that had started with the SP.1. All of these took their basic configuration from the Farman MF.11: a biplane with twin tails and a fuselage nacelle that accommodated the three man crew and a pusher-mounted engine. But, since the preceding SP.2 had been found to be very slow and vulnerable in front-line service, the SP.3 was designed for higher performance.
The updated design had a reduced wingspan, lower weight, and other aerodynamic improvements. Some were also equipped with an uprated Fiat A.12 engine, with its power output increased from 250 hp to 300 hp.
The SP.3 flew in 1917 and was soon in production with SIA and Pomilio, who together built around 350. By summer 1917, one quarter of all Italian front-line aviation units were equipped with Savoia-Pomilio types.
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Fiat AN.1
The Fiat AN.1 was an Italian two-seat biplane from 1930, and a demonstrator of Fiat's first aircraft diesel engine.
The AN.1 was a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft built to explore the suitability of diesel engines in tasks requiring long endurance flying. In the early 1930s, diesel engines seemed to offer several advantages in such situations, particularly better reliability because of greater mechanical simplicity and lower fuel consumption, because of greater thermodynamic efficiency. Additionally, heavy oil fuel posed no fire risk and was at the time a fifth of the price of petrol.
The AN.1 used a Fiat-built engine of the same name, which was based on the Fiat A.12 petrol engine, but with a new compression ignition upper section. It was a conventional biplane design,and it first flew in 1930. Endurance was around 3hrs 30 mins and it had a max speed of 125mph.
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Fiat APR.2
The FIAT APR.2 was a prototype airliner built in 1935. It was a sleek, low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration with tailwheel undercarriage, the main units of which retracted into the engine nacelles, one on each wing.
The cabin could carry 12 passengers, and at the time of its introduction on Ala Littoria's Milan-Turin-Paris route, it was believed to be the fastest airliner in regular service in the world.
Despite this, only one example was built, although the design served as a starting point for the Fiat BR.20 bomber.
The aircraft had a crew of two and was powered by a pair of 700hp Fiat A.59 engines, which gave a max speed of 240 mph and a cruise of 205 mph.
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Fiat AS.1
The Fiat AS.1 was a light touring monoplane aircraft developed in the late 1920s. It was a basic and conventional design: a parasol wing with tailskid undercarriage and seating for two in tandem open cockpits. The type proved extremely popular, production run would eventually extend to over 500 machines, with roughly half of these purchased by the Regia Aeronautica as trainers and liaison aircraft.
The aircraft was built of wood throughout, covered by plywood, fabric, and (around the nose) metal. A later development, designated TR.1 featured a metal structure and a shorter span wing.
The first flight was in 1928; the aircraft was powered by a 90 hp Fiat A.50 engine, but later versions had the more powerful 105 hp Fiat A.50 S.
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Fiat G.2
The Fiat G.2 was an Italian three-engine six-passenger monoplane transport aircraft designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli.
The aircraft was an important step for the Fiat company as their first low-wing cantilever monoplane. The structure was all-metal, with fabric-covered control surfaces. It had a wide-track tailwheel undercarriage was fixed, and its mainwheels were covered by spats. The tailwheel was free-pivoting.
The aircraft was powered by three 135 hp Fiat A.60 inline piston engines, one mounted on the fuselage nose, and two in wing-mounted nacelles. Variants were also produced with other engine installations. The enclosed cabin had space for six passengers.
The prototype first flew in 1932, max speed was 145 mph with a cruise of 115 mph, the G.2 represented a promising design, however it failed to sell and operated only a limited service with the ALI airline between Turin and Milan. The aircraft was also operated in Brazil.
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Fiat G.5
The Fiat G.5 was an Italian two-seat aerobatic tourer / trainer.
The aircraft first flew in 1933, powered by a 135 hp Fiat A.70 radial piston engine.It was designed originally as a two-seat light aerobatic trainer, it was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tailwheel landing gear and tandem open cockpits for the instructor and pupil.
It was built in small numbers and was followed by a prototype G.5/2 with an inverted inline 140 hp Fiat A.60. A small number were also built of the G.5bis which was fitted with a higher output 200 hp Fiat A.70 engine. This gave a max speed of 165 mph, and a cruise of 130 mph.
Some aircraft were later modified to single-seat configuration.One example of the G.5bis, registered I-BFFI, survived in civil ownership and operation until 1955 and is now preserved in a museum.
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Fiat G.8
The Fiat G.8 was a military utility aircraft from the mid-1930s.
The design and production took place at the CMASA works in Pisa which became part of Fiat in 1930, the type is sometimes referred to as the CMASA G.8 or Fiat-CMASA G.8.
It was a conventional biplane design with staggered wings of unequal span braced by struts,The pilot and a single passenger (or instructor) sat in tandem open cockpits, and the aircraft was fitted with fixed tailskid undercarriage with divided main units.
The powerplant was a 135 hp Fiat A.54 engine, which was good for a max speed of 132 mph, with a cruise of 110 mph. The aircraft first flew 24th Feb 1934, 60 aircraft were purchased by the Regia Aeronautica and used for liaison and training duties.
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Fiat G.12
The Fiat G.12 was an Italian transport aircraft of World War II.
The G.12 was an all-metal low-wing transport aircraft. It had three 770 hp Fiat A.74 R.C.42 radial engines, one mounted on the nose and the other two in wing-mounted nacelles.
It first flew 15th October 1940, 104 were built and the last aircraft retired from service in 1956.
The engines drove three-blade feathering metal propellers. The mainwheels of its landing gear retracted into the nacelles; the tailwheel was fixed.Later versions had Alfa Romeo 128 radial engines.
The flight deck and cabin were fully enclosed. Access was via a door to the rear of the wing.The aircraft had a crew of four, and could carry 14 troops or 24 passengers,depending on the variant.
The G.12 was designed as a civil aircraft, but served mainly in military roles during the war, with Italy, Germany and Hungary. Only a limited number were built, some as late as 1944, after the Italian armistice. 104 were built in total.
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Fiat G.18
The Fiat G.18 was an Italian airliner developed in the mid-1930s.
It`s first flight was 18th March 1935, but the feedback received was that the type was underpowered, the first three aircraft had 700 hp Fiat A.59 radial engines.
It was a low-wing monoplane with the engines mounted on the wings, similar in appearance to the Douglas DC-2. The main units of the tailwheel undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles, leaving their wheels partially exposed. The cabin seated 18 passengers.
Three G.18s were put into service with Fiat's own airline, ALI, early in 1936. Fiat came up with a revised version, the G.18V which had more powerful engines 1000hp FIAT A.80`s , and a redesigned fin . Six of the improved versions were delivered to ALI, which operated them on its European routes until the outbreak of war.
In June 1940, ALI was under control of the Regia Aeronautica, and the G.18s were put to use as transports. Just nine aircraft were completed, and none survived the war.
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Fiat G.49
The Fiat G.49 was a two-seat basic trainer designed by Giuseppe Gabrielli .
It was to be a replacement for the US North American T-6 advanced trainer and was first flown in September 1952. The aircraft was an all-metal low-wing monoplane with retractable tailwheel landing gear. It had an enclosed cockpit with a raised canopy for a pupil and instructor in tandem. Two variants were built with different engine types ; the G.49-1 with a 550 hp Alvis Leonides radial engine and the G.49-2 with a 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-S3H1 Wasp radial engine.
The aircraft was evaluated by the Italian Air Force, but no orders were placed despite the good overall performance.
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Fiat G.80 / G.82
The Fiat G.80 was a military jet trainer developed in the 1950s.
It was italy`s first true jet-powered aircraft, a conventional low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle undercarriage and engine air intakes on the fuselage sides.Pilot and instructor sat in tandem under a long bubble canopy.The aircraft made it`s first flight 9th December 1951.
Two G.80 prototypes were followed by three preproduction machines, but the Aeronautica Militare found it unsuitable for their requirements and did not purchase it in quantity.
Fiat developed an improved version, dubbed the G.82, for entry in a NATO competition to select a standard jet trainer.
The G.82 featured a longer fuselage, a Rolls-Royce Nene engine in place of the G.80's de Havilland Goblin, and wingtip tanks. Five aircraft were built, but the competition was cancelled,the G.82 was not selected by NATO or the Aeronautica Militare, the development programme was ended.
The G.82s were used for a few years by the Aeronautica Militare's training school at Amendola before being handed over to the ("Department of Experimental Flight") in 1957.
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Fiat G.212
The Fiat G.212 was a tri-engine airliner of the 1940s.
It was a scaled up development of Fiat's earlier G.12 transport, and was used in small numbers in commercial service and by the Italian Air Force.
The first prototype G.212, the G.212CA military transport, flew on 19 January 1947. It was a low-wing all-metal monoplane with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage, the G.212 was longer, and had a larger wing and a wider fuselage, than the G.12. It was powered by three 860 hp Alfa Romeo 128 radial engines.
It was followed by two civil version, the G.212CP airliner, with accommodation for 34 passengers, and the G.212TP freighter, both used the more powerful 1065 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines.Max speed was 240 mph with a cruise of 190 mph, the aircraft had two pilots and a radio operator.
The G.212CP entered service in 1947 with Avio Linee Italiane which ordered six, which operated on routes within Europe.
New G.212s were also bought by the Egyptian airline SAIDE, which received three aircraft in 1948, and the French airline Cie Air Transport. Four of the Avio Linee Italiane aircraft were sold to Ali Flotte Riunite, one of which was sold again to the Kuwaiti airline Arabian Desert Airlines. In total 45 machines were completed.
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Fiat B.R. Series.
The Fiat B.R. 1/4 was a light bomber series, desgined just after WWI.
The B.R was a development of the SIA 9 reconnaissance aircraft, but the aircraft had substantial strengthening. The layout was identical to its predecessor: a two-bay biplane with tandem, open cockpits for pilot and observer, and tailskid undercarriage. Shortly after entering service with the Regia Aeronautica, an improved version using the Warren truss-style bracing that would become a hallmark of Fiat BR designs over the next decade, was produced.
At its peak, the BR equipped 15 light bomber squadrons of the Regia Aeronautica. Two examples were also exported to Sweden, and one to Hungary.
In 1922, a specially modified BR designated the R.700 was used to set the absolute world airspeed record at 336 km/h (210 mph).
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Fiat C.29
The Fiat C.29 was a racing seaplane designed by Celestino Rosatelli and built in the late-1920s by Fiat Aviazione for the 1929 Schneider Trophy air race.
It first flew in early June 1929, the twin-float monoplane racer was reported to be laterally unstable. Unusually, the wing structure featured a wooden spar but was skinned with aluminium alloy sheeting. The aircraft used the 1010 hp Fiat AS.5 V-12 engine, specifically designed for this aircraft to minimise frontal area.
On 12 June 1929, Test Pilot Francesco Agello hit the wash of a boat whilst landing causing the first prototype, works number 129, to bounce in the air, stall and dive vertically into the water. Agello was rescued unharmed after being thrown out of the cockpit. The second prototype, 130, was quickly completed, this aircraft having larger tail surfaces to correct the stability problems.
On 12 August 1929, whilst demonstrating the aircraft, the second prototype was written off after sinking back onto the water on its third attempt at a takeoff, Agello was uninjured, but the aircraft was destroyed, the engine sank to the bottom of Lake Garda.
Italo Balbo ordered a third aircraft to be built, 130bis, and sent directly to England without being test-flown for the approaching Schneider Trophy competition. The C.29 did appear at RAF Calshot but did not fly during the competition, the Italian team placing second, fourth and sixth using Macchi M.52 and M.67 racers. The third and sole remaining C.29 is on display at the Italian Air Force Museum.
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Fiat CR.25
The Fiat CR.25 was a twin-engine reconnaissance-bomber fighter aircraft which served in small numbers for the Regia Aeronautica during World War II.
40 CR.25s were ordered (later reduced to ten, the two prototypes and other eight airplanes) after the failure of the Breda Ba.88 bomber. It was decided to use the CR.25 as a reconnaissance plane and escort fighter, with a total of nine aircraft (a prototype and the eight pre-production aircraft) for this role. Despite positive reports from the pilots, and a proposal by Fiat to resume production, no further aircraft were produced.
The aircraft first flew 22nd July 1937, it had a crew of 2 or 3 depending on the role.It was powered by two 841 hp Fiat A.74 R.C.38 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, which gave it a max speed of 280 mph. It was armed with 3 × 12.7 mm (0.500 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns and could carry a small bomb load of up to 300kg.
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Fiat CR.30
The Fiat CR.30 was a 1930s Italian single-seat biplane fighter aircraft.
The Fiat CR.30 was a design by Celestino Rosatelli for a single-seat fighter. Four prototypes were built with the first flight occurring in March 1932. The CR.30 was a biplane with W-form struts and a fixed tailwheel landing gear.
The aircraft was powered by a 600 hp Fiat A.30 R.A. V-12 piston engine. The impressive performance led to orders from the Regia Aeronautica for 121 aircraft.
Two of the prototypes were converted into two-seaters designated CR.30B for use as trainers and liaison aircraft. A large number of single-seaters were converted into two-seaters as they were replaced with more modern types.The air force later ordered an additional 20 new-build CR.30Bs.The aircraft was also operated by other European air forces with the Hungarian Air Force being the largest foreign operator, using two CR.30s from 1936 and one single-seater and ten CR.30bs from 1938.
In total 176 were built in a production run that lasted from 1932 to 1935.
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Fiat R.2
The Fiat R.2 was a reconnaissance aircraft produced shortly after World War I, and it was the first aircraft to be marketed under the Fiat brand, (previously they had been marketed as by SIA).
It was a conventional two-bay biplane with equal-span, with unstaggered wings and fixed tailskid undercarriage. The pilot and observer sat in tandem open cockpits. The design was a derivative of the SIA 7 and SIA 9 flown during the war, but was developed and revised by Rosatelli to correct ongoing problems with those types. A total of 129 were produced for the Air Corps of the Regio Esercito.
The aircraft was powered by a 300 hp Fiat A.12bis engine, which gave a max speed of 108 mph. They were armed with between 1 and 3 machine guns
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FIAT A.120
The FIAT A.120 also known as the Ansaldo A.120, FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino - ) bought Ansaldo, was a reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1920s.
It was a parasol-wing monoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage, the crew of pilot and observer had tandem open cockpits. The design was based on a wing developed for the Ansaldo A.115 and the fuselage of the Dewoitine D.1 fighters that Ansaldo had built under licence.
The type was operated in modest quantities by the Italian Air Force, and was exported to the air forces of Austria and Lithuania.
The aircraft was powered by a 550 hp Fiat A.22 piston engine, which gave a max speed of 158 mph and a cruise of 125 mph. It was armed by 2 fixed, forward-firing 7.7. mm machine guns and a similar rear firing weapon for the observer.A total of 77 aircraft were built.
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Fiat RS.14
The Fiat RS.14 was a long-range maritime strategic reconnaissance floatplane.
It was a four/five crew all-metal low/mid-wing monoplane powered by two wing-mounted 840 hp Fiat A.74 R.C.38 engines. It had a conventional tail unit with a single fin and rudder. Its undercarriage consisted of two large floats on struts. It had a glazed nose for an observer or bomb aimer. The pilot and copilot sat side by side with a wireless operator's area behind them.
The first of two prototypes flew in May 1939.A prototype landplane version AS.14 was built and first flown on 11 August 1943. It was designed as a ground-attack aircraft and intended to be armed with a 37 mm (1.5 in) cannon and 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns. It was not ordered and no others were built.
The RS.14 went into service with the Italian Air Force with a number of maritime strategic reconnaissance squadrons where they were used for convoy escort duties and anti-submarine patrols. At the end of the Second World War the aircraft were used for liaison duties around the Mediterranean carrying up to four passengers. Including the two prototypes 186 aircraft were built.
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Fiat 7002
The Fiat Model 7002 was a 1960s general-purpose helicopter with a tip-jet driven rotor.
It had a very unusual-shaped fuselage made from alloy sheets to hold two crew and up to five passengers.The fuselage was mounted on a skid landing gear and it had a simple tailboom with a tail rotor.
The aircraft was powered by a Fiat 4700 Turbo-compressor of 530 hp.Max speed was 110 mph with a standard cruise of 85 mph.
The two-blade main rotor was mounted above the fuselage, with the rotor driven by compressed air propulsion nozzles at the blade-tips.The prototype helicopter first flew on 26 January 1961 but no production aircraft were built.
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Fratelli Nardi FN.305
The Fratelli Nardi FN.305 was an Italian fighter trainer and liaison monoplane produced by the Fratelli Nardi company.
The FN.305 was a low-wing monoplane of mixed construction. It had tailskid landing gear, with the main gear retracting inwards. It was powered by a nose-mounted 200 hp Fiat A.70S inline piston engine.The prototype was a tandem two-seater with an enclosed cockpit. It was intended to produce both single-seat and two-seat variants and the next prototype was a single-seat fighter trainer followed by a two-seat basic trainer prototype which both had open cockpits.
The FN.305 was designed as a trainer and liaison aircraft and the prototype first flew on 19 January 1935.It was re-engined with a 185 hp Alfa Romeo 115 engine as the FN.305A which then entered production by Piaggio as the Nardi works did not have enough capacity to build the aircraft.
The Italian Air Force had ordered 258 aircraft, mostly two-seat FN.305A fighter trainers and liaison aircraft. A few of the aircraft were completed as single-seat open-cockpit FN.305Cs and enclosed-cockpit FN.305Ds. In 1938 nine aircraft were sold to Chile and 31 to Romania. Romania then built 124 aircraft under licence by SET. The largest export order came from France but only 41 had been delivered when Italy declared war on France in June 1940. The final export customer was Hungary which ordered 50.
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Fratelli Nardi FN.310
The Nardi FN.310 was a four-seat touring monoplane similar but larger than the earlier Nardi FN.305.
It first flew in 1936 the FN.310 was a four-seat touring monoplane powered by a single 180 hp Fiat A.70S radial engine. It had two pairs of side-by-side seats.An ambulance variant had room for stretcher instead of the rear seats.
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Fratelli Nardi FN.316
The FN.316 was an advanced fighter trainer monoplane developed from the Nardi FN.305.
The prototype first flew in late 1941.The FN.316 was a low-wing monoplane powered by a nose-mounted 270 hp Isotta Frashchini Beta RC 10 1Z. The engine had major cooling problems and only an initial order for 50 aircraft was placed for the Italian Air Force. The production aircraft had modified tail units and the single-seater had an enclosed cockpit. Both single-seat (FN.316M) and two-seat (FN.316B) variants were produced.
The aircraft carried 1 or 2 x 7.7mm (0.303in) synchronised machine-guns, and a max speed of just over 200 mph.
The two-seat FN.316Bs entered service with Italian Air Force flying schools in January 1942, followed by the two-seat FN.316Ms in June 1943. After the armistice seven aircraft were flown by the German Luftwaffe in Northern Italy. Forty-nine aircraft were completed in the production run.
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Fratelli Nardi FN.333 Riviera
The Nardi FN.333 Riviera, later SIAI-Marchetti FN.333 Riviera, is a luxury touring amphibious aircraft designed and developed in the 1950s and produced in small numbers by Savoia-Marchetti.
The first prototype Riviera was a three-seat aircraft, and made its maiden flight on 4 December 1952, it was to be the only FN.333 powered by a 145 hp Continental fan-cooled engine.
With the second prototype a more powerful engine was used, as well as the addition of a fourth seat. The second prototype made its first flight on 8 December 1954. The Nardi Company lacked the resources to fully develop the Riviera, and as a result the third aircraft did not fly until 14 October 1956.
Power for this aircraft was provided by a 240 hp Continental O-470-H engine. This aircraft was designated the FN.333S and was to be the basis for series production. Lacking further resources, Nardi sold the manufacturing rights for the Riviera to the much larger SIAI-Marchetti in March 1959.
The first S.I.A.I.-Marchetti manufactured Riviera was completed in February 1962, and by January 1963 the company had delivered four of the aircraft to customers in the USA. The SIAI-Marchetti version had improved power provided by a 250 hp Continental IO-470-P engine, equipped with fuel injection, and manufactured for a pusher-style aircraft. In 1961 the Riviera became available in the United States, where it was initially sold through the North Star Company of Newark, New Jersey. ServAir Inc. of Detroit sold the Riviera in Detroit, Michigan, and received its first Riviera on 13 July 1962.
The Riviera is similar to the famous Republic Seabee of the 1940s. The major difference between the Riviera and the Seabee is the use of a high twin-boom tail arrangement on the Riviera while the Seabee uses a single conventional tail. The Riviera uses a tricycle landing gear, with the nose gear retracting into the nose and concealed behind two small nose gear doors. As a result, forward visibility is somewhat better in the Riviera than in the Seabee when taxiing or taking off on land.
Out of an original production run of just 26 aircraft over six years less only half a dozen are believed airworthy today.
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IRI T22B
The IRI T22B is an Italian helicopter that was designed and produced by Italian Rotors Industries of Aprilia, Lazio.
The T22B features a single main rotor and tail rotor,it has two-seats in side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit with a windshield, skid landing gear and a four-cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke 160 hp Lycoming O-320-B2C aircraft engine. Max Speed is 121 mph and a cruise of 100 mph.
The aircraft fuselage is made from composites.The aircraft has a two-bladed rotor has a diameter of 7.6 m (24.9 ft). With full fuel of 70 litres (15 imp gal; 18 US gal), the payload for the crew, passenger and baggage is 244 kg (538 lb).
The company was founded in 2013 and went out of business in June 2016, ending production.
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IRI T250A
The IRI T250A is an helicopter that was designed and produced by Italian Rotors Industries of Aprilia, Lazio and introduced in 2015.
The T250A features a single main rotor and tail rotor,it has two-seats side-by-side in an enclosed cockpit with a windshield, skid landing gear and a 250 hp PBS TS 100 turboshaft engine made by PBS Velká Bíteš.
It has a max speed of 121 mph and a cruise of 109 mph.The aircraft fuselage is made from composites. Its two-bladed rotor has a diameter of 24.9 ft. With full fuel of 130 litres (29 imp gal; 34 US gal) the payload for the crew, passenger and baggage is 261 kg (575 lb).
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IMAM Ro.5
The IMAM Ro.5 was a sport aircraft produced in the late 1920s.
It was a, parasol wing monoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage and tandem open cockpits in tandem.The type first flew in 1929 and was popular with private owners and flying clubs, and was built in large numbers.
Some Ro.5s were purchased by the Regia Aeronautica for use as trainers and liaison aircraft. A later version, the Ro.5bis, enclosed the cockpits under a long canopy.
The aircraft was powered by a 85hp Walter NZ 85 7-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, which gave a max speed of 109 mph.
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IMAM Ro.30
The IMAM Ro.30 was a 1930s Italian observation biplane that was only built in small numbers.
The Ro.30 was developed in 1932 for the Regia Aeronautica, and made it`s first flight in the same year. It was an unequal-span biplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear. It had an enclosed cockpit for the pilot located forward of the wing leading edge, an observer had a cabin between the wings, and the third crew member had an open cockpit behind the wings.
It was powered either a 530 hp Alfa Romeo Mercury or a 530 hp Piaggio Jupiter radial engine,which gave a max speed of around 140 mph.
The aircraft was armed with 3 x 7.7mm (0.303in) machine-guns.
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IMAM Ro.37
The IMAM Ro.37 Lince (Italian: "Lynx") was a two-seater reconnaissance biplane.
It made it`s first flight 6th Nov 1933, it was a two crew biplane of mixed construction, and a 560 hp Fiat A.30 R.A. V-12 engine. It reached 186 mph and perhaps even more with this engine, the same as that of the Fiat CR.32. The Ro.37 had a 7,000 m (22,966 ft) ceiling, 3,000 m (9,843 ft) climb in 11 minutes, over 1,200 km (750 mi) range, carrying three machine guns (two in the nose and one dorsal), twelve 15 kg (33 lb) bombs.
It was later fitted with the 600 hp Piaggio Stella P.IX R.C.40 radial engine which had better reliability and this was the main version produced.
The Ro. 37 served as standard equipment in observation units for many years. However, during WWII, and particularly on the African front, the aeroplane was used in other roles, including tactical support and fighter duty.The aircraft also served in the Spanish Civil War, with the first ten arriving in late 1936. Another 26 (possibly 58) went to this theatre and were used for many missions and tasks.
Some were in service up to 1943 and perhaps even later. They were very vulnerable, but in World War II Italy did not have sufficient resources to produce a better observation aircraft
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IMAM Ro.41
The IMAM Ro.41 was a light biplane fighter aircraft, serving in the Regia Aeronautica in the 1930s-1940s, mainly as a trainer.
The first prototype flew on the 16th June 1934 , and was fitted with a Piaggio P.VII engine, and showed itself to be very agile, with excellent climb performance, and no noticeable vices.
A third prototype had a Piaggio P.VII C.45 with two-stage compressor, giving 390 hp at 4,000 m. This was the definitive version of this aircraft, and fifty aircraft,were ordered. This first series entered service in July 1935.
The Ro.41 was of mixed construction, the fuselage of chrome-molybdenum steel frame, covered in fabric. Duralumin covered the bottom and upper fuselage, and also the engine cowling. The wings were made of wood covered with fabric. There was a fixed undercarriage.Armament, when fitted, was two 7.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns mounted inside the fuselage, with 850 rounds.
The Ro.41 found a role as a trainer aircraft, for which it was well-suited, and a series of 30 two-seat aircraft first flew in 1937. The Ro.41 replaced the Breda Ba.25, and soon another 264 single-seat and 66 two-seat models were ordered.
The aircraft was also proposed as light fighter. Twenty-eight were sent to Spain where, thanks to their high rate of climb, they acted as defence interceptors, though it appears that they did not score any victories.
The Ro.41 is almost unknown, compared to many other Italian aircraft, despite being one of the most numerous produced, in its 16-year career, total production reached 753 aircraft.
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Partenavia P.48 Astore
The P.48 Astore was a 1950s light aircraft built by Luigi Pascale and his brother before establishing Partenavia.
The Astore was a strut-braced high-wing cabin monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear. It had two seats in tandem and was powered by a 65 hp Continental A65 engine.
The prototype and only Astore, registered I-NAPA, was built in a garage in Naples and first flew in 1952, it`s max speed was 115 mph with a cruise of 90 mph.
Just one aircraft was built.
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Partenavia P.52 Tigrotto
The Partenavia Tigrotto was a 1950s light aircraft built by Partenavia in Naples.
The Tigrotto was a low-wing cabin monoplane with a retractable tailwheel landing gear. It was a two sitter,side-by-side and was powered by an 85 hp Continental C85 engine.
The prototype and only Tigrotto, registered I-CARB, first flew in 1953.
The aircraft had a useful max speed of 146 mph and a cruise of around 125 mph.
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Partenavia P.53 Aeroscooter
The Partenavia Aeroscooter was a 1950s single-seat light aircraft fitted with a two-bladed rotor.
It first flew on 2nd April 1952,and was a low-wing monoplane powered by a 22 hp Ambrosini P-25 piston engine in the nose.Above the enclosed single-seat cockpit a pylon was to have been fitted with an autorotating, unpowered two-bladed rotor which was to reduce the stalling speed and the rate-of-descent if the engine failed.
Max speed was 93 mph, with a cruise of 75 mph, like their earlier aircraft the Aeroscooter was a one off.
The Aeroscooter survives and is on display at the Museo Storico Dell Aeronautico Militare Italiana.
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Partenavia Tornado
The Partenavia P.55 Tornado is a 1950s high-performance competition and touring monoplane.
The Tornado was a small mid-wing monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. The aircraft was powered by a nose-mounted 150hp Lycoming O-320 piston engine.
This was enough to give the aircraft a max speed of 216 mph and a cruise of 188 mph.It made it`s first flight in 1955
The aircraft was commissioned to win the Tour of Sicily (it: Giro di Sicilia), and it won the race in 1956. Although the aircraft had won, it was too specialised to enter production and only one aircraft (registered I-REGJ) was built. I-REGJ was destroyed in a crash on 13 June 1958.
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Partenavia P.57 Fachiro
The Partenavia P.57 Fachiro is a four-seat, high-wing, touring monoplane, fitted with a fixed tricycle undercarriage.
The 150 hp Lycoming O-320 powered Fachiro I first flew on 7 November 1958, followed by the Fachiro II, on 3 January 1959. A later version, designated the II-f, introduced a swept fin and rudder.
The production Fachiro utilises mixed steel tube-and-fabric construction and is fitted with a 180 hp engine and is aimed at the aero club market and general aviation use.
Max speed was 150 mph with a cruise of 120 mph, in total 37 aircraft were built with a few still airworthy in Italy.
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Partenavia P.59 Jolly
The Partenavia Jolly was an Italian two-seat training monoplane designed by Partenavia to meet a requirement for the Aero Club d'Italia.
The prototype first flew on 2 February 1960 and was a high-wing monoplane with a nose-mounted 95 hp Continental engine. It had a fixed tailwheel landing gear and seated two side-by-side in an enclosed cockpit. The aircraft was later re-engined with a 100 hp Continental O-200 engine and the wing span was increased slightly.Max speed was 122 mph with a cruise of 104 mph.
The competition was won by the Aviamilano P.19 Scricciolo and just one Jolly was built.
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Partenavia Oscar Series
The Partenavia P.64B/P.66B Oscar is a two/four-seat, single-engined, high-wing monoplane.
The aircraft was developed as an all-metal version of the P.57 Fachiro, the prototype was designated the P.64 Fachiro III and first flew on 2 April 1965.
Improvements were made to the design, mainly strengthing the fuselage to fit a panoramic rear window, and now named P.64B Oscar B it first flew in 1967. Also known as the Oscar 180 powered by a 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A1A piston engine, a 200 hp version (with a Lycoming O-360-A1B engine) was known as the Oscar-200.
Twenty-one machines were delivered to South Africa and assembled locally by AFIC then marketed as the AFIC RSA 200 Falcon.
In January 1976 the company flew a new fully aerobatic version, the P.66C Charlie, and 96 were built, mainly for the Aero Club d'Italia.Over 300 aircraft were completed, in various sub types and with different engine fitments.
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Partenavia P.70 Alpha
The Partenavia P.70 Alpha was a 1970s two-seat light aerobatic trainer.
The Alpha was a low-wing monoplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear and powered by a 100 hp Rolls-Royce Continental O-200-A engine. Max speed was 140 mph with a cruise of 120 mph.
The Alpha first flew on the 24 April 1972 but only one was built and it did not enter production as the company was at full capacity producing the Partenavia P.68.
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Partenavia P.86 Mosquito
The Partenavia P.86 Mosquito was a two-seat civil trainer aircraft first flown on 27th April 1986.
It was a high-wing monoplane of pod-and-boom construction with tricycle undercarriage and a twin tail, with side-by-side seating for two.
Partenavia created the Aviolight company in 1988 as a joint venture with two other partners to produce the aircraft, with an initial series of 100 aircraft to be powered by a 75 hp Limbach L2000 engine, with modifications to allow certification. No orders were received, and the prototype was the only example produced. Partenavia was declared bankrupt the same year.
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Reggiane Re.2000
The Reggiane Re 2000 Falco I was an all metal, low-wing monoplane from the late 1930`s.
The Re 2000 was developed to be a lightly-built and highly agile interceptor/fighter aircraft.On 24th May 1939, the prototype performed its first flight.
Flight tests of the prototype revealed it to be able to outfight several combat aircraft of the time, including more modern Macchi C 200 and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighters.
During the run up to and following the outbreak of the Second World War, the aircraft was ordered by several nations, including the Hungarian, Swedish, British and Italian governments.
Although the aircraft was potentially superior to Italian contemporary fighters, the Re 2000 was not considered to be satisfactory by Italian military authorities.In light of this, the manufacturer built the type for export and almost all of the first production served with the Swedish Air Force and Hungarian Air Force, rather than in the Regia Aeronautica.
The aircraft was powered by a Piaggio P.XI R.C.40 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine 1,000 CV of 986 hp.Max speed was 330 mph with a cruise of 270 mph. In total 186 aircraft were completed including some built under license in Hungary.
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Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II
The Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II was a fighter aircraft, serving in the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) during World War II.
It made it`s first flight in July 1940, powered by an Alfa Romeo R.A.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine,of 1,159 hp. This was a licensed built version of the Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa, which marked a great improvement over the Piaggio engine used in the Re 2000 Falco I.
Much of the Re.2000's fuselage structure was used, even retaining the entire tail unit, the Re.2001's wings were of semi-elliptical design with three spars in each wing. The initial design had conventional fuel tanks with 544 l total capacity. Armament consisted of Breda-SAFAT machine guns, with two nose-mounted 12.7 mm and two 7.7 mm guns in the wings.
The production was to be limited to only 252, but it was a stable,and flexible design that proved to be able to undertake a number of roles. Thanks to its agility it could dogfight with more powerful opponents like the Supermarine Spitfire. The Re.2001 became the basis of a later, even more formidable fighter, the Re.2005.
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Reggiane Re.2005
The Reggiane Re.2005 Sagittario was a monoplane fighter and fighter-bomber from the mid 1940`s.
It first flew 9th May 1942 and the prototype had four Breda 12.7 mm machine guns and one Mauser cannon.It was powered by a 1,475 hp Daimler Benz DB.605A-1 engine, either of original German production or built by Fiat under license.The sophisticated wing design, often described as elliptical, was semi-elliptical, with wing thickness tapering from 15 percent at the root to 8 percent at the tip.
The Re.2005 was the only Italian aircraft of the war to have hydraulically activated flaps.It was one of the most advanced Italian fighters, but it was also too advanced to be made by the Italian industry and one of the most expensive to produce.The complexity of the Re.2005 design and small dimensions led to the Fiat G.55, being evaluated as a superior choice for mass production.
Total production included two prototypes which later saw combat service, 48 series production, three prototypes sent to the Luftwaffe for evaluation and one evaluation aircraft at the factory.
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Piaggio P.2
The Piaggio P.2 was a fighter prototype of advanced design built in 1923.
The P.2 was an aerodynamically clean, single-seat, low-wing, monoplane of very advanced design for the time with either a monocoque or semi-monocoque fuselage and fixed landing gear.
It was built of wood, with plywood skin and fabric-covered control surfaces, and was armed with two machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller. It had two radiators, one mounted on each side of the fuselage, forward of the open cockpit.
It was powered by a 300 HP Hispano-Suiza HS 42 eight-cylinder water-cooled piston engine which gave a max speed of 145 mph and a cruise of 115 mph.
Piaggio built two P.2 prototypes and entered it for the 1923 Italian official fighter contest. The P.2 was ahead of its time, however the Italian Air Ministry distrusted monoplanes and the P.2's performance did not meet the level that Pegna had predicted, and for these reasons no production order followed.
However, the Regia Aeronautica purchased one of the prototypes for evaluation, taking delivery of it on 23 March 1924.
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Piaggio P.6
The Piaggio P.6 was a catapult-launched reconnaissance floatplane designed and built by Piaggio for the Regia Marina.
Piaggio produced two designs for a possible naval contract. The first, designated the P.6bis, was a small biplane flying boat powered by a 260 hp Isotta Fraschini V.6 engine driving a pusher propeller.
The second design designated, the P.6, was a floatplane with one large central float and two stabilising floats at the wingtips and a nose-mounted 410 hp Fiat A.20 engine.
The aircraft had the same biplane wing structure with rigid strut bracing and both were armed with a single machine gun. Just 15 production aircraft were built and the two prototypes.
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Piaggio P.8
The Piaggio P.8 was a reconnaissance floatplane designed and built by Piaggio for the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy).
It was designed the P.8 to meet a requirement for a small reconnaissance seaplane that could operate from a large submarine.The aircraft had to be stowed disassembled in a watertight, cylindrical hangar aboard the submarine. In order to minimize danger to the submarine and the aircraft during flight operations—which required the sub to loiter on the surface while the aircraft was being assembled or disassembled.
The P.8, first flew in 1928, was a single-seat monoplane with twin floats mounted beneath its fuselage and a parasol wing. Its 75-hp Blackburn Cirrus II engine drove a two-bladed propeller and gave it a top speed of 84 mph.None of the five aircraft completed were deployed aboard a submarine.
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Piaggio P.16
The Piaggio P.16 was a heavy bomber from the early 1930`s.
The P.16 was a three-engine shoulder-wing monoplane of metal construction, with inverted gull wings. Its wing was thick and semi-elliptical, and its tail was mounted high on the fuselage. It had retractable main landing gear and a spatted, tailwheel.
The aircraft had a crew of four and armament consisted of four 7.62-millimeter (0.3-inch) machine guns, two were mounted in the leading edge of the wing, one in a retractable dorsal turret, and one in the rear of the fuselage under the tail. The bomb-aimer had a compartment behind the nose engine on the underside of the fuselage.
It was powered by 3 Piaggio Stella P.IX R.C.40 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engines of 700 hp each. Max speed was 248 mph with a cruise speed of 195 mph.
The P.16 first flew in November 1934, and an order for 12 aircraft was placed and then cancelled after just one was completed, with preference given to the Piaggio P.32, which was produced from 1936 to 1939.
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Piaggio P.23R
The Piaggio P.23R, also known as the Piaggio P.123 , was a commercial transport aircraft prototype from 1936.
Piaggio designed the P.23R to break speed records for commercial transport aircraft. It was a three-engine low-wing monoplane with twin tail fins and rudders. The three 900-hp Isotta Fraschini Asso ("Ace") XI R V-12 engines were mounted in aerodynamically clean cowlings, and each drove a three-bladed propeller. The fuselage was pencil-shaped. It had a crew of two sat side by side in separate open cockpits, each protected by a windscreen.
Later it was re-engined with three 1,001-hp Piaggio P.XI RC.40 radial engines and its landing gear was modified, also both cockpits were changed to fully enclosed types with canopies.
The P.23R first flew in 1936. On 30 December 1938, it carried a payload of 5000 kilograms at an average speed of 250.8 mph, setting new world records over both the 1,000-kilometer and 2,000-kilometer distances.
The aircraft`s development was halted in 1939. During World War II, Allied aircraft recognition manuals identified it as a possible Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) bomber.
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Piaggio P.32
The Piaggio P.32 was an Italian medium bomber of the late 1930s.
The P.32 was a twin-engine monoplane with a crew of five or six. The main structure was of wood, with a glazed nose, low cockpit, twin tailfins, and an unusual shaped fuselage. It had a dorsal turret with two 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns, a ventral turret, a single machine gun in the nose, and it could carry a 1,600 kg (3,527 lb) bombload.
Piaggio designed the P.32 with very small wings for its size. This meant a high wing loading, which required leading edge slats and double trailing-edge flaps to provide enough lift on takeoff and landing.
The prototype made it`s first flight in 1936, leading to an order for 12 aircraft, followed by a second order for five. These aircraft were fitted with 825 hp Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI.RC inline V-12 engines, and were designated the P.32 I, these were very underpowered, and could not fly on one engine.
The P.32 II, was fitted with more powerful 1,006 hp Piaggio P.XI R.C.40 radial engines was tested, and 12 were delivered in early 1938. The more powerful engines gave a better rate of climb, but the increased weight meant there was no improvement in maximum speed, while the range also suffered,because of higher fuel consumption.
The P.32 Is and IIs were taken out of service in April 1938 and were used as training aircraft. In total 28 aircraft plus one prototype were built and flown.
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Piaggio P.50
The Piaggio P.50 was an Italian prototype heavy bomber from the late 1930`s, built as two separate models.
The first was, the P.50-I, was a four-engine shoulder-wing monoplane with a single large tailfin and rudder. It was powered by four 730-hp Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI.RC V12 engines mounted in tandem pairs on the wings, with each engine driving one three-bladed propeller; two of the propellers were mounted in a pusher and two in a tractor configuration. The P.50-I had three machine gun positions, including a nose turret
Piaggio built two P.50-I prototypes, the first of which—MM369—flew in 1937.The second was badly damaged in a landing accident. No orders for the aircraft were received.
The P.50-II, appeared in 1938. It was re-engined with four 1,001-hp Piaggio P.XI RC.40 radial engines, each driving a three-bladed propeller, dispensing with the pusher-puller configuration of the P.50-I, instead the engines were mounted separately with all four propellers as tractors. Its defensive armament was increased to five 12.7-millimeter (0.5-inch) machine guns.
Piaggio produced a single P.50-II prototype designated MM371. Again no production ordered resulted for the P.50-II.
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Piaggio P.108
The Piaggio P.108 Bombardiere was a four-engine heavy bomber that saw service with the Regia Aeronautica during World War II.
The P.108 was an all-metal, four-engine bomber, with a crew of eight. It had a very strong modern structure (with a six g tolerance), and built almost entirely of duralumin.
The crew included a two-pilot cockpit with five to six crew members located in the mid-fuselage and nose.A noticeable feature was the nose, having a separate structure for the bombardier/bomb-aimer, with the front turret above them.
The aircraft were powered by 4 × 1500 hp Piaggio P.XII R.C.35 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines.Max speed was 270 mph with a cruise of 230 mph. It was armed with 6 × 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns and 2 × 7.7 mm (.303 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, and could carry 3500kg bombload.
The prototype first flew in 1939 and it entered service in 1941. Four versions of the P.108 were designed, but only one, the P.108B bomber, was produced in any quantity before the armistice. The other variants included the P.108A anti-ship aircraft with a 102 mm (4 in) gun, the P.108C, an airliner with an extended wingspan and re-modelled fuselage capable of carrying 32 passengers.
The P.108T transport version designed specifically for military use. Only one P.108A and 24 P.108Bs were built. Most of the P.108Cs were later modified for use as military transport aircraft and could accommodate up to sixty passengers.Nine P.108 Ts were used by Luftwaffe transport units until the end of the war.
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Piaggio P.111
The Piaggio P.111 was a high-altitude research aircraft designed and built by Piaggio for the Regia Aeronautica.
The Regia Aeronautica awarded a contract to Piaggio to construct a prototype of a three-seat, twin-engine, high-speed, high-altitude bomber with a pressurized cabin. Piaggio constructed a new radial engine especially for the P.111, the 999 hp 18-cylinder double-row air-cooled Piaggio P.XII R.C.l00/2v, which was fitted with a two-stage supercharger.
While the P.111 prototype was under construction, the Regia Aeronatica decided to use it as a high-altitude research aircraft rather than a bomber prototype.
Max speed was 357 mph with a cruise of 275 mph, service ceiling was over 39,000ft. The P.111 first flew on 9 April 1941, it made 110 test and research flights before being retired and scrapped early in 1943.
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Piaggio P.119
The Piaggio P.119 was an experimental fighter of World War II.
The P.119 was a cantilever monoplane, built entirely of metal, with a conventional wide undercarriage. It had a forward-mounted cockpit, with weapons mounted just behind the three-bladed propeller. It had advanced construction for the time, with many removable panels for internal inspection. The number of components were reduced to a minimum, and also standardized.
It was powered by a 1,500 hp Piaggio P.XV RC 45 radial engine located behind the cockpit, with cooling air intakes fitted under the nose. The propeller was a 10 ft 10in diameter Piaggio P.1002 driven by a shaft running under the cockpit.
The armament was concentrated in the nose; a 20 mm Breda cannon with 110 rounds and four 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Breda heavy machine guns with 2,000 rounds. There was also provision to install another four 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Breda machine guns in the wings with 1,200 rounds in total. An anti-tank version was proposed with a Breda 37 mm (1.46 in) gun, but it was not built.
The aircraft was flight-tested, but it was found that firing all the weapons produced excessive vibration. A landing accident slightly damaged one wing on 2 August 1943. One month later, the armistice with the Allies brought an end to the project with just a single aircraft completed.
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Piaggio P.136
The Piaggio P.136 was a twin-engine amphibian flying boat from the late 1940`s.
The design by Piaggio was of a relatively large aircraft, yet still being capable of operations from both relatively rough waters and fairly compact grass air strips. Furthermore, large portions of the aircraft, such as its three-bladed constant-speed propellers, was internally designed by the company.
The Piaggio P.136 was a twin-engine pusher-type amphibian, capable of carrying a maximum of five people with baggage, or a pair of stretchers and a medical attendant. The general configuration and systems remained largely the same across different models, there were some variations in the cabin to suit its customer and intended purpose.
Military versions would often be fitted with alternative instrumentation and radio sets, as well as additional transparent panels in locations like the doors for greater external visibility, civil P.136s would be furnished with more comfortable seating and additional panelling for sound exclusion and insulation.
In 1954, Francis K. Trecker, president of Kearney & Trecker Corporation, was impressed when he witnessed a P.136 in flight, and offered to bring the type to the North American market. A new entity, initially known as the Royal Aircraft Corporation, was formed to distribute the aircraft in Canada, the USA, and Mexico. Trecker secured the right to build complete aircraft, but he typically imported partially-constructed P.136s from Italy and assembled them with additional American-sourced components.
The Italian Air Force was the first organisation to place an order for the type. During the 1950s, they opted to procure a fleet of 14 P.136s, which were used to conduct coastal patrol and air-sea rescue missions. In addition to military sales, the P. 136 also received orders from civilian operators. A number were purchased by individuals and private operators.
Total production was 63 aircraft with a small number still airworthy.
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Piaggio P.148
The Piaggio P.148 was a two-seat primary or aerobatic training monoplane designed and built in the early 1950`s.
It was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tailwheel landing gear. It offered room for two in side-by-side seating as well as an optional third seat. The prototype first flew on the 12 February 1951 and after testing and evaluation by the Italian Air Force, it was ordered into production for the air force primary training schools. A four-seat variant was developed as the P.149.
The aircraft was powered by a Lycoming O-435-A air-cooled flat-six engine of 190 hp,which gave a max speed of 145 mph and a cruise of 125 mph.
Italy operated over 70 aircraft from 1951 until 1969 when the P.148 was withdrawn from use with the introduction of an all-jet training programme. However n 1970, the aircraft was re-introduced into the Italian Air Force Service, when the basic piston-engine aircraft regained a role in the selection of pilots.They were finally retired from service in 1979.
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Piaggio P.150
The Piaggio P.150 was a 1950s two-seat trainer designed to replace the North American T-6.
The P.150 was designed and built to compete as an Italian Air Force T-6 replacement against the Fiat G.49 and Macchi MB.323. It was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with a wide-track retractable tailwheel landing gear. The pilot and instructor were seated in tandem under a glazed canopy. It was originally powered by a 600hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine and later an Alvis Leonides engine driving a two-bladed prop. The aircraft was not selected and did not go into production, and just one was completed.
Max speed was 220 mph with a cruise of 195 mph.It was fitted with a single machine gun in the port wing. The aircraft was first flown in 1952 and was evaluated from 1952 until 1954.
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Piaggio P.166 Series.
The Piaggio P.166 is a two crew twin-engine pusher-type utility aircraft from the late 1950`s.
The basic P.166 was a development of the P.136 amphibian, and flew for the first time on 26 November 1957. It had a new fuselage and tail unit but retained the wing and engines from the P.136. Several were purchased for use as executive transports or as feeder and taxi aircraft. The improved P.166B was more powerful and had up to ten seats; a prototype was first flown on 27 March 1962.
The aircraft model name was Portofino, and is also known as Albatross in South African military service.A further version, the 12-seater P.166C with improved undercarriage, first flew on 2 October 1964.A turboprop-powered variant, the P.166D, was developed with 600 hp Lycoming LTP101 engines and it first flew on 3 July 1976.
Around 155 aircraft were built in various sub-types and with different powerplants, ranging from 340 hp to 615 hp.The aircraft was operated in Italy, South Africa, Australia, and Somalia
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Piaggio PD.808
The Piaggio PD.808 was a business jet from the mid 1960`s.
Originally named the PD.808 Vespa Jet the business jet was a joint venture between Piaggio and the Douglas Aircraft Company. The basic design work was carried out by Douglas and the prototype was built by Piaggio.
It was a low-wing cabin-monoplane with tip-tanks and powered by two rear-mounted Bristol Siddeley Viper 525 turbojets. It has retractable tricycle landing gear and was originally designed with a cabin for a pilot and six-passengers.
The first Viper 525-powered prototype first flew on 29 August 1965, this was followed by a second Viper 525 powered prototype and two civil demonstrators.
Production aircraft had Rolls Royce Viper Mk526 turbojet engines of 3,330lb/f each, which gave a max speed of 529 mph (mach 0.85), and a cruise of 449 mph.
The only interest was from the Italian Air Force as a liaison, training and radar calibration aircraft who placed an order for 25.The aircraft were operated from 1970 until being retired in 2003.
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SAI Ambrosini SAI.3
The Ambrosini SAI.3 was a two-seat touring airplane first flown in 1937.
It was a low-wing monoplane with a graceful, elliptical wing, and fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Customers could choose between enclosed or open cockpits, and between an inline Alfa Romeo 115 engine or a 85hp radial Fiat A.50.
A upgraded version was marketed as the SAI.3S with a smaller-chord wing and a Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine, this offered much improved performance to the original SAI.3 design.
Max speed was 124 mph with a cruise of 105 mph. Ten aircraft were completed.
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SAI-Ambrosini SS.4
The SAI-Ambrosini SS.4 was a fighter prototype developed in the late 1930s.
The SS.4 was a single-seat fighter of all-metal construction with a canard configuration wing with twin fins mounted on the wing trailing edges, retractable tricycle undercarriage and short fuselage with rear-mounted engine driving a pusher propeller.
The pilot had an enclosed cockpit positioned in the centre of the fuselage, forward of the two fuel tanks and aft of the armament in the nose. Visibility from the cockpit was excellent to the sides and front, but restricted to the rear by the large main wing, engine and large twin fins positioned at approximately the half-span position.
The swept and tapered, high aspect ratio wings had no sweep on the trailing edge and a cut back to give clearance for the propeller, with the large fins with rudders extending past the trailing edge at the ends of the cut-backs, to ensure enough moment to give adequate control and stability. The delta fore-plane was of low aspect ratio with the elevators sited below the trailing edge.The engine was a high performance liquid-cooled Isotta-Fraschini Asso XI R.C.40 engine capable of 960 hp driving a three-bladed metal propeller, which gave a max speed of 355 mph.
Armament was to be two 20 mm cannon and one 30 mm cannon, mounted in the nose.The aircraft was successfully flown for the first time on 7 March 1939. The next day the SS.4 prototype was scheduled to be transported to Aviano airbase by rail, but chief test pilot Ambrogio Colombo wanted a second test flight. After 45 minutes, an aileron malfunctioned just 2 km (1.2 mi) from Eleuteri. Colombo attempted to land but was unable to reach the runway and crashed near Campagna, hitting a tree. A second prototype was ordered immediately, but development priority was placed on more easily developed wooden aircraft, and the SS.4 design was abandoned in 1942.
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SAI-Ambrosini S.7
The SAI.7 was a racing aircraft flown before World War II that entered production as a military trainer after the war.
The aircraft began their proving flights too late to race, and were disqualified from competitions,but during the war, the Regia Aeronautica expressed interest in the aircraft as a trainer for fighter pilots, and a slightly revised version entered limited production in 1943 as the SAI.7T. Only 10 were built, but in 1949 a modernised version powered by an Alfa Romeo engine was produced, 145 of them for the re-formed Italian Air Force, including some single-seaters. It was of conventional configuration,built from wood, with a tail wheel undercarriage.
Power was provided by an air-cooled inverted inline engine, the 225 hp 6 cyclinder Alfa-Romeo model 115ter.This gave a max speed of 222 mph and a cruise of 165 mph.
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SAI-Ambrosini 10 Grifone
The SAI.10 Grifone ("Griffon") was a military trainer aircraft produced in small numbers for the Italian Regia Aeronautica early in World War II.
The aircraft was a parasol monoplane of mixed construction which first flew on July 8 1939.A production batch of 50 was ordered, but this was quickly reduced to just 10 machines, all of which were delivered in 1940.
Production aircraft differed by having a 85 hp Fiat A.50 radial engine in place of the prototype's CNA D. Other engine fits that were used included an example with a Siemens-Halske Sh 14, and one with an Alfa Romeo 110; this latter machine designated SAI.11. Another experimental development that did not enter production was a float-equipped SAI.10 Gabbiano ("Seagull").
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SAI Ambrosini 207
The SAI.207 was a light fighter interceptor built entirely from wood during World War II.
The first of three prototypes was completed and flown in the Autumn of 1940. The SAI.107 was a fighter development of the SAI.7, with similar dimensions, but with a 540 hp Isotta Fraschini Gamma engine. The SAI.107 reached a speed of 350 mph in trials and manoeuvrability proved to be excellent. The SAI.107 was lost, along with pilot Arturo Ferrarin, in a crash on 18 July 1941.
Two more fighter prototypes were built as SAI.207s, flying for the first time in the spring of 1941 and 1942.The SAI.207 was a single-seat, low-wing monoplane with a conventional tail-wheel undercarriage.It had a lightweight wooden construction, combined with a 751 hp Isotta-Fraschini Delta R.C.40 inverted-V engine, with a center-line cooling air intake, provided speed and agility. Armament consisted of two fuselage-mounted 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns.
A production order for 2,000 machines, plus a pre-production batch of 12 aircraft for operational testing was signed off. After the mixed results of operational evaluation and the signing of the Armistice, no production aircraft were built.
The pre-production batch of 12 aircraft served briefly with three squadrons.The aircraft entered service in July 1943, flying a number of combat missions against heavy Allied raids over the Italian capital, but without success. Despite its speed, Italian pilots were not impressed by the type and its service in the summer of 1943 quickly ended. The aircraft of 83rd Squadriglia were returned to SAI-Ambrosini to be refurbished, but the Armistice made it impossible for them to return to their squadron.
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SAI-Ambrosini.403
The SAI.403 Dardo ("Dart") was a light fighter aircraft built in 1943 during World War II.
The SAI.403 Dardo was a development and refined version of the SAI.207, improvements induced the Ministero dell' Aeronautica in 1943 to cancel its order for 2,000 of the SAI.207 and order 3,000 of the SAI.403 instead (800 from Ambrosini, 1,000 from Caproni, and 1,200 from Savoia-Marchetti). Apart from the fighter's superlative performance, its all-wood construction was attractive at a time when Italy was facing a shortage of strategic materials. However, by the time of the Armistice, the first of these was yet to leave the factory.
The aircraft was powered by a 750 hp Isotta-Fraschini Delta R.C.21/60 Serie I-IV inverted air-cooled V-12 piston engine, which gave a max speed of 403 mph and a cruise of 300 mph.
It was to be armed with fuselage-mounted 12.7 mm (0.500 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, and plans were drawn up to fit 15mm or 20mm canon in the wings in later versions, which did not happen.
The single prototype was seized by the Germans and evaluated by the Luftwaffe. Japanese pilots stationed in Germany were also given a chance to fly the aircraft, with the result that it was ordered into production by both Heinkel and Mitsubishi. None of these flew before the end of the war.
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SAI Ambrosini S.1001
The S.1001 Grifo ("Griffin") was an Italian light airplane that appeared shortly after the end of World War II.
It was the first plane built by SAI Ambrosini postwar, the prototype flew in 1947 and was derived from the pre-war SAI.2S. It was a four-seat monoplane with spatted fixed undercarriage. A small series was produced for the Italian aeroclubs with an Alfa Romeo 110-ter engine of 130 hp.This gave a max speed of 150 mph and a cruise of 130 mph.
Three examples were even bought by the Italian Aeronautica Militare (AMI), which used them between 1948 and 1950.
A two-seater version powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major of 120 kW (160 hp) was offered to the AMI as a trainer. The AMI were not interested, but a few aircraft were built as the S.1002 Trasimeno for aeroclubs.
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SAI Ambrosini F.4 Rondone
The SAI Ambrosini Rondone is a two/three-seat light touring monoplane of the early 1950s.
The Rondone was designed for private pilots and aero clubs for a more modern touring aircraft. Stelio Frati prepared the basic design for the prototype two-seat F.4 Rondone I which was built and first flown in 1951.It was a two-seater with a 65 hp Walter Mikron III engine.
This was followed by nine production examples produced by SAI Ambrosini in collaboration with Aeronautica Lombardi; these were powered by 85 hp Continental engines.The three-seat F.7 Rondone II first flew on 10 February 1954 and the prototype and nine production examples were built with a 90 hp Continental C90-12F engine.
The aircraft are of wooden construction with a plywood-covered one-piece single spar wing, and a monocoque fuselage. The tricycle undercarriage is retractable. Two-position flaps and dual controls are fitted. The Rondone II has an extended cabin with additional rear side windows.Many of the 20 completed aircraft are still airworthy.
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SIAI S.13
The SIAI S.13 was a 1910s reconnaissance flying-boat.
It was a smaller version of the earlier S.12, the S.13 was a single-engined biplane reconnaissance-fighter flying boat. It had a crew of two in side-by-side seats behind a single windscreen; the observer had a single flex-mounted machine-gun. The flying boat was powered by a single 250 hp Isotta Fraschini V6 engine.
The Royal Italian Navy took delivery of 12 aircraft in 1919, and the flying boat was exported to Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Yugoslavia. In France, the S.13 was built under license as the CAMS C.13 and the Spanish naval workshops in Barcelona also built seven under licence.
A single-seat version, the S.13 Tipo, was ordered by the Royal Italian Navy, but was later cancelled when the Royal Navy decided to develop the Macchi M.7 instead and a civilian version, the S.13bis, failed to attract any orders.
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SIAI S.51
The SIAI S.51, Savoia Marchetti S.51 or Savoia S.51 was an Italian racing flying boat built by SIAI for the 1922 Schneider Trophy race.
The S.51 was a single-seat sesquiplane flying boat, which first flew in 1922. It was powered by a 300 hp Hispano-Suiza 8A V8 engine, mounted on two struts above the hull and below the upper wing, it drove a two-bladed propeller in a pusher configuration. The lower wings had small stabilizing floats mounted on inclined struts so that they hung below and outboard of the outer tips of the lower wing.
Italy entered the S.51 in the 1922 Schneider Trophy race and also two Macchi M.17 flying boats in competition with a British Supermarine Sea Lion II flying boat. The race was held at Naples on 12 August.
The S.51 capsized in an accident during the seaworthiness trials before the race. It was recovered by its crew, and it completed the race, flown by Alessandro Passaleva but could only take second place, with the Sea Lion a comfortable 2 min 22 s ahead. The course was 13 laps long, a total distance of 230 mi, over which the S.51 averaged 142.65 mph.
On 28 December 1922 the S.51, flown again by Passaleva, set a world speed record for seaplanes of 174.080 mph.
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SIAI S.52
The SIAI S.52 was a fighter prototype of 1924.
The S.52 was a single-seat, all-metal biplane with its fuselage suspended between the upper and lower wings. The aircraft was a development of the earlier S.50. The semi-elliptical wings were extremely thin in section and larger in area than those of the previous S.50, and used ailerons to allow lateral control rather than the wing warping as the S.50 employed.
The S.50's all-moving tail surfaces were replaced by a conventional tail unit which combined fixed and moving surfaces. The 300 hp Hispano-Suiza HS 42 eight-cylinder water-cooled piston engine drove a two-bladed propeller, and the S.52 was armed with two fixed, forward-firing 0.303-inch Vickers machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller.
The S.52 was too late for the 1923 fighter contest, first flying in 1924. Two prototypes – designated MM.3 and MM.4 – were built, but no Italian production order was received.
The second prototype was shipped to Latin America for demonstration flights, one of which was a 1927 flight from Argentina to Paraguay. SIAI had learned that the Paraguayan Air Arm was interested in purchasing aircraft, so the S.52 made a series of successful flights at the Paraguayan Military Aviation School.
The Paraguayan government decided to buy it in 1927 – the first fighter Paraguay had ever bought and its only fighter until the arrival of seven Wibault 73 C.1 aircraft in 1928 – but placed no order for additional S.52s. It was destroyed in an accident on 8 May 1933.
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Savoia-Marchetti S.55 Series.
The Savoia-Marchetti S.55 was a double-hulled flying boat produced in 1924.
The S.55 had many innovative features. The passengers and/or cargo were placed in the twin hulls,with the pilot and crew operated the plane from a cockpit in the thicker section of the wing, between the two hulls. The S.55 had two inline contra-rotating propellers, mounted in tandem. The engines were canted sharply at an upward angle. Two wire-braced booms connected the triple-finned tail structure to the twin hulls and wing.The aircraft first flew in August 1924.
The Savoia-Marchetti S.55 was a remarkably reliable craft. In 1926, the S.55P prototype set 14 world records for speed, altitude and distance with a payload. The S.55's greatest successes, were its many flights between Europe and the Americas.
Pilots Francesco de Pinedo and Carlo del Prete took off from Sesto Calende, Italy, in an S-55 in Feb 1927. Four months later, they arrived back in Italy, having flown nearly 30,000 miles in 193 flying hours and having made just over 50 stops, including Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and New York City.
The Italian Air Marshall, Italo Balbo, became famous for organizing a squadron of S.55s for Atlantic crossings, culminating in his 1933 flight with 24 aircraft to Chicago's Century of Progress International Exposition.
On 1 July 1933, General Balbo commanded a flight of S-55s from Orbetello, Italy, completing the flight in just over 48 hours, maintaining a tight "V" formation. These large fleets of aircraft were sometimes called a "Balbo".
The aircraft went on to serve in the Regia Aeronautica as a long-range bomber and patrol aircraft, but by World War II, the last S.55s were no longer serviceable and were in reserve.
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Savoia-Marchetti S.57
The Savoia-Marchetti S.57 was an Italian single-engine biplane flying boat intended for aerial reconnaissance, built by Savoia-Marchetti for Regia Aeronautica after World War I.
It was of wooden construction with a single-step hull, with pilot and observer/gunner in tandem open cockpits in the bow, the S.57 was powered by a single 249 hp Isotta-Fraschini V.6, which gave a max speed of around 135 mph. The observer had a single ring-mounted 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun.
Eighteen S.57s were accepted by Regia Aeronautica in 1925 and used as trainers.In total 20 aircraft were completed.
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Savoia-Marchetti SM.62
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.62 was a single-engine maritime patrol flying boat produced from 1926.
The SM.62 flying boat was one of the main successes of Savoia-Marchetti, developed from the SM.59 which first flew in 1925.
The single-engine, single-spar wing, wooden biplane aircraft was powered by a single Isotta Fraschini Asso 500 R.I., 500 hp engine mounted between the upper and the lower wings, and drove a pusher propeller. It had a wingspan of 51 ft,and had a crew of 3 or sometimes 4, and entered production in 1926.
In 1927 the SM.62bis development was developed with a more powerful engine. This aircraft formed the basis of the future SM.78. The new 750 hp Isotta Fraschini Asso 750 engine produced 50% more power, which allowed a maximum speed of 140 mph.
This was the most successful Italian flying boat outside Italy, with at least one being acquired by Japan for its naval aviation service, several by Romania, and 40 by Spain, some of which were license-built. The USSR acquired the license to construct the SM.62bis as the MBR-4, with many examples built.Romania also acquired the licence to construct the SM.62bis in Brașov. Five of the flying boats were produced there in 1936.
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Savoia-Marchetti S.64
The Savoia-Marchetti S.64 was a monoplane developed in 1928 to contest world duration and distance records.
It was a pod-and-boom design,the empennage was carried on two open truss structures that extended to the rear from the wings. The engine was mounted on struts above the wing, and consisted of a single engine driving a pusher propeller. The cockpit was located inside the stubby fuselage pod and was fully enclosed. The powerplant was a 590 hp Fiat A.22T V-12 water-cooled piston engine, which gave a max speed of around 145 mph.
On 31 May 1928, Arturo Ferrarin and Carlo Del Prete broke three world records in the S.64 by making 51 round trips between Torre Flavia (in Ladispoli) and Anzio. When they landed on 3 June, they had covered 7,666 km (4,791 mi) – a new world distance record over a closed circuit – and stayed aloft for 58 hours 34 minutes – a new world endurance record. They also set the world record for top speed over a distance of 5,000 km (3,110 mi) 87 mph. With the record attempt successfully concluded, an announcement was made that this was to be a proving exercise for a Rome–New York City transatlantic flight.
The following month Ferrarin and Del Prete did cross the Atlantic in the S.64, not to New York, but across the South Atlantic to Brazil. They departed Montecelio on the evening of 3 July, they flew over Sardinia overnight, and then Gibraltar early the next morning. Crossing the Brazilian coast near Natal, they continued south, hoping to reach Rio de Janeiro. However, bad weather forced them to turn back towards Natal.
They were running low on fuel and with the weather still against them, they were forced to abandon landing there as well. Instead, they continued north for another 100 miles and made a forced landing on a beach at Touros. A Brazilian mail plane conveyed Ferrarin and Del Prete first to Natal and then to Rio de Janeiro, where in both cities they were given a heroes' welcome. The S.64 suffered structural damage during its landing on the sand, and was brought to Rio de Janeiro by ship.When it arrived in the city, it was donated to Brazil.
During the flight from Italy, the S.64 had covered 5,030 miles in 48 hours, 14 minutes. The FAI officially recognised this as a flight of 4,500 miles – the orthodromic distance between Montecelio and Natal – and a new world straight-line distance record. The festivities in Rio de Janeiro continued for weeks, but came to an end when Ferrarin and Del Prete crashed during a demonstration flight in a S.62 on 11 August,sadly Del Prete died from his injuries five days later.
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Savoia-Marchetti S.66
The Savoia-Marchetti S.66 was a 1930s twin-hull flying boat.
The S.66 was a development and enlarged version of the S.55 with the aim of replacing the S.55P. The S.66 was a twin-hull cantilever monoplane flying boat with metal hull and wings and wooden twin-booms and tail unit.The two flight crew had enclosed cockpits mounted in the wing centre section between the two hulls, each hull contained seven seats, two sleeping couches and a WC.
The prototype first flew in 1931 powered by three 570 hp Fiat A.22 R. engines strut-mounted above the wing. Twenty three production aircraft were built with three 750 hp Fiat A.24R engines and the couches were replaced by two to four more seats in each hull.
Civil versions were retired in 1939, but military versions were not retired until 1943, when the armistice was signed.
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Savoia-Marchetti S.71
The Savoia-Marchetti S.71 was an eight-passenger light transport designed and built in 1930.
The S.71 was a three-engine, high-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear. It had a crew of four and room for eight passengers. The first four aircraft were powered by three 260 hp Walter Castor II radial engines, but the last three had more powerful 370 hp Piaggio P.VII engines.
It`s max speed was 146 mph and had a range of almost 1000 miles.
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Savoia-Marchetti S.73
The Savoia-Marchetti S.73 was a three-engine airliner that flew in the 1930s and early 1940s.
It was developed in parallel with a bomber version (the SM.81 ) the prototype S.73 first flew on 4 July 1934.The prototype had a four-blade wooden propeller on the central engine, and two-blade wooden propellers on each wing engine. Later all aircraft were fitted with three-blade metal propellers.
The pilot and co-pilot were seated side-by-side in an enclosed cockpit, with a compartment for a radio operator and a mechanic. A passenger compartment could house 18 passengers in two rows.
The prototype had French Gnome-Rhône 9Kfr Mistral engines, but further aircraft had 700 hp Piaggio Stella P.X, 770 hp Wright R-1820, 730 hp Walter Pegasus III MR2V, Alfa Romeo 125 or Alfa Romeo 126, driving ground adjustable, three-bladed, aluminium-steel propellers.
The S.73 had an uneventful test programme with only minor modifications recommended by the Regia Aeronautica. It was easy to fly, strong, and easy to operate on the ground, including the ability to fly from short airfields in difficult terrain, in spite of being under-powered and the lack of leading edge slats. Its mixed construction and fixed landing gear were its main shortcomings, when contemporary aircraft in the US and Germany were of all-metal construction with retractable undercarriages. Some of these had better performance, but the S.73 remained competitive for some years.
At the outbreak of World War II the aircraft was already obsolete, but some were pressed into service with the Regia Aeronautica for operations in Abyssinia and Spain. Five S.73s were present in Eastern Africa and used as military transports. Four S.73s survived until the 1943 armistice, three being used by the Allies and one by the pro-Axis government; all had been retired by the end of the war.
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The Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 series
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 was a passenger and military transport aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s.
It was a low-wing, trimotor monoplane of metal and wooden construction with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. It was the last of a line of transport aeroplanes that Alessandro Marchetti began building in the early 1930s. The SM.75 had a four-man crew, and could accommodate up to 25 passengers. Its short take-off run and shorter landing distance of meant that it could operate from short runways on secondary airfields.
The SM.75 was powered by three Alfa Romeo 126 RC.34 radial engines of 750 hp each. Eleven aircraft fitted with three Alfa Romeo 126 RC.18 14-cylinder engines of 860 hp were designated the SM.75bis.
The Regia Aeronautica showed interest in the SM.75, resulting in the development of a militarized version. It lacked windows in the passenger cabin but was fitted with a reinforced panel to permit the installation of a dorsal gun turret. It was powered by three Alfa Romeo 128 RC.21 engines and had a greater cargo capacity than the SM.75, it entered military service as the Savoia-Marchetti SM.82.
The SM.75 first flew in November 1937 from Novara, in Piedmont. It entered commercial service with Ala Littoria in 1938 and with LATI in 1939, and was used on services both within Europe and to South America, and East Africa.
After Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, civil SM.75s continued to perform supply operations to Italian overseas territories, which dwindled as the war progressed, until the Italian armistice with the Allies went into effect on 8 September 1943. They also continued to operate services to South America until December 1941, when Italy declared war on the United States.
After Italy surrendered to the Allies in 1943, some SM.75s entered service with the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, which fought on the Allied side for the remainder of World War II.
Only a few of the 90 aircraft produced survived the war and actually remained in service until 1949.
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Savoia-Marchetti SM.83
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.83 was a civil airliner of the 1930s. It was a civilian version of the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bomber.
The SM.83 was a monoplane, with retractable undercarriage, and a slim fuselage. The cabin was provided with heaters, oxygen provision and sound insulation, but it was only large enough for the 4 crew and four to 10 passengers. The construction was of mixed materials, steel tubes for the fuselage, wood for the wings, and the outer skin made up of wood, fabric or metal. The wings had slats. The powerplant was three AR.126 engines giving about 750 hp each.
It first flew on 19 November 1937,and entered into production for LATI, SABENA and other companies, but it had less success compared to the more capable 18 seater Savoia-Marchetti S.73 even if had much improved performance. As a result, only 23 were built in two main series.
When war broke out, the Italian aircraft were impressed into the Regia Aeronautica, and used in transport units.
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Savoia-Marchetti SM.91
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.91 was a long-range fighter-bomber prototype, designed to compete in a contract offered by the Regia Aeronautica to the Italian aircraft companies in 1938.
In July 1942, the Regia Aeronautica requested designs for a new aircraft, to be powered by the German DB 605 engine, capable of flying at 385 mph with a range of 990 mi. Armament should consist of six MG 151 cannons in the nose and wings and a 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun as a defensive weapon. It should have an 800 kg (1,800 lb) bomb load. At that point, the request for a long-range fighter killed the SM.88, which was still in development, and the SM.91, a larger, heavier and more modern design, was authorized.
The fuselage and the wings were all-metal, to achieve the best performance regardless of cost. The central nacelle held the crew of two, and the wings and tail were similar to the SM.88.
The two DB 605 engines gave a total of 2,950 hp. The aircraft's maximum speed of 363 mph was better than the SM.88. There were three 20 mm MG 151s in the nose. Two more were mounted in the wings, close to the fuselage. Another machine gun was provided for the rear gunner. Bomb load was 1,640 kg (3,620 lb) or a torpedo could be carried.
The prototype,flew for the first time on 11 March 1943. There were two prototypes, the second was a modified SM.88.
It was captured and sent to Germany in October 1943, after which it vanished and is presumed destroyed. The second prototype was captured by the Germans incomplete when they occupied northern Italy in September 1943. This aircraft was tested on 10 July 1944, but was destroyed by Allied bombers later in the year.
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SIAI-Marchetti SM.102
The SIAI-Marchetti SM.102 was a 1940s light transport cabin monoplane.
The SM.102 was developed from the earlier abandoned SM.101 single-engined light transport monoplane. The SM.102 was a twin-engined low-wing monoplane with a tailwheel landing gear with retractable main gear. It had an enclosed cabin for two crew and eight passengers. The prototype was powered by two 500 hp Ranger SGV-770C-1B engines, one mounted on the leading edge of each wing.
The prototype SM.102 first flew on 24 February 1949 , it was demonstrated in India and both the Middle and Far East without the success of any orders so it was decided to modify the design to meet a requirement for a light transport for the Italian Air Force. The new version was re-engined with two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engines and first flew on 7 April 1950. A small production run of 21 for the Italian Air Force followed. These were eventually retired in 1959.
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SIAI-Marchetti FN.333 Riviera
The Nardi FN.333 Riviera, later the SIAI-Marchetti FN.333 Riviera, is a luxury touring amphibious aircraft.
The FN.333 Riviera was originally developed by the Nardi Company in Milan. The first prototype Riviera was a three-seat aircraft, it first flew on 4 December 1952, and was to be the only FN.333 powered by a 145 hp Continental fan-cooled engine.The second prototype a more powerful engine, as well as the addition of a fourth seat. The second prototype made its first flight on 8 December 1954.The Nardi Company lacked resources to develop the Riviera, so the third aircraft did not fly until 14 October 1956. Improved power for this aircraft was provided by a 240 hp Continental O-470-H engine. This aircraft was designated the FN.333S and was to be the basis for series production. Nardi sold the manufacturing rights for the Riviera to the much larger SIAI-Marchetti in March 1959.
The SIAI-Marchetti version had improved power provided by a 250 hp Continental IO-470-P engine, equipped with fuel injection, and manufactured for a pusher-style aircraft. In 1961 the Riviera became available in the United States, where it was initially sold through the North Star Company of Newark, New Jersey.
Most of the 26 built by SIAI-Marchetti were sold to customers in the United States, but examples were also sold to Australia, Norway and Sweden.
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SIAI-Marchetti S.202 Series.
The AS/SA 202 Bravo is a two or three-seat civil light aircraft jointly designed and manufactured by the Swiss company Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein (FFA) and the Italy`s Savoia-Marchetti. The aircraft was designated the AS 202 in Switzerland, and the SA 202 in Italy.
Savoia-Marchetti manufactured the wings, undercarriage and engine installation, while FFA manufactured the fuselage, tail and controls,both companies had assembly plants manufacturing the complete aircraft.The first Swiss model flew on 9 March 1969, the first Italian aircraft following on 8 May.It is a rugged all-metal low-wing monoplane with a full vision canopy. Its tricycle landing gear is fixed.
34 202-15s (150hp engine) and 180 202-18s (180hp engine and fully aerobatic ) were built, with most in service with military customers. The biggest civil operator was Patria Pilot Training at Helsinki-Malmi Airport, Finland during 2000–2011.
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SIAI-Marchetti S.210
The SIAI-Marchetti S.210 was a 1970s Italian twin-engined cabin-monoplane.
The S.210 was developed from the single-engined S.205 and was an all-metal low-wing monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. It was powered by two 200 hp Avco Lycoming TIO-360-A1B engines, one mounted on the leading edge of each wing. It had three pairs of side-by-side seats for one pilot and five passengers.
The prototype S.210M first flew on 18 February 1970 and was exhibited at the 1971 Paris Air Show wearing a military style colour scheme and markings. This aircraft was followed by an improved second prototype with increased baggage capacity and enlarged rear windows. A production batch of ten aircraft were built based on the second prototype.
Max speed was 222 mph and a cruise of 195 mph.
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SIAI-Marchetti S.211
The SIAI-Marchetti S.211 (later Aermacchi S-211) is a turbofan-powered military trainer aircraft from the 1980`s.
SIAI-Marchetti started to develop the S-211 in 1976 as a private venture,it first flew on 10 April 1981. SIAI-Marchetti planned to offer the type to the company's existing customer base, consisting of various air forces around the world that operated their SF.260, a piston-engined trainer.
The S-211 is a compact two-seat shoulder-wing monoplane, with full aerobatic capability.It has a retractable tricycle landing gear and is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4C turbofan powerplant. The S-211 has been principally used as a basic trainer aircraft, the student and instructor being seated in a tandem arrangement; the front and rear cockpits are fully duplicated, the latter being elevated above the former to provide the occupant with improved forward visibility.The aircraft was designed to perform a secondary close air support (CAS) capability, being equipped with four underwing hard points, facilitating the carriage of various armaments and other external stores.Some models feature an additional hard point on the underside of the fuselage.
During 1983, the Singapore Air Force placed the first order for the S-211, for a batch of ten aircraft, later this was increased to 32.Since the 1990s, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) has been using its 25 S-211 fleet both as a trainer and in offensive operations via secondary attack capability. These were redesignated as AS-211s and nicknamed as "Warriors".Following the retirement of the PAF's last Northrop F-5 fighters in 2005, the additional task of air defense has also been assigned to its AS-211s. Around 60 aircraft were completed.
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SIAI-Marchetti SM.1019
The SIAI-Marchetti SM.1019 is a STOL liaison monoplane for the Italian Army, and based on the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog.
SIAI-Marchetti modified the design of the Cessna 305A/O-1 Bird Dog with a new turboprop engine and a revised tail unit. The prototype first flew on 24 May 1969 powered by a 317 hp Allison 250-B15C turboprop engine.
It was evaluated against the Aermacchi AM.3 and was successful and won a production order for 80 aircraft, plus the prototype.
An engine upgrade version with a 400 hp engine was also built as the SM.1019B, but only four were built designated SM.1019E.1 by the Italian Army, these had four hardpoints under each wing.
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SIAI Marchetti SF.600 Canguro
The SIAI Marchetti SF.600 Canguro was a feederliner developed in the late 1970s.
It was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration with a fuselage of rectangular cross-section and a high-set tail.The tricycle undercarriage was fixed, and its main units were carried on sponsons on the fuselage sides. SIAI Marchetti provided funding towards the construction of the prototype,and after flight testing proved positive, the type was put on sale, but failed to attract buyers in any number, even when the original piston engines were upgraded to turboprops and a retractable undercarriage was offered as an option.
Following their acquisition of SIAI Marchetti, Agusta continued to promote the design,a venture to produce the aircraft in conjunction with PADC in the Philippines proved fruitless. PADC acquired two aircraft, RP-C1298 and RP-3101. In 1997, Vulcanair purchased the design from Finmeccanica (Agusta's parent company), but although a small number of examples were produced, no series production was undertaken. Vulcanair next proceeded to use the Canguro's fuselage to develop the single-engine Vulcanair Mission.
That`s Italy done. I am going to go back and revisit the UK manufacturers, as I think I left out too many interesting aircraft.
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British Historic Military And / Or Civil Aircraft Part Two
Abbot-Baynes Scud 2.
The Abbott-Baynes Scud 2 was a 1930s high-performance sailplane.
The Scud 2 was a development of the single seat, parasol winged intermediate-level Abbott-Baynes Scud 1 glider flown a year earlier. The two aircraft were both designed by L. E. Baynes and had many common features but the Scud 2 has a wing of much higher aspect ratio, intended for serious rather than introductory soaring.
The Scud 2 first flew on 27 August 1932. Photographs and general arrangement drawings from 1932 show early aircraft had narrow chord ailerons extending over the outer half-span and maintaining the straight wing trailing edge.Later drawings show shorter and broader surfaces with curved trailing edges protruding beyond that of the wing. Abbott-Baynes advertisements from mid-1933 also show this modification. The one surviving Scud 2, the Slingsby built G-ALOT, has these ailerons.
After a long career at Dunstable this aircraft,became part of the Shuttleworth Collection in December 2009. After restoration and a preliminary flight trial the following Spring it flew successfully on 4 September 2010.
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ABC Robin
The ABC Robin was a single-seat light aircraft from 1929.
It was a high-wing, single-seat monoplane of conventional taildragger configuration.It was the first lightplane to be equipped with a fully enclosed cockpit in Britain. It was designed at the request of T. A. Dennis specifically to use the firm's 30–40 h.p. Scorpion engine. Construction was primarily of wood,the wings were hinged at their inner rear corners to the top of the fuselage and supported by tubular struts in 'Vee' formation to the lower longerons of the fuselage.
The tail was also wood-framed and both wings and tail were covered with doped fabric. The Robin, registered G-AAID, was built by ABC Motors Limited at Walton-on-Thames in 1929. The first flight was at Brooklands in June,it was modified later in the year with the windscreen moved back to allow access to the fuel filler caps from the outside, and with an enlarged fin and rudder. The sole Robin built was scrapped at Brooklands in 1932.
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ANEC I and II
The ANEC I and ANEC II were 1920s single-engine ultralight aircraft designed and built by Air Navigation and Engineering Company Limited at Addlestone Surrey.
The ANEC I and II, designed by W.S Shackleton, were amongst the earliest ultralight aircraft; they were very small, wooden, strut braced high-wing monoplanes.
The first ANEC I, G-EBHR, first flew at Brooklands on 21 August 1923. It was the first aircraft with an inverted engine, a 696 cc 16 hp Blackburne Tomtit, to fly in the UK.
Two aircraft were built in the UK, and one in Australia by George Beohm, who later went on to design the other aircraft. E. W. Beckman, the owner, intended to enter it in the Low-Powered Aeroplane Competition held at Richmond in December 1924, but it was not completed until the following year. The first of the two built in the United Kingdom in 1923, G-EBHR, was exported to Australia in late 1924.
The ANEC II was an enlarged version of the ANEC I built for the 1924 Lympne light aircraft trials competition.As permitted by revised competition rules, it was a two-seater and its more powerful 1,100 cc Anzani inverted V twin-cylinder had the greatest capacity allowed. The wing area was increased to accommodate the extra weight by a span extension. It was also 5ft longer than the mk I Engine problems kept it from flying in the competition and out of the Grosvenor Trophy race.Just one example was completed.
In 1927 a new owner refitted it with a 32 hp Bristol Cherub III flat twin engine, a larger rudder, and a more conventional undercarriage with larger wheels mounted on a cross axle.In 1931 yet another new owner fitted a heavier 30 hp ABC Scorpion engine, another flat twin and, to keep the weight down,and reworked it as a single seater. It was in this condition when it was acquired by Richard Shuttleworth in about 1937.It is currently airworthy and can be seen at Shuttleworth.
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ANEC III
The ANEC III was a 1920s six-seat passenger and mail carrier aircraft.
Just three ANEC III aircraft were built,sub-contracted to ANEC from an Australian company Handasyde The new design was an unequal-span biplane with a 380 hp Rolls Royce Eagle IX engine. The pilot sat in the open above the mail compartment, with space for six passengers or cargo inside the fuselage.
The first aircraft flew at Brooklands on 23 March 1926 with the Australian registration G-AUEZ. All three aircraft were crated and shipped to Australia and were operated by Larkin's operating subsidiary Australian Aerial Services. The aircraft were named Diamond Bird, Satin Bird and Love Bird.
Later two aircraft were rebuilt as 11-seaters (two pilots plus nine passengers) with a lengthened fuselage and a more powerful 485 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar 14-cylinder engine.
The converted aircraft were known as the Lasco Lascowl. Both aircraft, retained their original names Diamond Bird and Love Bird, and were chartered by an aerial survey expedition led by Australian explorer Donald Mackay. The expedition set off on 23 May 1930 to carry out an aerial survey of central Australia. Both aircraft returned to Melbourne in July 1930 without a mishap, each having flown more than 300 hours.All three aircraft had been scrapped by 1932.
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Airco DH.1
The Airco DH.1 was an early military biplane of typical "Farman" pattern flown by Britain's Royal Flying Corps during World War I.
The DH.1 was of pusher configuration, its pilot and observer sat in two open tandem cockpits in the nose. The observer's cockpit was stepped down below the pilot's and equipped with a machine gun. The wings were of typical fabric-covered, two-bay, unstaggered, unswept, equal span design, while the stabiliser and rudder were carried on the end of two long, open-framework booms.
It was powered by the air-cooled Renault 70 hp V8 engine.
In January 1915 Geoffrey de Havilland piloted the D.H.1 prototype on its first fligh,although the Renault engine left it underpowered, performance was still reasonable. It was ordered into production, with an initial order of 49 being placed. Airco was already occupied with building and designing other aircraft, so DH.1 production was undertaken by Savages Limited of King's Lynn,production was initially very slow, and only five examples of the type had reached the RFC by the end of 1915.
Later production machines were fitted with the 120 hp Beardmore engine, as originally intended, as these had become more plentiful. This version was redesignated the DH.1A.
The DH.1 saw operational service only in the Middle East theatre, where six Beardmore-powered DH.1As arrived in July 1916 and were used by No. 14 Squadron RFC as escorts for their B.E.2 reconnaissance aircraft.The other DH.1s served in training, with 43 aircraft allotted and Home Defence units in the UK receiving an additional 24 aircraft,finally being withdrawn from service in 1918
Around 100 aircraft were built in total.
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Airco DH.9C
The Airco DH.9C was a passenger aircraft from late 1921.
After World War 1 many surplus aircraft were available including Airco DH.9 light bombers, which could be suitable for the emerging air transport business. Stripped DH.9s were used to carry one passenger behind the pilot in the gunner's position, but later versions, designated DH.9B, added a second passenger seat ahead of the pilot. A second seat behind the pilot was added by extending the rear cockpit in the early DH.9C. Later DH.9Cs had this rear position converted to hold two passengers face to face, protected by a faired dorsal canopy or cabin.
The DH.9, DH.9B, and DH.9C had the same wingspan and height and only slight variations in length depending on the fitted powerplant usually around 230 hp. They were two-bay tractor biplanes, with fixed two-wheel main and tail-skid undercarriage. Their main structure were of spruce and ash, wire-braced and fabric-covered.
The first four-seat DH.9C, received its certificate of airworthiness on 13 January 1922.Nineteen aircraft were produced for various operators, 13 in the UK, three in Spain, and three in Australia. The last in service was operated by Northern Air Lines in Barton, Greater Manchester, until 1932.
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Airco DH.16
The Airco DH.16 was a British four-seat commercial biplane of the 1910s.
The DH.16 was a redesigned Airco DH.9A with a wider fuselage,featuring an enclosed cabin for four passengers, plus the pilot in an open cockpit.The prototype first flew in March 1919 at Hendon Aerodrome. Nine aircraft were built, all but one being delivered to Aircraft Transport & Travel Limited (AT&T). They used the first aircraft for pleasure flying, then on 25 August 1919 it began a London-to-Paris service. One aircraft was sold to the River Plate Aviation Company in Argentina, to operate a service between Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
The first six aircraft were powered by a 320 hp Rolls Royce Eagle inline piston engine; the last three aircraft were fitted with the more powerful 450 hp Napier Lion engine.
AT&T operated the London -to-Paris service, plus a Croydon Airport-to-Amsterdam service on behalf of KLM. In December 1920, AT&T closed down, and the surviving seven aircraft were stored. Two were later used for newspaper delivery flights, and the other five were scrapped. On 10 January 1923, one of the newspaper delivery aircraft crashed, and DH.16s were withdrawn and scrapped.
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Airspeed Ferry
The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was a 1930s British three-engined ten-seat biplane airliner.
The Ferry was an unusual configuration biplane with a third engine mounted in the upper wing to give the pilot a better view. Not all three engines were the same, the lower engines were 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy IIs, and the upper wing had an inverted 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy III. The lower wing was mounted at the top of the fuselage to give passengers an unobstructed view of the ground.
The first aircraft flew on 10 April 1932 from Sherburn-in-Elmet Airfield, followed soon after by the second aircraft.The outbreak of World War II caused the first aircraft (G-ABSI) to be pressed into service with the Royal Air Force in 1940, as AV968, and served until November 1940.The second aircraft was sold in India to Himalaya Air Transport and Survey Company Limited in 1934 as VT-AFO.It was destroyed by vandals in a hangar fire in 1936.
The third (G-ACBT) and fourth (G-ACFB) aircraft were built for the Midland and Scottish Air Ferries Ltd and used on services from Renfrew to Campbeltown, Belfast and Speke. The firm closed in 1934 and the aircraft were put up for sale. G-ACBT was not sold and was dismantled in 1941. G-ACFB returned to England,later it was pressed into service with the Royal Air Force in 1941 and became an instructional airframe.
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Airspeed Courier
The Airspeed AS.5 Courier was a six-seat single-engined light aircraft that saw some use as an airliner.
It first flew on 10 April 1933 and was the first British type with a retractable undercarriage to go into production, with a total of 16 built.The Courier was a wooden low-winged cabin monoplane;he prototype was powered by a 240 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engine.A production run of 15 Couriers followed during 1933/34, being used for air-racing, and as a light airliner and for air taxi work.
Owing to its advanced aerodynamics, two were used as research aircraft, one by the RAE and one by Napier's, who used it for development of the Napier Rapier engine.
At the outbreak of World War II the majority of the surviving Couriers were pressed into RAF service, who used them for communications purposes. Only one Courier survived the War, being used for pleasure flights at Southend-on-Sea before being scrapped in December 1947.
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Airspeed Envoy
The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a light, twin-engined transport aircraft from the mid-1930`s.
The Envoy was a twin-engined low-wing cabin monoplane of all-wood construction apart from fabric covered control surfaces. It had a rearward retracting main undercarriage with a fixed tailwheel. The aircraft was built in three series, Series I was the initial production seventeen built. Thirteen Series II variants were built with split flaps and the Series III (19-built) was similar but had detailed improvements. Each series of the Envoy was sold with a choice of engines including the Wolseley Aries, Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V or Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC radial.
The prototype, G-ACMT, first flew on 26 June 1934, Tata Air Service of India flew an Airspeed Envoy in a demonstration flight between Bombay and Calcutta on 25 February 1935 as a proving flight of air mail service between the two cities.Orders soon came from the whole Commonwealth. Two aircraft went to the Ansett Airlines in Australia. North Eastern Airways and Olley Air Service in the UK also used the AS.6. In Czechoslovakia, the CSA ordered four AS.6 Envoy JC in 1937.
The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy also entered the Air Forces of different countries. The RAF used a few AS.6 in a military configuration, it was also used in the Air Forces of Spain, Japan, South Africa, Finland and China and some others. Seven machines were ordered for joint use by the South African Air Force and South African Airways, with three being delivered in military form and four delivered to SAA.Each of these seven aircraft could be transformed by a work crew of four within four hours from the transport version into a light bomber or reconnaissance aircraft. In this configuration the crew consisted of four; pilot, navigator, radio operator and gunner.
In total 52 aircraft were built.
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Airspeed Queen Wasp
The Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp was a British pilotless target aircraft from the late 1930`s.
The Queen Wasp was built to meet an Air Ministry Spec for a pilotless target aircraft to replace the de Havilland Queen Bee. Two prototypes were ordered in May 1936, one to have a wheeled landing gear for use by the RAF and the other as a floatplane for RN use for air-firing practice at sea. Powered by the 350 hp Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engine, a total of 65 aircraft were ordered, depending on the success of the flight test programme.
The aircraft was a single-engined biplane constructed of wood with sharply-tapered wings and fabric-covered control surfaces. An enclosed cabin with one seat was provided so the Queen Wasp could be flown manually with the radio control system turned off. The radio control system was complex with a number of backup safety devices to ensure radio and battery operation was uninterrupted.
The landplane first flew on 11 June 1937, and the floatplane on 19 October 1937. The floatplane was successfully catapulted from HMS Pegasus in November 1937.In flight tests, the aircraft was found to be underpowered and water handling difficulties necessitated a redesign of the floats,just 7 aircraft were completed before the project was ended.
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Airspeed Fleet Shadower
The Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower was a long-range patrol aircraft design from the early 1940`s.
The Royal Navy expressed an interest in an aircraft that could shadow enemy fleets at night and called for a slow-flying low-noise aircraft with a long range, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier's flight deck. The required performance was to be a speed of 38 knots at 1,500 ft (460 m) for at least six hours.Five companies showed interest: Percival, Short Brothers, Fairey Aviation, General Aircraft Ltd and Airspeed. General Aircraft and Airspeed were selected to build two prototypes each and Airspeed received a contract on 10 August 1938.
The AS.39 was a high-wing,strut-braced monoplane with wooden wings and tail unit and an all-metal monocoque fuselage. It had a fixed, divided type landing gear and tailwheel. The aircraft had a crew of three: pilot, observer and radio operator. The AS.39 had a unique crew configuration with the observer positioned in the nose with clear-vision windows on three sides and the pilot's compartment raised to allow passage to the radio operator's compartment. Four small 130 hp Pobjoy Niagara V air-cooled radial engines were mounted on the wings. This maximized propwash over the wing giving extra lift at low speed. The wings could be folded for storage.
Of two prototypes started, just one was finished and flown, first flying on 17 October 1940, the flight was delayed due to problems with the engines which had caused vibrations. The prototype had stability problems and poor stall handling not helped by the under-powered engines. Airspeed were asked to re-engine the aircraft with two Armstrong Whitworth Cheetah XI radials and add rear-facing machine guns. The second aircraft was not finished when on 17 February 1941 the Navy cancelled the Shadower program, along with the AS.39,the company were requested to scrap both aircraft. The competing G.A.L.38 flew for a few months before it was cancelled and scrapped in March 1942. The requirement for such aircraft had been made obsolete due to the introduction of radar on long-range patrol aircraft.
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Airspeed Ambassador
The Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador is a British twin piston-engined airliner from the late 1940`s.
The Ambassador originated in 1943 as a requirement identified for a twin-engined short-to-medium-haul replacement of the Douglas DC-3. Airspeed Ltd. was asked to prepare an unpressurised design in the 14.5-ton gross weight class, using two Bristol Hercules radial engines.
After the end of the WWII , the design had grown substantially.The Ambassador would be pressurised, have more powerful Bristol Centaurus radials, and two prototypes were ordered.
The revised design offered seating for 47 passengers and, had a tricycle undercarriage.With three low tailfins and a long pointed nose, it shared something of the character of the larger transcontinental Lockheed Constellation.
Eventually three prototypes were built, the first registered G-AGUA was first flown on 10 July 1947. The second, G-AKRD, was used by the Bristol Aeroplane Company from 1953 for flight-testing the Bristol Proteus 705 turbine engine. From March 1958 it was used by Rolls-Royce for test flying the Dart and Tyne turboprops. The third prototype and first Ambassador 2 G-ALFR was used for BEA proving trials and from 1955 in the development trials of the Napier Eland turbine engine.
British European Airways (BEA) placed an order for 20 aircraft in September 1948, and operated them between 1952 and 1958, calling them their "Elizabethan Class" in honour of the newly crowned Queen.Flagship of the fleet was G-ALZN, named "RMA Elizabethan". The first "Elizabethan" scheduled flight was from Heathrow to Paris Le Bourget on 13 March 1952 and the type later also served other key UK routes. By December 1955 the "Elizabethan Class" had reached 2,230 flying hours annually, per aircraft, the highest in BEA's fleet. However, the last Elizabethan scheduled service for BEA was operated in August 1958, and the type was replaced by the Vickers Viscount.
Further sales were not achieved, after disposal by BEA, the type helped to establish the scheduled and charter flight operations of Dan-Air, an important airline in the development of package holidays. The type was also used in the UK by Autair and BKS Air Transport. Second-hand Ambassadors were flown for short periods by Butler Air Transport (Australia), Globe Air (Switzerland) and in Norway.
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Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10
The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10 was a two-seat quadruplane fighter aircraft built during the First World War.
The F.K.10 was designed in 1916 by Frederick Koolhoven,chose the unusual quadruplane layout, also used by Pemberton-Billing (later known as Supermarine) for the P.B.29E and Supermarine Nighthawk anti-Zeppelin aircraft.
The first prototype, the F.K.9 was built and first flew in the summer of 1916, powered by a 110 hp Clerget 9Z rotary engine. It had a shallow fuselage, with the wings joined by plank-like struts,similar to those used by the Sopwith Triplane. After evaluation at the Central Flying School in late 1916, a production order for 50 was placed by the RFC for a modified version, the F.K.10.
The production F.K.10 had a redesigned,deeper fuselage, and tail, but retained the wing planform of the F.K.9. The F.K.10 showed inferior performance to the Sopwith 1˝ Strutter, which was already in service as a successful two-seat fighter, and only five were built of the RFC order, with a further three built for the RNAS. They were not used operationally and the design was not developed further.The F.K.10 had an uprated 130hp engine but only 8 of the aircraft ordered were completed.
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Armstrong Whitworth Ara
The Armstrong Whitworth Ara was a single-seat biplane fighter aircraft from WWI.
In early 1918, the British Air Ministry requested designs for a single-seat fighter to replace the Sopwith Snipe. The specified engine was the ABC Dragonfly, a new radial engine which had been ordered into production based on promised performance before any testing had been carried out. To meet this specification, Armstrong Whitworth's chief designer, Fred Murphy, produced the Armstrong Whitworth Ara, three prototypes being ordered.
The Ara was a two-bay biplane. It had a square fuselage, the engine was covered in a pointed cowling, with the cylinder heads exposed. The upper wing was low to give the pilot a better upwards view.
The 320 hp Dragonfly engine proved to have hopeless reliability. Two of the three prototypes were completed, the first flying in mid-1919. The Ara was abandoned towards the end of the year when Armstrong Whitworth closed down its aircraft department.
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Armstrong Whitworth Wolf
The Armstrong Whitworth Wolf was a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft from 1923.
The Wolf was a two-bay biplane of unusual design, with the fuselage mounted between the two sets of wings. No production order was placed, and the three machines built served their days at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough as experimental testbeds.
Alongside the RAF's order in 1923, two were built for the RAF Reserve Flying School at Whitley, and a final, sixth aircraft in 1929. As trainers, they proved popular with pilots, although less so with ground crews for whom the rigging and undercarriage were difficult to maintain.
The aircraft were powered by a 350 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar III 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine, which gave a max speed of 110 mph and a cruise of 95 mph.All Wolves were retired from service in 1931 and all but the most recently built were scrapped.
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Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a three-engine biplane airliner from 1926.
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.154 Argosy emerged from a declaration by Imperial Airways that all its aircraft would be multi-engine designs, on the grounds of safety.They were intended to replace the single-engine de Havilland aircraft that Imperial Airways had inherited. The first example flew in March 1926, following an initial order for three Argosies from Imperial Airways. An improved Mk. II version was introduced in 1929. The Mk1 was powered by three 385 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IIIA radial piston engines.The MkII had three 420 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVA radial piston engines. Seven aircraft were completed in the short production run.
The Argosy was initially used on European routes (later operating on services to South Africa), with the fleet named after cities. The first revenue flight was from London to Paris on 16 July 1926. Argosies implemented the world's first named air service, the luxury 'Silver Wing' service from London to Paris,using Argosy City of Birmingham (G-EBLO). Two seats were removed and replaced with a small bar, and a steward. In April 1931 Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother Prince George flew home from Paris–Le Bourget Airport in City of Glasgow (G-EBLF).
On 28 March 1933,the City of Liverpool caught fire over Belgium, causing a crash in which all three crew and twelve passengers were killed.Argosies continued in service with Imperial Airways until 1935, with the last example, City of Manchester (G-AACJ), being used for pleasure flights by United Airways Ltd of Stanley Park Aerodrome (Blackpool), which later was merged into British Airways Ltd. It continued in use with British Airways until December 1936.
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Armstrong Whitworth Atalanta
The Armstrong Whitworth AW.15 Atalanta was a four-engine airliner built in the early 1930`s.
The AW.15 Atalanta was designed to meet a Imperial Airways requirement for a four-engined airliner for its African routes.The specification called for an aircraft that could carry nine passengers, three crew and a load of freight for 400 miles, cruising at 115 mph.The prototype, G-ABPI, was named Atalanta and first flown on 6 June 1932.
The Atalanta was a high-wing monoplane with four 340 hp Armstrong Siddeley Serval III ten-cylinder (two rows of 5 cylinders) radial engines. Its construction included steel, plywood and fabric; the undercarriage was fixed but was streamlined to minimize drag.The aircraft had some minor design flaws and any teething problems were quickly overcome. The prototype was flown to Croydon for acceptance by Imperial Airways, and on 26 September 1932, it flew a commercial service from Croydon to Brussels and Cologne.
The Atalanta could carry up to 17 passengers but Imperial Airways limited the seating to nine for on the Indian route and 11 on the African route.
Imperial Airways ordered eight aircraft which had all been delivered by 1933. The first service was flown from Croydon to Brussels and then Cologne on 26 September 1932. The prototype G-ABPI left Croydon Airport on 5 January 1933 on a proving flight to Cape Town, South Africa. Three other aircraft joined it in South Africa to fly the service between Cape Town and Kisumu, although they proved to be unsuitable.Imperial withdrew the Atalanta from its African routes in 1937.
Three aircraft were lost before WW II and the remaining five aircraft were taken over by BOAC. In March 1941, they were impressed into use by the Royal Air Force in India.In December 1941, they were handed over to the Indian Air Force for use on coastal reconnaissance duties, armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun operated by the navigator. The last patrol was flown on 30 August 1942 and the two survivors were transferred to transport duties where they continued in use until June 1944.
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Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16 (or A.W.XVI) was a British single-engine biplane fighter aircraft from 1930.
It was a single bay biplane with wings of unequal span braced with struts, and bore a close resemblance to the A.W.XIV Starling Mk I, though with a less Siskin-like, humped fuselage. The undercarriage was fixed, undivided and spatted. The 420 hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther radial engine, earlier known as the Jaguar Major was enclosed by a Townend ring.
Problems with the Panther engine delayed the first prototype aircraft,which first flew in March 1930, and the competing Hawker Nimrod was purchased before the AW.16 could be delivered for evaluation. When it was evaluated, it showed inferior performance to the Nimrod, and had poor handling on an exposed carrier deck.
A second prototype was fitted with a more reliable 525 hp Panther IIA engine for submission for an order from the RAF. By this time the A.W.16 was almost obselete, and was quickly discarded from consideration. A number of production aircraft were built with 17 ordered by the Kwangsi Air Force in China.
These aircraft were produced late in 1931,and were delivered via Hong Kong. While initially serving in the air force of the local Warlords, the A.W.16s were (along with the rest of the Kwangsi Air Force) incorporated in the main Chinese Nationalist Air Force in 1937.
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Armstrong Whitworth Ensign
The Armstrong Whitworth Ensign was a four-engine airliner built during the late 1930s.
Work started on the A.W.27 Ensign in 1934 after receipt of a specification from Imperial Airways for a monoplane airliner with four Armstrong Siddeley Tiger engines.
The first aircraft was ordered in September, with delivery expected in 1936. Eleven more were ordered in May 1935.An order for a further two aircraft in December 1936 brought the total to 14.
The Ensign was a high-wing monoplane of light alloy construction and an oval, semi-monocoque fuselage with a conventional tailplane.It had retractable landing gear and a castoring tail wheel. The main landing gear was hydraulically operated and retracted into the inner engine nacelles. The cockpit had side-by-side seating for two pilots ; there was also accommodation for a radio operator. The fuselage was divided into separate cabins, either four cabins with accommodation for 40 passengers or three cabins with room for 27 by day or 20 at night with sleeping accommodation.
Production of their Whitley heavy bomber for the RAF was a priority, and work on the Ensign proceeded slowly Several changes were requested by Imperial, slowing production further. As a result, the Ensign's maiden flight did not take place until 24 January 1938.Imperial Airways named the prototype "Ensign" and as such the "Ensign Class" was applied to the whole fleet. The aircraft were fitted out for either Empire routes (eight aircraft) or European routes (four aircraft). The former carried 27 passengers in three cabins or 20 sleeping; the latter 40 passengers across three cabins and a four-person "coupe" aft of the third cabin.
11 aircraft were in service at the outbreak of World War II, with a twelfth following soon after. All were withdrawn in October 1939; they were to be camouflaged before flying a new route from Heston Aerodrome to Le Bourget Airport, Paris. The aircraft remained in service after formation of BOAC that November, but instead of being taken up for military service, remained civilian under direction of National Air Communications.
The aircraft were found to be lacking in performance for their wartime role, it was decided to fit the remaining eight aircraft with Wright Cyclone G.102A engines.
The final two aircraft that had been ordered by Imperial in 1936, were equipped with more powerful 1100 hp Wright Cyclone geared radial engines and completed as A.W.27A Ensign Mk IIs.The new engines significantly improved performance and allowed the Ensign to be used in hot climates and at high altitude. At the same time, other modifications were incorporated.
From 1944, towards the end of their service, the Ensigns were used between Cairo and Calcutta. When taken out of use for their Certificate of Airworthiness overhauls, the camouflage dope, which, in combination with the heat, had been rotting the fabric surfaces, was removed and thereafter the Ensigns were in a "natural" finish.
After the war ended the aircraft returned to the UK, all were finally scrapped in 1947.
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Armstrong Whitworth Scimitar
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.35 Scimitar was a British single-engine biplane fighter aircraft from the mid-1930`s.
The A.W.35 Scimitar was a development of the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16 fighter, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Panther 735 hp engine, with a lowered nose decking and an enlarged fin and rudder. The first prototype was a modification of the second A.W.16, and first flew in this form on 29 April 1935. A second prototype was constructed by converting another A.W.16.
Four Scimitars were ordered for the Norwegian Army Air Service, and an agreement signed for licence production. After testing in late 1935, the four Scimitars were delivered to Norway in 1936.
The licence was cancelled later that year when it was found that the aircraft was unsuitable for operation on skis without further design changes. The Scimitars remained in use in the training role at the outbreak of the WW2. When the Germans invaded in 1940 the Scimitars were all undergoing maintenance and could not be made operational in time.
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Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 was a flying wing aircraft design of the late 1940s for research into a proposed flying wing jet airliner.
AW Aircraft proposed a jet-powered six or four-engine flying wing airliner design, using a laminar flow wing, during World War II It had to be a large aircraft in order to provide passenger head-room within the wing. The low-speed characteristics of the design were tested on a wooden glider known as the A.W.52G; the glider was designed to be roughly half the size of the powered A.W.52, which in turn would be about half the size of the airliner.
Construction of the AW.52G began in March 1943, with the glider making its maiden flight, towed by an AW Whitley bomber. In 1944, Armstrong Whitworth received a contract that would allow them to produce two A.W.52 prototypes for evaluation, nominally as mail carrying aircraft.
The A.W.52 was intended for high speed and was an all-metal turbojet-powered aircraft, with a retractable undercarriage; aerodynamically it had much in common with the glider. Both aircraft were moderately-swept flying wings with a centre section having a straight trailing edge. The wing tips carried small end-plate fin and rudders, which operated differentially, with a greater angle on the outer one. Roll and pitch were controlled with elevons that extended inward from the wing tips over of the outer, swept part of the trailing edge. The elevons moved together as elevators and differentially as ailerons.
The crew sat in tandem in a nacelle, the pilot was just forward of the wing leading edge, providing a better view than in the glider. The pressurised cockpit was slightly off-set to port. The engines were mounted in the wing centre section, close to the centre line and so not disturbing the upper wing surface.
The first prototype flew on 13 November 1947 powered by two Rolls-Royce Nene engines of 5,000 lbf thrust each. This was followed by the second prototype on 1 September 1948 with the lower-powered 3500 lbf Rolls Royce Derwent. Trials were disappointing: laminar flow could not be maintained, so maximum speeds, though respectable, were less than expected. Take-off and landing runs were longer than for a conventional aircraft due to angles of attack.
On 30 May 1949, while diving the first prototype at over 300 mph test pilot J. Lancaster encountered a pitch oscillation believed to be caused by elevon flutter which rapidly increased to incapacitating levels.Lancaster ejected from the aircraft using its Martin-Baker Mk.1 ejection seat, becoming the first British pilot to use the system in a "live" emergency.It was fortunate that he was alone in the aircraft as the second crew member was not provided with an ejection seat.
Surprisingly the aircraft, stopped fluttering and glided down to land itself in open country with relatively little damage. Following this incident, and in view of the disappointing results obtained, no further development of the flying-wing formula was undertaken by Armstrong Whitworth, who concentrated on the A.W. 55 propeller-turbine airliner. The second A.W. 52 was handed over to the RAE at Farnborough, where it was used for experimental flying until it was finally disposed of in June 1954.
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Armstrong Whitworth Apollo.
The Armstrong Whitworth AW.55 Apollo was a 1940s four-engine turboprop airliner.
The AW.55 Apollo,was a low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear which folded into the wings. It had a conventional tail unit with a mid-placed cantilever horizontal tailplane. It had a pressurised fuselage with seating for 26-31 passengers. It was powered by 4 x Armstrong Siddeley Mamba ASM.2 which were expected to produce 1,270 shp plus 307 lbf static thrust for the production aircraft. When the prototype Apollo was ready to fly the engine could only produce 800 shp. Two prototypes - one completely fitted out - and a static test fuselage were ordered by the Ministry of Supply and construction started in 1948. The prototype (serial VX220) first flew at Baginton, Coventry on 10 April 1949.
The aircraft was unstable and underpowered,after nine hours of test flying it was grounded to try to solve some of the many problems.Test flying resumed in August 1949 but the aircraft had further engine problems. Changes were made to the design of the tail unit including fitting a dorsal fin and increasing the fin area to improve stability and control.
Further engine problems stopped the trial and test flights. The company started a selling campaign to European airlines, but the continual engine difficulties caused the decision in June 1952 to abandon development of the aircraft entirely.
The two prototypes had been paid for by the Ministry of Supply and the prototype aircraft entered service at the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down in September 1952. The second aircraft (serial VX224) followed in September 1953 and was later used by the Empire Test Pilot's School during 1954 for multi-engine pilot training. The prototype was broken up in 1955 and the second aircraft was passed to the Structures Department at RAE Farnborough. The aircraft fuselage was used at Farnborough for water tank pressure testing until it was scrapped in the 1970s.
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Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a British post-war transport/cargo aircraft.
It was the final aircraft to be designed and produced by aviation company Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although given different internal design numbers, the AW.650 civil and AW.660 military models were,much the same design, while both models also shared the "Argosy" name.
The AW.65 was redesigned to use four Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines, and thus was re-designated as the AW.650. On 8 January 1959, the first Argosy conducted the type's maiden flight. On December 1960, the type received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification, enabling the initial civil version, referred to as the Series 100, to enter civil service.
Military planners took interest in the Argosy and asked for a new specification for a militarised variant, designated AW.660. First flown on 4 March 1961, this model featured double the range of the Series 100 and otherwise differed by an alternative door arrangement, which was largely to facilitate paratroop operations. Furthermore, an improved civil variant, the Series 200, was introduced at the request of airline (BEA). First flown on 11 March 1964, this model featured a new wing incorporating a fail safe structure, being stronger and lighter than its original counterpart. The Argosy was operated by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and various civil operators across the globe for numerous years. The type was withdrawn from RAF service during 1978, while the last Argosy was retired from civil operations during 1991.
Some may recall Argosy G-ARPN which crash landed at Aldergrove in April 1982 after a failure of an undercarriage leg.It first flew in May-59 as G-APRN. After taking part in the prototype test programme it was delivered to BEA British European Airways in Nov-61. It was only with BEA for 4 years.It was sold to ABC Air Bridge Carriers in Jun-73. It was leased to the British Aircraft Corporation in Nov-75, returning to ABC in Jan-76.
The type was withdrawn from RAF service during 1978, while the last Argosy was retired from civil operations during 1991,74 aircraft were completed.
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Arrow Active
The Arrow Active is an aerobatic aircraft built in the 1930s.
The Arrow Active is a single-seat biplane of conventional configuration, with single-bay, staggered wings of unequal span and chord. The upper and lower wings are joined by a single strut. The undercarriage is fixed, with a pair of mainwheels and a tail-skid. It was originally powered by a 115 hp Cirrus-Hermes IIB engine.
The second aircraft featured a more powerful 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy III and was designated Active 2. It also differed from the Active 1 in having a strutted, conventional centre section, a slightly different shaped fin and rudder, and smaller, but wider wheels.
Arrow hoped the military might show an interest in the aircraft, this did not transpire, and the Active was flown as a sports plane. The Active 1 G-ABIX received its Certificate of Airworthiness on 21 May 1931.The Active 2 G-ABVE was certified on 29 June 1932 and flew in the King's Cup in both 1932 and 1933. Slightly faster than the Arrow 1, it recorded a speed of 137 mph.
G-ABVE is still active after being rebuilt in 1958 and 1989.
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Auster J/1B Aiglet
The Auster J/1B Aiglet is a light civil utility aircraft developed in the 1950s.
The Auster J/1 Autocrat of 1946 had achieved considerable sales success but orders died away in the late 1940s. Few sales were achieved in the important Australian market as the Autocrat's 100 h.p. engine was not powerful enough for the harsher summer conditions experienced there.
In 1950, Auster Aircraft used an uncompleted Autocrat airframe and wing structure to produce an upgrade,which incorporated a larger fin and rudder to compensate for the installation of a 130 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy Major engine.
The prototype first flew in 1950 and was followed by several conversions of Autocrat airframes, but construction soon switched to the use of new airframes. Most sales were made in Australia and New Zealand. The majority of aircraft were exported engineless to Kingsford Smith Aviation Services in Sydney where they were completed and tested before delivery.
The Aiglet was particularly suited to use by agricultural spraying and dusting contractors. Most sales were to Australia and New Zealand.After withdrawal from crop-spraying use during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the survivors were purchased by aerial photo contractors, aero clubs and private owners.Many of these aircraft were fitted with an extra fuel tank beneath the fuselage.In all 86 aircraft were produced of the type.
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Auster Workmaster
The Auster J/1U Workmaster is a late 1950s single-engined single-seat high-wing agricultural monoplane.
Following the experience of developing the J/1B Aiglet agricultural aircraft, Auster developed a more powerful successor the J/1U Workmaster. It the same basic Autocrat fuselage, but it was strengthened and had dorsal fin fillets added, low pressure tyres and a 180 hp Avco Lycoming engine.
It carries 90 gallons of spray fluid in a tank beside the pilot, with an extra seat for a passenger. The 180 hp engine driving a McCauley v.p. propeller giving it ample power; and slotted ailerons and balanced tail controls providing good handling.
Ten aircraft were built,the Workmasters were mainly operated in West Africa, three later returned and are currently (2009) on the U.K. civil aircraft register.
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Auster Arrow
The Auster J/2 Arrow is a 1940s single-engined two-seat high-wing touring monoplane.
The Arrow was designed as a successor to the pre-war Taylorcraft Plus C monoplane. A development aircraft, a side-by-side two-seater first flew in 1946 powered by Lycoming O-145-B3 flat four air-cooled engine.
Import restrictions on the sale in the UK of American-built engines resulted in most of the 44 aircraft completed being exported, mainly to Australia.Later some examples were re-imported to the UK, where several aircraft remained active in 2011.Production versions were powered by a 75 hp Continental C75-12 air-cooled flat-four,which was good for a max speed of just under 100 mph.44 aircraft were completed and the aircraft first flew in 1945.
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Auster Adventurer
The Auster J/5 Adventurer is a three-seat light high-wing monoplane of the late 1940s.
The Adventurer three-seat high-wing monoplane was developed from the J/1 Autocrat with extra power by fitting a 130 h.p. Gipsy Major engine, to enable more flexible operations in the hotter climate of Australia and New Zealand, where most examples were sold. Unlike the similarly powered J/1 Aiglet and J/1N Alpha, the Adventurer retained the smaller tail surfaces of the Autocrat, the new engine was set back for the original fin area to remain adequate.
The prototype Adventurer was converted to the new standard from a J/1 Autocrat c/n 2093 and first flew on 15 November 1947.This was followed by a further 58 production examples delivered between 1948 and 1952.
Most J/5s were sold to private pilot owners in Australia and New Zealand where they were given the name Adventurer. Eleven Adventurers were still in service in Australia as of 2009 and one in New Zealand. Six were sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and four to the Royal Rhodesian Air Force (RRAF). Five aircraft were completed for agricultural use as the J/5A Cropduster and served in Africa and Pakistan.
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Auster Aiglet Trainer
The Auster J/5 Aiglet Trainer was a 1950s British single-engined four-seat high-wing training and touring monoplane.
Despite its name, the aircraft type had nothing to do with the Auster J/1B Aiglet, it being an aerobatic development of the Auster J/5 Autocar.
The Aiglet Trainer was based on the J/5 fuselage with new wings and stressed for aerobatics. The prototype first flew on 2 June 1951.
Most Aiglet Trainers were bought by private pilots and flying clubs, but 15 went to the Pakistan Air Force, 14 to the Iran Civil Aviation Club and two to the Lebanese Air Force.
The production versions were powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major 1 4-cylinder inline engine, 130 hp, which gave a max speed of 127 mph and a cruise of 110 mph.
Production ran from 1951 to 1958, and 77 aircraft were completed.
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Auster Tugmaster
The Auster 6A Tugmaster was a high-wing monoplane glider tug converted from surplus former military Auster AOP.6s.
The Auster Tugmaster is a high-wing braced monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and powered by a 145 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major engine. The Tugmasters had their engines modified to civilian standards as the Gipsy Major 10 and they were also fitted with larger tail surfaces. Because of the original radio fit had been removed the second passenger sat in a sideways-facing seat behind the pilot and not side-by-side although three aircraft were fitted with dual controls and side-by-side seating.
Auster Aircraft bought 104 surplus Auster AOP.6 and T.7s. Initially 29 airframes were modified for glider towing as the Auster 6A Tugmaster. Each aircraft was stripped as necessary and re-built with minimum cost.About 50 were converted as three-seater touring aircraft for civilian use as the Auster 6B, later designated as the Beagle A.61 Terrier.
The first conversion,flew on 5 July 1960 and was produced by Air Tows Ltd at Lasham and was fitted with an electrically-driven winch; five more were modified by Air Tows.Twenty one were converted by Auster with a conventional Auster-designed towing hook. Other conversions were carried out by a number of organisations including one by British European Airways employees at London Heathrow Airport for their own gliding club. Some surplus Royal Canadian Air Force Auster AOP.6 aircraft were also converted in Canada for glider towing.
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Auster D.6
The Auster D.6 was a four-seat light aircraft, a development of the Auster Autocar with a horizontally opposed engine.
It was available with a choice of two engines, a 160 hp Lycoming O-320 or 180 hp Lycoming O-360. When Auster was taken over by Beagle Aircraft in September 1960, development of the D.6 was dropped, while the D.4 and D.5 continued in limited production. Only four D.6 aircraft were completed, one D.6/160 (later converted to D.6/180 standard) and three as D.6/180.
First flight was 6th May 1960
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Austin Greyhound
The Austin Greyhound was a two-seat biplane fighter aircraft of World War I.
In 1918,the RAF issued a specification for a replacement for the Bristol F.2 Fighter to be powered by the new ABC Dragonfly radial engine. The Austin Motor Company, who had produced large numbers of aircraft, including 800 Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s, submitted a design by J Kenworthy, formerly of the Royal Aircraft Factory, which was named the Austin Greyhound. An order for three prototypes was placed on 18 May 1918.
The Greyhound was a two-bay biplane of all-wooden construction.The Greyhound's engine was covered by a conical cowling, with the cylinder heads exposed.
The first prototype was built, but problems with the Dragonfly engine soon emerged, which was found to be overweight and severely underpowered, and to have unsolvable reliability problems,all meant that testing was significantly delayed.
The second prototype was delivered to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment in January 1919,followed by the first prototype in May and the third in February 1920. Although performance was much improved, no production was ordered of any of the competitors, with the Bristol Fighter remaining in service until 1932. The last Greyhound remained in use as a flying test bed at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough until June 1922.
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Austin Whippet
The Austin Whippet was a single-seat light aircraft designed just after the First World War.
John Kenworthy, chief designer of the Austin Motor Company, designed a small single-seater light aircraft in order to cash in on an expected boom in private flying. The resulting aircraft, named the Austin Whippet, was a small single-seat biplane of mixed construction, with a fabric covered steel tube fuselage, and single-bay, folding wooden wings. The wings avoided the need for rigging wires by use of streamlined steel lift struts.
The first prototype, powered by a two-cylinder horizontally opposed engine, flew in 1919, receiving its C of A in December that year.Production aircraft were powered by a 45hp six-cylinder Anzani air-cooled radial, and four more aircraft followed before Austin abandoned aircraft production in 1920, when it realised that the postwar depression was limiting aircraft sales.
Of the five aircraft built, two were sold to New Zealand, while another was sent by its owner to Argentina. One of the New Zealand aircraft remained in existence in the 1940s.
An replica of Whippet K-158 is currently on display at the Aeroventure South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum in Doncaster, UK
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Aviation Traders Carvair
The Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair was a large transport aircraft powered by four radial engines.
It was a Douglas DC-4-based air ferry conversion developed by Freddie Laker's Aviation Traders (Engineering) Limited (ATL), with a capacity generally of 22 passengers in a rear cabin, and five cars loaded in at the front.
The DC-4's lack of pressurisation made it ideal for low-altitude cross-Channel flights that did not go high enough to require a pressurised cabin. This made the proposed structural conversion straightforward.The conversion entailed replacing the forward fuselage with one 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) longer, with a raised flightdeck in a hump to allow a sideways hinged nose door. It also entailed more powerful wheel brakes and an enlarged tail,which was a completely new design.The engines, four Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasps, were unchanged.
The prototype conversion first flew on 21 June 1961. Twenty-one Carvairs were produced in the UK, with production of aircraft 1, 11 and 21 at Southend Airport and the balance at Stansted Airport. The final three aircraft were delivered to Australia's Ansett-ANA, which supplied its own DC-4s to ATL for conversion, the previous 18 aircraft were purchased by ATL and either sold on or transferred to associate company British United Air Ferries (BUAF). One of the two aircraft still flying in June 2007 was an ex-Ansett airframe. A second Ansett aircraft was abandoned at Phnom Penh in 1975. The first flight of the last conversion, number 21, for Ansett, was on 12 July 1968.
The Carvair was used by Aer Lingus, BUAF and BAF among others, and was used in Congo during 1960–1964, under contract to the United Nations. Aircraft for Aer Lingus were quickly convertible between 55 seats and 22 seats with five cars. Some aircraft were pure freighters with only nine seats. One aircraft had 55 high-density seats and room for three cars. BAF was the last operator in Europe of the aircraft, keeping them flying into the 1970s.British United Carvairs made an appearance in the 1964 James Bond movie Goldfinger as Auric Goldfinger and boarded G-ASDC bound for Switzerland while Goldfinger's Rolls-Royce car was being loaded through the Carvair nose.
Of the 21 airframes, eight were destroyed in crashes, three aircraft survive, one is still airworthy in Texas.
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Aviation Traders Accountant
The Aviation Traders ATL-90 Accountant was a 1950s twin-engined 28-passenger turboprop airliner.
The ATL-90 Accountant was a turboprop airliner designed as a possible replacement for the DC-3. It was powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops and first flew from Southend on 9 July 1957.
The only Accountant, registered G-ATEL, was displayed at the Farnborough Airshow in September 1957 but attracted little commercial interest.It was a distinctive design with a very large vertical tail as a noteable feature. The aircraft last flew on 10 January 1958, development was abandoned and the aircraft was scrapped in February 1960.
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Avro 500
The Avro Type E, Type 500, and Type 502 made up a family of early British military aircraft.
The Type E biplane was designed in parallel with the slightly earlier Avro Duigan, differing mainly in being slightly larger and having a more powerful 60 hp water-cooled E.N.V. engine.
Both were two-bay tractor biplanes with unstaggered parallel-chord wings with rounded tips, a deep rectangular section fuselage bearing rectangular steel-framed stabilisers, elevators and rudder with no fixed fin, and an undercarriage with a pair of wheels mounted on a leaf-spring and a long central skid projecting forward of the propeller. This aircraft layout dominated aircraft design for twenty years: the Avro 500 and the contemporary B.E.1 are among the first truly practical examples built.
The aircraft first flew on 3 March 1912 ,top speed and rate of climb did not meet expectations,however the aircraft excelled in every other way. As its performance was not up to Roe's expectations, a second example was built, modified to take the much lighter 50 hp Gnome air-cooled rotary engine. This first flew on 8 May 1912, and a height of 2,000 ft was attained in five minutes.
A few days later the aircraft demonstrated its ability to meet the requirements laid down by the War Office for a "Military Aircraft" that had been published in connection with the forthcoming Military Aeroplane Competition, and the authorities were impressed enough to buy the aircraft and placed an order for two more examples of the aircraft, which Roe now renamed the Avro 500.
Avro 500s were flown by the British armed forces during the first years of the war, mostly as trainers. In service, most were fitted with ailerons and a revised rudder.18 aircraft were completed.
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Avro 533 Manchester
The Avro 533 Manchester was a World War I -era twin-engine biplane photo-reconnaissance and bomber aircraft.
Originally designated the Avro 529B, the new 320 hp ABC Dragonfly I nine-cylinder engine was specified, but with a redesign in July 1918, the type number was subsequently changed to Avro 533. When the original engines were not available, the 300 hp Siddeley Puma engine was substituted on the second prototype in November 1918, this acquiring a new designation, the Avro 533A Manchester Mk II, and first flying in December that year. An American 400 hp Liberty engine was also proposed as an alternative.
The Avro 533A Manchester Mk II flew for the first time in December 1918.By March 1919, Avro sent the first prototype to AAEE at Martlesham Heath for official trials before its eventual return to the Avro factory. The aircraft was a large, and mainly conventional design of wood-and-fabric construction typical of the time. Open cockpits were retained, although later modifications were planned for passenger compartments in the interior.In December 1919, the second prototype received its Dragonfly I engines, becoming the Avro 533A Manchester Mk I.
There were few differences between the two types, other than the Mk I having a slightly reduced lower wing surface, and enlarged tailfin and rudder to correct control problems indicated in testing.Flight tests indicated a lower performance than anticipated which resulted in Avro reconsidering the type's trials, and eventually led to the abandoning of the third prototype.
In March 1919, Avro proposed a passenger airliner, the Avro 537, that would be based on the earlier bomber version. The plans were later dropped and all the Type 533 prototypes were scrapped.
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Avro Baby
The Avro 534 Baby was a single-seat light sporting biplane built shortly after the World War I.
The Avro Baby was a single-bay biplane of conventional configuration with a wire-braced wooden structure covered in canvas. It had equal-span, unstaggered wings which each carried two pairs of ailerons. Initially, the aircraft was finless and had a rudder of almost circular shape. There were later variations of this. The main undercarriage was a single-axle arrangement and with a tailskid.
The prototype first flew on 30 April 1919 but it crashed on the nearby foreshore two minutes into the flight due to pilot error. The second prototype flew successfully on 31 May 1919.
The first Babies were powered by a water-cooled inline Green C.4 engine of pre-1914 design,though thoroughly revamped postwar.It produced 35 hp and most of the later Babies also used this engine design,though some variants used either a 60 hp ADC Cirrus 1 or an 80 hp le Rhone. These new-build Greens were about 6 lb (3 kg) lighter. Nine aircraft were built in total.
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Avro 548
The Avro 548 was a civil trainer aircraft built World War I.
It`s design was based on the Avro's 504 military aircraft, but it had an inline engine and a third seat. The prototype, designated 545, first flew Oct 1919 with a Curtiss OX-5 V-8 engine, but this proved unsuitable for the civil market due to the engine's weight and the complex cooling system. An air-cooled 80hp Renault engine was used instead, and the designation 548 applied to this configuration.
Often, these aircraft were usually customised for their buyers and most differed from each other in equipment and detail; some were actually retrofitted war-surplus 504s. Many were used as civil trainers, others for pleasure flights, personal transport, or racing.
A revised and re-engined version, the 548A resulted when fitted with an ADC Airdisco engine, a development of the Renault which gave 120 hp. This engine greatly improved performance.In total 38 aircraft were completed.
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Avro 549 Aldershot.
The Avro 549 Aldershot was a single-engined bomber aircraft.
The Aldershot was designed to meet a 1920 Specification for a long-range day and night bomber to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Condor engine.The Air Ministry gave Avro a contract for two prototypes, designated Aldershot I, on 2 December 1920.
The first prototype flew in October 1921. As a result of test flying, the fuselage was lengthened by 6 ft (2 m) in order to improve directional control, being displayed in this form at the RAF Display at Hendon on 24 June, the second prototype flying in July with the lengthened fuselage and a modified undercarriage.
It was a three-bay biplane, with a steel-framed fuselage with plywood and fabric covering, and wooden wings. Pilot and navigator were seated side by side in a cockpit behind the upper wing trailing edge, with additional accomm for the navigator/bomb-aimer, in a cabin in the fuselage, which had four circular windows on each side. A gunner sat in a separate cockpit behind the pilot,was armed with a Lewis gun. Another Lewis gun could be fitted to a ventral mounting in the cabin, while there was provision for a fixed, forward-firing Vickers machine gun operated by the pilot, although this was rarely fitted.
On 26 January 1923, the Air Ministry ordered 15 aircraft under the designation Aldershot III.The only operator of the aircraft was No. 99 Squadron RAF,receiving its Aldershots from July 1924. The Aldershot was mainly used for night flying, but occasionally flew day bombing exercises. By 1925, the Air Ministry had decided that heavy bombers should have multiple engines, and 99 Squadron started to re-equip in January 1926, with the Aldershots being replaced in Squadron service by March that year.
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Avro Bison
The Avro 555 Bison was a single-engined fleet spotter/reconnaissance aircraft from the 1920`s.
The Bison was designed as a carrier-based fleet spotter and reconnaissance aircraft. An order for three prototypes was placed in October 1921.The Type 555 Bison, was a two-bay biplane, powered by a 480 hp Napier Lion engine. The fuselage was constructed of steel tube, with the pilot sitting in an open cockpit forward of the wings, and the engine cowling sloping steeply down ahead of the pilot. An enclosed cabin with large rectangular windows on each side housed the navigator and radio operator, with headroom to stand up, while a cockpit for a gunner armed with a Lewis gun on a Scarff ring was provided in the rear fuselage.
The first prototype flew in 1921,with an order for 12 Bison Is soon following. The aircraft had handling problems, however, caused by interference of the pilots cockpit with the airflow over the upper wing. This was resolved by revising the wing design of the second prototype, it flew in April 1923. Further production orders followed with these modifications incorporated as the Bison II, while some Bison Is were modified to a similar standard.
First deliveries were to the RAF in 1922 for coastal reconnaissance work with No. 3 Squadron RAF. Naval aircraft served on HMS Argus, HMS Eagle and Furious and onshore at Gosport, England and Hal Far, Malta. The aircraft were retired in 1929 when they were replaced by the Fairey IIIF.
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Avro Andover
The Avro Andover was a 1920s military transport aircraft.
The RAF required a successor for the outdated Airco DH.10 so Avro designed and constructed the Avro Andover, a single-engined biplane designed to serve as a passenger plane and also as an air ambulance.
The fuselage was a steel tube frame covered with canvas and plywood. The fuselage was a completely new design,but the wings, undercarriage and the tail unit were taken from the Avro Aldershot bomber. The pilot and navigator sat in an open cockpit directly under the leading edge of the upper wing; a passageway led from the cockpit to the passenger cabin. The aircraft held twelve passengers or six stretchers.
The aircraft were powered by a 695 hp Rolls-Royce Condor III V-12 water-cooled piston engine, driving a two bladed propeller.
The first flight of the Andover was on 28 June 1924.The "Desert Air Route" was transferred to Imperial Airways, so no order was placed by the RAF, and Avro manufactured only three Type 561, which were transferred to RAF Halton, location of Princess Mary's RAF Hospital. In spite of the lack of commercial success, a single Type 563 variant was developed by Avro, which had an additional washroom and a baggage compartment. After test flights in March 1925 in the passenger aircraft was lent to Imperial Airways and made cross-channel trial flights in the summer of 1925. This was the first Avro aircraft to be used in airline service. Imperial Airways returned the aircraft to the RAF in January 1927.
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Avro 626
The Model 626 was developed by Avro from the Model 621 (Tutor) for export to smaller air forces, the idea being that the 626 would be a single multi-role aircraft. The 621 and 626 were both two-seaters, but the 626 had an additional cockpit behind the rear seat of the 621 and accessible from it. This additional cockpit was fitted with a Scarff ring for a machine gun and carried equipment for air navigation, wireless and gunnery training. It was almost identical to the Tutor with a conventional fabric-covered, metal airframe and single-bay wings. Most of the 626s, like the Tutors had an 240 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC engine, but most of those supplied to the Egypt and Brazil used a 260 hp A.S. Cheetah V.
The prototype was first flown in 1930,Avro began an aggressive sales effort to introduce the Model 626 to customers throughout the world. After demonstrations in Buenos Aires and a record-setting flight over the Andes, the aircraft was commandeered by Argentine military officials to help quell a local uprising. The 626 performed so well that an order was immediately placed for 14 additional aircraft. The biggest users were the Air Forces of Chile, Greece, and Portugal. Numerous sales were made to foreign air forces up to 1939, some of which survived in second-line service until 1945.
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Avro 636
The Avro 636 was a single-engined fighter-trainer built by Avro in the mid-1930s.
The Avro 636 was designed in November 1934 by Roy Chadwick, and was planned to reproduce the flying characteristics of single-seat fighters. It had a similar structure to the Tutor, with a welded steel tube fuselage.The aircraft was designed to be operated as a single or two seater, with the provision for fitting two forward firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns.
Four Avro 636s were ordered by the Irish Air Corps in December 1934. These aircraft were powered by 460 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVC engines, which had originally been purchased in 1930 for use in Vickers Vespa army co-operation aircraft. Although the Jaguar IVC powered aircraft was planned to be designated as the Avro 667, they were always referred to as Avro 636s.
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Avro 641 Commodore
The Avro 641 Commodore was a single-engine five-seat cabin biplane from the mid-1930s for private use.
After building the three seat Avro 639 Cabin Cadet, Avro then designed a larger, five seat cabin biplane, the Avro 641 Commodore. The Commodore had a similar steel tube structure to the Tutor, with heavily staggered single bay wings and a spatted undercarriage. The first Commodore was delivered to its owner on 24 May 1934.
The aircraft were powered by a 215 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine,which gave a max speed of 130 mph or cruise of 110 mph.
Only six Commodores were built,one was sold to the Maharajah of Vizianagram, however it was found to be unsuitable for the harsh Indian conditions and was returned to Britain and scrapped.
Two were sold to private owners in Egypt which were later taken over by the Egyptian Army Air Force.The two Commodores that remained in England on the outbreak of WW II were pressed into service with the RAF and Air Transport Auxiliary. One crashed in 1941, with the last being retired in 1942.
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Avro 652
The Avro 652 was a 1930s light airliner, it formed the basis for the successful Avro Anson.
In 1933, Imperial Airways issued a specification to Avro, for a light airliner to transport four passengers for up to 420 miles at a cruising speed of 130 mph. By August 1933, Roy Chadwick's team had produced a design study. This had to be revised when IA changed the specification, to enable the machine to fly night mail service. The amended design was accepted, and in April 1934 an order for two aircraft was issued. The first aircraft flew on 7 January 1935, and the type was certificated in March 1935.
The aircraft were powered by two 290 hp Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah VI seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, which gave a max speed of 195 mph and a cruise of 165 mph.
On 11 March 1935, the two Avro 652s were delivered to Croydon Airport. They served with Imperial Airways, mostly operating the route from Croydon to Brindisi. In 1938, they were sold to a civilian company operating under Air Ministry contracts. In March 1941, they were pressed into RAF service with No. 1 School of Photography. In July 1941, both were transferred to the Fleet Air Arm, and served with 811 Squadron at RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus), until retirement in March 1942.
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Avro 671 Rota Mk1 / Cierva C.30A.
The Cierva C.30 was an autogyro built under licence from the Cierva Autogiro Company by A V Roe & Co Ltd (Avro).
Avro obtained the licence in 1934 and subsequently built 78 examples, under their model designation, fitted with a 140 HP Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major IA (known in the RAF as the Civet 1) 7-cylinder radial engine. The first production C.30A was delivered in July 1934.
Of the 66 civil aircraft built in the UK by Avro, 37 appeared at least on the UK register. Some were sold abroad, but others were flown by wealthy enthusiasts and by flying clubs who offered autogyro training. By the end of the decade, private flyers were moving back to the comforts and economies of fixed-wing aircraft. More C.30s moved abroad leaving the Autogyro Flying Club at London Air Park, Hanworth as the major UK user. 26 aircraft were directly exported by Avro.These went both to private owners and to foreign air forces.
Twelve C.30As built by Avro for the RAF entered service as the Avro 671 Rota Mk 1. The twelve were delivered between 1934 and 1935. They equipped the School of Army Co-operation at RAF Old Sarum near Salisbury.Many of the surviving civil aircraft were also taken into RAF service between 1939 and 1940. In 1940 they served at RAF Duxford, later moving to RAF Halton on radar calibration work. In October 1945, the twelve survivors were sold on to civilian owners.
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Avro Lancastrian
The Avro 691 Lancastrian was a passenger and mail transport aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s developed from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber.
In 1943, Canada's Victory Aircraft converted a Lancaster X bomber for civil transport duties with Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA).After the war Victory Aircraft was purchased by what became Avro Canada. This conversion was a success resulting in eight additional Lancaster Xs being converted. The aircraft were powered by Packard-built Merlin 38 engines and featured a lengthened, streamlined nose and tail cone. Range was increased by two 400 gal (1,818 L) Lancaster long-range fuel tanks fitted as standard in the bomb bay. These Lancastrians were used by TCA on its Montreal–Prestwick route.
The Lancastrian was fast, had a long range, and was capable of carrying a heavy load, but space inside was very limited, it was not suited to carry large numbers of passengers, but was suitable for mail and a small number of VIP passengers. BOAC used it for flights between England and Australia from 31 May 1945. It also served with the RAF; RAF Lancaster I PD328, was converted to a Lancastrian and renamed Aries, as well as serving with Qantas and Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina.
Lancastrians were used during the Berlin Airlift to transport petrol; 15 aircraft made over 5,000 trips. In 1946 a Lancastrian operated by BSAA was the first aircraft to make a scheduled flight from the then-newly opened London Heathrow Airport.
Several Lancastrians were allocated for engine test-bed work with turbojet engines replacing the outer Merlin engines or test piston engines in the inner nacelles. Fuel arrangements varied but could include kerosene jet fuel in outer wing tanks or fuselage tanks, with avgas carried in remaining fuel tanks.Ninety one aircraft were completed by the time production ended in 1945, with most retired by 1960.
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Avro Athena.
The Avro 701 Athena is a advanced trainer aircraft built by Avro in the late 1940s.
The Athena was designed to meet the requirements of a Air Ministry Spec for a three-seat advanced trainer powered by a turboprop engine for the RAF.
The Athena was an all-metal low-winged monoplane, with a side-by-side cockpit. The Air Ministry rethought its requirements in 1947 and replaced the original spec which specified the use of a Rolls-Royce Merlin 35 piston engine, large stocks of which were available.
The first three prototypes were of the turboprop-powered Athena T.1, the first of which, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba engine, flew on 12 June 1948.The Merlin-powered Athena T.2 first flew on 1 August 1948,and was in competition against the Boulton Paul Balliol. A production run of 15 Athenas was ordered for the RAF, but the Balliol was preferred, and no further Athenas were ordered.
The 15 production Athenas served with the RAF from 1950,for armament training at the RAF Flying College at RAF Manby.A single aircraft was loaned back to Avro and given the civil registration G-ALWA for a demo tour to India, but no sales resulted and it was returned to the RAF.
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Avro Ashton
The Avro 706 Ashton was a prototype jet airliner made by Avro from the early 1950s.
The Avro Type 689 Tudor 9 later renamed the Avro 706 Ashton was a four-jet-engined research aeroplane powered by Rolls-Royce Nene engines paired in wing nacelles.
Six were built using the Tudor airframe, beginning with the conversion of Tudor I initially powered by Nene 5 engines. The Ashtons that followed used the upgraded Nene 6 and featured an enlarged,tail fin, and a tricycle landing gear replacing the "taildragger" configuration. The engines were grouped in two nacelles that were faired into the wing but also extended below in streamlined pods. The four-engine arrangement compensated for the low thrust of the early jet engines and reduced asymmetric effects.
The crew was pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer and radio operator together in the cockpit and front compartment.Test flights began in 1950 with evaluations of jet operations, navigation and at least one Ashton (Mk 4) tested bombing equipment with two streamlined underwing bomb containers fitted. Despite being one of the first jet-engined air transports, the Ashton was engaged in mainly experimental work with various powerplants, and was soon outclassed in technology by the first of the full-scale production airliners.
A piece of the fuselage of Avro Ashton 2 (WB491) is preserved at the Newark Air Museum, Winthorpe, UK.
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Beagle Airedale.
The Beagle A.109 Airedale was a light civil aircraft developed in the 1960s.
The Airedale was a four-seat, high-wing braced monoplane with a fixed, tricycle undercarriage, of steel tube construction and fabric covered.It was originally designed as the Auster D.8 which was a modified tricycle version of the Auster D.6.The first three D.8 airframes were in construction when Beagle Aircraft bought the Rearsby-based Auster company in 1960.Beagle began introducing a series of major modifications, which included moving the pilot's door to the rear and a second door on the right, widening the rear cabin, lengthening the rear fuselage and adding a swept fin, as well as other minor changes. Following the first flight of the 1st prototype 16th April 1961, seven further pre-production aircraft were flown. The eight aircraft were repeatedly modified and rebuilt; these modifications continually added extra weight to the aircraft, and costs spiralled.
The Airedale,was unremarkable, largely due to its high structural weight, it was unable to compete in the market with its US competitors. This was due to the out-dated construction, but also the performance was lacklustre and production quality poor. The Airedale took about four and a half months from design to first flight.However, the Airedale proved expensive to manufacture with the production man-hours remaining higher than anticipated and a higher price than US aircraft imports.
Production of the Airedale ceased in 1963 after production of only 43 aircraft, when it was calculated that the break-even figure could be as high as an unfeasible 675 aircraft.
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Beagle B.206/ B.206R.Basset
The Beagle B.206 is a 1960s seven-seat twin-engined liaison and communication aircraft.
The design of a twin-engined light transport began in 1960 and the prototype first flew on 15 August 1961.The prototype aircraft was a five-seat all metal low-wing monoplane powered by two Continental flat-six engines.
The second prototype (designated B.206Y) was slightly larger with a larger-span wing and seating for seven. Two aircraft (designated B.206Z) were built for evaluation by the Ministry of Aviation and an order for twenty aircraft (designated B.206R) for the RAF followed.These were designated Basset CC.1.
Initial production was the Series 1 aircraft which were powered by 310 hp RR Continental GIO-470A engines, and the first aircraft flew on 17 July 1964. This aircraft was then converted as the first Series 2 aircraft with 340 hp Continental GTSIO-520C turbocharged engines and first flew as such on 23 June 1965.The production Series 2 was also fitted with a large freight door. The aircraft was soon in demand with air taxi companies and as a light transport for companies. Three aircraft were delivered to the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia.
The type was sold to and operated by civilian firms and individuals in several countries including Australia, Brazil and the United States. Bassets were sold after RAF service to the United States and Paraguay..
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Boulton Paul P.9
The Boulton & Paul P.9 was a single-engined twin-seat aircraft.
The P.9 was a development of the companies P.6 single-engined biplane design, it was 6 ft longer with a 2 ft 6in increase in wing span. It had the same 90 hp RAF 1 V-8 engine as the but had increased fuel capacity. The first order was for use on a sheep station in Australia, and after the first aircraft was delivered, it was used on newspaper delivery flights. On 17 December 1919 it made the first flight across the Bass Strait between Tasmania and the mainland.
After the success of the first aircraft in Australia, minor changes were made to production machines.Although the aircraft was for sale at around Ł700, mainly due to the use of an old but standard engine, it failed to compete with war-surplus sales of converted military aircraft and only eight aircraft were built in total, including a further three to Australia. Max speed was 104 mph with a cruise of 85 mph.
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Boulton Paul Sidestrand
The Boulton Paul P.29 Sidestrand was a twin-engine biplane medium bomber of the RAF from the mid-1920`s.
In 1924, the Air Ministry issued a tender for an all-metal, twin engined medium bomber, with an order for two prototypes following early in 1925.The first aircraft flew in 1926 and was found to have good manoeuvrability and handling.
Only 20 Sidestrands were built, the first two being equivalent prototypes, were called the Sidestrand Mk I. Originally it was intended to be powered by two Napier Lion inline engines, the Mk I was eventually fitted with 425 hp Bristol Jupiter VI radial engines, which also powered the first six production Sidestrands, known as the Sidestrand Mk II. The remaining twelve aircraft were powered by 460 hp Jupiter VIIFs as the Sidestrand Mk III. The six Mk IIs were re-engined to bring them up to the Mk III specification.
Usually it had a crew of three; pilot, nose gunner and a gunner for the dorsal or ventral positions, the choice depending on where each aircraft flew in a formation.The Sidestrand had three open gun positions; nose, dorsal and ventral.Armament for each was a .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun, the gun being moved between the two rear positions as required.
Deliveries to RAF No. 101 Squadron at Bircham Newton began in 1928, the first batch of six aircraft being the Sidestrand Mk II with un-geared Bristol Jupiter VI engines. These were followed by nine Sidestrand Mk III variants with geared Jupiter VIII Fs and the final three production aircraft were replacement Mk IIs.
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Boulton Paul Balliol
The Boulton Paul Balliol and Sea Balliol are monoplane military advanced trainer aircraft built for the RAF and the FAA.
The Balliol was developed to meet a spec for a three-seat advanced trainer powered by a turboprop engine. It was a conventional low-wing monoplane with a retractable main undercarriage and a fixed tailwheel. Pilot and instructor sat side by side ahead of an observer. The first prototype first flew on 30 May 1947, the aircraft was powered by an 820 hp Bristol Mercury 30 radial engine.
The second prototype, powered by the intended Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop, first flew on 17 May 1948, the world's first single-engined turboprop aircraft to fly.The Air Ministry shortly after issued a new spec, a two-seat trainer, powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.
The Merlin powered Balliol, designated Balliol T.2, first flew on 10 July 1948,and after extensive evaluation, it was chosen for production. Large orders were received to replace some of the Harvards in RAF service.The observer's seat of the Mk 1 was removed, the side-by-side seats remained. The Sea Balliol T.21 had folding wings and arrestor hook for deck landings.
The Balliol was only delivered to one FTSl, – No. 7 at RAF Cottesmore, replacing their Harvards. The Balliol later served at the RAF College, Cranwell until replaced there by the de Havilland Vampire T.Mk 11 in 1956.They also saw limited squadron service from 1953 with No. 288 Squadron RAF based at RAF Middle Wallop. Operations continued until the squadron was disbanded in September 1957.
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Boulton Paul P.120
The Boulton Paul P.120 was a research jet aircraft produced to investigate delta wing aerodynamics in the early 1950s.
The P.120 followed the earlier Boulton Paul P.111 delta-wing experimental aircraft, but differed from the P.111 in having a swept fin and rudder with horizontal tail surfaces high on the fin to improve longitudinal and directional stability. It had much the same wing as the P.111,an unclipped delta; the wing tips of the P.120 could be rotated differentially or together for lateral or longitudinal trim.Inboard of these tips the P.120 gained a pair of wingfences. The fuselages of the two aircraft were also identical, except at the rear.
There had been a problem on its first test flight on 6 August 1952 when the tailplane setting required for takeoff was misjudged,but later the P.120 exhibited pleasant flying characteristics over 11 hours of flight time. Shortly before the Farnborough Air Show of September 1952, the P.120 received a gloss black with yellow trim finish, and immediately gained the nickname "Black Widowmaker." On 28 August,test pilot Ben Gunn reported severe flutter, which led to the loss of the port elevon. Unable to regain control and despite the dramatic nickname, he ejected safely, making the first ejection from a delta winged aircraft, the P.120 was destroyed.
Plans were made to convert the earlier P.111 to the P.120 configuration, however a decision was made to suspend further development, making the P.120 the last Boulton Paul design to fly.
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BAT Bantam
The BAT F.K.23 Bantam was a single-seat fighter biplane produced by British Aerial Transport Company Limited of London during WWI.
It was a two-bay biplane of wooden construction and was planned to have a 120 hp A.B.C Mosquito radial engine but the failure of this engine type led to the installation of the 170 hp A.B.C.Wasp I in the first and third aircraft. The second aircraft was fitted with a 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine and was the first to fly in January 1918. The original contract called for six development aircraft but three aircraft were built as the F.K.23 Bantam I, the second prototype then being renamed the Bantam II.
The Bantam I was the same wooden structure but was slightly smaller. Two further prototypes of the larger design were also built followed by 9 development aircraft. One aircraft was delivered to the RAE on 26 July 1918, one was delivered to the French at Villacoublay and a further aircraft to the US Army Air Corps at Wright Field in 1922.
The production Bantam had to be modified due to unsatisfactory spin characteristics of the prototypes. Serious engine problems and downsizing of the Royal Air Force were factors in no more orders for the Bantam.
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BAT Basilisk
The BAT F.K.25 Basilisk was a prototype fighter aircraft of the First World War.
In 1918, the Air Ministry issued a requirement for a single-seat fighter, powered by the new (and untried) ABC Dragonfly air cooled radial engine to replace the Sopwith Snipe. To meet this requirement BAT designed the F.K. 25 Basilisk. It was was a two-bay biplane with a wooden monocoque fuselage. Armament was two Vickers machine guns mounted ahead of the pilot, and enclosed in a large fairing that formed the upper coaming of the pilot's cockpit.
Three prototypes were ordered in early 1918, and the first flew in September 1918. It was destroyed on 3 May 1919 when attempting to break the World altitude record, its engine catching fire. The second and third prototype were fitted with modified, horn balanced ailerons, with the second prototype tested in October 1919. While its performance was good, the Dragonfly engine was hopelessly unreliable, with further development or production abandoned earlier in the year, and the Basilisk was abandoned at the end of 1919.
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BAT F.K.26
The BAT F.K.26 was a single-engined four-passenger biplane transport aircraft produced at the end of World War I.
Aircraft designer Frederick Koolhoven designed a civil four-passenger wooden and fabric civil transport, the F.K.26. The four passengers had an enclosed cabin and the pilot sat above and behind the cabin in an open cockpit. The prototype first flew in April 1919. The second aircraft was displayed in Amsterdam in July 1919. The third was displayed at the Olympia Aero Show in July 1920. The fourth aircraft (Registered G-EAPK), built in November 1919, was the last aircraft produced by (BAT). G-EAPK was sold to Instone Air Line and was based at Croydon Airport for charter work and scheduled services to Paris.
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Bristol Boxkite
The Boxkite was the first aircraft produced by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company (later known as the Bristol Aeroplane Company).
It was a pusher biplane based on the successful Farman III, it was one of the first aircraft types to be built in quantity. George Challenger, the chief engineer at Bristol's factory in Filton, believed that he could produce a satisfactory copy since full details of the Farman machine had been published in Flight. This was authorized by Sir George White CEO, and Challenger set to work on drawings for a new aircraft.
The first example was constructed in a matter of weeks,and was delivered to the company's flying school near Salisbury Plain, where it was first flown on 30 July 1910, piloted by Maurice Edmond.Farman sued Bristol for patent infringement, but the company's lawyers claimed substantial design improvements in matters of constructional detail, and the lawsuit was dropped.
The Boxkite was a two-bay biplane with an elevator carried on booms in front of the wings and an empennage consisting of a pair of fixed horizontal stabilisers, the upper had an elevator, and a pair of rudders carried on booms behind the wing. There were no fixed vertical surfaces. Lateral control was effected by ailerons on both upper and lower wings. These were single-acting, the control cables arranged to pull them down only, relying on the airflow to return them to the neutral position. The wings and fixed rear horizontal surfaces were covered by a single layer of fabric: the other surfaces were covered on both sides. Power was usually provided by a 50 hp Gnome rotary engine, although other engines were also used.
Production continued until 1914 with a total of 78 being built, 60 of which were the extended Military Version, one racer (No. 44) and the voisin variant (No. 69); all but the last six aircraft were built at Filton.
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Bristol Prier monoplane
The Bristol Prier monoplane was an early aircraft produced in a number of single- and two-seat versions.
The Bristol Prier Monoplanes were a series of tractor configuration monoplanes designed for the Bristol and Colonial Aeroplane Company by Pierre Prier,former chief pilot of the Bleriot school,who had joined Bristol in July 1911.
The aircraft resembled the successful Blériot XI monoplane, with a fabric-covered wire-braced wood fuselage and parallel-chord wings using wing-warping for lateral control, although differing in details. The all-moving tailplane was an elongated fan-shape, mounted in a mid-position between the upper and lower longerons, and the undercarriage had a pair of wheels on an axle mounted onto a pair of forward-projecting skids. It was powered by a 50 hp Gnome rotary engine. The first aircraft built (works No. 46) had been intended to compete in the Gordon Bennett Trophy race, but it was not ready in time.
Work then started on developing a two-seater version.Six airframes were started, the first of which was carefully prepared, with the aluminium cowling polished, a pigskin-upholstered seat and stowage for binoculars and a thermos flask, for exhibition at the 1911 Paris Aero Salon where it was the only British aircraft on display. At the same time two of the prototype aircraft were adapted to take a 35 hp Anzani engine, with the intention of developing a low-powered sports aircraft. It was joined in Paris by No. 74, where it was used to make demonstration flights over Paris during the Aero Salon.
The Prier monoplanes were used mostly for training and racing, and some were purchased for military use. Two of the two-seaters were sold and delivered to the Turkish Government. One of the two-seaters was sold to the Bulgarian government and delivered on 16 September 1912. It flew during the Balkan War and once carried Hubert Wilkins who was taking films for a London newspaper.
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Bristol B.R.7
The Bristol B.R.7 was a single-engine two-seat biplane built in 1913.
Romanian aircraft designer Henri Coandă was appointed head designer at the Bristol Aeroplane Company in January 1912. His first bi-plane design,was a two-seat single-engine machine, which attracted the interest of both the Spanish and German government`s.
The Spanish wanted the 70 hp Renault engine which they used in their Maurice Farmans. The German version was to use a 90 hp Daimler engine, so Coandă had to prepare a design suitable for both powerplants. The Renault-engined version become known as the B.R.7; the German design seems not to have had a distinct label. The first of five B.R.7s ordered for Spain appeared at the Olympia Aero Show in February 1913, flying for the first time in March 1913.
Its wings were of two-bay form with no stagger. There were tandem cockpits, one under the wing and the other, for the pilot behind the trailing edge. Behind the cockpits, the fuselage was slender, carrying an almost semi-circular tailplane with a one-piece elevator and a finless balanced rudder. The undercarriage had the unusual four-wheel form, with a pair of large wheels mounted together with a slightly smaller pair forward of the engine; the B.R.7 sat on the ground like a tricycle aircraft.
Test flights showed the wings of the B.R.7 produced too little lift, the wings were replaced with a set of greater camber, which improved performance but still not by enough to meet the specification. Trials with a four-bladed propeller also failed to produce the required improvement and the Spanish contract was cancelled. The second machine was destroyed in a fire,and the remaining four of the Spanish order rarely flew.A final, seventh B.R.7 was fitted with larger-span wings, but the only example to do much flying was the first prototype, which remained in service as an advanced trainer.
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Bristol T.B.8
The Bristol T.B.8, or Bristol-Coanda T.B.8 was an early biplane built in 1913.
The aircraft was a single-engined, two-seat biplane, with two-bay wings and a slender fuselage. It was powered by a variety of rotary engines, including the Gnome and Le Rhône engines with power ranging from 50 hp Gnomes to 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape. Early Bristol T.B.8s used wing warping for control, with later production aircraft being fitted with ailerons. Bristol T.B.8s were normally equipped with a distinctive four wheel undercarriage. They were produced by both the conversion of existing Coanda-Bristol Monoplanes and the manufacturing of new aircraft.
Bristol T.B.8s were purchased for use both by the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps, with the RFC`s being transferred to the RNAS shortly after the start of World War I.
Three Bristol T.B.8s, including the aircraft displayed at the Paris Air Show in December 1913, were sent to France following the outbreak of World War I, serving with a RNAS squadron commanded by Charles Rumney Samson. One of these took part in a bombing attack on German gun batteries at Middelkerke Belgium on 25 November 1914,it was the only bombing sortie flown by the Bristol T.B.8. It was soon considered too slow for frontline operations, and was relegated to training operations, serving until 1916. In total 54 machines were completed, ten of which went to Romania.
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Bristol M.1
The Bristol M.1 Monoplane Scout was a fighter aircraft from the First World War.
It featured a carefully streamlined circular cross-section fuselage built using conventional wood and fabric construction techniques to minimise manufacturing difficulty. On 14 July 1916, the first prototype, designated as the M.1A, flew for the first time.During testing, the type quickly demonstrated its capabilities as a high speed aircraft for the era, possessing a maximum speed that was significantly higher than any of the contemporary German Fokker Eindecker and French Morane-Saulnier N monoplanes.
Despite its promise, only 130 aircraft were constructed, largely due to an institutional mistrust of the monoplane platform held by the War Office and many pilots of the RFC at that time, believing it to be accident-prone and inferior to the more common biplane configuration.As a consequence of the type being believed to possess too great a landing speed to be safely handled by the constrained French airfields on the Western Front, the M.1 was commonly deployed to the Middle East and the Balkans theatres.
During December 1918, Lt. Dagoberto Godoy of the Servicio de Aviación Militar de Chile, flew from Santiago to Mendoza, Argentina, a feat which was recorded as being the first flight conducted across the Andes.
The Bristol M.1 was a single-seat tractor monoplane. It was powered by a single Clerget rotary engine, capable of generating up to 110 hp, which drove a large twin-bladed propeller that was in turn furnished with a bulky hemispherical spinner for the purpose of reducing drag.The exterior of the aircraft, which was covered in fabric, was fully faired; this was a contributing factor to the type being referred to as one of the simplest and cleanest aircraft of its day.
At the end of WWI, a number of former military M.1s were resold into civilian service,often used as a sporting and racing aircraft. The sole Lucifer-engined M.1D, painted red and registered G-EAVP, was successfully raced during 1922,winning the 1922 Aerial Derby.The next year, it was fitted with a specially-tuned 140 hp Lucifer engine and was entered for the Grosvenor Cup: however, the aircraft was lost following a fatal crash on approach to Croydon Airport.
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Bristol Badger
The Bristol Badger was a two-seat fighter-reconnaissance aeroplane at the built toward the end of World War I.
The Badger was, a proposed upgrade of the Bristol F.2B using a 200 hp Salmson radial (Type 22), a 300 hp ABC Dragonfly radial (Type 22A), or a 230 hp Bentley B.R.2 rotary (Type 22B).
The Type 23 Badger was a new design using the Dragonfly engine,it was a single-bay biplane with strongly staggered, unswept and unequal-span wings. The pilot and observer sat in tandem, the pilot in front and the observer behind with a ring-mounted 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun. At first, the Badger carried almost no fixed fin. Construction was the traditional wood-and-fabric and the undercarriage was a single axle plus tailskid arrangement.
Bristol was awarded a contract to build three Badgers, two powered by the Dragonfly and one by a Jupiter. The first Badger flew on 4 February 1919 but crashed on this first flight due to a failure of the fuel system.It was rebuilt with a larger rudder and delivered to the Air Board. The second, Jupiter-engined Badger, flew on 24 May but was re-engined with a Dragonfly and was purchased by the Air Board in September. It had full armament and a fixed, rounded fin, introduced to cope with the heavier Jupiter engine. The Badger proved to have a stability problem, an adverse yaw effect caused by aileron drag,and because of this, the third machine was not accepted by the Air Board.
Despite the instability and without having received a Jupiter-powered Badger, the Air Board were sufficiently encouraged by this engine's promise to order a fourth, fully armed Badger with this powerplant. After some testing, the rudder was modified with a horn balance and larger ailerons were fitted. This aircraft was the sole Badger II and was loaned by the Air Board to Bristol for the development of the Jupiter and its cowling during 1920-1.Five aircraft were built, but the aircraft did not enter service.
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Bristol Braemar / Bristol Pullman
The Bristol Braemar was a heavy bomber aircraft developed at the end of the First World War for the RAF.
The prototype Braemar was developed in response for a bomber capable of the long-range bombing of Berlin if necessary. A large triplane, it had internal stowage for up to six 250 lb (110 kg) bombs.
The initial design featured a unique engine installation with a central engine room housing all four engines. Both the completed Braemars had a conventional engine installation, with the engines in inline tandem pairs, driving pusher and tractor propellers. However, the engine-room design was resurrected later in the Braemar's development life, for the proposed steam-powered Tramp.
A contract from the Air Board for three prototypes was awarded and the first prototype Braemar flew on 13 August 1918, with four 230 hp Siddeley Puma engines. The prototype showed generally good performance with a top speed of 106 mph, but there were complaints from test pilots about the view from the cockpit and the controls.The next aircraft produced was an uprated version designated Braemar Mk.II. The Mk.II received considerably more power from its four 400 hp Liberty L-12 engines, which gave it an improved speed of 125 mph.
The Braemar never entered service with the RAF, and the two prototypes were the only Braemars built. The third prototype was completed as a Pullman 14-passenger civil transport,which first flew early in May 1920. It was shown at the International Aero Show at Olympia in July of that year, where its great size and interior fittings were much admired. The Pullman was one of the earliest British aircraft to have a fully enclosed crew cabin.
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Bristol Babe
The Bristol Babe was a light single-seat biplane, intended for the private flyer and produced immediately after the First World War.
The Bristol Babe was the creation of Frank Barnwell, Bristol's chief designer. It was aimed at the private owner flyer and was a small single-engined single-seat biplane with unswept staggered single-bay wings of unequal span. Full-span ailerons were fitted on the top wing only. The fuselage was plywood-skinned, with fabric covering it for protection. The cockpit was below the upper wing trailing edge with rounded decking to the tail. The fin and rudder were large and rounded, the undercarriage was a conventional single-axle plus tailskid arrangement.
The original intention was to use the 60 hp ABC Gadfly radial, but in April 1919 ABC pulled out of aero-engine manufacture. An alternative was the 40 hp flat-twin Siddeley Ounce currently being developed, so a third Babe was begun as a testbed. The second Babe made its first flight on 28 November 1919. The pilot,reported that it was an easy aircraft for an experienced pilot but rather unstable for a novice.Following discussions at the Paris Aero Show in November 1919, two seven-cylinder 60 hp Le Rhône Type 7B2 rotary engines were ordered for the first two Babes. The third Babe appeared at this show with an incomplete Ounce engine.
The first Babe underwent a major modification in May 1920, it received a thick cantilever monoplane wing. Safety concerns prevented its testing and by February 1921 both aircraft were off the Civil Register.In the retrospective allocation of Bristol type numbers made in 1923, the Babe I was labelled Type 30, the Babe IIs as Type 46 and the unflown Babe III the Type 46A.
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Bristol Ten-seater / Bristol Brandon
The Bristol Ten-seater and Bristol Brandon were single-engine biplane transport aircraft from the early 1920s.
Early in 1921, the British government decided to provide subsidies for approved airlines, so Bristol's management authorised a design for a single-engined transport aircraft. It was intended to be powered by a Bristol Jupiter engine, but this had not yet been type-approved, so the initial prototype had a 450 hp Napier Lion engine.
The Lion-engined prototype, the Bristol Type 62, or Bristol Ten-seater, with the registration G-EAWY first flew on 21 June 1921. The Ten-seater was a large, two-bay biplane, with a cabin for nine passengers and a forward cockpit for the single pilot.
The second aircraft, the Bristol Type 75 was powered by the preferred 425 hp Jupiter engine, which was mounted forward of a fireproof bulkhead,to allow easy access to the rear of the engine. The Type 75 was designed to accommodate eight passengers and two crew. This aircraft,first flew in July 1922. A third aircraft, the Bristol Type 79 was ordered by the Air Council to meet a requirement for a single-engined ambulance landplane for the RAF. It was fitted with redesigned wings, and had accommodation for three stretchers and an attendant or two stretchers and four sitting patients.
The Type 75 received its COA on 16 July 1924. By this time, Instone Air Lines had merged with the other three subsidised British airlines to form Imperial Airways. Imperial had a policy of using only multi-engine aircraft for passenger flights, so the Type 75 was converted into a freighter, going into service on the London-Cologne route on 22 July 1924,continuing in service until 1926.
The Type 79 first flew on 19 March 1924 and was delivered to the RAF, who named the aircraft the Bristol Brandon in 1925. It was overweight at full load and did not go into overseas service, being used as an ambulance at RAF Halton.
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Bristol Jupiter Fighter / Type 89 Trainer
The Bristol Aeroplane Company authorised the conversion of three war-surplus F.2 airframes to use the Jupiter engine, to create the Type 76 Jupiter Fighter, which it was also hoped to sell as a fighter to foreign air forces.
The first of these three aircraft flew in June 1923. While the engine installation proved satisfactory, as the Type 76 had the same fuel capacity as the F.2, the increased fuel consumption of the Jupiter compared with the F.2's original Rolls-Royce Falcon meant that the aircraft had inadequate range for use as a fighter ,also the slipstream over the observer's cockpit meant that the observer could not use his .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun. Because of these flaws, no more Type 76s were built after the initial three.
While unsuitable as a fighter, the success of the engine installation resulted in the decision to produce an advanced trainer version, to supplement the Siddeley Puma-engined Bristol Tourers already in use in this role. The result of this combination was the Type 89 Trainer, a total of 23 of which were produced.
The Jupiter-powered advanced trainers entered service with the Bristol-operated Reserve Flying School at Filton in 1924. They were also used by the Reserve Flying School operated by William Beardmore and Company, with the Beardmore-owned aircraft being powered by Jupiter VI engines, while the Filton-based aircraft were powered by surplus Jupiter IV engines, as an economy measure. They remained in use at Renfrew until 1928, and at Filton until 1933, when they were replaced by Hawker Hart trainers and scrapped.
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Bristol Berkeley
The Bristol Berkeley was a government a single-engine day or night bomber from the mid 1920`s.
It was a fabric-covered all-metal structured three-bay biplane, with equal span, unswept and unstaggered wings with Frise-type ailerons on the upper and lower planes. Structurally, the wings were of rolled steel and duralumin.The fuselage was built from steel tubes and had a rectangular cross section. The pilot sat forward of the leading edge of the wing in an open cockpit and the gunner/observer in a cockpit further back, fitted with a ring-mounted .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun. He could also access a bomb aimer's position,by laying on the aircraft floor.
The 650 hp Condor engine drove a two-blade propeller and had, after some Air Ministry input, a nose-mounted radiator under the propeller shaft. The Ministry advised that the wings of the first two Berkeleys of the three specified in the contract should have wooden wings for speed of completion, with the third to be all metal. Leitner-Watts Metal airscrews were required for the second and third machine. The first Berkeley flew on 5 March 1925.
The second Berkeley was accepted by the Air Ministry in December 1925 and the all-metal third one in the following June. All three went to the (RAE) for testing flights. The second aircraft undertook comparative trials of a four-blade wooden airscrew against its original two-blade steel one. One of the three Berkeleys was still flying with the RAE at the end of 1930.
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Bristol Buckingham
The Bristol Type 163 Buckingham was a World War II medium bomber for the RAF.
The Beaumont was based on the rear fuselage and tail of a Beaufighter, with a new centre and front fuselage. The armament was a mid-upper turret with four machine guns, four more machine guns firing forward and two firing to the rear.Construction began in late 1940, changes in the requirements,meant the Beaumont would no longer be suitable. The changes in performance meant a redesign by Bristol to use the 2520 hp Bristol Centaurus engine.
The Bristol redesign with a larger wing and the more powerful engines was the Type 163 Buckingham.It had gun installations in the nose, dorsal and ventral turrets. Generally conventional in appearance, one unusual feature was that the bomb-aimer/navigator was housed in a mid-fuselage ventral gondola which had a hydraulically powered turret with two 0.303 Browning machine guns. The Bristol-designed dorsal turret carried four Brownings. A further four fixed, forward-firing Brownings were controlled by the pilot.The first flight took place on 4 February 1943.During testing, the Buckingham exhibited poor stability which led to the enlargement of the twin fins, along with other modifications.
The Buckingham was not considered suitable for unescorted daytime use over Europe and in January 1944, it was decided that all Buckinghams would be sent overseas to replace Vickers Wellingtons.Once the Buckingham's handling problems were revealed, it was realised that the type was of little use. As a result, it was cancelled in August 1944.but to keep the Bristol workforce together, for later production of other types, a batch of 119 were built. Uses for the aircraft were sought and a conversion to a communications aircraft was devised.
After the first 54 had been built as bombers, the remainder were converted for duties with RAF Transport Command. The gun installations were removed and four seats and windows fitted in the fuselage. The aircraft was named Buckingham C.1. Despite its 300 mph speed and superior range to the Mosquito transports, with room for only four passengers, the Buckingham was rarely put to use.A total of 65 Buckingham bombers were unfinished on the production line and ended up being rebuilt as the Buckmaster, a trainer for the similar Brigand.Considered the "highest performance trainer in the RAF," the Buckmaster continued to serve as a trainer until its eventual retirement in the mid-1950s.
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Bristol Buckmaster
The Bristol Buckmaster was an advanced training aircraft from the mid 1940`s.
The Buckmaster was a propeller-driven, twin-engine mid-wing aircraft. The retractable undercarriage was of conventional (tailwheel) configuration. The radial engines were equipped with four-blade propellers.It was powered by a pair of Bristol Centaurus 57 eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, of 2,585 hp each.
A total of 65 Buckingham bombers were unfinished on the production line and ended up being rebuilt as the Buckmaster, to add the production series. All were intended to serve as a trainer for the similar Brigand. Blind flying instruction and instrument training could be undertaken, the normal crew complement being pilot, instructor and air signaller. The last Training Command Buckmasters served with the No. 238 OCU at Colerne into the mid-fifties; the transfer of one or two to Filton for experimental work marked its retirement in the mid-1950s.
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Bristol Superfreighter
The Bristol Type 170 Superfreighter Mk 32 was a larger, stretched version of the Bristol Freighter.
The first Superfreighters, with a longer - 42 ft 3 in - hold than the earlier Mark 31, were delivered to Silver City Airways in spring 1953 and were used on cross-channel services to Europe. One example was converted to a 60-seat all-passenger "Super Wayfarer".The Mark 32 could carry 20 passengers instead of 12 in the smaller Mark 31 Freighter, and three cars instead of two in its air ferry role.
The Superfreighter was distinguishable from the earlier Freighter by having a longer nose, in which the extra car was carried, and a fin fillet as well as rounded wingtips.
Power was a pair of Bristol Hercules 734 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 2,000 hp each, which gave a max speed of 225mph but a more usual cruise of 165 mph.
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Bristol Bombay
The Bristol Bombay was a troop transport aircraft adaptable for use as a medium bomber from late 1930`s.
The aircraft was required to be capable of carrying 24 troops or an equivalent load of cargo as a transport, while carrying bombs and defensive guns for use as a bomber. This dual-purpose design concept was common to British pre-war designs.
It was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction.The wing design had a stressed metal skin rivetted to an internal framework consisting of multiple spars and ribs.This was the basis of the Bombay's wing, which had seven spars, with high-tensile steel flanges.The aircraft had a twin-tail and a fixed tailwheel undercarriage.The aircraft's crew consisted of a pilot, who sat in an enclosed cockpit, a navigator/bomb-aimer, whose working position was in the nose, and a radio-operator/gunner, who divided his time between the radio operator's position behind the cockpit and a gun turret in the nose. When the aircraft was operated as a bomber, an additional gunner was carried to man the tail gun position.
A prototype Type 130 was ordered in March 1933 and first flew on 23 June 1935,powered by two 750 hp Bristol Pegasus III radial engines driving two-bladed propellers. Testing was successful and an order for 80 was placed as the Bombay in July 1937.These differed from the prototype in having more powerful 1,010 hp engines driving three-bladed Rotol variable-pitch propellers, and discarded the wheel spats fitted to the undercarriage. Production aircraft were built by Short & Harland of Belfast,however the complex nature of the Bombay's wing delayed production, with the first Bombay not being delivered until 1939 and the last 30 being cancelled.
The first production Bombay flew in March 1939, with deliveries to No. 216 Squadron RAF based in Egypt beginning in September that year.Although it was outclassed as a bomber for the European theatre, it saw some service ferrying supplies to the BEF in France in 1940.The Bombay's main service was in the Middle East, with 216 Squadron, which operated most of the Bombays built at some stage.Bombays evacuated over 2,000 wounded during the Sicily campaign in 1943, and one crew was credited with carrying 6,000 casualties from Sicily and Italy before the type was finally withdrawn from use in 1944.
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Bristol Type 146
The Bristol Type 146 was a British single-seat, eight-gun fighter monoplane prototype from 1938.
The Bristol 146 was built to an Air Ministry order for a prototype single-seat eight-gun fighter meeting a specification issued in 1934. It called for an air-cooled engine for overseas use.The Type 146 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with tapering wings of moderate dihedral on the outer sections. The wings were stress skinned with aluminium with only the ailerons and tail control surfaces fabric-covered. The two sets of four .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns were housed in the outer wing sections.
The undercarriage was mounted halfway along the centre section and retracted cleanly inwards into the wing; the tailwheel was also fully retractable. The fuselage was a monocoque structure and the cockpit was enclosed with a one-piece sliding canopy.It was intended to be powered by a supercharged Bristol Perseus sleeve valve radial engine, but this was not ready and the older, lower-horsepower 840hp Mercury IX was used instead.
The Type 146 flew for the first time on 11 February 1938.Though the aircraft met the specification, neither it nor any of the other competing designs was taken into production. The RAF believed that the future of British fighter design was with the emerging Rolls-Royce Merlin-engined aircraft which had more power and cleaner aerodynamics. The second Type 146 prototype was cancelled, while K5119 continued to fly.It was the last single-engined fighter to be built by Bristol.
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Bristol 188
The Bristol 188 was a supersonic research aircraft built in the 1950s.
Bristol gave the project the type number 188, of which three aircraft were to be built, one a pure test bed and the other two (constructor numbers 13518 and 13519) for flight testing.Serial numbers XF923 and XF926 were given on 4 January 1954 to the two that would fly. To support the development of the Avro 730 Mach 3 reconnaissance bomber, another three aircraft were ordered (Serial Numbers XK429, XK434 and XK436). The follow-up order was cancelled when the Avro 730 programme was cancelled in 1957 as part of that year's review of defence spending. The 188 project was continued as a high speed research aircraft.
The advanced nature of the aircraft meant that new construction methods had to be developed. Several materials were considered for construction and two specialist grades of steel were selected: a titanium-stabilized 18-8 austenitic steel and a 12%-Cr steel used in gas turbines. These had to be manufactured to better tolerances in sufficient quantities for construction to start. The 12% chromium stainless steel with a honeycomb centre was used for the construction of the outer skin, to which no paint was applied.
The specification required engine installations which permitted the fitting of different air intakes, engines and propelling nozzles.The 188 was intended to have Avon engines but the half ton lighter each Gyron Junior was substituted in June 1957, meaning the engines were mounted further forward with longer nacelles and jet pipes.
The Gyron Junior was under development for the Saunders-Roe SR.177 supersonic interceptor and incorporated a fully variable reheat, from idle to full power, the first such application used in an aircraft.This choice of powerplant resulted in the 188 having a typical endurance of only 25 minutes, not long enough for the high-speed tests required.
In May 1960, the first airframe was delivered to the RAE at Farnborough for structural tests – loading tests both heated and unheated – before moving on to RAE Bedford. XF923 undertook the first taxiing trials on 26 April 1961, although due to problems encountered, the first flight was not until 14 April 1962. XF923 was intended to remain with Bristol for its initial flights and evaluation before turning it over to the MoA. XF926 had its first flight, using XF923s engines, on 26 April 1963. XF926 was given over to RAE Bedford for its flying programme. Over 51 flights, it managed a top speed of Mach 1.88 (1,440 mph at 36,000 ft (11,000 m). The longest subsonic Bristol 188 flight was only 48 minutes in length, requiring 70% of the fuel load to be expended to attain its operational altitude.
The project suffered a number of problems, the main being that the fuel consumption of the engines did not allow the aircraft to fly at high speeds long enough to evaluate the heating of the airframe, which was one of the main research areas it was built to investigate. Combined with fuel leaks, the inability to reach its design speed of Mach 2 and a takeoff speed at nearly 300 mph, the test phase was severely compromised.
The announcement that all development was terminated was made in 1964, the last flight of XF926 taking place on 12 January 1964. In total the project cost Ł20 million. By the end of the programme, considered the most expensive to date for a research aircraft in Great Britain, each aircraft had to be "cannibalised" in order to keep the designated airframe ready for flight.
XF926 was dismantled and moved to RAF Cosford (without its engines) to act as instructional airframe 8368M, and is preserved at the RAF Museum Cosford.
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Bristol Belvedere
The Bristol Type 192 Belvedere is a twin-engine, tandem rotor military helicopter from the late 1950`s.
The Belvedere was based on the Bristol Type 173 10-seat (later 16-seat) civilian helicopter which first flew on 3 January 1952. The 173 project was cancelled in 1956 and Bristol spent time on the Type 191,the RAF expressed an interest in the aircraft and the Type 192 "Belvedere" was created. Three Type 191 airframes were almost complete when the order was cancelled, but they were used to aid the development of the Type 192. The first two were used as test rigs for the new Napier Gazelle engines and the third was used for fatigue tests.
The first Type 192 prototype XG447 flew on 5 July 1958 with tandem wooden rotor blades, a completely manual control system and a castored, fixed quadricycle undercarriage. From the fifth prototype, the rotors fitted were all-metal, four-bladed units. Production model controls and instruments allowed night operations. The prototype machines had an upwards-hinged main passenger and cockpit door, which was prone to being slammed shut by the downwash from the rotors,which was replaced by a sliding door on later aircraft.
26 Belvederes were built, entering service as the Belvedere HC Mark 1. The Belvederes were originally designed for use with the Royal Navy but were later adapted to carry 18 fully equipped troops with a total load capacity of 6,000 lb (2,700 kg). The rotors were synchronised through a shaft to prevent blade collision, allowing the aircraft to operate through only one engine in the event of an emergency. In that case, the remaining engine would automatically run up to double power to compensate.
In June 1960 the fifth prototype, XG452 set a speed record of 130 mph between Gatwick and Tripoli. In 1962 a 72 Squadron Belvedere lowered the 80 ft tall spire onto the new Coventry Cathedral.
The type was deployed to 72 Squadron in 1961 and 26 Squadron in 1962, all at RAF Odiham.The helicopters were transferred by HMS Albion to Singapore to join 66 Squadron until the squadron was disbanded in 1969. 72 Squadron kept its Belvederes until August 1964 when it exchanged them for Westland Wessex`s.
It was operated by the RAF from 1961 to 1969. The Belvedere was Britain's only tandem rotor helicopter to enter production, and one of the few not built by Boeing or Piasecki.
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Central Centaur IIA
The Central Centaur IIA, or Central C.F.2a, was a civil six-passenger pleasure flight biplane aircraft produced by Central Aircraft Company Limited of London.
Designated the Centaur IIB the first aircraft, registered G-EAHR, first flew during July 1919.The fuselage had an open cockpit for the two crew and six passengers. A second example, registered G-EAPC, was built. It had the same designation Centaur IIB but had an enclosed cabin for seven passengers. The second aircraft first flew in May 1920.The aircraft were powered by a pair of Beardmore 160 hp 6-cyl. in-line piston engines, which gave a max speed of 90 mph, and a cruise of 75mph.
The second aircraft was tested by the Air Ministry for the 1920 Commercial Aeroplane Competition.It was described at the time as outdated and low-powered, another problem was that loaded with the fuel required for the three and half-hour test flight meant it was unable to carry passengers or pilots. The prototype was destroyed in an accident at Northolt Aerodrome in July 1919,shortly after the competition. The second aircraft crashed on the 25 September 1920 at Hayes, Middlesex, with a loss of six lives. No further aircraft were built.
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Chilton D.W.1
The Chilton D.W.1 is a light sporting monoplane designed and built in the late 1930s by Chilton Aircraft.
The Chilton D.W.1 was designed in early 1937 by two ex de Havilland Technical School students who formed Chilton Aircraft Limited for the purpose. The aircraft was intended to be cheap to build and operate, yet have an exceptional performance on low power. This was derived from its aerodynamically clean design with an all-wood airframe with plywood skin. Only the control surfaces and the trailing edge of the wing behind the rear spar were fabric covered.
The first three aircraft were powered by the 32 h.p. Carden-Ford.Initial flight trials with the prototype G-AESZ were made at Witney airfield in April 1937,revealing that some minor modifications were needed to the engine and propeller. The first public appearance was made at Southend Airport on 4 September 1937. The second and third aircraft were completed and sold in 1938. The final aircraft was completed in July 1939 and was powered by the new French-built 44 h.p. Train 4T four-cylinder inverted inline air-cooled engine. This aircraft (G-AFSV) was designated the D.W.1A, took part in the Folkestone Aero Trophy Race at Lympne on 5 August 1939, winning at an average speed of 126 mph.
Two prewar Chiltons survived in airworthy condition in 2005 and the other two were restoration projects around that date.The British CAA register in May 2011 showed 3 aircraft with permits to fly. The first of these has the Carden-Ford engine and the others are powered by Walter Mikrons. In May 2020, of those 3 aircraft, only G-AFGI has a permit. However, both G-JUJU and G-DWCB are currently in permit as airworthy as well.
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Chrislea Super Ace
The Chrislea Super Ace is a 1940s British four-seat light aircraft from the late 1940`s built by Chrislea Aircraft Limited.
The Super Ace was developed from the Chrislea C.H.3 Series 1 Ace, a high-wing four seat cabin monoplane with a tricycle undercarriage and two fins. The Ace had an unusual 'steering wheel' control arrangement which eliminated the conventional rudder bar. The wheel was mounted on a universal joint; turning it applied aileron, moving it vertically applied elevator and sideways the rudder. It originally flew with a single vertical tail but was soon modified with twin fins. The lone C.H.3 Series 1 Ace first flew in Sept 1946.
The first production aircraft, the C.H.3 Series 2 Super Ace flew in February 1948.It was powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 inline piston engine. Wing and tailplane were now metal structures, the span was increased by 2 ft compared with the Ace, and the fins were smaller and rounder. The control system of the first Super Ace was not popular so that all other Series 3 machines had a rudder bar. Construction was started on a run of 32 aircraft, but only 18 Super Aces were completed and flown. Only 3 of these stayed in the UK; the rest were either immediately exported, exported after time in the UK or worked abroad under British registration.
The final variant,was the C.H.3 Series 4 Skyjeep, first flown in August 1949. The Skyjeep had a tailwheel landing gear, a conventional control stick instead of the wheel and removable top decking on the rear fuselage. A stretch of 8.5 in improved legroom and, combined with the accessible rear fuselage, provided a more flexible internal space. It was powered by a 155 hp Blackburn Cirrus Major 3 engine. Three Skyjeeps were built and sold in Uruguay, Indochina and Australia. The Australian machine flew there with a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine, but has since been refitted with the Cirrus and is now flying in the UK.
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Civilian Coupé
The Civilian Coupé is a single-engined two-seat private monoplane built in 1929.
The Coupé was its only product, an aircraft of mixed metal and wood construction.It was aimed at the private pleasure flying market and was advanced for its day. The Coupé is a high-winged monoplane, the wing vee-strut braced to the lower fuselage longerons. The wings fold for transport and storage.It has a glazed centre section for an upward view from the enclosed cabin where pilot and passenger sit in seats almost side by side. Unusually for its time, the wheels have brakes and the flying controls are pushrod-operated.
The Coupé first flew in July 1929, powered by a 75 hp A.B.C. Hornet air-cooled flat four engine driving a two-bladed propeller. The sole aircraft with this engine became known as the Mk.I and all later Coupés, which used the 100 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major I five-cylinder radial, as Mk.IIs. In both engine installations, cylinder heads are exposed for cooling.
In all, approx five Coupés were built,one of which, G-ABNT, still flies in 2010 though no others survive. The last Mk.II built went immediately to a German owner and crashed during the war but the other three Coupés were raced in the UK between 1931 and 1933.Later one of them was sold to a Dutch owner and the prototype also went abroad.By 1934 the Civilian Aircraft Company had closed down and only two Coupés were active.
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Comper Swift
The Comper C.L.A.7 Swift is a 1930s single-seat sporting aircraft produced by Comper Aircraft Company Ltd,Cheshire.
The prototype Swift first flew at in January 1930.The aircraft was a small single-seat, braced high-wing monoplane constructed of fabric-covered spruce wood frames.The first Swift was powered by a 40 hp ABC Scorpion piston engine. After successful tests, seven more aircraft were built in 1930, powered by a 50 hp Salmson A.D.9 radial engine. Trials with a Pobjoy P radial engine for use in air racing resulted in all the subsequent aircraft being powered by the 75hp Pobjoy R.
The last three factory-built aircraft were fitted with de Havilland Gipsy engines – two with 120 hp Gipsy Major III, and one with a 130 hp Gipsy Major. One of these Gipsy powered Swifts, owned by the then-Prince of Wales and future King Edward VIII, won second place in the 1932 King's Cup Race while being flown by his personal pilot. Postwar, surviving Swifts continued to compete successfully in UK air races into the mid-1950s.45 aircraft were built between 1930 and 1933.
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Comper Mouse
The Comper Mouse was a 1930s three-seat cabin monoplane designed by Nicholas Comper, and built by the Comper Aircraft Company.
The Mouse was a low-wing monoplane touring aircraft, powered by a 130 hp Gipsy Major piston engine. Construction was mainly of fabric-covered spruce wood frames, with some plywood-covered sections. It had folding wings, retractable main landing gear and fixed tailskid. Accommodation was for the pilot and two passengers, accessible via a sliding framed canopy, plus an additional luggage locker.
The first flight of the Mouse was on 11 September 1933.In an already competitive market for touring aircraft, the Mouse failed to attract sales, and only the one was completed before the company ceased trading in August 1934.
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Cranwell CLA.4
The Cranwell CLA.4 was a single-engined two-seat inverted sesquiplane from the mid 1920`s.
The Cranwell Light Aeroplane (CLA) club was formed in 1923 by staff and students at the RAF College Cranwell.One of their lecturers, Flt-Lt Nicholas Comper became chief designer of the three aircraft produced by the club as well as one, the CLA.1 that was not completed.[1] The last of the series, the CLA.4 was designed to compete in the 1926 Lympne Light Aeroplane Trials.Two were built for this competition, one powered by a Bristol Cherub engine and the other by the new Pobjoy P. Unfortunately, the latter engine failed its own trials not long before the Lympne event and only the Cherub powered aircraft took part.Since the CL.4 had been designed for the 65 hp Pobjoy, the 36 hp Cherub left it very much underpowered.
The two open cockpits were placed at the leading and trailing upper wing edges and fitted with dual controls. The flat twin Bristol Cherub III was mounted on a steel plate and smoothly partially cowled to a pointed nose.
Plans were sold to the Alberta Aero Club (now the Edmonton Flying Club) of Edmonton, Canada, which intended to build it as the Club's first aircraft. This project was not completed and the plans, incomplete airframe, two engines and parts were sold to Alf Want of Edmonton, who had done the most work on the project.In 1989 Want presented the remains to the Alberta Aviation Museum, Edmonton, where it is being restored to flying condition. In 2001 it was displayed in a half-covered state so its structure could be seen and appreciated.
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de Havilland DH.18
The de Havilland DH.18 was a single-engined biplane transport aircraft of the 1920s.
The DH.18 was a single-engined biplane, powered by a 450 hp Napier Lion engine with wooden two-bay, wire-braced wings, and a forward fuselage clad in plywood. It accommodated eight passengers in an enclosed cabin with the pilot in an open cockpit behind the cabin. The first prototype flew early in 1920.
The first DH.18 was delivered to Aircraft Transport and Travel for use on the Croydon-Paris service, but was wrecked in a forced landing from Croydon on 16 August 1920. Two more aircraft were under construction by Airco for Aircraft Transport and Travel when the bankrupt Airco was purchased by BSA, who did not wish to continue aircraft development or production. Geoffrey de Havilland, the chief designer of Airco then set up the de Havilland Aircraft Company, completing the two partly completed aircraft as DH.18As, with improved engine mountings and undercarriages.
AT and T closed down in early 1921,in March 1921, the British government granted temporary subsidies for airline services,with the Air Council purchasing a number of modern commercial aircraft for leasing to approved firms.The three ex-A.T.&T. DH.18s were purchased in this way and leased to Instone Air Line. A further DH.18A was built to Air Council order, as were two modified DH.18B, which had fuselages that were plywood-clad and had built-in emergency exits. The DH.18 was retired from commercial service in 1923, with one aircraft, G-EARO, having flown 90,000 mi (144,834 km) without accident.
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de Havilland DH.34
The de Havilland DH.34 was a single engined biplane airliner built by the in the 1920s.
The DH.34 had a wooden, plywood-clad fuselage, with the dual cockpit positioned ahead of the wings and cabin. It had two-bay wooden wings and was powered by a 450 hp Napier Lion engine, which was fitted for inertia starting, avoiding the necessity for hand swinging of the prop to start the engine.
Unusually, the design of the aircraft allowed an entire spare engine to be carried on board across the rear of the passenger cabin.The cabin door's unusual shape was to allow the engine to be loaded and unloaded, and a specially-fitted 'porthole' on the other side of the cabin would be removed to allow the propeller boss to protrude out the side of the aircraft. Spare engines were not carried routinely but this facility was used by operators to quickly fly spare engines out to aircraft that had suffered breakdown.
Two DH.34s were ordered by the Daimler Airway, as part of an initial batch of nine aircraft, with the first prototype (registered G-EBBQ) flying on 26 March 1922.The DH.34 entered service with Daimler on 2 April 1922 on the Croydon-Paris service.Daimler operated a total of six D.H.34s, four of which were leased from the Air Council, with Instone Air Line operating another four, all leased. One aircraft was built to the order of the Soviet airline Dobrolyot. When Imperial Airways was formed on 1 April 1924, by the merger of Daimler Airway, Instone Air Line, Handley Page Transport and the British Marine Air Navigation Company, it inherited six D.H.34s, retaining the type in service until March 1926.
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de Havilland DH.50
The de Havilland DH.50 was a 1920s large single-engined biplane transport.
The first DH.50 (registered G-EBFN) flew in August 1923 and only 17 aircraft were built by de Havilland; the rest were produced under licence in Australia, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia.The different aircraft had a wide variety of engine fits.
The second aircraft (registered G-EBFO) was re-engined with the Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine and was designated the DH.50J.The aircraft was popular in Australia and de Havilland licensed its production there, leading to 16 aircraft being built. Qantas built four DH.50As and three DH.50Js, Western Australian Airlines built three DH.50As, and Larkin Aircraft Supply Company built one DH.50A.
SABCA built three DH.50As in Brussels, Belgium and Aero built seven in Prague, then in Czechoslovakia.The British-built QANTAS DH.50 was modified in Longreach, Queensland, to suit the Australian Inland Mission as an aerial ambulance. The aircraft was called Victory by the Rev. J Flynn and was the first aircraft used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.
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de Havilland Hercules
The de Havilland DH.66 Hercules was a 1920s seven-passenger, three-engined airliner.
The Hercules was designed for Imperial Airways when it took over the Cairo–Baghdad air route from the RAF. The Hercules was a three-engined two-bay biplane with room for seven and the ability to carry mail. In order to minimise the risk of forced landings over remote desert areas, the Hercules had three 420 hp radial engines. The fuselage was constructed using tubular steel,the cabin and rear baggage compartment were made of plywood suspended inside the steel structure.The two pilots were in an open cockpit above the nose. The cabin had room for a wireless operator in addition to the passengers.
Imperial Airways ordered five aircraft. In June 1926, while the prototype was still being built, the type name Hercules was chosen in a competition in the Meccano Magazine. The prototype, registered G-EBMW, first flew on 30 September 1926 .Four aircraft were built in 1929 for West Australian Airways. They had modifications to suit Australian requirements including an enclosed cockpit and seating for 14-passengers as well as room for the mail.Two additional aircraft were built for Imperial Airways in 1929 and they had the enclosed cockpit modification used on the Australian aircraft. These were also retro-fitted to the earlier aircraft.
The South African Air Force bought three Hercules from Imperial Airways in 1935.At the start of World War II they were used as military transport aircraft supporting South African forces around Africa. One was broken up for spares in 1939 and the other two were withdrawn from service and scrapped in 1943.
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de Havilland Dragonfly
The de Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly is a 1930s twin-engined luxury touring biplane.
The Dragonfly shares a resemblance with the Dragon Rapide, but is smaller and has higher aspect ratio, with slightly sweptback wings. The lower wing has a shorter span than the upper, unlike the DH.89, and the top of the engine nacelles protrude much less above its surface because the fuel tank had been moved to the lower centre section. Structurally, they are different: the Dragonfly had a new preformed plywood monocoque shell and strengthened fuselage. It was designed as a luxury touring aircraft for four passengers and a pilot, with provision for dual controls. The first aircraft, G-ADNA, first flew on 12 August 1935.
The first delivery was made in May 1936. Some 36 new-build Dragonflies went to private and company owners, about 15 to airlines/air taxis and three to clubs. Two each went to the Danish and Swedish air forces, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had four to combat smugglers. Production ended in 1938.At the start of World War II, about 23 Dragonflies were impressed into the R.A.F and Commonwealth air forces, some six surviving to 1945. Overall, there were about thirteen flying in that year.
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de Havilland Humming Bird
The de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird is a monoplane light aircraft of the 1920s.
De Havilland built two DH.53s which were named Humming Bird and Sylvia II. The DH.53 was a low-wing single-seat monoplane powered by a Douglas 750 cc motorcycle engine. In October 1923, the DH.53s did not win any prizes but gave an impressive performance for a light aircraft. The Air Ministry became interested in the design and ordered eight in 1924 as communications and training aircraft for the Royal Air Force.
Early in 1924 twelve aircraft were built at Stag Lane Aerodrome and were named Humming Bird after the first prototype. Eight aircraft were for the Air Ministry order, three were for export to Australia, and one was exported to Aero in Prague. One further aircraft was later built for an order from Russia.The production aircraft were powered by a 26 hp Blackburne Tomtit two-cylinder engine.The first six aircraft for the RAF all made their public debut at the 1925 display at RAF Hendon.The last two aircraft would later be used for "parasite aircraft" trials being launched from below an airship – the R.33. The aircraft were retired in 1927 and all eight were sold as civil aircraft.
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de Havilland Hawk Moth
The de Havilland DH.75 Hawk Moth was a 1920s four-seat cabin monoplane.
The DH.75 Hawk Moth was the first of a family of high-wing monoplane Moths, and was designed as a light transport or air-taxi for export. The aircraft had a fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage and wooden wings. The Hawk Moth was first flown on 7 December 1928 using a 200 hp de Havilland Ghost engine. This engine comprised two de Havilland Gipsys mounted on a common crankcase to form an air-cooled V-8.The aircraft was underpowered and a 240 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engine was fitted to it and all but one production aircraft. Changes were also made to the structure including increased span and chord wings and the aircraft was redesignated the DH.75A.
Three aircraft operated in Canada a further two were exported to Australia. One of the Australian aircraft, VH-UNW ex G-AAFX, was used by Amy Johnson to fly from Brisbane to Sydney in 1930 when her De Havilland Moth Jason was damaged.VH-UNW was later sold to Hart Aircraft Service of Melbourne who used it mainly for pleasure flights. In February 1934 it was sold to Tasmanian Airways as the City of Hobart to run between Brighton, Tasmania and Launceston, Tasmania which it continued to do until it made a forced landing at Brighton on 10 January 1935 after a piston-rod failure, and the engine appears to have been found beyond repair. It last flew for Connellan Airways of Alice Springs and was withdrawn from service in 1949.
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de Havilland Albatross
The de Havilland DH.91 Albatross was a four-engine transport aircraft of the 1930s.
The aircraft was notable for the ply-balsa-ply sandwich construction of its fuselage, later used in the de Havilland Mosquito bomber. Another unique feature was a cooling system for the air-cooled engines that allowed nearly ideal streamlining of the engine mounting.The first Albatross flew on 20 May 1937. The second prototype broke in two during overload tests but was repaired with minor reinforcement. The first and second prototypes were operated by Imperial Airways.
It was designed as a mailplane,however a version to carry 22 passengers was developed; the main differences being extra windows and the replacement of split flaps with slotted flaps. Five examples formed the production order delivered in 1938/1939. When war was declared all seven aircraft were operating from Bristol/Whitchurch to Lisbon and Shannon.
The first delivery to Imperial Airways was the 22-passenger DH.91 Frobisher in October 1938. The five passenger-carrying aircraft were operated on routes from Croydon to Paris, Brussels and Zurich. After test flying was completed, the two prototypes were delivered to Imperial Airways as long-range mail carriers.
During World War II, the RAF considered their range and speed useful for courier flights between Great Britain and Iceland, and the two mail planes were pressed into service with 271 Squadron in September 1940, operating between Prestwick and Reykjavik but both were destroyed in landing accidents in Reykjavík within the space of 9 months: Faraday in 1941 and Franklin in 1942.
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de Havilland Don
The de Havilland DH.93 Don was a 1930s multi-role three-seat training aircraft.
The Don was a multi-role trainer and was a single-engined monoplane of wooden stressed-skin construction. The DH.93 Don was intended to be a trainer for pilots and radio operators, and as a gunnery trainer, the gunnery requirement involved the mounting of a dorsal gun turret. Student pilot and instructor sat side by side up front, while accommodation for a trainee WT (radio) operator and the turret gunner was behind in the cabin.
The prototype first flew on 18 June 1937 and was transferred to RAF Martlesham Heath for official evaluation. In the course of the trials, more equipment was added which increased the weight, and as a result, in an attempt to reduce weight, the dorsal turret was removed. The aircraft was also modified with small auxiliary fins fitted beneath the tailplane.
Despite the changes incorporated from the fifth aircraft,the type was deemed unsuitable for training and the original order for 250 aircraft was reduced to only 50 aircraft, 20 of which were delivered as engineless airframes for ground training.The remaining aircraft served as communications and liaison aircraft, serving with numerous RAF Station Flights throughout the UK until early 1939, but all were grounded for use as instructional airframes in March 1939.
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de Havilland DH 108
The de Havilland DH 108 was a experimental jet aircraft designed in October 1945.
The DH 108 featured a tailless, swept wing with a single vertical stabilizer, similar to the layout of the wartime German Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet rocket-powered point-defence interceptor. Initially designed to evaluate swept wing handling characteristics at low and high subsonic speeds for the proposed early tailless design of the Comet airliner. With the adoption of a conventional tail for the Comet, the aircraft were used instead to investigate swept wing handling up to supersonic speeds.
Using the main fuselage section and engine of the de Havilland Vampire mated to a longer fuselage with a single tailfin and swept wings, the de Havilland DH 108 was proposed in 1944 as a test for the DH 106 Comet which had initially been considered a tailless, swept-wing concept. Despite the Comet design taking on more conventional features, the value of testing the unique configuration to provide basic data for the DH.110 encouraged de Havilland to continue development of the DH 108. Selecting two airframes from the English Electric Vampire F 1 production line, the new aircraft had unmistakable similarities to its fighter origins, especially in the original forward fuselage which retained the nose, cockpit and other components of the Vampire.
The new metal wing incorporating a 43˚ sweepback was approximately 15% greater in area than the standard Vampire wing.The first DH 108 prototype, TG283, using the Vampire fuselage and a 43° swept wing, flew on 15 May 1946. Designed to investigate low-speed handling, it was capable of only 280 mph. The second, high-speed prototype, TG306, with a 45° swept wing powered by a de Havilland Goblin 3 turbojet, flew soon after in June 1946. Modifications included a more streamlined, longer nose and a smaller canopy.While being used to evaluate handling characteristics at high speed, on 27 September 1946 TG306 suffered a catastrophic structural failure in a dive from 10,000 ft at Mach 0.9 and crashed in the Thames Estuary.
Pilot, Geoffrey de Havilland Jr., was killed in the accident. Early wind tunnel testing had pointed to potentially dangerous flight behaviour, but pitch oscillation at high speed had been unexpected. The accident investigation centred on a structural failure that occurred as air built up at Mach 0.9, pitching the aircraft into a shock stall that placed tremendous loading on the fuselage and wings. The main spar cracked at the roots, causing the wings to collapse rearwards.
The DH108 established a number of "firsts" for a British aircraft: it was the first British swept-winged jet aircraft and the first British tailless jet aircraft. Sadly all three prototypes were lost in fatal crashes.
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Desoutter Mk.I and Mk.II
The Desoutter is a monoplane liaison aircraft from the 1930`s.
In the late 1920s, Marcel Desoutter,formed the Desoutter Aircraft Company Ltd to follow up his idea to licence manufacture the Dutch aircraft Koolhoven F.K.41. The licence was obtained and Desoutter set up a production unit at Croydon Aerodrome in the former ADC Aircraft factory.
The second production Dutch F.K.41 was flown to Croydon and was modified by Desoutter then displayed at the Olympia Aero Show, London in July 1929 as the Desoutter Dolphin. This aircraft was later sold in South Africa with registration and was pressed into service with the South African Air Force.
The British production aircraft was known as the Desoutter and then following the introduction of an improved version the following year the Desoutter I. The National Flying Services Ltd placed a large order and received 19 aircraft. These were all painted black and bright orange and soon became a familiar sight at British flying clubs, where they were used for instruction, pleasure flights and taxi flights. The first aircraft for another customer left Croydon for New Zealand on 9 February 1930. It was flown to Sydney, Australia arriving on 13 March 1930, it was then shipped to New Zealand.
In 1930 an improved version, the Desoutter II was produced. It had a 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy III engine, redesigned ailerons and tail surfaces and wheel brakes.41 aircraft were built at Croydon Aerodrome – 28 Mk.Is and 13 Mk.IIs, in contrast to the six aircraft that had been produced of the original F.K.41.
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Edgar Percival E.P.9
The Edgar Percival E.P.9 was a 1950s light utility aircraft from the mid 1950`s.
In 1954, Edgar Percival formed Edgar Percival Aircraft Limited at Stapleford Aerodrome. His original company had become part of the Hunting Group. His first new design, the Edgar Percival P.9 was a utility aircraft designed for agricultural use. The aircraft was a high-wing monoplane with an unusual pod and boom fuselage. The design allowed the aircraft to be fitted with a hopper for crop spraying. The pilot and passenger sat together with room for four more passengers. The clamshell side and rear doors also allowed the aircraft to carry cargo.
The prototype first flew on 21 December 1955. After a demo tour of Australia four aircraft were ordered as crop-sprayers and an initial batch of 20 was built. Two aircraft were bought by the British Army in 1958. In the same year, Samlesbury Engineering Limited acquired rights to the design and the company was renamed the Lancashire Aircraft Company. Lancashire Aircraft renamed the aircraft the Lancashire Prospector E.P.9 but only six more were built, the last of which was fitted with a Cheetah radial engine as the sole new build Mark Two.
The E.P.9s in their various guises had a long and successful lifespan as private aircraft, utilized in multi-role STOL operations as an agricultural sprayer, light cargo aircraft, jump aircraft, air ambulance and glider tug. Ex-XM819 evaluated by the British Army was finally offered for sale in Belgium in 1972. After three years of pleasure flying in England, the aircraft was shipped to the USA where it was stored in a Wisconsin barn until 1999. After extensive restoration, N747JC appeared at Oshkosh in 2001-03, and in 2008 the aircraft was for sale.
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Elliotts of Newbury Eon
Elliotts of Newbury were wartime glider manufacturers but at the end of World War II decided to venture into the design and production of powered aircraft. The result was the EoN A.P.4 (more commonly called the Newbury Eon, a wooden four-seat monoplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear.The prototype Eon 1 registered G-AKBC powered by a 100 hp Blackburn Cirrus Minor engine first flew on 8 August 1947.After initial testing was completed, the prototype was modified to reflect the planned production version. The main changes were a new engine, a de Havilland Gipsy Major of 145 hp and a lengthened nose-wheel leg. The modified aircraft was redesignated the Eon 2.
The company decided not enter production and it continued as a glider manufacturer. The sole completed Eon aircraft was used as a glider-tug to demonstrate the company's gliders. The aircraft met its end at Lympne airfield, Kent, on 14 April 1950,when, with a glider attached the pilot started the aircraft by swinging the propeller with the aircraft's wheels not secured by chocks. The engine started, and the craft moved forward; the pilotless aircraft and the glider were damaged as the aircraft passed through a boundary hedge and wire fence.
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Elliotts Primary EoN
The Elliots Primary EoN or EoN Type 7 S.G.38 Primary was a training glider developed in the UK shortly after World War II. It was an absolutely minimalist aircraft, consisting of a high, cable-braced wing connected to a conventional empennage by an open-truss framework, and was a copy of the German SG 38 Schulgleiter. It was marketed to aeroclubs, the Primary EoN was also adopted in 1948 by the Air Training Corps and by the Combined Cadet Force under the name Eton TX.1. An example is at the Gliding Heritage Centre.Approx 80 were built-looks like the stuff of nightmares !
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English Electric Kingston
The English Electric P.5 Kingston was a twin-engined biplane flying boat.
The English Electric Company was formed in 1918 from several companies, the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company brought with it the two prototype Phoenix P.5 Cork reconnaissance flying boats. Redesigned, the Cork reappeared as the English Electric P.5 Kingston. The resulting aircraft looked similar but the hull was designed to the latest standard. The Kingston also had redesigned wingtip floats, extended upper-wing ailerons, and a larger fin and rudder than the Cork.
The first Kingston I was delivered to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at in November 1924 for acceptance trials. Although the flying-boat met the type and air-handling requirements it did not meet the Ministries' requirements for seaworthiness. Modifications were made to N9709 for improvements including four-bladed propellers. On 25 May 1925, just after becoming airborne the engines left their mountings and the wing failed causing cracks in the hull, the aircraft floated and the crew escaped without injury.
The second Kingston I N9710 first flew on 13 November 1925 at Lytham and was flown to RAF Calshot for trials along with the third flying-boat N9711.The fourth flying-boat N9712 was dismantled and the hull moved to RAE Farnborough to enable tests to be carried out,it featured a new duralumin hull and became the sole Kingston II. The last aircraft to be built, N9713, had a completely redesigned hull,this time of wooden construction, and was known as the Kingston III. Although more successful than the others the Kingston III was retained by the MAEE for experimental work and as a crew ferry. It was intended to produce a metal-hulled variant of the Kingston III, but the day the Kingston III left Lytham for Felixstowe in 1926 the company closed its aircraft department.
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English Electric Wren
The English Electric Wren was a ultralight monoplane from the 1920`s.
The Wren, designed by W. O. Manning, was a lightweight motor-glider. It was a single-engined high-wing monoplane with an empty weight of only 232 lb (105 kg). The first aircraft (Serial Number J6973) was built in 1921 for the Air Ministry. Interest in building very light aircraft was encouraged at the time by a prize offered by the Duke of Sutherland.Entrants had to build the most economical light single-seat aircraft. Another incentive was a Ł1,000 prize offered by a newspaper for the longest flight by a motor-glider with an engine of not more than 750 cc. Two aircraft were built for the 1923 Lympne light aircraft trials in October 1923. The Wren shared the first prize with the ANEC I when it covered 87.5 miles on one Imperial gallon (4.5 litres) of fuel.
In 1957 the third aircraft was rebuilt using parts of the second aircraft. It is still airworthy and is on public display at the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome in Bedfordshire.
It is powered by an ABC 8 hp 2-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, which gave a max speed of 50 mph and endurance of around 80-90 mins.
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Fairey Campania
The Fairey Campania was a ship-borne, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft of the World War I and Russian Civil War.
It was a single-engined tractor biplane of fabric-covered wooden construction, which first flew on 16 February 1917. The two-bay wings folded rearwards for storage, the crew of two sat in separate cockpits, the observer being provided with a Lewis gun on a Scarff ring.The first of two prototypes, F.16, was powered by a 250 hp Rolls-Royce Eagle IV and the second prototype,by an Eagle V of 275 hp,was named F.17. Both prototypes were later flown operationally from Scapa Flow.
Trials proving satisfactory, the type went into production and service. Most of the F.17s shipped aboard the carriers HMS Campania, HMS Nairana and HMS Pegasus; the first aircraft joined Campania and the type took its name from her. Only Campania possessed a flight deck; Campanias operated from this using jettisonable, wheeled bogies fitted to the floats. The aircraft in the other ships took off from the water in the normal way.
On 1 August 1918, during the North Russia Campaign in support of the British intervention in the Russian Civil War, Campanias from Nairana participated in the first fully combined air, sea, and land military operation in history, joining Allied ground forces and ships in driving Bolsheviks out of their fortifications on Modyugski Island ,Northern Dvina River in Russia.The appearance of one of the Campanias over Arkhangelsk caused the Bolshevik leaders there to flee. The Campania was declared obsolete in August 1919, in total 62 aircraft were completed.
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Fairey Pintail
The Fairey Pintail was a British single-engine floatplane fighter of the 1920s.
The Pintail was designed to meet the requirements of the RAF 4Specification, which was issued in 1919 for an amphibian reconnaissance fighter, competing with the Parnall Puffin.The Pintail was a two-bay biplane, fitted with twin floats, and with the upper wing in line with the pilot's eye line.To give a clear upwards field of view for the crew, the Pintail was fitted with an unusual tail unit, with the tailplane lying across the top of the rear fuselage and the rudder below the tailplane.
The first prototype, the Pintail Mark I, flew on 7 July 1920.The second prototype, the Pintail Mark II had a lengthened fuselage, while the third prototype, Pintail Mark III had non-retractable wheels within the floats.The Pintail was a more capable as a fighter than the Possum, offering an excellent upwards field of view for the crew,however it had poor downwards view for the pilot during landing.The Pintail was not adopted by the RAF, but three examples, similar to the Mark III, were sold to the Imperial Japanese Navy. These aircraft, known as the Pintail IV had an increased wing gap so the upper wing was situated above the fuselage, improving the downwards view for the pilot. The first Pintail IV flew on 20 August 1924.
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Fairey N.4
The Fairey N.4 was a 1920s five-seat long range reconnaissance flying boat.
In 1917 the Admiralty issued Specification N.4. for a four-engined long-range reconnaissance flying boat.The Admiralty ordered two aircraft from Fairey The design was a biplane, with the engines mounted as two push-pull pairs between the upper and lower wing, each driving a four-bladed propeller.The first N.4 (named Atalanta) was assembled by Phoenix Dynamo with a hull designed by Charles Nicholson but never flown and scrapped as the service lost interest in large flying boats.
The second N.4 (also named Atalanta) was completed in 1921, first flew on 4 July 1923 powered by four 650 hp Rolls-Royce Condor IA piston engines. The hull built in Hythe and delivered to Lytham St. Annes for assembly. The complete aircraft was then dismantled, taken by road to the Isle of Grain and stored before for its first flight.
The third N.4 Mk.II (named Titania) included improvements and upgraded Condor III engines. The hull designed by Linton Hope, built on the Clyde and delivered to Fairey Southampton for assembly and transport to the Isle of Grain. Titania was not flown straight away and stored until it`s first flying on 24 July 1925.
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Fairey Firefly IIM
The Fairey Firefly IIM was a fighter of the 1930s.
The Firefly was a private-venture design, as the Curtiss D-12 powered Firefly I had been rejected owing to its American engine and its wooden structure, and could not be easily fitted with the larger and heavier geared Rolls-Royce Falcon XI favoured by the RAF. This was a completely new design, sharing very little with the Firefly I beyond the name. Making use of experience gleaned from the earlier machine, it was developed in response to Specification F.20/27 for a single-seat interceptor. It first flew on 5 February 1929.
The Firefly II competed for the RAF contract against the Hawker Fury, showing superior speed but was criticised for having heavy controls. It retained a mainly wooden structure despite the Air Ministry's demands for metal structures. This led to the Fury being selected. Afterwards, the prototype was rebuilt and renamed Firefly IIM, the "M" denoting the all-metal construction of the rebuilt machine.A contract was signed for 25 IIM aircraft for Belgium's Aéronautique Militaire, followed by a contract for a further 62 to be constructed by Avions Fairey, Fairey's Belgian subsidiary. The Belgian aircraft served briefly in the Second World War from May to June 1940.
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Fairey Seal
The Fairey Seal was a carrier-borne spotter-reconnaissance aircraft, operated in the 1930s.
The aircraft was powered by a Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIA 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine of 525 hp.It first flew in 1930 and entered squadron service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1933. Ninety-one aircraft were produced.
The FAA started to replace it with the Swordfish Mk1 from 1936. By 1938 all FAA torpedo squadrons had been entirely re-equipped with the Swordfish. The Seal was removed from front-line service by 1938, but remained in support roles. By the outbreak of the WWII, only four remained in service. The type was retired fully by 1943. The type was last used in India as an instructional airframe from the Royal Navy Photographic Unit.
The RAF also operated the Seal as a target tug. Twelve were part of the RAF's No 10 Bombing and Gunnery School until 1940. A further four aircraft were used by 273 Squadron in Ceylon. These aircraft were used on coastal patrols, some as floatplanes. By May 1942, the type had been retired from RAF service.
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Fairey Hendon
The Fairey Hendon was a twin engine monoplane, heavy bomber of the RAF,from the late 1920s.
Fairey designed a low-winged cantilever monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. The fuselage had a steel tube structure with fabric covering with a pilot, a radio operator/navigator and three gunners, in open nose, dorsal and tail positions. Bombs were carried in a bomb bay in the fuselage centre. Variants powered by either radial engines or liquid-cooled V12 engines were proposed.
The prototype first flew on 25 November 1930, from Fairey's Great West Aerodrome in Heathrow and was powered by two 460 hp Bristol Jupiter VIII radial engines.The prototype crashed and was severely damaged in March 1931 and was rebuilt with two Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines. After more trials, 14 production examples named the Hendon Mk.II were ordered. These were built in late 1936 and early 1937,orders for a further sixty Hendons were cancelled in 1936, as the prototype of the first of the next generation of British heavy bombers—the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley—had flown and showed much higher performance.The Hendon Mk.II was powered by two Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines. The production Hendon Mk.II included an enclosed cockpit for the pilot and navigator.
The only Hendon-equipped unit, 38 Squadron, began operational service at RAF Mildenhall in November 1936, later moving to RAF Marham, Norfolk.The type was soon obsolete and replaced from late 1938 by the Vickers Wellington. By January 1939, the Hendons had been retired and were then used for ground instruction work.
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Fairey Seafox.
The Fairey Seafox was a 1930s biplane reconnaissance floatplane.
The Seafox was built to a Spec for a two-seat spotter-reconnaissance floatplane. The first of two prototypes appeared in 1936, first flying on 27 May 1936, and the first of the 64 production aircraft were delivered in 1937. The flights were organised as 700 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm.
The fuselage was an all-metal monocoque construction, the wings were covered with metal only on the leading edge,the remainder was fabric. It was powered by a 16-cylinder 395 hp air-cooled Napier Rapier H engine. It cruised at 106 mph, and had a range of 440 miles.Of the 66 built, two were finished as landplanes.
Seafoxes operated during the early part of the war from various RN cruisers and remained in service until 1943.
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Fairey Spearfish
The Fairey Spearfish was a carrier-based, single-engined, torpedo bombere bomber from the mid-1940`s.
The Spearfish was designed by Fairey Aviation as a replacement for the Fairey Barracuda in the torpedoe bomber role.The Spearfish had a much more powerful engine, an internal weapons bay and a retractable ASV Mk.XV surface-search radar mounted behind the bomb bay.The Spearfish was half as large again as the Barracuda, as it was designed to be operated from the 45,000-long-ton (46,000 t) Malta-class aircraft carriers then under development.
In August 1943,Fairey received an order for three prototypes to be built.The first prototype, RA356, was constructed at Fairey's Hayes factory and first flew on 5 July 1945, the other two did not fly until 1947. In November 1943 the company was ordered to build a dual-control dive-bombing trainer variant which was flown at on 20 June 1946. Three further development aircraft were ordered in May 1944 to be built, with the last two to be fitted with a Rolls-Royce Pennine engine; only the first Centarus-engined aircraft was built but never flew.
The large internal weapons bay could alternatively carry up to four 500-pound bombs, four depth charges, a torpedo, or a 180-imperial-gallon auxiliary fuel tank. The Spearfish was intended to carry four 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, two in a remote-controlled Fraser-Nash FN 95 barbette behind the cockpit and two in the wings. The only external offensive armament was 16 RP-3 rockets that could be carried underneath the outer wing panels.
The first prototype was later used by Napier & Son at Luton for trials of it`s inflight de-icing systems. It was then briefly used for ground-training purposes beginning on 30 April 1952, until it was scrapped shortly afterwards. The second prototype was used by the Royal Navy Carrier Trials Unit at RNAS Ford, until it was sold for scrap on 15 September. The third prototype conducted ASV Mk.XV radar trials, but was damaged in a heavy landing on 1 September 1949 and sold for scrap on 22 August 1950. The fourth prototype never flew and was used as a source of spares. The sole Heaton Chapel-built aircraft was the closest to the planned production configuration and it was used for engine-cooling and power-assisted flying-control trials, until it was struck off charge on 24 July 1951.
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Fairey Primer
The Fairey Primer was a production version of the Avions Fairey Tipsy M tandem seat single-engined basic trainer.
The Primer was a conventional single-engined, low-winged monoplane, constructed from welded metal tubes with wood in subsidiary structures like ribs and stringers, all fabric covered. The wings were symmetrically tapered and carried manually operated flaps across the centre section. Each mainwheel, equipped with brakes was mounted on a single leg fixed at the end of the centre section. On the prototype the wheels were spatted, but these were removed on production aircraft.
The enclosed tandem dual control cockpits merged into a raised decking behind them, giving the aircraft a slightly humped look. Both cockpits were over the wing. Engines used were, the 145 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 and the 155 hp Blackburn Cirrus Major 3 inverted in-line engines and ran in similar cowlings.The Tipsy M,Gipsy powered, first flew at Avions Fairey's works at Gosselies about 1938 and it visited the parent company's works in England in June 1939. It was used as a company hack until Sept 1941, when it was put into store. Shortly after the war OO-POM went back to Belgium for small modifications at Fairey's suggestion; they then took over the Tipsy M with the aim of producing it under licence. Early in 1948, it was flying from White Waltham, still bearing its Belgian registration,OO-POM.
The Primer prototype had to be stripped down to recreate the lost drawings and jigs.The engine and some other parts were used to build the first production aircraft, though records G-AKSX as being sold abroad in Aug 1948;whether in flying condition or not is not noted. Fairey had intended to produce a run of ten, but only built two. The first of these, G-ALBL, gained its certificate of airworthiness in October 1948. Initially it had the Gipsy engine but this was later replaced by the Cirrus. It was dismantled in 1949;the CAA records it as destroyed in 1953. The second production aircraft, G-ALEW used this powerplant from the start,the last of the line, it was dismantled in 1951.
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Fairey Gannet AEW.3
The Fairey Gannet AEW.3 is a variant of the Fairey Gannet anti-submarine warfare aircraft intended to be used in the airborne early warning (AEW) role on aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy.
In the late 1950s, the RN operated the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider from its aircraft carriers in the AEW role.It was intended to use the Gannet as a stop-gap measure until a new, purpose built system to be used on the planned new generation of aircraft carriers. Therefore, it was intended to undertake as little in the way of modification as possible.
The size of the belly radar radome meant that the existing airframe was too low,so a significant modification to the fuselage was required. This involved creating a new cabin within the fuselage accessed via hatches next to the trailing edge of the wing.
This meant that the exhausts had to be moved to the leading edge; increasing the total area of the vertical stabiliser to compensate for the instability caused by the radome; and extending the length of the undercarriage, which increased the aircraft's overall height, and gave the aircraft a more level stance.
The extensive modifications required that, in December 1954, it was suggested that the AEW version be renamed as the Fairey Albatross, as it was a completely different aircraft from its ASW predecessor. As it was, by the time the Gannet AEW was entering service, the ASW version was in the process of being replaced, avoiding any potential confusion.
The prototype Gannet AEW.3 first flew in August 1958, with carrier trials taking place in November, and the first production aircraft delivered in December. By August 1959, 700G Naval Air Squadron was formed as the Trials Unit for the new Gannet. This unit put the aircraft through an intensive test programme, a process that lasted until January 1960, at which point the unit was renamed as 'A' Flight of 849 Naval Air Squadron. 849A Flight was then declared operational and was embarked for the first time in HMS Ark Royal.
A total of 44 Gannets were ordered for the Royal Navy to replace the Skyraider.The Gannet continued in service until the final decommissioning of Ark Royal in 1978 – a Gannet of 849B Flight was the last aircraft to be recovered by the ship on Saturday 18 November 1978. The withdrawal of Ark Royal meant that there was no longer a platform available in the Royal Navy to operate the Gannet, and hence 849 Naval Air Squadron was disbanded in December 1978, leaving the Royal Navy without it`s own airborne early warning.
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Avions Fairey Belfair
The Avions Fairey Belfair, also known as the Tipsy Belfair after its designer, Ernest Oscar Tips, was a two-seat light aircraft.
The Belfair was based on the Tipsy B built before the war, but featured a fully enclosed cabin. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration with exceptionally clean lines.The aircraft were powered by a Walter Mikron II air-cooled four-cylinder inverted inline engine, of 62 hp. It was fitted with tailwheel undercarriage with spatted mainwheels. Unfortunately, the Belfair was a victim of the glut of light aircraft on the market following World War II.
Although six airframes past the prototype were under construction, only three had been completed when Tips made the decision that the aircraft was simply not commercially viable and sold the remaining airframes "as is". They were purchased by D. Heaton of Speeton, Yorkshire.One of these aircraft (c/n 535, G-APIE, ex OO-TIE) was still flying in 2015, while another (c/n 536, G-APOD) was under restoration as of 2001.
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Avions Fairey Tipsy Nipper
The Tipsy Nipper T.66 is an aerobatic light aircraft, developed in 1952 by Ernest Oscar Tips of Avions Fairey.
It was designed to be easy to fly, cheap to buy and cheap to maintain for both factory production and homebuild. The first aircraft flew on 12 December 1957,it featured an open cockpit and had a overall length of 4.56 m (15.0 ft), a span of 6.0 m (19.7 ft) and a range of 400 km (249 mi), extendable with tip tanks to 720 km (447 mi).The aircraft has a welded steel tube fuselage and rudder with a wooden and fabric covered wing, tailplane and elevator. Early aircraft were equipped with a 40 hp Stamo Volkswagen air-cooled engine with later types using either 40 hp Pollman-Hepu or 45 hp Stark Stamo engines. More recently the 85 hp Jabiru 2200 engine has been used.
Production was between 1959 and 1961 with Avions Fairey delivering 59 complete aircraft and 78 kits. Avions Fairey stopped production to increase capacity assembling the F-104 Starfighter for the BAF.
During 1962 the rights and an assortment of uncompleted sections,spares and parts were sold to Cobelavia SA -Compagnie Belge d'Aviation, and they assembled 18 Nippers. The type was renamed as the Cobelavia D-158 Nipper.
In June 1966 the production license was sold to Nipper Aircraft Ltd at Castle Donington and new Mk.III aircraft were built for them by Slingsby Sailplanes. Production was ended by the fire at Slingsby's in late 1968 and the subsequent bankruptcy. Several partly constructed Nippers were transferred to Castle Donington.In May 1971 Nipper Aircraft Ltd. stopped work and sold the license to a company called Nipper Kits and Components, a company that helps home builders with parts and plans.
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Folland Fo.108
The Folland Fo.108, also known as the Folland 43/37, was a large monoplane engine testbed aircraft of the 1940s.
The Fo.108 was a large low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional cantilever tailplane and a fixed tailwheel landing gear. It had a glazed cockpit for the pilot, and a cabin for two observers behind and below the pilot, fitted out so that they could make detailed measurements of engine performance during flight.
To enable the aircraft to be delivered from Folland`s factory at Hamble and later ferried to new assignments, they were normally fitted with a Bristol Hercules radial engine. In service, the Fo.108 was fitted with a number of other engines including the inline Napier Sabre (four), Bristol Centaurus radial, and Rolls-Royce Griffon V-engine.
Entering service in 1940, the type was operated by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Napier and Rolls-Royce.Five of the twelve production aircraft were lost in crashes, the type earning the nickname "Frightener" as a result. The last examples of the Fo.108 were withdrawn from service in 1946, by de Havilland's engine division.
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Folland Midge
The Folland Midge was a small, swept-wing subsonic light fighter aircraft.
The Midge and Gnat were designed by W.E.W. "Teddy" Petter, a British aircraft designer who gained recognition for his design of the English Electric Canberra bomber and Lightning supersonic interceptor. Petter was against concerned about more expensive and complex combat aircraft, and he felt that a small, simple fighter would offer the advantages of low purchase and operational costs. New lightweight turbojet engines were being developed that would be able to power such aircraft.
The proof of concept demonstrator was designated Fo-139 "Midge". The Midge, serial number G-39-1, first flew on 11 August 1954 from Boscombe Down,and proved to be an excellent aircraft.
The Midge had a number of advanced features, such as hydraulically powered "flaperons", a main landing gear that could be used as airbrakes, and a one-piece canopy that hinged over an inner armoured windscreen. Despite the low-powered engine, the Midge could break Mach 1 in a dive and was very agile.
It was evaluated by pilots from Canada, India, Jordan, New Zealand, and the USAF, and was highly praised. The Midge had performed a total of 220 flights when it was destroyed in a fatal crash on 26 September 1955. Folland went on to develop a full-scale Gnat prototype.
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Foster Wikner Wicko
The Foster Wikner Wicko was a 1930s two-seat cabin monoplane built by the Foster Wikner Aircraft Company Limited at Southampton Airport.
Wikner was an Australian aircraft designer who moved to England in May 1934 and with his partners formed the Foster Wikner Aircraft Company Limited to build a low-cost two-seat high-wing monoplane. Low cost was helped by fitting a standard Ford V8 vehicle engine instead of a specialist aero-engine. The V.8 was fitted with reduction gear and was known as the Wicko F power unit. The prototype, designated the Wicko F.W.1 first flew in September 1936. Due to the 450 lb (200 kg) weight of the engine, the aircraft needed a long takeoff run and had a poor climb rate.
The prototype was rebuilt as the Wicko F.W.2 with a more powerful and much lighter 90hp air-cooled Cirrus Minor I engine. This resulted in a major reduction in overall weight but the price increased significantly. The second and subsequent aircraft were built at Southampton Airport after the company moved in 1937. The second machine was initially powered by a Cirrus Major motor and designated F.W.3, but later re-engined with a 150hp de Havilland Gipsy Major. The eight production aircraft used this engine as reflected by the name Wicko G.M.1. At the start of the World War II production ceased and one airframe remained unfinished.
One aircraft exported to New Zealand was pressed into wartime service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, crashing in 1942. Seven aircraft in the United Kingdom were pressed and another accepted directly into wartime service with the RAF, under the service name Warferry.
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General Aircraft Monospar
The General Aircraft Monospar was a 1930s series of touring and utility aircraft built by General Aircraft Ltd (GAL).
The Monospar Company designed a twin-engined low-wing aircraft designated the Monospar ST-3, that was built and flown in 1931 by the Gloster Aircraft Company, Gloucestershire. After successful testing of the Monospar ST-3, a new company General Aircraft Ltd was formed to produce aircraft that used the new Monospar wing designs.
The first production design was the Monospar ST-4, a twin-engined low-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and folding wings for ground storage. Powered by two Pobjoy R radial engines, the first aircraft (G-ABUZ) first flew in May 1932, and was followed by five production aircraft. The Monospar ST-4 Mk.II,was an improved variant with minor differences, followed with a production run of 30.
In 1933, the Monospar ST-6 appeared, a similar aircraft to the ST-4 with manually retractable landing gear and room for an extra passenger. The Monospar ST-6 was only the second British aircraft to fly with retractable landing gear. Another Monospar ST-6 was built, and two ST-4 Mk.IIs were converted. GAL then produced a developed version, the Monospar ST-10, externally the same but powered by two Pobjoy Niagara engines, an improved fuel system, and aerodynamic refinements.
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General Aircraft Monospar ST-25
The General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 was a 1930s light twin-engined utility aircraft.
The Monospar ST-25 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a fabric-covered metal structure. The monospar name came from the use of a single spar in the wing structure, that had been developed by H J Stieger. The cabin was enclosed with five seats, it was based on the GAL Monospar ST-10, with the addition of a folding seat for a fifth passenger, extra side windows, and the addition of a radio receiver. On 19 June 1935, the prototype made its first flight. It was designated Monospar ST-25 Jubilee, to honour the 25th anniversary of the reign of King George V.
The aircraft were powered by two 90hp Pobjoy Niagara II 7-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engines,which gave a max speed of 142mph and a range of around 580 miles.
Sixty aircraft were completed in various configurations including a freighter and an ambulance version.
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General Aircraft Cygnet
The General Aircraft GAL.42 Cygnet II was a 1930s single-engined training or touring aircraft.
It was the first all-metal stressed-skin lightplane to be built and flown in the UK. It was first flown in May 1937 at London Air Park, Hanworth. The sole prototype, constructed by C.W. Aircraft, had a tailwheel undercarriage and low cantilever wing, the outer panel of which wad tapered and had dihedral. Two persons sat side by side in an enclosed cabin. The metal airframe employed a semi-monocoque tailcone,with a one-piece tailplane, with dual fins at the tailplane's ends. The inverted piston engine drove a two-blade propeller.
General Aircraft modified the design to incorporate a nosewheel undercarriage and designated it the GAL.42 Cygnet II. Production of a large batch of aircraft began in 1939 but only 10 were built and delivered (1939–1941) due to the start of the WW II. Five aircraft were pressed into service with the RAF as tricycle-undercarriage trainers for aircrews slated to crew the American-made Douglas Boston. Another two were used by the government for various liaison duties but retained their civilian markings.
There are two known survivors of the 11 examples produced. The last flying survivor, company number 111 and registered as G-AGBN (ES915), was retired in 1988 and is now on display at the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune, Scotland. Another is rotting away in south Argentina, in Tierra del Fuego province where it was damaged in a landing incident.
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Gloster Sparrowhawk
The Gloster Sparrowhawk was a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the early 1920s.
Gloster was able to meet the requirements of the Imperial Japanese Navy for a single-seat fighter by a modification of the earlier Nighthawk.The resulting Sparrowhawk was made from existing stocks of stored Nighthawk parts, but replaced the unreliable Dragonfly with the 230hp Bentley BR2 rotary engine, allowing Japan's order for 50 Gloster built aircraft and a further 40 in component form for manufacture to be quickly arranged.
Of the 50 Gloster-built Sparrowhawks, 30 were Sparrowhawk I land based fighters, ten Sparrowhawk II twin-seat advanced trainers and the remaining ten completed as Sparrowhawk III shipboard fighters. The Sparrowhawk IIIs, which were similar to the 22 Gloster Nightjar carrier fighters produced to operate from the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, were fitted with flotation equipment and arrestor gear. The 40 Yokosuka assembled aircraft were completed as Sparrowhawk Is.
Although used for training from the Yamashiro, the Sparrowhawks were never operated from the Hōshō, it being replaced for shipboard operations by the purpose-designed Mitsubishi 1MF fighter before Hōshō entered service. The Sparrowhawk continued in service from shore bases until 1928, when it was retired from use as a trainer.
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Gloster Gamecock
The Gloster Gamecock was a biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force, a development of the Mk III Grebe, that first flew in February 1925.
Improvements from the Grebe were primarily its 425 hp Bristol Jupiter engine, which replaced the unreliable Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar. Other changes included improved ailerons, refined fuselage contours, and internally mounted machine guns.The Gamecock Mark I entered service with No. 23 Squadron RAF in May 1926 and they were also the last of six squadrons to operate the fighter until July 1931. This was a fairly short RAF service life, partly because of its high accident rate – of the 90 operated by the RAF, 22 were lost in landing or spin accidents. These faults were remedied in the Mk. II version, by means of a longer upper wing and a modified tail unit.
During the Finnish Winter War 1939–40, a Gamecock managed to capture a Soviet Ilyushin DB-3 bomber. On 29 January 1940, the Finnish Gamecock strafed two Soviet DB-3s when they landed on Finnish soil (they mistook for Estonia) to transfer fuel from one plane to the other. The strafed crews hurried into the one plane which had enough fuel remaining and escaped, leaving the DB-3 behind to be captured by the Finns.
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Gloster VI
The Gloster VI was a racing seaplane developed as a contestant for the 1929 Schneider Trophy.
The VI was the company`s final evolution of a series of racing floatplanes,specifically for the Schneider Trophy. It progressed from the Gloster II, through the successful Gloster III, and Gloster IV biplanes. While Henry Folland,chief designer commenced work on a further revised biplane, the Gloster V, to enter the 1929 competition, COG problems led to the design being rejected and this meant a monoplane configuration was chosen for the new design.
The Gloster VI was a low-winged braced monoplane. The wing roots were tapered to reduce thickness, designed to increase lateral control at low speeds. It retained the Napier Lion engine that had powered the previous Gloster racers, but with power boosted to 1,320 hp by supercharging. Engine cooling was via thin surface radiators on each wing.
Two aircraft, N249 & N250 were built, the first flying on 25 August 1929 and the second on 31 August. The aircraft showed promising results and high speed but had problems with fuel flow when banking, which led to engine cut-outs. For low-altitude air-racing, this was an unacceptable risk and the aircraft were withdrawn from competition in the 1929 Schneider Trophy, leaving the way clear for the Supermarine S.6 to win. An alternative theory for the withdrawal is rumoured to have been an accident to the lorry delivering the engines from Napier and insufficient time to repair the damage until the day after.
On 10 September 1929, after the Supermarine S.6 had won the Trophy, N249 returned to flight. Flight Lieutenant George Stainforth flew it over a measured mile course for a top speed of 351.3 mph and a ratified world absolute speed record, averaged over four runs of 336.3 mph. However his record was held only briefly, as a later run by Sqn Leader Augustus Orlebar in the S.6 managed to beat it with an average of 352.8 mph. During the final Schneider Trophy in 1931, the Gloster VI was still in service with the High Speed Flight as a trainer.
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Gloster F.5/34
The Gloster F.5/34 was a British fighter of the 1930s.
The F.5/34 was the first monoplane fighter built by Gloster and the last design by H.P. Folland for the company,and also Gloster's first land monoplane. By 1935,the design had changed and had acquired a number of more modern features such as a metal stressed-skin fuselage throughout. The cockpit was now a glazed and framed canopy like that of the production Gladiator which slid backwards to open, giving much better vision above and behind. Although the main dimensions remained unchanged, the tailplane was moved backwards behind the fin, requiring an extension of the fuselage beyond it, increasing the length by 3 feet. This was an innovation developed for the F.35/35 high-speed fighter specification. The intention was to improve spin recovery, by having the fin and rudder in 'clean' air, ahead of the tailplane.
The engine also changed,for the prototype aircraft, to the older Bristol Mercury poppet-valve engine. The Perseus had been developed with identical cylinder dimensions to the Mercury and was only a little larger, making the change an easy one. The Perseus was still under development and although it was likely that the sleeve valve would, and later did, give much greater scope for development, the Mercury was acceptable for development of the prototype airframe with the Perseus restored later.
Powered by an 840 hp Bristol Mercury IX nine-cylinder radial engine, the F.5/34, was informally called the Unnamed Fighter, featured many of the trademark Gloster design elements including the tail and close-fitting cowling that resembled the earlier Gauntlet and Gladiator biplane fighters. The single piece wing was later criticised as it would have prevented battle damage being repaired by replacing a single wing. Duralumin stressed-skin was used on the mainplane and tail unit with fabric-covered ailerons. The fuselage was a monocoque structure built up from light, fabricated oval-section rings with duralumin skinning.
Unusually a pair were ordered, but development was delayed by Gladiator production, so that flight trials of the first prototype K5604 did not begin until December 1936. The second prototype K8089 did not fly until March 1938.By the time the F.5/34 began its flight tests, the eight-gun Hawker Hurricane was in service and the Supermarine Spitfire in production so that further development of the Gloster fighter was abandoned.
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Gloster F.9/37
The Gloster F.9/37, also known as the Gloster G.39, was a late 1930`s British twin-engined design for a cannon-armed heavy fighter to serve with the RAF.
The F.9/37 was designed under the direction of George Carter, his first for Gloster, as a single-seat fighter carrying an armament of four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns and two 20 mm Hispano cannon in the nose. Intended for dispersed production by semi-skilled labour, the structure broke down into sub-assemblies.
A prototype with 1,060 hp Bristol Taurus T-S(a) radial engines flew on 3 April 1939 and demonstrated excellent performance, its maximum speed of 360 mph being the best recorded by a British fighter at the time. Test flights revealed that the prototype was very manoeuvrable and "a delight to fly". After being badly damaged in a landing accident in July 1939, it was re-engined with 900 hp Taurus T-S(a)-IIIs in 1940, which reduced its performance. A second prototype (L8002) with an 880 hp Rolls-Royce Peregrine I liquid-cooled, inline engines flew on 22 February 1940; it proved capable of 330 mph at 15,000 ft.
A further request for a specialist night fighter, with nose- and turret-mounted guns, led to Gloster submitting a design based on the F.9/37, fitted with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, with a dorsal four-gun turret and Airborne Interception (AI) radar. This received support from the Air Staff who saw it as superior to the Bristol Beaufighter and the Air Ministry ordered one of the F.9/37 prototypes to be converted to the new specification as F.29/40.Unofficially known as the Gloster Reaper, it inherited the admirable handling characteristics of the F.9/37 and despite being judged superior to other designs, including turreted variants of the Beaufighter and de Havilland Mosquito, the Reaper was terminated in May 1941.
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Gloster E.28/39
The Gloster E.28/39, was the first British jet-engined aircraft and first flew in 1941.
The development of the turbojet-powered E.28/39 was the product of a collaboration between the Gloster Aircraft Company and Sir Frank Whittle's firm, Power Jets Ltd. Whittle formed Power Jets Ltd in March 1936 to develop his ideas of jet propulsion, Whittle himself serving as the company's chief engineer.For several years, attracting financial backers and aviation firms prepared to take on Whittle's radical ideas was difficult; in 1931, Armstrong-Siddeley had evaluated and rejected Whittle's proposal, finding it to be technically sound but at the limits of engineering capability.
On 28 April 1939, Whittle made a visit to the premises of the Gloster Aircraft Company, where he met several key figures, such as George Carter, Gloster's chief designer.Carter took a keen interest in Whittle's project, particularly when he saw the operational Power Jets W.1 engine.Power Jets and Gloster quickly formed a mutual understanding around mid-1939.
In September 1939, the Air Ministry issued a specification to Gloster for an aircraft to test one of Frank Whittle's turbojet designs in flight. It stated "The primary object of this aeroplane will be to flight test the engine installation, but the design shall be based on requirements for a fixed gun interceptor fighter as far as the limitations of size and weight imposed by the power unit permit. The armament equipment called for in this specification will not be required for initial trials but the contractor will be required to make provision in the design for the weight and space occupied by these items...".
The E.28/39 was a low-wing monoplane designed around the new jet engine. Due to the elimination of any risk that would have been posed by conventional propeller tips striking the ground, the E.28/39 could be outfitted with an unusually short undercarriage for the time.It had a retractable undercarriage which was actuated via a hydraulic accumulator, with a manually-operated hand-pump as a backup.The flaps were also hydraulically-actuated, driven directly by the manual hand-pump. Unusually, the nose wheel was steerable by the rudder, which aided in ground manoeuvring.
The E.28/39 was powered by a Power Jets W.1 turbojet engine behind the pilot and the fuel tank. The engine exhaust was directed through the centre of the fuselage, the jetpipe terminating about two feet behind the rudder. A nose air-intake led the air through ducts around the cockpit. A fuel tank, containing up to 82 Imp gal (372.8 litres), was behind the cockpit, supposed to have been adopted as a measure against negative g, which posed the risk of causing the engine to flame out, which was hard to re-light during flight.
The original engine was started by an Austin Seven car engine, connected by a flexible drive; this arrangement was replaced by an electrical starter system that used a ground booster battery instead. The cockpit, which was entered past a sliding canopy, lacked pressurisation or any form of climate control, such as heating.
Following the completion of ground tests, the aircraft was fitted with a flightworthy engine rated for 10 hours use, and then transferred to Cranwell.On 15 May 1941, Gloster's Chief Test Pilot, Flight Lieutenant Gerry Sayer flew the aircraft under jet power for the first time from RAF Cranwell, in a flight lasting 17 minutes. In this first series of test flights, a maximum true speed of 350 m.p.h. was attained, in level flight at 25,000 ft. and 17,000 turbine revolutions per minute.
It was the fourth jet to fly after the German Heinkel He 178 (1939), the Italian Caproni Campini N.1 motorjet (1940), and the German Heinkel He 280 (1941). In 1946, the first prototype (W4041) was placed in the Science Museum in Central London, where it is exhibited today in the Flight Gallery.
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Grahame-White Type XV
The Grahame White Type XV was a military trainer biplane produced in the UK before and during World War I.
The aircraft itself was a pod-and-boom biplane with three-bay unstaggered wings. In early models, two seats were fitted on the leading edge of the lower wing for the instructor and the trainee pilot; in later models, space was provided for the crew in tandem in an open-topped nacelle, with the engine mounted pusher-fashion behind. The empennage was carried on four parallel beams extending two each from the top and bottom wings, and consisted of twin rudders and a horizontal stabiliser and elevator that were carried on the top two beams. Early production aircraft had wings of equal span, but later examples had long extensions fitted to increase the span of the upper wing. The landing gear comprised two separate, wing-mounted, 'two-wheel plus skid' assemblies and a tail-skid.
The Type XV was extensively used as a trainer by both the RNAS and RFC, with 135 examples being purchased. In November 1913, a RFC Type XV was used in the first British trials of firing a machine gun (a Lewis gun) from an aircraft at targets on the ground. Despite the number of aircraft produced, little documentation on the type has survived.
It is often referred to as the Box-kite, although this name more properly describes the Grahame-White Type XII, an earlier aircraft made by the company, from which the Type XV was derived.
Three Type XVs survived the First World War to become civil aircraft, being some of the first aircraft to bear British aircraft registrations once civil flying was permitted in 1919.
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Handley Page HP.14
The Handley Page HP.14,or Handley Page R/200 was a prototype British naval reconnaissance aircraft of World War I.
The R/200 was designed in 1917 to meet a requirement for a two-seat reconnaissance fighter capable of operating either as a floatplane or from the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers, HMS Argus and the partly converted cruiser HMS Furious. The R/200 was a small single-bay biplane powered by a 200 hp geared Hispano-Suiza 8 V-8 engine with a frontal radiator. Handley Page received an order for six prototypes in summer 1917.
The first two prototypes, fitted with floats were flown in Dec 1917, with the third, fitted with a wheeled undercarriage flying in February 1918. Test results were poor compared to than other competing aircraft, and as Handley Page was concentrating on production and development of the O/400 and V/1500 heavy bombers, the remaining three prototypes, together with a prospective production order for 20 aircraft were cancelled in March 1918.
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Handley Page V/1500
The Handley Page V/1500 was a British night-flying heavy bomber built towards the end of the First World War.
The V/1500 was produced to meet a 1917 requirement for a large night bomber capable of reaching deeper into Germany than the Handley Page O/100 which had recently entered service, carrying a 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) bombload. It was thus capable of bombing Berlin from bases in East Anglia.
The V/1500 had a similar fuselage to that of the O/400, it had longer-span, four-bay biplane wings and was powered by four 375 hp Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines mounted in two nacelles, with two engines pulling in the conventional manner and two pushing, rather than the two Eagle engines of the smaller bomber. Construction was of wood and fabric materials. A unusual design feature was the gunner's position at the extreme rear of the fuselage, between the four fins.
Owing to pressure of work at Handley Page's Cricklewood factory and to ensure security, the first prototype was constructed by Harland and Wolff at Belfast, being assembled at Cricklewood and first flying on 22 May 1918.Orders were placed with a number of companies for a total of 210 V/1500s, although only 40 aircraft were completed, with a further 22 produced as spares. The original order was for fifty machines in two batches, the first batch was for 20 and the second batch for 30. The company accounts state production continuing into 1921.
The end of the war stopped the V/1500 being used against Germany, but a single aircraft was used to carry out the first flight from England to India, and later carried out a bombing raid on Kabul during the Third Anglo-Afghan War. It was colloquially known within the fledgling RAF as the "Super Handley". The V/1500 which was shipped to Canada to attempt a transatlantic flight was flown in the US, and in 1919 crash-landed in a field at Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania.
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Handley Page Heyford
The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine British biplane bomber of the 1930s.
The Heyford was built to meet a specification for a heavy night bomber to replace the Vickers Virginia, which required a twin-engined aircraft capable of carrying 1,546 lb (700 kg) of bombs and flying 920 miles at 115 mph. The specification resulted in a large number of proposals being submitted by the British aircraft industry, with designs by Fairey (the Fairey Hendon) and Vickers (the Type 150 and Type 163 being built) as well as Handley Page's design.The prototype, the Handley Page HP.38, was designed by Handley Page's lead designer G. R. Volkert and first flew on 12 June 1930 powered by two 525 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel II engines driving two-blade propellers.
The HP.38 proved successful during service trials with No. 10 Squadron RAF and was chosen as the winner of the competition, being ordered as the HP.50 Heyford. Production Heyford Is were fitted with 575 hp Kestrel III engines and retained the two-blade propellers, while the IAs had four-blade propellers. Engine variations marked the main Mk II and III differences; the former being equipped with 640 hp Kestrel IVs, supercharged to 695 hp in the Heyford III.
The Heyford I entered service with No. 99 Squadron RAF, at RAF Upper Heyford in November 1933, and later with No. 10 Squadron and 7 Squadron, re-equipping with the Heyford IA and II in August 1934 and April 1935 respectively.Orders were placed for 70 Heyford IIIs in 1936, with steam condenser-cooled Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines. The delivery of these aircraft allowed the RAF to have nine operational Heyford Squadrons by the end of 1936.
The Heyford started to be replaced in 1937, finally being retired from frontline service in 1939. Some remained flying until 1940 as bombing and gunnery trainers.
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Handley Page H.P.42/ H.P. 45
The Handley Page H.P.42 and H.P.45 were four-engine biplane airliners from the early 1930`s.
The H.P.42/45 were designed to a specification issued during 1928 by British airline Imperial Airways; the two models share considerable similarities, the H.P.42 was optimised towards greater range at the expense of payload while the H.P.45 had these priorities inverted, allowing the latter to carry more passengers over shorter distances. Imperial Airways approved of Handley Page's proposals and ordered four aircraft of the two variants to serve as the new land-based long-distance flagships of its fleet.
On 14 November 1930, the prototype, named Hannibal, conducted its maiden flight. Following their introduction into Imperial Airways, they formed the backbone of the airliner's land-based fleet through most of the 1930s and, along with the company's numerous flying boats, have been considered to be icons of their era. A total of eight aircraft were built, four of each type; all were named, with names beginning with the letter "H". Three of the survivors were pressed into Royal Air Force (RAF) service at the outbreak of the Second World War. By the end of 1940, all of the aircraft had been destroyed as a result of several accidents.
The H.P.42 was powered by an arrangement of four Bristol Jupiter XIFs, each capable of producing up to 490 hp, while the H.P.45 variant instead used four Jupiter XFBM supercharged engines, which could generate a maximum of 555 hp each.
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Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow
The Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow was a British heavy bomber of the 1930s.
The H.P. 54 Harrow was the production version of the earlier Handley Page H.P.51 design, itself a monoplane conversion of the three-engined Handley Page H.P.43. In June 1935 the Air Ministry, anxious to modernise the RAF wrote a specification around the Harrow, emphasising its bomber role though retaining its transport capability. On 14 August, months before the first Harrow flew, the Ministry put in an order for 100 aircraft. Powered by Bristol Pegasus X engines of 830 hp, the first Harrow flew on 10 October 1936.
The Harrow was designed to have powered nose and tail turrets, with a manually operated dorsal turret. The nose and dorsal turrets were armed with a single Lewis gun, while the tail turret carried two Lewis guns. (later replaced by Vickers K machine guns). A bombload of up to 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) could be carried under the cabin floor, with the aircraft being able to carry a single 2,000 lb (910 kg) bomb.
The first Harrow was delivered to No. 214 Squadron RAF on 13 January 1937, with all 100 delivered by the end of the year.The Fleet Air Arm ordered 100 Harrows but Handley Page lacked the production capacity to supply them.As the delivery of more modern bombers increased, the Harrow was phased out as a frontline bomber by the end of 1939 but continued to be used as a transport. 271 Squadron was formed on 1 May 1940 with a mixture of Harrows, Bristol Bombays and civil aircraft.While the other aircraft equipping 271 Squadron were replaced by Douglas Dakotas, it retained a flight of Harrows as transports and ambulance aircraft until the end of the World War II in Europe.
Three Harrows were operated by Flight Refuelling Limited and refuelled Short Empire Flying Boats on transatlantic services, two from Gander, Newfoundland and one based in Foynes, Ireland. In 1940, the two aircraft based at Gander were pressed into service with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
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Handley Page Hastings
The Handley Page HP.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft.
The Handley Page Hastings was a large purpose-built four-engined transport aircraft. It was furnished with several modern features, such as a Messier-built fully retractable undercarriage, which was operated hydraulically, and unprecedented stowage space for an RAF transport aircraft. Roughly 3,000 cubic feet of unrestricted area was used to house various cargoes or passengers. The cabin was fitted with a Plymax floor, complete with various grooves, channels, and lashing points for securing goods of varying sizes, while the walls were sound proofed and lined with plywood for increased comfort.
Access was provided by a freight door on the port side, which incorporates a paratroop door, while a second paratroop door was present on the starboard side; on the ground, a rapidly deployable ramp suitable for road vehicles could be used. In service, the aircraft was typically operated by a crew of five; it could accommodate either up to 30 paratroopers, 32 stretchers and 28 sitting casualties, or a maximum of 50 fully equipped troops.The aircraft were powered by 4 Bristol Hercules 106 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines, 1,675 hp each.
Development of the Hastings had been initiated during the Second World War in response to a spec, which sought a new large four-engined transport aircraft for the RAF. Development of a civil-oriented derivative (Hermes) had been prioritised, but this direction was reversed following an accident. On 7 May 1946, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight; testing revealed unfavourable flight characteristics, which were successfully addressed via tail modifications. The type was rushed into service so that it could participate in the Berlin Airlift; reportedly, the fleet of 32 Hastings to be deployed during the RAF operation (two of which were lost in accidents),delivered a combined total of 55,000 tons (49,900 tonnes) of supplies to the city.
Between September and October 1948, No. 47 Squadron rapidly replaced its fleet of Halifax A Mk 9s with the Hastings; the squadron conducted its first sortie using the type to Berlin on 11 November 1948. During the airlift, the Hastings fleet was intensively used, principally to carry shipments of coal to the city; before the end of the crisis, two further squadrons, 297 and 53, would be involved in the effort.The final sortie of the airlift was performed by a Hastings, which occurred on 6 October 1949.
The Hastings continued to provide transport support to British military operations around the globe through the 1950s and 1960s, including dropping supplies to troops opposing Indonesian forces in Malaysia during the Indonesian Confrontation.
In 1950, the Met Mk.1 weather reconnaissance aircraft were used by 202 Squadron, based at RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland; they were used by the Squadron up until its disbandment on 31 July 1964, having been rendered obsolete by the introduction of weather satellites.The Hastings T.Mk 5 remained in service as radar trainers well into the 1970s; the variant was used for other purposes as well during this time, such as the occasional transport, air experience, and search and rescue missions.The Hastings was even deployed for reconnaissance purposes during the Cod War with Iceland during the winter of 1975–76; it was finally withdrawn from service on 30 June 1977.
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Handley Page Marathon
The Handley Page (Reading) H.P.R.1 Marathon was a British civil 20-passenger light transport from the early 1950`s.
The Marathon originated as a design by Miles Aircraft Limited as a high-wing cantilever monoplane with four engines and all-metal construction. It was capable of carrying two crew and up to 20 passengers. The aircraft was designated the Miles M.60 Marathon with the first of three prototypes flying on 19 May 1946. A total of 25 aircraft were ordered by the Ministry of Supply and 25 by British European Airways, but Miles had financial problems and needed orders for over 100, not helped when the prototype aircraft crashed.The Miles company went bankrupt, so Handley Page bought the assets, including the factory at Woodley near Reading, Berkshire and design rights to the Marathon.
The new company, known as Handley Page (Reading) Limited, started producing the Marathon with 40 aircraft built over the next three years with the new designation Handley Page (Reading) H.P.R.1 Marathon 1. A twin-engine prototype turboprop-powered version (using the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba) was flown in 1949.
The first production Marathon 1 aircraft left Woodley on 14 January 1950 for a sales tour of Australia and New Zealand. The aircraft was painted in BEA markings in September 1951 and was demonstrated to the airline at Heathrow. During acceptance tests for British European Airways it was decided that the Marathon was not suitable to replace the de Havilland Dragon Rapide and the order was reduced to seven aircraft, none of which was accepted by BEA.
Most of the returned and unsold aircraft were then diverted for use by the RAF as navigation trainers with the designation Marathon T.11. After internal modifications, most of the 28 aircraft from early 1953 were used by No. 2 Air Navigation School at RAF Thorney Island.16 aircraft were transferred to RAF Topcliffe, in June 1958 when No.1 Air Navigation School relocated there. By February 1959, only eight were airworthy. Apart from mechanical unreliability, the main problem was tail-heavy trim, an absolute ceiling of 9,500 feet, and a rate of climb of only 300 ft a minute. The navigational trainers were retired in April 1959 and most were quickly scrapped. A few Marathons were operated by other UK military users including the Royal Aircraft Establishment.
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Hawker Woodcock
The Hawker Woodcock was a British single-seat fighter from the early 1920`s.
The Hawker Woodcock was designed as a night fighter in 1922, the prototype, serial number J6987, was first flown with a 358 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar II engine in March 1923.The prototype was rejected because of poor manoeuvrability as well as suffering from serious wing flutter and ineffective rudder control.W. G. Carter took over as chief designer and reduced the wingspan by 2 ft and making it a single-bay structure. The powerplant was changed to a 380 hp Bristol Jupiter IV engine. The modified design was designated the Woodcock Mk II and first flew in July 1923. The design was progressively strengthened until the structural weakness had been resolved.
The Woodcock was armed with two .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns, synchronised to fire through the propeller arc.The guns were mounted externally on each side of the fuselage, just below the cockpit.The first aircraft to be delivered to the RAF entered service in May 1925 at RAF Upavon.Once the type's early structural problems were solved, the Woodcock proved popular with its pilots. It was replaced by the Gloster Gamecock in 1928. However, some Woodcocks were still flying in 1936.
In June 1927 a Woodcock II of No. 17 Squadron was borrowed by Charles Lindbergh to fly back to Paris from London soon after his transatlantic flight.
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Hawker Horsley
The Hawker Horsley was a British single-engined biplane bomber of the 1920s.
The Horsley was a large single-engined two-bay biplane. It had a crew of two, comprising a pilot and a gunner/bomb-aimer/radio operator, who had a .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun mounted in a ring in the rear cockpit and a prone position for bomb aiming. The rear cockpit was also fitted with dual controls.
The structure was originally all wood, but before production was complete an all-metal structure was introduced, made in what became the famous Hawker system of metal construction. The three methods of construction were designated: Horsley Mk I for the all-wooden aircraft, Horsley Mk II for the mixed material, and (unofficially) Horsley III for the all-metal aircraft. Some aircraft were fitted with floats.
An order for a single prototype was placed. The first prototype was flown in March 1925, powered by a 650 hp engine, and was delivered to the AAEE at Martlesham Heath on 4 May 1925.
The Air Ministry revised its requirements,which increased the payload from one to two 551 lb (250 kg) bombs.It also issued a spec for a torpedo bomber, required to carry a 2,150 lb (980 kg) torpedo.The Horsley's ability to cope with the increased loads required to meet these new specifications led to the design being favoured by the RAF, with an initial order of forty aircraft, consisting of ten wooden Mk Is and 30 Mk IIs of mixed metal and wood construction,being ordered.
The Horsleys remained in service in the day-bombing role until 1934, The last Horsley, a Merlin-powered testbed flew its final flight at RAE Farnborough on 7 March 1938.A total of 124 Horsleys were built, including six aircraft for the Hellenic Naval Air Service and the two related Dantorps built for Denmark.
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Hawker Harrier
The Hawker Harrier was an experimental biplane torpedo bomber aircraft from the late 1920`s.
In 1925, the Air Ministry laid down specifications for a high altitude bomber to replace the Hawker Horsley and for a coastal torpedo bomber.As these specifications were similar, the Air Ministry announced that a single competition would be held to study aircraft submitted for both specifications.Sydney Camm designed the Harrier to meet the requirements with the prototype (J8325) first flying in February 1927, the first of the competitors for the two specifications to fly.
The Harrier was a two-seat biplane with single-bay wings powered by a geared 583 hp Bristol Jupiter VIII radial. It was armed with one .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun and one .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun carrying a maximum of 1,000 lb (450 kg) of bombs.
The prototype Harrier was tested A & AEE at Martlesham Heath in November 1927, where, while it met the requirements of Specification 23/25 and had satisfactory handling, the geared engine meant it was rather underpowered,and it had an inferior bombload to the Hawker Horsley, the aircraft it was intended to replace. It was further modified to carry a torpedo,but tests reviled the modified aircraft, however was still badly underpowered, being incapable of taking off with a torpedo, gunner and full fuel load.It was therefore not considered further, the competition was won by the Vickers Vildebeest.
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Hawker Tomtit
The Hawker Tomtit is a British training biplane from the late 1920s.
The Tomtit was a single bay biplane whose frame was of steel and duralumin tubes. The spars were made of tubular dumbbell sections, the whole aircraft fabric covered. Automatic Handley Page type slats were fitted to the leading edges of the upper wing. It had the standard fixed main wheel and tail-skid undercarriage of its day. The engine was uncowled.
Instructor and trainee sat in open tandem cockpits. The latter, at the rear, was provided with the then-new blind flying panel and a cockpit hood was fitted so blind flying instruction was possible.
The RAF Tomtits had 150 hp Mongoose IIIC engines. The prototype was first flown in November 1928.
Hawker also produced five civil registered Tomtits.The first two of these started with Mongoose IIIA engine and the third with an upright in-line 115 hp A.D.C. Cirrus Major. It was thought that this latter, lower power engine choice might appeal more to public sporting owners. Three of this group were later owned by Wolseley, who fitted them with their cowled A.R. 7 and A.R.9 radial engines.
Between 1928 and 1931, 24 aircraft were delivered to the RAF for evaluation.After the first batch of ten, two more batches of six and eight aircraft respectively were ordered. The competition included the eventual winner, the Avro Tutor. Military Tomtits were sold elsewhere, two to Canada and four to New Zealand.Despite its failure to win the RAF contract, it is likely that more Tomtits could have been sold as it was popular with their pilots but Hawker were busy producing the Hawker Hart and its many variants and did not have the capacity to manufacture other aircraft. The civil aimed Cirrus powered machine had turned out to be rather underpowered and lacking the control of the standard aircraft.
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Hawker Nimrod
The Hawker Nimrod was a British carrier-based single-engine, single-seat biplane fighter aircraft built in the early 1930s
The Nimrod was a single-seater biplane with an open cockpit, fixed undercarriage and guns firing through the propeller. Its unswept, constant chord, round-tipped wings had an unequal span and strong stagger, partly to improve the pilot's view. It was a single bay biplane braced with outward-leaning N-form interplane struts, with the upper plane held a little above the upper fuselage by cabane struts. The fabric-covered wings had metal spars and spruce ribs and carried balanced ailerons only on the upper wings.
The 477 hp Rolls-Royce F.9MS engine, later renamed the Kestrel IIMS was closely cowled in aluminium and the rest of the fuselage fabric covered. As with the Fury, the upper fuselage line was highest at the cockpit, placed between the trailing edges of the upper and lower planes.The tailplane was mounted on top of the fuselage and carried split horn balanced elevators; the vertical tail had Hawker's familiar curved shape, with a deep, wide chord, unbalanced rudder extending to the keel.It could also operate as a floatplane on single-step, crossbraced floats mounted on N-form struts. With floats fitted, the maximum speed was reduced by 47 mph, or 25%.
A production order for 35 was placed and the first of these flew on 31 October 1931. In the following year, another contract for a further 19 Nimrod Is was signed.With a top speed of 193 mph it was only marginally slower than its land-based counterpart, the Hawker Fury.A headrest fairing was added retrospectively to the Nimrod Is, to ease pilot strain during catapult launches. Aircraft from the later production batch were fitted with arrestor hooks. Experiments with the first of this batch, refitted with swept upper and lower wings, lead to the Nimrod II. As well as the swept wings, this had at first an uprated 608 hp Kestrel II engine. Later, these were replaced with 525 hp Kestrel Vs. Later Nimrod IIs had a slight increase in rudder area to improve spin recovery.Originally it was intended that the Nimrod II should have corrosion-resistant stainless steel, but only three of these were built. The first of 27/33 Nimrod IIs was delivered in March 1933.
The first production Nimrod Is entered service in 1932 with No.408 Flight on HMS Glorious. Others went to No.s 402 and 409 Flights soon after. Fleet Air Arm flights were reorganised into Squadrons early in 1933, with the Nimrods joining No.s 801, 802 and 803 Squadrons RAF.The Nimrod had been replaced by more modern designs such as the Sea Gladiator by May 1939, before the start of World War II.
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Hawker Tornado
The Hawker Tornado was a British single-seat fighter aircraft design of World War II for the RAF.
Shortly after the Hawker Hurricane entered service, Hawker began work on its eventual successor. Two alternative projects were undertaken: the Type N (for Napier), with a Napier Sabre engine, and the Type R (for Rolls-Royce), equipped with a Rolls-Royce Vulture powerplant.The specification called for a single-seat fighter armed with twelve 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns, a maximum speed of 400 mph at 15,000 ft (4,600 m) and a service ceiling of 35,000 ft (10,700 m) were required. Two prototypes of both the Type N and R were ordered on 3 March 1938.
Both prototypes were very similar to the Hurricane in general appearance, and shared some of its construction techniques.The new design featured car-like side-opening doors for entry, and used a large 40 ft (12 m) wing that was much thicker in cross-section than those on aircraft like the Spitfire. The rear fuselage, from behind the cockpit, differed from that of the Hurricane in that it was a duralumin, semi-monocoque, flush-riveted structure. The all-metal wings incorporated the legs and wheel-bays of the wide-track, inward-retracting main undercarriage. The two models were also very similar to each other; the R plane had a rounder nose profile and a ventral radiator, whereas the N had a flatter deck and a chin-mounted radiator. The X-24 cylinder configuration of the Vulture required two sets of ejector exhaust stacks on each side of the cowling, and that the engine was mounted further forward than the Sabre in order to clear the front wing spar.
On 6 October 1939, the first prototype (P5219) was flown.Trials revealed airflow problems around the radiator, which was relocated to a chin position. Later changes included increased rudder area, and the upgrading of the powerplant to the Vulture Mark V engine.The completion of the second prototype (P5224) was significantly delayed. It featured the chin radiator, additional window panels in the fairing behind the cockpit, and the machine guns were replaced by four 20 mm Hispano cannon. It was first flown on 5 December 1940, and was powered by a Vulture II, although as in the case of the first prototype, a Vulture V was later installed.
To avoid disrupting the Hurricane lines, production was sub-contracted to Avro in Manchester and Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft in Eastleigh, with orders for 1,760 and 200 respectively being placed in 1939. However, only one of these aircraft, from Avro, was ever built and flown, this being R7936. Shortly after its first flight at Woodford, on 29 August 1941, the Vulture programme was abandoned, followed closely by the cancellation of the Tornado order. At that time four aircraft were at various stages of production at the Avro plant at Yeadon, West Yorkshire.
The Vulture was cancelled by Rolls-Royce in July 1941, partly due to the problems experienced in its use on other aircraft, but mostly to free up resources for Merlin development and production. The Merlin was also starting to deliver the same power levels.The Vulture engine installation in the Tornado was relatively trouble free and the aircraft itself had fewer problems in flight than its Sabre-engined counterpart. The third prototype (HG641), the only other Tornado to fly, was flown on 23 October 1941, powered by a Bristol Centaurus CE.4S sleeve valve radial engine.
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Hawker P.1081
The Hawker P.1081, also known as the "Australian Fighter" was a prototype British jet aircraft from the mid-1950`s.
Hawker Aircraft submitted a proposal to the RAAF, for a swept-wing, swept-tail fighter based on the Hawker P.1052, but using a Rolls-Royce Tay engine. Work began to modify the second prototype of the P.1052 (VX279) along these lines, although the Rolls-Royce Nene engine already fitted was initially retained. VX279, which was now the prototype P.1081,first flew on 19 June 1950. CAC, evidently planning to build any design accepted by the Australian government, assigned the serial number CA-24 to the P.1081.
By mid-1950, however, the RAAF urgently required a replacement for its Mustangs, some of which were in action in Korea and faced the possibility of clashes with MiG 15s. The P.1081 could not realistically become operational within the time frame required; in November 1950, Hawker decided to cease development. Likewise, the US-built North American F-86 Sabre could not be delivered to the RAAF for at least a few years. As a stop-gap measure, the RAAF ordered the Gloster Meteor F.8. CAC instead built a more powerful, Rolls-Royce Avon-engined variant of the F-86 a project which resulted in the CAC Sabre.
The P.1081 prototype, which had remained in the UK, was handed over by Hawker to the (RAE). Its swept tail increased the Mach number above that of the P.1052 into the Mach 0.9-0.95 region, providing valuable data that contributed to the design of the axially-powered Hawker Hunter.On 3 April 1951, the P.1081 prototype was lost in a fatal crash.
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Hawker Siddeley Andover
The Hawker Siddeley HS 780 Andover is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft.
The RAF decided to order a military variant of the 748, designated the Avro 780; and the original Avro 748 prototype was modified with an upswept rear fuselage and rear loading ramp as the Avro 748MF, to test the military version. It had more powerful Dart Mk 301s engines and a unique kneeling landing gear. In April 1963, the RAF ordered 31 aircraft as the Andover C.1. The 748MF first flew on 21 December 1963. The aircraft had larger four-bladed propellers than the 748, which required a greater distance between the engines and the fuselage, although the wingtips were reduced by 18 inches to maintain the same wingspan as the 748. A dihedral tailplane was also fitted to keep it clear of the propeller slipstream.
The Andover C.1 was flown for the first time on 9 July 1965 and the first four examples were flown to RAF Boscombe Down for acceptance trials that year. The full contract of 31 aircraft were delivered to squadrons in Transport Command.There was a follow-on order placed with Hawker Siddeley for six aircraft as the CC.2, a version of the standard HS 748, and these went initially to 21 Squadron at RAF Khormaksar.
Three of the RAF Andovers continued to fly into the second decade of the 21st century, a C.1 with the Empire Test Pilots' School and one C.1 with the Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron of the Joint Test and Evaluation Group. The remaining aircraft was a modified C.1 converted for photo-reconnaissance, the Andover C.1(PR), serial number XS596; the UK-named aircraft under the Treaty on Open Skies; all three were based at RAF Boscombe Down.
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Heston Phoenix.
The Heston Type 1 Phoenix was a 1930s British single-engined five-seat light transport monoplane.
The Type 1 Phoenix was the first design of the Heston Aircraft Company formed in 1934. The Phoenix was a single-engined high-wing monoplane, with a wood monocoque fuselage and wood-framed wing with plywood and fabric covering. It was powered by a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy VI engine, and had a retractable main undercarriage in stub-wings plus a faired tailwheel. It was the first British high-wing monoplane fitted with a hydraulically operated retractable undercarriage.
The prototype Phoenix, registered G-ADAD, first flew on 18 August 1935.The fourth, fifth and sixth aircraft were designated Phoenix II, and were fitted with an improved 205 hp de Havilland Gipsy VI Series II engine and a de Havilland constant speed propeller.Four British aircraft were used by private owners and for charter flying. At the outbreak of World War II, three surviving aircraft in the UK were pressed into service by the RAF.
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Heston JC.6
The Heston JC.6 was a British prototype air observation post aircraft from the late 1940`s.
The Heston JC.6 was designed and built to meet an Air Ministry Specification for an "Air Observation Post" (AOP) for the British Army. Heston Aircraft built two prototypes, the first, serial VL529, first flew in August 1947. The second, serial VL530, was not flown.
The JC.6 was an all-metal cantilever monoplane with twin booms and two vertical tail surfaces joined by a single horizontal tailplane. It was powered by a rear-mounted de Havilland Gipsy Queen six-cylinder 240hp aero engine fitted between the twin booms and driving a pusher propeller. The two-seat tandem cockpit was covered with a large glazed canopy. The JC.6 had a tricycle landing gear and the mainplane was fitted with slots and flaps to give short takeoff and landing performance. During the evaluation trials the rival Auster AOP.6 had a better performance and was ordered into production. Two further Heston JC.6s, serials VL531 and VL532, were not built.
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Luton Minor
The Luton L.A.4 Minor was a 1930s British single-seat high-wing ultra-light aircraft.
The L.A.3 Minor ultralight was powered by a 35 hp Anzani inverted-vee air-cooled engine, and was built from spruce, ply and fabric. It was designed by C.H. Latimer-Needham, and built by Luton Aircraft, Bedfordshire in 1936, using the fuselage and components of the earlier experimental L.A.2 tandem-wing aircraft. The prototype L.A.3 Minor, first flew on 3 March 1937. The aircraft was a successful flyer despite the low-powered engine, and it was then redesigned for home construction. Designated the L.A.4 Minor, it had a strutted undercarriage and parallel wing struts. The first L.A.4 Minor was built at the company's new factory (the Phoenix Works) in Buckinghamshire. It was fitted with a 40 hp ABC Scorpion two-cylinder horizontally-opposed engine. All subsequent Luton Minors were home-built from plans sold by the company.
The Phoenix Works had burnt down during 1943, and Luton Aircraft had closed, so designer C.H. Latimer-Needham and A.W.J.G. Ord-Hume created a new company in March 1958 to take over the design rights for the Luton Minor. The updated design was to make provision for more modern lightweight four-cylinder engines and an increased all-up weight. The aircraft was designated L.A.4A Minor. The design, and subsequently the aircraft, has been built all over the world as a homebuilt aircraft with a variety of engines, with the plans for the aircraft being passed on to the Popular Flying Association (now the Light Aircraft Association) in the UK.
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Martinsyde S.1
The Martin-Handasyde Scout 1 was a British biplane aircraft of the early part of the First World War.
It was a single-seat biplane with a 80hp Gnome engine in tractor configuration, it was armed with a forward firing 0.303in (7.7mm) Lewis machine gun. Sixty of the S.1 were built and these were used for about 6 months on the Western Front by the RFC before it was relegated to training. Although initially intended for use in Home Defence operating from the UK, it was found to be inadequate for that too.
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Martinsyde F.1
The Martinsyde F.1 was a British two-seat biplane fighter from 1917.
The F.1 was designed as a fighter,it was a large tractor biplane powered by a 250 hp Rolls-Royce Mk III piston engine. It had tandem open cockpits with unusual feature of the observer forward and the pilot behind. A rectangular aperture was cut-out of the upper wing above the observer's cockpit which would allow the observer to use a Lewis gun.It was tested flown in July 1917, where it demonstrated good handling but was criticised for the awkward crew arrangement. It was not ordered into production and only one prototype (of two ordered) was built. It continued in use at Farnborough until after the end of the war.
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Miles Hawk
The Miles M.2 Hawk was a 1930s British two-seat light monoplane.
The Hawk was designed in 1933 by F.G. Miles.The Hawk was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with wings designed to be folded. It had an open cockpit for two in tandem. The prototype was powered by a 95 hp ADC Cirrus IIIA engine was built by Philips and Powis Limited (now known as Miles Aircraft) and first flew on 29 March 1933.The aircraft sold well for the time, the price of only 395 pounds and the benefits of a monoplane. A number of one off variants were built, including a cabin monoplane (M.2A), a long-range single-seater (M.2B) and three-seat versions for leisure flying (M.2D).
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Miles Falcon
The Miles M.3 Falcon is a 1930s British three/four-seat cabin monoplane aircraft.
The M.3 Falcon was a clean, single engined low-wing monoplane structurally similar to the earlier Miles M.2F Hawk Major family, but had side-by-side seating for two behind the pilot in a glazed cockpit. It was powered by a 130 hp de Havilland Gipsy Major piston engine. The prototype, G-ACTM, first flew on 12 October 1934.
The first production aircraft (M.3A Falcon Major) was flown in January 1935. It had a wider fuselage to improve passenger comfort and revised glazing with a forward sloping windscreen. The M.3A was underpowered, so the (M.3B Falcon Six) and later versions were fitted with a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six engine.
Twenty-nine M.3As and M.3Bs were delivered during 1935 and 1936 to private owners, clubs, and commercial operators in Britain and abroad.Pre war, three Falcon Sixes appeared in RAF colours at the (RAE) for trials of a variety of wings and aerodynamic innovations. At the outbreak of the war three aircraft remained civilian as communications aircraft with various companies but, like many civil aircraft, ten others were impressed into service by the RAF, Royal Navy, the RAAF and the Swedish air force. Six Falcons survived the war.
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Miles Nighthawk
The Miles M.7 Nighthawk was a 1930s British training and communications monoplane.
The M.7 Nighthawk was developed from the Miles Falcon Six intended as a training and communications aircraft. The prototype, registered G-ADXA, was first flown in 1935, it was a low-wing monoplane powered by a 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. The prototype crashed during spinning trials at Woodley Aerodrome in January 1937. Four production aircraft followed.
The design was modified to meet an Air Ministry spec and produced as the M.16 Mentor. In 1944 a Nighthawk fuselage was fitted with the wings from a Mohawk and fitted with a 205 hp de Havilland Gipsy Six Series II engine with a variable pitch airscrew. It was designated the M.7A Nighthawk.The last Nighthawk to remain airworthy was G-AGWT in the early 1960s.
Two aircraft were delivered to the Royal Romanian Air Force in 1936 and one was delivered to the RAF in May 1937 with serial number L6846.
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Miles Monarch
The Miles M.17 Monarch was a British, light, touring aeroplane of the 1930s.
It was a single-engine, three-seat, cabin monoplane with a fixed, tailwheel undercarriage.The Monarch was a development of their earlier Whitney Straight, the Monarch had an enlarged fuselage, allowing provision of a third seat in part of what had been the luggage space. Eleven aircraft were built between 1938 and 1939, six of these to British customers, the rest going to export.The aircraft were powered by a 130hp De Havilland Gipsy Major I 4-cylinder air-cooled inverted in-line piston engine.
At the outbreak of WWII five of the British-registered machines were pressed by the Air Ministry; one machine belonging to Rolls-Royce acquired camouflage paint but remained in its owner's service. All but one of these survived the war, though a Dutch-registered aeroplane (PH-ATP) was destroyed in the Luftwaffe raid on Schiphol on 10 May 1940. One aircraft, OY-DIO, was on the Danish register until 9 Sept. 1939 and owned by a Dane named Hagedorn.
The remaining Monarchs led uneventful but useful careers; a number survived into the Sixties. G-AFJU is displayed at the National Museum of Flight at RAF East Fortune near East Linton, Scotland.
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Miles Monitor
The Miles M.33 Monitor was a twin-engined British target tug aircraft.
The Monitor design was submitted as a response for a twin-engined high-speed target tug for the RAF. The specification called for a towing speed of not less than 300 mph, be capable of 90 mph while streaming targets,an endurance of 3–4 hours and - most unusually - be capable of being dismantled and fitted into standard packing crates. Two prototypes were ordered; the first prototype (NF900) first flew on 5 April 1944, and was capable of reaching 360 mph.
The Monitor was a high-winged aircraft with an all-metal fuselage and wooden wings. The aircraft was powered by two 1700 hp Wright Cyclone R-2600-31 radial engines driving Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propellers. It was fitted with a hydraulic winch as the normal windlasses could not be used at speeds of much more than 150 mph, while the Monitor was required to tow targets at double this speed.The original requirement for a target towing aircraft for the RAF was abandoned, and the orders for Monitors was taken over by the Fleet Air Arm, who required an aircraft capable of simulating dive-bombing attacks on warships.
At the end of the war, contracts for 600 Monitors were cancelled, only 20 in total were built.None entered service and all survivors were scrapped in the late 1940`s.
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Miles Messenger
The Miles M.38 Messenger is a British four-seat liaison and private owner aircraft.
The Messenger was designed to meet a British Army requirement for a robust, slow speed, low maintenance air observation post and liaison aircraft.The aircraft designed was a cantilever low-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel, powered by the de Havilland Gipsy Major 1D inline engine.The Messenger featured triple fins and rudders in order to maintain sufficient controllability down to the exceptionally low stalling speed of 25 mph.
It`s prototype was converted from a Miles M.28 Mercury and first flew 12 September 1942, test flown by an Aerial Observation Post Squadron it was declared a success, meeting all the army's requirements, however the Ministry of Aircraft Production, having not been consulted, reprimanded George Miles for failing to seek their permission before rebuilding the aircraft and no orders for the Miles M.38 were placed for the aerial observation post type.A year later a small order against Specification 17/43 was placed on behalf of the RAF for the Messenger I to be employed in the VIP transport passenger transport role.
During the war years of the 21 Messengers produced seventeen Messenger 1s survived, and when retired from RAF duties most were converted for civilian use as the Messenger 4A. They were flown by private pilots and business owners.
Post-war production centred on the Messenger 2A for the civilian market, aircraft were being built at Newtownards in Northern Ireland and then flown to Woodley for final fitting out.
After 71 aircraft were built, production ceased in 1948; a single example was assembled, from existing parts, in 1950.Several examples of the type were sold to Australia and others were exported to Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand, South Africa and Switzerland.Several examples were still flying in the UK and New Zealand.
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Miles Aerovan
The Miles M.57 Aerovan was a British twin-engined short-range low-cost transport.
The Aerovan was a twin-engined high-wing monoplane of plastic-bonded plywood construction with some spruce and metal parts. It had fixed tricycle undercarriage, three vertical tail and rudder units, one central and two as tailplane endplates. A large fin area was required by the deep-sided forward fuselage, and a pod and boom fuselage. Two pilots were seated beneath a clear perspex canopy which formed the front dorsal part of the pod, four or five circular windows providing a view for passengers on either side. The Aerovan was capable of lifting a family car, loaded through clamshell rear doors. Designed in 1944, the prototype was built at Miles factory at Woodley, Berkshire and was first flown there on 26 January 1945.
Aerovan production started in 1946 primarily for civil use, although examples were used briefly by the military of Israel and New Zealand. Production ended late in 1947 after 52 aircraft had been built.
Most Mk 3 and 4 Aerovans were used on passenger and freight services, charter work and pleasure flights in the UK and in the Near East. Meridian Air Maps operated Aerovan 4 G-AISF on aerial survey work from October 1955 until it crashed on takeoff from Manchester (Ringway) on 29 April 1957.
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Miles Gemini
The Miles M.65 Gemini was a British twin-engined four-seat touring aircraft from the mid-1940`s.
The Gemini first flew on 26 October 1945.It was a four-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane of plastic-bonded plywood construction. It had twin vertical tail units and was originally powered by 90 hp Blackburn Cirrus Minor engines, the aircraft was put into large scale production straight away and 130 Geminis were sold in the first year. Later variants were fitted with different engines, of 100hp, 145hp and 155hp.
The aircraft was popular with private owners for touring throughout Europe and many were exported to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other Commonwealth countries. In the late 1940s and early 1950s they were frequently entered in air races.Several aircraft were used as light business transports by commercial firms including Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd, Fairey Aviation and B.K.S Engineering. Other examples were flown by UK independent airlines on light charter work within the U.K. and Europe.
Two examples completed in 1951 by F. G. Miles were fitted with 155 hp Blackburn Cirrus Major III engines and provided with enlarged and heightened fins. These were re-designated the Miles M.75 Aries
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Miles Sparrowjet
The Miles M.77 Sparrowjet was a twin-engined jet-powered racing aircraft from the early 1950`s.
The Sparrowjet first flew on 14 December 1953.It was a development of the 1935 Sparrowhawk with modifications including a new tail section and front fuselage, fixed, faired-in undercarriage and a large clear canopy. The wing roots were modified to take the Palas engines.
The prototype M.5 Sparrowhawk G-ADNL was modified to M.77 Sparrowjet standard, and first flown on 28 August 1954. It flew for display at Baginton during the Royal Aero Club race in July but had been prevented from racing owing to an air starter fault.It won the SBAC Challenge Cup at Yeadon, West Yorkshire in 1956 and the King's Cup Race in 1957 with a top speed of 228 mph.
The Sparrowjet was severely damaged in a hangar fire at Upavon, Wiltshire in July 1964. In 2004 it was under rebuild in the Bristol area using discarded components from the 1950/53 conversion. The rebuild was still ongoing as of early 2012.
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Mosscraft MA.2
The Mosscraft MA.2 was a British light two-seat low-winged sporting monoplane of the 1930s.
The Moss M.A.2 was designed and built in 1939 at the Moss Brothers Aircraft Ltd factory in Chorley, England. It was of wooden construction and initially had two open cockpits, but was later converted to a two-seat side-by-side cabin layout.
The first MA.2 G-AFMS was demonstrated at Heathrow in May 1939.It was shipped to Canada, where it became CF-BUB. It was flown over the Rocky Mountains in 1941, being the lowest powered aircraft to do so to date. It was flown to the Canadian east coast and down into the U.S.A. The aircraft was powered by a 90hp Blackburn Cirrus Minor I 4-cylinder air-cooled inverted inline engine.
After storage, it was shipped back to the UK in 1947. It was flown in the 1949 Kings Cup Air Race and the 1950 race.It was sold to the Fairwood Flying Group based at Swansea Airport in September 1953, who continued to fly the aircraft until it crashed 10 miles south of Builth Wells, Mid-Wales, on 7 July 1958.A second MA.2 was built prewar, but not completed. It was found at Chorley in 1964.
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Nieuport Nighthawk
The Nieuport Nighthawk was a British fighter aircraft developed by the Nieuport & General Aircraft company for the RAF towards the end of the First World War.
The Nieuport & General Aircraft Co. Ltd. was formed on 16 November 1916 to produce French Nieuport aircraft under licence.During 1917,Henry Folland was hired as chief designer, the company started to design its own aircraft, with the first type, the Nieuport B.N.1 fighter (the designation signifying British Nieuport) flying early in 1918.
Folland designed the Nighthawk, a wooden two-bay biplane to be powered by a new Dragonfly engine.. An initial order for 150 Nighthawks was placed in August 1918,before prototypes or flight-ready engines were available, with the first prototype,flying in April or May 1919.
By this time, it was clear that the Dragonfly engine had serious problems, being prone to extreme overheating, high fuel consumption and severe vibration.When the engine did operate as planned to, the Nighthawk showed excellent performance, but in September 1919, it was finally recognised that the Dragonfly was unsalvagable and the engine programme was cancelled, although by this time 1,147 engines had been delivered.
In an attempt to work out the problems with the Dragonfly engine, four Nighthawks were also retained by the R.A.E. with trials carried out in 1920–21.Nieuport & General closed down in August 1920, and the rights to the Nighthawk were purchased by the Gloster Aircraft Company, who also hired Folland as chief designer. Gloster proceeded to produce a number of derivatives of the Nighthawk, using stocks of Nighthawk components acquired by the company from the cancelled production run, calling them the Gloster Mars.
The Gloster Nighthawk, or Mars VI, replaced the Dragonfly with either an Armstrong-Siddeley Jaguar or a Bristol Jupiter radial. In 1922, the RAF acquired 29 aircraft converted from Nieuport Nighthawks, powered by both Jaguar and Jupiter engines, while Greece purchased 25 Jaguar powered fighters.
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Norman Thompson N.T.2B
The Norman Thompson N.T.2B was a British single-engined flying boat trainer of the First World War.
The N.T.2B, was a single-engined pusher biplane, with unequal span two-bay wings and powered by a 160 hp Beardmore engine mounted between the wings driving a four-bladed propeller. The trainee pilot and instructor sat side by side in an enclosed cockpit, fitted with dual controls.Later aircraft were fitted with a 200 hp Sunbeam Arab, which was mounted slightly to starboard of the centreline of the aircraft to overcome the greater torque of the more powerful engine. The Arab, however, proved very unreliable, and the powerplant was changed again, to the 200 hp Hispano-Suiza 8 engine, which was mounted at an angle to overcome a similar torque problem as was noted with the Arab.
The RNAS's and RAF`s needs for the N.T.2B were beyond the capacity of Norman Thompson, so orders were placed with Supermarine and S. E. Saunders,as well as with the parent company.At least 294 had been ordered by the end of the First World War, which brought about large scale cancellations.Delivery delays caused by the engine problems caused a backlog in training flying boat pilots.Seventy-nine were on charge with the RAF on 31 October 1918.At the end of the war, N.T.2Bs were sold to the air forces of Estonia, Peru and Norway.Civil N.T.2Bs were flown in Norway and Canada, where one aircraft remained in use for forestry patrols until 1929.
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Parnall Panther
The Parnall Panther was a British carrier based spotter and reconnaissance aircraft designed and developed by Parnall and Sons in the latter years of World War I.
The Parnall Panther was designed by Harold Bolas,it was planned to meet the requirements of Admiralty Specification N.2A for a two-seat reconnaissance aircraft capable of operating from aircraft carriers. The first prototype,flew in 1917, with a further five prototypes being produced.The Panther was a wooden, single-bay biplane, which, unusually for the time, was fitted with a birch plywood monocoque fuselage which could be folded for shipboard storage, the fuselage was hinged aft of the observer's cockpit.
The pilot and observer had individual cockpits in the fuselage, this giving a good view for landing, but restricting access to the pilot's cockpit. Inflatable flotation airbags were fitted beneath the wings to keep the aircraft afloat in the event of ditching into the sea, with a hydrovane fitted in front of the undercarriage in order to stop the aircraft nosing over.
After testing and evaluation, an order for 300 Panthers was placed with Parnall in 1918.However, this was reduced to 150 following the end of the year.The Panther served with Spotter Reconnaissance Flights aboard the aircraft carriers HMS Argus and HMS Hermes. While the Panthers handled well in the air, the elderly 230hp Bentley engines proved unreliable, the longitudinal arrestor wires in use aboard British aircraft carriers at the time, was unsatisfactory, resulting in many accidents. Panthers continued in service with the Fleet Air Arm until 1926.
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Parnall Plover
The Parnall Plover was a British single-seat naval fighter aircraft of the 1920s.
The successful aircraft was to replace the Nieuport Nightjar and be powered by a Bristol Jupiter or Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine capable of being operated from aircraft carriers or as a floatplane. The Plover was a single-bay biplane of wood-and-fabric construction, fitted with full-span flaps and could be fitted with a conventional wheeled undercarriage or floats (with wheels). The first prototype flew in late 1922, powered by a 430 hp Bristol Jupiter. Two more prototypes followed, with the second a floatplane, also powered by a Jupiter and the third a landplane powered by a Jaguar engine.
Six Plovers entered service with 403 and 404 Fleet Fighter Flights of the RAF in 1923, the RN also took six aircraft for evaluation and allowing the type to be tested in service against the Flycatcher and the Nightjar, which both types were planned to replace. The Flycatcher was preferred, being a more popular aircraft to fly as well as being easier to rig, replacing the Plover in 1924.One aircraft was entered on the civil register as G-EBON and was flown in the 1919 King's Cup Air Race, the Plover retired from the race due to fuel flow problems. G-EBON crashed and was destroyed in January 1929.
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Parnall Elf
The Parnall Elf is a British two seat light touring aircraft of the 1920s.
The Parnall Elf was designed by Harold Bolas, chief designer, it was a biplane of wood and fabric construction with staggered wings set forward on the fuselage as a feature to assist crew escape in an emergency. The wings were braced with 'vee' interplane struts which dispensed with any flying wires and could be folded for ease of hangarage. The main fuel tank was fitted in the fuselage, while a pump raised the fuel to a small tank in the wing centre section where it was then fed to the 120 hp Cirrus Hermes II 4-cylinder air-cooled in-line piston engine,by gravity.
Parnall Elf, G-AAIN, is maintained and operated by the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire, and may be flown regularly throughout the summer.
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Port Victoria P.V.7
The Port Victoria P.V.7 Grain Kitten was a prototype British Fighter aircraft from 1917.
It was designed and built by the Port Victoria Marine Experimental Aircraft Depot on the Isle of Grain.And was a small and light biplane intended to fly off platforms on Royal Navy Destroyers.
It was a very small single bay tractor biplane, of sesquiplane configuration, with its lower wing much smaller than its upper wing. The wings were fitted with ailerons only on the upper wing. It was intended, as was the competing Eastchurch design, to use a 45 hp geared ABC Gnat two-cylinder air-cooled engine. Armament was a single Lewis gun mounted above the upper wing.
Harry Busteed took over command of the Port Victoria Marine Aircraft Experimental Department, taking the designer of the Eastchurch competitor and the part built prototype with him,with the Eastchurch design gained the Port Victoria designation P.V.8. The P.V.7 acquired the name Grain Kitten to distinguish it from the P.V.8, which was named the Eastchurch Kitten.
The P.V.7 first flew on 22 June 1917, powered by a 35 hp ungeared Gnat engine, as the geared engine was unavailable.It proved to be tail heavy in the air and difficult to control on the ground, with its sesquiplane layout and high lift wings being considered unsuitable for such a small aircraft. The Gnat engine proved to be extremely unreliable,it was prone to cutting out so test flights had to remain within gliding distance of an airfield.
When the P.V.8 first flew in September, it proved superior, although it had similar problems with the 35 hp Gnat. The P.V.7 was rebuilt with new wings of conventional aerofoil section, a modified tail and a new undercarriage. The low power and unreliability of the Gnat,prevented either aircraft being suitable for the intended use, and the P.V.7 was not flown again after it was rebuilt.
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Reid and Sigrist R.S.1
The Reid and Sigrist R.S. 1 was a British twin-engined, three-seat advanced trainer developed in 1939.
Reid and Sigrist in Desford, Leicester, United Kingdom, were an important instrument manufacturer in the interwar era, they formed an aviation division in 1937.Their first aircraft was a twin-engined advanced trainer powered by a pair of de Havilland Gipsy Six II 205 hp,engines.Although a conventional mid-wing "taildragger" design with mainly wooden construction, the fuselage/wing surfaces had plywood covering, and the cockpit featured a sliding canopy for the three-seat configuration, that was popular at the time for training. An alternate light bomber configuration was also proposed with a pilot and radio operator/navigator in the front compartment and a rear-facing gunner position behind equipped with a single machine gun.
The prototype, registered as G-AEOD on 9 October 1936, had its first flight in 1939.The R.S.1 named whimsically "Snargasher" by the factory workers during its construction made its first public appearance at the Royal Aeronautical Society on 15 May 1939 with its COA issued on 3 June 1939.Further development of the type was suspended as the company became a wartime engineering and production concern,with Bolton-Paul Defiant and Hawker Hurricane assembly and repair contracts.The aircraft retained its civil registration but flew in camouflage until the sole prototype was broken up in 1944.
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Rollason Druine Turbulent
The Druine D.31 Turbulent is a French single-seat ultralight Homebuilt aircraft designed by Roger Druine.
The D.31 Turbulent was designed to be amateur-built and is a single-seat ultra-light aircraft with cantilever low-wing and fixed tailwheel landing gear. Designed to be powered by a 30hp (1200cc) Volkswagen or similar engine.The fuselage and wings use wood construction with fabric covering.
Rollason Aircraft & Engines Limited produced 26 factory-built D.31 aircraft in the UK and three D.31A models with strengthened wing spar in order to get a full British certificate of Airworthiness.
Five Turbulents are operated by the Tiger Club in the Tiger Club Display Team for formation flying displays in the UK, since 1959. In 1960, Rollason Turbulent G-APNZ was flown by the Duke of Edinburgh, making the Turbulent the first and only single-seat aircraft to have been flown by a member of the royal family.
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Rollason Druine Condor
The Druine D.60 Condor is a light aircraft designed by Roger Druine in France in the 1950s.
The Condor was subsequently made in quantity in the UK by Rollason Aircraft & Engines.The first Condor F-WBIX first flew in 1956,it was an evolution of the Druine Turbi, but featured an extensively revised fuselage allowing the pilot and instructor to sit side by side under a full canopy.
With a number of refinements to the design, Rollason Aircraft and Engines undertook series production at Croydon Airport from 1961 as the Rollason Condor,they were powered by a 100hp Rolls-Royce Continental 0-200A air-cooled flat-four engine. As Croydon had closed for flying in 1959, all aircraft were transported to Redhill, where they were reassembled and test flown.In 1973, Rollasons ceased all aircraft work at Croydon and moved to Shoreham where a single Condor was completed. A number of unfinished fuselages were sold off for possible completion as amateur-built aircraft.
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Rollason Beta
The Rollason Beta was a British midget racing monoplane.
The Beta was designed by the Luton Group (technicians employed by the British Aircraft Corporation at Luton) in a competition to design a racing aircraft, the Rollason Midget Racer Design Competition 1964.
It is a fully aerobatic wooden low-wing monoplane with a cantilever tailplane with a single fin and rudder, powered by a Continental engine of between 65 and 100hp. It has a fixed-tailwheel landing gear and an enclosed cockpit for the pilot. The original prototype Luton Beta was not completed,but the design was built commercially by Rollason Aircraft and Engines who made 4 aircraft at Redhill between 1967 and 1971. Plans were also available for homebuild versions; although 55 sets of drawings had been sold by early 1974, five aircraft have been registered but just three aircraft are known to have been completed, all in the UK.
The first Rollason-built Beta registered G-ATLY was written off in a fatal aerial collison with a Tiger Moth at Nottingham on 29 September 1973.
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Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.1
The S.E.1 (Santos Experimental) was an experimental aircraft built at the Army Balloon Factory at Farnborough (later the Royal Aircraft Factory) in 1911.
The S.E.1 made its first flight,in the hands of its designer Geoffrey de Havilland on 11 June 1911. Further flight testing revealed control problems and the area of the front wing/elevator was adjusted to try to make the S.E.1 stable in pitch. By the beginning of August the front surface was fixed and carried a conventional trailing edge elevator. An attempt to improve the turning characteristics was made by stripping the side covering of the nacelle to reduce side area.
De Havilland continued to fly the S.E.1 until 16 August. On 18 August the aircraft was flown by the inexperienced pilot Lt. Theodore J. Ridge, assistant superintendent at the factory (who had only been awarded his pilot's certificate the day before, and was described as "an absolutely indifferent flyer").Both de Havilland and a factory engineer warned him against flying it. The combination of the inexperienced pilot and the marginally controllable aircraft proved fatal – while landing, with the engine off, he made a sharp turn; the S.E.1 stalled and spun in, killing Ridge.No attempt to rebuild the S.E.1 was made, and the design was apparently abandoned with just a single example being completed.
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Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.3
The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.3 was a single-engined rotary engined biplane from 1912.
In December 1911, the Royal Aircraft Factory started work of a new biplane of similar layout to its B.E.1 and B.E.2, but powered by a rotary engine to compare with the water-cooled and air-cooled V8 engine powered B.E.1 and B.E.2.First to fly was the B.E.3, powered by a 50 hp Gnome Omega engine, on 3 May 1912. Testing was successful, and the aircraft was delivered to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) on 13 May 1912.The B.E.4, also initially powered by a 50 hp Gnome,it flew on 24 June that year, and was delivered to the RFC on 8 August. It was re-engined with a 70 hp Gnome in September 1912. At least two, and possibly three more similar aircraft powered by 50 hp Gnomes were built in early 1913 by private contractors.
The B.E.3 and B.E.4, allocated the serial numbers 203 and 204 became part of the inventory of No. 3 Squadron RFC, with the B.E.3, nicknamed "Goldfish", being used for various trials, including air-to-ground signalling with both radio and lights.Two more aircraft were delivered to the Central Flying School in December 1912, while serial number 303, which may have been similar, was delivered to No. 4 Squadron in January 1913, although wrecked in a crash in February that year.
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Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5
The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.5 was a British two-seat reconnaissance and artillery observation biplane from 1914.
It was a two-bay equal-span biplane with a fixed tailskid landing gear, with the wheels supported on skids and powered by a nose-mounted 120 hp Austro-Daimler engine driving a four-bladed propeller. The aircraft had two open cockpits with the observer/gunner in the forward cockpit under the upper wing and the pilot behind.Some modified single-seat high altitude aircraft were built with extended-span upper wings.Other R.E.5s were used for experimentation with airbrakes and for test flying the Royal Aircraft Factory 4 engine.
Six R.E.5s deployed to France in September 1914, partly equipping No. 2 Squadron RFC, with further examples operated by other squadrons, with no unit being completely equipped with the R.E.5. In total, eleven R.E.5s were sent to France, with a further nine being used by training units.
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Royal Aircraft Factory N.E.1
The Royal Aircraft Factory N.E.1 was a prototype British Night fighter of the First World War.
The first prototype N.E.1 flew on 8 September 1917.It was fitted with a single searchlight in the nose, and with the pilot and gunner sat in tandem, with the pilot seated in front to give a good view. The gunner was to be armed with a 1.59-inch (40-mm) Breech-Loading Vickers Q.F. Gun, Mk II—or a 11⁄2 lb COW gun, and a radio was fitted.It was powered by a 200 hp Hispano-Suiza 8 engine in a pusher configuration driving a four-bladed propeller. Its three-bay equal span wings were fitted with ailerons on both upper and lower wings.
The first prototype crashed on 14 September 1917, and was rebuilt with a new nacelle with the searchlight removed, and the gunner position was moved to ahead of the pilot. A fixed Lewis gun was mounted externally on the starboard side of the fuselage, to be operated by the pilot. It flew in this form on 4 October 1917.Although testing indicated that the N.E.1 was easy to fly and land, and had excellent field of fire for the gunner, six prototypes were completed, with the second prototype being sent to No. 78 Squadron, while several of the other aircraft were used for trials and did not enter active service.
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Royal Aircraft Factory A.E.3
The Royal Aircraft Factory A.E.3, also known as the Farnborough Ram, was a prototype British armoured ground attack aircraft of the First World War.
In late 1917, the Royal Aircraft Factory began development of a two-seat, heavily armoured contact patrol aircraft for the RFC, designed to carry out observation in contact with the infantry, a job that required flying at low altitudes over the front line, exposing the aircraft to heavy small-arms fire from the enemy's trenches. Three prototypes of the resulting design, designated A.E.3, were ordered.
It was a single-engined pusher biplane, based on the N.E.1 night fighter,but had a new armoured nacelle constructed completely of armour plate. Two Lewis guns were fitted on an mounting in the front of the nacelle that allowed the guns to be used to attack targets below, while another Lewis gun was mounted on a pillar mounting between the gunner and pilot to defend the aircraft from attack.
It was intended to be powered by the same Hispano-Suiza engine that had powered the N.E.1, but due to shortages of this engine, with over 400 S.E.5A fighters waiting for engines in January 1918,it was decided to use alternative engines, with the Sunbeam Arab being chosen for the first prototype, and the Bentley BR.2 rotary engine for the second.The first A.E.1 flew during April 1918,with the second prototype following on 1 June 1918, while the third prototype, which was powered by an Arab engine, and fitted with face-hardened armour, was finished later that month.
By this time the Royal Aircraft Factory had been renamed the Royal Aircraft Establishment, and the A.E.1 was given the name Farnborough Ram, the only Royal Aircraft Factory designed aircraft to be given an official name, with the Arab powered aircraft being named Ram I and the Bentley powered aircraft Ram II.
The Ram II was sent to France at the end of June, for trials in its suitability for operational use. These were unsuccessful, with the Ram being considered slow, heavy on the controls and unsuitable for low flying. No further development followed and the project was abandoned.
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Saro Cutty Sark
The Saro A17 Cutty Sark was a British amphibious aircraft from the period between World War I and World War II, built by the British firm Saunders-Roe (also known as SARO).
In 1928, Sir Alliot Verdon Roe sold Avro and bought an interest in S. E. Saunders, flying boat manufacturers based at Cowes, Isle of Wight. The company was renamed Saunders-Roe. The A17 Cutty Sark was the new company's first design. It was a shoulder-winged twin-engined four-seat amphibian monoplane with an all-metal hull and plywood covered wings. The above-wing pylon-mounted engines had good access for servicing or replacement, and a variety of different engines were used to power Cutty Sarks, including 104 hp Cirrus Hermes Mk 1s and 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy IIs.
The first aircraft flew on the 4th July 1929,Only 12 Cutty Sarks were built, and none lasted long in service, but the type saw service with many users in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, China, Japan and the Dominican Republic.
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Saro London
The Saunders Roe A.27 London was a British military biplane flying boat.
The A.27 London was designed in response to the Air Ministry Specification R.24/31 issued for a "General Purpose Open Sea Patrol Flying Boat ". The London and its contemporary, the Supermarine Stranraer, were the last multi-engine, biplane flying-boats to see service with the RAF. The design used an all-metal corrugated hull and fabric-covered wing and tail surfaces, with two 640hp Bristol Pegasus II radial engines, mounted on the upper wing to keep them clear of spray while taking off and landing.
The first prototype first flew in March 1934 and then went on to serve until 1936 with the RAF. Deliveries of production aircraft began in March 1936 with Pegasus III engines, but from the eleventh aircraft onwards the Pegasus X engine was fitted instead,and the aircraft's designation changed to London Mk.II. Earlier Londons were retrofitted with the Pegasus X and were also given the "Mk.II" designation.At the outbreak of World War II, Londons equipped 201 Squadron RAF, which now stationed at Sullom Voe in Shetland, and 202 Squadron RAF at Gibraltar, as well as 240 Squadron RAF at Invergordon, which had re-equipped with Londons in July 1939. The aircraft carried out patrols over the North Sea and the Mediterranean. Some were fitted with a dorsal fuel tank to increase operational radius.A small number of Londons were transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force. All were withdrawn from front-line duties by the middle of 1941.
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Saunders-Roe SR.A/1
The Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 was a prototype flying boat fighter aircraft and it was the first jet-propelled water-based aircraft in the world.
Saunders-Roe presented a proposal of their jet-powered seaplane concept, then designated SR.44, to the Air Ministry during mid-1943. In April 1944, the Ministry issued a spec for the type and supported its development with a contract for three prototypes. Development was protracted by Saunders-Roes' work on other projects, the war having ended prior to any of the prototypes being completed.
Both immediately prior to and during the war, Britain made very little use of seaplane fighters, it relied upon aircraft carriers and land-based fighters as the basis of their military operations.
Proposed seaplane conversions were produced for both the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire to meet operational needs in the Norwegian Campaign, but were largely curtailed following the rapid German victory in this theatre.Saunders-Roe recognised that the newly-developed turbojet engine presented an opportunity to overcome the traditional performance drawbacks and design limitations of floatplanes. By not requiring clearance for a propeller, the fuselage could sit lower in the water and use a flying boat-type hull. The prospective aircraft's performance when powered by Halford H.1 engines was projected to be 520 mph at 40,000 ft.
On 16 July 1947, the first prototype, piloted by Geoffrey Tyson, conducted its maiden flight.Subsequent flight testing with the prototypes revealed that the SR.A/1 possessed a relatively good level of performance and handling. Its agility was publicly displayed when Tyson performed a demonstration of high-speed aerobatics and inverted flight above an international audience at the 1948 SBAC Display. During the flight test programme, two of the three prototypes suffered accidents, leading to an interruption in the trials and modifications being made to the remaining intact aircraft.
Due to a lack of orders, work on the project was suspended, leading to the remaining prototype being placed into storage in early 1950. During November 1950, shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, interest in the SR.A/1 programme was resurrected,however, it was soon recognised that the concept had been rendered obsolete in comparison to increasingly capable land-based fighters, together with the inability to solve the engine problems, forcing a second and final cancellation. During June 1951, the SR.A/1 prototype (TG263) flew for the last time. It is now in the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton, UK.
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Saro P.531
The Saro P.531 (or Saunders-Roe P.531) is a British all-metal five-seat helicopter from the late 1950`s.
Design of the P.53 began in November 1957 as a private venture development of the company's earlier Skeeter.The first prototypes were powered by a 325 shp Blackburn Turbomeca Turmo 600, a free turbine engine allowing clutchless transmission. The P.531 first flew on 20 July 1958.Three more developed P.531-0s followed and these were delivered to the Royal Navy/Fleet Air Arm for trials and familiarisation. Following evaluation by the Navy a batch of 30 developed aircraft were eventually ordered as the Westland Wasp.
Two militiarised P.531-2s were completed in 1959, powered by the Blackburn Nimbus and the de Havilland Gnome H1000 free-turbine engines, both derated to 635 hp now that the transmission tests had proved such powers acceptable. The engines were mounted, uncowled behind the cabin for easy servicing. There were aerodynamic shape revisions and a floor extension to allow six, rather than five seats. The vision was improved with perspex panels in the doors, fuel tankage was increased and all-metal rotors introduced.
Saro had an order for eight pre-production aircraft from the UK Army Air Corps for evaluation and trials; these would have been known as the Saro Sprite, but the company was taken over by Westland Helicopters and the aircraft became the first Westland Scout A.H.1s.In total six aircraft were completed.
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Siddeley-Deasy R.T.1
The Siddeley Deasy R.T.1 was designed in 1917.
During World War I, car makers Siddeley-Deasy had been one of several manufacturers of the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8. Though this aircraft was produced in large numbers, it was rumoured that the upper wing could fail in dives and that its spinning characteristics were dangerous. The R.T.1, the first of Siddeley Deasy's own designs set out to answer these criticisms in an aircraft of improved performance.
The R.T.1 was a two bay biplane with new equal span constant chord wings, though the lower ones were significantly narrower than the upper. There were only small changes to the R.E.8 fuselage: the decking aft of the gunner, together with his gun-ring were raised, and the fin and rudder were larger and more rounded.
Just three R.T.1s were built, differing chiefly in their engines. The first and third were powered by a 200 hp Hispano-Suiza engine and the second by the 150 hp RAF 4A also used in the R.E.8. The Hispano-Suiza installations differed in their nose and radiator arrangements: the first used a rectangular nose radiator, whereas the third had a rounded nose with a small chin radiator. The ailerons on the third aircraft were extended beyond the wing-tips.
The R.T.1 flew well and one went for service trials on the Front, the other two going to training units, but with the war almost at its end there was no possibility of further orders.
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Sopwith Three-seater
The Sopwith Three-seater was a British aircraft designed and built in 1912.
In 1912, Thomas Sopwith,created the Sopwith Aviation Company, with a factory at Kingston upon Thames. The Three-Seat Tractor Biplane, also known as the Sopwith 80 hp Biplane, was flown on 7 February 1913 before being displayed at the International Aero Show at Olympia, London opening on 14 February.It had two-bay wings, with lateral control by wing warping, and was powered by an 80 hp Gnome Lambda rotary engine. It had two cockpits, the pilot sitting to the rear and passengers sitting side by side in front. Three windows were placed in each side of the fuselage to give a good downwards view.
A further two tractor biplanes were built for the RNAS,delivered in August and September 1913, with the original hybrid being rebuilt to a similar standard. Following tests of a Tractor Biplane fitted with ailerons instead of wing warping for lateral control,a further nine aircraft were ordered for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in September 1913.
The RNAS aircraft were issued to seaplane stations to allow flying to continue when sea conditions were unsuitable for seaplane operation. On the outbreak of war, the RNAS also acquired Sopwith's demonstrator aircraft. Three Sopwith Tractor biplanes went with the Eastchurch wing of the RNAS when it deployed to Belgium.
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Sopwith Gunbus
The Sopwith Gunbus was a British fighter aircraft of the First World War.
In 1913, the Sopwith Aviation Company received an order for six two-seat floatplanes from the Greek Government for the Greek Naval Air Service, which was in the process of being established.
Sopwith's design,was a single-engined pusher biplane powered by a single 100 hp Anzani radial engine, with four-bay wings. It was fitted with dual controls for use as a trainer.
The first of the Greek Seaplanes flew in February 1914, successfully passing trials in March, with all six delivered by the outbreak of WW1. Two more identical trainers were purchased by the RNAS,for use as trainers, these being delivered in May.The Greek machines performed well, despite the limited facilities available at their base, with at first no workshops or hangars available,the two British aircraft were less successful,their engines were plagued with problems,and were withdrawn by Feb 1915.
In March 1914, the Greece ordered six more pusher seaplanes, the Sopwith S PG N, which were similar to their previous aircraft, but rather than being dual control trainers, were to be armed with a machine gun in the nose, and powered by a Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine. Five of these aircraft were taken over by the Royal Navy at the outbreak of war, but had reliability problems, at least two being modified as landplanes. They remained in service until July 1915.
The Royal Navy ordered six modified landplanes based on the S PG N in July 1914, the Sopwith Gunbus was powered by 110 hp Sunbeam water-cooled V8 engines and armed with a machine gun. The first aircraft flew on 6 October 1914, and was found to be underpowered, so was fitted with a 150 hp Sunbeam. A further 30 aircraft were ordered from Robey & Co. Ltd. of Lincoln in early 1915, these being fitted with a modified nacelle, with the pilot sitting in the forward cockpit rather than the gunner, and fitted for bombing. Only 17 of these aircraft were completed, with the remaining 13 delivered as spare parts.
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Sopwith Triplane
The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft from the WWI era.
The prototype Triplane performed its maiden flight on 28 May 1916 and was dispatched to the France two months later, where it gained high praise for its exceptional rate of climb and manoeuvrability. During late 1916, quantity production of the type commenced in response to orders received from the Admiralty. During early 1917, production examples of the Triplane arrived with RNAS squadrons.
The Sopwith Triplane was a single seat fighter aircraft; it shared much of its design features, such as its fuselage and empennage, with those of the earlier Pup.The most distinctive feature of the Triplane is its three narrow-chord wings; these provided the pilot with an improved field of view. These wings had the exact same span as that of the Pup, while being only 21 square feet less in terms of area. Ailerons were fitted to all three wings. The narrow chord and short span wings have been attributed with providing a high level of manoeuvrability.The Triplane was initially powered by the 110 hp Clerget 9Z nine-cylinder rotary engine. However, the majority of production examples were instead fitted with the more powerful 130 hp Clerget 9B rotary.
Between July 1916 and January 1917, the Admiralty issued two contracts to Sopwith for a total of 95 Triplanes, two contracts to Clayton & Shuttleworth Ltd. for a total of 46 aircraft, and one contract to Oakley & Co. Ltd. for 25 aircraft. Seeking modern aircraft for the RFC, the War Office also issued a contract to Clayton & Shuttleworth for 106 Triplanes.
While both Sopwith and Clayton & Shuttleworth successfully fulfilled their RNAS production orders,Oakley, which had no prior experience building aircraft, delivered only three Triplanes before its contract was cancelled during October 1917. For unknown reasons, the RFC Triplane contract issued to Clayton & Shuttleworth was simply cancelled rather than being transferred to the RNAS.Total production of the type amounted to 147 aircraft.
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Sopwith Snark
The Sopwith Snark was a British prototype fighter aircraft designed and built towards the end of the First World War.
In spring 1918, although the Sopwith Snipe had not yet entered service with the RAF, the Air Ministry drew up a spec for its replacement. The specification asked for a fighter capable of operations at high altitude and powered by the ABC Dragonfly engine, which was an air-cooled radial engine which had been ordered in large numbers based on promises of high performance and ease of production.
Sopwith produced two designs, a biplane, the Snapper, and a triplane, the Snark. Sopwith received orders for three prototypes each of the Snapper and Snark, as well as orders for 300 of a Dragonfly powered version of the Snipe, the Sopwith Dragon. The Snark had a wooden monocoque fuselage like that of the Sopwith Snail lightweight fighter, and had equal span single-bay wings with ailerons on each wing.
In addition to the normal two synchronised Vickers guns inside the fuselage, it had four Lewis guns mounted under the lower wings, firing outside the propeller disc. These guns were inaccessible to the pilot, and so could not be reloaded or unjammed in flight.The first prototype was complete by October 1918, but flight-ready engines were not available until March 1919, and the Snark did not make its first flight until July 1919.While it demonstrated reasonable performance and good maneuverability,it quickly became apparent the Dragonfly engine had serious problems, being prone to overheating and severe vibration, and plans for production of the Snark had been abandoned.The three Snarks continued in use for trials purposes until 1921.
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Sopwith Gnu
The Sopwith Gnu was a 1910s British touring biplane from 1919.
Designed for the postwar civil market, the Gnu was a conventional equal-span biplane. It had an open cockpit for a pilot with seating for two passengers under a hinged and glazed roof. Most of the aircraft were powered by a 110hp Le Rhône rotary engine. The enclosed passenger cabin was cramped and unpopular and most production aircraft had an open rear cockpit. One prototype and twelve production aircraft were built. A postwar slump ended production and the company had problems selling the aircraft although two aircraft were sold in Australia.
The United Kingdom-based aircraft were mainly used for leisure flights in the early 1920s. Two aircraft that were used for exhibition and stunt flying in the late 1920s crashed. Most of the production aircraft remained unsold and were dismantled, including four aircraft that remained unsold when the Sopwith Aviation Company folded in 1920. Two Australian aircraft were used by Australian Aerial Services on the Adelaide to Sydney mail route.
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Sopwith Grasshopper
The Sopwith Grasshopper was a British two-seat touring biplane.
The Grasshopper was a conventional two-seat open-cockpit biplane, with a nose-mounted 100 hp Anzani engine which gave the aircraft a top speed of 90mph. Only one aircraft was built, registered G-EAIN, which obtained its Certificate of Airworthiness in March 1920. It passed through a number of private operators until 1929 when the Certificate was not renewed.
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Spartan Arrow
The Spartan Arrow is a British two-seat biplane aircraft of the early 1930s.
The Arrow was a two-seat biplane with a spruce and plywood fuselage. The prototype G-AAWY first flew in May 1930 with a 102hp Cirrus Hermes II engine. The 13 production aircraft that followed used mainly the 120hp de Havilland Gipsy II engine.One aircraft G-ABST was built to test a new air-cooled Napier engine (later knowns as the Javelin). The second prototype G-AAWY was also used by Cirrus Aero Engines as an engine test bed.Two prototypes and 13 production aircraft were built at Weston, Southampton, and after 20 February 1931 at East Cowes, Isle of Wight. Production of the Arrow ended in 1933.
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Spartan Cruiser
The Spartan Cruiser was a 1930s British three-engined transport monoplane for up six or more passengers.
The Saro-Percival Mailplane was a three-engined monoplane designed by Edgar Percival, and built by Saunders-Roe Limited (Saro) at Cowes in 1931, the aircraft first flying early in 1932.When Saro was financially re-organised, Percival sold his interest in the aircraft to Saro, who re-designated it as the Saro A.24 Mailplane.The development of the aircraft was transferred to Spartan, and the aircraft was re-designated again as the Spartan Mailplane. The aircraft was modified to accommodate two passenger seats.
The Mailplane failed to attract orders, so the design was re-worked as a passenger carrier. This re-designed aircraft was designated the Spartan Cruiser, and the prototype first flew in May 1932.
The three-engined low-wing format had been retained, but the plywood fuselage was replaced with an all-metal fuselage to carry six passengers and two crew.The Cruiser was re-designed as the Spartan Cruiser II, featuring a modified fuselage and cockpit. The first Cruiser II flew in February 1933, powered by Cirrus Hermes IV engines.Most Spartan-built Cruiser IIs were powered by three 130hp Gipsy Major engines, but a small number were powered by Walter Major engines. In 1933 and 1934, twelve Cruiser IIs were built by Spartan, five of which were exported. Just one licence-built Cruiser II (YU-SAP) was built in Yugoslavia, by Zmaj aircraft company, in 1935.
Spartan Air Lines Ltd was formed to operate Cruisers between London and Cowes, Isle of Wight. In April 1933, Spartan Air Lines initially operated the one Cruiser I and two Cruiser IIs from Heston Aerodrome.Two Cruiser IIs and one Cruiser III were pressed into RAF service in 1940.
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Supermarine Seagull-1921 Version.
The Supermarine Seagull was a British amphibian biplane flying boat developed from the Supermarine Seal.
Produced from 1922, the production aircraft, the Seagull Mk II, had a Napier Lion III engine, and these were supplied to the Air Ministry and Royal Navy. A total of 25 were built, although some of these were later modified.The Seagull Mk III was the Australian version, built in 1925. These were similar to the Seagull II but with a Napier Lion V engine and radiators modified for tropical use. Six of these were supplied to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1926 and 1927; one other Seagull III was built for Japan.
The type was used operationally as a fleet spotter by 440 Fleet Reconnaissance Flight, operating from HMS Eagle.The Seagull II was the first British aircraft to be catapult launched in 1925. The crew was normally three:Pilot, Observer, and Radio-Operator. The sole armament was a .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun.
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Supermarine S.5
The Supermarine S.5 was a 1920s British single-engined single-seat racing seaplane, designed specifically for the Schneider Trophy competition.
The Supermarine S.5 was designed by Reginald Mitchell for the 1927 Schneider Trophy. Following the earlier loss of the S.4 before the 1925 Schneider Trophy event Mitchell designed a new all-metal monoplane racer. Unlike the S.4's all-wood structure, the S.5 featured composite construction with the semi-monocoque fuselage mainly duralumin including the engine cowlings. The S.5 had a low, braced wing with spruce spars and spruce-ply ribs and a plywood skin. The wing surface radiators made up of corrugated copper sheets replaced the Lamblin type radiators of the S.4. Three aircraft were built, one with a direct drive 900 hp Napier Lion VIIA engine, and the other two with a geared 875 hp Napier Lion VIIB engine.
The first aircraft flew for the first time on 7 June 1927. The S.5s came 1st and 2nd in the 1927 race held at Venice, the winning aircraft (Serial number N220) was flown by Flight Lieutenant S.N Webster at an average speed of 281.66 mph. Mitchell decided that the Napier engined aircraft had reached its limits of performance due to the powerplant so for the 1929 Schneider Trophy race, he redesigned the aircraft with a new Rolls-Royce engine as the Supermarine S.6. The High Speed Flight entered one S.5 (N219) along with the two S.6s for the race. The S.5 flown by Flight Lieutenant D'Arcy Greig finished third at a speed of 282.11 mph (454.20 km/h), behind the winning S.6 flown by Flying Officer H.R. Waghorn and a Macchi M.52.
The S.5 was the origin of a line of racing aircraft that ultimately led to the Supermarine Spitfire.
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Supermarine Stranraer
The Supermarine Stranraer was a 1930s flying boat designed principally for the RAF.
Designed by R. J. Mitchell as a coastal reconnaissance flying boat for the RAF, it was initially turned down but Supermarine stuck with the type as a private venture first known as the Southampton V. A contract was placed in 1933 for a prototype powered by two 820 horsepower Bristol Pegasus IIIM engines and the type became known as the Stranraer.
Following the flight-test programme, the prototype on 24 Oct 1934 was delivered to the RAF. On 29 August 1935, an order was placed for 17 aircraft. The production version was fitted with the 920 horsepower Pegasus X and first flew in December 1936, entering service operations on 16 April 1937; the last Stranraer was delivered 3 April 1939. An additional order for six aircraft was placed in May 1936, but subsequently cancelled. A total of 40 Stranraers were built in Canada by Canadian Vickers Limited.
Only 17 Stranraers were operated by the RAF 1937–1941 primarily by No. 228, No, 209 and No. 240 Squadrons along with limited numbers at the No. 4 OTU. Generally, the aircraft was not well-received as its performance was considered marginal. The RCAF Stranraers served in anti-submarine and coastal defence capacities on both Canada's Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and remained in service until 1946. Following their withdrawal from military service, many Canadian Stranraers were sold off to fledgeling regional airlines and they served in commercial passenger and freighter operation well into the 1950s.
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Supermarine Seagull (1948)
The Supermarine Seagull was a British amphibious, military flying boat and the last to be built by the Supermarine company.
In October 1940, the British Air Ministry issued a specification to Supermarine and Fairey for a catapult-launched, amphibian, reconnaissance and spotter aircraft to replace the Supermarine Walrus and Supermarine Sea Otter. An order for three prototypes of Supermarine's aircraft was issued in March 1943. Delays were caused by the extensive wind tunnel testing that was needed and the change from a Rolls-Royce Merlin to the more powerful Rolls-Royce Griffon.
The design specification was changed in 1944 to a new requirement, the role of the aircraft being changed from ship-based reconnaissance and gunnery spotting to land-based Air-sea rescue.This change removed the four-gun turret the design had previously featured.The first prototype - Seagull serial PA143 - first took off on 14 July 1948 from Southampton Water.By the early 1950s, helicopters were taking over the air-sea rescue role. In 1952, the two completed prototypes and the partially built third aircraft, PA152, were scrapped.
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Supermarine Scimitar
The Supermarine Scimitar was a British naval strike aircraft operated by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.
The Scimitar emerged from a number of designs from Supermarine for a naval jet aircraft, for an undercarriage-less fighter aircraft to land on flexible "sprung" rubber decks,which would allow for a lighter and simpler structure. Supermarine's design to meet this requirement was the Type 505, featuring a thin, straight wing and a V-tail (or "butterfly tail") to keep the tail surfaces away from the jet exhausts, and to be powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets, mounted side-by-side in the fuselage.
The Vickers-Supermarine Type 508 was the first Scimitar ancestor and shared the layout of the Type 505.Pitch control was by moving the whole tail, with elevators for additional pitch control when working in tandem and to replace the rudder on a conventional tail when working differentially. Ailerons were fitted to the wings for lateral control and leading and trailing edge flaps were also fitted to the wings.An order for three Type 508s was placed in November 1947, the first Type 508 made its first flight on 31 August 1951, with the aircraft carrying out carrier trials aboard HMS Eagle in May 1952.
At the time of introduction most of the Royal Navy's carriers were quite small and the Scimitar was a comparatively large and powerful aircraft. Landing accidents were common and the introduction of the type was marred by a fatal accident which took the life of Commander John Russell, commanding officer of 803 Naval Air Squadron, the first squadron to operate the Scimitar. Overall the Scimitar suffered from a high loss rate; 39 were lost in a number of accidents, amounting to 51% of the Scimitar's production run.Although the Scimitar could operate as a fighter, the interceptor role was covered by other aircraft types. The Scimitar itself was replaced by the Blackburn Buccaneer. The Scimitar was kept initially as a tanker to allow the underpowered Buccaneer S.1 to be launched from aircraft carriers with a useful weapons load.
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Vickers R.E.P. Type Monoplane
The Vickers R.E.P. Type Monoplanes were a series of single-engined monoplane aircraft built by Vickers under license before WW1.
The design was redrawn from metric to imperial measurements by Vickers, and made its first flight from Vickers' airfield at Joyce Green, near Dartford in July 1911.The aircraft was a shoulder-winged monoplane, with a narrow fuselage of fabric-covered steel-tube construction, carrying two people in tandem. A single five-cylinder air-cooled R.E.P. "fan" (or "semi-radial") engine of 60 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller was fitted in the aircraft's nose, while the aircraft had a conventional landing gear, with both wheels and skids. The wings were of wood and steel construction, with lateral control by wing-warping, with the pilot operating a joystick.
The first five monoplanes were basically similar, and were powered by R.E.P engines, with the fifth one having a deeper fuselage. The sixth aircraft, built for the 1912 British Military Aeroplane Competition was noticeably different, with side-by-side seating for its two crew, a shorter wingspan (35 ft rather than 47 ft 6 in for the earlier aircraft), while a 70 hp Viale radial engine was fitted.
The seventh aircraft had the tandem layout and longer wingspan of the first five aircraft, but replaced the R.E.P. engine with a 100 hp Gnome rotary engine, while the eighth, and final example, was similar to the sixth aircraft, with a 70–80 hp Gnome rotary.
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Vickers F.B.19
The Vickers F.B.19 was a British single-seat fighting scout of the First World War.
The aircraft first flew in August 1916. It was a single-engine, single-bay, equal-span biplane, with a large engine fairing and tall fuselage, which gave it a stubby appearance. It was armed with one synchronised 7.7mm Vickers machine gun, mounted unusually on the left-hand side, to facilitate the installation of the Vickers-Challenger synchroniser gear, also a Challenger design.
The 100-hp Gnome Monosoupape engine gave a relatively slow speed, and the low cockpit position, behind a wide rotary engine and between unstaggered wings, severely limited visibility for the pilot. The clearest view was sometimes said to be upwards, through a transparent section in the upper wing. Modifications were introduced, including a more powerful 110-hp Le Rhône or Clerget engine and staggered mainplanes, culminating in the Mk II design.
Around sixty-five F.B.19s were built. Six early production examples were sent to France in late 1916 for operational evaluation, where the RAF found them unsuitable for the fighting conditions evolving. Twelve Mk IIs went to the Middle East, five to Palestine and seven to Macedonia; no squadron was fully equipped with the type. They were not popular. A few Mk IIs served as trainers and for air defense over London, but the type had practically been retired before the end of 1917.
The F.B.19 operated in Russia, where it was known as the Vikkers Bullit. One example was sent for evaluation in 1916 and leading pilots regarded it favourably. Russian sources claim that it was fitted with a more powerful 130-hp Clerget engine that provided a maximum speed of around 200 km/h.The Russians procured around twenty or thirty planes, and deployed at least four to front-line units, a number of unarmed planes served as trainers.
After the October Revolution, a number of Bullits found their way into Bolshevik hands. A force of six F.B.19s are said to have been employed in 1918 against the anti-Bolshevik People's Army, and the type remained in service until 1924.
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Vickers Vampire
The Vickers F.B.26 Vampire was a British single-seat pusher biplane fighter from 1917.
It was a development of the earlier Vickers F.B.12 prototypes;and was a two-bay biplane with a high-mounted nacelle for the pilot and an initial armament of two .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Guns. Behind this was a water-cooled 200 hp Hispano-Suiza engine driving the propeller. The tailplane was mounted on four booms with a single fin and rudder. After modifications to the radiator layout and wing structure and re-armed with three Lewis guns in a mounting capable of firing up at a 45° angle to engage enemy bombers from below, the FB.26 was passed to the AAEE at Martlesham Heath for evaluation. The prototype was destroyed on 25 August 1917 when, the Vickers test pilot failed to recover from a spin.
Service evaluation was unfavorable: although performance was satisfactory, its handling qualities were poor. A third aircraft, B1485, powered by a 230 hp Bentley rotary engine and modified for ground-attack was built in 1918 but by the time it was built the Sopwith Salamander had already been ordered for production and development was abandoned. Three further aircraft had been ordered and allocated service numbers but it is not known whether any of these were built.
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Vickers Vendace
The Vickers Vendace was a 1920s British trainer aircraft from the mid 1920`s.
In October 1924, the British Air Ministry issued Specification 5A/24 for a floatplane trainer. To meet this requirement, Vickers designed a two-seat biplane, the Vickers Type 120 Vendace I. In August 1925, the Air Ministry placed an order for a single prototype, to compete with aircraft from Parnall and Blackburn, (the Parnall Perch and Blackburn Sprat).
The Vendace I was a two-bay biplane with folding wooden wings and a steel tube fuselage, powered by a Rolls-Royce Falcon engine. Its undercarriage could be changed from floats to wheels in ten minutes, while its fuel supply was held in two streamlined tanks above the upper wing.The first Vendace first flew in March 1926, and then underwent successful trials as a landplane, including operation from the aircraft carrier HMS Furious.
In 1927, these were followed by testing in seaplane configuration at the MAEE, Felixstowe. Despite the successful trials, the RAF did not order production, although it did retain the aircraft for experimental purposes.Vickers built a second aircraft, the Type 157 Vendace II, as a private venture, with an ADC Nimbus (an inline six-cylinder engine derived from the Siddeley Puma) that replaced the Falcon of the Vendace I. It first flew in November 1927, and was sold to the Aircraft Operating Company for survey operations in South America.Development continued with the Type 155 Vendace III powered by a Hispano-Suiza 8F, and three were sold to Bolivia for use as trainers.
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Vickers Type 161
The Vickers Type 161 was an unusual 1930s pusher biplane interceptor.
Air Ministry specification F.29/27 called for an interceptor fighter operating as a stable gun platform for the COW 37 mm gun produced by the Coventry Ordnance Works (COW) that fired 23 oz (0.65 kg) shells. The gun was to be mounted at 45 degrees or more above the horizontal, so that the aircraft could fly below the target bomber or airship, and fire upwards into it. During World War II the Luftwaffe used a rather similar approach, named Schräge Musik. The specification also called for a top speed well in excess of a typical bomber's cruising speed and a good rate of climb.
The pilot and gun were housed in a metal monocoque nacelle mounted to the underside of the upper wing, leaving a gap below. The pilot's cockpit was offset with the gun to his right, its breech accessible. The Bristol Jupiter VIIF was installed with its cylinders in line with the rear edge of the upper wing, supported by two pairs of struts to the lower wing spars and driving a four-blade propeller. This had an unusual ring fairing that rotated with it and matched the engine cowling in diameter. Aft, and without a break, a fuselage-like fairing ran rearwards, narrowing to the tail. This structure was stabilized on each side by a pair of struts to the upper and lower booms. A split-axle undercarriage had legs to the fuselage and, rearwards, to the forward wing spar, with a strut between their upper joints.
The Type 161 flew for the first time on 21 January 1931. Further trials produced some modifications,to improve yaw stability. The rudder was broadened and rounded at the top, and small fins were added above and below the tailplane at the boom mounting point.It has been suggested that the Type 161 may have been the first aircraft to have had inflight adjustable elevator trims.
In September 1931 it went to RAF Martlesham Heath for trials, where no serious problems emerged and pilot's reports were positive. The gun-firing tests went well, with no detriment to airframe or performance. Despite that, neither the Type 161 or its competitor the Westland C.O.W. Gun Fighter were ordered and no more was heard of the aerial COW gun.
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Vickers Vespa
The Vickers Vespa was a British army cooperation biplane designed and built in the 1920s.
The Vespa was designed by Vickers as a private venture,the first prototype, the Vespa I being flown in September 1925.It was a single-engine biplane with a slim fuselage suspended between closely spaced and highly staggered two-bay wooden wings, was delivered for evaluation by the RAF, but crash landed owing to engine trouble on 24 June 1926 and was badly damaged. It was then rebuilt with steel, fabric-covered wings as the Vespa II, but this was unsuccessful in getting orders from the RAF.
It attracted attention from Bolivia, which ordered six Vespa IIIs, an improved all metal version, in 1928,[3] and the Irish Air Corps, which ordered four Vespa IVs in 1929 and a further four Vespa Vs in 1930.Six Vespa IIIs were delivered to Bolivia in 1928, where they were used as operational conversion aircraft, although they did see limited use in the Chaco War as reconnaissance and long-range bombers, these aircraft operating at low altitude rather than the high altitude that Bolivia's Vespas were optimised for.They remained in service until late 1935.
The eight Irish Vespas remained in service for several years, operating from Baldonnel,with the last being written off on 12 June 1940.
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Vickers Windsor
The Vickers Windsor was a World WarII British four-engine heavy bomber, designed by Barnes Wallis and Rex Pierson at the Vickers-Armstrongs factory.
Vickers were working on a Wellington with a pressurised cabin for high altitude work The proposed design changed the twin-engined Warwick wing for an elliptical wing with four Merlin engines. The aircraft was expected to manage 43,000 ft (13,000 m) having delivered 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of bombs.In mid-1942, the Wellington replacement and B.5/41 were merged as a result of a new specification, B.3/42 for a Lancaster replacement but without high altitude performance. Vickers could take the work already done along and fit the four-engine wing to a new design of fuselage and a contract was raised for what would become the Windsor. The wings of the first prototypes were built to the earlier specification and so had lower weight limits imposed.
Features of the Windsor included its pressurised crew compartment. To spread the load across the elliptical planform high aspect ratio wings, the undercarriage was of four mainwheel oleo struts - one in each engine nacelle - with a single balloon-tyred wheel on each. The defensive guns were mounted in barbettes at the rear of each outboard nacelle, which were to be remotely operated by a gunner in a pressurised compartment in the extreme tail. The Windsor used Wallis's geodetic body and wing structure that Vickers had previously used in the Wellesley, Wellington and Warwick.
Only three examples (the original plus successive prototypes known as Type 457 and Type 461) were built. This was due to upgrades in the Lancaster bomber, making it suitable for the very role the Windsor had been designed for.The first prototype flew on 23 October 1943, the second on 15 February 1944, and the third on 11 July 1944. All three were built at Vickers' secret dispersed Foxwarren Experimental Department between Brooklands and nearby Cobham. The two latter prototypes were tested until the end of the Second World War, when further development and production were cancelled.
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Vickers Vulcan
The Vickers Vulcan was a British single-engine biplane airliner of the early 1920s.
The Vickers Vulcan was designed by Rex Pierson of Vickers. It first flew in April 1922, at Brooklands Aerodrome in Surrey, UK. Only eight aircraft were completed as it did not attract many orders.
It was based on a civil version of the Vimy bomber, but featured several modifications, including a much larger, taller fuselage and one, instead of two, Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines, the intention being low operating costs. The shape of its fuselage, earned it the nickname "Flying Pig". The first delivery took place in August 1922, to Instone Air Line Ltd. Other operators included Imperial Airways and Qantas (however, the latter returned the aircraft as the performance was unsuitable for the company's needs). The last Vulcan flying was a Type 74 with Imperial Airways. It crashed in July 1928.
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Vickers Viastra
The Vickers Viastra was an all-metal 12-seat passenger high-wing monoplane, with variants powered by one, two or three engines.
Vickers built several variants, largely similar apart from the engines:They were high-wing monoplanes, the wings had a constant chord, square tips and a thick section. The wings, like the rest of the aircraft were covered with the corrugated skin and carried balanced ailerons and outboard slots. There was a biplane tail unit with a pair of narrow chord planes, the lower attached to the fuselage underside and the upper mounted clear above. The outboard vertical tail surfaces were again very narrow and served as the main rudders; the single-engined and tri-motor variants also had a small triangular central fin, carrying an auxiliary rudder and supporting the upper horizontal plane. With one exception, the twin-engined Viastras had the central fin and rudder replaced by tubular bracing.
The fuselage had a square cross-section, parallel in the passenger cabin area and narrowing towards the tail. The passenger compartment had six windows on each side and the crew had an enclosed cabin forward of the wings. Each wing was braced to the lower fuselage with a parallel pair of struts.The two and three-engined Viastras had their outer engines mounted just below the wings. The outer engines were enclosed by a narrow chord Townend ring, but the central engines of the tri-motored and single-engined Viastras were uncowled.
The first Viastra, was powered by three 270 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx Major 7-cylinder radial engines first flew on 1 October 1930. It was followed by a pair of Viastra IIs that flew on the Perth-Adelaide route with West Australian Airways from March 1931. They were both configured as twelve seaters and initially powered by a pair of 525 hp Bristol Jupiter XIF radials, although on occasions they flew with one or two Jupiter VIs because the higher rated XIFs proved unreliable. The Australian operation showed that the twin-engined Viastra II was a underpowered in that it could not sustain altitude on only one engine. Vickers confirmed this by replacing the Lynx engines of G-AAUB with Jupiter VIFMs. In this guise it was known as the Viastra VIII.
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Westland Widgeon (fixed wing)
The Westland Widgeon was a British light aircraft of the 1920s.
The Widgeon first flew at Westland's Yeovil factory on 22 September 1924.Its fuselage, which was very similar to that of the Westland Woodpigeon, was of mixed steel tube and wooden construction, while the wooden parasol wing, which was tapered in both chord and thickness, folded for easy storage. It was powered by a single 1,090 cc Blackburne Thrush three cylinder radial engine, which produced just 35 hp.The Widgeon, which due to the use of the Thrush engine was badly underpowered, crashed during the first day of trials. Despite this, it was clear that the Widgeon had promise and was superior to the Woodpigeon, and the damaged prototype was rebuilt with a more powerful 60 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet engine as the Widgeon II. Despite its much greater weight, the new engine transformed the Widgeon, the rebuilt aircraft being almost 40 mph faster.
Westland entered the Widgeon into production for the private owner. It was redesigned with a simpler, constant chord, wing replacing the tapered wing of the Widgeon I and II to ease production. The resulting Widgeon III could be powered either a radial engine like the Genet or an inline engine such as the Cirrus. The first Widgeon III flew in March 1927, with production starting later that year.The design was further refined with a duralumin tube fuselage and a new undercarriage to produce the Widgeon IIIA.
The Widgeon proved expensive compared to its competitors and a total of only 26 of all types, including the prototype, were built and sold before production was stopped in 1930.
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Westland Widgeon (helicopter)
The Westland Widgeon was a helicopter developed as a private venture improvement on the Westland WS-51 Dragonfly.
Westland Aircraft decided to make a private venture improvement on the Westland WS-51 Dragonfly, which was a licensed Sikorsky design, helicopter by increasing the cabin capacity and replacing the Dragonfly's rotor head, blades and gearbox with the units used in the Westland Whirlwind. Three Dragonfly Series 1As were converted to WS-51 Series 2 Widgeons, and the first one flew on 23 August 1955.There was a plan to take up to 24 existing Fleet Air Arm Dragonflies to Dragonfly HC.7 standard but this was abandoned and it contributed to the decision to stop progress after completing 12 new builds and 3 conversions.
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Wight Twin
The Wight Twin was a British large twin-engined aircraft of the First World War.
In summer 1914, just before the outbreak of the First World War, the French government ordered a single example of a twin-engined bomber from the Samuel White shipyard in Cowes.The result, designed by Howard T. Wright, chief designer of Wight Aircraft It was a very large twin boom biplane with five-bay folding wings, powered by two 200 hp Salmson water-cooled radial engines fitted in the front of the fuselage booms. The crew of three was housed in a small central nacelle between the twin booms and situated on the lower wing.
The Twin Landplane was completed in July 1915, and was found to have reasonable flying characteristics during tests in August 1915, however, a French test pilot crashed the Twin Landplane during acceptance testing, and the contract for the aircraft was cancelled.
At the same time, the British Admiralty required a long range aircraft capable of carrying the 18 inch torpedoes necessary to sink large warships. An order was placed with Samuel White's for a large torpedo carrying aircraft. The resulting Twin Seaplane was based closely on the Twin Landplane, with the central nacelle removed and cockpits for the crew of two fitted in the two fuselages behind the wings. The first prototype, which was delayed by the unavailability of the engines, was completed in 1916, but proved during testing to be unable to carry both a torpedo and a full fuel load. Two modified aircraft followed, with longer float struts and new tail surfaces. These two aircraft also proved underpowered, and the type was abandoned, with the last Twin Seaplane written off in 1917.
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Wight Converted Seaplane
The Wight Converted Seaplane was a British twin-float patrol seaplane.
The aircraft was developed from the unsuccessful Wight Bomber for use as an anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The aircraft was a three-bay biplane with unswept, unequal span, unstaggered wings.
It had twin floats under the fuselage, with additional floats at the tail and wings tips. Initial production aircraft were powered by a 322 hp Rolls-Royce Eagle IV engine mounted in the nose driving a four-bladed propeller, with later production machines powered by 265 hp Sunbeam Maori engines owing to shortages of Eagles.Fifty were ordered for the RNAS, but only 37 were completed.
The Converted Seaplane entered service with the RNAS in 1917. On 18 August 1917, a Wight Converted Seaplane flying from Cherbourg sank a German U-boat using a 100 lb bomb, the first submarine to be sunk in the English Channel by direct air action. Seven remained in service with the RAF at the end of the World War I.
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Wight Quadruplane.
The Wight Quadruplane, also referred to as the Wight Type 4, was a British quadruplane fighter aircraft.
It was a prototype designed by design chief Howard T. Wright in 1916. Inspired by the Sopwith Triplane, it had an unusual arrangement in which the fuselage was placed between the middle two wings with upper and lower wings attached by heavy struts. Another unusual feature was that its wingspan was less than the overall aircraft length. The wings were cambered on the leading and trailing edges with a flat middle section.Power was provided by a 110 hp Clerget 9Z nine-cylinder air cooled rotary engine and it was to be armed with two 0.303 in Vickers machine guns.
The original version had two struts of long chord length supporting the upper wing. Four similar interplane struts were used between the upper three wings, all of which had ailerons. The bottom wing had a shorter span with pairs of struts and cut outs for the landing gear wheels. Because the axle was the same height as the lower wing, the tailskid was very tall to prevent that wings trailing edge from contacting the ground.When tested in mid 1916 the aircraft had difficulty taking off due to shallow wing incidence and displayed dangerous tendencies because of a lack of yaw control and a major redesign was required.
In February 1917 the second version was ready for testing.The single thick struts were replaced with wire braced struts and the landing gear was lengthened. The new wings were of varying chord and the overall diameter of the fuselage was increased and a larger dorsal fin and rudder were installed. After several disappointing test flights, the machine was returned to the aircraft production facilities in Cowes for another rework. The final version had new wings of decreasing span from top to bottom and ailerons only on the upper two wings.In July 1917, flight testing again revealed poor handling and an unsatisfactory lack of control. In February 1918 the Quadruplane crashed into a cemetery and was written off.
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Time to move on now, to Germany.
AEG B.II
The AEG B.II was a two-seat biplane reconnaissance aircraft produced in small numbers from 1914. It was a slightly smaller version of the B.I and proved more successful. They were used in limited numbers throughout 1914 to 1915, but were quickly replaced, as they were often derided for lack of speed and armament.
The aircraft were powered by a single 120 hp Mercedes D.II 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, which allowed a max speed of just 68mph.
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AEG C.VIII
The AEG C.VIII was a prototype two-seat reconnaissance aircraft of World War I.Just two examples were built, based on the successful C.IV design, one of biplane configuration, the other a triplane (the latter sometimes referred to as the C.VIII.Dr). Neither version offered enough of an improvement on the C.IV to make mass production worthwhile.
The aircraft were powered by a 160 hp Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, which gave a max speed of 110mph.
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AEG G.II
The AEG G.II was a German biplane bomber aircraft of WW I developed from the AEG G.I, but with more powerful engines. The G.II was typically armed with three 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine guns and 200 kg (440 lb) of bombs. The bomber suffered stability problems,only 20 were completed, and many G.IIs were fitted with additional vertical tail surfaces on each side of the fin and rudder to improve flight handling.
The aircraft were powered by two 150hp Benz Bz.III 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engines, which gave a max speed of around 85mph.
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AEG J.I
The AEG J.I was a German biplane ground attack aircraft of 1917.
The AEG J.I was a two-seat single-engined tractor biplane with a conventional landing gear and a tail skid. The aircraft was constructed using fabric covered steel tubes. The open tandem cockpit for the pilot and gunner had armour protection . The gunner had three weapons, two 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 machine guns were fitted to the floor of the cockpit for ground targets. One 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum MG14 machine gun was on a rotable mounting.
An improved version of the J.I was developed as the AEG J.II, which had aerodynamically balanced ailerons, extended rear fuselage with a larger fin to improve directional stability and a re-located aileron link strut. After the war, several J.IIs served the first regular daily passenger aeroplane service in the world, between Berlin and Weimar, flown by Deutsche Luft-Reederei. This route began on 5 February 1919. Early commercial J.II's retained open cockpits, but modified versions with enclosed cabins for the two passengers quickly replaced them.
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AEG R.I
The AEG R.I was a four-engined biplane bomber aircraft of World War I.
The R.I was unusual for a multi-engined aircraft, the R.I carried all its engines within the fuselage and directed power to its propellers via a system of drive shafts.It was powered by four Mercedes D.IVa 6 cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engines, of 260 hp each.
A single prototype was completed and flew in 1916.The initial flights were quite successful, the aircraft being considered very manoeuvrable, but on 3 September 1918, a newly assembled propeller, disintegrated mid flight. The vibrations resulting from that failure caused the complex gearboxes and shafts connecting all four engines to both propellers to tear loose, which then cut a center section strut, resulting in the breakup of the aircraft, killing all seven crew on board. Of the seven further AEG R.1 aircraft planned or under production when the war ended, (R.21, R.22, R.59, R.60, R.61, R.62, R.63 and R.64), only R.21 was finished and R.22 partially complete.
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Albatros C.I
The Albatros C.I, was the first of the successful C-series of two-seat general-purpose biplanes built by Albatros Flugzeugwerke during World War I.
It was based on the unarmed Albatros B.II, the C.I reversed the pilot and observer seating, the observer occupied the rear cockpit which was fitted with a ring-mounted 7.92 mm MG14 machine gun.The C.I first appeared in early 1915, and its good handling and powerful 150 hp Benz Bz.III engine gave it an advantage over most Allied aircraft. During development, successively more powerful engines were fitted, culminating in the 180 hp Argus As III which allowed the final version of the C.Ia to achieve 87 mph at sea level. A dual-control variant, designated the C.Ib, was built as a trainer aircraft. Improvements to the C.I resulted in the Albatros C.III which became the most prolific of the Albatros C-types.
The C.I was operated mainly in a reconnaissance and observation role, it also had some success as an early fighter aircraft - Germany's most famous World War I aviator, Manfred von Richthofen, also began his career as an observer in the C.I on the Eastern Front.
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Albatros D.I
The Albatros D.I was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I.
The D.I was designed by Robert Thelen, R. Schubert and Gnädig. It was ordered in June 1916 and introduced into squadron service that August.The D.I had a semi-monocoque plywood fuselage,which was lighter and stronger than the fabric-skinned box-type fuselage then in common use, its panelled-plywood skinning, done with mostly four-sided panels of thin plywood over the entire minimal fuselage structure, was less labour-intensive.The Albatros D.I was powered by either a 150 hp Benz Bz.III or a 160 hp Mercedes D.III six-cylinder water cooled inline engine. The additional power of the Mercedes (Daimler) engine enabled twin fixed Spandau machine-guns to be fitted without a loss in performance.
A total of 50 pre-series and series D.I aircraft were in service by November 1916,further production of D.Is was not undertaken, however; instead, a reduction in the gap between the upper and lower wing in order to improve the pilot's forward and upward vision resulted in the otherwise identical Albatros D.II, which became Albatros' first major production fighter.
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Albatros L 65
The Albatros L 65 was a German two-seat reconnaissance fighter biplane first flown in 1925.
Under the Treaty of Versailles, military aircraft production was restricted in Germany, so Albatros Flugzeugwerke established a subsidiary to build the L 65 in Lithuania.
The L 65 had a single-bay, staggered biplane configuration and was built from wood with a plywood skin. The wings were braced by I-struts of broad aerofoil cross-section. Two prototypes were built, the first powered by a 450 hp water-cooled 12-cylinder Napier Lion engine; the second had its first flight in 1926 and had a 565 hp version of the Lion. The second prototype underwent evaluation by the Reichswehr to equip the clandestine training school at Lipetsk, but it lost out to another type and no further aircraft were produced.
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Albatros L 72
The Albatros L 72 was a German transport aircraft of the 1920s.
The L 72 was a single-engine biplane of conventional configuration with unstaggered wings of equal span. It was the first German commercial aircraft to incorporate leading edge slots and trailing-edge flaps. The upper and lower wings were interchangeable. They were of all metal construction with fabric covering. The thickened centre section of the upper wing contained the fuel tanks.
The fuselage was built of welded steel tubing with wire bracing and fabric covered. To the rear of the pilot's cockpit was a cabin containing a conveyor-like device which could accept up to sixteen parcels of newspapers weighing 10 kg. These could then be dropped, either by an attendant travelling in the cabin or by the pilot, an indicator in the cockpit indicating how many parcels had been dropped.
A novel feature of the tail was the rudder and fin which were both pivoted in such a way that when the rudder was turned the fin also turned around a vertical axis thus providing a more powerful rudder control for a smaller angular movement.
The aircraft first flew in 1926, and was powered by a single 220hp BMW IV engine; only four aircraft were completed.
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Albatros L102
The Albatros L102 / Albatros Al 102 , was a German trainer aircraft of the 1930s.
It was a parasol-wing monoplane, seating the student pilot and instructor in separate, open cockpits. A biplane floatplane version was also built as the Al 102W, with strut-braced lower wings.
The aircraft first flew in Sept 1938 and was powered by a 237 hp Argus As 10C inverted V-8, air-cooled piston engine, just ten aircraft were completed in total.
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Arado L II
The Arado L II was a 1920s German two-seat, high-wing touring monoplane.
The aircraft first flew in late 1929 and was powered by an 80hp Argus As 8R engine, which gave a max speed of around 100 mph.Just five machines were built.
In 1930, a Revised version, the L IIa first flew, and four examples took part in the Challenge International de Tourisme 1930, starting from Berlin-Tempelhof airport, but none were placed in the top four, and one crashed early in the race. Two examples competed in the Deutschlandflug in 1931.
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Arado Ar 64
The Arado Ar 64 was a single-seat biplane fighter, developed in the late 1920s.
The Ar 64 was a development of the earlier Arado SD II / SD III, based upon the Reich War Ministry requirement for a successor to the Fokker D.XIII fighter. The AR 64D and 64E would the first fighters built in quantity by Germany since the end of World War I. The two differed, as the 64D had a revised undercarriage and a four-blade propeller, and the 64E had a two-blade propeller attached to a direct-drive version of the license built 530hp Jupiter VI radial engine. In the summer of 1932, 20 aircraft of both types were ordered and 19 of them were assigned to the Jagdfliegerschule at Schleissheim.In total 24 machines were completed.
The aircraft first flew in the Spring of 1930, it had a max speed of around 160 mph, and was armed with two 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine guns.
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Arado Ar 76
The Arado Ar 76 was a German aircraft of the 1930s.
The Ar 76 was a parasol-wing monoplane with fixed, tailwheel undercarriage. The wings were constructed of fabric-covered wood, and the fuselage was fabric-covered steel tube.It was designed as a light fighter with a secondary role as an advanced trainer, it first flew in April 1934, powered by a 210 hp Argus As 10C inverted V-8 air-cooled piston engine.
The aircraft could be armed with two 7.92 mm (0.312 in) MG 17 machine guns with 250 rounds per gun plus two 10 kg (22 lb) SC 10 bombs. Around 180 production Ar 76A aircraft were used by fighter pilot schools from 1936.
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Arado Ar 95
The Arado 95 was a single-engine reconnaissance and patrol biplane.
The Arado 95 was designed in 1935 as a two-seat seaplane, for coastal patrol, reconnaissance and light attack roles. The first prototype, an all-metal biplane powered by an 880hp BMW 132 radial engine, flew in 1936, while a second prototype was powered by a Junkers Jumo 210 liquid-cooled engine. The two prototypes were evaluated against the similar Focke-Wulf Fw 62. The BMW-powered version was considered worthy of development, and a batch of six was sent for further evaluation with the Legion Condor during the Spanish Civil War.
The aircraft was not ordered by the German armed forces,but it was offered for export in two versions, the Ar 95W floatplane and Ar 95L landplane, with a fixed, spatted undercarriage. Six Ar 95Ls were ordered by the Chilean Air Force, these were delivered before the start of World War II.Turkey placed an order for Ar 95Ws, but these were taken over by Germany at the outbreak of war.
The requisitioned Ar 95s were designated by the Luftwaffe as the Ar 95A, and were used for coastal reconnaissance operations in the Baltic Sea, operating off the coast of Latvia and Estonia in 1941, and in the Gulf of Finland, operating until late 1944.
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Arado Ar 199
The Arado Ar 199 was a floatplane aircraft, designed in 1938.
It was a low-wing monoplane,to be launched from a catapult and operated over water. The enclosed cockpit had two side-by-side seats for instructor and student, and a third, rear seat, for a trainee-navigator or radio operator.The aircraft first flew in 1939 and were powered by a 449hp Argus As 410C inverted V-12 air-cooled piston engine,which gave a potential max speed of 160mph.
Two of the 5 prototypes, served as trainers and were used for air-sea rescue operations from Northern Norway.
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Arado Ar 232
The Arado Ar 232 Tausendfüßler (German: "Millipede"), was a large two / four engine cargo aircraft.
It featured a box-like fuselage beneath a high wing; a rear loading ramp; a high-mounted twin tail for easy access to the hold; and various features for operating from rough fields. Although the Luftwaffe was interested in replacing or supplementing its fleet of outdated Junkers Ju 52/3m transports, it had a large selection of types in production at the time, and did not purchase large numbers of the Ar 232.(approx 20 were completed)
Designs of the era used a side-mounted door for access, but the Ar 232 used hydraulically powered doors on the rear of the bay with a ramp to allow cargo to be rolled into the hold. The twin tail configuration tail surfaces were mounted on the end of a long boom to keep the area behind the doors clear so trucks could drive right up to the ramp. The high-set tail on its "pod-and-boom" configuration fuselage allowed the Ar 232 to be loaded and unloaded faster than other designs.For short-field operations, the Ar 232 incorporated Arado's own "travelling flap" design for the entire rear surface of the wing. Even loaded to 16,000 kg (35,270 lb), it could take-off in 200 m (656 ft). This distance could be further reduced by using the Starthilfe liquid fuelled rocket assist (RATO) jettisonable propulsion units for take-off.
The most noticeable feature of the Ar 232 was the landing gear. Normal operations from prepared runways used a tricycle gear , but the sideways-retracting main gear's lever-action lower oleo-strut suspended arm – carrying the main gear's wheel/tire unit at the bottoms of the maingears' struts could "break", or kneel, after landing to place the fuselage closer to the ground and thereby reduce the ramp angle. An additional set of eleven smaller, non-retractable twinned wheels per side, mounted along the ventral centreline of the fuselage, supported the aircraft once the main landing gear's lever-action lower arm had "knelt", or could be used for additional support when landing on soft or rough airfields. The aircraft was intended to be capable of taxiing at low speeds on its row of small wheels. The appearance of the row of these wheels led to the nickname "millipede". In flight, the main legs fully retracted inwards into the wings, while the fixed support wheels remained exposed and the nose wheel only semi-retracted.
The aircraft first flew in June 1941 and entered service in 1943,production aircraft were powered by four 1200hp BMW Bramo 323R-2 Fafnir 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines,although the early prototypes had two 1,600 hp BMW 801A/B engines.
Two four-engined prototypes were ordered, the V3 and V4, and V3 first flew in May 1942. A further 10 were then ordered as the Ar 232B-0, and were used widely in an operational role. However, this was the only order for the design. Many of those produced were used by Arado to transport aircraft parts between its factories, and did not see front-line service.
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Arado Ar 240
The Arado Ar 240 was a German twin-engine, multi-role heavy fighter aircraft from WWII.
The Ar 240 came about as the response to a 1938 request for a second-generation heavy fighter to replace the Messerschmitt Bf 110. The cockpit was fully pressurized,which would not have been easy if the defensive armament had to be hand-operated by the gunner, as it would have required the guns to penetrate the rear of the cockpit canopy. However, the aircraft had an advanced remote control gun system with two × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 81 machine guns which allowed them to be located in turrets in the unpressurized rear of the fuselage.
The aircraft were powered by two Daimler-Benz DB 601E inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines of 1,175 hp each.In May 1939, the RLM ordered a batch of six prototypes. The first Ar 240 V1 prototype, took to the air on 25 June 1940, and immediately proved to have poor handling and also tending to overheat during taxiing. The second prototype was modified to have larger ailerons, as well as additional vertical fin area on the dive brakes to reduce yaw. Small radiators were added to the landing gear legs to improve cooling at low speeds, when the gear would normally be opened. Ar 240 V2, first flew on 6 April 1941, and spent most of its life at the factory in an experimental role. In total just 14 aircraft were completed, as the company decided to concentrate on other types.
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Aviatik C.I
The Aviatik C.I was an observation aircraft which came into service during World War I in April 1915.
It was a single engine biplane,and a development of the Aviatik B.I and B.II model. In the C.I the observer sat in front of the pilot, with a machine-gun clipped on a sliding mounting fitted on a rail at either side of the cockpit giving the crew the means to attack enemy aircraft.
The positions of the pilot and observer were reversed in last series of 50, ordered in 1917 solely for trainer purpose.There was only one aircraft built of refined C.Ia version in May 1916, with armament still in a forward cab, serving as a prototype for C.III. Later models of the plane included the Aviatik C.II and the C.III, which had more powerful engines.
The aircraft were operated by Germany, Austro Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia until 1917 when most were withdrawn from active service.
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Blohm & Voss / Hamburger Flugzeugbau Ha 135
The Hamburger Flugzeugbau Ha 135 was the first aircraft produced by the new aircraft subsidiary of the German company Blohm & Voss.
It was a two seat biplane developed as a trainer for the German Ministry of Aviation. After it proved unsuccessful in this role, the company sold it as a sport / touring aircraft.
The first prototype, designated the Ha 135 V1, made its first flight on 28 April 1934.It was powered by a 160 hp BMW-Bramo Sh 14A engine,which gave a max speed of 127 mph.
The second prototype, Ha 135 V2 first flew on 30 April 1934. It was used for flight characteristics and performance tests beginning on 14 July 1934. It also later flew as a sport aircraft with the German Air Sports Association. In total six aircraft were completed before production ended.
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B+ V / Hamburger Flugzeugbau Ha 137
The Hamburger Flugzeugbau Ha 137 was a German ground-attack aircraft of the 1930s.
The aircraft was built entirely of metal and using a semi-monocoque fuselage, the design looked more like a fighter than a dive bomber. The wing used the tubular spar system, the inner portion of which was sealed as a fuel tank.It had fixed landing gear, so in order to reduce their length and their resulting drag, the wings featured a sharp inverted gull wing bend at about Ľ span. The wheels were mounted on two shock absorbers each, so the fairing around the gear was large enough to allow the mounting of a 7.92 mm MG 17 machine gun for testing, and a 20 mm MG FF cannon if required. Two additional 7.92 mm MG 17s were mounted in the fuselage decking above the engine.
The Reich Air Ministry (RLM) asked for the design to be resubmitted with the 650 hp Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engine, then starting licensed production in Germany as the BMW 132. Vogt's team then modified the design to use the Hornet as Projekt 6a, or alternately the Rolls-Royce Kestrel as Projekt 6b. The RLM found the design promising enough to fund construction of three prototypes.
The Hornet-powered Ha 137 V1 first flew in April 1935, followed the next month by the V2.It quickly became obvious that the Hornet engine was so large that visibility during diving was greatly affected, and the RLM then suggested that the third prototype be completed as a 6b with the Kestrel. By this point the requirements for the dive bomber program had been drawn up, taken directly from Junkers' description of its own entry which had already been selected to win, calling for a two-seater arrangement. The Ha 137 was thus excluded, although realistically no other design had a chance to win.
The three Jumo-powered prototypes were built anyway during 1936 and 1937, eventually being used as testbed aircraft at Blohm & Voss.
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Blohm & Voss BV 141
The Blohm & Voss BV 141 was a World War II German tactical reconnaissance aircraft, notable for its unusual configuration.
The (RLM) – issued a specification for a single-engine reconnaissance aircraft with optimal visual characteristics. The eventual winner was the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu; even though its twin-boom design using two smaller engines did not match the requirement of a single engined aircraft. Blohm & Voss (Hamburger Flugzeugbau) although not invited to participate, pursued as a private venture something far more radical. The proposal of chief designer Dr. Richard Vogt was the uniquely asymmetric BV 141.
The Plexiglas-glazed crew gondola on the starboard side housed the pilot, observer and rear gunner, while the fuselage on the port side led smoothly from the BMW 132N radial engine to a tail unit.At first glance, the placement of weight would have induced tendency to roll, but the weight was evenly supported by lift from the wings. The tailplane was symmetrical at first, but in the 141B it became asymmetrical – starboard tailplane virtually removed – to improve the rear gunner's fields of view and fire.
Three prototypes and an evaluation batch of five BV 141As were produced, backed personally by Ernst Udet, but the RLM decided on 4 April 1940 that they were underpowered, although it was also noted they otherwise exceeded the requirements. By the time a batch of 12 BV 141Bs were built with the more powerful BMW 801 engines, they were too late to make an impression, as the RLM had already decided to put the Fw 189 into production. Indeed, an urgent need for BMW 801 engines for use in the Fw 190 fighter aircraft further reduced the chance of the BV 141B being produced in quantity, around 28 were completed.
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Blohm & Voss BV 222
The Blohm & Voss BV 222 Wiking (Pronounced "Viking") was a very large, six-engined German flying boat of World War II.
Construction of the first prototype, V1, began in January 1938, and V1 made its test flight on 7 September 1940, carrying the civil registration D-ANTE. During trials it demonstrated that it could carry up to 92 passengers, or 72 patients on stretchers over short distances at a maximum speed of (239 mph). Flight characteristics were found to be satisfactory, but with some improvements required. Further trials lasted until December 1940, when the V1 passed into Luftwaffe service, receiving a military paint scheme.
The type had a long flat floor inside the cabin and a large square cargo door to the rear of the wing on the starboard side, with such a flat floor for the hull interior being a welcome novelty for that era. The usual balance floats for a flying boat design were ingeniously designed as a matching pair of retracting float units per side, which extended from beneath the wing's outer panels in "clamshell" fashion when fully extended, and fit fully flush with the wing panels' undersides when retracted.
Originally powered by Bramo 323 Fafnir radial engines, later aircraft were powered by six 1,000 hp Jumo 207C inline two-stroke opposed-piston diesel engines. The use of diesels permitted refueling at sea by special re-supply U-boats. C-13 aircraft was a sole example fitted with Jumo 205C and later Jumo 205D engines.
Three BV 222s were captured and subsequently operated by Allied forces, after the war along with V2, was flown by Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown from Norway to the RAF station at Calshot in 1946, with RAF serial number "VP501". After testing at Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe it was assigned to No. 201 Squadron RAF, who operated it up to 1947, when it was scrapped. Some reports indicate the US captured aircraft were flown or shipped to the US. Convair acquired one for evaluation at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, the intensive studies leading to the hull design of their Model 117 which in turn led to the R3Y Tradewind.
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Blohm & Voss BV 238 / BV 250
The Blohm & Voss BV 238 was a German flying boat built during World War II.
Development of the BV 238 giant flying boat began in 1941, following the success of the smaller but still enormous BV 222 Wiking.The BV 238 was an extremely large flying boat of conventional aerodynamic design, but bearing the usual B&V hallmarks of all-metal construction with a tubular steel wing main spar which also acted as the armoured main fuel tank. Only the earlier Tupolev ANT-20, the Martin XPB2M-1 and the later Hughes H-4 had a bigger wing span. However it would be the heaviest yet flown, at 100 tonnes (220,000 lb) fully loaded.
The wing was of straight, constant-chord form with tapered outer sections. Auxiliary floats were integrated into underside panels of the outer sections and could be retracted to lie flush with the wing. A catwalk ran internally along the wing in front of the tubular steel main spar, providing access to the engines in flight.The hull had an unusually long and slim planing bottom, basically a two-step design but with a row of smaller auxiliary steps behind the main one. A large nose door opened onto its huge interior, with the main crew cabin immediately above and behind it.
The aircraft was powered by six 1,750 hp Daimler-Benz DB 603 liquid-cooled inverted V12 piston engines, arranged in nacelles.
A landplane version, initially called the BV 238-Land, was proposed, capable of carrying out transport, long-range bombing and transatlantic reconnaissance duties. The lower hull was replaced by a plain fairing with retractable undercarriage comprising twelve main and two nose wheels. One bomb bay filled the space between the wheel bays, another lay behind the main undercarriage. The wing floats were replaced with retractable outrigger stabilising wheels. The nose wheel could be folded up, making the aircraft "kneel" and allowing vehicles to drive directly on- and off-board via a loading ramp to the nose doorway. Alternatively, passenger seating could be fitted. A further, upper deck behind the crew cockpit accommodated further passengers, bringing the total capacity to 300.It was later enamed the BV 250 in 1942, three prototypes were ordered but none was finished by the end of the war.
It was designed to carry an impressive defensive armament of 8 x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns with 1,800 rpg; 4 in each nose and tail turret, 8 x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns with 900 rpg; 4 in each wing mounted turret, 4 x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg; 2 (as a twinned MG 131Z) in each manually aimed beam/waist position and 2 x 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 autocannon with 1,400 rpg in forward dorsal turret. This was in addition to a variety of bombs, torpedoes and even rocket powered anti ship radio controlled missiles, such as the Henschel Hs 293.
It was the heaviest aircraft ever built when it first flew in 1944, and was the largest aircraft produced by any of the Axis powers during World War II.
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Blohm & Voss BV 40
The Blohm & Voss BV 40 was a German glider fighter designed to attack Allied bomber formations.
The BV 40 was the smallest glider that could accommodate an armoured cockpit and two cannon with limited ammunition. By eliminating the engine and lying the pilot on his front, the cross-sectional area of the fuselage was much reduced, making the BV 40 difficult for bomber gunners to hit.The fuselage was constructed almost entirely of wood. It was of conventional layout, the glider had a high-mounted, straight wing with a similarly-shaped tailplane mounted on the fin just above the fuselage. The pilot lay in prone in an armoured cockpit in the nose of the aircraft. The front steel plate was 20 millimetres (0.79 in) thick, and was fitted with a windscreen of armoured glass. Two 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannon were mounted in the wing roots.
It was to be towed by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 to operational altitude and released above the Allied bombers. Once released, it would dive down at a sharp angle towards the enemy aircraft. During its short attack time, the BV 40 would fire its weapons, then glide back to earth. Several prototypes were completed and flown, towed behind a Messerschmitt Bf 110. The first flight took place in May 1944. It was found the craft could reach 292 mph and it was thought to have the potential to go far faster. Various changes to the requirement and to the design were discussed, before the project was cancelled later in the year. In all, seven aircraft were completed and five of them flown.
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Bölkow Bo 207
The Bölkow Bo 207 was a four-seat light aircraft built in West Germany in the early 1960s.
Bölkow had built the two and three-seat Kl 107 and developed a four-seat variant, at first designated the Kl 107D. The low-wing cabin monoplane had a re-designed cockpit and canopy and an enlarged tail. Two prototype Kl 107Ds were built and the first flew on 10 October 1960. With the change of name of the company to Bolkow and the move to new factory at Laupheim production of the new variant was started at this new factory. In May 1961 the design was re-designated but by July 1961 it was re-designated again as the Bolkow BO 207.
The Bo 207 is a wood construction, single-engined, cantilever low-wing cabin monoplane with a conventional landing gear with a tail wheel. The aircraft is powered by a Lycoming O-360 four-cylinder, direct-drive, horizontally opposed, air-cooled, piston engine of 180hp.The first of 90 production aircraft built at Laupheim was flown on 24 May 1961 and production continued until 1963.
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Bölkow Bo 46
The Bölkow Bo 46 was a West German experimental helicopter.
Bölkow had been interested in high-speed rotor flight for some time, and had drawn up several experimental concepts based on tip jet systems. Later they took on the job of developing a glass-fibre composite blade that was much stronger than the existing metal designs. When Derschmidt received his first patent in 1955, Bölkow took up the concept and started work on the Bölkow Bo 46 as an experimental testbed, paid for by a Ministry of Defence contract.
The basic Bo 46 design was finalized in January 1959. The five-bladed rotor system was initially tested in a wind tunnel and turned in impressive results. Construction of three highly streamlined fuselages started which were powered by an 800 hp Turboméca Turmo turboshaft driving a five-bladed Derschmidt rotor. A six-bladed rotor was conventionally mounted on the left side of the tail. The maximum speed was not limited by rotor considerations, but the maximum power of the engine. Adding separate engines for additional forward thrust was expected to allow speeds as high as 400mph or more.
Initial test flights of the Bo 46 with the rotors locked started in the autumn of 1963. A series of unexpected new types of dynamic loads were encountered, which led to dangerous oscillations in the rotor. These did not appear to be inherent to the design itself, but they could only be cured through additional complexity in the rotor. During the same period, rotor design was moving to composite blades that were much stronger than the older spar-and-stringer designs, which eliminated the need for the complex bearing system that relieved loads. Although the Derschmidt rotor still improved performance, it appeared the added complexity was not worthwhile.Interest in the system faded, but research flights continued. The Bo 46 was eventually equipped with two Turboméca Marboré engines, allowing a speed of 248 mph.
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Bücker Bü 180 Student
The Bücker Bü 180 Student was a 1930s German two-seat sporting/training aircraft.
Following on from the success of the Bü 133 Jungmeister the Bücker company designed the Bü 180. It was a open cockpit, low-wing cantilever monoplane that would be later used as a trainer aircraft and later named Student. The wing was a wooden construction with a mixture of plywood and fabric covering. The fuselage was a steel tube frame forward and a wooden monocoque at the rear with a fabric covering. The Student had a fixed tailskid landing gear and was powered by a 60 hp Walter Mikron II inline engine. The prototype first flew in 1937 and a small number were built for civilian use.
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Caspar C 32
The Caspar C 32 was an aircraft developed in Germany for aerial spraying in the late 1920s.
It was a single-bay biplane with staggered, equal-span wings that accommodated the pilot and a single passenger or observer in tandem open cockpits. A small, additional horizontal stabiliser was fitted near the top of the tall single tail fin above the main horizontal stabiliser. The first example was used by the Biologische Reichsanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft in Berlin until the early 1930s, before being acquired by DVS ( German Air Transport School ) in 1933. DVS also purchased two examples directly from Caspar.
The fourth and last C 32 built was bought by the Graf Solms-Laubach and named Germania. Otto Könnecke was to have made a transatlantic crossing with it, but ongoing bad weather led to the continuous postponing of the event. Eventually, the plan was changed to making an eastward flight to the United States, via India and Japan. Könnecke departed in the aircraft from Cologne on 27 September 1927, but by early 1928 was forced to turn back having only reached India.
It was powered by a Junkers L5 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine, 310 hp for take-off; 280 hp continuous, which gave a max speed of around 112 mph.
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DFW Mars
The DFW Mars was an early German military utility aircraft built in 1913.
Unusually the aircraft was produced in both monoplane and biplane versions, which shared a common fuselage and empennage. The monoplane version featured wings that were wire-braced to a vertical post on the forward fuselage, and was powered by a 90 hp NAG engine. The biplane had conventional three-bay wings of unequal span and was powered by a 100 hp Mercedes engine. The wings of both the monoplane and biplane versions featured prominent sweepback.
Mars aircraft distinguished themselves in pre-war passenger-carrying feats and reliability, and were purchased by both the German military and the British Admiralty, which purchased an example for the RNAS. Turkish Mars aircraft were flown in the First and Second Balkan Wars in 1912-1913 and the type is therefore believed to be the first German-built aircraft to have seen active military service.
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DFW R.II
The DFW R.II was a German bomber aircraft of World War I.
The requirement was for a generally similar aircraft to the earlier R.1 but needed greater payload - 3,400 kg (7,500 lb) - than the 2600 kg of the R.I). This meant the design had to be considerably revised. The same arrangement of four inline engines mounted in the fuselage, driving two tractor propellers and two pusher propellers via long driveshaft was used.
When the R.II first flew in August 1918, the driveshafts proved troublesome, creating vibration. As a solution, they were enclosed within steel tubes, which fixed the problem. The aircraft also was able to benefit from the newly-available 260hp Mercedes D.IVa engine that had replaced the unreliable D.IV in production.
Of the six ordered, only two were completed before the end of the war, and these were operated on training duties only as their performance proved inadequate for front-line duties. Following the war, DFW planned an airliner version of the R.II, which would have carried 24 passengers. Construction of a prototype was abandoned before it was complete.
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DFS 39 Delta IV
Alexander Lippisch's Delta IV was a continuation of his work on delta wing designs.
The project began with an order from Gerhard Fieseler for a design that his company could build for him to fly in the 1932 Europarundflug air rally. The result was a highly unorthodox design, sporting large delta wings, canards, and an engine and propeller mounted in both the nose and tail of the plane.
Fieseler built this design as the F 3 Wespe ("Wasp"), but it proved highly unstable, causing Fieseler to crash it on his first flight. Modifications were unable to correct these deficiencies, and after one final crash, Fieseler abandoned the aircraft.
Lippisch continued to believe that the design had promise and Professor Walter Georgii of the DFS (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug – German Research Institute for Sailplane Flight). secured funding from the RLM (Reich Air Ministry) to purchase the aircraft from Fieseler and work on perfecting it. At the DFS, Lippisch rebuilt the aircraft, removing the canards and the rear engine and renaming it the Delta IVa.
Although this flew much better than its predecessor, it was still involved in yet another serious crash. The aircraft was rebuilt again, this time incorporating new aerodynamic refinements based on Lippisch's experiences with his recent Storch X glider. The new incarnation, dubbed Delta IVb proved to be a major improvement.
The aircraft was rebuilt yet again, making the sweep of its wings less severe, and adding small, downturned fins at their tips. The fuselage was lengthened slightly, and a small rudder was added to it. Now called the Delta IVc, the result was finally what Lippisch had been aiming for. In 1936, the aircraft was taken to the Luftwaffe flight-testing centre at Rechlin where it gained an airworthiness certificate and an official RLM designation – DFS 39.
It proved to be an extremely stable and well-behaved design, and attracted the interest of the RLM as a starting point for "Project X" – the programme to develop a rocket-powered fighter aircraft. This would eventually lead to the development of the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet.
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DFS Kranich
The DFS Kranich is a type of German glider. It was developed by Hans Jacobs.
Series production of the Kranich (Crane) took place in the aircraft division of Karl Schweyer AG in Mannheim. The two-seater was, in its version 2, the most widely built two-seat glider in Germany from 1935 to 1939. Several hundred examples were built; exact numbers are not known.
On 11 October 1940 Erich Klöckner in a Kranich achieved the record height in a glider of 11,460 m (37598 ft). Because it occurred in wartime, the altitude record was not recognized by the Allied occupying powers, and Klöckner only received official recognition by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in the late 1990s.[1] This record height was only exceeded ten years after the flight by the American Bill Ivans during a similar scientific program in the Sierra Nevada.
In 1942 30 Kranichs were built by the Swedish manufacturer AB Flygplan in Norrköping, and delivered to the Swedish Air Force for training purposes. Between 1950 and 1952 50 examples of a slightly modified copy of the Kranich II were built in Poland, known as the SZD-C Żuraw
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Dornier Komet
The Dornier Komet ("Comet"), and Merkur ("Mercury"), were a family of aircraft manufactured in Germany during the 1920s.
The first Komets used the same, 17 m (55 ft 9 in) span wing, tail, and even upper fuselage, as well as the 185 hp BMW IIIa engine of the Delphin I, but replaced the lower fuselage and sponsons with a simple sheet-metal bottom that incorporated fixed tailskid undercarriage. The engine installation was also relocated from its unusal position above the Delphin's nose to the Komet's fuselage nose. Accommodation was provided for a single pilot and four passengers.An improved version, the Do Komet II, was first flown on 9 October 1922 and was exported to countries including Colombia, Spain, Switzerland, and the Soviet Union.
The 1924 Do Komet III was an almost all-new design that shared elements with the Delphin III. The cabin was enlarged to seat two more passengers and the larger wing, with a span of 19.6 m (64 ft 4 in), was raised above the fuselage on re-enfoced struts. Power was greatly increased from the Komet I, with a 450 hp Napier Lion engine. This version was exported to Denmark and Sweden, and also produced under licence in Japan by Kawasaki.
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Dornier Do X
The Dornier Do X was the largest, heaviest, and most powerful flying boat in the world when it was produced in 1929.
It was designed by Claude Dornier in 1924, planning started in late 1925 and after over 240,000 work-hours it was completed in June 1929.The Do X was financed by the German Transport Ministry and in order to avoid conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, which had in theory strict controls of aircraft permitted to be built by Germany after World War I, a specially designed plant was built near the Swiss portion of Lake Constance.
The Do X was a huge semi-cantilever monoplane with an all-duralumin hull, it`s wings were made of a steel-reinforced duralumin framework covered in heavy linen fabric, and aluminium paint.
It was initially powered by twelve 524 hp license -built Bristol Jupiter radial engines in tandem mountings, with six tractor propellers and six pushers mounted in six strut-mounted nacelles above the wing. The nacelles were joined by an auxiliary wing to stabilise the mountings.The air-cooled Jupiter engines were prone to overheating and could barely lift the Do X to an altitude of 1,400 ft. The engines were supervised by a flight engineer, who controlled the 12 throttles and monitored the bank of engine gauges. The pilot would instruct the engineer to adjust the power setting, in a manner similar to the system used on ships. The flight deck,bore a strong resemblance to the bridge of a large ship. After completing 103 flights in 1930, the Do X was refitted with 610 hp Curtiss V-1570 "Conqueror" water-cooled V-12 engines. Only then was it able to reach the altitude of 500 m (1,650 ft) necessary to cross the Atlantic.
The type was popular with the public, but a lack of commercial interest and a number of non-fatal accidents prevented more than three examples from being built.
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Dornier Do Y
The Dornier Do Y was a German bomber of the 1930s.
The first aircraft flew on 17 October 1931. It was a shoulder-wing monoplane of metal construction with fixed tailwheel landing gear, similar to the four engined Do P, but this model had three Gnome-Rhône 9Kers 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines,of 600 hp each. A civil transport version was proposed but was produced.
The Do P and Do Y were discribed as freighter prototypes; they were in fact steps towards creating the Luftwaffe's first operational bomber, the Dornier Do 11a. Two examples were produced for the Royal Yugoslav Air Force in 1931, followed by two more machines six years later. All four served with the 81st regiment until replaced by the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 in 1939. The aircraft were then used in transport and liaison roles until all four were captured by German forces at Kraljevo in 1941.
In 1932, Dornier worked on two aircraft originally ordered by Yugoslavia, but then cancelled. These aircraft were part of the Do K and Do Y projects. There was a request by Deutsche Luft Hansa and the Reich Air Ministry for a fast passenger aircraft , which in fact was to get a fast bomber. Dornier offered the design with the new naming Dornier Do 15.
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Dornier Do 19
The Dornier Do 19 was a German four-engine heavy bomber.
The Dornier Do 19 was a mid-wing cantilever design, and was mostly metal in construction. It had a rectangular-section fuselage and the tail had braced twin fins and rudders, mounted on the upper surface of the tailplane, which was set low on the rear fuselage. It also had retractable landing gear, including the tailwheel. The powerplant,was supposed to be four 715 hp for take-off ( 599 hp continuous) Bramo 322H-2 radial engines that were mounted in nacelles at the leading edges of the wings.
It had a crew of ten, a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier, radio operator and five gunners. The V1 prototype flew on 28 October 1936. After Generalleutnant Wever died in an airplane crash on 3 June 1936, the heavy bomber program lost support, and never recovered. Later in the war, the error of not having heavy bombers became apparent. By then, however, it was too late to develop the bomber aircraft required. Wever's successor, believed Germany required were more fighters and tactical bombers. Therefore, the V2 and V3 prototypes were scrapped. The original V1 became a transport in 1938.
The Dornier Do 19 had a disappointing performance: it was slow, carried only a 1,600 kg bombload, and had only medium range. In fact, the whole Ural bomber concept had already been abandoned, not only because the required range was impossible, but also because existing navigation and bombsights were not accurate enough.
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Dornier Do 22
The Dornier Do 22 was a German seaplane, developed in the 1930s.
Dornier's Swiss subsidiary, based at Altenrhein, designed a three-seat, single-engined military floatplane, the Do C3; two prototypes were built,with the first flown in 1935.It was a parasol wing monoplane of fabric-covered all-metal construction. Its slightly swept back wing was attached to the fuselage by bracing struts, and its two floats were braced to both the wing and fuselage. It was powered by a 860 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs engine driving a three-bladed propeller, and could carry a single torpedo or bombs under the fuselage. Defensive armament was one fixed forward-firing machine gun, also two in the rear cockpit and one in a ventral tunnel.
The first production model, known as the Do 22/See when fitted with floats, did not fly until 15 July 1938.The Luftwaffe was not interested in the aircraft,but examples were sold to Yugoslavia, Greece and Latvia. In March 1939, a prototype with conventional landing gear (the Do 22L), was completed and test-flown, but it did not enter production.
The Greek Do 22s were destroyed during the German invasion of the Balkans in 1941, but the crews of eight of the Yugoslav machines successfully evaded capture or destruction by fleeing to Egypt. There they flew under the control of the RAF until the lack of spare parts made the aircraft redundant.
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Dornier Do 26
The Dornier Do 26 was a gull-winged flying boat produced before and during World War II.
The sleek Do 26, sometimes referred to as the "most beautiful flying-boat ever built",was of all-metal construction. The hull had a central keel and a clearly defined step; the wings were of gull wing configuration, the outer sections being equipped with fully retractable stabilising wing-floats, instead of Dornier's famous "water-wing" sponsons extending from the lower hull for lateral stabilization.Its four engines, 590 hp Junkers Jumo 205C diesels, were mounted in tractor/pusher pairs in tandem nacelles.The rear (pusher) engines could be swung upwards through 10° during take-off and landing, to prevent contact between the three-blade airscrew and water spray created by the forward propellers.The tail unit was of conventional, comprising a horizontal tailplane and a single, vertical fin with rudder.
In 1937, Deutsche Lufthansa ordered three Do 26 aircraft, which were designed to be launched by catapult from special supply ships, for transatlantic air mail purposes. The first, Do 26 A D-AGNT V1 Seeadler ("Sea eagle"), made its first flight on 21 May 1938. D-AWDS V2 Seefalke ("Sea Falcon"), followed on 23 November 1938. Due to opposition from the United States, the airline was unable to operate these aircraft on the intended transatlantic route; instead, in 1939 they were used to carry air mail between Bathurst and Natal on the Southern Atlantic route. The third aircraft, Do 26 B D-ASRA Seemöwe ("Seagull") was completed just before the start of World War II.
All three Deutsche Lufthansa aircraft were impressed into military service in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II.Three other Do 26 aircraft (V4 – V6) were built as Do 26 C for the Luftwaffe with the more powerful 880 hp Junkers Jumo 205D engines; the original three aircraft were converted for military service. Armament consisted of one 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon and three 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine guns.The Do 26s saw service in April and May 1940 in the Norwegian Campaign, transporting supplies, troops and wounded to and from the isolated German forces fighting at Narvik. During this campaign three of them were lost.
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Dornier Do 335
The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil ("Arrow") was a German World War II heavy fighter.
There are many advantages to this design over the more traditional system of placing one engine on each wing, the most important being power from two engines with the frontal area (and thus drag) of a single-engine design, allowing for higher performance. It also keeps the weight of the twin powerplants near, or on, the aircraft centerline, increasing the roll rate compared to a traditional twin.
The four-surface set of cruciform tail surfaces in the Do 335's rear fuselage design included a ventral vertical fin–rudder assembly that projected downwards from the extreme rear of the fuselage, to protect the rear propeller from an accidental ground strike on takeoff. The presence of the rear pusher propeller also required the provision for an ejection seat for safe escape from a damaged aircraft, and designing the rear propeller and dorsal fin mounts to use explosive bolts to jettison them before an ejection was attempted – as well as twin canopy jettison levers, one per side located to either side of the forward cockpit interior just below the sills of the five-panel windscreen's sides, to jettison the canopy from atop the cockpit before ejection.
When fitted with DB 603A engines delivering 1,726 hp at takeoff it had a pair of the largest displacement -44.52 litres - inverted V12 aircraft engine design mass-produced during the Third Reich's existence. The Do 335 V1 first prototype,flew on 26 October 1943. Several problems during the initial flight of the Do 335 would continue to plague the aircraft through most of its short history. Issues were found with the weak landing gear and with the main gear's wheel well doors, resulting in them being removed for the remainder of the V1's test flights. The Do 335 V1 made 27 flights, flown by three different pilots. During these test flights the second prototype, was completed and made its first flight on 31 December 1943. New to the V2 were upgraded DB 603A-2 engines, and several refinements learned from the test flights. On 20 January 1944, the Do 335 V3,was flown for its first time. The V3 was powered by the new pre-production DB 603G-0 engines which could produce 1,900 PS at take-off and featured a slightly redesigned canopy.In mid January 1944, RLM ordered five more prototypes (V21–V25), to be built as night fighters. By this time, more than 60 hours of flight time had been put on the Do 335 and reports showed it to be a good handling,and very fast.The Do 335 was scheduled to begin mass construction, with the initial order of 120 preproduction aircraft.This number included a number of bombers, destroyers (heavy fighters), and several yet to be developed variants. At the same time, Dornier-Werke München (DWM) was scheduled to build over 2,000 Do 335s in various models, due for delivery in March 1946.
At least 16 prototype Do 335s were known to have flown on a number of DB603 engine subtypes including the DB 603A, A-2, G-0, E and E-1. The first preproduction Do 335 (A-0s) were delivered in July 1944. Approximately 22 preproduction aircraft were thought to have been completed and flown before the end of the war, including approximately 11 A-0s converted to A-11s for training purposes. One such aircraft was transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, and later, after a rear-engine fire burnt through the elevator controls during a flight, crashed onto a local school.
Only one Do 335 survives, the second preproduction Do 335 A-0, designated A-02, with construction number 240 102, and factory radio code registration of VG+PH. The aircraft was assembled at the Dornier plant in Oberpfaffenhofen, Bavaria on 16 April 1945. It was captured by Allied forces at the plant on 22 April 1945. VG+PH can be seen today in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum alongside other unique late-war German aircraft.
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Dornier Do 29
The Dornier Do 29 was an experimental aircraft from the 1950`s.
It was developed from a design for a short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft that would utilise a system of pusher propellers, one on each wing in a pusher configuration, to provide downward thrust and enhance lift. The aircraft was based on the Do 27 light transport, modified with twin 270hp Lycoming GO-480 engines mounted below the wings.These engines drove three-bladed, pusher propellers, that were capable of being tilted downwards to an angle of up to 90 degrees, and the engines were coupled so that symmetrical thrust could be maintained in the event of an engine failure. It had a helicopter style canopy and was fitted with an ejection seat.
Two examples of the Do 29 were built, while a third was planned but not completed, the first prototype flew on 12 December 1958. In flight testing, the propeller system was not rotated further than 60 degrees as opposed to its nominal 90 degree capability, but the aircraft proved to be highly successful, with a stalling speed of 15 mph and exceptional short-field performance.Despite this, the tilting-propeller system was not further pursued after the end of the flight test program.
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Dornier Do 31
The Dornier Do 31 was an experimental vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) jet-propelled transport from the late 1960`s.
The development of the Do 31 was motivated by interest of the German Air Force in the acquisition of short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL)-capable aircraft. Such ambitions received a further boost from the issuing of NATO specification NBMR-4, which called for a VTOL-capable tactical support aircraft that would be operated in conjunction with the EWR VJ 101, a West German VTOL strike aircraft designed under the NATO contract of BMR-3. A total of three aircraft, two flight-capable and one static airframe, were constructed and used for testing. On 10 February 1967, the Do 31 performed its maiden flight; the first hovering flight of the type took place during July 1967.
The design of the Do 31 was reliant upon its engine configuration. Dornier had opted to incorporate the British-built Bristol Pegasus vectored-thrust turbofan engine, an existing powerplant that was most famously used to power the Harrier. On the Do 31, a pair of Pegasus engines were housed in each of the two inboard nacelles; during the vertical phase of flight, additional lift was provided by an arrangement of four vertically mounted Rolls-Royce RB162 lift engines located in each of the outer nacelles.
By mounting the engines in pods, the fuselage could accommodate a large hold for cargo, which was accessed via a rear-facing loading ramp. Early designs of the Do 31 used more than four Rolls-Royce RB162s; the availability of more powerful versions of the Pegasus engine enabled the reduction to four supplemental lift engines. Due to the engines being placed in nacelles,the Pegasus had to be specially modified for the Do 31.
Pitch control nozzles in the tail, fed from the Pegasus engines, two pointing up, two pointing down
Beyond providing adequate lift and control, other factors influenced the propulsion system. Noise was a major concern, particularly as the airframe's critical frequency was close to that which was naturally generated by the lift engines. The re-ingestion of hot exhaust gasses was another critical area, complicated by there being 16 'fountains' of gas being generated during vertical hover, 12 of which being hot. Following intense study during the flight testing phase of development, it was determined that positioning the nozzles at an angle of 85-degrees, rather than 90-degrees, was sufficient to avoid encountering any issue during takeoff, while no such concerns were observed during landing. Several different types of air intakes were also tested,to deter ingestion problems and the uneven start-up of the lift engines. Bleed air was also drawn from the Pegasus engines to the lift engines as a measure to address ingestion, while dedicated studies were performed on ground erosion effects.
In addition to test flights, Dornier often demonstrated the Do 31 prototypes to officials and the general public, such as at the 1969 Paris Air Show. Several world records were set by the type during its limited flying career. When the high cost, technical and logistical difficulties of operating such an aircraft were realized, the German Air Force opted to cease trials involving VTOL aircraft, such as the Do 31, VJ101, and the later VFW VAK 191B. In the face of limited sales prospects and a lack of state support, the Do 31 and other VTOL projects lingered as research projects for a time prior to their manufacturers abandoning all activity. The Do 31 remains the only VTOL-capable jet-powered transport aircraft to ever fly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTYXPSxS9E4&feature=emb_logo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTYXPSxS9E4&feature=emb_logo) Features some footage of the aircraft at the Dornier Museum.
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Dornier Do 32
The Dornier Do 32E was a simple, collapsible one-man helicopter, designed for military use.
In the early 1960s, the German Army had an interest in a small helicopter for observation and communications duties that could be folded up compactly enough to be carried in a trailer pulled by a jeep. The Do 32, like several other light helicopters of the time such as the Fairey Ultra-light Helicopter and the Sud-Ouest Djinn, used rotor tip jets to drive the rotor blades. The advantage of tip drive is the absence of torque reaction, making a tail rotor unnecessary, saving weight and simplifying control of the aircraft. Dornier used a small gas turbine to drive a compressor, which fed air out through tubes in the rotors to the tips.
The Do 32 was structurally very simple, with a square section, tapering fuselage behind the pilot. The BMW 6012L turbine and compressor were placed on top of the fuselage, immediately behind the rotor pylon. Its exhaust impinged upon a large rectangular rudder, built to resist thermal stresses, for yaw control. The horizontal tailplane was swept. The pilot sat in front of the rotor pylon, on a simple seat. The control of the plane of the two-bladed rotor directly with a long curved hanging arm, and its pitch with a conventional collective pitch lever by his left side. The rudder pedals were almost straight out in front on a strut that also carried,some simple instruments. This member also formed part of the simple three-legged undercarriage, each strut ending with an unsprung foot.
The Do 32 first flew on 29 June 1962,and much flight testing was done with this aircraft and two further prototypes. The aircraft was also stowed in a trailer, transported, unfolded and flown. The heavy rotor could be spun up before takeoff with zero pitch, containing enough energy for a rapid initial vertical climb or jump start, autogyro fashion. All three were eventually lost in accidents with different causes. Though Dornier had hopes of large Army orders, none followed. Agricultural applications were considered, and there was a design project for the Do 32Z, a two-seat version with a bigger engine, but no more manned Do 32s flew.
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EWR VJ 101
The EWR VJ 101 was an experimental German jet fighter vertical takeoff/landing (VTOL) tiltjet aircraft.
In March 1960, the BMVg issued a development contract to MAN Turbo for a light single-spool turbojet engine, Rolls-Royce would serve as a major subcontractor on the project; the result of their collaborative efforts for the contract would be the Rolls-Royce/MAN Turbo RB153 turbofan engine.
The RB.153 engine was initially a scaled-up version of the earlier Rolls-Royce RB108 engine that had been developed for sustained supersonic flight; however, during early 1960, interest in the engine's further development as a suitable powerplant for a VTOL aircraft emerged.New models of the engine were developed to address the specific requirements of its new VTOL role, including the RB.153.17 and the RB.153.25 lift engine. During December 1961, as a result of changes in the BMVg's priorities for the envisioned VTOL, considerable engine changes were needed so development work on the RB.153 was effectively shelved in favour of the Rolls-Royce RB145 engine.
The BMVg decided to issue an order in late 1960 for two experimental aircraft to evaluate their ability in fulfilling the interceptor requirement.A pair of prototypes, known as the VJ 101 C, were developed; these were powered by the lighter RB145 turbojet engine, which was mounted in swivelling nacelles.
Development of the VJ 101 C would not be straightforward; a major problem was the changing requirements of the BMVg, who decided to switch the aircraft's role from interceptor to a more general fighter. The new proposal had merged the characteristics of earlier designs into a streamlined platform. The VJ 101 C bore similarities to the US Bell XF-109, both aircraft having a configuration of paired engines fitted within swivelling nacelles positioned at their wingtips. In addition to the wingtip engines, two further lift jets were installed within the fuselage, which functioned to supplement the main engines during hovering flight.
The VJ 101 C featured an electronic flight control system, widely known as a 'fly-by-wire' arrangement. Testing revealed the need for three-channel control systems to account for instances of hardover failures. Upon the switch to three-channel control systems, this enabled the system to be used through all flight ranges with thrust-vector control; the first such system to be developed.
A pair of prototypes were completed, known as the X-1 and X-2.The X-1 was to be outfitted with an arrangement of six RB145 engines: two mounted vertically in the fuselage for lift, and four within the swivelling nacelles, each of which being able to generate 2,750 lbf of thrust. The X-2 was to have the swivelling engines equipped with an afterburner, which would enable them to produce thrust of 3,840 lbf each.This was expected to enable the aircraft to attain its design speed of Mach 1.8.
On 10 April 1963, the X-1 made its first hovering flight,later on 20 September 1963, the first transition from hovering flight to horizontal flight took place. The X-1 was first publicly exhibited at the May 1964 Hannover Air Show. The VJ 101C X-1 flew a total of 40 aerodynamic flights, 24 hover flights and 14 full transitions. In the course of these tests, the sound barrier was broken for the first time by a vertical takeoff aircraft; however, on 14 September 1964, a defect in the autopilot caused the X-1 to crash, sustaining some damage as a result. On 29 July 1964, the VJ 101 C flew at Mach 1.04 without use of an afterburner.
On 12 June 1965, X-2,,made its first flight. On 22 October 1965, the X-2 performed a successful transition with a new autopilot system installed. The tests were subsequently continued with X-2, which in contrast to X-1 was fitted with afterburners. However, the project was cancelled in 1968. The proposed VJ 101 D Mach 2 interceptor was never completed. Today, VJ 101 C X-2 is on public display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.
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Fieseler F2 Tiger
The Fieseler F2 Tiger was a German single-seat aerobatic biplane from the early 1930`s.
Gerhard Fieseler started his own company in 1930 at Kassel, Germany. Fieseler was a WW 1 German fighter ace with almost 20 kills to his credit, and became a world class competition aerobatic pilot. To compete in International competitions Fieseler designed and built the Fieseler F2 Tiger single-seat biplane, powered by a 450 hp Walter Pollux II air-cooled 9-cylinder radial.
The 1934 World Aerobatics Competition, held in Paris, was the first of its kind, and, despite two fatal accidents, the competition continued and Fieseler won, beating his nearest competitor, Michel Detroyat of France (who flew an M.S.225), by 23 points (645.2 to 622.9). Fieseler retired from the sport with his victory.
The F2 Tiger formed the basis for later aircraft, including the Fieseler F5. It was built by Fieseler's own aircraft company, Fieseler Flugzeugbau (later, Gerhard Fieseler Werke). The F2 served as an important forerunner of later German aircraft, and as a famous piece of inter-war aircraft design.
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Fieseler Fi 5
The Fieseler Fi 5 was a single-engined two-seat sportplane of the 1930s.
The F 5 was a low-wing tandem two-seat monoplane which retained the fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage of the earlier Fieseler F 4 but introduced a new two-spar cantilever wing. It had a fixed conventional landing gear with a tail-skid and the tandem open-cockpit were fitted with dual-controls. Behind the rear seat was a large luggage locker, the top decking at the rear could be removed to carry a spare propeller or skis.
The F5 was powered by the 80 hp Hirth HM 60 engine. It competed with the Klemm Kl 25, but with the F5's shorter wings and different handling that experienced pilots preferred, it became quite popular.In 1935 one aircraft Saureland was modified as a single-seat aerobatic aircraft for Lise Fastenrath with the front cockpit covered over. Around 30 of these popular aircraft were produced.
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Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg
The Fieseler Fi 103R, code-named Reichenberg, was a late-World War II German piloted version of the V-1 flying bomb.
The Leonidas Squadron, had been set up as a suicide squadron. Volunteers were required to sign a declaration which said, "I hereby voluntarily apply to be enrolled in the suicide group as part of a human glider-bomb. I fully understand that employment in this capacity will entail my own death." Initially, both the Messerschmitt Me 328 and the Fieseler Fi 103 (better known as the V-1 flying bomb) were considered as suitable aircraft, but the Fi 103 was passed over in favour of the Me 328 equipped with a 900 kilograms (2,000 lb) bomb.
Problems were experienced in converting the Me 328 and Heinrich Himmler wanted to cancel the project.The Fi 103 was reappraised and was adopted for the project as it seemed to offer the pilot a slim chance of surviving.The project was given the codename "Reichenberg" after the capital of the former Czechoslovakian territory.
The V-1 was transformed into the Reichenberg by adding a small, cramped cockpit at the point of the fuselage that was immediately ahead of the pulsejet's intake, where the standard V-1's compressed-air cylinders were fitted. The cockpit had basic flight instruments and a plywood bucket seat. The single-piece canopy incorporated an armoured front panel and opened to the side to allow entry. The two displaced compressed-air cylinders were replaced by a single one, fitted in the rear in the space which normally accommodated the V-1's autopilot. The wings were fitted with hardened edges to cut the cables of barrage balloons.
It was proposed that a He 111 bomber would carry either one or two Reichenbergs beneath its wings, releasing them close to the target. The pilots would then steer their aircraft towards the target, jettisoning the cockpit canopy shortly before impact and bailing out. It was estimated that the chances of a pilot surviving such a bailout were less than 1% due to the very close proximity of the pulsejet's intake to the cockpit.
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Fieseler Fi 167
The Fieseler Fi 167 was a 1930s German biplane torpedo and reconnaissance bomber designed for use from the Graf Zeppelin class aircraft carriers.
In early 1937, the German Ministry of Aviation issued a specification for a carrier-based torpedo bomber to operate from Germany's first aircraft carrier, the Graf Zeppelin.The specification was issued to two aircraft houses, Fieseler and Arado, and was for an all-metal biplane with a maximum speed of at least 186 mph, a range of at least 630 miles and capable both of torpedo and dive-bombing. By the summer of 1938 the Fiesler design proved to be superior to the Arado design, the Ar 195.
It first flew 12th Nov 1937 and exceeded all requirements, with excellent handling capabilities and could carry almost double the required weapons payload. Like the company's better known Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, the Fi 167 had surprising slow-speed capabilities; under the right conditions, the plane would be able to land almost vertically on a moving aircraft carrier. In case of an emergency landing at sea, the crew could jettison the landing gear, and airtight compartments in the lower wing would help the aircraft stay afloat for 20-30 mins.
Two prototypes (Fi 167 V1 and V2) were built, followed by twelve pre-production models (Fi 167 A-0) which had only slight modifications from the prototypes.
The aircraft was powered by an 1100hp Daimler-Benz DB 601B V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine, which gave it a max speed of around 200mph,and was armed with 2x7.92mm machine guns, one fixed forward, and one in the rear cockpit on a flexible mounting.
When construction of the Graf Zeppelin was stopped in 1940, the completion of further aircraft was stopped and the completed aircraft were taken into Luftwaffe service in the evaluation/test unit, with nine Fi 167s going to the Netherlands for coastal trials.The Fi 167s returned to Germany in the summer of 1943. After which they were sold to Croatia, where The Fi 167's short-field landing and load-carrying abilities made it ideal for transporting ammunition and other supplies to Croatian Army garrisons, between their arrival in September 1944 and the end of the War.
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Flettner Fl 265
The Flettner Fl 265 was an experimental helicopter designed by Anton Flettner.
The FL 265 was developed in 1938 with the support of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine, and made it possible, for the first time, to transition from powered rotary-wing flight to autorotation and back again, making it the safest helicopter of its time. In contrast to the Fl 185, the Fl 265, believed to be the pioneering example of a synchropter, had two intermeshing rotors 12 m in diameter, powered by a 160 hp BMW-Bramo Sh 14 A radial engine in the nose of the fuselage, fitted with a fan to assist cooling. Six helicopters were constructed, but series production was curtailed in favour of the Flettner Fl 282.
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Focke-Achgelis Fa 223
The Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Dragon was a helicopter developed by Germany during World War II.
It was powered by a single 1,010 hp Bramo 323 radial engine powered two three-bladed 11.9-metre (39 ft) rotors mounted on twin booms on either side of the 12.2-metre-long (40 ft) cylindrical fuselage. Although the Fa 223 is noted for being the first helicopter to attain production status, production of the helicopter was hampered by Allied bombing of the factory, and only 20 were built.
In September 1939 the first prototype, the V1, left the factory. Now nicknamed Drache ("Dragon") it had a fully enclosed cabin and load bay, with the Bramo engine mounted in the middle of the tubular-steel body.
Hovering tests showed problems and the V1 was not to fly until 1940. The engine proved too fragile when run at high speed for any duration, and was replaced with a sturdy 1,000 hp Bramo 323Q3 in the later prototypes to improve reliability and lifting capability.The biggest problem, however was the severe vibration caused by unbalanced driveshafts when the rotors moved out of phase.The V1's first untethered flight was on 3 August 1940, after over 100 hours of ground and tethered testing.On 5 February 1941, the V1 was lost in an accident following engine failure at low altitude. The second prototype (V2) was completed shortly after, featuring a fully glazed cockpit and a machine gun operated by the observer. It was destroyed in an Allied air raid.
Production of the Fa 223 began at the Focke-Achgelis factory in Delmenhorst in 1942. The site was attacked in June that year by an Allied air raid and destroyed along with the two surviving prototypes. Attempts were made to restore production but a new plant was set up at Laupheim in 1943.
Only seven machines had been constructed at Laupheim before an air raid halted production in July 1944, and wiped out the factory. At the time of the raid, the V18 prototype was ready for delivery, 13 Drachen were in assembly, plus enough components for a further 19. The Air Ministry decided that it was useless to pursue the project any further and after mountain rescue trials Focke was assigned to Messerschmitt's staff.Only weeks later, Focke received new orders,to return to the Focke-Achgelis company and to move the entire operation to Berlin Tempelhof Airport where flight testing was to be resumed, and a production line established to produce 400 helicopters per month.
At the end of WWII the US intended to ferry captured aircraft back to the US aboard a ship, but only had room for one of the captured Drachen. The RAF objected to plans to destroy the other, the V14, so Luftwaffe Pilot Helmut Gerstenhauer, with two observers, flew it across the English Channel from Cherbourg to RAF Beaulieu on 6 September 1945, the first crossing of the Channel by a helicopter. The V14 later made two test flights at RAF Beaulieu before being destroyed on 3 October, when a driveshaft failed.
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Focke-Wulf A 16
The Focke-Wulf A.16 was a German three/four passenger light transport monoplane from the mid 1920`s.
Focke and Wulf formed the Focke-Wulf company in 1924 and their first design was an all-wood three/four passenger airliner or light transport, the A.16, first flown by Georg Wulf on 23 June 1924. At least 20 aircraft were built.The A.16 was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration. The wing used a rather ungainly thick airfoil, and the pilot sat in an open cockpit above the wing, while the passengers were carried in the enclosed fuselage below. The tailskid undercarriage featured large wheels mounted on each side of the fuselage.
Early versions had 75hp engines, but later models had 100hp or 120 hp engines.
At least 20 aircraft were built; according to Airbus Industrie, Bremen, 23 were built. Airbus built a detailed full size mock up, which is on display at Bremen Airport.
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Focke-Wulf A 32 Bussard
The Focke-Wulf A 32 Bussard was a small airliner from the early 1930s.
It was developed rapidly at the request of NOBA when Messerschmitt was unable to deliver aircraft on schedule.It was a development of the A 20, but the A 32 had a revised fuselage with greater seating capacity, and an engine of over twice the power (310hp). The two examples operated by NOBA became part of Deutsche Luft Hansa's fleet in 1934.
The flight deck was enclosed on the A.32 and was incorporated into the fuselage below and ahead of the high-mounted thick wing. The passenger cabin was under and aft of the wing. The tailskid undercarriage featured a wider tread on the mainwheels, and those wheels were supported by struts running up to the wings' undersides. The nose-mounted piston engine was cooled by a radiator, mounted in the airstream on the belly of the fuselage.
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Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz
The Focke-Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz ("Goldfinch") is a two-seat biplane from the 1930`s.
The Fw 44 was designed as a biplane with conventional layout and straight, untapered wings. Its two open cockpits were arranged in tandem, and both cockpits were equipped with flight controls and instruments. The Fw 44 had fixed tailwheel landing gear. It employed ailerons on both upper and lower wings. It did not use flaps. It was flown with a 125 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine.The first prototype flew in 1932,and after many tests and modifications to increase the plane's durability and aerodynamics, the final Fw 44 proved to have excellent airworthiness.
A second version of the Fw 44 was the Fw 44B, which had an Argus As 8 four-cylinder inverted inline air-cooled engine of 120 hp.The cowling for this engine gave the plane a more slender, aerodynamic nose.20 Fw 44s purchased by China were modified for combat missions, and participated in the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War until all were lost in action.The last series version was the Fw 44J, which was sold or built under license in several countries around the world. It was equipped with a seven-cylinder Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine.
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Focke-Wulf Ta 152
The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 was a World War II German high-altitude fighter-interceptor.
The German Air Ministry requested designs from both Focke-Wulf and Messerschmitt for a high-altitude interceptor. Messerschmitt answered with the Bf 109H, and Focke-Wulf entered a range of designs; the Fw 190 Raffat-1 (Ra-1) fighter, the Ra-2 was a dedicated high altitude fighter, and the Ra-3 was a ground-attack aircraft.
These designs developed into the Fw 190 V20 (Ta 152A), V21 (Ta 152B) and V30 (Ta 152H) prototypes, all based on the 190D-9 but with varying degrees of improvement. The V20 used the same Jumo 213E engine as the Fw 190D-9, while the V21 used the DB 603E. Neither of these offered any significant improvement, and development of the Ta 152A and B was cancelled. The V21 airframe, was further modified as the V21/U1 and became the prototype for the Ta 152C.
The Ta 152's fuselage extended with wider-chord fixed vertical tail surfaces, and hydraulic controlled undercarriage and flaps.The modifications caused the center of gravity to shift and for overall balance, the nose was also lengthened.The D-9 retained the 34.5 ft wingspan of the pre-war Fw 190 models, but this was slightly extended for the C model to 36 ft, and greatly extended for the H model to 47.4 ft, which gave it much better control at high altitudes at the cost of speed at lower altitudes.
The H model had heavy armament ,one 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 Motorkanone cannon centered within the propeller hub and two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, synchronized to fire through the propeller, located in the wing roots.The C model was designed to operate at lower altitudes with the same armament plus two more MG 151/20 cannon synchronized as the additional autocannon for the C-model were mounted just ahead of the windscreen, and above the engine's upper rear crankcase. The Ta 152C could destroy the heaviest enemy bombers with a short burst but the added weight decreased speed and rate of turn.
By February 1945, all Ta 152 production had ceased. According to estimates, 44 Ta 152 H-0/V and 25 Ta 152 H-1 were built; total Ta 152 production is unknown
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Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke
The Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke was a single/two crew high performance fighter aircraft developed in the late 1930s
The fuselage was made as small as possible, so small that there was no room on the instrument panel for the complete set of engine instruments, some of which were instead moved to the inside faces of the engine nacelles.The engine nacelles were relatively normal, including both the engine and the main landing gear storage, but the front-mounted radiators for the engines were retractable for high speed when less frontal area would be needed to get the same airflow.The mainwheels were fully retractable and faired and the design of the wing and tailplane required no struts or supports, in order to further reduce drag.
The first prototype, Fw 187 V1 (D-AANA), flew for the first time in late spring 1937.In testing it demonstrated a speed of 325 mph despite the use of the low-powered Jumo engines; 50 mph faster than the contemporary Jumo-powered Messerschmitt Bf 109B, despite having twice the range, more than twice the weight, and using two of the same engines. The inclusion of a second crew member altered the center of gravity which demanded the engine nacelles be modified to correct changes to handling characteristics. A new extended-length cockpit "framed" canopy was added, but due to the high line of the fuselage there was no easy way to include defensive rear-facing armament, relegating the second crew member to the role of radio operator.
The Luftwaffe, stated that without defensive armament the aircraft could not fulfill the Zerstörer role, and remained uninterested in the design. The three two-seat prototypes were returned to Focke-Wulf after testing at Rechlin.
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Fokker M.7
The Fokker M.7 was an observation aircraft of World War I.
Twenty aircraft, powered by 80 hp Oberursel U.0 rotary engines, were built, some of which were used by Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) shore stations. It was a single-bay sesquiplane (biplane) of conventional configuration, with slightly staggered wings using wing warping for roll control, tandem open cockpits and Fokker's distinctive comma-shaped rudder.The aircraft was operated by the Austro-Hungarian forces under the designation Type B.I.
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Fokker E.II
The Fokker E.II was the second variant of the Eindecker single-seat monoplane fighter aircraft of World War I.
The E.II was a development of the Fokker E.I with the 100 hp Oberursel U.I 9-cylinder rotary engine, a close copy of the French Gnôme Monosoupape rotary of the same power output, in place of the E.I's 80 hp Oberursel U.0, but whereas the E.I was simply a M.5K with a 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine gun bolted to it, the E.II was designed with the weapon system integrated with its airframe.
The major difference between the types was a shorter wingspan on the E.II, intended to increase speed, but handling and climbing performance suffered. The type was therefore quickly superseded by the E.III. The E.II also had a larger fuel capacity of 90 litres to supply the Oberursel U.I's 54 litres/hour fuel consumption, as compared to the E.I's 69 litres capacity to feed its earlier U.0 rotary, which used 37 litres/hour of fuel. As with the M.5K/MG quintet of production prototype Eindeckers, the pilot was provided with a head support to help him resist the airstream when he had to raise his head to use the gun sights.
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Fokker D.I
The Fokker D.I ( M.18) was a development of the D.II fighter.
Similar to the D.II, the D.I was an unstaggered single-bay,equal-span biplane. The upper fuselage was initially parallel with the upper wing and was fitted with the 101 hp Mercedes D.I six-cylinder water-cooled engine.Control was achieved using wing-warping.To improve visibility, the center section was cut back and the wings were slightly staggered and the top wing raised slightly.
These improvements were retained, and the aircraft was ordered into production with an 119 hp Mercedes D.II inline engine and a single synchronized 7.92 mm (.312 in) lMG 08 machine gun. The Austro-Hungarian B.IIIs, retained the Mercedes D.I engine, and some were armed with a free-firing Schwarzlose MG M.07/12 machine gun mounted above the centre-section.
Deliveries began in July 1916 and 90 D.I fighters were delivered to the German Fliegertruppen and 17 B.III fighter trainers to the Austro-Hungarian Luftfahrttruppen, eight of which were license-built by the Magyar Általános Gépgyár (MAG) in Hungary.
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Fokker V.1
The Fokker V.1 was a small sesquiplane experimental fighter prototype built in 1916.
The Fokker V.1 principal innovation was its unbraced cantilever wings. These were built around a pair of wooden box-girders, the upper and lower members of which were built up from several thin strips of pine, with connecting webs of birch plywood. The entire wing was covered in plywood. The V.1 upper wing's smooth surface, thick airfoil and tapered planform gave it a remarkably modern appearance. The depth of spar needed for adequate strength necessitated a wing whose root thickness was around 20% of the chord, in contrast to a typical value of around 6% for aircraft of the period and 12 to 15% for modern aircraft of comparable performance.
Aiming for an aerodynamically clean aircraft, all control actuators were buried within the wing, so that there were no drag-creating control horns. The upper wing was mounted on a system of cabane struts consisting of a pair of tubular steel tripods between the fuselage and mainspar and a pair of steel struts connected to the aft spar, all basically similar to the cabane strut design. Since designer Reinhold Platz was using a novel and thick aerofoil, he was unsure about the correct incidence for the wing with respect to the fuselage. Lacking a wind tunnel, he therefore made it adjustable during flight.
The fuselage structure was the usual Fokker wire-braced rectangular section box girder made from welded steel tubes. This was then enclosed within circular wooden formers bearing longitudinal stringers and covered with fabric. The tail surfaces were all-moving, without a fixed fin or horizontal stabiliser. The aircraft was powered by a 100 hp Oberursel U.I rotary engine.
A second similar aircraft powered by a 120 hp Mercedes D.II was constructed, the Fokker V.2. The aircraft differed principally in having an increased wing area to compensate for the increased weight of the engine and Albatros D.III-outline shape open structure, fabric-covered conventional tail surfaces.
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Fokker D.VI
The Fokker D.VI was a German fighter aircraft built in limited numbers at the end of World War I.
In late 1917, Fokker-Flugzeugwerke built two biplane prototypes designated V.13. These aircraft combined a set of scaled-down D.VII wings with a fuselage and empennage similar to those of the earlier Dr.I. The first prototype used a 110 hp Oberursel Ur.II rotary engine, while the second had a 160 hp) Siemens-Halske Sh.III bi-rotary engine.The type was armed with a pair of 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 "Spandau" machine guns.
Fokker submitted both prototypes at the Adlershof fighter trials in late January 1918. Pilots found the V.13s to be maneuverable and easy to fly. Idflieg issued a production contract after the V.13s were judged to be the best rotary powered entries of the competition.
The new aircraft, designated D.VI, passed its (official type test) on 15 March 1918.The Idflieg authorized low level production pending availability of the more powerful Goebel Goe.III. Deliveries began in April and ended in August, after 59 aircraft had been completed. Seven aircraft were delivered to the Austro-Hungarian Air Service.In service, the D.VI was hindered by the low power of the 110hp engine.The lack of castor oil and the poor quality of "Voltol," an engine lubricant, severely reduced engine life and reliability.The D.VI remained in frontline service until September 1918, and continued to serve in training and home defense units until the Armistice.
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Fokker PW-5
The Fokker PW-5 (designated Fokker F VI by Fokker) was a Dutch fighter aircraft of the 1920s.
In 1921, the US Army Air Service evaluated the Fokker D.VIII parasol monoplane, and the D.VII biplane, both fighters handed over to it after the Armistice. It placed an order for two examples of a parasol monoplane fighter based on the design of the D.VIII, but powered by an American-built 300hp Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine, for evaluation.These aircraft, designated by Fokker as Fokker F VI, had plywood-covered wooden cantilever wings similar to those in the D.VIII, and a typical Fokker welded steel-tube fuselage. The forward fuselage was protected by armour plates, although the car-type radiator and the wing-mounted fuel tank had no armour protection. The aircraft had a fixed tailskid undercarriage, while it had no fixed fin, having a balanced rudder instead.
In 1921, the two test examples were delivered in 1921, although one crashed on 13 March 1922 after a wing failed. An order for a further 10 aircraft was placed, and delivered later in 1921, the aircraft being used as advanced trainers.
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Fokker F.III
The Fokker F.III was a single-engined high-winged monoplane aircraft produced in the 1920s.
The Fokker F.III was a development of the F.II. A widened cabin allowed all five passengers to sit inside; in the earlier aircraft, one passenger sat alongside the pilot in his exposed cockpit. The pilot now sat alongside the engine,they had a much better view than from the F.II. The view was further improved by a cut-out in the wing leading edge for the pilot's head, allowing his seat to be raised. The external wing struts of the F.II were removed, leaving a clean cantilever wing. The trapezoidal windows seen in the Grulich built F.IIs were standard on the F.III.
the F.III was initially powered by a readily available,185 hp BMW IIIa engine, but KLM re-engined theirs with the 230 hp Armstrong Siddeley Puma.
The F.III was first used by KLM when they reopened their Amsterdam-London seasonal service on 14 April 1921. Soon, F.IIIs were also flying on routes to Bremen, Brussels, Hamburg, and Paris. They proved to be very reliable aircraft. KLM received 14 F.IIIs from Fokker's German factory at Schwerin during 1921 and built two more itself from spares in the following year. This final pair used 359 hp Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines, with the pilot on the left.
Deutsche Aero Lloyd gained a licence to build F.IIIs as they had for F.IIs and the company, with its southern subsidiary built and operated 18 of these Fokker-Grulich F.IIIs. Most of these used BMW engines, typically the 249 hp BMW IV in preference to the 185 hp BMW IIIa. Some of these were re-engined with the 321 hp BMW Va, and were designated F.IIIc.
Later F.IIIs changed ownership frequently as airlines went bankrupt or merged. They were still flying commercially in Germany until about 1936.
Production of Fokker aircraft largely returned to the Netherlands after 1920, so any remaining Fokker aircraft will be listed as Dutch built.
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Glasflügel BS-1
The Glasflügel BS-1, sometimes called the Björn Stender BS-1, is a German, high-wing, single seat, T-tailed, FAI Open Class glider.
The prototype BS-1 was designed by Stender; the BS-1 was closely based on his earlier Akaflieg Braunschweig SB-6 Nixope, produced whilst he was still an undergraduate.
Two prototypes were built by him and his three assistants in 1962. During a test flight of one of the prototypes in 1963, the aircraft suffered an in-flight structural failure and Stender was killed.
Glasflügel then took over the project and re-engineered the design, based on their experience producing the Glasflügel H-301 Libelle. The company went on to build 18 production aircraft.
The BS-1 is built entirely from fiberglass and features an 18.0 m (59.1 ft) wing with flaps and dive brakes. For further glidepath control the BS-1 has a tail-mounted parachute. The landing gear is a retractable monowheel.The BS-1 was considered one of the first soaring "super ships" and was one of the most high-performing gliders of its time.
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Glasflügel 604
The Glasflügel 604 is a high-wing, T-tailed, single seat, FAI Open Class glider.
The 604 was intended as a test aircraft for a proposed two-seat glider that was never built. The prototype did so well in competition that a ten-aircraft production run was completed, resulting in a total of eleven 604s being completed.Due to the aircraft's huge size, including its 22.0 m (72.2 ft) three-piece wing, the aircraft picked up the nickname "the Jumbo". The wing centre section alone weighs 115 kg, making rigging it for flight requires a large crew.
For glidepath control the 604 has wing top-surface spoilers and a tail-mounted drag chute. The aircraft can carry 100 kg of water ballast. The landing gear is a retractable monowheel.In July 2011 five of the eleven 604s built were located in the United States and registered with the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Gotha G.I
The Gotha G.I was a heavy bomber used by the Luftstreitkräfte during World War I.
In mid-1914, Oskar Ursinus, began designing a large twin-engine seaplane of unconventional configuration.Most biplane designs have the fuselage attached to the lower wing, Ursinus had a snub-nosed fuselage attached to the upper wing, and twin engine nacelles mounted on the lower one. This arrangement was to allow the engines to be kept close together minimizing asymmetrical thrust in the event of an engine failure,and minimised the drag on the upper wing caused by turbulence from the fuselage.
Apart from the aerodynamic benefits claimed by Ursinus, the aircraft's layout provided excellent views for the three crewmen and broad fields of fire for the gunner.The design also matched the specifications that the Idflieg had issued in March that year for a "Type III" large military aircraft,and an order was submitted for the construction of a prototype.
It was powered by two 100 hp Mercedes D.I engines, and in keeping with the requirement, it was armed with a 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine gun in the nose and the engines and crew were protected by chrome-nickel armorplate.The prototype first flew on 30 January 1915 and was inspected by an Idflieg engineer on 20 February. The report confirmed that the aircraft conformed to the specification, he also noted that the aircraft was difficult to fly, lacked structural integrity, dangerous to the crew in the event of a crash landing, and very underpowered.Despite its problems, the FU was sent to the front, assigned to Feld Flieger Abteilung 28 reconnaissance unit early 1915.
Gothaer engineers simplified and refined the design,which was later known as the Gotha G.I or Gotha-Ursinus G.I. The first production aircraft was completed on 27 July 1915.These aircraft were powered by two 150 hp Benz Bz.III engines.Gothaer Waggonfabrik built 18 G.I aircraft in three batches of six before production ceased at the end of the year.The final batch was powered by 160 hp Mercedes D.III engines and featured an extra defensive machine gun and nearly double the armor of previous examples.
Records show only small numbers ever in service on the front at any one time (the most being six in December 1915[). The aircraft were being used for a variety of duties, including defensive patrols, reconnaissance, and only rarely for bombing.By the time it reached the front, the Gotha G.I was already an easy target for faster and more manoeuverable fighters.
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Gotha WD.7 / WD.8
The Gotha WD.7 was a reconnaissance floatplane from WW1.
The pusher WD.3 was rejected by the Imperial German Navy, Gotha turned to a new layout that would keep the aircraft's nose free for forward-firing weapons. The WD.7 development therefore, was a conventional biplane with twin 120 hp Mercedes D.11 engines mounted tractor-fashion on the leading edge of the lower wing. Eight examples were built for use as trainers for torpedo bombing.
During 1917, two of these aircraft were used for testing a 37 mm (1.46 in) autocannon built by DWM.
The same airframe was used to create the WD.8 reconnaissance floatplane, replacing the twin wing-mounted engines to a single 240 hp Maybach Mb.IVa in the nose.
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Gotha Go 150
The Gotha Go 150 was a light aircraft designed in the late 1930s.
In January 1937 Major Werner Junck, chief of the LC II, the technical wing of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium responsible for the development of new aircraft, informed various minor aircraft manufacturers that they would not get any contracts for the development of military aircraft. He advised them to concentrate in the development of a small twin-engined aircraft. As a result, Gothaer Waggonfabrik developed the Go 150, while the other companies produced their own take on the idea.
The Go150 was a twin-engined monoplane with an enclosed cockpit. It was designed by Albert Kalkert, and first flew in 1937. The results of this flight were good, and production began.
The aircraft was used to train both civilian and Luftwaffe pilots although only 12 were built. The Go 150 was powered by two Zündapp Z 9-092 4-cylinder inverted air-cooled in-line piston engines of around 54hp each.
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Gotha Go 244
The Gotha Go 244 was a transport aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The Go 244 was the powered version of the Gotha Go 242 military glider transport. Three Go 242s were modified as prototypes of the powered Go 244, fitted with varying surplus radial engines. The first prototype, the Go 244 V1 was powered by two 660 hp BMW 132, while the second prototype had 700 hp Gnome-Rhône 14Ms — and the third 750 hp Shvetsov M-25 A engines,which was a Soviet-built Wright Cyclone American-based nine-cylinder radial. Although only the third prototype offered adequate engine out performance, the Luftwaffe had large stocks of captured Gnome engines, so this was chosen as the basis for the production conversion — usually fitted in counter-rotating pairs in production.
The B series was the main production model, based on the Go 242B with a wheeled tricycle undercarriage and with fuel and oil carried in the tailbooms.133 were converted from Go 242 Bs,while a further 41 were built from new before production ended.
The first examples were delivered to operational units in Greece, based in Crete in March 1942. Some were also assigned to transport Geschwader in North Africa and the Eastern Front but they proved vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and were withdrawn, being replaced by other types.
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Gyroflug Speed Canard
The Gyroflug SC 01 Speed Canard is an unconventional layout sports plane produced in Germany in the 1980s and 1990s.
It was inspired by the Rutan VariEze, although the Speed Canard was an all-new design created without any input from Rutan. Like the VariEze, the Speed Canard is a canard-configured mid-wing monoplane with wingtip fins that incorporate rudders. The two-seat tandem cockpit and canopy design were derived from Grob Twin Astir sailplane, and the nosewheel of the tricycle undercarriage is retractable. Construction throughout is of composite materials, the design attained German certification in 1983, making it the first composite canard design to achieve certification anywhere in the world.
An interesting feature is that the twin rudders operate independently, allowing both rudders to be deflected outwards simultaneously, cancelling each other's yaw, but acting as airbrakes. The aircraft is powered by a 160hp Lycoming O-320-D1A air-cooled flat-four piston engine, giving a max speed of 183 mph and a cruise of 170mph. As of 1995 62 aircraft had been completed.
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Halberstadt C.V
The Halberstadt C.V was a German single-engined reconnaissance biplane of World War I.
The C.V was developed from the Halberstadt C.III, with a more powerful supercharged 220 hp Benz Bz.IVü engine, it saw service only in the final months of the war. Cameras were mounted in the observer's cockpit floor.
The aircraft had very good flight characteristics, manoeuvrability and rate of climb, and was among best German World War I aircraft in its class. The first aircraft appeared in front in late June 1918.
Armament consisted of a 7.92 mm (0.312 in) LMG 08/15 Spandau machine gun mounted in the forward fuselage, a 7.92 mm (0.312 in) Parabellum machine gun on a mounting in the rear cockpit, plus a small amount of bombs could also be carried.
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Halberstadt CL.IV
The Halberstadt CL.IV was a German ground attack aircraft of World War I.
The CL.IV featured a shorter, strengthened fuselage and a larger horizontal stabilizer that of the earlier CL.II. These changes, along with a one-piece, horn-balanced elevator, gave the CL.IV much greater manoeuverability than its predecessor. After tests were completed of the prototype in April 1918, at least 450 were ordered from Halberstadt, and an additional 250 aircraft from a subcontractor, LFG (Roland), as Halberstadt CL.IV(Rol).The aircraft were powered by a 160hp Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine.
The Halberstadt CL.IV was one of the most effective ground attack aircraft of World War I, relying on its excellent handling to avoid ground fire. It appeared on the Western Front towards the end of the German offensives in 1918. Flights of up to six aircraft flew close support missions, at very low altitude, suppressing enemy infantry and artillery fire just ahead of the advancing German troops.
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Halberstadt D.II
The Halberstadt D.II was a biplane fighter aircraft from WW1.
The D.II was the production version of the experimental D.I. The main differences between the D.I and D.II included a major effort to lighten the aircraft to improve its performance; the latter also featured staggered wings and the adoption of a more powerful 120 hp Mercedes D.II engine. The radiators that had been tried in the D.I were replaced by a wing mounted radiator. In the D.I, the pilot sat higher in his cockpit, to improve his view over the top wing. This required a dorsal turtleback fairing over the rear fuselage, to improve its lines.
The D.II was considered to be very manoeuvrable in particular it could reputedly be dived safely at high speed. A single synchronised lMG 08 "Spandau" machine gun fired through the propeller arc. It earned the respect of Allied fighter pilots and was a preferred mount of pilots, until the Albatros D.I became available. Halberstadts were actually retained, or even returned to service by some pilots during the early weeks of 1917. The Halberstadt-built D-series fighters bore no marked IdFlieg-issued military serial numbers anywhere on their exteriors. The licence-built Aviatik and Hannover-constructed examples of the Halberstadt D-series fighters usually had IdFlieg-issued serial numbers on their rear fuselage sides.
Manfred von Richthofen flew a red Halberstadt D.II for a few weeks in February and March 1917, after the spar of the lower wing of his Albatros D.III cracked in combat. As the new Albatros fighters came into service the Halberstadts were quickly replaced, although a few survived into early 1917.
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Hannover C.IV
The Hannover C.IV was a prototype escort fighter.
It was based on the earlier Hannover CL.II, the C.IV shared the same basic conventional biplane configuration with the unusual biplane tail of that aircraft, but incorporated the overhanging, aerodynamically-balanced ailerons developed for the Hannover CL.III.
The aircraft was intended for high-altitude operations, and was equipped with a far more powerful engine than its predecessors, a 300hp Maybach. Another important difference was the unusual interplane strut arrangement. The wings were braced with two struts that converged from two points on the upper wing to a single point on the lower, creating a V shape when viewed from the front or rear of the aircraft.
Just five machines were completed.
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Hansa-Brandenburg B.I
The Hansa-Brandenburg B.I was an unarmed military trainer and reconnaissance biplane of World War I.
It was mainly operated by the Austro-Hungarian Air Service. Early models were known internally to the Hansa-Brandenburg firm as the type D, while later models with a more powerful 160hp Benz Bz.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine were designated FD.
This aircraft was one of the earliest designs of Ernst Heinkel, who was working for Hansa-Brandenburg at the time. It was an entirely conventional two-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span. The pilot and observer sat in tandem in a long open cockpit.
The aircraft was produced under license by Aero, both during the war and afterwards (when it became known as the Aero Ae 01), and also by Letov, as the Š10.[1] Experience gained with this design would provide Aero with the basis for a number of derivative civil and military designs throughout the 1920s. It was also operated by the airforces in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia.
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Hansa-Brandenburg CC
The Hansa-Brandenburg CC was a single-seat German fighter flying boat of World War I.
It was designed by Ernst Heinkel during 1916 for use by the Austro-Hungarian Navy. It was a single engined, single seater flying boat, with a pusher engine mounted between the single bay wings. These had the unusual "Star-Strutter" arrangement of bracing struts (where four Vee struts joined in the centre of the wing bay to result in a "star" arrangement) shared with the Hansa-Brandenburg D.I and the KDW.
The CC was ordered by both by Austro-Hungary and the Imperial German Navy. The Austro-Hungarian aircraft were powered by 160 hp Austro-Daimler or 180 hp Hiero engines and armed by a single 8 mm (.315 in) Schwarzlose machine gun. The German aircraft were powered by 150 hp Benz Bz.III engines and armed with one or two lMG 08/15 machine guns.One example was modified as a triplane, while a second aircraft was modified with sponsons replacing the outrigger floats in support of the development process for the Zeppelin-Lindau (Dornier) Rs.IV.
Austro-Hungary received 37 Hansa Brandenburg CCs, using them to provide air defence for ports and naval bases along the Adriatic sea coast.
Germany received 36 aircraft from February 1917. They were temporarily grounded in July of that year because of severe vibration, and were modified with additional interplane bracing struts.
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Hansa-Brandenburg G.I
The Hansa-Brandenburg G.I was a bomber aircraft from early 1916.
It was used to equip the Austro-Hungarian aviation corps in World War I, it was a conventional large, three-bay biplane with staggered wings of slightly unequal span. Pilot and bombardier sat in a large open cockpit at the nose of the aircraft, with another open cockpit for a gunner in a dorsal position.
An unusual feature was the location of the twin tractor engines, a pair of Austro-Daimler 6 cyl. water-cooled inline piston engines of 160 hp each Usually they would be mounted to the wings, either directly or on struts, the G.I had the engines mounted to the sides of the fuselage on lattices of steel struts. This arrangement added considerable weight to the aircraft and vibration to the airframe.
The aircraft first flew in 1916 and a small initial production batch of six aircraft was delivered by March 1917, but were grounded soon thereafter and put into storage due to a contractual dispute.
Once this was resolved, deliveries recommenced, but the size of the order was reduced, and the bombers were modified before being sent to the Italian Front. Twelve aircraft were built by UFAG and differed slightly from the German-built machines.The G.I eventually equipped three squadrons plus a replacement unit, but reports from pilots were disappointing, so the Hansa-Brandenburg machine was therefore quickly relegated to training duties, and as a testbed in mounting large-caliber cannon on aircraft.
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Hansa-Brandenburg W.19
The Hansa-Brandenburg W.19 was a German fighter-reconnaissance aircraft of World War I.
It was a single-engined two-crew biplane floatplane, and was a larger development of the successful W.12. It served with the Imperial German Navy during 1918.
The W.12 showed it was an extremely successful design with excellent performance, but there was a requirement for a floatplane fighter with greater endurance.The W.19 was of similar layout to the W.12, but considerably larger (8.5 ft greater wingspan and a 3.3 ft greater length) It was a single-engined tractor biplane, with two bay wings.
The aircraft was fitted with a similar inverted tailplane to the W.12 in order to give unobstructed fields of fire to the observer, who was seated in a rear cockpit, immediately behind the pilot. To compensate for the increased size and weight over the W.12, the W.19 was fitted with a more powerful 250hp Maybach Mb.IV engine. Production aircraft were armed with one or two synchronised 7.92 mm (.312 in) LMG 08/15 machine guns firing forward and a single 7.92 mm (.312) LMG 08/15 machine gun for the observer.Deliveries began in January 1918 and the aircraft continued in service until the Armistice, with 55 being produced.
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Heinkel HD 17
The Heinkel HD 17 was a military reconnaissance aircraft produced in the mid 1920s.
The Heinkel HD 17 was a conventional single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span braced with N-type struts. The pilot and observer sat in tandem in open cockpits, and the main units of the fixed, tailskid undercarriage were linked by a cross-axle. It first flew in 1924, two were evaluated in 1924 by the US Army Air Service, modified to use a Napier Lion and Liberty 12 respectively. Designated by Cox-Klemin as CO-1 and CO-2 respectively. These versions had no provisions for military equipment during evaluation tests, but were rejected by the USAAS and returned to Cox-Klemin. In 1926, it was evaluated to equip the secret aviation training school at Lipetsk, and was selected in favour of the competing Albatros L 65. Seven aircraft were purchased and used briefly for training until replaced by more modern designs.
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Heinkel HD 24
The Heinkel HD 24 was a training seaplane from the late 1920s.
It was a conventional single-bay biplane with equal-span, staggered wings. The fuselage was braced to the upper and lower wings with a number of struts on its sides, in addition to the normal cabane struts. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem, open cockpits, and the undercarriage consisted of twin pontoons, although this could be changed to operate with wheels or skis.
The aircraft was powered by a 315 hp BMW IV 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engine, which gave a max speed of around 110 mph.
Heinkel entered two HD 24s in the German seaplane competition of 1926. One of the HD.24 was the third placed - only three aircraft completed the course and completed all the tests in the 11-day competition- leading to orders by the DVS (for 23 aircraft) and the Swedish Navy. The latter aircraft were to be built in Sweden by Svenska Aero based on two aircraft provided by Heinkel. Before the Swedish examples could be delivered, the Swedish Air Force had took responsibility for Swedish naval aviation, and so took delivery of the six domestically produced machines, designating them Sk 4. In total around 35 aircraft were completed.
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Heinkel HD 37
The Heinkel HD 37 was a fighter aircraft from the late 1920s
It was a compact, single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span, braced by N-type struts. The pilot sat in an open cockpit, and the main units of the tailskid undercarriage were linked by a cross-axle. It had been designed for the clandestine air force that the Reichswehr was training at Lipetsk, but had been rejected by German officials, who purchased the Fokker D.XIII.
The Soviet Air Force was looking to replace it`s obsolete main fighter, the Polikarpov I-5, with no replacement apparently forthcoming from domestic manufacturers, Heinkel was approached to provide an alternative, the firm was able to offer the HD 37, and the two prototypes were flown to Moscow in early 1928.
Flight testing produced mixed results,the basic design was apparently sound, but Soviet test pilots reported many problems in handling, and Heinkel was presented with a long list of complex changes to be made. Heinkel responded with the HD 43, and when the same Soviet test pilots found that they liked it even less than the HD 37, so attention shifted once again to the previous design by the end of 1929. Early the following year, the Soviet government bought a licence to manufacture the type for the next three years. Manufacturing was carried out by TsKB (Tsentrahl'noye konstrooktorskoye byuro - central construction bureau) and Polikarpov, it was given the designation I-7.
Many of the improvements that had been made in the creation of the HD 43 were implemented in the I-7 as well, along with other modifications, by the time the first examples flew in summer 1931, flight test results were more positive. Despite on-going difficulties in obtaining materials, 131 examples were produced by 1934. Most of these served briefly with units in Belarus, but by the time the last examples were leaving the factory, the type was already obsolete.
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Heinkel He 42
The Heinkel HD 42 50, later designated the Heinkel He 42 was a two-seat biplane seaplane.
In 1929, Heinkel developed a biplane, the HD 42, for use with the covert military-training organization (DVS). Its fuselage was constructed out of a welded steel tube truss and had a rectangular cross-section with a rounded top. The engine covers were made out of light-weight metal, while the rest of the fuselage was covered in fabric. The aircraft was equipped with floats.
The HD 42 model received good feedback from the Swedish Navy, who had purchased the aircraft. The prototype was equipped with a BMW Va engine, but the later versions came with a 370hp Junkers L5G engine.
Ten aircraft had been manufactured by 1932, when a new version, the He 42C was rolled out. Series production began with the He 42D model (14 manufactured) which were intended for the German Air Force, which at the time was illegal. A further 189 He 42Es were built in 1934 and these aircraft were used by various flying schools until the end of World War II.
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Heinkel HE 8
The Heinkel HE 8 was a reconnaissance floatplane built in Germany in the late 1920s.
It was developed at the request of the Danish Navy, which had noted the success of the HE 5 in Swedish service, and wished to purchase a similar aircraft as well as licensed production as the Orlogsvaerftet HM.II. Apart from its new 430 hp Armstrong Siddeley engine, the HE 8 also differed from the HE 5 and previous members of the HE 1 family in having a conventional tail assembly.
22 aircraft were operated until the German invasion in 1940, after which one example was impressed into Luftwaffe service and the remainder placed in storage.
The aircraft could be armed with 1 × fixed, forward-firing 8 mm (0.315 in) Madsen machine gun, and a similar trainable, rearward-firing gun.
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Heinkel He 50
The Heinkel He 50 was a German World War II-era dive bomber,designed in 1931.
In 1931, the Japanese Navy placed an order with Heinkel for a two-seat dive bomber, capable of carrying 250 kg (550 lb) of bombs, stressed for catapult launches, and capable of using either wheeled or float undercarriages.
Heinkel came up with a prototype, the Heinkel He 50aW,which was completed in the summer of 1931. It was a biplane of mixed construction. The aircraft had twin floats and was powered by a Junkers L5 inline engine, however the engine was found to be underpowered. A second prototype, the He 50aL, was built, powered by an uprated Siemens Jupiter VI radial engine, having a wheeled undercarriage. A second He 50aL was built and redesignated He 50b. Based on the He 50b, a third prototype designated Heinkel He 66 was completed for the Japanese Navy, and was used as the basis of the Aichi D1A.
The He 50aL was redesignated He 50 V1 and demonstrated to the German Defence Ministry in 1932 who placed an order for three development aircraft, and a production batch of 60 He 50A-1 aircraft, which were built during the summer of 1933. China placed an order for 12 He 50As, but modified with an engine cowling added and designated He 66b. These aircraft were commandeered by the Luftwaffe and redesignated He 50B. In 1935, the He 50 was delivered to the Luftwaffe's first dive bomber unit, and later partially equipped nine other dive bombing units. The He 50, however, was steadily replaced by other types, after which He 50s were transferred to dive bomber training units.
In spring 1943, surviving He 50s were gathered from training schools and delivered to night ground attack units operating on the Eastern Front. The He 50 was used to conduct night harassment sorties on the Eastern Front until September 1944, when the units were disbanded.
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Heinkel He 100
The Heinkel He 100 was a German pre-World War II fighter aircraft.
He 100 should have been designated He 113, but since the number "13" was unlucky,so it was dropped. Ernst Heinkel lobbied for this simple number in the hope that it would improve the design's chances for production. In order to get the promised performance out of the aircraft, the design included a number of drag-reducing features. On the simple end was a well-faired cockpit, the absence of struts and other drag-inducing supports on the tail. The landing gear including the tailwheel was retractable and completely enclosed in flight.
The He 100 used the same Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Bf 110, and there was insufficient capacity to support another aircraft using the same engine. The only available alternative engine was the Junkers Jumo 211, and Heinkel was encouraged to consider its use in the He 100. However, the early Jumo 211 available did not use a pressurized cooling system, and it was therefore not suitable for the He 100's evaporative cooling system. Furthermore, a Jumo 211-powered He 100 would not have been able to outperform the 601-powered Bf 109 because the supercharger on the early Jumo 211 was not suitable.
The first prototype He 100 V1 flew on 22 January 1938, just a week after its promised delivery date. The aircraft proved to be outstandingly fast. However, it continued to share a number of problems with the earlier He 112, notably a lack of directional stability. Luftwaffe test pilots disliked the high wing loading, which resulted in high landing speeds,heavy braking was needed to stop the aircraft. Ground crews also disliked the design, complaining about the tight cowling which made servicing the engine difficult. But the big problem turned out to be the cooling system, largely to no one's surprise. After a series of test flights V1 was sent to Rechlin in March 1938.
The second prototype He 100 V2 solved the stability problems by changing the vertical stabilizer to a larger and more rectangular form. The oil-cooling system was removed and replaced with a small semi retractable radiator below the wing. It also received the still-experimental DB 601M engine which the aircraft was originally designed for. The M version was modified to run on "C3" fuel at 100 octane, which would allow it to run at higher power ratings in the future.
Ernst Udet asked to fly V2, after pointing out he had flown the V1 at Rechlin. He flew the V2 to a new world 100 km (62 mi) closed-circuit record on 5 June 1938, at 634.73 km/h (394.40 mph). Several of the cooling pumps failed on this flight as well, but Udet wasn't sure what the lights meant and simply ignored them.
The Luftwaffe did not order production of the Heinkel although the company decided to build a total of 25 of the aircraft anyway, there were another 15 of the latest model to go.
In keeping with general practice, any series production is started with a limited run of "zero series", resulting in the He 100 D-0.
The reason for the He 100 failing to reach production status is mostly unknown. Officially, the Luftwaffe rejected the He 100 to concentrate single-seat fighter development on the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Following the adoption of the Bf 109 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 as the Luftwaffe's standard fighter types, the Ministry of Aviation announced a policy that placed fighter development at Messerschmitt and bomber development at Heinkel.
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Heinkel He 116.
The Heinkel He 116 was a long-range mail plane designed to deliver airmail between Germany and Japan.
The design started in response to a 1936 request by Lufthansa, which had planned a route over the Pamir Mountains in Afghanistan. This was the main problem in producing an aircraft able to meet the range requirements, because the aircraft would have to lift its large fuel load to 7,600 m (24,900 ft) to clear the mountains. At the time there were no engines available with that sort of altitude performance, although Hirth was working on one in the 500 hp class. The Günter brothers proposed to adapt their basic He 70 Blitz airframe to carry four of these engines to provide enough power for the massive fuel load.
The He 116 would use a modified version of the He 70's two-spar elliptical planform, skinned with plywood. The fuselage was all-new, consisting of a semi-monocoque duralumin body with watertight bulkheads in case the aircraft were forced down over water. The design shared enough construction with the He 70 that the first prototype He 116 V1 was completed in early 1937. The new engines were not ready at this point, so the prototype was instead fitted with the much smaller Hirth HM 508C of just 240 hp.
14 aircraft were built in total in 3 main versions
He116A High-speed long-range Mail-plane / courier aircraft: eight aircraft built (V1 to V8)
He116B Modified for the long-range reconnaissance role with a fully glazed un-stepped nose similar to the Heinkel He 111.
He116R V3 was removed from the line to be converted into a record-breaking prototype.Modifications included a larger 75.6 m2 (814 sq ft) wing with a 25 m (82 ft) span, and increased fuel tankage in the fuselage.A second attempt was made on 30 June 1938, (the first failed due to a RATO damaging a wing) successfully covering 9,942 km (6,178 mi; 5,368 nmi) unrefueled, at an average speed of 214 km/h (133 mph; 116 kn).
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Heinkel He 280
The Heinkel He 280 was the first turbojet-powered fighter aircraft in the world.
The Heinkel company began the He 280 project on its own initiative after the He 178 had been met with indifference from the RLM. The head designer was Robert Lusser, who began the project under the designation He 180 in late 1939.It had a typical Heinkel fighter fuselage, elliptical wings and a dihedralled tailplane with twin fins and rudders. It had a tricycle undercarriage landing gear with very little ground clearance.This arrangement was considered unsuitable for the grass or dirt airfields of the era; however, the tricycle layout eventually gained approval. The He 280 was equipped with a compressed-air powered ejection seat, the first aircraft to carry one and the first aircraft to successfully employ one in an emergency.
The first prototype was completed in the summer of 1940, it was another six months before Fritz Schäfer flew the second prototype under its own power, on 30 March 1941.Progress was slow due to ongoing engine problems. A second engine design, the HeS 30 was also undergoing development, both as an interesting engine in its own right, as well as a potential replacement for the HeS 8. In the meantime, alternative powerplants were considered, including the Argus As 014 pulsejet that powered the V-1 flying bomb.
By the end of 1943, however, the third prototype was fitted with refined versions of the HeS 8 engine. On 22 December, a demonstration was staged for RLM officials in which the He 280 was matched against an Fw 190, in which the jet demonstrated its vastly superior speed, completing four laps of an oval course before the Fw 190 could complete three. Finally, at this point the RLM became interested and placed an order for 20 pre-production test aircraft, to be followed by 300 production machines.
In 1942, the RLM had ordered Heinkel to abandon the HeS 8 and HeS 30 to focus all development on a follow-on engine, the HeS 011, a more advanced and problematic design. Meanwhile, the first He 280 prototype was re-equipped with pulsejets and towed aloft to test them. Bad weather caused the aircraft to ice up, and before the jets could be tested pilot Helmut Schenk became the first person to put an ejection seat to use. The seat worked perfectly, but the aircraft was lost and never found.On 27 March, Erhard Milch cancelled the project as the Jumo 004-powered Me 262 was better matched to its engine and Heinkel was ordered to abandon the He 280 with just nine aircraft completed.
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Henschel Hs 122
The Henschel Hs 122 was a German army cooperation/reconnaissance aircraft of the mid-1930s.
The Hs 122 was the Henschel company's second aircraft, it was designed in response to a Reich Air Ministry call for a multi-role army co-operation aircraft to replace the ageing Heinkel He 46.
The design was a single-engine two-seat parasol wing machine with a fixed undercarriage. The wing centre section was carried above the fuselage on a series of short struts and the swept outer sections were braced to the lower fuselage with V struts. The wings were built around two metal spars and had metal-covered leading edges and upper surfaces with fabric elsewhere.
The fuselage was an elliptical metal monocoque, with a metal-structured tail also metal covered apart from fabric control surfaces. The tailplane was mounted about halfway up the fin, supported by a parallel pair of struts. The spatted mainwheels were each mounted on V struts to the fuselage. The cockpits were open, with the pilot sitting below a cut-out in the wing trailing edge and the second crew member in a separate cockpit to the rear.
The aircraft was powered by a 610hp Siemens-Halske Sh 22B 9-cylinder supercharged radial engine.
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Henschel Hs 130
The Henschel Hs 130 was a German high-altitude reconnaissance and bomber aircraft.
Development of the Hs 130 began with two Hs 128 prototypes, which first flew on 11 April 1939, with the second flying on 20 February 1940. Both were research aircraft, used for testing pressurized cabins, engine superchargers, and cantilever wings. Different engines powered the two prototypes; the V1 by Daimler-Benz DB 601s and the V2 by Junkers Jumo 210s.
Trials of the two prototypes were not successful, however the potential of a high altitude aircraft caught the attention of Theodor Rowehl, commander of the Luftwaffe's special reconnaissance unit. His interest in the Hs 128's for high-altitude reconnaissance missions led Reich Air Ministry to instruct Henschel to continue development of the Hs 128 as a reconnaissance aircraft under the designation Hs 130A.
Three prototype aircraft Hs 130 As were built, the first flying on 23 May 1940.Five pre-production Hs 130A-0's followed, being delivered in early 1941, and featured DB 601R engines – each with a single-stage supercharger, retractable landing gear, and a bay in the rear to house two Rb75/30 cameras. The five Hs 130A-0s underwent testing, which revealed significant problems with the aircraft performance, and reliability problems which prevented operational use.
The Hs 130C was built for the "Bomber B" project, and was very different from the Hs 130A, featuring a shorter wing span, remotely controlled defensive armament, a larger glazed (but still pressurized) cabin and up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of bombs. Three prototypes, V1, V2, and V3 were built, with V1 and V2 were powered by BMW 801 radials, and V3, featuring full armament, was powered with a pair of Germany's largest displacement — at 44.5 litres apiece — inline inverted V-12s, the Daimler-Benz DB 603A engine. Further development of the Hs 130 as a reconnaissance aircraft continued with the Hs 130D, which was planned to have DB 605 engines and a complex two-stage supercharger, but was not completed.
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Junkers J 2
The Junkers J 2 was the first all-metal aircraft intended as a dedicated military aircraft design.
The J 2 differed from the earlier J 1 in having a cowling that almost entirely enclosed the engine, a rounded fuselage section instead of the rectangular section of the J 1., and a narrower and deeper ventral radiator enclosure, and had a horizontal stabilizer planform shape that would become familiar on later, all-duralumin Junkers monoplane designs to be built during 1917-18. The "all-moving" rudder still possessed no fixed fin, like the J 1.
The first production example of the J.2, was delivered to Adlershof on 2 July 1916, Leutnant Theodor Mallinckrodt, flew the type's maiden flight on 11 July 1916. Mallinckrodt gave the aircraft a good overall evaluation, judging it as "very manoeuverable", with good turning qualities and safe aerodynamic behaviour. A short time later, IdFlieg test pilots Unteroffiziers Wendeler and Max Schade, began performing full flight evaluation tests on the six examples of the J 2 as they arrived at Adlershof . Although it received good flying reviews, the J 2 test aircraft still seemed to come up short in climbing performance tests when evaluated against wood structure designs.
The steel structure of the J 2 made it too heavy to be able to compete in air combat over the Front. Despite the attempts to improve the J 2's performance and handling, by late in the summer of 1916, Hugo Junkers had come to the realization that the use of sheet electrical steel was no longer practical for aircraft construction. Governmental support was withdrawn after six aircraft had been completed, effectively ending the J 2's contract for the Junkers firm's advanced monoplane designs until a lighter metal, such as duralumin, was selected for such designs.
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Junkers D.I
The Junkers D.I (J 9) was a monoplane fighter aircraft produced in Germany late in World War I.
The aircraft was significant for becoming the first all-metal fighter to enter service. The prototype was a private venture by Junkers named the J 7, first flew on 17 September 1917, going through several detail changes in its design during its testing. When it was demonstrated to the Idflieg early the following year it proved impressive enough to result in an order for three additional aircraft for testing and flight trials. The changes made by Junkers were significant enough for the firm to rename the next example the J 9, which was supplied to the Idflieg instead of the three J 7s ordered.
The aircraft was powered by a 185hp BMW IIIa water-cooled 6-cylinder inline engine which gave it a max speed of around 110 mph.During tests, the J 9 lacked the manoeuvrability necessary for a front-line fighter, but was found to be suitable as a naval fighter and a batch of 12 was ordered. These were supplied to a naval unit by September 1918, which then moved to the Eastern Front after the Armistice.
Forty aircraft were completed, one example survives and is on display in the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, at the Paris–Le Bourget Airport.
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Junkers G 31
The Junkers G 31 was an advanced tri-motor airliner produced in small numbers in Germany in the 1920s.
Junkers wanted to follow up on the commercial success of the earlier tri-motor G 24 with a new design that would be larger, more comfortable for passengers, and simpler to operate and maintain.
The G 31 was the first Luft Hansa airliner to feature a flight attendant, this earned the G 31 the nickname 'flying dining car'. Because of its large fuselage it was also called the flying moving van. Behind the cockpit were compartments for a radio operator, baggage and an APU that provided compressed air for main engine starting and drove a generator for electric power.
The cabin was divided into three compartments that held eleven regular passenger seats, four jumpseats for passengers, a jumpseat for the steward, and an enclosed lavatory. Instead of the seats, ten beds could be made up for night flying. There was a baggage and freight hold under the cabin. The wings had trailing edge flaps that reduced landing speeds significantly.
The powerplant was to be three Junkers L5 engine, but these proved unsuitable.Most G 31s flew with foreign air-cooled radial engines in the 500 hp range, which were licence-built in Germany, such as the 525hp BMW-built Pratt & Whitney Hornet.
The G 31 had been intended to equip Junkers' own airline, Junkers Luftverkehr, but this venture was merged into Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1926, and the new airline purchased only eight G 31s, beginning operations in May 1928. They were used on the long-range routes of Luft Hansa, particularly to Scandinavia. They continued in this role until 1935, when replaced by the Junkers Ju 52.
The G 31 was not a commercial success, only 13 being sold, as opposed to 54 civilian G 24s (+30 military derivatives).Compared to the more usual biplane airliners of the 1920s, the G 31 was faster, and its all-metal construction made it safer. However the purchase price and operating costs were high compared to other similar types.
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Junkers G.38
The Junkers G.38 was a large four-engined transport aircraft.
The first Junkers prototype marked as D-2000—first flew on 6 November 1929 with four diesel engines: two Junkers L55 V-12 engines and two L8 inline-6 engines,with a total power rating of 1971 hp.
The Reich Air Ministry purchased the D-2000 for demonstration flights, and took delivery on 27 March 1930. In flight tests, the G.38 set four world records including speed, distance and duration for airplanes lifting a 5000 kg payload. On 2 May 1930 Luft Hansa put the D-2000 into commercial service for both scheduled and chartered flights.
Structurally the G.38 conformed to standard Junkers' practice, with a multi-tubular spar cantilever wing covered (like the rest of the aircraft) in stressed, corrugated duraluminium. The biplane tail, was intended to reduce rudder forces; initially there were three rudders with only a central fixed fin. The undercarriage was fixed, with double tandem main wheels that were initially enclosed in large spats. The wing had the usual Junkers "double wing" form, the name referring to the full span movable flaps which served also as ailerons in the outer part.
On 2 February 1931 the Leipzig-based Junkers' yard re-engined the D-2000 with two Junkers L8 and two L88 engines, giving a total power rating of 1764 kW (2366 hp) and increasing passenger capacity from 13 to 19.
During its early life the G.38 was the largest landplane in the world.Accommodation was sumptuous by today's standards and was to rival that found on the competing Zeppelin service offered by DELAG. The plane was unique in that passengers were seated in the wings, which were 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) thick at the root. There were also two seats in the extreme nose. The leading edge of each wing was fitted with sloping windscreens giving these passengers the forward-facing view usually available only to pilots. There were three 11-seat cabins, plus smoking cabins and washrooms.
A second G.38 c/n D-2500, later changed to D-APIS—was, built with a double deck fuselage and capacity for 34 passengers. Six passengers were carried three per wing in each leading edge, the remaining 22 on two levels in the fuselage. Luft Hansa used D-APIS on a scheduled service covering the cities Berlin, Hanover, Amsterdam, and London. This aircraft was named General Feldmarschall von Hindenburg.
The design was licensed to Mitsubishi, which constructed and flew a total of six aircraft, in a military bomber/transport configuration, designated Ki-20.
At the outbreak of World War II the D-2500/D-APIS was pressed into military service as a transport craft by the Luftwaffe. It was destroyed on the ground during an RAF air raid on Athens on 17 May 1941.
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Junkers Ju 90
The Junkers Ju 90 was a 40-seat, four-engine airliner.
The Junkers Ju 90 airliner and transport series descended from the Junkers Ju 89, a contender in the heavy bomber programme aimed at producing a long-range strategic bomber. This concept was abandoned by the (RLM, Reich Aviation Ministry) in April 1937 in favour of smaller, faster bombers.
The Junkers Ju 90 was a four-engine all-metal, low-wing aircraft fitted with twin end-plate vertical stabilizers. The wings were built around five tubular girder spars covered with a smooth stressed skin. The leading edge was swept, with the trailing edge almost straight. The Junkers "double wing", a full-span movable flap/aileron combination, was fitted. The tail units on the prototypes used corrugated skin, abandoning the exposed corrugated skinning on later Ju 90 production models for the Luftwaffe.
The first prototype, the Ju 90 V1, was powered by four Daimler-Benz DB 600C liquid-cooled inverted V engines delivering 1,100 hp each. These were more powerful than both those of its Ju 89 predecessor and of production commercial Ju 90s. Named Der Grosse Dessauer, its maiden flight took place on 28 August 1937. Deutsche Luft Hansa carried out the long-distance testing. After eight months of evaluation, this prototype broke up on 6 February 1938 during over-speed tests.
A second prototype (V2) was delivered to Luft Hansa in May 1938, like all the production commercial Ju 90s, this was powered by four BMW 132 radial engines delivering 830 hp. The move to lower power was necessitated by the demands on Daimler Benz to produce engines for strategically important, frontline aircraft. They named this aircraft Preussen. It crashed during tropical flight tests on takeoff in November 1938 at Bathurst, Gambia, probably because of engine failure.
Despite these setbacks, Luft Hansa ordered eight of the production type A-1s. They also used the next two prototypes, starting with V3 Bayern which flew on the Berlin-Vienna route from July 1938. This aircraft flew a total of 62,572 km ( mi) in 1938.Only seven of the A-1s were delivered to Luft Hansa, the last in April 1940, one going directly to the Luftwaffe.
In April 1939, the RLM asked Junkers for a development of the Ju 90 for military transport purposes. The Ju 90V5 and V6 were the prototypes of this military design. They got a new wing with a straight inner section leading edge, of greater span and area . The landing gear was strengthened with twin main wheels and the fins were more rounded, lacking the characteristic horn balance nick of the earlier models. The Ju 90 V5 flew first on 5 December 1939. A special feature of both the V5 and V6 was a powered boarding ramp in the floor of the rear section of the fuselage for loading cars and larger cargo freight. Both aircraft were fitted with the more powerful, 1600hp BMW 801MA radials. Ju 90s were also used as tugs for heavy gliders, only 18 Ju 90s of all versions were completed. Just two survived the war to fall into Allied hands, but both were scrapped soon afterwards.
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Junkers Ju 160
The Junkers Ju 160 was a German single-engine, low-wing six-seat passenger transport aircraft.
The Ju 160 was developed from the Ju60 and was cleaned up aerodynamically and also had a more powerful 660hp BMW 132E radial engine, a combination making it about 45 mph faster.
It was a low-wing cantilever design, the wings built around twin duralumin spars and covered in sheet duralumin. For the first time a Junkers aircraft used entirely smooth skinning,the improved performance of the Ju 160 was in part due to this change of skinning. The wing planform was also revised to have taper only on the leading edge. The trailing edge carried the usual Junkers "double wing", a full-width adjustable flap / aileron arrangement. Other aerodynamic improvements included a revised cockpit better faired into the fuselage, and a new fully retractable undercarriage.
The first prototype Ju 160 V1, D-UNOR, first flew in January 1934. Lufthansa used it in trials and a number of changes were made to the final prototype (V3), including a wider chord, less deep rudder and a faired tailwheel plus minor door modifications. The first civil production series were designated Ju 160 A-0. The second prototype V2 was for a military version.
Including prototypes, 47 Ju 160s were produced. Lufthansa were the main commercial operator, receiving 21 production aircraft. They were running on several domestic routes in 1935 alone and stayed in service on the fast route between Berlin and Vienna until 1941. One of the 21 was operated by the Lufthansa subsidiary Eurasia; this aircraft, however, crashed in Shanghai and was taken back to Germany and to Lufthansa after repairs. The first 11 Lufthansa machines were Ju 160 A-0s registered in 1935, followed by 10 D-0s in 1936. The D-0 version had larger cockpit windows and improved crew comforts. Two machines appeared on the Manchurian civil register, one of then having earlier been registered in Germany, the other sold direct, these ended up in Japan serving with the Japanese Navy as the LXJ.
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Junkers Ju 287
The Junkers Ju 287 was an aerodynamic testbed built in 1944.
The Ju 287 was intended to provide a bomber that could outrun enemy fighters. The swept-forward wing was suggested by the project's head designer Dr. Hans Wocke as a way of providing extra lift at low airspeeds - necessary because of the poor responsiveness of early turbojets at the vulnerable times of takeoff and landing. A further structural advantage of the forward-swept wing was that it would allow for a single massive weapons bay in the best location, the centre of gravity of the plane, with the main wing spar passing behind the bomb bay. The same structural requirement meant the wing could then be located at the best aerodynamic location, the centre of the fuselage.Prior to the assembly of the first Ju 287, an He 177 A-5 (designated as na He 177 prototype, V38) was modified to examine the technical characteristics of this single large bomb bay design.
Flight tests began on 16 August 1944, with the aircraft displaying good handling, as well as revealing some of the problems of the forward-swept wing under some flight conditions. Most notable of these drawbacks was excessive in flight flexing of the main spar and wing assembly. Tests suggested that the warping problem would be eliminated by concentrating greater engine mass under the wings. This improvement would be incorporated in the subsequent prototypes with under wing engines moved forward.
The Ju 287 was intended to be powered by four Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 engines, but because problems experienced with that engine, the BMW 003 was selected in its place. The second prototype (Ju 287 V2) would have had six engines (originally four underwing BMW 003s and two fuselage-mounted Jumo 004s, but later changed to two triple clusters composed of four Jumo 004s and two BMW 003s), and also differed from the Ju 287 V1 in having the main undercarriage struts with an inward cant, the horizontal stabilizer lowered by 30 centimeters, and trouser pants for the nose wheels.The third prototype, the Ju 287 V3, employed six BMW 003s, in a triple cluster under each wing, and featured an all-new fuselage and tail design intended for the production bomber, the Ju 287A-1.
The Ju 287 V4 and V5 would have served as prototypes of the Ju 287A-2 and Ju 287B-1 respectively, and the V5 and V6 were to feature tail armament and ejection seats. The Ju 287B-1 would have had four 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) thrust HeS 011 turbojets, while the Ju 287B-2 was to employ two 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) thrust BMW 018 turbojets.
Work on the Ju 287 programme, along with all other pending German bomber projects came to a halt in July 1944, but Junkers was allowed to go forward with the flight testing regime on the V1 prototype. The components for the Ju 287 V2 had been completed and were shipped for final assembly. Seventeen test flights were undertaken in total, which passed without notable incident. This initial test phase was designed purely to assess the low-speed handling qualities of the forward-swept wing, but despite this the V1 was dived at full jet power at least once. After the 17th and last flight in late autumn of 1944, the V1 was transferred to the Luftwaffe's evaluation and test centre at Rechlin. However, in March 1945, for unknown reasons, the Ju 287 program was restarted, with the RLM issuing a requirement for mass production of the jet bomber as soon as possible.
Both V1 and V2 were destroyed by the Nazis to avoid capture by Allied forces. Wocke and his staff were captured by the Red Army and taken to the Soviet Union.
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Junkers Ju 290
The Junkers Ju 290 was a large German, four-engine long-range transport, maritime patrol aircraft and heavy bomber.
The Ju 290 was developed directly from the Ju 90 airliner, versions of which had been evaluated for military purposes, and was intended to replace the relatively slow Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor.
The Ju 290 V1 prototype BD+TX, first flew on 16 July 1942. It featured a lengthened fuselage, more powerful engines, and a hydraulic rear loading ramp. Both the V1 and the first eight A-1 production aircraft were unarmed transports. The need for heavy transports saw the A-1s pressed into service as soon as they were completed.
The urgent need for Ju 290s in the long-range maritime reconnaissance role was also high priority, and resulted in the Ju 290A-2. Three A-1 aircraft were converted to A-2 specification on the assembly line. Production was slow due to the modifications reqiured and the installation of defensive armament. The A-2 was fitted with low-UHF band search radar and a dorsal turret fitted with a 20 mm MG 151 cannon. The radar was successfully used to locate Allied convoys at ranges of up to 80 km (50 mi) from an altitude of 500 m (1,600 ft).
The A-3 version followed shortly after with additional navigational equipment and a heavier defensive armament. It was fitted with two powered dorsal turrets armed with 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons, with a further 20 mm MG 151/20 and a 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun fitted in a typically German Bola gondola directly underneath the forward dorsal gun turret, and a 20 mm MG 151/20 fitted in the tail operated by a gunner in a prone position. Two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131s were also fitted in waist positions. The A-3, along with the A-2, also featured large fuselage auxiliary fuel tanks.
The updated A-7 version appeared in spring 1944; 13 were completed, and 10 served with the long-range reconnaissance group. Some A-7s and some A-4s were fitted with a detachable nose turret armed with a 20 mm MG 151/20 for added defense against frontal attack. No bombs were carried, as it was intended that the A-5 and A-7 would be fitted with the FuG 203 Kehl radio guidance system to launch MCLOS-guided Fritz X and Hs 293 anti-ship missiles.
The long range of the Ju 290 made it a candidate for development in relation to the Amerika Bomber project, and as a result, the six-engined Ju 390, based directly on the Ju 290 airframe with even longer range was built in prototype form, two airframes being completed and test-flown. The Ju 290 itself was under consideration to serve as a tanker to refuel the Amerika Bomber.
In late 1942 Field Marshal Milch ordered the increasing the fuel capacity of the Ju 290 to enable it to perform the Amerika Bomber mission itself. A lightened Ju 290E subtype was proposed in March 1943, but remained unbuilt
During May 1942 engineers investigated the possibility of refueling the Ju 390 in flight from a Ju 290.By March 1943 consideration of using a Ju 290 to refuel another was made and the result was to see up to four Ju 290s converted to be tankers or long range bombers.Tanker/receiver experiments continued in early 1944 when two Ju 290 A-2s were tested under operational conditions from Mont de Marsan in France, the America Bomber role soon evaporated, and by October 1944, all production was stopped. A number of Ju 290s survived the war, the Allies evaluating at least three examples, none of which was known to have survived intact into the 21st century.
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Junkers Ju 352
The Junkers Ju 352 Herkules was a German World War II transport aircraft.
During spring of 1942,Junkers-Dessau project office was instructed by the Reich Air Ministry to redesign the structure of the Junkers Ju 252 transport replacing the Jumo 211F engines of the with 1000hp Bramo 323R radial engines. The result was very similar to the Ju 252 but was an entirely new aircraft. The wing of the Ju 352 was mounted further back on the fuselage, and was entirely of wooden construction. The Ju 352 also had a rear loading ramp like that of the Ju 252. The ramp allowed the loading of vehicles or freight into the cargo hold while holding the fuselage level.
The Ju 352 was considered a major improvement over the original Junkers Ju 52 but noticeably inferior to the Junkers Ju 252. Deliveries of the Ju 352 had only just begun when, during the summer of 1944, the worsening war situation resulted in the decision to abandon further production of transport aircraft. In September the last two Ju 352As rolled off the assembly line, 10 pre-production Ju 352s and 33 production Ju 352s having been completed.
A number of upgrades of the basic design were proposed before production ended, including the Ju 352B with more powerful engines and increased defensive armament, which in the Ju352A was two MG131 machine guns fitted in the side windows, and a 20 mm (0.787 in) MG 151/20 cannon in the dorsal turret.
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Klemm Kl 25
The Klemm Kl 25 was a successful German light leisure, sports and training monoplane aircraft, developed in 1928.
It had a low cantilever wing, fixed landing gear, and two open cockpits, the aircraft was developed by Hanns Klemm, who used his previous design, the Daimler L20, as a starting point.
It first flew with a 20 hp Daimler F7502 engine. About 30 different versions of the Kl 25 were made, and these were equipped with engines ranging from 43 to 94 hp. The fuselage was covered with plywood. Takeoff was achieved at only 31 mph and the maximum speed was between 93 to 99 mph.
15 were sold to Britain before the Second World War, fitted with a variety of domestic engines, while 28 more were built by British Klemm Aeroplane Company as the B.A. Swallow. Production in the United States was carried out by the Aeromarine-Klemm Company which enjoyed moderate success, as well as developing models for the American market, in isolation from the parent company, with around 120 built.
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Klemm Kl 36
The Klemm Kl 36 was a 1930s German four-seat cabin touring monoplane.
The aircraft was a mixed-construction low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail unit. It had a fuselage made of steel frame, and canvas covered. The three-part wing, outer parts of wings and tail surfaces were wooden, plywood covered. The pilot and three passengers had an enclosed cabin, well glazed. The plane had a fixed tailskid landing gear, wheels had teardrop covers.
Due to the success of the three-seat touring plane Klemm Kl 32 in the European touring plane championship Challenge 1932, the company was ordered by the German (RLM) to develop another aircraft to take part in the next Challenge 1934. Due to changes of contest rules, it had to be more modern machine, four-seater with better performance and better STOL capabilities. The designer was Friedrich Fechner. As a result, new aircraft Kl 36 was a streamlined comfortable four-seater with rich wing mechanization, and was the fastest of all Klemms.
4 aircraft were built of the first series Kl 36A two powered with Argus As 17A, 225 hp inverted 6-cylinder in-line engine - and two with Hirth HM8U, 250 hp inverted V8 engine - D-IHEK, D-IHAV, both engines were air-cooled. Later, 8 additional aircraft were built, designated Kl 36B. They were powered with different engines, including 160 hp radial Siemens-Halske Sh 14 A-1.
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Klemm Kl 107
The Klemm Kl 107 was a two-seat light aircraft developed in Germany in 1940.
The Kl 107 was a development from earlier Klemm designs and was a single-engined two-seat low-wing monoplane with a conventional landing gear. The first prototype first flew in early 1940 powered by a 105 hp Hirth HM500A-1 engine.A further seven prototypes were built in 1940 and 1941 as a private venture but only six had flown by the time the project was stopped by WWII.
After the war Hans Klemm joined forces with Bolkow Entwicklungen as a joint-venture to further develop the Kl 107 design. The new prototype first flew at Stuggart Airport on 4 September 1956. Originally flown as a Kl 107 with a Continental C90-12F engine, it was modified as a Kl 107A and then it was re-engined in 1957 with a Lycoming O-320-A2A engine and redesignated Kl 107B. It was exhibited at the 1957 Paris Air Show. A production run of 25 aircraft followed in 1958 and 1959. In 1959 a Kl 107C variant with a modified cabin was flown and production continued of this variant until the last and 54th post-war aircraft was flown on 27 September 1961.A four-seat variant was developed later as the BO 207.
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LFG Roland D.I
The LFG Roland D.I was a fighter aircraft produced in Germany during the 1st World War.
It was a single-seat aircraft based originally on the earlier Roland C.II two-seat reconnaissance type. It shared its unusual design feature of having a deep fuselage that completely filled the interplane gap, but in comparison, the fuselage was much sleeker. While the C.II's appearance had earned the Walfisch ("Whale"), the D.I became known as the Haifisch ("Shark").The I-struts that had been used to brace the wing were replaced by conventional struts. Other changes to the wing included the removal of stagger from the design and the introduction of a slight sweepback.
It was powered by a 160 hp Mercedes D.III 6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engine.
The prototype flew in July 1916 and was accepted by the Idflieg for military service. Production was interrupted, by a fire at the factory after only around twenty machines had been built. When production resumed, it had moved on to the improved Roland D.II.
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LFG V 60
The LFG V 60 was a small, single engine, floatplane training aircraft from the mid-1920s.
It was a two bay biplane with pairs of parallel interplane struts, though the inner bay was quite narrow. There were ailerons on both upper and lower planes, which were externally connected.
Its engine was a 230 hp six cylinder inline, water cooled BMW IV, mounted with its cylinder heads exposed, which drove a two blade propeller. The fuselage was flat sided and with the two crew in a continuous open, tandem cockpit. The tailplane was mounted on top of the fuselage and the vertical tail was tall and rounded, the rudder extended below the keel. The V 60 had twin float landing gear attached to the wing and lower fuselage on a number of V-struts and laterally cross braced. Accounts vary but it seems 4 or 5 aircraft were completed.
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LVG B.I
The LVG B.I was a 1910s German two-seat reconnaissance biplane.
This was the company's first original design, it was an unequal-span two-seat biplane with a fixed tailskid landing gear. It was powered by a nose-mounted 100 hp Mercedes D.I engine. After entering service an improved variant, the B.II was developed with a cut-out in the upper wing to improve visibility for the pilot in the rear cockpit to help spot ground infantry, and fitted was fitted with a 120 hp Mercedes D.II engine. The B.II entered service in 1915 and although mainly used as a trainer, it also served in unarmed reconnaissance and scouting duties. A further variant was the B.III which had structural strengthening to allow it to be used as a trainer.
The aircraft was operated by Germany,Bulgaria,Denmark and Turkey.
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LVG C.V
The LVG C.V was a reconnaissance aircraft produced in 1917.
The C.V was a conventional two-bay biplane design, with unstaggered wings of equal span and tandem, open cockpits for the pilot and observer.The ailerons, fitted only to the upper wing, featured aerodynamic balances that extended past the wingtips.The fuselage was a semi-monocoque construction skinned in wood.It was powered by a Benz Bz.IV , of 200 hp.
After the war, some C.Vs were used as civil transports, while some 150 machines captured by Polish forces were put to use by the Polish army. Other post-war users included Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
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Messerschmitt M 17
The M 17 was a German single-engine high-wing sports monoplane.
The design could be traced back to the Messerschmitt-Hirth S 14 glider. The aircraft was a two-seater almost completely made of wood and weighed only 198 kg (437 lb). The engine was a 29 hp Bristol Cherub II. The pilot had almost zero forward visibility and had to look out sideways.
In September 1926, pilot Eberhard von Conta,flew in an M 17 from Bamberg to Rome. This marked the first time the central Alps were crossed with a light aircraft. The flight lasted more than 14 hours and had to refuel every three hours. The aircraft reached an altitude of 4,500 m (14,760 ft).
Only one of the six-eight machines built survived and is today in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.
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That is so cute!
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Messerschmitt M.20
The Messerschmitt M.20 was a German single-engine, high-wing monoplane ten-seat passenger transport aircraft, developed in the late 1920s.
It was a development of the BFW M.18d eight-seater, powered by a single 500 hp upright inline water-cooled BMW VIa engine. It had a high, cantilever wing based around a D-section box formed from a single dural spar and dural skin, forward to the leading edge. The fuselage was all-metal, with a mostly dural frame, covered with metal sheeting. The aircraft had accommodation, for eight passengers. The single-axle main undercarriage was strutted vertically to the wing.
The aircraft made its first flight on 26 February 1928, but was lost when pilot Hans Hackmack bailed out at low altitude and was killed, after the surface stripped from part of the wing. A second M.20 was flown on 3 August 1928, and became the first of two M.20a series to fly with Luft Hansa who ordered 12 more, but enlarged, M.20b aircraft. These carried ten passengers in a fuselage with five windows each side. It had dihedral on the wing and a more rounded vertical tail.
The Luft Hansa M.20s entered service in 1929 on routes that went from Switzerland via Germany to the Netherlands to various European cities. From the mid-1930s, they were operating German internal and holiday routes. Two were still flying such routes in 1942.
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Messerschmitt M 35
The Messerschmitt M 35, was a German sports monoplane of the early 1930s.
During the period of 1927-33, Messerschmitt designed a series of sport planes, the single-seat M.17 and M.19, and the two-seat M.23, M.27 M.31, and finally the M.35. With the exception of the M.23, none sold in large numbers despite being agile and easy to fly. They were all single-engine low-wing monoplanes with open cockpits and fixed undercarriage. The M.35 kept the extended fuselage of the M.27 and combined it with an undercarriage of single leg, spatted form.
Two engines were available for the M35. The M35a had a 150 hp, seven-cylinder radial Siemens Sh 14a, and the M.35b a 135 hp four-cylinder inline inverted air-cooled Argus As 8b. The former was the shorter and faster of the two. The aircraft first flew in 1933 and was later first shown to the public and potential buyers at the 1934 Aerosalon in Geneva. Despite excellent reviews and strong performances at other venues in the late 1930s, only 15 M.35s were built, 13 registered in Germany, one in Spain and reputedly one in Romania. Though the M.35a was faster, the M.35b was more common; and only two M.35as are definitely identified.
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Messerschmitt Me 209
The first Messerschmitt Me 209 was a single-engine racing aircraft from 1938.
The designation Me 209 was used for two separate projects during World War II. The first was a record-setting, single-engined race aircraft, as profiled here. The second Me 209 was an unsuccessful proposal for a follow-up to the legendary Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter.
It was designed in 1937, and was a completely separate aircraft from the Bf 109, solely designed to break speed records.The small aircraft had a cockpit placed far back along the fuselage just in front of its unique cross-shaped tail section. Unlike the Bf 109, the Me 209 featured a wide track, inwardly-retracting undercarriage mounted in the wing section.
The aircraft achieved its objective when test pilot Fritz Wendel flew it to a new world speed record of almost 469 mph on 26 April 1939, bearing the German civil registration D-INJR.This record was not officially broken by another piston-engined aircraft until 16 August 1969 by Darryl Greenamyer's highly modified Conquest I F8F Bearcat, now at the Smithsonian's NASM.
The idea of adapting the Me 209 to the fighter role gained some momentum when, during the Battle of Britain, the Bf 109 failed to gain superiority over the RAF Spitfire. However, the 209 was not up to the task of air combat. It`s wings were almost completely occupied by the engine's liquid cooling system and prohibited installation of armament. The aircraft also proved difficult to fly and had terrible ground handling. Nevertheless, the Messerschmitt team made several attempts to improve the aircraft's performance by giving it longer wings, a taller vertical stabilizer, and installing two synchronized 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns in the engine cowling.The modifications added so much weight that the Me 209 ended up slower than the contemporary Bf 109E. This first Me 209 project was soon cancelled with only four aircraft completed.
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Messerschmitt Me 264
The Messerschmitt Me 264 was a long-range strategic bomber from 1942.
The Me 264 was an all-metal, high-wing, four-engine heavy bomber. The fuselage was round in cross-section and had a cabin in a glazed nose, comprising a "stepless cockpit" with no separate windscreen section for the pilots, which was common for most later German bomber designs. A similar design was used for the B-29, of slightly earlier origin. The wing had a slightly swept leading edge and a straight trailing edge. The empennage had double tail fins. The undercarriage was a retractable tricycle gear with large-diameter wheels on the wing-mounted main gear.
Defensive armament consisted of guns in remotely operated turrets and in positions on the sides of the fuselage. As a weight saving measure it carried little armour and few guns and this would increase fuel capacity and range. The Me 264's first prototype first flew on 23rd Dec 1942 and was originally fitted with four Junkers Jumo 211 inverted V12 engines but inadequate power from these engines led to their replacement late in 1943 on the Me 264 V1 first prototype with four similarly unitized 1,700 PS BMW 801G engines. In order to provide some crew comfort on the proposed long-range missions, the Me 264 featured bunk beds and a small galley.
Trials showed several minor faults and ponderous handling was found to be difficult. One of the drawbacks was the very high wing loading of the Me 264 in fully loaded conditions which caused poor climb performance, loss of manoeuvrability, stability and high take-off and landing speeds. The first prototype was not fitted with any weapons or armour but the following two prototypes, the Me 264 V2 and V3 had armour for the engines, crew and gun positions. The Me 264 V2 was built without defensive armament and vital equipment and the Me 264 V3 was to be armed and have the same armour.
In 1943, the Kriegsmarine withdrew their interest in the Me 264. Further payments for development work to Messerschmitt AG for its design were stopped. Late in 1943, the second prototype, Me 264 V2, was destroyed in a bombing raid On 18 July 1944, the first prototype, which had entered service, was damaged during a bombing raid and was not repaired. The third prototype, which was unfinished, was destroyed during the same raid. In October 1943, Erhard Milch stopped further Me 264 development, to concentrate on the development and production of the Me 262 jet fighter-bomber. A proposed six engine version was never built.
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That is so cute!
Yeah it looks like something out of the Teletubbies- excuse rough edit :D
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Messerschmitt Me 328
The Messerschmitt Me 328 was originally designed as a parasite aircraft to protect Luftwaffe bomber formations during World War II.
The aircraft was designed as Messerschmitt project P.1073 in 1941, and was originally conceived as a cheap and simple escort fighter.Three versions were proposed: an unpowered glider, a version powered by Argus pulsejets, and a version powered by a Jumo 004 turbojet.One of the main problems the project faced was with engines - the pulse jets didn't operate well at high to medium altitudes due to the lower air pressure. The engines also generated a huge amount of noise which could be heard miles away, making them unsuitable.
Seven prototypes powered by two Argus As 014 pulsejets, as used on the V-1 flying bomb were built. It was intended for use as a fighter aircraft, to be armed with two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons. However, during static testing it soon became apparent that excessive vibration would make the project difficult. The manned flight programme was suspended in mid-1944, after only a few test flights had been made.Some sources say two prototypes were destroyed by inflight structural failure caused by vibration. A version was projected, which would use four Argus pulsejets, two mounted below the wings in addition to the original pair mounted above the rear fuselage.Bomber versions of both types were proposed, and work continued on them at the insistence of Hitler long after the point when much use could have been made of them.
A wide variety of roles were suggested for the aircraft, from a point-defence interceptor, to a version with folding wings and twin pulsejets to be launched from a catapult on a U-boat, to a ground-attack aircraft. Various modifications to the prototypes were made to evaluate their suitability.Different engine configurations were tested,despite this, the vibration problem simply could not be overcome and the program was abandoned in early 1944, even as production facilities were being readied to construct the aircraft in Darmstadt.
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Otto C.I
The Otto C.I, also known as the Otto KD.15, was a German two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War.
It was an all wooden, fabric covered twin boom design with box-shaped booms. Forward was a large fuselage gondola with two seats, the observer sitting at the front and the pilot to the rear. Behind the pilot was a Benz Bz.III six-cylinder, water-cooled, inline engine of 150 hp.The unarmed prototype first flew in May or June 1915, named KD.15 and powered by a 200 hp Rapp engine. Production examples were given the official designation C.I and the observer was provided with a single machine gun for defence. The Rapp engine proved unreliable due to overheating, so production aircraft were also equipped with the lower-powered 160 hp Mercedes D.III or 150 hp Benz Bz.III.
The C.I entered limited service with the Imperial German Air Service.They were delivered in two batches of six aircraft, ordered in August and November 1915 respectively, and served until at least April 1916.They were known for their stability and reliability and were nimble with good handling characteristics both on the ground and in the air.
The aircraft saw limited export success, some sold to the Bulgarian Air Force in 1915.Thirteen were delivered to Bozhurishte in spring 1916, serving based at Udovo.The first batch was powered by the Benz engine, while the latter used the slightly more powerful Mercedes inline.These aircraft were used in the bombing and reconnaissance role and served until 1917.
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Pfalz D.VIII
The Pfalz D.VIII was a German World War I fighter aircraft.
The D.VIII was approved for production arising from German requirements in 1918 to develop superior fighter aircraft. Its power unit, the 160hp Siemens-Halske Sh.III rotary which drove a large four bladed prop enabled the type to achieve a top speed of 120 miles per hour at sea level. It was armed with twin 7.92mm Spandau machine guns.Forty aircraft were completed but as this was very near the end of the war, they were used mostly for evaluation purposes and saw very little actual combat.
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Pfalz D.XV
The Pfalz D.XV was a German single seat fighter aircraft.
The D.XV was last of the series of biplane fighters and notably different from their earlier aircraft, with both mainplanes clear of the fuselage and without flying wires. The lower wing was the smaller of the two both in span and chord and had elliptical tips. The upper wing was square tipped and fitted with ailerons. Both were single piece from tip to tip.
The D.XV had a 185 hp 6-cylinder water-cooled inline engine BMW IIIa with a rectangular radiator filling the upper nose above the drive-shaft of the two blade propeller. It had a single open cockpit behind the upper wing's trailing edge.
It was judged to have high performance and maneuverability though tail heavy and was found to be difficult to land. It was one of the last German fighters accepted for production, getting its type approval on 4 November 1918, just a few days before the Armistice.The Pfalz XV never reached operational status.Several were built and finished, and there were 74 completed fuselages in the Pfalz works when these were inspected by the Allies in the autumn of 1919.
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Raab-Katzenstein KL.1 Schwalbe
The Raab-Katzenstein KL.1 Schwalbe (Swallow) was a German two-seat biplane produced in the 1920s.
In November 1925 pilot Antonius Raab and engineer Katzenstein formed the Kassel-based company. Their first design, known initially as the KL.1 Schwalbe,was a single bay biplane with thick section, unequal span wooden wings which were built around twin spars and covered in fabric. The Schwalbe had ailerons on both wings, externally connected with vertical rods. The upper ailerons had large balances to serve both surfaces.
The first machines, designated KL.IA, were powered by a 80 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 11 seven cylinder radial engine, partially enclosed by a dural cowling which left the cylinders projecting for cooling. Its fuel tank was within the upper wing and the oil tank behind a firewall. Later versions of the Schwalbe, designated KL.1B and KL.IC, were powered by a 110 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 12 nine cylinder radial. The forward open cockpit was under the wing but it was flown solo from the rear cockpit which was over the trailing edge of the lower wing and behind that of the upper wing, where there was a cut-out to improve the pilot's view.
Piloted by Raab, the Schwalbe first flew on 16 January 1926. Numbers built are uncertain but estimates of between forty-two or about fifty-eight. Engines apart, the minor differences between the variants were small enough to allow several airframes to have been IAs, IBs and ICs over their lifetime.
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Raab-Katzenstein RK.25
The Raab-Katzenstein RK.25 was a two-seat,monoplane aircraft designed and built in Germany in the 1920s.
It was a low wing, cantilever monoplane with an engine choice between a 80 hp Cirrus II or a 90 hp Cirrus III, both four-cylinder upright air-cooled inlines.Its wings were trapezoidal in plan, though with long, rounded tips.The wings were wooden, each with two longerons which were joined into a box spar by plywood skin out to three-quarter span.The rest of the surfaces, including the unbalanced ailerons which occupied about half the span, were silk covered. The ailerons had frames of elektron, a recently developed magnesium alloy.There were two open cockpits in tandem, one occupied by the navigator over the rear wing and the other by the pilot, behind the trailing edge.
The second RK.25 was fitted with a Cirrus III engine, the improved cylinder head cooling of which required a slightly wider and raised cowling. It also had raised cockpit sides.
The date of the RK.25's first flight is unknown,the prototype was registered in September 1928. It and the second example competed in the 1929 Challenge; the latter, with its more powerful engine and flown by John Carberry, came third.
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Rhein Flugzeugbau RW 3 Multoplan
The Rhein Flugzeugbau RW 3 Multoplan is a two-seat light pusher configuration aircraft from the mid-1950`s.
The prototype RW 3 Multoplan was designed by Hanno Fischer in 1955 in order to test the aerodynamic principles that he proposed.The first RW 3A Multoplan D-EJAS which was a tandem two-seat light aircraft of mixed construction with a high aspect ratio wing, retractable tricycle undercarriage and a T-tail. The 65 h.p. Porsche 678/0 engine was mounted in the centre fuselage and drove a pusher propeller fitted in a vertical slot between the fin and rudder.The two crew were provided with dual controls and a long blister canopy. A second RW 3A-V2 was built and tested.
The first production aircraft was flown on 8 February 1958 and this and all subsequent machines were designated RW 3.P75 to identify the Porsche 75 h.p. 678/4 engine which was fitted.Max speed with this engine was 130mph with a cruise of around 110mph. RFB built a total of 22 aircraft, and abandoned a further three when production was discontinued in 1961. One further example was built by an amateur constructor.
RFB also built two examples of a higher-powered version, the RW 3C-90 Passat and on these and all other RW 3s, they offered optional wingtip extension panels,which gave a wing span of just over 50ft.Two aircraft are exhibited in German aviation museums including D-EIFF displayed in the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin.
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RFB Fantrainer
The RFB Fantrainer is a two-seat flight training aircraft from the 1970`s.
In March 1975, RFB received a contract from the German Defence Ministry to produce and fly a pair of prototype Fantrainers; to be evaluated as replacements for Luftwaffe's fleet of Piaggio P.149 initial trainers. The initial production process only took seven months to complete a single prototype.
On 27 October 1977, the first prototype, powered by a pair of EA87 150 hp NSU Wankel engines, made its maiden flight.The engine installation proved to be troublesome, so the second prototype was fitted with a single 420 hp Allison 250-C20B turboshaft engine, making its first flight on 31 May 1978. The second prototype crashed on 7 September 1978, which resulted in the first prototype being modified to Fantrainer 400 standard, being fitted with an Allison engine and revised air intakes.
The Fantrainer was evaluated by the Luftwaffe against the Beechcraft T-34C and Pilatus PC-7 turboprop powered trainers, but although it was considered to be the most suitable of the three aircraft, being cheaper both to purchase and to operate, no orders resulted as it was decided that the Piaggio P.149 was still adequate for the Luftwaffe's needs.Despite failing to secure an order from the Luftwaffe, during May 1982, RFB announced that it was set to commence mass production of the Fantrainer within the next few months.
During 1983, the prototype was refitted, its seven-bladed ducted fan being substituted for a five-bladed production standard counterpart, while the cockpit was also improved; the changes reportedly enabled a significant noise reduction and superior external visibility.The aircraft has been produced in two principal models,the Fantrainer 400, powered by a 545 shp Allison 250-C20B, and the Fantrainer 600,powered by a 650 shp Allison 250-C30.
In August 1982, the Royal Thai Air Force signed a contract with RFB to purchase 47 aircraft, 31 of the model 400 and 16 of the 600. They were used as a step-up trainer for their future F-5 Freedom Fighter pilots.The first four aircraft were constructed in Germany while the remaining aircraft were assembled in Thailand from kits shipped from RFB, which were assembled at a peak rate of six Fantrainers per month. After an initial period of operation, the RTAF elected to replace the aircraft's glass fiber wings with locally-produced aluminium wings, even when the original fiber glass wings proved to endure well in the hot and humid Thailand weather, which was a main concern of the manufacturer.
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Rohrbach Ro VII Robbe
The Rohrbach Ro VII Robbe was an all-metal, twin engine flying boat built in Germany in the 1920s.
Rohrbach aircraft were all-metal, including their duralumin skinning. The Robbe was a monoplane with a high wing described at the time as a semi-cantilever structure, meaning that there were no rigid wing struts but that it retained external bracing with flying wires to the wings from the lower fuselage.At this time there were still doubts about the repairability of metal aircraft, so the Robbe's two-part wing was designed to be easy to inspect internally by the removal of edge boxes and all parts were replaceable. The wing skin was riveted to the ribs.
The pilot and mechanic sat side by side in an open cockpit, with gunner's positions ahead of them and at the trailing edge. Alternatively, the Robbe could be configured to carry four passengers, one in a forward cabin, two in a central one and one more in a rear cabin, or to carry goods or post. The hull was divided into seven watertight compartments to preserve buoyancy. An unusual feature of each gunner's cockpit was a duralumin, telescopic mast. If, in an emergency the Robbe alighted without power, these could each be extended and a simple, triangular sail raised to reach safety.At the rear the tail was conventional, with a blunted rectangular fin and small unbalanced rudder.
Each of the Robbe's two 230 hp BMW IV water-cooled six cylinder upright inline engines were mounted in pusher configuration high above the wings on vertical faired steel tube N-form struts, and with transverse V-strut bracing with its apex on the central, upper fuselage. The engines were cooled with radiators in the front of the engine cowling and behind shutters controlled from the cockpit. There was a reserve fuel tank above each engine.
The first flight of the Robbe I, was in 1925. By the following summer two had been built. Rorhbach built a third Ro VII, the Robbe II. Though the layout was the same as the Robbe I and some elements were common to both, the Robbe II was considerably larger and more powerful. It had a new, strongly straight tapered, wing with sweep only on the leading edge and a span of 21.5 m (70 ft 6 in). It was 15.2 m (49 ft 10 in) long. Pilot and mechanic had a low glazed enclosed cockpit ahead of the wing leading edge.It flew for the first time in the last quarter of 1927 in passenger configuration, with four porthole style windows in the cabin walls.
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Rohrbach Romar
The Rohrbach Ro X Romar was a German long-range commercial flying-boat.
The Romar was the final production aircraft from Rohrbach and was a monoplane flying-boat with a crew of four or five and two cabins for a total of 12 passengers. The revised Romar II could accommodate 16 passengers. It had three BMW VIUZ Vee piston engines strut mounted above the wing. The first aircraft flew on 7 August 1928 and was unveiled at the Berlin Aviation Exhibition in October 1928. Only four aircraft were built, three were used on Baltic services by Deutsche Luft Hansa and one was supplied to the French Navy.
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Rumpler C.I
The Rumpler C.I,was a two-seater single-engine reconnaissance biplane which first flew in 1915.
Early production examples were armed with a Parabellum machine gun on a ring mounting, but later aircraft had in addition a synchronised Spandau gun on the port side of fuselage. When used as a light bomber the C.I could also carry 100 kg of bombs.Variants included the C.Ia, which used a 180 hp Argus As.III engine instead of Mercedes D.III, 6B 1 single-seat floatplane fighter, and a Rumpler-built batch of C.Is intended for training which omitted the gun ring in the rear cockpit and was powered by a 150 hp Benz Bz.III.It was one of the longest serving in its class during World War I, being retired from the last front line units only in early 1918.
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Rumpler G.I
The Rumpler G.I was a bomber aircraft produced in Germany during World War I,
The G.I and its successors were built to a conventional bomber design for their time, two-bay biplanes with unstaggered wings of unequal span.The pilot sat in an open cockpit just ahead of the wings, and open positions were provided in the nose and amidships for a gunner and observer. The engines were mounted pusher-fashion in nacelles on top of the lower wings and enclosed in streamlined cowlings.A fixed tricycle undercarriage was fitted, with dual wheels on each unit.
The G.II version was almost identical, but featured more powerful 230 hp Benz Bz.IV engines and carried a second 7.92 mm (.312 in) machine gun and increased bombload. The G.III was again similar, but had engine nacelles that were now mounted on short struts clear of the lower wing. They were fitted with 260 hp Mercedes D.IVa engines.
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Sablatnig SF-2
The Sablatnig SF-2 was a reconnaissance seaplane produced in Germany during WW1.
It was a development of the Sablatnig SF-1, the SF-2 featured a new rear fuselage and was fitted with a radio.The prototype had a smaller tail-fin and rudder than the SF-1, but production examples added a large ventral fin. The aircraft was built from wood, skinned with fabric, and was powered by a 160hp Mercedes D.III engine.
Sablatnig delivered six aircraft between June and September 1916.These were followed by a further ten machines built under licence by LVG between October and December, and ten more built by LFG between April and May the following year.The aircraft made it`s first flight in early 1916 and although it was produced as a reconnaissance aircraft, in practice, they were widely used as trainers.
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Sablatnig P.III
The Sablatnig P.III was an airliner produced in the early 1920s.
The P.III was a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane of conventional design powered by a single engine in the nose (either a 200-hp Benz, or a 260-hp Maybach).Later the British 258-hp Armstrong Siddeley Puma engine was the usual power plant.The crew of two, a pilot and a navigator or mechanic,had separate open cockpits in tandem. These were behind the enclosed six seat passenger cabin in the center of the fuselage. Passengers entered the cabin through a door directly from the ground, rather than having to climb over the side of the aircraft, or up a ladder. The structure was of wood throughout, with the fuselage skinned in plywood.The wings and horizontal stabiliser folded for storage or rail transport, and unusually , P.IIIs carried their own tent which served as a portable hangar.
The aircraft was one of the few approved as a civilian, not military type by the Inter-allied Aviation Control Commission for production in Germany after World War I. However under the Treaty of Versailles all aircraft production was forbidden in Germany for a period of six months during the year 1920, and all existing aircraft, both military and civilian, and including aircraft built after the end of World War I, had to be either handed over to the Allied military or destroyed. As a result, Sablatnig ceased building aircraft. Apparently the existing P.IIIs were either hidden or smuggled out of Germany.
17 Sablatnig P.IIIs were registered in Germany in and after 1921.12 were built in Estonia by Dwigatel. The P.III entered service with a number of airlines in Germany and other countries, including Sablatnig, Deutsche Luft Hansa, Danish Air Express, Aeronaut, as well as with the Swiss Air Force.
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Scheibe SF-23 Sperling
The Scheibe SF-23 Sperling is a 1950s German two-seat cabin monoplane.
The Sperling was the first design of powered aircraft to come from the Scheibe Flugzeugbau company which had started building gliders in 1951. The prototype first flew on 8 August 1955 and the initial production SF-23A aircraft first flew in September 1958.The Sperling is a high-wing braced two crew monoplane with side-by-side seating in an enclosed cabin.It had a fixed tailwheel landing gear and was initially powered by a 95 hp Continental C90 piston engine.
The Sperling is of mixed construction, the fuselage was a fabric-covered steel-tube structure and the wings are single-spar wooden structures with fabric and plywood covering. Production of the Sperling ended in 1963 with 27 aircraft completed, with a small number still airworthy.
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Scheibe SF-24 Motorspatz
The Scheibe SF-24 Motorspatz is a high-wing, single-seat motor glider.
The Motorspatz was an early attempt to create a self-launching glider. Scheibe accomplished this by mounting a Hirth engine in the nose of a mostly stock Spatz glider.
The SF-24 is constructed with a welded steel tube fuselage that mounts the monowheel landing gear, with a small tail wheel for ground maneuvering. The wings and tail surfaces are built with wooden structures and covered in doped aircraft fabric covering. The wing has a 14.0 m (46 ft) span,with a airfoil and mounts spoilers for glidepath control.
The aircraft first flew in 1960 but was not type certified and 50 were built.
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Siebel Fh 104 Hallore
The Siebel Fh 104 Hallore was a small twin-engined transport, communications and liaison aircraft.
The aircraft first flew in 1937, and was powered by two 280hp Hirth HM 508D V-8 inverted air-cooled piston engines.It had a metal fuselage, plywood covered wings and a hydraulic undercarriage that retracted into the lower part of the engine nacelles.
Fh 104s won long distance flying competitions in 1938 and an example flew 40,000 km around Africa in 1939. It won the principal award in the 1938 Littorio Rally.During World War II the aircraft was used as a personal transport aircraft by some senior Wehrmacht officers and officials including Adolf Galland, Albert Kesselring and Ernst Udet. At least 15 aircraft of the 46 produced appeared on the pre-war German civil register. It was also used for training of Luftwaffe air crew.
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Siemens-Schuckert D.I
The Siemens-Schuckert D.I was a single-seat fighter from 1916.
The D.I, based very closely on the Nieuport 17. The most important difference from the Nieuport 17 was the powerplant - Siemens-Schukert chose to use their own 110 hp Siemens-Halske Sh.I rotary engine - in which the cylinders, still attached to the propeller, rotated at 900 rpm in one direction, with the crankshaft and internals rotating in the opposite direction at the same rate: producing an effective 1800 rpm. Visually, the effect of this was that in place of the Nieuport 17's circular, fully "closed" cowling the D.I had a small, close fitting, semi-circular cowling with an open bottom, to allow adequate cooling for the slow revving Siemens-Halske.
An order for 150 aircraft was placed on 25 November 1916, but deliveries were slow, due to production difficulties with the complex geared engines,so that the type was not available for service until well into 1917, by which time many squadrons were equipped with the superior Albatros D.III. A backup order for a further 100 machines, placed on 21 March 1917, was cancelled, and only 95 were produced in total.The S.S.W. D.I was obsolete before it was available in numbers, so that most of the examples produced were sent to the fighter training schools, although a few Jastas received limited examples during 1917.
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Siemens-Schuckert D.III
The Siemens-Schuckert D.III was a German single-seat fighter from late 1917.
The D.III was a development of the Siemens-Schuckert D.IIc prototype. The D.III was an equal-span biplane powered by a 160 hp Siemens-Halske Sh.III bi-rotary engine. Idflieg placed an order for 20 aircraft in December 1917, followed by a second order of 30 aircraft in February 1918.
Approximately 41 D.IIIs were delivered to frontline units between April and May 1918. Pilots were enthusiastic about the new aircraft's handling and rate of climb. However only seven to 10 hours of service, the Sh.III engines began to show problems with overheating and piston seizures. The problem was traced to the Voltol mineral oil that was used to replace the scarce castor oil. Furthermore, the close-fitting engine cowling provided inadequate cooling to the engine.
In late May 1918 all the remaining D.III aircraft were returned to the Siemens-Schuckert factory, where they were retrofitted with new Sh.IIIa engines, an enlarged rudder, and cutaway cowlings that provided improved airflow.A further 30 new production D.IIIs incorporated these modifications. Total production amounted to 80 aircraft.
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Siemens-Schuckert R.VIII
The Siemens-Schuckert R.VIII was a bomber aircraft designed and built in Germany from 1916.
In common with many of the other contemporary R projects, the R.VIII had all six engines inside the fuselage, where they were tended by mechanics, driving two tractor and two pusher propellers mounted between the mainplanes, via leather cone clutches combining gearboxes, shafts and bevel gearboxes. Two aircraft were built but only the first, R23/16, was completed.
It was powered by six 300 hp Basse und Selve BuS.IVa 6-cyl. water-cooled in-line piston engines.
Ground trials began in 1919, after the armistice but were interrupted by a gearbox failure which resulted in a propeller breaking up and causing extensive damage. The second airframe, R24/16, was never completed and the first was not repaired after the ground running accident due to the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. At the time of its completion the Siemens-Schuckert R.VIII was the largest aeroplane in the world.
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Udet U 1
The Udet U 1 was the first of a line of small, low-powered, low wing, cantilever monoplanes built in the early 1920s.
In the summer of 1921, a new aviation company was formed using the WWI German flying ace Ernst Udet's name. William Pohl from Milwaukee, Hans Herrmann and Erich Scheuermann joined the company to fund the aircraft before postwar treaty restrictions were lifted on aircraft production, with the intent of building an inexpensive aircraft for the American market.They produced and flew the U 1 five months before the formation of the Udet Flugzeubau GmbH company.
The U 1 was a single-seater, as the air-cooled, 30 hp Haacke HFM-2 flat-twin did not have enough power for more than one person. An enlarged-bore version of the engine, the 35 hp HFM-2a was used in the two seat U-2.The U-2, had a one-piece wing with a high aspect ratio of 9. In plan it was trapezoidal out to angled tips and had light dihedral. It was built around twin wooden spars; ahead of the leading spar the wing was plywood-covered, forming a torsion-resistant D-box. Ailerons, which filled about 40% of the trailing edge, reached out to the wingtips.
The pilot and passenger sat in tandem in a single, open cockpit, with the pilot in front and over the centre of the wing.With a passenger the U-2 was slower than the U 1 and clearly under-powered, so the last three variants, the U 4, U 6 and U 10, were fitted with a range of more powerful Siemens-Halske radial engines.
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Udet U 8
The parasol wing, single engine Udet U 8, was a three-seat commercial passenger transport from the mid 1920`s.
The first U 8, which had a 100 hp nine-cylinder, Siemens-Halske Sh 6 radial, making it rather heavier than the U 5 it was developed from, the design only slightly changed and the dimensions unaltered. The new engine allowed the U 8 to carry three passengers.
The cantilever, one-piece parasol wing of the U.8 was trapezoidal in plan, with long, elliptical tips. It had a thick section which thinned outwards and was built around two spruce box spars and fabric covered. Its ailerons tapered in chord out to the wing tips. The wing was mounted slightly above the fuselage on four short struts, two to each spar, an arrangement used earlier on the U 5 and chosen to improve both the aerodynamics at the wing-fuselage junction and cabin ventilation, a problem in small cabin aircraft of the time. Under the wing, part of the cabin roof was open. The wing struts, uncovered on the U 5, were covered by longitudinal panels.
The five U 8s were initially used by Deutsche Aero Lloyd, but two of them were transferred to Nordbayeriche Verkehrsflug when Aero Lloyd became Deutsche Lufthansa in 1926. One of these crashed soon after. It was transferred to the DVS and was joined there by D-839 later in the year.
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Udet U 11 Kondor
The Udet U 11 Kondor was a German four-engined airliner designed and built in mid 1920`s
The U 11 Kondor was an open-cockpit, metal-fuselage, wooden high-wing monoplane powered by four 100 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 12 piston engines in pusher configuration.It had a crew of three and room for eight passengers.Loading/unloading the aircraft was a dangerous affair due to close clearance between the pusher propellers and rear passenger door, which caused one fatality.
The aircraft was first flown 19th January 1926 and was found to have a tail-heavy condition which required addition of larger control surfaces. The only U 11 was refused by Deutsche Luft-Reederei then purchased by Deutsche Luft Hansa, but it crashed on its delivery flight. The cost to develop and produce the prototype was a factor in the collapse of the Udet company, which was then taken over by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke.
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VFW VAK 191B
The VFW VAK 191B was an experimental German vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft of the early 1970s.
It was developed as a replacement for the Italian Fiat G.91 with the German Air Force. Operationally, it was intended to have been armed with nuclear weapons, in the event of a major war breaking out, to survive the first wave of attacks by deploying to dispersed locations, rather than conventional airfields, and to retaliate against targets behind enemy lines.
In September 1961, a new German aircraft company, known as VFW, was formed as joint venture between Focke-Wulf and Weser Flugzeugbau, to develop its own VTOL strike aircraft.Fiat was also a participating company in VFW, however, Italy later chose to withdraw from the joint development agreement with Germany during 1967. Despite this decision, Fiat remained as a major sub-contractor for the venture, being responsible for the production of various structural elements such as wings, tailplanes and some of the fuselage.
The VAK 191B was similar to the British Harrier, but with a supersonic dash capability at medium to high altitudes. It was judged that having a single engine would create too much drag, but the two lift engines were dead weight in cruise, and the small cruise engine gave a poor thrust to weight ratio. The VAK 191B had been provided with relatively small and highly loaded wings. By contrast, the Harrier possessed a significantly higher thrust-to-weight ratio, it was effective as a dogfighter, and had larger wings.
VFW's team decided to fit the Rolls-Royce/MAN Turbo RB.193-12 engine to provide both lift and cruise, which was supplemented by a pair of Rolls-Royce vertical lift engines. This arrangement meant during vertical hover, all of the lifting thrust could either be generated by the propulsion engine, or entirely produced by the two lift engines, or a combination thereof; analysis determined that the optimum thrust-generation configuration would be a 50–50 split between both engine types.
During the late 1960s, VFW took the decision to demote the development programme and only to test-fly a limited number of prototypes, using the VAK 191B as a technology demonstrator and experimental aircraft. On 10 September 1971, the first prototype conducted the type's maiden flight. A total of 91 flights were performed ending in 1975.These aircraft have been preserved and two are now on public display in museums.
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VFW-Fokker 614
The VFW-Fokker 614 or VFW 614 was a twin-engined jetliner.
The VFW 614 was originally proposed in the early 1960s as the E.614, which was a possible concept for a 36–40 seat aircraft by a consortium of West German aircraft companies, who re-organised into Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW). It was intended as a Douglas DC-3 replacement; its most distinctive feature was that its engines were mounted in pods on pylons above the wing. The VFW 614 was produced in small numbers during the early- to mid-1970s by VFW-Fokker, a company resulting from a merger between VFW and the Dutch aircraft company Fokker.
Throughout its development, a major priority placed upon the engines (the Rolls-Royce/SNECMA M45H turbofan), involved noise reduction, to allow the airliner to use small airports without incurring noise abatement restrictions upon its operations.
On 14 July 1971, the first of three prototypes performed its maiden flight.The first flight of the aircraft was also the first time that the engine had been airborne, having not been previously flown on a flying test-bed.The engines were installed mounted above the wings on pylons at a mid-wing position. This had several advantages, avoiding the structural weight penalties of rear-mounted engines and the potential ingestion risks present when engines were mounted low down underneath wings. The engine configuration allowed the adoption of a short, sturdy undercarriage, which was specially suited to performing operations from poorly-prepared runways.The position of the engine over the wing, compared to under-wing, also shielded people on the ground from intake noise during flyovers.
By February 1975, only ten aircraft had been ordered. During April 1975, the first production VFW 614 made its first flight; it was delivered to Denmark's Cimber Air four months later.During 1977, the programme was officially cancelled due to lack of sales, and the last unsold aircraft flew in July 1978. By 1981, the majority of commercial aircraft had already been disposed of, due to the manufacturer having bought back many of the aircraft in order for it to simultaneously terminate support for the type. Only the German Air Force aircraft remained in service, the last being retired in 1999. The last airworthy VFW 614 was in use with DLR for the Advanced Technologies Testing Aircraft System (ATTAS) project. Just 19 aircraft were completed by the time production ended.
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VFW-Fokker H3 Sprinter
The VFW-Fokker H3 Sprinter was a single-engine two crew experimental rotorcraft,
Two aircraft were produced in the early 1970s, registered D-9543 and D-9544. They were designed as the first of a family of tip-jet driven helicopters, but the two H3 prototypes only flew briefly because the method of rotor propulsion was found to be unsuccessful for this size of aircraft. The first flight was 15th March 1971 Due to a high rotor overspeed, they could perform jump take-offs to 280 feet (85 m) at a rate of 1,600 feet (490 m) per minute. An improved H4 variant was designed but not built.
Both aircraft have survived. D-9543 is currently on display in Bückeburg with the other in a private collection in Germany.
That is Germany finished.
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Moving on to the Netherlands....
Fokker S.II
The Fokker S.II was a 1920s Dutch primary trainer built by for service with the Dutch Army.
The S.II was designed as the second Fokker primary trainer, but unlike the earlier S.I monoplane the S.II was an unequal-span single-bay biplane with a fixed cross-axle landing gear. It had side-by-side seating for an instructor and pupil and was originally powered by a 110 hp Thulin rotary engine. The engine was later replaced with a 90hp Le Rhone-Oberursel engine.
The aircraft was ordered by the LVA (Dutch Army Aviation) who purchased 15. One aircraft was modified to use a Curtiss OX-5 engine to as a demonstrator for the United States Army Air Service but they were not interested and the aircraft was returned to standard configuration.
The 15 aircraft served with the Dutch Army until 1932 but one of the aircraft were converted to an Ambulance configuration and designated the S.IIA. It was still in service when German forces invaded the Netherlands in 1940.
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Fokker S.IV
The Fokker S.IV was a military trainer aircraft produced in the Netherlands in the mid-1920s.
It was a conventional, single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span braced with N-struts, basically a radial-engined development of the S.III. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem, open cockpits and the undercarriage was of fixed, tailskid type with a cross-axle between the main units. The Royal Netherlands Army Aviation Group purchased 30 examples and used them right up to the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940. On 14 May that year, a few surviving S.IVs escaped to France alongside some S.IX trainers, but never flew again.
The S.IV could be powered by a variety of engines in the 100–130 hp range, including the 110 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 11, 110 hp Le Rhône 9J, 130 hp Bristol Lucifer, 130 hp Armstrong-Siddeley Mongoose. These engines gave the aircraft a max speed of around 100mph,or a cruise of around 85mph.
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Fokker F.VIII
The Fokker F.VIII was a large twin-engined airliner designed and produced in the late 1920`s.
It was Fokker's first twin-engined airliner, all their previous designs had an engine in the nose, and its absence in the F.VIII lead to less prop-wash wear and tear on the fuselage and much lower vibration levels for passengers. The first aircraft used 480 hp Bristol Jupiter radial engines built under licence by Gnome-Rhone, strut mounted and uncowled under the wings. KLM later re-engined theirs with 525 hp Pratt and Whitney Wasp T1D1 radials, cowled and mounted further forward than the Jupiters. One aircraft, which for part of its life flew as PH-OTO was used to explore the effects of mounting engines in, rather than below the wing. There were concerns that this arrangement, which became standard in later propeller driven aircraft would seriously disturb the airflow over the upper wing. It used 790 hp Wright Cyclones.
The prototype made its maiden flight on March 12, 1927. 11 F.VIII aircraft were built, three under licence by Weiss in Budapest. Fokker designed, but did not build a seaplane version designated F.VIIIw. A three-engined version, the F.VIII/3m, was also proposed, but remained a project.The standard cabin accommodated 15 passengers seated three abreast, but KLM chose a more luxurious 12-seat arrangement.KLM accepted delivery of the first of their seven on June 24, 1927. and they were used exclusively on the European routes.
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Fokker C.VII-W
The Fokker C.VII-W was a reconnaissance seaplane built in the late 1920s.
The C.VII-W was a single-bay biplane with wings of unequal span braced with N-struts. The undercarriage consisted of a standard twin-pontoon arrangement, and the fin and rudder continued through to the ventral side of the fuselage, creating a cruciform tail. The pilot and observer sat in tandem, open cockpits. The wing structure was wooden with fabric and plywood covering, and the fuselage was steel tube with fabric covering.
The aircraft was powered by a 225hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine,and first flew in 1928.The first batch of twelve of the thirty examples produced were sent to the Dutch East Indies, with the rest serving in the Netherlands. The type was withdrawn from front-line service in 1940, but some remained active in the East Indies as trainers until the Japanese invasion in 1942.
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Fokker D.XVII
The Fokker D.XVII was a 1930s Dutch sesquiplane.
It was the last fabric-covered biplane fighter Fokker developed,production versions were fitted with a 600 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine while one aircraft was built with a 790 hp Lorraine Pétrel and another with a 690 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs for comparison.Structure was standard for Fokkers throughout the 1920s. The sesquiplane's fuselage was welded steel tube with fabric covering and the wings were made with wood spars and ribs covered with plywood.The first flight was 27th November 1931 and eleven aircraft were completed.
By May 1939, the aircraft was obsolete and remaining examples were transferred for fighter pilot training however they saw some action during the Battle of the Netherlands, escorting Fokker C.Vs and C.Xs on bombing missions.When the Netherlands surrendered to the Germans, all surviving aircraft were burnt.
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Fokker F.XXXVI
The Fokker F.XXXVI was a 1930s Dutch four-engined 32-passenger airliner.
It first flew on 22 June 1934 and was a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear. The wing was an all wood structure and the fuselage was fabric covered steel tube. It was powered by four 750hp Wright Cyclone radial piston engines mounted in the wing leading edge, and carried 4 crew and 32 passengers in four eight-seat cabins. In an unusual decision, engineers went to great length in soundproofing the passenger cabin. It was delivered to KLM and operated on European routes from March 1935.
Although it had a good payload its range was much less than and was structurally inferior to the new Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 and only one was built. KLM sold the aircraft in 1939 to Scottish Aviation for use as a crew and navigation trainer for the Royal Air Forces No.12 Elementary Flying Training School, which was operated by Scottish Aviation. It was scrapped in 1940 after it burnt out in a take-off accident.
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Fokker G.I
The Fokker G.I was a Dutch twin-engined heavy fighter aircraft from the late 1930`s.
The G.I was intended for the role of jachtkruiser, "heavy" fighter, able to gain air superiority over the battlefield as well as being a bomber destroyer.The Fokker G.I utilized a twin-engined, twin-boom layout that featured a central nacelle housing two or three crew members (a pilot, radio operator/navigator/rear gunner or a bombardier) as well as a formidable armament of twin 23 mm (.91 in) Madsen cannon and a pair of 7.9 mm (.31 in) machine guns (later eight machine guns) in the nose and one in a rear turret.the G.I was of mixed construction; the front of the central pod were built around a welded frame, covered with aluminium plating. The back of the central pod, however, as well as the wings, were completely constructed with wood.
The G.I prototype, powered by 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 14AB-02/03 engines, had its first flight at Welschap Airfield, near Eindhoven on 16 March 1937.The maiden flight went well, but a subsequent test flight in September 1937 ended with a supercharger explosion that nearly caused the loss of the prototype. The accident prompted a replacement of the Hispano-Suiza engines with 750 hp Pratt & Whitney SB4-G Twin Wasp Junior engines.
Flight tests revealed that the G.1 was capable of diving at over 400 mph and demonstrated aerobatic capabilities.Orders for G.1 Wasp aircraft came from Spain (26 ordered) and Sweden (18), while the Mercury variant was ordered by Denmark (12) together with a production license that never came to be used,[7] and Sweden (72). Although Belgium, Finland, Turkey, Hungary and Switzerland air forces showed great interest, they did not place firm orders.
The Dutch ordered 36 G.I's with 825 hp Bristol Mercury VIII engines, the standard engine used by the Dutch Air Force in the Fokker D.XXI fighter, in order to equip two squadrons. Only the first four examples were built as three-seaters intended for ground-attack, with the remainder being completed as two-seat fighters. During the lead-up to hostilities, a total of 26 G.I's were operational at Rotterdam (Waalhaven Airfield), and at Bergen near Alkmaar. The aircraft were actively involved in border patrols and in order to ensure neutrality.
On 10 May 1940, when Germany invaded the Netherlands, 23 G.1 aircraft were serviceable while production of Spain's order of the G.1 Wasp variant continued with a dozen aircraft completed, awaiting armament.
The German invasion started with an early morning Luftwaffe attack on the Dutch airfields. While the 4th JaVA received a devastating blow, losing all but one of its aircraft, eight 3rd JaVA G.1 fighters of the Waalhaven airbase in Rotterdam, that were already fully fuelled and armed, scrambled in time and successfully engaged several German aircraft. The surviving aircraft continued to fly, but with mounting losses, bringing their numbers down to three airworthy aircraft by the end of the first day.In the "Five-day War", the available G.1 fighters were mainly deployed in ground attack missions, strafing advancing German infantry units, but also used to attack Junkers Ju 52/3m transports.
There are no surviving G.Is today, although a replica has been built and is on display at the National Military Museum.
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Fokker D.XXIII
The Fokker D.XXIII was designed as a twin-engined single-seat aircraft. To overcome the problems of asymmetric flight it had a tractor engine at the front and a pusher engine at the rear. The D.XXIII was a cantilever monoplane with the twin tail units on booms. The pilot had an enclosed cockpit in between the tractor and pusher engines and it had a retractable tricycle landing gear.
The prototype first flew on 30 May 1939 powered by two 530hp Walter Sagitta I-SR air cooled vee piston engines. The trial flights identified problems with the cooling of the rear engine and general engine performance. It was proposed to use Rolls-Royce or Daimler-Benz engines in the production aircraft.Concerns were also raised about the pilot clearing the rear propeller if he had to bail out and an ejector seat was considered. As a provisional solution, rails were put on both sides of the forward fuselage for the Fokker test pilot, to use to bail out in an emergency. The aircraft was flown 11 times for a total flight time of less than four hours. The rear fuselage paneling was modified significantly before the last few flights in an attempt to address chronic rear engine cooling problems. On the 11th flight in April, the undercarriage was damaged, and the programme was abandoned in May 1940 when the German forces invaded the Netherlands.
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Fokker F.IV
The Fokker F.IV was an airliner designed in the Netherlands in the early 1920s.
The Fokker F.IV was constructed as a high-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage. The pilot sat in an open cockpit alongside the engine in the manner of the Fokker F.III, while a cabin inside the fuselage could seat 12 passengers. Before the aircraft had even been built, the United States Army Air Service had bought two examples during a promotional visit to the country. Built at Fokker's factory at Veere and flight-tested by Anthony Fokker himself, the two aircraft were crated and shipped to the United States where they were assembled at McCook Field and given the designation T-2. Despite Fokker's hopes that increasing airline passenger numbers would create interest in aircraft of larger seating capacity, the F.IV was too large for the needs of contemporary airlines, and no further aircraft were sold.
One of the T-2s was used for a number of long-distance flights over the next few years, culminating in the first nonstop transcontinental flight across the United States, an idea that originated with Lt Oakley G. Kelly, one of the T-2's test pilots.Their aircraft is preserved in the National Air and Space Museum.
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Fokker F-32
The Fokker F-32 was a passenger aircraft built by the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America in 1929.
The aircraft first flew on Sept 13th 1929,it later crashed on November 27, 1929, during a demonstration of a three-engined takeoff from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York. One of the two port engines was stopped, but the other failed shortly after takeoff, causing a loss of control. The aircraft came down on a house in nearby Carle Place, and was totally destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire. Nobody was killed, although the pilot and a passenger were injured.
The crash displayed the F-32's most notable problem; it was underpowered, which was made worse by the aircraft's back-to-back engine configuration, with an engine on each end of the underwing nacelles. The front engine powered a two-bladed propeller and the rear engine a three-bladed one. The aft propellers, working in the disturbed air from the front, were inefficient, and the rear engines often suffered from cooling problems. The power problem was partially solved by replacing the prototype's Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines with more powerful 575hp Pratt & Whitney R-1860 Hornet Bs on later production aircraft, but the other issues remained throughout their short service lives.
Western Air Express and Universal Air Lines each ordered five aircraft, and there was interest from other airlines, including KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines). However, despite the painting of a prototype for Universal, they cancelled their order, and WAE only picked up two instead of the planned five, largely because of the Great Depression.
Western Air Express were the only purchasers of the F-32, buying two of them.They operated out of Alhambra Airport in Alhambra, California and later Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California and other West Coast destinations.
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Fokker F.25
The Fokker F.25 Promotor was a single-engined, twin-boomed, four-passenger monoplane.
It was of wooden construction and was fitted with a retractable nosewheel undercarriage. One feature of the design was that instead of a 2 + 2 seating, the pilot sat in front to the left, and all three passengers were on a bench seat to the rear of him. Alternatively, when being used as an air ambulance aircraft, it could carry a patient on a stretcher, which was loaded through a hatch in the aircraft's nose.
The F.25 was based upon the design of the Difoga 421 aircraft, home-built and -designed during World War II by Frits Diepen, a Ford garage owner from Tilburg, the Netherlands. His intention was to create an easy to fly personal aircraft. Due to the war an aircraft engine was not available and instead it used a Ford V-8.Later a 190hp Lycoming O-435-A 6-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine was used.
20 F.25 aircraft were built, but sales were disappointing as it could not compete in cost with thousands of war surplus aircraft on the market.
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Fokker S.14 Machtrainer
The Fokker S.14 Machtrainer is a Dutch two-seater military training jet aircraft.
Development began in the late 1940s at the request of British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, who were looking for a manufacturer to produce a new trainer aircraft powered by their Derwent turbojet engine. Fokker submited a design for an aircraft, designating it the S.14 Machtrainer. On 19 May 1951, the prototype first flew powered by a Derment V engine.Having secured an order from the Royal Netherlands Air Force for 20 aircraft with a Derwent 8 powerplant, the Machtrainer entered service with the service during 1955.
The S.14 Machtrainer was a low-winged monoplane,featuring all-metal construction, aside from the engine compartment, it is almost exclusively composed of lightweight alloys.The design and size of the wing allowed for the aircraft to land at much lower speeds than contemporary jet aircraft of the era. Furthermore, a total of three pneumatically-actuated door-type air brakes were fitted to the rear fuselage.It was also provisioned with a retractable tricycle undercarriage, which was pneumatically-operated; the main wheels were fitted with shock absorbers. The main assemblies of the undercarriage retracted inwards into the wing's center section, while the nosewheel retracted forwards into a recess within the nose's underside.
The crew of two were seated in a side-by-side arrangement within a relatively spacious cockpit. There was sufficient room to allow for a third crew member if required, although this capability would necessitate the deletion of the radio or radar equipment that could otherwise be installed in this location.Primary controls, such as the throttle and air brakes, are duplicated; many of the controls are positioned on a central pedestal. Both crew were provided with Martin-Baker-built ejection seats.
Only 19 of the 20 aircraft ordered by the Netherlands Air Force entered service, one was destroyed in a fatal crash in the United States while being used by Fokker as a demonstrator prior to delivery. The S.14 fleet was in use for over a decade, during which a second aircraft was lost in a fatal crash in 1964.
Three still exist today including the original prototype (K-1, PH-XIV), which was operated by the Nationaal Lucht en Ruimvaart Laboratorium (NLL), located at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, until retirement in March 1966. It was then displayed at the Aviodome museum at Schiphol before moving to the museum at Lelystad Airport by 2008.
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Now on to Belgium.....
ACAZ T.2
The ACAZ T.1 and T.2, very similar to each other, were the first Belgian all-metal aircraft.
The first example of ACAZ's all-metal two-seater tourer, was first flown in early 1924. It was the first Belgian all-metal aircraft and its trials went well.On 21 June it was flown to Brussels to take part in the Concours des avions de tourisme (touring aircraft contest) but in low cloud it collided with a tree and crashed but no lives were lost.
The T.1 and T.2 were designed by Alfred Renard and Emile Allard. Each had a thick profile, two part, cantilever, high wing which could be detached for transport. The wing was basically rectangular but with rounded leading edges at the tips.
The engine was a 70 hp Anzani 6, a six-cylinder radial engine mounted uncowled on the nose with its fuel tank behind a firewall. The fuselage was rectangular in cross-section apart from a slightly shaped roof and was built around frames and longerons with sheet metal covering. The enclosed cabin, which held two sitting side-by-side, was under the wing and had both forward and side glazing. The fuselage frame in the cabin region was strengthened; access was via a side door. It had a conventional tailplane of the same plan as the wings, mounted on top of the fuselage. No more T.2s were built.
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Avions Fairey
Avions Fairey was the Belgian-based subsidiary of the British Fairey Aviation that built aircraft for the Belgian government.
In the late 1920s, the Belgian Air Force set out to replace its old aircraft. Belgian officers attended the Hendon Air Display where they saw a Fairey Firefly and met Fairey staff. The Firefly toured Belgian air bases in 1930 and met with approval from pilots. This led to a contract for 12 UK-built Firefly II to be followed by a further 33 aircraft built in Belgium.
Fairey had a number of Belgians in key roles in the company; Ernest Oscar Tips and Marcel Lobelle had joined during the First World War. Tips went to Belgium to set up the subsidiary company. He based the new company near Charleroi.Avions Fairey received further orders for Fireflies followed by Fairey Foxes which would be the main aircraft of the Belgian Air Force; being used as a fighter, bomber and training aircraft.
Ernest O. Tips designed a number of light civil aircraft at Avions Fairey; the "Tipsy" family of aircraft. After the 1933 16 hp Tipsy, came the S2 with a more powerful 32 hp engine. The Tipsy B was a side-by-side seat training aircraft. A tandem trainer was the Tipsy M designed for the Belgian Air Force but overlooked for the SV4b. Tipsy series was successful and licence rights for production were sold in the UK and South Africa.
After the war, Avions Fairey restarted at Gosselies airfield near Charleroi by servicing C-47 Skytrains of the Air Force; this was then extended to other aircraft.In 1953, Avions Fairey was contracted to produce 256 Hawker Hunter fuselages for the Dutch and Belgian air Force. This lasted until 1958. Avions Fairey continued in service contracts and, in conjunction with SABCA, built Lockheed F-104 Starfighters under licence from 1962.On 1 June 1976, the SONACA company was created from Avions Fairey.
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Stampe et Vertongen RSV.22
The Stampe et Vertongen RSV.22 was a training biplane from the 1920s.
The RSV.22 was a single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span,braced with N-struts near their tips.The fixed undercarriage consisted of two mainwheels that were joined by a common through axle, plus a tailskid.The student pilot and the instructor sat in tandem open cockpits that were fitted with dual controls. Construction was of mixed materials, with metal used for the undercarriage, engine mount, and cabane struts.The control surfaces were operated by a rigid linkage made of dural tube.
The horizontal stabilizer was adjustable in flight, using a lever in the cockpit to adjust the aircraft's trim.The base model RSV 22/180 was powered by a 180-hp Hispano-Suiza engine, but the aircraft was capable of using powerplants of up to 300 hp. The RSV 22/200 variant used a 200-hp Renard-built radial engine in place of the Hispano-Suiza.The Belgian Air Force purchased 20 examples of the RSV 22/180.
I am going to leave European manufactures for a while, and have a look at Asia.
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First up is Japan....
Aichi AB-3
The Aichi AB-3 was a Japanese ship-board reconnaissance floatplane of the 1930s.
In 1928, the Republic of China Navy, keen to modernise its obsolete fleet, placed orders for a class of two light cruisers, the Ning Hai class, to be designed in Japan.The ships were designed to carry two seaplanes each, with a small hangar being provided for a folded aircraft, and the Japanese Navy placed an order with Aichi for a single seat floatplane to equip the ships.
The design on was based on the earlier Aichi AB-2 two seat floatplane which was under design for the Imperial Japanese Navy, producing a small single-seat biplane of mixed wood and metal construction with single-bay wings, powered by a 130 hp Gasuden Jimpu radial engine. It had twin floats, and had detachable wings to aid storage aboard ship.The prototype AB-3 was completed in January 1932, and when flown for the first time in February that year proved to have excellent performance.The prototype was accepted by the Chinese navy, but no further production ensued, the Chinese instead building a similar aircraft of local design.
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Aichi E10A
The Aichi E10A was a Japanese night reconnaissance flying boat of the 1930s.
In 1934, the Imperial Japanese Navy drew up a specification for a new night reconnaissance aircraft, intended to shadow enemy fleets during the cover of darkness, with orders being placed with Aichi and with Kawanishi.Aichi's design, with the company designation AB-12, was a single-engined biplane flying boat of all-metal construction. Its two-bay wings folded rearwards to save space, while its crew of three were accommodated in an enclosed cabin. It was powered by a 500hp pusher water-cooled Aichi Type 91 engine, driving a four-blade wooden propeller.
The first prototype flew in December 1934,and was found to have superior stability to the competing Kawanishi E10K, and so was ordered into production.It entered service in August 1936 with the Japanese Navy as the designation E10A. Fifteen aircraft were built, remaining in service until 1941, being phased out before the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Aichi H9A
The Aichi H9A was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service flying boat.
The H9A was a twin-engined, parasol-wing flying boat, and was designed in response to an Imperial Japanese Navy requirement for an advanced seaplane trainer for future crew members of the four-engined Kawanishi H8K "Emily" flying boat. Design work started in January 1940 and the first of three prototypes was flown in September 1940.
The aircraft had a normal crew of five (pilot, co-pilot, observer, flight engineer and a radio-operator) but seating was provided for an additional three pupil crew members. From 1942 the Aichi H9A was deployed in a variety of second-line roles, including anti-submarine missions along the Japanese coasts, transport, paratroop training and liaison.
The aircraft was built in fairly small numbers with around 30 produced.
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Aichi B7A
The Aichi B7A Ryusei was a carrier-borne torpedo-dive bomber from 1942.
It was intended for use aboard a new generation of Taihō-class carriers, the first of which was laid down in July 1941. Because the deck elevators on the Taihōs had a larger square area than those of older Japanese carriers, the longstanding maximum limit of 11 m (36 ft) on carrier aircraft length could now be lifted.
The designers chose a mid-wing arrangement for the B7A to provide for an internal bomb-bay and to ensure enough clearance for the plane's 3.5 m (11 ft) four-bladed propeller. This required an inverted gull wing, to shorten the length of the main landing gear. The wing featured extendable ailerons with a ten-degree range of deflection, enabling them to act as auxiliary flaps. Dive brakes were fitted underneath just outboard of the fuselage. The B7A's outer wing panels were designed to fold upwards hydraulically for carrier stowage.
The powerplant was dictated by the Japanese Navy which demanded that Aichi design the aircraft around the 1,825 hp Nakajima NK9C Homare 12 18-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine. One production model B7A2 was later fitted with a 2,000 hp Nakajima Homare 23 radial engine.Armament consisted of two 20mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons in the wing roots and one flexible 7.92mm Type 1 machine-gun mounted in the rear cockpit. Later production models of the B7A2 featured a 13mm Type 2 machine-gun in place of the 7.92mm gun. Despite the plane's weight and size, it displayed fighter-like handling and performance it was fast and highly maneuverable.
The photo shows a captured version with US markings.
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Hiro G2H
The Hiro G2H was a 1930s Japanese bomber or reconnaissance monoplane.
The Hiro G2H1 was one of the first long-range land-based bomber/reconnaissance aircraft designed and built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. The prototype appeared in 1933 but suffered from structural weakness. The aircraft was a low-wing, cantilever monoplane powered by two 1,180 hp Type 94 piston engines.
The aircraft struggled with the unreliability of the engines, and only eight aircraft were built. The development of the aircraft was costly in both manpower and finance and the aircraft did not live up to expectations and only eight were built.
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Hiro H2H
The Hiro H2H, or Navy Type 89 was a Japanese patrol flying boat of the 1930s.
The Imperial Japanese Navy purchased a single example of the British Supermarine Southampton II metal-hulled flying boat in 1929 Following studies and evaluation Hiro designed a new flying boat, based on the Southampton.
The new flying boat was a twin-engined biplane, with an all-metal hull, and fabric covered metal wing and tail structures. It was powered by two 550 hp Hiro Type 14 water-cooled 12-cylinders W engines. The first prototype was completed in 1930, and following successful testing, it was ordered into production, with 13 aircraft being built by Hiro and a further four by Aichi. Later aircraft were powered by more powerful (600-750 hp Hiro Type 90 engines.
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Kawanishi K-11
The Kawanishi K-11 was a 1920s Japanese single-seat carrier fighter.
The K-11 was a private venture to meet a 1926 Imperial Japanese Navy requirement for a single-seat carrier fighter to replace the Mitsubishi 1MF, competing against officially sponsored designs from Aichi , Mitsubishi, and Nakajima. The K-11 Experimental Carrier Fighter was an equal-span biplane with a conventional landing gear and powered by 500 hp BMW inline engine. It had a metal fuselage with fabric covering and wooden wings.
The first prototype made its maiden flight in July 1927, with a second prototype, with a slightly modified fuselage and revised tail design, it was built in 1928. The type was not accepted by the Navy, however, with the Nakajima design being selected, entering production as the A1N. The two K-11s were used by Kawanishi as a liaison aircraft.
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Kawanishi E5K
The Kawanishi E5K1 or Kawanishi Type G was a large 1930s three-seat reconnaissance floatplane.
The E5K1, a radial-engined twin-float seaplane that first flew in October 1931, but due to persistent problems in development only a limited number were built. It entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in April 1932 as the Kawanishi Navy Type 90-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane.The E5K1 was a production version with a 450 hp Bristol Jupiter radial engine; 20 production aircraft were built.Two pre-production Type-14-2 Kai-1-Ds, powered by the Bristol Jupiter were built by Kawanishi under the company name Kawanishi Type G.
Seventeen production aircraft were built as the Kawanishi Navy Type 90-3 Reconnaissance Seaplane (E5K1).The E5K saw action during the Shanghai Incident from 28 January – 3 March 1932. The Japanese seaplane tender Kamoi carried a complement of 12 E5Y aircraft.
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Kawanishi H8K
The Kawanishi H8K was a flying boat used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during World War II for maritime patrol duties.
The Kawanishi H8K was a large, four-engine aircraft designed for long range and endurance on patrols or bombing missions typically flown alone over the ocean. The prototype first flew in January 1941, and H8K1s made their first combat sortie in March 1942. The robust H8K2 "Emily" flying boat was also fitted with powerful defensive armament, which Allied pilots had substantial respect for wherever this aircraft was encountered.
Despite this, initial development was troublesome, with the prototype displaying terrible handling on the water. Modification of the hull, redesigning of the planing bottom and the addition of spray strips under the nose eased the water handling problems.Two further prototypes joined the development program in December 1941.The H8K2 was an upgrade over the H8K1 with more powerful engines, slightly revised armament, and an increase in fuel capacity. This was to be the main variant, with 112 produced.
The H8K entered production in 1941 and first saw operational use on the 4th March 1942 in a second raid on Pearl Harbor. Since the target lay out of range for the flying boats, this ambitious plan involved a refuelling by submarine.Two planes from the Yokohama Kōkūtai (Naval Air Corps) attempted to bomb Pearl Harbor but, due to poor weather and visibility, did not accomplish any significant damage.
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Kyushu K10W
The Kyushu K10W was a single engine low wing fixed undercarriage monoplane trainer.
It was designed by the Kyushu Aircraft Company mid 1939 which required a design similar to the North American NA-16.Work commenced in January 1940 and the first prototype was ready by April 1941. It suffered from stall and stability problems that resulted in 16 pre-production testing aircraft being built. Kyushu would build only nine production aircraft before production was transferred in 1943 to Nippon Hikoki (a small subcontractor ), who in turn built 150 examples before production ended in August 1944.
The K10W1 was of flush riveted stressed skin construction throughout (excepting the fabric covered control surfaces) with a vaguely similar configuration to the NA-16. The controls were run internally, and footrests retracted rather than being fixed. A version of the K10W built from wood was planned as the K10W2 but was never built.The K10W1 was not popular with crews possibly due to ongoing handling problems and only served with a small number of units. A small number were used as target tugs for gunnery training and as unit liason attached to operational bases.
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Kyushu Q1W
The Kyūshū Q1W Tokai was a land-based anti-submarine patrol bomber.
It was similar in appearance to the German Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber, the Q1W was a much smaller aircraft with significantly different design details. The first test flight took place in September 1943. It entered service in January 1945. The Q1W carried two low-power engines, Hitachi GK2 Amakaze 31 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines of 610 hp each allowing for long periods of low-speed flight.
Kyūshū also built the K11W1 Shiragiku, a bomber training plane and the Q3W1 Nankai (South Sea), a specialized antisubmarine version of the K11W. The latter was of all-wood construction and was destroyed during a landing accident on its first flight.In total 153 aircraft were completed by the end of WW2.
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Manshū Hayabusa
The Manshū MT-1 Hayabusa "Peregrine Falcon" was an airliner produced by the Japanese Manchuria Airplane Manufacturing Company in Manchukuo in the late 1930s.
It was a conventional, low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. It was powered by a 460hp Nakajima Kotobuki 2-kai-1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine. The flight deck was enclosed and separate from the passenger cabin, which could seat six people. The type equipped Manchukuo National Airways, and approx 50 were built.
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Mitsubishi 1MF
The Mitsubishi 1MF was a Japanese carrier fighter aircraft of the 1920s.
The Japanese shipbuilding company Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd set up a subsidiary company, to produce aircraft, it hired Herbert Smith, formerly of the Sopwith Aviation Company to assist the design of the aircraft, Smith bringing to Japan Jack Hyland and a team of six other British engineers.The fighter designed by Smith and his team, designated the 1MF by Mitsubishi, and known as the Navy Type 10 Carrier Fighter by the Japanese Navy first flew in October 1921.
The 1MF was a single-seat, single-bay biplane with unequal-span wings and all-wooden construction, powered by a 300 hp Hispano-Suiza 8 engine (built under license as the Mitsubishi Hi engine). It was fitted with claw-type arrestor gear for use with British-style arrestor cables. Following a successful flight programme, the aircraft was accepted by the Japanese Navy as a standard fighter, with 138 of various versions being built, production continuing until 1928.
A 1MF aircraft became the first aircraft to take-off from and land on Japan's new aircraft carrier Hōshō on 28 February 1923.The 1MF series proved a tough and dependable aircraft, operating from the carriers Akagi and Kaga - as well as from Hōshō - when they entered service in 1927 and 1928 respectively. It continued in service until 1930.
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Mitsubishi 1MT
The Mitsubishi 1MT was a Japanese single-seat triplane torpedo bomber.
The aircraft was designed by Herbert Smith it was intended for use aboard the Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō.The 1MT1N flew for the first time in August 1922 and it entered service as the Navy Type 10 Torpedo Bomber or Carrier Attacker. 20 aircraft were built, powered by a single 450hp Napier Lion engine.
Performance but the aircraft was difficult to fly and unable to operate from an aircraft carrier when carrying a torpedo. The type was soon withdrawn and scrapped.
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Mitsubishi 2MB1
The Mitsubishi 2MB1 was a light bomber from the mid-1920s to equip the Imperial Japanese Army.
It was developed in parallel to the 2MB2, but the 2MB1 was a more conservative approach based closely on the 2MT carrier-based torpedo bomber that was already in production for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Like the 2MT, the 2MB1 was a conventional two-bay biplane with open cockpits in tandem and fixed tailskid undercarriage. The 2MT's Napier engine and side-mounted radiators were exchanged for a 450 hp Hispano-Suiza engine and frontal radiator, and specific naval features such as folding wings were no longer fitted.
The type saw action in the early stages of Japan's Invasion of Manchuria in 1931, but it was found to be slow and vulnerable to fighters, thus it was soon redeployed to training duties.
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Mitsubishi 3MT5
The Mitsubishi 3MT5 was a Japanese bomber of the 1930s.
The design process of this aircraft was prolonged, as the Navy kept changing their requirements, and the first of eleven prototypes, designated 3MT5 by Mitsubishi and the 7-Shi Twin-engine Carrier Aircraft by the Navy, was completed in September 1932. The new torpedo bomber was a two-bay biplane with folding wings, and was of mixed construction, with a wood and metal fuselage and a metal wing structure with fabric covering. It had a fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and was powered by two 800 hp Mitsubishi A4 radial engines driving two-bladed propellers.
The first prototype flew on 19 October 1932, with a further three prototypes being completed in 1932. The remaining five prototypes (3MT5) were completed in 1933 incorporating modifications based on initial testing, with a twin tail replacing the single fin and rudder of the first four aircraft, three-bay wings and four-bladed propellers being fitted.
Despite these changes, the aircraft was difficult to control, and suffered from severe vibration, which on one test flight in March 1934, resulted in all four ailerons being torn off the wings of one of the prototypes, which was safely landed. These problems could not be resolved, and the lengthy development meant that the type was now obsolete, so no production followed.
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Mitsubishi A7M
The Mitsubishi A7M Reppū was designed to be the successor to the Imperial Japanese Navy's A6M Zero.
In July 1942 the Navy issued specifications for the fighter: it had to fly faster than 397 mph above 6,000 m (20,000 ft), climb to 6,000 m (20,000 ft) in less than 6 minutes, be armed with two 20 mm cannon and two 13 mm (0.51 in) machine guns, and retain the maneuverability of the A6M3.
To meet the specifications the engine would need to produce at least 2,000 hp , which restricted options to Nakajima's NK9 (Ha-45/Homare), or Mitsubishi's MK9 (Ha-43); both engines still under development. These engines were based on 14-cylinder engines converted to 18-cylinder powerplants. The early NK9 had less output but was already approved by the Navy for use on the Yokosuka P1Y Ginga, while the larger MK9 promised more power.
Work on the 17-Shi was further delayed by factories prioritizing A6M and Mitsubishi G4M production as well as further work on A6M variants.As a result, the 17-Shi, which became the A7M1, officially flew for the first time on 6 May 1944, four years after development started. The aircraft demonstrated excellent handling and maneuverability, but was underpowered as Mitsubishi engineers feared, and with a top speed similar to the A6M5 Zero.
It was a disappointment, and the Navy ordered development to stop on 30 July 1944, but Mitsubishi obtained permission for development to continue using the Ha-43 engine, flying with the completed Ha-43 on 13 October 1944. The A7M2 now achieved a top speed of 390 mph while climb and other areas of performance surpassed the Zero, leading the Navy to change its mind and adopt the craft. The A7M2 was also equipped with automatic combat flaps,significantly improving manoeuvrability.
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Mitsubishi B5M
The Mitsubishi B5M was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) land-based attack aircraft.
The B5M was designed in response to a 1935 specification for a new bomber for use on the IJNAS aircraft carriers.It was to have a crew of three, folding wings for flight deck storage, a speed of not less than 200 mph, an endurance of not less than seven hours, and the ability to carry at least 800 kg (1,760 lb) of bombs. It was intended as a backup for the Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber. Although designed as a carrier-based aircraft, it was redeployed to land-based torpedo bomber duties in World War II. 125 were built.
The majority were employed during the early months of World War II from land bases in Southeast Asia and in China, where they were confronted by weak or no enemy fighter opposition. These machines ended their careers as trainers, target tugs, and kamikazes.
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Mitsubishi K7M
The Mitsubishi K7M was a 1930s Japanese experimental crew trainer built by Mitsubishi for the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The K7M was a high-wing monoplane with a cabin for five students and two instructors,and was of built of metal, with fabric-covered outer wings. The K7M was powered by two 340 hp Gasuden Tempu radial piston engines. The Navy decided the twin-engined type was too costly to replace the single-engined K3M and the type was not developed further, the two prototypes did enter service as trainers with the designation K7M1.
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Mitsubishi Ki-1
The Mitsubishi Ki-1, also known as Mitsubishi Army Type 93 Heavy Bomber, was built for the Imperial Japanese Army in the 1930s.
The Mitsubishi Ki-1 was a low-wing monoplane with fixed landing gear, twin fins and rudders, and was powered by two 701 hp Mitsubishi Ha2-II water-cooled V-12 engines, giving a maximum speed of 136 mph. The 2 flight crew were seated in tandem under an enclosed canopy, while gunners sat in semi-enclosed nose and dorsal gun turrets, each armed with a single 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun. The typical bomb load was up to 1,500 kg (3,306.9 lb).
The Ki-1 shared a similar configuration with the Junkers S 36 first flown in 1927, militarized into the Junkers K37 by Junker's Swedish subsidiary.The K37 prototype was brought to Japan and tested in combat during the Manchurian Incident of 1931, following which the IJAAF authorized Mitsubishi to produce both heavy and light bomber variations. The heavy bomber Ki-1, was much larger than the original Junkers K37 and first flew in August 1932. A total of 118 aircraft were built in two versions between March 1933 and April 1936.
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Mitsubishi Ki-20
The Mitsubishi Ki-20 is a Japanese bomber variant of the Junkers G.38 airliner.
A licensing and manufacturing agreement was reached with Junkers and in 1932 the first two Ki-20s were completed by Mitsubishi, utilizing Junkers-made parts. A prototype was successfully flown in Japan by a German test pilot in that year Four more Ki-20s were built between 1933 and 1935. All subsequent models used Mitsubishi-built parts with development focused on engine upgrades to address the aircraft being underpowered. Several engine upgrades were completed during the lifetime of these aircraft. The initial Junkers L88 engines were replaced by the more powerful 750hp Jumo 204 engines, also built under license by Mitsubishi.
The aircraft were the largest operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and their existence was kept secret. As a result, they were issued their out-of-sequence Kitai number '20' only when they were finally revealed in 1940. During World War II, the Ki-20 served in a variety of transport and support roles.
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Mitsubishi Ki-83
The Mitsubishi Ki-83 was a Japanese experimental long range heavy fighter.
The design was for a 1943 specification for a new heavy fighter with long range. The first of four prototypes flew on 18 November 1944. They displayed excellent maneuverability for aircraft of their size. The Ki-83 carried a powerful armament of two 30 mm (1.18 in) and two 20 mm cannon in its nose. It was powered by two Mitsubishi Ha-43 Ru (Ha211) 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, of 2,200 hp each.
The existence and performance of the Ki-83 were little known during the war, even in Japan. It was completely unknown in Allied military aviation circles – as demonstrated by the fact that the Ki-83 had not been given a reporting name. Early photographs of the type were taken during the post-war occupation of Japan, when the four prototypes were seized by the United States Army Air Forces and repainted with USAAF insignia. When they were evaluated by U.S. aeronautical engineers and other experts, a Ki-83 using high-octane fuel reached a speed of (473 mph), at an altitude of 23,000 ft. Plans for the Ki-83 to enter production were underway when Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945.
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Mitsubishi Ki-57
The Mitsubishi Ki-57 was a Japanese passenger transport aircraft.
When the Ki-21 heavy bomber began to enter service, its capability attracted the attention of the Imperial Japanese Airways. A civil version was developed, generally similar to the Ki-21-I and retaining its powerplant of two 950 hp Nakajima Ha-5 KAI radial engines, differed by having the same wings transferred from a mid to low-wing configuration and the incorporation of a new fuselage to provide accommodation for up to 11 passengers. This transport version appealed also the navy, and following the flight of a prototype in August 1940 and subsequent testing, the type was ordered into production for both civil and military use.
This initial production Ki-57-I had the civil and military designations of MC-20-I and Army Type 100 Transport Model 1, respectively. A total of 100 production Ki-57-Is had been built by early 1942, and small numbers of them were transferred for use by the Japanese navy in a transport role, then becoming redesignated L4M1. After the last of the Ki-57s had been delivered production was switched to an improved Ki-57-II, which introduced more powerful 1,080 hp Mitsubishi Ha-l02 14-cylinder radial engines. It featured redesigned nacelles and incorporated a number of detail refinements and minor equipment changes.
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Mitsubishi J8M
The Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui was a Japanese World War II rocket-powered interceptor.
The J8M1 was intended to be a licence-built copy of the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. Difficulties in shipping an example to Japan meant that the aircraft had to be reverse-engineered from a flight operations manual and other limited documentation. They negotiated the rights to licence-produce the aircraft and its Walter HWK 509A rocket engine.
Mitsubishi and partners Nissan and Fuji proceeded with development of the airframe and Yokosuka Arsenal was adapting the engine for Japanese production, designated the Ro.2. The Japanese succeeded in producing prototypes that outwardly looked very much similar to the Komet. The J8M1 had a wet weight that was 400 kg (880 lb) lighter, the aircraft having a plywood main spar and wooden vertical tail. The designers had also dispensed with the armoured glass in the cockpit and the aircraft carried less ammunition and less fuel.
The Ki-200 and the J8M1 differed only in minor items, but the most obvious difference was the JAAF's Ki-200 was armed with two 30 mm (1.18 in) Type 5 cannon (with a rate of fire of 450 rounds per minute, while the J8M1 was armed with two 30 mm (1.18 in) Ho-105 cannon (rate of fire 400 rounds per minute.
The J8M took to the air for its first powered flight on 7 July 1945, at an altitude of 400 m (1,300 ft), the engine stopped abruptly and the J8M1 stalled. The pilot managed to glide the aircraft back, but clipped a small building at the edge of the airfield, causing the aircraft to burst into flames. The engine cutout had occurred due to the angle of climb, coupled with the fuel tanks being half-filled for the first flight, caused a shifting of the fuel, which caused an auto cutout device to activate because of an air lock in the fuel line.
15 August 1945, the war ended for the Japanese and all work on the J8M ceased. The end of the war also spelled the end of the JAAF's Ki-202 Shūsui-Kai (Modified Shusui), whose design had begun in secret months before.
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Nakajima A2N
The Nakajima A2N was a Japanese carrier-borne fighter of the 1930s.
The A2N was developed as a private venture by Nakajima for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was based loosely on the Boeing Model 69 and Boeing Model 100, examples of both having been imported in 1928 and 1929 respectively. Two prototypes, designated Navy Type 90 Carrier Fighter in anticipation of Navy acceptance, were ready by December 1929. Powered by Bristol Jupiter VI engines, but these were rejected, not being regarded as offering a significant improvement over the Nakajima A1N.
After a major redesign and another prototype, the A2N1, powered by a 579 hp Nakajima Kotobuki 2, was completed in May 1931. The type was adopted by the Navy in April 1932.A two-seat trainer, the A3N3-1, was developed from the Navy Type 90 Carrier Fighter and 66 of these were built between 1936 and 1939.
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Nakajima Ki-6
The Nakajima Ki-6 was a licensed-produced version of the Fokker Super Universal transport built in the 1930s.
The first Super Universal was brought to Japan in components and was assembled by Nakajima for Japan Air Transport, the national airline of the Empire of Japan from 1928 to 1938. Under license production, Nakajima replaced the engine with a 450 hp Bristol Jupiter radial engine, also license-built in Japan, and later by its own Nakajima Kotobuki 460 hp engine.
Nakajima's production began in September 1930, with the first aircraft delivered in March 1931. Production ended in October 1936, total number of aircraft built is unknown.The first military Super Universals were introduced into service following Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931 when the Imperial Japanese Army commandeered seven of the aircraft.
In 1932, the IJAAF decided to acquire its own transports, which it designated as the Army Type 95 Training Aircraft , or Ki-6. The first aircraft was delivered as a flying ambulance fitted with two stretchers and three seats. This was followed by an order for 20 trainers to be used for training pilots, gunners, bombardiers and wireless operators. The aircraft built in Japan were used for both civil and military roles with some remaining in operation until after World War II.
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Nakajima Ki-11
The Nakajima Ki-11 a modern single-seat monoplane fighter suitable to meet the needs of both the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service.
The development of the aircraft began as a private venture in 1934, based on a wire-braced low-wing monoplane, inspired by the Boeing P-26 Peashooter. The fuselage wing center section and undercarriage were constructed in duralumin, while the wings and tail were of wood and canvas. The aircraft was powered by a single 550 hp Nakajima Kotobuki Ha-1-3 radial engine. Proposed armament consisted of twin 7.7 mm (.303 in) machine guns firing from between the engine cylinders.
The Ki-11 competed with the Kawasaki Ki-10 biplane design. The K-11 was technically more advanced and faster than the Kawasaki design,however the IJA command was split between supporters of "maneuverability" and supporters of "speed". The supporters of the "maneuverability" scheme won, and the Ki-10 became the main army fighter until 1937. Nakajima continued to refine the Ki-11 design, and it re-emerged in the form of the Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate" several years later. Nakajima sold the fourth prototype as AN-1 Communications Aircraft to a newspaper, who registered it as J-BBHA and used it as a liaison and courier plane, and for reconnaissance.
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Nakajima G5N
The Nakajima G5N Shinzan was a four-engined long-range heavy bomber built for the IJN prior to World War II.
The Nakajima G5N Shinzan originated because of the IJN`s interest in developing a long-range attack bomber capable of carrying heavy loads of bombs or torpedoes a minimum distance of 3,000 nmi To meet this requirement, it became apparent a four-engine lay-out would be required. As Japanese aircraft manufacturers lacked experience in building such large complex aircraft, the Navy searched for a suitable existing foreign-made model to base a new design on. It settled on the American Douglas DC-4E airliner. In 1939 the sole prototype of this airliner was purchased by Nippon Koku K.K. (Japan Airlines Co) and secretly given over to the Nakajima Aircraft Company for dismantling.
The design was an all-metal mid-wing monoplane with fabric-covered control surfaces and powered by four 1,870 hp Nakajima NK7A Mamori 11 air-cooled radial engines driving four-bladed propellers.It had a long ventral bomb-bay, glazed nose and twin tailfins replacing the DC-4E's distinctive triple rudder. The DC-4E's retractable tricycle undercarriage was retained, as well as the original wing form and powerplant arrangement. Defensive armament comprised two 20mm Type 99 Model 1 cannon (one in a power-operated dorsal and one in a tail turret), plus single-mount hand-operated 7.7mm Type 92 machine guns in the nose, ventral and in waist positions.
The first prototype G5N1 made its first flight on 14:35 8 April 1941. Performance proved rather poor however, due to excessive weight, and the unreliability of the Mamori engines and the complexity of the design. Only three more prototypes were completed. In an attempt to salvage the project, two additional airframes were fitted with 1,530 hp Mitsubishi MK4B 12 "Kasei" engines and designated G5N2s. Although the Mitsubishi engines were more reliable than the original Mamori 11s, the aircraft was now even more hopelessly underpowered and further development of the type was ended.
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Nakajima Ki-115
The Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi was a one-man kamikaze aircraft.
The Japanese High Command thought they did not have enough obsolete aircraft to use for kamikaze attacks, it was decided that huge numbers of cheap, simple suicide planes should be constructed quickly in anticipation of the invasion of Japan.
The aircraft was very simple,made from mainly wood and steel. To save weight, it was to use a jettisonable undercarriage, so a simple welded steel tube undercarriage was attached to the aircraft. This was found to give unmanageable ground-handling characteristics, so a simple shock absorber was then incorporated. The cross section of the fuselage was circular and not elliptical as were most planes of this size and type; such a fuselage was easier to build.
The Ki-115 was designed to be able to use any engine that was in storage for ease of construction and supply, even Japan's stocks of obsolete engines from the 1920s and 1930s. The initial aircraft (Ki-115a) were powered by 1,151 hp Nakajima Ha-35 radial engines. It is not known if any other engine was ever actually fitted.
The aircraft had a top speed of 340 mph and could carry a bomb weighing as much as 800 kg (1,800 lb). however, it was otherwise unarmed, and heavily laden with its bomb, would have been an easy target for enemy fighter aircraft.Of the 105 examples produced, two airframes are known to exist. One example of the Ki-115 on loan to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona from the National Air and Space Museum.
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Nakajima LB-2
The Nakajima LB-2 was a long-range, land-based bomber developed in Japan for use by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
It was a conventional, low-wing cantilever monoplane powered by twin engines.It was made of metal throughout, and the main units of the tailwheel undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles. The bomb load was carried in an internal bay.The prototype LB-2 was completed in March 1936. and it was considered for production, along with the Mitsubishi G1M, but eventually both were rejected. The LB-2 prototype's bomb bay was replaced with a fuel tank and a cabin for six passengers was fitted, with the bombardier's position in the nose converted to store luggage
The converted LB-2, now named Akatsuki-go, was delivered to Manchukuo National Airways in 1937, with the intent to operate a service to the Soviet Union over the Tian Shan mountains. The outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Soviet–Japanese Border Wars ended the plans,and the Akatsuki-go was scrapped in 1941.
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Nakajima Kikka
The Nakajima Kikka was Japan's first jet aircraft.
The Japanese military attaché in Germany witnessed trials of the Messerschmitt Me 262 in 1942, and the Imperial Japanese Navy requested Nakajima to develop a similar aircraft as a fast attack bomber. Specifications for the design were that it would be able to be built by unskilled labour, and that the wings should be foldable. This latter feature was to enable the aircraft to be hidden in caves and tunnels around Japan. Nakajima came up with an aircraft that bore a strong but superficial resemblance to the Me 262.
It was decided to produce a new axial flow turbojet based on the German BMW 003 as Japan did not yet have a suitable engine. Development was troubled, based on little more than photographs drawings of the BMW 003, a suitable unit, the Ishikawajima Ne-20, was finally built in 1945. By mid-1945, the Kikka project was making progress once again.Other more economical projects designed specifically for kamikaze attacks, such as the simpler Nakajima Tōka, the pulsejet-powered Kawanishi Baika, and the Yokosuka Ohka,were underway or already in mass production.
Compared to the Me 262, the Kikka airframe was smaller and more conventional in design, with straight wings and tail surfaces. The main landing gear of the Kikka was taken from the A6M Zero and the nose wheel from the tail of a Yokosuka P1Y bomber.
The first prototype began ground tests on 30 June 1945. The following month it was dismantled and delivered to Kisarazu Naval Airfield where it was re-assembled and prepared for flight tests The first flight took place on 7 August 1945 and the aircraft performed well during a 20-minute test flight, with the only concern being the length of the takeoff run. For the second test flight, four days later, rocket assisted take off (RATO) units were fitted to the aircraft. The pilot had been uneasy about the angle at which the rocket tubes had been set, so it was decided to reduce the thrust of the rockets by 50%. Four seconds into take off the RATO was actuated, jolting the aircraft back onto its tail leaving the pilot with no effective tail control. After the nine-second burning time of the RATO ran out the nose came down and the nose wheel contacted the runway. The pilot opted to abort the take off, the aircraft ran over a drainage ditch which caught the landing gear, the aircraft continued to skid forward and stopped short of the water's edge. Before it could be repaired Japan had surrendered and the war was over.
After the war, several airframes were brought to the U.S. for study. Today, two examples survive in the National Air and Space Museum.
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NAMC YS-11
The NAMC YS-11 is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (NAMC), a Japanese consortium.
NAMC designed a low-winged twin-turboprop-engined monoplane, capable of seating up to 60 passengers, named the YS-11.The twin-engined YS-11 was projected as delivering similar operational performance to the four-engined British-built Vickers Viscount, while possessing 50% greater capacity than the Dutch-built Fokker F27 Friendship. MITI supervised the pricing of the aircraft in order to ensure that it was competitive with the American-built Martin 4-0-4.
The aircraft was mainly designed and manufactured in Japan, the engine selected to was the 3,050 ehp Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.10/1 powerplant, which was both developed and produced by Rolls-Royce. Several of the key aircraft systems, such as cabin pressurization, were copied from foreign sources; information was gleaned from Japanese airlines, trading companies and diplomats. Throughout the YS-11's production lifetime, its electronic equipment, avionics, mechanical and fuselage components were supplied by a combination of Japanese companies and foreign suppliers.
On 30 August 1962, the first prototype made its maiden flight, followed by a second prototype, on 28 December 1962. Early flight testing revealed several serious problems, including poor steering, excessive vibration and noise. There was also a concern during sideways maneouvers; the wake of the propeller produced forces that inclined the aircraft to the right; all of the rudders were ineffective; and the maneuverability was worst of all. These problems produced a tailspin during the flight test, and were the direct cause of a crash. It received its Japanese Type certificate on 25 August 1964, while the (FAA) certification followed on 9 September 1965. Prior to applying for certification, the FAA had been involved in the programme at NAMC's invitation, performing informal project reviews so that defects could be identified and fixed early on.
A major customer for the YS-11 was the American operator Piedmont Airlines. After evaluating numerous aircraft around the world, the company determined that the Japanese airliner was the most suitable. During October 1967, Piedmont Airlines ordered a batch of ten YS-11A-200s along with an option for an additional ten aircraft for $22.5 million. The company was so impressed by its performance, it exercised the option for ten aircraft and purchased an additional YS-11, operating a combined fleet of 21 YS-11s by mid-1970. Piedmont would be the type's largest international operator.
The end of the YS-11 programme was forseen by the 1971 Smithsonian Agreement, which led to an appreciation in the value of the Japanese yen and the impact upon the nation's economy.By this point, it was clear that there was little chance that the YS-11 could ever be close to breaking even. These factors contributed to the decision for production to be terminated after the completion of 182 aircraft. On 11 May 1973, the last YS-11 was delivered to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF).
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Tachikawa KKY
The Tachikawa KKY, full name Tachikawa Army Small and Light Ambulance Aircraft were built between 1936 and 1940.
The Japanese Army placed an order for a small ambulance aircraft, capable of using rough airstrips and holding two stretcher cases and a medical attendant, in August 1932.It was a single bay cabin biplane with wings attached to the upper and lower longerons and braced on each side with near-parallel interplane struts. The wings had wooden structures and were fabric-covered.
The prototype was completed in December 1933, and its development was protracted and it was not ready for production until 1936.
It was powered by a 120–130 hp Cirrus Hermes IV four cylinder air-cooled, inverted inline engine and the later KKY-2 by a 150 hp Gasuden Jimpu seven cylinder radial engine. The fuselage had a welded steel tube structure, with a windowed cabin that included the pilot's seat just ahead of the wing leading edge and the patients and attendant under the wing. The tail, with an aluminium structure and fabric-covered, was conventional, with a tailplane on top of the fuselage and braced to it from below. The vertical tail had a blunted triangular profile.To rescue patients from rough airfields or unmade airstrips, the ambulance needed a robust undercarriage. This had split axles mounted on a short, central, V-strut from the fuselage underside with wheels with wide, low-pressure tyres were available.
21 production KKYs were built and they were active in the Second Sino-Japanese War,which began in 1937 and became part of World War II when China entered on the Allies' side shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.
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Tachikawa Ki-74
The Tachikawa Ki-74 was a twin engine experimental long-range reconnaissance bomber of World War II.
First conceived in 1939 as a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, the initial prototype Ki-74 only first flew as late as March 1944, after its development and primary mission requirement had been changed to capability of bombing and reconnaissance over the mainland United States.The aircraft was powered by two 2,201 hp Mitsubishi Ha-211-I radial engines. The two prototypes were powered by the turbo-supercharged Mitsubishi Ha-211-I Ru; these experienced teething problems and the following thirteen pre-production machines substituted the Ha-211 Ru engine for the lower-powered but more reliable turbo-supercharged Mitsubishi Ha-104 Ru 1,900 hp Air Cooled Radial. The aircraft was fitted with self-sealing fuel tanks, armor and a pressurized cabin for its crew of 5.
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Tachikawa R-38
The Tachikawa R-38 was a Japanese training aircraft of the late 1930s.
In 1938, the Tachikawa Aircraft Company, began work on a new training aircraft for use by civilian training schools. The aircraft, the Tachikawa R-38[a], was a single-engined parasol wing monoplane. It had a fabric-covered welded steel tube fuselage and a wood and metal wing. The student and instructor sat in separate tandem open cockpits.
The first prototype was powered by a 150 hp Gasuden Jimpu seven-cylinder radial engine driving a two-bladed propeller and made its first flight on 22 February 1939. It was tested by the Japanese Army, with the conclusion that the lighter R-38 was superior to the Army's Ki-17 primary trainer, which used the same engine. As the Ki-17 was already in production, however, the Army had no need for a new trainer. A second prototype, the R-38-Kai was built powered by an experimental 120 hp Kosoku KO-4 four-cylinder air-cooled inline engine, produced by a subsidiary of Tachikawa. The R-38-Kai flew in July 1941.
From 1938, all major Japanese aircraft companies were required to be licensed by the government, and the armed services controlled the management of the companies. As there was no military requirement for the R-38, the Japanese Army halted further production.of the R-38 and R-38K.
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On to Australia now.....
CAC CA1 / CA3 Wirraway
The CAC Wirraway was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia.
On 17 October 1936, with the approval of the Government of Australia, three companies came together to form a joint venture, registered as the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC), which had the initial goal of assessing the viability for developing a self-sufficient aircraft industry in the nation. The company decided that it would pursue the development and production of a single-engine armed advanced trainer, which would be a licence-built version of an existing aircraft,which turned out to be the North American Aviation (NAA) NA-16.
During 1937, production licences for the type were obtained from North American Aviation along with an accompanying arrangement to domestically produce the Wirraway's Wasp engine from Pratt & Whitney.A pair of NA-16s were purchased to act as prototypes. The first of these two aircraft was the fixed undercarriage NA-16-1A ; the second was the retractable undercarriage NA-16-2K.During August 1937, the NA-16-1A arrived in Australia and, following its re-assembly, flew for the first time on 3 September.The NA-16-2K arrived in Australia and likewise flew shortly afterwards. These aircraft were given the RAAF serials A20-1 and A20-2 within that organisation's numbering system.
The NA-16-2K model was the type selected for initial production. The design featured detail and structural changes, such as fitting of a pair of forward-firing guns instead of the NA-16's single gun, and the strengthening of the tail and wings to better facilitate dive-bombing operations.Other modifications included the adoption of a single gun set on a swivelling mount to the rear of the cockpit, along with the installation of cameras and radio sets. On 27 March 1939, the first CA-1 Wirraway, RAAF serial A20-3, performed its maiden flight. This aircraft was subsequently retained by CAC for evaluation and trials for a number of months; on 10 July 1939, the first pair of Wirraways to be delivered to the RAAF, serials A20-4 and A20-5, were received by the service.
Forty CA-1 Wirraways were constructed before the improved CA-3 variant entered production.
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CAC Wackett
The CAC Wackett trainer was the first aircraft designed in-house by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Australia.
It was a tandem seat fixed tailwheel-undercarriage monoplane aircraft with a fuselage of steel tube and fabric construction with wings and tail made of wood.It was a simple design, but construction of the first of two CA-2 prototypes, begun in October 1938, and completed until September 1939.
The first prototype flew 19 September 1939 fitted with a Gipsy Major series II engine, fitted with a metal DH variable pitch propeller. The aircraft proved to be underpowered so the second prototype was fitted with a Gipsy Six, from a Tugan Gannet,with its wooden propeller, prior to its first flight in early November the same year (the first prototype was subsequently also re-engined with a Gypsy Six from a Tugan Gannet).Although performance was improved slightly, the heavier engine cancelled out any real benefits to take-off performance with the increased power, so the decision was made to install a 165D Warner Scarab radial engine driving a Hamilton Standard 2B20 two-bladed propeller. The two prototypes were fitted with Scarabs in mid-1940.
The first CA-6 Wackett made its first flight on 6 February 1941 and entered service shortly after. Supplies of Hamilton Standard 2B20 propellers, which were being manufactured locally by de Havilland Australia, and the Scarab engines, were poor during the first half of 1941. The problem was not fully resolved until October, so many unflyable aircraft accumulated at the CAC factory.The opportunity was taken to modify the thickness of the lower wing skins that in-service use had shown were required. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War production was increased to make way for the Boomerang and the last Wackett was delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force on 22 April 1942.
The Wackett served primarily as wireless trainers but also as an initial dual flying trainer at various sites across the country. Around 30% of the 200 aircraft were written-off during service with the RAAF and after the end of World War II the remaining aircraft were withdrawn from use and sold to civilians and organisations. About thirty aircraft were re-sold to the Netherlands East Indies Air Force and the survivors of these were transferred to the Indonesian Air Force, although it is thought that they did not see further use. Several dozen more were placed on the Australian civil register.
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CAC Boomerang
The CAC Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia.
The Boomerang was a small single-engine monoplane fighter, designed to have high manoeuvrability. It`s stubby appearance, resulted from the structure being based on the smaller Wirraway paired with a considerably larger 1200hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial engine, which drove a three-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller, license-built by de Havilland. The engine was closely cowled with two air scoops fixed to the upper and lower sides, the upper being for the carburetor and the lower for the oil cooler.
The final design had substantially differed from the original, having adopted shorter wings along with a shorter fuselage, which had increased strength to withstand combat stress. The wing used a single spar and a stressed skin construction, along with fabric-covered ailerons, aluminium trim tabs and split trailing edge flaps. The main undercarriage retracted into wheelwells forward of the main spar.
The Boomerang had a new single seat cockpit over the centre of the wing, with a sliding canopy which had 1.5-inch bulletproof glass and armor protection.It was armed with a pair of British-made Hispano-Suiza 20 mm cannon.Other armament fitted included four Browning .303 machine guns along with provision for up to four 20 lb smoke bombs.
Records show that the Boomerang was never recorded as having destroyed any enemy aircraft, the type proved to be more useful in its capacity as a light ground attack aircraft used by Army co-operation squadrons, often replacing the lightly armed Wirraway in this role.The Boomerang directly contributed to the extensive ground war in the jungles of the South West Pacific theatre in small unit actions, fought at close quarters. In addition to strafing Japanese ground forces with cannon and machine gun fire, Boomerangs would often deploy smoke bombs to mark valuable targets for other units to attack.The aircraft was also used for artillery spotting, aerial supply drops, tactical reconnaissance, and anti-malarial spraying.
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CAC Woomera
The CAC Woomera was an Australian bomber aircraft from WWII.
The Australian Government was initially uninterested in the CAC design,but in mid-1940, cut off from the supply of British-made components for the Beaufort program (thanks to a British embargo on the export of aviation products, the Australian Government ordered a prototype of the CAC design. The prototype CA-4 first flew on 19th September 1941.
It was a low-wing, twin-engined, multi-role bomber with a crew of three. It was armed with four nose-mounted .303 calibre machine guns and two remote-controlled twin machine-guns mounted at the rear of the engine nacelles. It could carry either 500 lb bombs, 250 lb bombs or two torpedoes. It was originally powered by two Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-S3C3-G radials. Unfortunately, the new design fuel tanks never proved reliable, and in January 1943 the CA-4 prototype was completely destroyed in a mid-air explosion, probably due to a fuel leak. Later With a re-designed tail and rudder, and an improved nose armament of two 20 mm cannon and two .303 calibre machine guns, the CA-4 became the CA-11 Woomera.
After the loss of the CA-4 prototype, the redesigned CA-11 did not fly until June 1944. By the time production was due to commence, the RAAF was filling the light bomber/reconnaissance/strike role with British-designed Bristol Beaufighters (built under license) and US-made bombers, including the B-25 Mitchell. The Woomera order was reduced from 105 to 20. After the first CA-11 flew, the whole program was cancelled and the production capacity at CAC was switched to P-51 Mustang fighters. The only completed CA-11 Woomera, A23-1, was stripped for parts and scrapped in 1946.
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CAC Ceres
The Commonwealth Aircraft CA-28 Ceres was a crop-duster aircraft built between 1959 and 1963.
CAC research showed there was a need for a purpose-built aircraft optimized for agricultural work. Once the board approved the project a number of surplus Wirraways were purchased from the RAAF for use in the production of this new aircraft.
The design was vaguely similar to the Wirraway, but really a new type that used some Wirraway components rather than a conversion. The only major components used in both types without alteration were the tail group and the landing gear. The fuselage was completely new, with a hopper installed between the engine and the high-mounted single-seat cockpit. The outer wing panels had slotted trailing-edge flaps and fixed leading edge slats, while the centre-section was altered to accommodate the hopper. The increase in wingspan and wing area was also incorporated in the centre-section, and the result was an aircraft with much more docile stalling characteristics. The engine was the same, a Pratt & Whitney R-1340, but altered so that it was direct-drive. The three-bladed variable-pitch propeller was also different, being of wider chord and smaller diameter.
The Ceres prototype first flew in February 1958 and the first production aircraft was delivered in April 1959. After five aircraft had been built provision was made for a rearward-facing seat behind the cockpit, housed under an extended canopy. CAC had hoped to sell at least fifty aircraft, but production of the Ceres ended in July 1963 after 21 aircraft had been built.
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CAC Winjeel
The CAC CA-25 Winjeel is a three-seat training aircraft from the 1950`s.
It was developed by CAC as a contender to RAAF technical requirement No.AC.77 issued in 1948. Designed to replace both the Tiger Moth and the CAC Wirraway, the first two prototype CA-22 aircraft were flown in February 1951.However, it proved a very stable aircraft making it almost impossible to spin, and with this being a required part of pilot training the tail had to be redesigned. The aircraft looks similar in many ways to the more powerful UK Percival Provost
The first CA-25 aircraft flew in February 1955, and deliveries began that September.The first Winjeel entered service with No. 1 Basic Flying Training School (1 BFTS) at Uranquinty.The last aircraft of 62 completed was delivered in August 1957. In most of its service life, the Winjeel was used as a basic trainer at RAAF Base Point Cook in Victoria, after 1 BFTS was transferred there in 1958. The Winjeel remained in service with the RAAF as a basic trainer until 1968, when the Macchi MB-326 replaced it in this role. The failure of the all jet concept ensured that the Winjeel was retained in the training role until 1975,when it was replaced by the New Zealand-built PAC CT/4A Airtrainer.
A few Winjeels were used in the Forward Air Control (FAC) role. Initially operated by No. 4 Flight, they were equipped with smoke bombs for target marking. By 1994 there were 4 in service with No. 76 Squadron but later that year they were replaced by the Pilatus PC-9 and subsequently retired. Some examples of the aircraft remain in flying condition in private ownership as well as museum displays around Australia.
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CAC Sabre
The CAC Sabre, or Avon Sabre or CA-27, is an Australian version of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter.
In 1951, CAC purchased a licence to build the F-86F Sabre. It was decided that the CA-27 would be powered by a licence-built version of the Rolls-Royce Avon R.A.7, rather than the GE J47.
In theory, the Avon was capable of more than double the maximum thrust and double the thrust-to-weight ratio of the US engine. This required a re-design of the fuselage, due to the Avon`s dimensions and lighter weight. Over 60 percent of the fuselage was altered and there was a 25 percent increase in the air intake size. Another big change was replacing the F-86F's six machine guns with two 30mm ADEN cannon, other changes were also made to the cockpit, and to provide an increase in fuel load.
The prototype ( CA-26 Sabre) first flew on 3 August 1953. Production aircraft were designated the CA-27 Sabre and first deliveries to the RAAF began in 1954. The first batch of aircraft were powered by the Avon 20 engine and were designated the Sabre Mk 30. Between 1957 and 1958 this batch had the wing slats removed and were redesignated Sabre Mk 31. These Sabres were supplemented by 20 new-build aircraft. The last batch were designated Sabre Mk 32 and used the Avon 26 engine, of which 69 were built up to 1961.
The RAAF operated the CA-27 from 1954 to 1971. From 1958 to 1960, CAC Sabres comprising 3 Sqn and 77 Sqn, undertook several ground attack sorties against communist insurgents during the Malayan Emergency. They remained in Malaysia at RMAF Butterworth (RAAF Butterworth). Armed with Sidewinder missiles, the Sabres were responsible for regional air defence during the Konfrontasi between Indonesia and Malaysia from 1963 until 1966.Between October and December 1965, a detachment of six Sabres, initially from 77 Sqn and later from 3 Sqn, was based at Labuan to conduct combat patrols over the Indonesian–Malaysian border on Borneo.
The last Sabres in Australian service, operated by No. 5 Operational Training Unit RAAF (5 OTU), were retired in July 1971.Former RAAF CAC Sabres were operated by the Royal Malaysian Air Force between 1969 and 1972. Due to better relations with Indonesia, 23 CAC Sabres were donated to the Indonesian Air Force between 1973 and 1975, five were former Malaysian aircraft.
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Lasco Lascoter
The Lasco Lascoter was a 1920s 6-seat passenger and mail carrier aircraft. Just one example was built.
It was a high-wing monoplane with a steel tube structure, featuring a tailwheel undercarriage and an enclosed cabin for passengers and the pilot. It first flew on 25 May 1929.It was powered by a Armstrong Siddeley Puma piston engine of 240 hp It received its Certificate of Airworthiness on 22 July 1929 and was put into service with Australian Aerial Services, an airline owned by Lasco, and used on an air mail route between Queensland and Daly Waters, Northern Territory. The Lascoter was used by Australian Aerial Services and its successors until being withdrawn from use in 1938 and later scrapped during World War II.
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Lasco Lascondor
The Lasco Lascondor was a 1930s Australian 8-seat passenger and mail carrier aircraft. It is claimed to be the first multi-engined aircraft designed and built in the Southern Hemisphere.
Development began in June 1928, concurrently with the company's Lascoter; the aircraft had 90% commonality of structural parts. It was a high-wing monoplane with a tubular steel structure, featuring a tailwheel undercarriage and a fully enclosed cabin for the passengers and the pilot. The main change was the three 150hp Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose engines instead of the Lascoter's single more powerful Siddeley Puma engine.
The Lascondor also had greater fuel capacity and a slightly longer fuselage with a larger cabin to accommodate an extra row of seats,also the Lascondor had only one set of flying controls to allow for another passenger seat, giving an overall capacity of seven passengers and one pilot.
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Transavia PL-12 Airtruk
The Transavia PL-12 Airtruk is a single-engine agricultural aircraft.
The Airtruk is a shoulder-wing strut braced aircraft built with an all-metal construction. The cockpit is mounted above a tractor-located opposed-cylinder air-cooled engine and stumpy fuselage with rear door. The engine cowling, rear fuselage and top decking are of fibreglass. It has a tricycle undercarriage, the main units of which are carried on the lower wings. It has twin tail booms with two unconnected tails. Its first flight was on 22 April 1965, and was certified on 10 February 1966. It was powered by 300 hp Rolls Royce Continental IO-520-D engine
It has a 1 tonne capacity hopper and is able to ferry two passengers. Other versions can be used as cargo, ambulance or aerial survey aircraft, and carry one passenger in the top deck and four in the lower deck.
In July 1978 an improved model, the T-300 Skyfarmer made it`s first flight, which was powered by a Textron Lycoming IO-540-engine. This was followed in 1981 by the T-300A with improved aerodynamics. Transavia ceased production of the T-300 in 1985.
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Tugan Gannet
The Tugan LJW7 Gannet,was a small twin-engined airliner from the 1930`s.
The Gannet was a strut-braced, high-wing monoplane, with twin de Havilland Gipsy Six 200 hp engines mounted on the wings. The undercarriage was a fixed tailwheel configuration with split main units. The wings were of wooden frames skinned in plywood, and the fuselage was built from welded steel covered in fabric.
The prototype Gannet began flight testing in October 1935, but was destroyed in a fatal crash shortly after. Despite this, the Gannet entered series production.
The type was operated by Butler Air Transport between Sydney and Broken Hill and one flew with Ansett Airways in 1943.It was the first Australian-designed and built aircraft to be taken on by the Royal Australian Air Force. RAAF Gannets saw service as survey aircraft between 1935 and 1942 when they were converted into air ambulances. The last RAAF Gannets were scrapped in 1946.
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Transavia PL-12 Airtruk
The Transavia PL-12 Airtruk is a single-engine agricultural aircraft.
The Airtruk is a shoulder-wing strut braced aircraft built with an all-metal construction. The cockpit is mounted above a tractor-located opposed-cylinder air-cooled engine and stumpy fuselage with rear door. The engine cowling, rear fuselage and top decking are of fibreglass. It has a tricycle undercarriage, the main units of which are carried on the lower wings. It has twin tail booms with two unconnected tails. Its first flight was on 22 April 1965, and was certified on 10 February 1966. It was powered by 300 hp Rolls Royce Continental IO-520-D engine
It has a 1 tonne capacity hopper and is able to ferry two passengers. Other versions can be used as cargo, ambulance or aerial survey aircraft, and carry one passenger in the top deck and four in the lower deck.
In July 1978 an improved model, the T-300 Skyfarmer made it`s first flight, which was powered by a Textron Lycoming IO-540-engine. This was followed in 1981 by the T-300A with improved aerodynamics. Transavia ceased production of the T-300 in 1985.
Puts me in mind of a mini Blackburn Beverly
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Back to Europe, and Romania....
IAR CV 11
The I.A.R. fighter was named the C.V. 11 after its designers, it had a mixed metal-wood structure and low-wing configuration. The front fuselage structure was made of duraluminum tubes, while the rear part was of pinewood. The engine nacelle and the fuselage up to the cockpit were covered by duraluminum sheets, the section by plywood. The rear part of the fuselage merged with the tail giving the aircraft a rather unusual arrow-like look.The unbalanced control surfaces, which proved to be too small during trials, were made entirely of wood covered by fabric.
A second prototype was completed at I.A.R. This time a less powerful but lighter Hispano-Suiza 12Mc engine, with 12-cylinders in V, had been fitted to essentially the same fuselage. Although weaker than its predecessor, this engine gave a superior maximum speed of just over 200mph.The armament of two 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine guns firing through the propeller arc had been retained from the first prototype. An O.P.L. type gunsight helped the pilot to aim its guns.In September 1931, General Constantin Lazarescu, the new inspector of DSA, decided not to consider the I.A.R. design, but to purchase the Polish P.Z.L. P.11.
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IAR-15
The IAR 15 was a low-wing monoplane fighter designed in 1933.
It was based on the IAR-14, but had a radial powerplant so the front fuselage underwent an extensive redesign. As the cross-section was rounded a ring covered the 600 h.p. Gnome & Rhône 9Krs engine. With the new nine-cylinder radial the open cockpit aircraft attained a top speed of 230 mph at 13,000ft . This was later raised in stages to 34,000ft meaning the I.A.R. 15 could intercept most contemporary major bomber types.
The fuselage was a steel tube structure covered with dural in front of the cockpit and fabric to the rear. The tail was redesigned to a more triangular shape, and was also built of steel tube and dural-covered. An improved single strut undercarriage complete with wheel spats was fitted near the wing roots, and a small wheel replaced the tailskid. The wings were rounded off and shortened, they were built around two dural spars with a mixture of wood and metal ribs. Five prototypes were built and tests showed that the IAR 15 was as fast as competing aircraft, but less manoeuvrable, so no orders were placed for the type.
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IAR 37,38 and 39.
The IAR 37 was a 1930s Romanian reconnaissance and light bomber aircraft from the late 1930`s.
The IAR 37 prototype first flew in 1937. It was an unequal-span single bay biplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear,it was powered by a licensed built Gnome-Rhône Mistral Major radial engine of 870 HP. It had a crew of three under a glazed cockpit, with the pilot and observer up front and a gunner at the rear.
The IAR 37 entered production in 1938, but production of the engine was very slow, which prevented the aircraft from being completed, and it was replaced on the production line by the IAR 38 and IAR 39 which were powered by a BMW 132 engine. As availability of the engine improved, the incomplete IAR 37s were fitted with IAR K.14-III C36 uprated slightly to 930 HP. Total production of all three types was 380, which continued until October 1944 with the majority being IAR 39s.
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IAR 80
The IAR 80 was a low-wing monoplane, all-metal monocoque fighter and ground-attack aircraft from the late 1930`s.
Design work began on the IAR 80 prototype in late 1937, at first with an open cockpit and the 870 hp IAR K14-III C32 engine.Construction was slow and the first flight was not until April 1939. Test flights of the prototype were impressive; the aircraft could reach 320 mph at 13,000 ft, service ceiling was 36,000 ft.The IAR 80 also proved to be enjoyable to fly and was manoeuverable.
To improve power the design was updated to mount the newer 930 hp C36, however this engine was slightly heavier than the C32, which required the rear fuselage to be stretched to move the center of gravity back into the correct position. The extra space in the fuselage allowed larger fuel tanks to be fitted, and the wing was also enlarged also the tail was revised to remove the bracing struts.
The pilot had poor forward visibility while taxiing than most taildraggers so the seat was raised slightly and a bubble-style canopy was fitted. The initial batch in 1941 of fighters was well received by the Romanian pilots, but they found the aircraft underpowered and lacking firepower. By April 1941 the Romanians had joined the Axis powers, and as a result the Germans released machine guns for the aircraft. The resulting 80A model finally mounted the original complement of six guns. Armored glass in the windscreen, seat-back armor, and a new gun sight were also added at the same time, along with an uprated 1,025 hp K14-1000A engine. The extra engine power proved to be more than the fuselage structure was designed to handle, and it had to be reinforced with a metal band behind the cockpit in the first 95 A series aircraft built before the fuselage could be redesigned.
After World War II, the Soviets shipped home the entire I.A.R. factory and all aircraft from Brașov, as war reparations.IAR 80s remained in service until 1949, then replaced by La-9s and Il-10s. Those airframes with the lowest hours were modified by removing a fuel tank in front of the cockpit and adding a second seat, resulting in a trainer designated the IAR 80DC. These were used for only a short time before being replaced by Yak-11s and Yak-18s in late 1952. In total almost 450 aircraft were completed in several versions.
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IAR-822
The IAR-822 was an agricultural aircraft built in the 1960s.
It was a conventional low-wing monoplane with fixed, tailwheel undercarriage.The prototype first flew on 20 March 1970 and was built at IRMA (Intreprinderea de Reparatii Material Aeronautic - Enterprise for Aeronautical Material Repairement), in Bucharest. The spraying/dusting equipment was certified during a flight on 10 August 1970.the aircraft was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-G1-D5 air-cooled flat-six of 290 hp.The prototype first flew on 20 March 1970.
IAR 822A was in use until the early 1980s, with an average of 400 flight hours/year/airframe. They were mainly employed in the agricultural role, but were sometimes used for aerial surveillance of pipe lines and power lines. Five IAR-822 Bs were used by the Romanian Air Force for a short time in 1974-75, probably to complement the tired IAR-813 in the primary training role until the IAR-823 entered service.
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IAR 823
The IAR-823 is a civil and military trainer aircraft in production from 1974 until 1983.
It is a low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle undercarriage. The pilot and instructor sit side-by-side, and two more seats can be fitted behind them. The prototype's construction began in autumn 1971, and flew for the first time on 10 June 1973. The second aircraft was shown at the Farnborough Air Show in September 1974.The type was operated by the Romanian Air Force as a primary trainer, and was also supplied to Romanian and Hungarian aeroclubs and the flying school of Angola. The aircraft was powered by a 290hp Lycoming IO-540-G1D5 air-cooled flat-six engine.
In total 78 planes were produced, with the last built in 1983. The first deliveries took place in 1974. The main customer was the Romanian Air Force who operated it in the basic flight training role.
With the Romanian Air Force there were four crashes, including the one in Angola, all fatal. Operations with the IAR-823 became a problem in the early 1990s as the fuel required for the type was no longer produced in country and had to be imported from Greece. At this point the aircraft were surplus to requirements and in need of a serious overhaul, they were put up for sale. 10 were bought by a private US customer in 1999, then another 36, plus all spare parts in 2000. Another 6 were purchased in October 2004 from the Romanian Air Club, many of which were restored back to flying condition.
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IAR-93 Vultur
The Avioane Craiova IAR-93 Vultur is a twinjet, subsonic, multi-role aircraft.
On May 20, 1971, Romania and Yugoslavia signed an agreement to develop and manufacture a light subsonic aircraft for ground attack, tactical recon, and with low level air combat as a secondary capability. It was to be built using locally produced equipment and avionics, but able to operate on grass or damaged runways, easy to maintain and reliable. The aircraft was a conventional twin-engine, high wing monoplane with all flying surfaces swept. The Rolls-Royce Viper was to be the powerplant, as SOKO had experience with licence-building the engine. During the 1980s, both countries developed slightly different versions to take advantage of the afterburning engines that had since become available.
The Romanian single-seat prototype White 001 made its first flight on October 31, 1974 simultaneously with the Yugoslav prototype at Batajnica Air Base.On September 20, 1979 the plane was lost when, during a test flight both engines stopped and the pilot ejected. This led to modifications to the combustion chamber including all aircraft already delivered.
The DC two-seat prototype #003 first flew on January 23, 1977, and was lost on November 24, 1977 due to tail flutter. The left elevator failed in level flight at low level , the two test pilots ejected safely. Due to the failure, the aft fuselage structure was modified and reinforced.
Due to the outbreak of the war in Yugoslavia and the UN embargo, the IAR-93 program ended in Romania in 1992, with several airframes under construction. Around 75 aircraft were still in service.The last IAR-93s were withdrawn and mothballed from the Romanian Air Force in 1998.The J-22 Orao are still in service with the air force of Serbia.
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IAR 99
The IAR 99 Șoim "Hawk" is an advanced trainer and light attack aircraft.
Design of the aircraft started in 1975 and would be the first jet trainer fully designed and built in Romania. In 1979 funding was approved for building the first prototype which first flew on 21 December 1985. The aircraft entered series production in 1987, with 17 aircraft delivered to the Romanian Air Force by 1989.The aircraft has a tandem-stepped dual-control cockpit fitted with Martin-Baker Mk 10 zero-zero ejection seats.
By 1990 an export version was proposed, while the aircraft had excellent aerodynamic and handling qualities, it was let down because of its obsolete avionics, with upgrading becoming a priority.
Two aircraft 708 and 709 were modified by installing Honeywell avionics, the canopy was changed to a two-piece design. This change would be retained for all subsequent aircraft. 708 took its first flight on August 8th 1990 followed by 709 on August 22nd. The aircraft were displayed at the 1990 Farnborough Airshow.
In 1996 the upgrade program of the IAR 99 was revived with the requirement for a lead-in trainer for the upgraded MiG-21 Lancer. The Israeli company Elbit was chosen as a sub contractor. The avionics package is based on the MiG-21 Lancer upgrade. The first upgraded IAR 99 was the 18th production aircraft (number 718), which performed its first flight on 22 May 1997.
In 2015, a consortium announced that another enhanced version of the IAR 99 called IAR 99 TD is under development. A single airframe will be built with a new avionics suite, a engine and features the Leonardo Vixen 500E radar which requires lengthening the nose. A new engine which supports computer control is required to replace the 1951 designed Rolls Royce Viper. This in turn will need larger air intakes. A prototype is expected to be completed by late 2022.
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IAR 330 Helicopter
The IAR 330 is the Romanian-built version of the Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma,manufactured by IAR Brașov.
Instead of buying a Soviet design for a midsize utility helicopter, Romania opted to obtain a licence to manufacture the Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma on 30 July 1974. The first licensed aircraft was flown on 22 October 1975 under the designation IAR-330L. Over 165 of these helicopters have been built,104 were allocated to Romania's Armed Forces, and 2 machines were retained by the manufacturer plus a further 57 were produced for export. There is also a search and rescue (SAR) version, fitted with inflatable floats for emergency landing at sea.
In the 1990s, the Romanian Air Force decided to upgrade the combat capabilities of the IAR 330L, making it an anti-tank and support helicopter. Romania had been working with Israel on some military programs. Israeli company Elbit Systems was chosen, and in September 1995 the Romanian Air Force signed a contract to upgrade 24 helicopters with the SOCAT anti-tank system.
The first IAR 330L SOCAT was flown on 26th May 1998, from IAR's airfield, and on 23rd October 1999, the second prototype flew. The first IAR 330L SOCAT was delivered to a combat unit in 2001. In all, 25 SOCATs were produced, including the prototype, rebuilt to production standard in 2005.
The IAR 330M NATO is a modernized transport version with the SOCAT version's avionics and it has a weather radar. Twelve IAR 330Ls were modernized to 330M standard between 2005 and 2008. Production of the IAR330 in is still ongoing at the Industria Aeronautică Română plant at Ghimbav near Brașov including a naval version.
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ICA IS-28
The ICA IS-28 is a two-seat sailplane from the 1970s.
It is an all-metal aircraft of conventional design with a T-tail, originally with 15-metre wings, but in 1973, production shifted to the IS-28B with 17-metre wings and several aerodynamic refinements. These included a smaller tail with decreased dihedral, decreased dihedral on the wings, and a redesigned fuselage profile. This version first flew on 26 April 1973 and was produced in versions with flaps (IS-28B2) and without (IS-28B1). Around 100 had been built by the early 1980s, with a large number sold for export. On April 7, 1979, Tom Knauff and R. Tawse set a world record with the IS-28 B2 glider, covering a distance of 829 kilometres on a predetermined out-and-return course in Julian, Pennsylvania.
The IS-28B2 features in the John Carpenter 1981 movie Escape From New York. The IS-28 was also produced as a motorglider, initially as just a powered version of the IS-28B2 (designated the IS-28M1) and then as the redesigned IS-28M2. This version had a new forward fuselage offering side-by-side seating, the wings were relocated to a low-set position on the fuselage, and tailwheel undercarriage with main units that semi-retracted backwards into the wings. The rear fuselage, empennage, and outer wing panels remained identical with the sailplane version.
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ICA IAR-35
The ICA IAR-35 is an aerobatic Romanian glider designed and built in the 1980s.
The IAR-35 is an all-metal, single seat, short span glider developed for aerobatics. It has a three spar shoulder wing, with metal ribs and metal skinning, with a constant chord centre section and tapered outer panels. The entire trailing edge is occupied by all-metal, statically balanced ailerons, each fitted with an automatic trim tab. Airbrakes extend both above and below the wings.
The fuselage is a metal semi-monocoque with duralumin skin. The cockpit sits ahead of the wing with the pilot under a single piece Perspex canopy. Below the wing is a monowheel, fitted with a brake, which retracts behind a pair of doors. The IAR-35 also has a fixed, semi-recessed tailwheel and a skid under the nose and the wing tips are protected by sprung balance wheels.
The IAR-35 first flew in May 1986,only a small number were built.
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SET 3
The SET 3 was a military trainer aircraft developed in the late 1920s.
It was a single-bay biplane with unstaggered wings of equal span. It was had a fixed tailskid undercarriage, and the pilot and instructor sat in tandem, open cockpits. The design was shown to the Romanian Air Force for consideration, and gained an order for two prototypes to be placed. Upon delivery, one of the aircraft was used for flight tests, while the other was tested on the ground.The type first flew in 1928 and after 11 months, an order for 10 aircraft was placed, which were delivered to the air force's pilot training school at Tecuci. The new aircraft was flown by SET chief test pilot Gheorghe Stefanescu to first place in the aerobatics competition at the 1929 Romanian national aviation meeting.
It was powered by a Salmson 9Ab engine which developed 230 hp. In December 1930, the air force placed an order for 20 more aircraft in two different batches. Ten were to be basically similar to the SET 3 but feature various improvements including a redesigned undercarriage, and another ten armed with machine guns for pilot and observer.
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SET 7
The SET 7 was a military trainer and reconnaissance aircraft from the early 1930`s.
It was originally designed as a conventional single-bay biplane, with slightly staggered wings, a standard fixed undercarriage with tailskid, and a tandem open-cockpit for the pilot and instructor or observer. Power was supplied by a 380hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engine, the aircraft was equipped for wireless and photographic reconnaissance duties.
The aircraft was further developed with an armed version in 1934, adding a trainable machine gun for the observer and a fixed machine gun for the pilot. Known as the 7K, it was powered by a 400 hp cowled Gnome-Rhône 7Ksd engine, and the 7KB (fitted with bomb racks) and 7KD were subtypes that followed it. A floatplane version was produced for the Navy as the 7H.
Around 120 of the various versions were built.
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Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia next....
Beneš-Mráz Be-50 Beta-Minor
The Beneš-Mráz Be-50 Beta-Minor was a light sports airplane from the mid 1930`s.
The Be-50 was first flown in 1935, it was a low-wing wooden monoplane, with tandem open cockpits and fixed tailwheel undercarriage. It proved popular with Czechoslovakia's aeroclubs and was also successful in international competitions. In 1937, a revised and modernised version, the Be-51, was produced, which featured a reduced wingspan and fully enclosed cockpits. A final variant, the Be-52 Beta-Major retained the Be-50's open cockpits but featured improved aerodynamics and a more powerful 95hp 4 cyclinder Walter Major engine.
Several Be-51s survived to be used by the Luftwaffe as liaison aircraft and trainers.
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Beneš-Mráz Be-150 Beta-Junior
The Beneš-Mráz Be-150 Beta-Junior was a light aerobatic trainer and racing aircraft from the 1930`s.
Due to the success of the Beneš-Mráz Be-5, Beneš decided to produce a revised version with increased performance for sport flying. An incentive was the availability of five 105 hp Walter Junior engines, which would provide the Be-150 with much improved vertical performance. The fuselage was shortened and was fitted the short-span wings of the Be-52, retaining the open cockpits and fixed tailwheel undercarriage of the Be-50.
The Be-150 was first flown on 5 January 1937, but was rejected by the government, and the three completed production aircraft were used for general flying club use.
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Beneš-Mráz Bibi
The Beneš-Mráz Bibi was a 1930s two-seat touring aircraft.
The Bibi was designed and manufactured by Beneš-Mráz, and a development of the Beta-Minor design. The Bibi was a lighter, smaller aircraft featuring side by side cockpit seats instead of in tandem.The cockpit was fully enclosed, retaining the Beta-Minor's cantilever low-wing cantilever monoplane layout, with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Development of the Bibi began with the Be-501 two-seat cabin tourer, and culminated with the Be-555 Super Bibi.Powerplant was a Walter Mikron II air-cooled 4-cylinder inverted inline engine producing 60 hp.
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Mráz Bonzo
The Mráz M-3 Bonzo was a light aircraft built in 1948.
The Bonzo was based on the M-1 Sokol airframe, but with a redesigned wing and several changes to the fuselage. These included lengthening it to allow for the addition of a fourth seat, reducing the height of the rear fuselage to allow for a new cabin with improved visibility, and the addition of a semi-retractable nosewheel to replace the tailwheel.
Construction of two prototypes was not approved by the Department of Transport, but designer Rublič was able to raise the money privately to build one prototype, which flew in April 1948. It was hoped that production could begin in 1950, and the Bonzo was exhibited at the 1949 Paris Air Show. No sales resulted, however, and the prototype was flown for a while by the Institute of Cartography in Bratislava before being handed over for aeroclub use in 1952.
Powerplant was a 160hp Walter Minor 6-III air-cooled six-cylinder inverted inline engine, which gave a cruise speed of 150mph.
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CKD Praga E-40
The Praga E-40 was a single engine, two seat, basic trainer biplane from the mid 1930`s.
The E-40,was a single-bay biplane with open, tandem cockpits. The swept wings had twin wooden spars and a mixture of plywood and fabric covering. Ailerons were fitted to the lower wing and the upper wing had a cut-out on its trailing edge to improve visibility from the forward cockpit. The interplane struts were steel and the bay was braced with streamlined wires. A pair of vertical N-form struts joined the wing centre section to the upper fuselage. The fixed tail surfaces were wood framed and plywood covered; the tailplane was strut braced from below. Elevators and rudder were fabric covered over steel frames.
The fuselage was a steel framework, braced at the front and rear. The nose and the upper decking were covered with detachable steel panels with fabric covering used elsewhere. Fuel and engine oil tanks were in the fuselage. The E-40 was powered by a four-cylinder (85/95 hp) Walter Minor air-cooled, inverted piston engine driving a two-blade propeller. It had a split type main undercarriage with wheels on V-form legs. Rubber compression spring units were mounted in extended hubs; the pistons of the units were held in place on a shallow, inverted V strut, itself attached to the lower fuselage via a steel tube pyramid. The tailwheel was castored and had rubber springing within the rear fuselage.
The number actually built is unknown, according to some sources it was 43, but others claim only one was completed.
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CKD-Praga E-51
The Praga E-51 was a reconnaissance aircraft and light bomber built in the late 1930s.
The twin-boom airplane project under Jaroslav Šlechta began in 1936 as a reply to a Ministry of National Defence specification which called for the design and construction of a new reconnaissance aircraft. The short-range reconnaissance three-seater was to be capable of monitoring activity behind enemy lines; the requirement highlighted the importance of excellent visibility from the cockpit as well as of placement of the on-board cameras. These were to be able to collect as many shots as possible, at as wide an angle as possible in one pass. The new aircraft was to replace the aging Letov Š-328 and Aero A-100. There were three entries to the tender: the Letov Š-50, the ČKD-Praga E-51 and the Aero A-304.
The E-51 was designed as a twin-boom twin-engine mid-wing aircraft with a central nacelle housing the cockpit and armament. The E-51 was Šlechta's first design based on such a configuration. Because the reconnaissance airplane had to be able to escape enemy fighters, a suitable engine had to be found. Šlechta considered three options: the inline Praga FR with an output of 355 hp, the inverted V-12 Walter Sagitta with an output of 500-600 hp, and the radial 9-cylinder Avia Rk.17 of 355 hp. As Praga's FR had not been finished yet and the Rk.17 was not powerful enough, Šlechta opted for the Sagitta. It was the first and only implementation of the Czechoslovak engine by Walter Aircraft Engines in a Czechoslovak airplane.
The simple wood and welded steel-tubes frame made both assembly and maintenance straight forward, and operation as well. The durability of the skin allowed for outdoor storage while on duty.
The aircraft first flew on 26th May 1938.The design is said to precede that of the Fokker G.I, a more well-known example of the same design configuration, which unlike the E-51, actually entered service.
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CKD-Praga E-210
The Praga E-210 was a four-seat, twin-engined touring aircraft built in the late 1930s.
The Praga E-210 was designed as a four-seat tourer or air-taxi. It appeared in public for the first time at the Paris Exhibition of late 1936, although it is not known whether it had made its first flight at that point. It was a high wing cantilever monoplane, with an enclosed cabin for four ahead of the wing and in 1936 a conventional tailwheel fixed undercarriage and single fin.
It was unusual in adopting a pusher configuration, with two engines close to the fuselage driving small propellers.
The wing of the E-210 was in a single piece, a wooden structure built around two spars and plywood. The leading edge was swept, however the trailing edge was straight. The ailerons were steel framed and fabric covered. Between them and the engines were Schrenk type landing flaps.The 85/95 hp Walter Minor four cylinder inverted in line engines were cantilevered from the rear spar on steel frames, with fairings both above and below the wings. The cabin sat forward of the leading edge, providing good visibility, and seated four in two rows, the front seats having dual control. There was a baggage compartment behind the rear seats, accessible from inside.
The exact first flight date is unknown, but by the July 1937 Prague Aero Show it had been flying long enough for a directional control problem led to the revised fuselage to have been both being addressed. A report from March 1939 which said that the E-210 was then in production, though March was also the month of the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, so it is not clear if any further aircraft were completed. If so, they or the prototype may have been used by the occupying forces as transports, or as Army Co-Operation machines.
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CKD-Praga BH-41/E-241
The Praga BH-41 was a military advanced trainer aircraft produced during the 1930s.
It was a conventional biplane design with unstaggered two-bay wings of equal span. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem open cockpits, and the fixed tailskid undercarriage featured divided main units. The powerplant had been specified by the government to be the 300hp Hispano-Suiza 8Fb which were then being built under licence by Škoda.
A contract for 43 aircraft was signed. In 1936, a BH-41 was fitted with a 360hp Walter Pollux II engine, and was designated the E-241. Following successful trials, an order was placed for another batch of aircraft, this time for 95 machines fitted with the more powerful engine.
The aircraft continued service in the Slovak–Hungarian War and into the World War II, when around 30 E-241s saw service with the Slovak Air Force against the Soviet Union together with the German Luftwaffe.
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InterPlane Griffon
The InterPlane Griffon is a single seat, high wing, single engine, tricycle gear ultralight aircraft from the 1990`s.
The Griffon was designed to meet the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category, including that category's maximum 254 lb (115 kg) empty weight.
The airframe is built from aluminum tubing, with the wings and tail covered with doped aircraft fabric. The wing is supported by a "V" strut and utilizes jury struts. It features a three tube tail that allows the pusher propeller to be located in between the tail booms. Standard features supplied included brakes, electric starting, wheel pants, elevator trim system and a plastic cockpit pod fairing with a windshield. The wings and tail surfaces can be folded for trailering or storage.
Various engines could be used including the 40hp Rotax 447 and the 50hp Rotax 503, cruising speed was a leisurely 60mph.
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InterPlane Skyboy
The InterPlane Skyboy is a two-seat, side-by-side, high wing, single engine, pusher configuration ultralight aircraft.
It has a very similar construction to the single seat Griffon. The fuselage is built upon an aluminum main tube that runs from the tail right to the rudder pedals. The cabin is constructed from two fibreglass shells, joined together. The rear of the cabin is covered in aircraft fabric. The optional cabin doors open upwards to greatly improve access.
The Skyboy was designed in 1992 specifically for the German market as a trainer. It was later adapted for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category for use as a two-seat trainer under the FAR 103 trainer exemption.
Available engines include the 64 hp Rotax 582, 80 hp Rotax 912, 100 hp Rotax 912S and the 85 hp Jabiru 2200. It was only available as a factory-complete, ready-to-fly product.
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Let-Mont Piper UL and Let-Mont Tulak
The Let-Mont Piper UL is a Czech microlight aircraft from the 1990`s.
The aircraft was designed to comply with the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale microlight category, including the category's maximum gross weight of 450 kg. It was also marketed in the USA as a kit only for the US homebuilt market.
The Piper UL is based on early Piper Aircraft designs, such as the Piper PA-15 Vagabond. It features a strut-braced high-wing, a two-seats-side-by-side in an enclosed cockpit accessed via doors, fixed landing gear with wheel spats and a single engine in tractor configuration, usually a 50hp Rotax 503 twin cylinder, air-cooled, two stroke.
The fuselage is made from welded steel tubing, with the whole aircraft covered in doped fabric. By 1998 the company reported that 25 aircraft were completed and flying.
The similar Tulak features a strut-braced high-wing, but with two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration and a fully enclosed cockpit accessed via doors.It used the same 50hp engine as the UL, or a 80 hp Rotax 912 four-stroke powerplant.It features a squared off vertical stabilizer instead of the rounded off type fitted to the UL aircraft.
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Škoda-Kauba SK 257
The Škoda-Kauba Sk 257 was a light fighter/trainer monoplane built for the Luftwaffe in 1942/1943
Škoda-Kauba had produced the Škoda-Kauba V4 as a lightweight single-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane powered by a 240 hp Argus As 10C-3 engine with a retractable tailwheel landing gear. The first prototype proved very fast and agile despite its low power. Two more included a number of changes and, despite increased power, performance was not as good.
Potential for development was recognized and the Germans ordered four prototypes of an enlarged aircraft with a more powerful 485 hp Argus As 410 engine and allocated the designation Sk 257.The four prototypes performed well in flight testing and the type was ordered into production. However build quality of the prototypes did not pass the Luftwaffe control inspections and after only five production aircraft had been built the order was cancelled.
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Austria and Hungary now....
The Lloyd Series 44/ C1
It was a 2 crew multi-role aircraft which was used pre-WW1 for flight demo`s and then later as a recon and light bomber aircraft.
These first aircraft were made of wood and covered with canvas, with the exception of the 40.01, which had a steel tube fuselage.The engineers at the Lloyd factory used the experience of the first war to produce two versions of the 44 series, the second differed from the first in that instead of the previous canvas wing covering, the entire surface of the wings was covered with a thin layer of wooden sheeting, increasing the stiffness of the wing, and the surface smoothness, resulting in higher speed.
The Series 46, produced in 1917, was a completely revised new type. The Lloyd, was fitted with a plywood cowling and was now powered by a 185 hp MÁG Daimler engine (this aircraft was also the first version of the two-seat fast-flyer). Given the success of the revised aircraft, the Flieger-Arsenal in Vienna ordered the production of the Hungarian-designed (Series 82) type. This type was later fitted with 220 hp engines from the MARTA factory in Arad and was equipped with both forward and rearward firing machine guns.
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Aviatik (Berg) D.I
The Aviatik (Berg) D.I, was a single-engine, single-seater biplane fighter.
It was developed and manufactured by the Austro-Hungarian branch of German aircraft company Aviatik. It was also known as Berg D.I or Berg Fighter, as it was designed by Dipl. Ing. Julius von Berg, and to also to distinguish it from the D.I fighter built by the parent Aviatik firm in Germany.
The D.I was manufactured both in-house and under license by a number of subcontractors. The Austrian branch of Aviatik was responsible for producing the 38, 138, 238 and 338 Series.
The first digit represented the manufacturer, then a 'type number', which would be followed by a break and addition numbers of identify the individual fighters.
The main differences between the different series was in the power output of Austro-Daimler engines, 185 hp in the early production aircraft, 200 or 210 hp in the mid-production, and 225 hp in the last batches. Other changes included the positioning of the machine guns, as well as various structural alterations and refinements to the radiator and cooling system.
By 31 October 1918, 677 Aviatik (Berg) D.I airframes of all batches had been handed over to the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Forces.
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Lohner Type AA
The Lohner Type AA or Lohner 10.20, series,were a range of prototype fighters built during World War I.
In 1916 Lohner-Werke was given a contract to design and build a single seat fighter based around the 185 hp Austro-Daimler six-cylinder inline engine. The first airframe, serial number 111.01, and on 5 September 1916 the Lohner 10.20 was unveiled.It was a single-bay biplane with equal-span wings and I-type struts. The empennage incorporated a conventional horizontal stabilizer with no vertical stabilizer and a short all-moving rudder. The fuselage was short and deep with a laminated wood construction, armed with twin synchronized Schwarzlose machine guns.
During taxi trials, poor yaw control was reported with a tendency to "swap ends". A larger rudder was installed and the fuselage lengthened by 4ft. The Lohner 10.20 first flew on 29 December 1916 and was found to be unstable. Further test flights followed and the prototype was severely damaged when it crashed in February 1917.
After repairs and extensive modification were completed the aircraft was referred to as the Lohner 10.20A, the fuselage was again lengthened to 20 ft 10in, the I type struts were replaced with more common twin struts with wire braces. The tail was completely redesigned with a fixed vertical fin and an even larger rudder. Flight testing of the 10.20A continued until 6 June 1917, when it was totally destroyed in another crash.
Due to the poor performance, further development was halted after only 4 prototypes had flown, and the Luftfahrttruppen assigned Lohner-Werke a licence to produce the Aviatik (Berg) D.I.
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Lohner B.II
The Lohner B.II was a military reconnaissance aircraft produced in Austria-Hungary during World War I.
The aircraft was intended to perform in the terrain of the Austrian alps, it featured a longer fuselage, greater wingspan, and strengthened undercarriage.The Type B's Austro-Daimler engine was changed for a Hiero with slightly less power but was much lighter. The extended wingspan soon led to problems, however, when the prototype's wings collapsed under stress testing.
A second prototype, with strengthened wings, was accepted by the Army in August 1913, who placed an order for another 24 aircraft. Shortly after deliveries began, the wings of a Type C failed in flight, and all examples were grounded. Work to reinforce the wing design was carried out but this was not yet complete when war broke out. Six Type Cs were quickly put back into action, with the grounding of the rest was lifted shortly afterwards. The design proved too slow and too fragile for operational service, and was reassigned to secondary roles. Later in 1915, a new and strengthened wing was fitted to all remaining B.IIs, and the B.II (along with the B.I) was put back into production under licence at Flugzeugwerk Fischamend for use as trainers.
As the year drew on, the B.III, B.IV, B.V, and B.VI followed, featuring a variety of engines. None were produced in quantity,
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Lohner B.VII
The unarmed Lohner B.VII and its armed version the C.I, were military reconnaissance aircraft produced in Austria-Hungary during World War I.
Like their predecessors, the B.VII and C.I were conventional biplanes with characteristic swept-back wings. Power came from a 150HP Austro-Daimler engine.
The B.VII first appeared in August 1915 and at last provided an aircraft suitable for service use. They were used to conduct long-range reconnaissance missions over the Italian Front, as well as a small number of bombing raids, carrying 180 lb of bombs internally. Many B.VIIs in service were equipped with machine guns on flexible mounts for the observer, and this led to the armed C.I version being produced at both the Lohner and Ufag factories. The C.I also featured a streamlined engine cowling, whereas the B-types had their cylinders exposed.
Production of all versions ceased in 1917, and all were withdrawn from service.
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Lohner L
The Lohner L was a reconnaissance flying boat from Austria-Hungary during World War I.
It was a two-bay biplane of typical configuration with its pusher engine mounted on struts in the interplane gap. The pilot and observer sat side by side in an open cockpit, and both the upper and lower sets of wings featured sweepback. The design was a development of the Lohner E, and became highly influential, the L provided the basis for designs by other major manufacturers.
In Germany, Hansa-Brandenburg manufactured a modified version as their first flying boat, the Brandenburg FB [de], and in Italy, a captured example was used as a copy aircraft by Macchi, who produced it as the L.1. A restored example of an Austro-Hungarian Lohner L (serial L.127) is preserved at the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle.
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Ufag C.I
The UFAG C.I was a military reconnaissance aircraft produced during World War I.
The aircraft was a late arrival to the conflict, as it was introduced in April 1918, and was widely used on the Italian Front in the final months of the war.
It incorporated the best features of the Brandenburg C.II(U) on which it was partly based, with single-bay wings and 'I' strut inter-plane bracing, which replaced wing conventional steel-tube interplane struts in production aircraft. More manoeuvrable than the Phönix C.I, the C.I had good performance, but suffered from a few odd handling characteristics.
The aircraft was powered by a 230hp Hiero 6 water-cooled in-line piston engine,driving a two bladed fixed pitch prop.It could be armed with machine guns, one fixed forward firing, and another from a rear cockpit mounting. It could also carry a small bomb load of up to 12 x 26lb bombs.It was used after WW1 by Yugoslavia and Romania
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Etrich Taube
The Etrich Taube, also known by various names from later manufacturers who built versions of the type, was a pre-World War I monoplane aircraft.
The Taube (Dove) was very popular prior to the First World War, and it was also used by the air forces of Italy and Austria-Hungary. Even the Royal Naval Air Service operated at least one Taube in 1912. On 1 November 1911, Giulio Gavotti, an Italian aviator, dropped the world's first aerial bomb from his Taube monoplane over the Ain Zara oasis in Libya.
The Taube was designed in 1909 by Igo Etrich of Austria-Hungary, and first flew in 1910. It was licensed for serial production by Lohner-Werke in Austria and by Edmund Rumpler in Germany.
The unique wing form was not modeled after a dove, but was copied from the seeds of Alsomitra macrocarpa, which may glide long distances from their parent tree. Etrich had tried to build a flying wing aircraft based on the Zanonia wing shape, but the more conventional Taube type, with tail surfaces, was much more successful.
Like many contemporary aircraft, especially monoplanes, the Taube used wing warping rather than ailerons for lateral (roll) control, and also warped the rear half of the stabilizer to function as the elevator. Only the vertical, twinned triangular rudder surfaces were usually hinged.The design provided for very stable flight, which made it extremely suitable for observation. The translucent wings made it difficult for ground observers to detect a Taube at an altitude above 400 meters. Due to the lack of licence fees, 14 companies built a large number of variations of the initial design.
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Etrich Luft-Limousine
The Luft-Limousine or Luftlimousine, was a single engine monoplane built in 1912.
It had a slightly bizzarre appearance with a birdlike tail, and a cabin for one pilot and a single passenger that was enclosed with wire gauze and celluloid windows, the reason for which Igo Etrich named it Luft-Limousine. The Luft-Limousine was the first military monoplane with an enclosed cabin. It was powered by a 60 hp Austro-Daimler engine.
It first flew in May 1912 and was later used in WW1 by the Austro-Hungarian army,altough just two aircraft were completed.
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Now Belgium...
ACAZ T.2
The ACAZ T.1 and T.2, very similar to each other, were the first Belgian all-metal aircraft, flown in 1924. They were single-engined touring monoplanes which seated two. Only two were built.
The first example of ACAZ's all-metal two-seater tourer, registered as the ACAZ T.1 O-BAFK, was first flew in early 1924. It was the first Belgian all-metal aircraft. Its trials went well and on 21 June it was flown to Brussels to take part in a touring aircraft contest, but in low cloud it collided with a tree and crashed; luckily no one was killed.
The ACAZ T.2, was noted as of the same type. It had made several successful flights by mid-July, just a few weeks after the crash of the T.1, though it was only registered as O-BAFM on 19 December 1924.
The engine was a (70 hp) Anzani 6, a six-cylinder radial engine mounted uncowled on the nose with its fuel tank behind a firewall. The fuselage was rectangular in cross-section, apart from a slightly shaped roof and was built around frames and longerons with sheet metal covering. The enclosed cabin, which held two sitting side-by-side, was under the wing and had both forward and side glazing. The fuselage frame in the cabin region was strengthened; access was via a side door.
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ACAZ C.2
The ACAZ C.2, was a prototype Belgian biplane fighter aircraft built in the 1920s.
It was an advanced design at the time, being built entirely of Duralumin metal and it made it`s first flight in 1926. It was a conventional biplane construction, the C.2, registered as OO-AFX, had one unusual feature - all four of its wings were identical and interchangeable. The aircraft also included space for cameras, allowing it to be used for photo-reconnaissance.
It was evaluated by the Belgian Air Force, but no orders were placed. The sole prototype was written off in a crash on 25 January 1933.
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Avions Fairey
The Fairey Aviation Company's Belgian subsidiary, was established in 1930–1 to produce Fairey Fox and Firefly aircraft for the Belgian Air Force.
The first Fox IIs entered service with the Belgian Air Force in early 1932 as a reconnaissance aircraft. The Fox continued in production at Avions Fairey for much of the 1930s, forming the backbone of the Belgian Air Force, being used as reconnaissance, reconnaissance-bomber and two-seater fighters. Later aircraft were fitted with enclosed canopies and more powerful 850hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y engines.
Over 100 Foxes were still in front-line service with the Belgian Air Force at the time of the German invasion on 10 May 1940.
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Avions Fairey Junior
The Avions Fairey Junior, also known as the Tipsy Junior was a single-seat light aircraft first built in 1947.
The Junior was one of a series of light aircraft designed by and named after E.O.Tips of Fairey Aviation's Belgian subsidiary, Avions Fairey.
it was a conventional, low-wing monoplane with a tailwheel undercarriage and a single seat, open cockpit,it had an option of a bubble hood. The wings were almost square ended and the tailplane, fin and rudder also angular. Both completed aircraft were initially powered by the 36 hp Aeronca JAP J-99 engine, later replaced by the 62 hp Walter Mikron 2.
The aircraft first flew on 30 June 1947 from Gosselies in Belgium, but was written off after a hard landing in 1948.
The second example was bought by Fairey and taken to England in 1953, where it was registered as G-AMVP. In 1957, it was used in a publicity stunt when Fairey test pilot Peter Twiss landed it on the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. For part of its time it had the bubble canopy. Rebuilt after a long time in storage following a forced landing in 1993, it flew again late in 2006.
The Junior did not sell, and the third airframe was cancelled before completion. It was purchased incomplete by Fairey in 1961.
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Stampe et Vertongen RSV.22
The Stampe et Vertongen RSV.22 was a training biplane produced in Belgium in the mid 1920s.
It was a conventional, single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span that were braced with N-struts near their tips.The undercarriage was a fixed type consisting of two mainwheels that were joined by an axle, plus a tailskid. The student and the instructor sat in open cockpits in tandem which were fitted with dual controls. It was built from mixed materials, with metal used for the undercarriage, engine mount, and cabane struts. The control surfaces were operated by a rigid linkage made of dural tubing. The horizontal stabilizer could be adjusted in flight, using a lever in the cockpit to adjust the aircraft's trim. The basic model RSV 22/180 was powered by a 180-hp Hispano-Suiza engine, but the aircraft was designed to use powerplants of up to 300 hp The RSV 22/200 variant used a 200-hp Renard-built radial engine in place of the Hispano-Suiza. The Belgian Air Force purchased 20 examples of the RSV 22/180.
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Stampe et Vertongen RSV.26/100
The Stampe et Vertongen RSV.26/100, RSV.18/100, RSV.26/18, and SV.18 were a series of two-seat touring aircraft designed by Alfred Renard in the 1920s.
It was originally designed as a biplane, however a monoplane version was developed, and the aircraft was eventually marketed as convertible between the two configurations. Sometimes described as a lightened version of the RSV.26/140 military trainer, the RSV.26/100 was actually a new design.
The monoplane version was achieved by removing the lower pair of wings and bracing the upper pair of wings to the fuselage with two struts on each side. Ivan R.Gates of the USA who was an exponent of light aviation, purchased the first RSV.26/18, but a few weeks later, bought a license to produce it in the US. He established a factory at Long Island and had engineers redesign the fuselage to change it from wooden construction to steel-tube. However, only two aircraft were built before the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ruined the company and Gates himself, who committed suicide.
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Stampe et Vertongen RSV.32
The Stampe et Vertongen RSV.32 was a trainer aircraft produced in the early 1920s.
It was originally designed for the Stampe et Vertongen flying school, but the Belgian Air Force became a major operator of the type, where it became the first aircraft of entirely Belgian design and manufacture to enter service. It was built of wood throughout, braced with wire and covered in fabric, and stressed to withstand treatment by student pilots. Many parts were interchangeable, including the struts, longerons, undercarriage legs, and even the upper and lower wings.
A range of engine powerplants were used in various subtypes rated from 90hp to 130hp.The Belgian Air Force purchased three batches of the aircraft, these served until 1936, when the surviving machines were sold off to private owners. It is thought somewhere between 40 and 60 were produced, but exact figures are not known.
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Stampe et Vertongen SV.5 Tornado
The SV.5 was a biplane military trainer aircraft designed and built in Belgium in the 1930s.
It was a single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span.The pilot and instructor sat in tandem open cockpits and the aircraft was powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Serval 300hp radial engine in the nose, enclosed in a Townend ring. The main units of the fixed undercarriage were divided, and the tail was supported by a tailwheel. It could be equipped for bombing or gunnery training. Unlike earlier Stampe et Vertongen product he SV.5 airframe was riveted together from steel tube in a method inspired by Hawker in the United Kingdom.
The prototype first flew in September 1933, and on 16 October 1934, the Belgian Air Force evaluated it against five competitors: the Avro 626, Breda Ba.25, Fairey Fox III, LACAB T-7, and the Renard R-34. The SV.5 outclassed all its rivals in the maintainability trials and was the least expensive of any of the types, however, the Avro 626 was selected probably for political reasons.
The SV.5 found a customer in the Latvian Air Force, which was seeking a similar aircraft. After a testing program confirmed the type's suitability, the Latvian government negotiated the purchase of ten examples in exchange for 5,700 tonnes of wheat. These machines were slightly different from the prototype, with a NACA cowl in place of the Townend ring, a redesigned horizontal stabiliser, and simplified main undercarriage. In September 1936 they were shipped, disassembled to Riga, where Jean Stampe oversaw their assembly by VEF.
The Belgian Air Force later placed an order for twenty SV.5s powered by 340hp Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X engines, the aircraft were delivered between October 1936 and mid 1937.
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To Switzerland next.....
Comte AC-1
The Comte AC-1 was a 1920s Swiss single-seat monoplane fighter aircraft produced by Flugzeugbau A. Comte.
Flugzeugbau A. Comte was founded in the early 1920s to build German aircraft designs under licence. However, the company's first original design was the Comte AC-1, which was developed to meet a Swiss Fliegertruppe (Swiss Air Force) requirement for a single-seat fighter.
The AC-1 was a high-wing monoplane with fixed tailskid undercarriage. It was constructed of metal with fabric-covered wing and tail surfaces. The powerplant was a 420HP Gnome et Rhône radial engine driving a fixed-pitched two-blade propeller. The prototype first flew in 1927 but testing and evaluation did not result in any orders, but the single prototype was bought by the Swiss Fliegertrupppe. Later it had the wing replaced with a wing from a Dewoitine D.9. and the aircraft was used to establish a Swiss altitude record on 19 November 1928.
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Comte AC-3
The Comte AC-3 was a late 1920s Swiss bomber/transport aircraft.
In November 1928, Bolivia placed an order with Alfred Comte, for three long-range bomber-transport aircraft, using funds collected by subscription.
The AC-3 was a large high-wing monoplane of mixed construction. It was fabric covered and had a trio of open cockpits, one in the nose for a gunner/observer, one forward of the wing for a pilot, and one on the upper rear fuselage for a rear gunner. It featured an unconventional engine layout with two 600 hp Hispano-Suiza inline piston engines in tandem supported on several struts above the fuselage. The engine installation had to be high enough to allow clearance for the two (one pusher, one tractor) propellers above the fuselage. A hatch in the port side allowed cargo or troops to be carried in the main cabin.
The aircraft made its first flight from Dübendorf airfield on 22 February 1930. Test flights soon showed it failed to meet its expected top speed, so it was refitted with four-bladed propellers instead of the original two-bladed types. A collapse in the price of tin resulted in severe financial problems in Bolivia, and the military junta ruling Bolivia cancelled the order for the three Comte bombers, with only the first example being built, which was dismantled in 1935.
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Comte AC-4
The Comte AC-4 Gentleman was a 1920s Swiss two-seat sport/training aircraft, which first flew in 1927.
It was a braced high-wing monoplane with fixed tailwheel landing gear. It had staggered seats for two with an option for dual controls. Early production versions were powered by a 115 hp Cirrus Hermes inline piston engine, which gave a max speed of 109mph and a cruise of around 85mph.
Later the AC-4B was built with a 140 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major or a 110 hp Cirrus Hermes, only five AC-4B`s were completed.
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Comte AC-8
The Comte AC-8 was a 1930s Swiss six-seat light transport aircraft.
The Comte AC-8 was designed as a light transport for five passengers, and it was an upscaled, similar in configuration to the company's earlier Comte AC-4.
It featured a braced high monoplane wing, with a conventional tail unit and fixed tailwheel landing gear. The enclosed cabin had accommodation for a pilot and five passengers. The aircraft was powered by either a 300hp Wright J-6 or Lorraine radial engine of similar output.Only three aircraft were built.
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Comte AC-11-V
The Comte AC-11-V was a three-seat cabin monoplane from the 1930`s for aerial photography and mapping.
The enclosed cabin had side-by-side seating for a pilot and co-pilot (or a mapping / photography specialist). For access to the cabin the seating folded to one side. Another moveable seat was mounted on rails running the entire length of the cabin, which could be locked in any position on the rails and provided access to the side windows. A window was also fitted between the pilots' seats to allow drift readings to be made and a further floor window aft allowed a vertical camera to be used.
It was powered by a 220hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial piston, which was good for a max speed of 120mph, but a normal cruise was around 95mph.
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Aceair AERIKS 200
The Aceair AERIKS 200 is a Swiss sports plane marketed in kitplane form.
It features a highly streamlined, bullet-shaped fuselage, with a T-tail and large ventral fin, pusher propeller, and canard. The pilot and passenger are seated in tandem. Development aircraft used a fixed undercarriage, but Aceair was planning to offer a version with retractable landing gear.
It was to be powered by a Diamond Engines GIAE-110R twin rotor Wankel engine of 105 hp.
Aceair ceased operation in 2004, and with it the Aeriks 200 project was cancelled. This was largely due to Diamond Engines cancelling the manufacture of the rotary engine the 200 was based around. Some assets of the company were purchased by a pair of entrepreneurs.
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Aktiengesellschaft für Flugzeugunternehmungen
The Corporation for Aircraft Companies was an aircraft manufacturer founded in Altenrhein, in 1959 to develop the FFA P-16 jet fighter after the Swiss government cancelled its initial order.
The P-16 was a prototype ground attack jet fighter designed and produced by (FFA). It was Switzerland's second attempt to develop a domestically designed and manufactured jet fighter, following on from the EFW N-20.
In 1952, two prototypes were ordered from FFA. On 25 April 1955, the first performed its maiden flight. On 15 August 1956, the second prototype exceeded the sound barrier for the first time. The flight test programme showed the P-16 to be capable of achieving good performance, and a production contract for 100 aircraft was issued by the Swiss Government.
Following a pre-production aircraft's crash, the Swiss order was cancelled and replaced by orders for the Hawker Hunter. This cancellation had come before any production P-16s had been completed. While the company continued the program independently for a time, completing a further two aircraft, no buyers could be found for the type. The P-16 was never introduced into service by any operator, and only a single example of the type remains, it is on display at the Swiss Air Force Museum at the Dübendorf Air Base.
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Aviafiber Canard 2FL
The Aviafiber Canard 2FL was a one-person recreational aircraft with an unusual design.
Described as a rigid-wing hang-glider or as a foot-launched sailplane, the Canard 2FL was a product of Swiss aerodynamicist Hans Farner. Of fibreglass construction, it had a small fuselage, just big enough to accommodate the pilot in a prone position, provided with doors in the bottom through which the pilot's legs could extend for takeoff and landing. A large canard was fitted at the nose, and the main lifting surfaces were supported on tall, V-shaped pylons which both generated lift and acted as vertical fins.
The later Canard Aviation Canard SC, the production version,progress was assisted by the use of a 20 hp König SC 430 3-cyl. two-stroke radial engine mounted on a pylon between the V-struts and main-plane, driving a folding propeller. Flight testing with the engine running encouraged Farner to design a dedicated motor-glider version as the Canard Aviation Canard SCM, powered by a 20–24 hp engine.
Hans Farner, was killed flying one of the aircraft, prompting business partners to withdraw the Canard 2FL, Canard SC and Canard SCM from sale.
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Berger BX-50
The Berger BX-50 was an experimental helicopter developed by Swiss inventor Hans Berger in 1961.
It was a single-seat design with a bubble canopy, a two-blade rotor, and skid undercarriage. The upper portion of the canopy could slide forward to admit the pilot.
It first flew in March 1961 and after a number of test flights, the rotor was replaced with a semi-rigid three-blade design and tricycle, wheeled undercarriage.
It was powered by a 85hp Continental C90 engine. The aircraft was badly damaged after further test flights, and the project was abandoned.
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Berger BX-110
The Berger BX-110 was a prototype light helicopter from the early 1970s.
The single example (HB-YAK) was built by Hans Berger and was powered by a Wankel automotive engine. It had a conventional helicopter configuration, with pilot and passenger sitting side by side under a large perspex bubble canopy, with the tail rotor carried on a tubular boom. The powerplant and fuel tanks were located behind the cabin, and the three-bladed main rotor had foldable blades. Landing gear was originally of skid type.
It was powered by a converted NSU Ro 80 Wankel-type auto engine, but later a BMW 6012 turbine was used, and later still another adapted auto Wankel engine, this time from a Mazda RX-7 which produced 115hp. At the time of the latter conversion, the undercarriage was changed to tricycle configuration.
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FFA AS 202 Bravo
The Bravo is a durable all-metal low-wing monoplane with a full vision canopy and a fixed tricycle landing gear.
The AS/SA 202 Bravo is a two/three-seat civil light aircraft designed jointly and manufactured by the Swiss company Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein (FFA) and the Italian`s Savoia-Marchetti. The aircraft was designated the AS 202 in Switzerland, and the SA 202 in Italy.
Marchetti manufactured the wings, undercarriage and engine mountings, while FFA produced the fuselage, tail and controls, while both companies had assembly plants manufacturing the complete aircraft.
The first Swiss version flew on 9 March 1969, the first Italian aircraft following on 8 May. In a production run that lasted from 1969 until 1991, some 214 aircraft were completed.
The most popular version was the AS/SA 202/18A which was fully aerobatic, and powered by 180HP Lycoming AEIO-360-B1F engine, constant speed propeller, inc a third seat to the rear of the cockpit.
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Uetz Pelikan
The Uetz Pelikan is a Swiss four-seat cabin monoplane designed as a home build by Walter Uetz.
The Pelikan is a development of the earlier Uetz U2V which in turn had been based on the Jodel D.119, but had a revised wing design. The prototype U3M Pelikan had four-seat cabin with a long canopy. The fixed tail-wheel landing gear U3M is powered by a 135 hp Lycoming O-290 engine, and the prototype first flew 21 May 1963, it was followed by a further prototype.
The production version was named the U4M which was also re-engined with a 150 hp Lycoming O-320-A2B engine and the addition of flaps. The company built two aircraft and one other was amateur-built. Max speed was 136 mph, with an economy cruise speed of 120mph.
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Sweden is next.....
ASJA L2
The ASJA L2 was a light biplane trainer aircraft built for the Swedish Air Force in the early 1930s.
The ASJA L2 was designated Ö 9 in service. It`s fuselage was fabric-covered, and a welded steel tube construction which accommodated the pilot and instructor in tandem open cockpits. The wings were fabric-covered wood, and were of staggered, single bay layout.It was powered by a 330hp Wright R-975 radial engine, which permitted a max speed of 110mph.
Only two examples were built, one with wheels, the other with floats. The landplane served until written off in a crash in 1937 and the floatplane until made obsolete in 1940.
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ASJA Viking II
The ASJA Viking II was a four-seat light aircraft from the early 1930s.
It was a development of the smaller Viking, a high-wing braced cabin monoplane of taildragger configuration. It was available with either wheeled or float undercarriage.
it was powered by a 200hp de Havilland Gipsy Six inline engine, and could carry one pilot and up to 3 passengers.
This was the last independent design by ASJA, the company was directed to share its knowledge with other Swedish ventures, such as Svenska Aeroplan AB.
During 1936, the Swedish Riksdag had determined a total of 257 combat, along with 80 trainer aircraft should be in service by 1943 for the Swedish Air Force. The sizable order on offer drew attention from ASJA and rival aircraft manufacturers as well. ASJA entered talks with Bofors to create a common company for aircraft design and manufacture. In January 1937, they agreed to share the stock between them 50–50. On 31 March 1937, the two companies formed AB Förenade Flygverkstäder (AFF). This new entity was intended to undertake the development and design of new aircraft required by the SAF.
Some within ASJA were keen to continue independently developing their own aircraft designs. During 1938, a new army and marine reconnaissance aircraft would be needed; ASJA decided to submit their proposal directly, rather than through AFF. This was fatal to AFF, leading to its winding up during early 1939. Following a complex series of acquisitions, mergers, name changes, ASJA was then integrated into a reformed Svenska Aeroplan AB (known as Saab).
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Malmö MFI-9 Junior
The Malmö Flygindustri MFI-9 Junior was a light aircraft from Sweden in the 1960s. It was also produced under licence as the Bölkow Bo 208.
It was an upgraded version of the earlier BA-7 which was a prototype. It went into production as the MFI-9 Junior. Changes included a larger cockpit with an uprated engine,a Continental O-200-A flat-four-cylinder air-cooled piston engine giving 100 HP. In 1963 it was followed by the MFI-9B Trainer and then the MFI-9B Mili-Trainer. All versions had a tricycle undercarriage.
Between 1963 and 1971, 210 Bölkow Bo 208s were built under licence by Bölkow Apparatebau GmbH, Germany.
A number of MFI-9Bs had been built for the Swedish Air Force, but when the sale fell through, the aircraft became available at a reduced price. In May 1969, Carl Gustaf von Rosen formed a mercenary squadron of five MiniCOINs to fight in the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) on the side of the Biafrans, the aircraft were known as the Biafra Babies.
Pilots included RCAF Lynn Garrison among a group of mercenaries and Biafran-born pilots. Garrison co-ordinated the attacks, personally destroying an Ilyushin Il-28 and a MiG-17 during the first raid on Port Harcourt.18 aircraft were eventually supplied.