Amazing rainbor projector; Projects rainbow across the walls and ceiling. Turns on with a wave of your hand!. Uses Multi-colord LEDs. Includes bonus w [more info..]
All peg refill. For use with Lite Brite Cube or Flat Screen. Refills let you continue to create colorful pictures. Create colorful works of art. Conta [more info..]
Two interchangeable image disks. Motorized rotation of star fields. A/C adapter included. Displays up to 10,000 stars on walls and ceiling for the hom [more info..]
the jn-4 "jenny" is a biplane trainer aircraft built and manufactured by curtiss aeroplane company and was designed by glen curtiss. north america s most famous world war i aircraft is the curtiss jn-4 since it was used to train beginner pilots. the jn-4 s canadian version was the jn-4 can also known as "canuck". it was built with a control stick instead of the deperdussin control wheel used in the regular jn-4 model and has a more rounded rudder outline than the american version. the us version was called "jenny" and has a twin seat dual control. the tractor prop and maneuverability of the jenny made it ideal for initial pilot training. most jn-4s built were unarmed though some had machine guns and bomb racks for advanced training. after world war i hundred jn-4s were sold in the civilian market including the ones sold to charles lindbergh as his first aircraft. the low speed of the jn-4 made it ideal for stunt flying and aerobatic displays. in the 1930s some jn-4s were still operational. the primary users of the jn-4 were the united states army air service and the royal flying corps.
the learjet 60 is a business jet manufactured by bombardier aerospace. the learjet 60 is an improved version of the learjet 55 having a longer fuselage and incorporates more powerful engines. its maiden flight was on june 1991 and received faa certification in january 1993. the modification that converted the learjet model 55 into a model 60 were the results of an aerodynamics improvement program and a need and for increased capacity of the learjet product line and the modifications include an all new inboard wing cuff added to the inboard sections of the "longhorn" wing and an all new wing-to-body fairing. by increasing the wing cord and the leading edge droop the wing cuff improved the low speed handling during approach and landing while the wing-to-body fairing reduced the interference drag between the wing and the fuselage. since the engines were new for this aircraft a new engine pylon had to be designed. the cockpit s lines were not changed but the fuselage was lengthened. in addition the blend between the fuselage and the empennage was all new. an all new e/b (emergency/baggage) door was added to the right-hand side of the fuselage just at the leading edge of the wing. the final aeroimprovement to the model 60 was the creation of the distinctive "ogive" winglet trailing edge. this lengthening of the cord near the interface of the winglet and the winglet greatly improved the interaction of the wing s pressure spike with the winglet s pressure spike. the result was a significant lowering of the drag in this area and a significant improvement of the wings efficiency. the learjet model 45 winglet blend design took into account the lessons learned from the model 60 and the ogive was not necessary. finally the ventral fin was replaced with the hallmark split ventral fins that learjet called "delta fins."
lockheed u-2 (dragon lady) is a single-engine high-altitude aircraft. the u-2 was flown by the united states air force (usaf) and previously flown by the central intelligence agency (cia). the u-2r first flown in 1967 and is significantly larger and more capable than the original aircraft. the tr-1a is a tactical reconnaissance version flown in august 1981. the tr-1 was structurally identical to the u-2r. the last u-2 and tr-1 aircraft were delivered to the airforce in october 1989. a distinguishing feature of the two aircrafts is the added "superpod" under each wing. by 1992 all tr-1s and u-2s were redesignated as the u-2r. the u-2 provides a continuous surveillance day and night. it also provides critical intelligence to decision makers through all phases of conflict such as peacetime indications and warnings crises and hostilities. the u-2 incorporates a single-seat and engine a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. the u-2 is also capable of collecting multi-sensor photo electro-optic infrared and radar imagery. the u-2 is currently being upgraded with a lighter engine and an additional global positioning system that superimposes geo-coordinates directly on collected images. the u-2 has a maximum speed of 510 mph and range of 3 500 mi in combat. the u-2 is still in front line service over 50 years after its maiden flight. the u-2 has outlasted its replacement the mach 3 sr-71 which retired in 1998. as of january 2006 donald rumseld usaf s secretary of defense announced the pending retirement of the u-2 fleet. the termination of the u-2 program by the pentagon will be no earlier than 2011.
known as the joint strike fighter (previously the joint advanced strike technology) program the f-35 lightning ii is a family of multi-role aircraft developed under a multinational acquisition program. in cooperation with bae systems and northrop grumman the f-35 is currently under development and production by lockheed martin. lockheed martin was selected by the department of defense (dod) on october 26 2001 after beating out competition from mcdonnell douglas and then boeing in the design and demonstration phases of the program (1994-2001). the aircraft will be powered by the pratt & whitney f135 engine. the distinguishing feature of the united states marine corps (usmc) version of the jsf is its short takeoff/vertical landing capability (stovl). there will not be an internally mounted machine gun but an external gun can be fitted. this version requires controllability on all axes while hovering. another critical design feature is its impact on the ground surface beneath it during hover. the usmc expects their version of the jsf will replace the f/a-18 hornet and the av-8 harrier. the marine corps expects to purchase 480 stovl versions of the f-35.
the c-141 starlifter also known as hanoi taxi was manufactured by lockhead corporation. this military strategic airlift aircraft was the world`s first turbofan-powered transport and it served as a major component of the u.s. strategic airlift force since it entered operational service in 1965. the aircraft recorded more than 10.6 million operational hours in over four decades of service. in 2005 hanoi taxi was one of the aircraft marshaled by the air force to provide evacuation for those seeking refuge from hurricane katrina. this aircraft and others evacuated thousands of people including the medical evacuation (medevac) of hundreds of ill & injured. at the end of its career as at the beginning this aircraft brought americans out of a hostile environment and back to safety. on may 6 2006 at 9:30 am the hanoi taxi touched down for the last time and was received in a formal retirement ceremony at the national museum of the united states air force located at wright patterson air force base (wpafb) in riverside ohio near dayton. hanoi taxi is now part of the permanent static display collection of the museum.
the beechcraft t-34 mentor is a single engine military trainer aircraft which was derived from the beechcraft model 35 bonanza. a 15-year production hiatus of the model 73 jet mentor led to the turboprop era wherein in 1973 the t-34c turbine mentor was a powered by a pratt & whitney canada pt6a-25 turboprop engine. from the late 1940s to the 1950s earlier versions of the t-34s were piston-engined and it was eventually succeeded by an upgraded model with a turboprop engine. the t-34c turbo mentor is a variant of the t-34 with a two-seat primary trainer fitted with turboprop engines. the t-34c was used by the argentine navy during the falklands war. it was a primary trainer aircraft for the united states navy and marine corps pilots. the t-34c was replaced by the t-6 texan ii but it was still considered as the primary aircraft at nas corpus christi and nas whiting field. the t-34c has a crew of two. it has a maximum speed of 280 kt ias and a range of 600 nm.
the f-15e strike eagle is a strike fighter designed for long range interdiction of enemy ground targets deep behind enemy lies. the f-15e carried our deep strikes against high value targets and provided close air support for coalition troops. the f-15e is different from the f-15 in a way that the f-15 eagle has darker camouflage and the presence of the conformal fuel tanks attached to the aircrafts fuselage. the f-15e strike eagle used two crew members a pilot and a weapon systems officer. previous models of f-15e are assigned to air to air roles. the strike eagles way to fight it is to a target over long ranges destroy enemy ground positions and fight its way out. the navigation system of strike eagle used a laser gyro and a global positioning system to monitor the aircrafts position as well as to provide information. apg-70 radar system detects ground targets for long ranges. another feature of the system of f-15e strike eagle is that after a sweep of a target area the crew freezes the air ground to clear air threats. thus the pilot is capable of detecting targeting and engaging air to air targets. the rear cockpit and the weapons systems are the most important additions to the f-15e. the officer of strike eagle has four screens where in formation can be display from the radar electronic warfare or infrared sensors monitor aircraft or weapons status and possible threats select targets and use an electronic to find the way. to select new displays the f-15e has two hand controls. displays can be moved from one screen to another. on april 1988 the first production of f-15e was delivered to the 405th tactical training wing luke afb ariz. the strike eagle was the first us operational aircraft whose engines thrust exceeded the planes loaded weight. thus permitting it to accelerate even in a vertical climb.
boeing teamed with lockheed martin in the mid-1990s to develop and build the f/a-22 an extremely advanced tactical fighter. it combines stealth integrated avionics and maneuverability and is intended as a replacement for the f-15 as america s front-line dominance fighter. the first production of f/a-22 was unveiled in april 9 1997 and it was the first nine flyable f/a-22s built for flight testing. lockheed martin aeronautical systems is responsible for program management the integrated forebody (nose section) and forward fuselage (including the cockpit and inlets) leading edges of the wings the fins and stabilitators flaps ailerons landing gear and final assembly of the aircraft. the company is also responsible for the center fuselage; stores management; integrated navigation and electronic warfare systems; the communications navigation and identification system and the weapon support system. as of april 2005 boeing had delivered 61 sets of wings and 66 aft-fuselages as well as a number of integrated avionics flight-test packages and updates to lockheed martin. as a replacement for the f-15c the fast agile stealthy f/a-22 was designed to take over the air superiority role with the air combat command starting in 2005. f-22s demonstrated exceptional performance at joint training exercise northern edge in alaska during june 2006. f-22s also participated in the u.s. air force s red flag exercise at nellis afb nevada for the first time in february 2007 with superb performance in air maneuvers as well as maintenance. ongoing modernization efforts including integration of the small diameter bomb electronic attack capability synthetic aperture radar and the coordinate seeking weapon all of which will ensure the raptor s relevance throughout its 40-year service life.
the p-40e warhawk is the identical version of the p-40d. the only difference is the six wing-mounted machine guns. the p-40 aircrafts series were americas leading fighters as world war ii began. the p-40 e was engaged in the battle against japanese aircrafts during the attack on pearl harbor and the incursion of the philippines on december 1941. the flying tigers group used the p-40e as it fulfilled its missions in china in 1942. on the other hand the army air forces used the p-40e in north africa in 1943. as for the p-40e warhawk the general characteristics are as follows: its primary function was being a fighter. its span is 37 feet 4 inches length is 31 feet 9 inches height is 12 feet 4 inches and weight is 9 100 pounds loaded. for the service ceiling it is 30 000 feet. its maximum speed is 362 mph cruising speed is 235 mph and range is 850 miles. the p-40e armament had six 50-cal machine guns which are 700 pounds of bombs externally. the p-40e warhawk was used in copious combat areas specifically aleutian islands italy middle east far east southwest pacific and russia. despite being outclassed by its competitors on speed the p-40e gained its reputation in battles for its great ruggedness. at the end of the p-40s series career 2 320 p-40e were produced.
space shuttle discovery (orbiter vehicle designation: ov-103) is one of the three currently operational spacecraft in the space shuttle fleet of nasa. when first flown in 1984 discovery became the third operational orbiter and is now the oldest orbiter in service. discovery has performed both research and international space station (iss) assembly missions. discovery was also notable for being named after one of the two ships that were used by british explorer james cook in the 1770 s during voyages in the south pacific that led to the discovery of the hawaiian islands. discovery was the shuttle that launched the hubble space telescope. the second and third hubble service missions were also conducted by discovery. it has also launched the ulysses probe and three tdrs satellites. discovery has been chosen twice as the return to flight orbiter first in 1988 as the return to flight orbiter after the 1986 challenger disaster and then for the twin return to flight missions in july 2005 and july 2006 after the 2003 columbia disaster. discovery also carried project mercury astronaut john glenn who was 77 at the time back into space during sts-95 on october 29 1998 making him the oldest human being to venture into space. discovery is currently in bay 3 of the orbiter processing facility having concluded a 15-day mission to the international space station on november 7 2007. after the residual cryogenic reactants are offloaded the payload bay doors will be opened and detailed post-flight inspections will begin. according to the current schedule space shuttle discovery will be decommissioned in 2010. if the contingency logistic flight sts-133 by endeavour is not flown discovery will be the last space shuttle to fly on mission sts-132. nasa expects to launch the orion crew exploration vehicle on the new ares i rocket by 2014.
the boeing 727 is a mid-size narrow-body three-engine t-tailed commercial jet airliner. the 727 s fuselage has an outer diameter of 148 inches (3.8 m).[1] this allows six-abreast seating (three per side) and a single central access walkway when coach-class (18 inch width) seats are installed. the first boeing 727 flew in 1963 and for over a decade it was the most produced commercial jet airliner in the world. a total of 1 831 727s were delivered. the 727 s sales record for the most jet airliners ever sold was broken in the early 1990s by its younger stablemate the boeing 737. in august 2008 there were a total of 81 boeing 727-100 aircraft and 419 727-200 aircraft in airline service
increased global demand for energy means more offshore helicopter transport requiring an enhanced standard of safety and productivity. the s-92 helicopter provides safety reliability and value. the aircraft is certified to the latest and most stringent safety requirements of the faa and easa. it has the latest health and usage monitoring system and is engineered for all weather and all terrain safety. a flight management system is standard equipment. the s-92 helicopter provides the highest level of comfort and ride quality for pilots and passengers and has lower direct maintenance cost than competitors in its size class. sikorsky backs up the s-92 helicopter with knowledgeable and efficient field service and data-driven fleet management solutions.
the mh-53j pave low iii heavy-lift helicopter is the largest most powerful and technologically advanced transport helicopter in the us air force inventory. under the pave low iii program the air force modified nine mh-53hs and 32 hh-53s for night and adverse weather operations. modifications included forward-looking infrared inertial navigation system global positioning system doppler naigations systems apq-158 terrain-following and terrain-avoidance radar an onboard-mission computer enhanced navigation system and integrated avionics to enable precise navigation to and from target areas. the air force designated these modified versions as mh-53js. the mh-53j pave lows main mission is to drop off supply and pick up special forces who are behind enemy lines. it also can engage in combat search and rescue missions. low-level penetration is made possible by state-of-the-art terrain following radar as well as infrared sensors that allow the helicopter to operate in bad weather. the mh-53js were used in variety of missions during desert storm. pave lows were also used extensively during operation just cause in panama. the mh-53m pave low iv is a mh-53j model that has been modified with the interactive defensive avionics system/multi-mission advanced tactical terminal or idas/matt.
the f-5e tiger ii is a single-seat version for the tunisian air force. in 1950 the f-5 started its life as a privately-funded light fighter program by northrop. the first generation f-5a freedom fighter entered service in 1960. during the cold war there were over 800 produced through 1972 for us allies. the f-5 proved to be a successful combat aircraft for us allies but it didn t entered front-line service with the us due to diverging priorities of the us services. a few surplus f-5as and f-5es have been sold to private owners. in 1970 northrop s f-5a-21 which subsequently became the f-5e was designated to replace the f-5a. it was lengthened and enlarged with increased wing area and more sophisticated avionics and was initially having an emerson an/apq-153 radar. the f-5e eventually acquired its official name tiger ii. in its service life the f-5e experienced numerous upgrades. the f-5e tiger ii has a crew capacity of 1. it has a maximum speed of 917 kn and a ferry range of 2 010 nmi. the f-5e tiger ii production amounted to 1 400 including all versions and production ended in 1987. various f-5 versions remain in service with many other nations. singapore has approximately 49 modernized and re-designated f-5s and f-5t aircraft. the f-5 was also developed into a reconnaissance version the rf-5 tigereye.
the douglas dc-3 is a fixed wing propeller-driven aircraft and is generally considered one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made. the dc3 s maiden fight was on december 17 1935. dc3 s were drafted for the war effort and nearly 10 000 military versions were built during world war ii and were designated as c-47 c-53 r4d and dakota. the dc-3 and its military variants were used by the armed forces for the transport of troops cargo and wounded. both delta and continental airlines operate dc-3s. it was also used to fly air shows today and has been used in various movies. thousands of surplus c-47s were converted to civil service became the standard equipment of most world s airlines and it remained in front-line service for many years. the dc-3 has a maximum speed of 237 mph and a range of 1 025 mi. there were 10 655 dc-3s built at sta. monica california and long beach california both in civil and military versions. in 1998 there are over 400 dc-3s which remained in commercial service.
the b-26 marauder is an american second world war twin engine medium bomber made by the glenn l. martin company. in 1942 it was the first bomber in the pacific theater and aleutian islands. in 1946 it was the main offensive weapon of the western front by the army air force. the b-26b sustained the lowest record of any fighter aircraft during the war. its loss earned its unofficial nickname the widowmaker. there were 5 288 aircrafts produced between the years 1941 to 1945. the royal air force and the south african air force used 522 of them. the b-26b marauder first came out in may 1942. it was the marauder model that was built in large numbers. the difference between the b-26b from the earlier versions of the marauder aircrafts is the two .50 inch machine guns with 1500 rpg placed in a stepped down tail position. it replaced the b26 and b-26a single hand-held guns. the guns are used manually by bead sight and ring. the gunner kneels down to find his targets and shoots his armaments. the ammos are on the cartridge belts standing on a pair of roller tracks. each of the guns has 800 rounds. the overall length was increased to 58 feet and 3 inches because of its new tail position. the b-26c was similar to the b-26b. but all b-26c aircrafts were made with a larger wing. in fact it was the first marauder version to show with a larger wing. the wing was showed on the omaha line before it showed on the baltimore line. its wing span turned to 712 feet and the area of the wing increased to 713 sq. ft. the modifications made such as the additional weapons and armor and its enlarged wing and tail assembly increased the weight by 1500 lbs. the top speed at 15 000 feet decreased to 282 miles per hour and cruising speed decreased to 214 miles per hour.
the north american xb-70 valkyrie was a long range strategic nuclear bomber designed for the united states air force s strategic air command. with research and development studies beginning in 1955 the xb-70 was slated to replace the b-52 stratofortress. it was designed to be a large high altitude bomber with six engines to fly at mach 3 to avoid defending interceptors the only effective anti-bomber weapon at the time. although a technology breakthrough in 1957 made mach 3 possible the xb-70 never entered production. as in the b-58 hustler program the air force wanted new technology advances in the new aircraft and gave the prime contractor total weapon system responsibility. boeing and north american competed for the contract and in 1958 the north american design was chosen. the air force required for a high altitude long range bomber capable of carrying nuclear and conventional weapons. the xb-70 was fabricated using titanium and brazed stainless steel honeycomb materials to withstand the heating during the sustained high mach number portions of the flights. it was capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons internally but due to its design and mach 3 mission profile it could not carry external ordnance. the first xb-70 had its maiden flight on september 21 1964. it was found to suffer from weaknesses in the honeycomb construction mainly due to inexperience with fabrication and quality control of this new material. it was also troubled by hydraulic leaks fuel leaks and problems with the complicated landing gear. on the third test flight the xb-70 reached supersonic speeds. in the following flight it flew past mach 1 for 40 minutes. it was able to go at higher speeds in subsequent flights obtaining mach 2.14 and mach 3.02. the second xb-70 was selected for the national sonic boom program to measure the response to sonic booms. it reached mach 3.05 at 72 000 feet on the first sonic boom test. on june 8 1966 after a photo shoot with four other aircraft valkyrie number two was involved in a mid-air collision. the first aircraft continued research making 33 more flights before its retirement.
the boeing c-17 globemaster iii is the newest most flexible airlift aircraft to enter the united states and western air forces. this aircraft is designed to fulfill airlift needs well into the next century - carrying large combat equipment and troops or humanitarian aid across international distances directly to small austere airfields anywhere in the world. the c-17 is also able to perform theater airlift and airdrop missions when required. the c-17 takes its name from two previous heavy lifter aircraft the c-74 globemaster and the c-124 globemaster ii. in january 1995 the air force declared the first c-17 squadron operational. since then the fleet has amassed more than 200 000 flying hours. in may 1995 the c-17 received the prestigious collier trophy symbolizing the top aeronautical achievement of 1994. in 1998 eight c-17s completed the longest airdrop mission in history flying more than 8 000 nautical miles from the united states to central asia dropping troops and equipment after more than 19 hours in the air. in february 1999 president bill clinton presented the malcolm baldrige national quality award for business excellence to boeing airlift and tanker programs maker of the c-17. during normal testing c-17s set 22 world records including payload to altitude time-to-climb and the short takeoff and landing mark in which the c-17 took off in less than 1 400 feet carried a payload of 44 000 pounds to altitude and landed in less than 1 400 feet.
the lockheed p-38 lightning was an american fighter aircraft used by the us air force during the world war ii. developed to a united states army air corps requirement the p-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single central nacelle containing the pilot and armament. the aircraft was used in a number of different roles including dive bombing level bombing ground strafing photo reconnaissance missions and extensively as a long-range escort fighter when equipped with droppable fuel tanks under its wings. designed by engineer clarence gkellyg johnson the p-38 lightning flew for the first time on january 27 1939. the p-38j was the fastest variant of the entire lightning series--420 mph at 26 500 feet. maximum speed at 5000 feet was 369 mph 390 mph at 15 000 feet. range was 475 miles at 339 mph at 25 000 feet 800 miles at 285 mph at 10 000 feet and 1175 miles at 195 mph at 10 000 feet. maximum range was 2260 miles at 186 mph at 10 000 feet with two 250 imp gall drop tanks. an altitude of 5000 feet could be attained in 2 minutes 15 000 feet in 5 minutes 10 000 feet in 7 minutes. service ceiling was 44 000 feet. weights were 12 780 lbs empty 17 500 lbs normal loaded 21 600 lbs maximum. wingspan was 52 feet 0 inches length was 37 feet 10 inches and height was 9 feet 10 inches. wing area was 327.5 square feet. armament consisted of one 20-mm hispano m2(c) cannon with 150 rounds plus four 0.50-inch colt-browning mg 53-2 machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. in addition two 500 1000 or 1600-lb bombs or ten five-inch rockets could be carried on underwing racks.
the gee bee r-1 was designed and built for the 1932 races. the gee bee r-1 is a fairly constructed aircraft. only the best materials were used and the workmanship was incredible. the wings were covered with mahogany plywood and covered with "balloon-fabric" for added strength. the most unusual feature was its pilot position just ahead of the vertical fin. the r-1 and r-2 were considerably larger than the previous model z. the r-1 and r-2 are very similar except that the r-1 has a larger and more powerful pratt & whitney r1340 "wasp" engine and it is specifically made for the thompson trophy. the r-2 was built for the bendix trophy races. the biggest difference between the two aircraft was that the r-2 had two fuel tanks totaling a 302 gallons versus a single 160 gallon tank in the r-1. the r-2 has a 20-gallon oil tank and the r-2 also has streamlined running lights in the wings and on the tail for night flights. the r-1 has a speed of 294.38 miles per hour and a cruising range of 925 miles.
the lockheed ventura is a bomber and patrol aircraft during world war ii developed from the lockheed lodestar transport. pv-1 is the version of ventura built for the u.s. navy and early production of the aircraft still carried a bombardier`s station behind the nose radome having four side windows and a flat bomb-aiming panel underneath the nose. late production of pv-1s dispensed with this bomber position and replaced it with a pack with three 0.50 inch machine guns underneath the nose. it could also carry eight 5 in (127 mm) hvar rockets on launchers underneath the wings. in december 1942 pv-1 was delivered and entered service in february 1943. the first squadron was the vp-135 which was deployed in the aleutian islands in april 1943. they were operated by three other squadrons in this theater. pv-1s would often lead b-24 bomber formations since the aircraft comes equipped with radar. pv-1s were deployed to the solomon islands as night fighters in late 1943. after world war ii pv-1s became obsolete and the aircraft were sent to naval air station clinton to be demilitarized and reduced to scrap.
the boeing 727 was for a very long time the most popular jet-liner in the world. the 727 first took to the skies during the 1960s much earlier than its bigger and more famous sister the boeing 747. through its exceptional fuel efficiency it can fly both long- and short-range routes. the 727-200 is a stretched version of the 727-100. 727-200 s maiden flight was on july 27 1967 and was granted certification in november that year. the 727-200 entered service with the northeast airlines (an airline that was later acquired by delta) the following month. the 727-200 boosted in sales but it has quite a poor range so boeing developed the increased range advanced 727-200. the 727-200 remains popular with passengers and pilots
the boeing f/a-18f super hornet is a carrier-based multi-mission strike fighter that entered service with the united states navy (usn) in 1999. it is a larger and more advanced version of the night strike f/a-18c/d hornet. the super hornet prodvides the battle group commander with a platform that has range endurance and ordnance carriage capabilities comparable to those of the retired a-6 intruder. ordered from mcdonnell douglas by the usn in 1992 the super hornet first flew in november 1995. it is informally referred to as the rhino to distinguish it from earlier model legacy hornets. initial production began in 1995. flight testing started in 1996 and ended in 1999. testing involved 3 100 test flights covering 4 600 flight hours. the aircraft passed the navy s operational tests and evaluations in february 2000 and has replaced the a-6 intruder s-3 viking and ka-6d. the super hornet is capable of performing a broad spectrum of roles including day/night strikes with precision-guided weapons anti-air warfare fighter escort reconnaissance forward air control close air support suppression of enemy air defense (sead) maritime strike and air-to-air refueling. during operation iraqi freedom the super hornet flew close air support strike escort sead and aerial refueling roles. two f/a-18fs were forward deployed to uss abraham lincoln (cvn-72). on september 8 2006 an f/a-18f from the navy s strike fighter squadron 211 expended gbu-12 and gbu-38 bombs against taliban fighters and taliban fortifications west and northwest of kandahar. this was the first time the unit was in combat with the aircraft. by the end of 2010 five f/a-18f squadrons (along with five f/a-18e squadrons) will operate on aircraft carriers in the atlantic fleet area of responsibility.
the entire design used on the shield of the air force seal is taken from a heraldic representation of the roman mythological god of the heavens (jupiter) thunderbolt also termed jupiter`s thunderbolt. the symbolism incorporated in the great seal of the department of the air force has the predominant colors ultramarine blue and gold. these are the colors of the air force through transition from the air corps. while the 13 stars represent the thirteen original colonies of the united states. the grouping of three stars at the top of the design portrays the three departments of the national defense establishment army navy and air force. the crest includes the american bald eagle which is the symbol of the united states and air striking power. the cloud formation depicts the creation of a new firmament and the wreath composed of six alternate folds of silver and blue incorporate the colors of the basic shield design. the shield divided with the nebula line formation representing clouds is charged with the heraldic thunderbolt. the thunderbolt portrays striking power through the medium of air. the roman numerals beneath the shield indicate the year 1947 in which the department of the air force was established. on a band encircling the whole is the inscription "department of the air force" and "united states of america".
the ah-1g cobra was developed by bell featuring a new wide bladed rotor and slim fuselage that gave it twice the speed of the uh-1b or huey. the cobra aircraft is armed with 2.75 inch folding fin aerial rockets and a chin turret on the m28/m28a1 armament subsystem. the ah-1g cobra or snake was first set up on september 1967 in vietnam. the principal mission of the ah-1g was to give fire support to troop carrying hueys. during the vietnam war the ah-1g cobra was used in a lot of missions from armed escort and reconnaissance to fire suppression and aerial rocket artillery. the ah-1g cobra was always paired with an unarmed oh 6a cayuse loach or oh58a kiowa light observation helicopter or a uh-1h night hawk. the ah-1g cobra was also equipped with cobra night fire control system or confics and the southeast asia multi sensor armament subsystem for huey cobra or smash to provide the ah-1g with the capability of detecting identifying and targeting ground targets during day or night operations. the ah-1g is one of the high performance attack helicopters in history. some of the specifications of ah-1g cobra are as follows: for the crew the helicopter allows one pilot and one cpg; its length is 44 ff and 5 inches rotor diameter is 44 ft height is at 13 ft and 5 inches weight when empty is 6 073 pounds maximum take off weight is 9 500 pounds power plant is 1x avco lycoming t53l-13 turbo shaft and the rotor system has 2 blades.
the north american rockwell ov-10 bronco was a special aircraft for counter insurgency (coin) combat developed in response to a specification approved by the united states navy air force and army that was issued at the end of 1963. it is a fixed-wing turboprop-driven light attack and observation aircraft with mission capabilities that resemble that of a fast long-range and ultra-heavy attack helicopter. it can carry three tons of external munitions and loiter for more than three hours. the ov-10 is praised for its versatility redundancy high visibility cockpit rear cargo compartment and ease of maintenance. primarily a light attack and forward air controller aircraft it has also performed armed reconnaissance gunfire spotting and low-level aerial photography among many other roles. the specification in 1963 was based on a need for a new type of jungle fighting versatile light attack and observation aircraft. some requirements of the aircraft were tandem seating twin engines basic aerobatic ability and a capability of carrying at least 1 100 kg of cargo various armament and external weapons. eleven proposals were submitted from different companies and in august 1964 the north american rockwell design was selected. seven prototypes were produced and on july 16 1965 the first ov-10 took wing. the bronco was developed with much fanfare as a counter insurgency warplane. the ov-10 is a light and nimble aircraft that can fly close support. fac and light attack missions were also common duties for the bronco.
the first b-47e flew on 30 january 1953. four "blocks" or "phases" of the b-47e were built each incorporating refinements on the previous block and also sometimes featuring production changes within a block. older blocks were generally brought up to the specifications of later blocks as they were introduced. early production "b-47e-is" also known featured j47-ge-25 turbojets with 27 kn (5 970 lbf) thrust but they were quickly changed to j47-ge-25a engines which featured a significant improvement in the form of water-methanol injection. this was a scheme in which a water-methanol mix was dumped into the engines at takeoff increasing mass flow and so temporarily kicking the thrust up to 32 kn (7 200 lbf). methanol was apparently added to the water as an anti-freezing agent. the engines left a trail of black smoke behind them when water-methanol injection was on.
the lockheed p-38 lightning was a world war ii american fighter aircraft. the p-38 was used most extensively and successfully in the pacific theater of operations and the china-burma-india theater of operations where it was flown by the american pilots with the highest number of aerial victories to this date. america s top ace richard bong earned 40 victories (in a lightning he called marge) and thomas mcguire scored 38 (in pudgy). the p-38 lightning was designed in 1937 as a high-altitude interceptor. the p-38 was the only american fighter aircraft in active production throughout the duration of american involvement in the war from pearl harbor to vj day. the p-38 introduced a new dimension to american fighters - a second engine. the multi-engine configuration reduced the lightning loss rate to anti-aircraft gunfire during ground attack missions. as with any long-term production aircraft the p-38 underwent many modifications. the fastest of the modifications was the p-38j with a top speed of 420 mph and the version produced in the greatest quantity was the "l " of which 3 735 were built by lockheed and 113 by vultee. the p-38m was a two-seat radar-equipped night fighter a few of which had become operational before the war ended. the p-38 was the army s fastest and most heavily armed fighter. the concentration of firepower in the lightning s nose was so effective that a one-second burst could destroy an enemy plane. in the pacific theater lightning pilots downed more japanese aircraft than pilots flying any other allied plane. by the end of production in 1945 9 923 p-38s had been built. only 27 of the aircraft exist today.
the ah-64 apache is the united states army`s main attack helicopter. it conducts rear close and shaping missions as well as distributed operations and precision strikes against relocatable targets. it provides armed reconnaissance when required in day night obscured battlefield and adverse weather conditions. it was designed by hughes helicopters which in 1984 was purchased by mcdonnell douglas. in august 1997 mcdonnell douglas merged with boeing. the ah-64d variant is now being produced by boeing integrated defense systems. after the cancellation of the ah-56 cheyenne the us army sought an aircraft to fill the anti-armor attack role. it was to be better than the ah-1 cobra in firepower performance and range and have the maneuverability to fly nap-of-the-earth missions. hence the army issued a request for proposals for an advanced attack helicopter in 1972. five manufacturers submitted proposals and in 1973 the us department of defense selected bell and hughes as finalists. each company built prototypes which underwent a flight test program. after evaluating test results the army awarded the contract to hughes. in late 1981 the ah-64 was given the name apache in keeping with the army`s tradition of using native american tribal names for its helicopters. in 1983 the first production helicopter was rolled out. the ah-64 entered service in 1984 and was first used in combat during the 1989 us invasion of panama. the ah-64d apache longbow a more advanced model began service in 1998. both the ah-64a apache and the ah-64d apache longbow have played important roles in several middle eastern wars including the gulf war operation enduring freedom in afghanistan and operation iraqi freedom in iraq. the apaches proved to be excellent tank hunters and have destroyed hundreds of armored vehicles mainly of the iraqi army. the ah-64d has also been deployed in afghanistan as part of operation anaconda and from june 2003 in south korea. both the ah-64a and ah-64d are still in active service in the us army.
the f-117 black jet also known as the nighthawk was manufactured by lockheed martin. the f-117 was built to be used by the u.s air force. the u.s decided to develop a full-scale radar-evading fighter. the f-117 had its first flight in june 1981. the f-117a a black jet variant may look as if it were built for use by alien beings but it is actually flown by flesh-and-blood humans like capt. phil mcdaniel (above) a pilot with the 37th tactical fighter wing. any way you look at it the f-117a is an unusual aircraft. its design and development were also out of the ordinary. the f-117a is equipped with sophisticated navigation and attack systems integrated into a digital avionics suite. it carries no radar which lowers emissions and cross-section. it navigates primarily by gps and high-accuracy inertial navigation. missions are coordinated by an automated planning system that can automatically perform all aspects of a strike mission including weapons release. targets are acquired by a thermal imaging infrared system slaved to a laser that finds the range and designates targets for laser-guided bombs.
the liberty ships were cargo ships built in the united states during world war ii. they were british in conception but adapted by the usa cheap and quick to build and came to symbolize u.s. wartime industrial output. based on vessels ordered by britain to replace ships torpedoed by german u-boats they were purchased for the u.s. fleet and for lend-lease provision to britain. eighteen american shipyards built 2 751 liberties between 1941 and 1945 easily the largest number of ships produced to a single design.
the douglas sbd dauntless nicknamed "barge" "clunk" or "slow but deadly" and was the standard carrier-borne dive-bomber of the us navy from mid-1940 until november 1943 when the curtiss helldiver replaced it. the sbd was gradually phased out during 1944 and the 20 june 1944 strike against the japanese mobile fleet in the battle of the philippine sea was its last major action as a carrier-borne aircraft. total of nine douglas sbd-5 dauntless mk 1 were received by the fleet air arm under contract no. the first dauntless js997 was delivered from speke to the iad flight of the royal aircraft establishment (rae) in november 1943 where it carried out handling and dive bombsight tests (js997). the dauntless was subsequently equipped at wittering by 787 and 700 squadrons from july 1944 till february 1946. the sbd-5 model was the standard aircraft carrier based dive-bomber of the us navy from mid-1940 until november 1943 when it was replaced by the curtis sb2c helldiver. this model of sbd dauntless was considered obsolete even before the pacific war started and was supposed to be retired before pearl harbor occurred. needless to say this did not happen. the sbd went on to be one of the most famous dive bombers in existence (next to the stuka) and this was mostly due to extreme luck during the battle of midway.
the a340-300 is a long range widebody airliner. in march 1993 a340-300 entered service with air france and lufthansa. on october 25 1991 the initial version of the a340-300 had made its first flight. the a340-300 has the same fuselage length as the a330-300. it has a typical airline operating weight with 295 passengers and reserves 12 415 km. it has flight crew of two and has a typical three class accommodation for 303 or 335 in two classes. the a340-300 incorporates four 138.8 kn cfm international cfm56-5c or 145 kn cfm56-5c3 turbofans. in april 1996 the first a340-300es were delivered to singapore airlines.
the f-8 crusader is a single-engine aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft built by chance-vought and was a replacement for the vought f-7 cutlass. the first prototype of f-8 crusader flew on march 25 1995 manned by john konrad. during its maiden flight the f-8 exceeded the speed of sound. the f-8e was the last crusader variant produced. the f-8e is an air superiority fighter version for the french navy. there were 42 orders by the french navy for use aboard new carriers clemenceau and foch. the f-8e has a crew of 1. it has a maximum speed of mach 1.86 and a ferry range of 1 735 mi. it has four 20 mm colt mk 12 cannons in its lower fuselage and 125 rounds/gun. it has eight zuni rockets in four twin pods. it has four aim-9 sidewinder air-to-air missiles and two agm-12 bullpup air-to-ground guided missiles. it has an increased wing lift and an added boundary layer control system and enlarged stabilators. the primary users and operators of the f-8s are the united states navy united states marine corps french navy and the philippines.
the boeing kc-135 stratotanker is the only aerial refueling tanker and transport aircraft. the aircraft can also carry passengers or cargo as all the refueling equipment is below the main cabin deck. kc-135 made its first flight on august 17 1956. the kc-135 served in combat during the vietnam conflict and desert storm. it also provided refueling support for many operations both military and humanitarian such as operation restore hope in somalia. it has been in service with the u.s. air force since 1957 and still serves as the backbone of america s tanker fleet. the kc-135a variant first flew on august 31 1956 and the initial production stratotanker was delivered to castle air force base calif. in june 1957. the kc-135a entered service with the u.s. air force on 28 june 1957. the last kc-135 was delivered to the air force in 1965. of the original kc-135a s more than 410 have been modified with new cfm-56 engines produced by cfm-international. the re-engined tanker designated either the kc-135r or kc-135t can offload 50 percent more fuel is 25 percent more fuel efficient costs 25 percent less to operate and is 96 percent quieter than the kc-135a.
the mcdonnell douglas f/a-18 hornet is a twin-engine multimission and tactical aircraft designed for the offensive both ground and aerial targets. the f/a-18a entered service on september 13 1978 and its maiden flight was on november 18. the first production of f/a-18a flew on april 12 1980. the f/a-18 first saw combat action in april 1986 the time during operation prairie fire when vfa-131 hornets from uss coral sea flew sead missions against libyan air defenses. the aircraft has an m611a1 20-mm gun mounted inside the nose of the craft and carries up to 13 700 pounds of external ordinance and has nine weapon stations. the f/a-18 fulfills these assignments: fighter escort supression of enemy air defenses forward air control close air support and day and night strike missions. the f/a-18a has a maximum speed of 1 190 mph at 40 000 ft. and has a ferry range of 2 070 mi. the f/a-18 utilizes various systems and technologies to minimize the likelihood of detection. it has an apg-73 with increased speed and memory capacity. it also has a laser target designator/ranger which enables it to deliver precision laser-guided bombs accurately. in 2001 four f/a-18a aircrafts were deployed to diego garcia during coalition operations against the taliban in afghanistan. the f/a-18 has been deployed by the armed services to the united states (navy an marines) canada australia spain kuwait finland switzerland and malaysia.
the f-4 phantom ii is a fighter-bomber manufactured by mcdonnell aircraft and was originally developed for the us navy. the phantom was used extensively in the vietnam war and was utilized for ground-attack and reconnaissance roles. the initial f4h-1 (later f-4b) entered service in 1961. the usaf evaluated it for close air support interdiction and counter-air operations. operational squadrons flew navy f-4bs until the late 1960s. during the early 1970s 228 f-4bs were upgraded as f-4n under project bee line. the primary users and operators of the phantom are the united states air force united states navy and the united states marine corps. there are several number of f-4 phantom iis on display in the usa and worldwide. as of 2001 there are 744 active in non-us service and as drones.
the c-130 hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. over 40 models and variants of the hercules serve with more than 50 nations. in december 2006 the c-130 became the fourth aircraft (after the english electric canberra in may 2001 b-52 stratofortress in january 2005 and the tupolev tu-95 in january 2006) to mark 50 years of continuous use with its original primary customer the united states air force (usaf). the c-130 is capable of short takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways. the c-130 was originally designed as a troop medical evacuation and cargo transport aircraft. the versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles including as a gunship and for airborne assault search and rescue scientific research support weather reconnaissance aerial refuelling and aerial firefighting. the c-130h model has updated allison t56-a-15 turboprops a redesigned outer wing updated avionics and other minor improvements. later h models had a new fatigue-life-improved center wing that was retro-fitted to many earlier h-models. the h model remains in widespread use with the us air force (usaf) and many foreign air forces. initial deliveries began in 1964 (to the rnzaf) remaining in production until 1996. an improved c-130h was introduced in 1974.
the os2u kingfisher manufactured by vought was the u.s. navy s first catapult-launched monoplane observation floatplane. the os2u first flew on march 1 1938. the os2u was a compact mid-wing monoplane with a big central float and small stabilizing floats. performance was modest because of its light engine. the os2u could also operate on fixed wheeled taildragger landing gear. the os2u came in both float and land-based configurations and served as observer aircraft anti-submarine aircraft and rescue aircraft. the kingfisher s most important role during the war was as rescuer of downed aviators and was second only to the pby catalina in this job. on november 11 1942 a kingfisher known as "the bug" which had survived the attack on pearl harbor - rescued captain eddie rickenbacker and the crew of the b-17 he was with after they crashed in the pacific and survived 28 days in life rafts. after rescuing pilot capt. w.t. cherry and four others on november 11 "the bug" found rickenbacker s raft the next day. unable to fly all three survivors back at one go lt. william f. eadie the pilot taxied the airplane 40 miles through the open sea with rickenbacker and one crewman lashed to the wings while the most seriously-ill survivor was stuffed in the rear seat on the lap of arm1 l.h. boutte the crewman. "the bug" survived this mission and continued to fly throughout the war.
the fokker triplane is among the best known of the ww i german fighters. it was while flying the triplane that the top-scoring fighter pilot of the war manfred von richthofen ("the red barron") met his death. in august 1917 the first made fokker aircrafts were brought to jagdgeschwader i. it was led by manfred von richtonfen. he destroyed a british r.e. 8 in september 1 1917 when he made his first kill.
the f-16 fighting falcon is a compact single-engined jet fighter aircraft manufactured by general dynamics and later lockheed martin for the united states air force (usaf). though designed as a lightweight fighter it has evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. it is highly maneuverable and has proven its worth in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. the falcon is the largest western fighter program with over 4 000 aircraft built since its production in 1976. though no longer produced for the air force it is still being made for export. its relatively low cost and high performance has made it popular in the united states and allied nations serving a total of 24 countries. usaf pilots gave the f-16 the unofficial nickname of viper in homage to the fictional battlestar galactica starfighter. from the very beginning the falcon was intended to be a cost-effective workhorse that could perform various missions. advanced aerospace science and proven reliable systems from other planes such as the f-15 and f-111 were integrated into the f-16. these simplified the aircraft and reduced its size weight purchase price and maintenance costs. other innovations include a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility a side-mounted control stick to ease control while under high g-forces and a reclined seat to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot. the f-16 has excellent acceleration being one of the few jets with a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one. it can also be armed with a wide variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles rockets or bombs. an all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions.
the northrop grumman b-2 spirit is a multi-role stealth heavy bomber capable of deploying both conventional and nuclear weapons. it is operated exclusively by the united states air force. the b-2 spirit or stealth bomber was developed and built by an industry team consisting of northrop grumman boeing and vought aircraft industries. the b-2 started life as a black project known as the high altitude penetrating bomber (hapb) then became the advanced technology bomber (atb) and later became the b-2 spirit. the b-2s primary mission is to attack time-critical targets early in a conflict to minimize an enemy s war-making potential. the b-2 bomber aircraft features incorporates advanced designs and technologies that make unprecedented use of composite materials product assembly and finishing that meet extraordinary tolerances and quality standards and it doesn t use development tooling since it incorporates final production tooling implemented directly from the computer-aided design (cad) system. the first b-2 was publicly displayed on november 22 1988 when it was rolled out of its hangar at air force plant 42 palmdale california where it was built. its first public flight was on july 17 1989. in 1991 the usaf and b-2 industry team received the collier trophy. it will be unlikely that any b-2 will be placed on permanent display in the future (or anytime before airtime retirement).
the c-47 skytrain is a military transport based and developed from the dc-3 and was used extensively in world war ii. it was manufactured by douglas aircraft company. the c-47 has proven itself for the success of many allied campaigns including guadalcanal new guinea and burma with its ability to counter the mobility of the light-traveling japanese army. the c-47s were also used to airlift supplies to the embattled american forces during the battle of bastogne. the c-47 became notable for flying the hump from india into china. from 1946 to 1947 the c-47s saw service with the usaf strategic air command. the c-47 was also used by the americans during the initial stages of the berlin airlift and subsequently it was replaced by the c-54. the c-47 also played various roles including the ac-47 gunships and the ec-47 for counterintelligence during the vietnam war. the c-47 was also acquired by the royal canadian air force for search and rescue operations in 1940-1950. the c-47a is a variant of the c-47 with a 24-volt electrical system and there were 5 254 c-47as built. the primary users of the c-47 are the u.s. army air force u.s. air force and royal air force.
produced by gulfstream aerospace the gulfstream iv or g-iv is a high altitude high speed private jet aircraft. it is a holder of more than 70 world records including both eastbound and westbound around-the-world speed records. it has met the air transportation needs of corporations governments heads of states private individuals and air charter companies around the world. in 1990 gulfstream ceo allen e. paulson and a gulfstream flight crew set 35 international records with the g-iv. design work on the g-iv began in early 1983 with the first of four production prototypes making the type s first flight on september 19 1985. the g-iv is a significantly improved and more advanced version of the gulfstream iii. the most notable improvements are the twin rolls-royce tay engines which enable the aircraft to fly up to 4 350 nautical miles. other changes include a stretched fuselage aerodynamically and structurally improved wings greater fuel capacity and range increased span tailplane and an advanced avionics suite with six color crt displays. the g-iv has a large cabin and can land on runways that are too short to accommodate commercial aircraft. it has a dispatch reliability rate of 99.66 percent making it the most dependable in its class. the military variant of the g-iv designated c-20f/g/h/j gulfstream iv in department of defense service may be configured for cargo operations passenger operations or combinations of both. a hydraulically-operated cargo door is installed on the starboard side of the aircraft and a ball roller cargo floor is capable of accommodating palletized cargo.
the japanese a6m zero is the most famous japanese helicopter aircraft from the second world war. its code name is zeke. the japanese a6m was built as a land-based carrier borne and a seaplane. the japanese a6m zero is indeed an excellent helicopter. the japanese a6m aircraft was designed by mitsubishi it first flew on april 1 1939. in addition to this mitsubishi and nakajima built 10 937 japanese a6m zero helicopters. the zeros are said to be the best fighters of japan during ww ii. they were the ones who spearheaded the advances from pearl harbor to the battle of midway where japan lost a number of pilots and planes. a combination of admirable maneuverability and very long range made the japanese a6m zero one of the supreme fighters of its era. the japanese a6m zero is armed with various guns but the common set up is: two 20mm cannons in outer wings and two 12.7 mm guns in the fuselage. the japanese a6m is very noteworthy for being the first carrier based fighter to outperform its land based equivalents. the japanese a6m zero achieved a famous reputation which was a lot better than its contemporaries. the japanese a6m zeros first variant a6m1 which is powered by a 780-hp was first flown on april 1 1939. the second one was the a6m2 which is powered by a 925-hp nakajima sakae engine. other variants are as follows: the a6m2-k which is a two seat trainer the a6m2-n which is a nakajima built float plane version and the a6m5 which is a performance increased version.
the lockheed l-1011 tristar was the main competitor to mcdonnell douglas dc-10 having a wide-body high capacity tri-jets for medium to long haul routes. the l-1011 project was launched in 1968. in 1972 l-1011 entered service with twa and eastern airlines. the initial version of the tristar was the l-1011-1 which was the most-built variant. it has a greater fuel capacity and incorporates -200 more powerful engines. the l-1011 has a typical two-class seating of 256 and a range of 5 752 km. there were many civilian operators of the tristar including aer lingus aeroperu air atlanta icelandic air canada air france air luxor air lanka all nippon airways arrow air ata airlines british airways and many more. most major airlines retired the l-1011 from their fleets. twa withdrew its last tristar from service in 1997. the tristar was also used as a military tanker and passenger/cargo aircraft. royal air force has nine aircraft of four variants the l-1011 was to be the last passenger airliner and in 1983 production ended. many tristars were converted for improved performance.
the sopwith camel is remembered as the most successful british single seat fighter of ww i and is credited with 1 294 kills. it was capt. roy brown of the raf flying a camel that shot down the red baron in a dogfight over the fields of france in 1918. the sopwith camel was manufactured by sir thomas o.m. sopwith and his sopwith aviation company in 1916. the aircraft was designed by herbert smith. the camel was the first british fighter plane to be equipped with two fixed synchronized forward vickers machine guns. the sopwith camel is remembered as the most successful british single seat fighter of ww i and is credited with 1 294 kills. the sopwith camel ww i fighter was created as replacement for the sopwith pup. the aircraft prototype first flew in december 1916 powered by a 110 hp clerget 9z. it is also called the "big pup" during its early development. a fairing surrounding the gun installation created a hump that led to the figure camel. on may 1917 the sopwith camel arrived in the western front and went into action after two months. the aircraft quickly reached the reputation as a deadly trench-strafer. with its fixed guns pointing downwards through the floor of the fuselage it could rake enemy troops with fire while flying fast and level above their trenches.
the hawker 800 is a mid-size twin-engine corporate aircraft which was originally designed and manufactured by british aerospace and is currently manufactured by hawker beechcraft. the hawker 800xp business jet is derived from the uk-built de havilland/hawker siddely and british aerospace 125 which was first built in 1962. in 1993 raytheon purchased the series 800 program and acquired the name hawker 800. a number of hawker 800xp are in raytheon s fractional ownership company s fleet flight options llc along with beechjet and kingair b200 aircraft. there s a military version of the hawker 800 used in south korea for tactical reconnaissance surveillance and sigint (signals intelligence) tasks and there were 8 specially-equipped aircraft delivered in 2000. the search and rescue version of the hawker 800 was used by japan and has a large observation windows a flare and marker-buoy dispenser system life-raft and emergency equipment dropping system and enhanced salt water corrosion prevention. the aircraft also incorporates a toshiba 360-degree search radar melco thermal imaging equipment and other military communications equipment for its mission. the hawker 800xp has long range capabilities and has the largest cabins in the midsize jet category. its combination of speed comfort and cabin size makes it one of the most popular business jets around. it has a typical seating of 8-10 passengers and has a maximum seating configuration of 13 pax. it has a maximum cruise speed of 451 ktas and a range with maximum pax of 2 330 nm. the hawker 800xp is made up of all-metal construction having a low sweptback one-piece wings a high tailplane and incorporates rearmounted engines. in november 2005 hawker 850xp was introduced by hawker which became the successor to the hawker 800xpi.
the citation s/ii is a light corporate jet manufactured by cessna. upon the arrival of the citation s/ii major improvements were made to its design. citation s/ii first flew on february 14 1984 and certification was granted including an exemption for single pilot operation. the improvements were mainly aerodynamic including a new wing design using supercritical technology developed for the citation iii and it incorporates two 11.1 kn pratt & whitney canada jt15d4b turbofans. the citation s/ii has a flightcrew of two. the citation s/ii has a maximum cruising speed of 743 km/h. in 1984 the citation s/ii initially replaced the citation ii.
the north american aviation p-51 mustang is a long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that served with allied forces in the middle years of world war ii becoming one of the conflict`s most effective and recognizable aircraft. the p-51 flew most of its wartime missions as a bomber escort in raids over germany to help ensure allied air superiority from early 1944. in late 1939 with the likelihood of full scale war in europe a major concern the british royal air force (raf) was looking for methods of quickly increasing its fighter strength. in april 1940 the british air purchasing commission approached north american aviation with the intent of having them build p-40s for the raf. since the p-40 design went back to 1933 james h. dutch kendelberger president of north american offered to build an entirely new advanced fighter. as well as being economical to produce the mustang was a fast well-made and highly durable aircraft. the british agreed and the p-51 took its maiden flight on october 26 1940. the p-51d variant is considered the definitive mustang. ordered in 1943 it had a bubble canopy which provided the pilot with a valuable all-around view. it was also fitted with additional armament. the p-51d became the most widely produced version. between 1941 and 1945 the us army air force ordered 14 855 aircraft 7 956 of which were p-51ds. during the korean war the p-51d was used primarily for close support of ground forces until withdrawn from combat in1953.
the sunderland s.25 was a flying boat patrol bomber developed for the royal air force by short brothers based on their successful s.23 empire flying boats the flagship of imperial airways. first flew on october 16 1937. the sunderland flying boat was constructed using metal except for most of its control surfaces which are made of metal frames and covered with fabric. in 1941 it was fitted with asv mark ii radar or anti-surface vessel. this was a radar system with primitive low-frequency that operates at a wavelength of 1.5m. the sunderland continued being in the service even after world war ii. in 1948 during the berlin airlift the aircraft sunderland shipped food to the british sector landing on lake havel. they also used it in maritime patrols over yellow sea in the korean war and it had a counterinsurgency role during the british war against the malayan guerrillas. in 1954 the raf started to phase out the sunderland flying boat. but before that the sunderland helped supply the british greenland expedition from 1951 to 1954. however in 1951 19 sunderlands were reconditioned in belfast for the aeronavale french naval air arm. another 16 sunderlands were reconditioned this time in england for the royal new zealand air force or rnzaf. in 1960 the lockheed p-3c orion maritime patrol aircraft replaced the sunderlands for aeronavale and rnzaf. and in 1958 avro shackletons replaced a number of sunderlands operated by the south african air force. as of today a sandringham owned by kermit weeks a well-known american warbird collector is still flying. today they are doing their best to get more sunderlands and put it back up in the air.
the grumman hu-16 albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat. originally designated sa-16 it was renamed hu-16 in 1962. the albatross was designed to be able to land at sea in open ocean situations in order to effect the rescue of downed pilots. its deep-v cross-section and substantial length helped make it possible for it to land in wavy conditions. since it weighs over 12 500 pounds pilots must have a type rating in order to act as pilot or co-pilot on board the albatross. there is a yearly albatross fly-in at boulder city nevada where albatross pilots can renew their type ratings.
the north american t-2c buckeye is a tandem-seat carrier-capable all-purpose jet trainer. it is used for intermediate and advanced training for us navy and marine corps pilots and naval flight officers in training for jet carrier aviation and tactical strike missions. it is the navy s intermediate training aircraft introducing student naval aviators to jets. the name buckeye refers to the state tree of ohio as well as the mascot of ohio state university. designed in the mid 1950s to use proven technologies wherever possible the buckeye shares its wing with the fj-1 fury one of the navy s earliest jet fighters. the tandem cockpit arrangement and slightly elevated rear cockpit gives the instructor good forward visibility over the student. both cockpits are equipped with zero-level ejection seats. for armament training the aircraft is equipped with underwing strong points to carry bombs rockets or gun pods as well as an arresting hook for carrier landings. all t-2 buckeyes were manufactured by north american at air force plant 85 located just south of port columbus airport in columbus ohio. a total of 273 aircraft were built during its production run. originally designed with a single engine the t 2c variant which entered fleet service in 1968 has two. most t-2cs have been replaced by the t-45 goshawk. some however remain in service around the fleet in various roles as well as at the naval test pilots school at nas patuxent river maryland. more recently the t-2 has been used as a director aircraft for aerial drones.
the mcdonnell douglas av-8b harrier ii is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing jet multirole aircraft of the late 20th century. developed from the earlier hawker siddeley harriers it is primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks typically operated from small aircraft carriers. versions are used by several nato countries including the united kingdom spain italy and the united states. though it shares the designation letter number with the earlier av-8a harrier the av-8b harrier ii was extensively redesigned by mcdonnell douglas. both models are commonly referred to as the harrier jump-jet. the av8b had its direct origins in a joint british-us project (hawker-siddeley and mcdonnell douglas) for a much-improved harrier aircraft the av-16. however the british later pulled out of the program. using things learned from av-16 development mcdonnell continued the development work which lead to the av-8b for the us marine corps. the aircraft was centered on the marines need for a light ground attack airplane and focused on payload and range as opposed to speed. the first harrier iis produced were commonly known as the day attack variant and are no longer in service. most were upgraded to night attack harrier or harrier ii plus standards with the remainder being withdrawn from service. several variants of the harrier are used by four countries military forces: the united kingdom the united states spain and italy. the us marine corps has operated the av-8b since 1985.
the boeing 767-300 is lengthened 767 ordered by japan airlines (jal) in 1983. it first flew on january 14 1986 and was delivered to jal on september 25. the 767-300 is expected to be replaced by the 787-3 in boeng s lineup. the 767-300er is the extended-range version of the -300. the 767-300 flew for the first time on january 30 1986 and was awarded certification and entered service in september that year. the higher weight extendedrange er version flew on december 19 1986. the range of the 767-300er has proven to be popular with a number of airlines using them for long range low density flights. in 1993 boeing launched the 767-300f general market freighter. changes include strengthened undercarriage and wing structure a cargo handling system no cabin windows and a main deckfreight door. capacity is 24 containers. the further stretched 767-400 is described separately.
the dc-3 the classic airliner and american airlines that ordered it are responsible for the spectacular growth of air travel. the dc-3 is a superior aircraft and its introduction by american airlines marked the new beginning of a new era in passenger aviation. in november 1936 the united airlines a subsidiary of boeing became the second dc-3 customer. initial orders from american and united airlines were soon followed by other orders from 30 airlines in the next two years. the dc-3 is universally known as one of the greatest airplanes of all time. the dc-3 is not only comfortable and reliable but it also made air transportation profitable. it also has proven to be tough flexible and easy to operate and maintain. currently hundreds of dc-3s are still operational and in flying condition.
the usaf rc-135v/w rivet joint surveillance aircraft are equipped with an extensive array of sophisticated intelligence gathering equipment enabling military specialists to monitor the electronic activity of adversaries. also known as "rj" the aircraft are sometimes called "hogs" due to the extended "hog nose" and "hog cheeks". rivet joint has been widely used in the 1990 s -- during desert storm the occupation of haiti and most recently over bosnia. using automated and manual equipment electronic and intelligence specialists can precisely locate record and analyse much of what is being done in the electromagnetic spectrum. the fleet of 14 rivet joint aircraft increased to 15 in late 1999 with the addition of a converted c-135b. the jet s conversion cost about $90 million. the rivet joint fleet is currently undergoing significant airframe navigational and powerplant upgrades which include re-engining from the tf-33 to the cfm-56 engines used on the kc-135r and upgrade of the flight deck instrumentation and navigational systems to the amp standard. the amp standard includes conversion from analog readouts to a digital glass cockpit configuration. the air force plans to spend at least $1.4 billion to keep the rc-135 rivet joint (rj) fleet flying through 2018. the service also plans to modify a recently retired air national guard kc-135 tanker turning it into the air forces 17th rj signals-intelligence aircraft.
the x-4 bantam is an aircraft designed and built by northtop aircraft inc for naca (now nasa). it is a single-place low swept-wing and semi-tailless and had no horizontal tail surfaces. the x-4 emphasizes the importance of tail surfaces for proper control effectiveness in the transonic speed range and was also used to investigate the characteristic problems of tailless airplanes at low speeds such as marginal longitudinal stability and control. the x-4 bantam s mission was to obtain in-flight data on the stability and control of semi-tailless aircraft at high subsonic speeds. x-4 bantam s maiden flight was on december 16 1948 piloted by charles tucker. the x-4 is powered by two westinghouse xj-30 turbojet engines with 1 600 lb of thrust each boosting the x-4 s speed up to 620 mph and up to altitudes of 40 000 ft. the northrop x-4 bantam was a small twin-jet airplane that had no horizontal tail surfaces depending instead on combined elevator and aileron control surfaces for control in pitch and roll attitudes. the first x-4 was delivered to muroc air force base california in november 1948. it underwent taxi tests and made its first flight on december 15 1948. however it turned out to be mechanically unreliable and made only ten flights. the second x4 proved far more reliable. both aircraft were later turned over to the us air force and the national advisory committee for aeronautics. the final project for the x-4 took place on september 29 1953. the first x 4 was then transferred to the united states air force academy colorado springs colorado before being returned to edwards air force base. the second x-4 went to the national museum of the united states air force at wright-patterson air force base near dayton ohio where it remains on display.
the lockheed p2v neptune was a naval patrol bomber and anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the united states navy (usn) between 1947 and 1978. it replaced the pv-1 ventura and the pv-2 harpoon and was successful in export seeing service with several armed forces around the world. development of the neptune began early in world war ii but was considered a low priority compared to other aircraft in development at that time. it was not until 1944 that the program went into full swing. the first aircraft flew in 1945. production began in 1946 and the p2v was accepted into service in 1947. a major factor in the design of the aircraft was ease of manufacture and maintenance and this can be said to have played an important role in the p2v s long career and worldwide success. it was one of the first aircraft to be fitted in operational service with both piston and jet engines. the p2v-5 which first flew on december 29 1950 was the most produced variant of the neptune. the p2v-5 replaced the nose cone with a turret. it was mounted with an aps-20 radar and had enlarged wing tip fuel tanks. the aircraft was capable of carrying an 8 000 lb load of mines torpedoes bombs or depth charges and rockets. in addition to the us navy the p2v-5 served the military needs of argentina australia brazil great britain the netherlands and portugal. during the vietnam war the neptune was used by the usn as a gunship and patrol airplane. under the argentine navy the aircraft was used extensively during the 1978 beagle conflict a border dispute between argentina and chile over the possession of the picton lennox and nueva islands and sea located south of tierra del fuego. during the falklands war in 1982 the last two neptunes in service played a key role of reconnaissance and aiding dassault-breguet super +tendard aircraft particularly on may 4 against hms sheffield. the lack of spare parts caused by the us having enacted an arms embargo in 1977 due to the dirty war led to the neptune s retirement before the end of the conflict.
the texan remains a favorite trainer aircraft among warbird collectors around the world. texans are manufactured by north american aviation for training fighter pilots of the united states army air forces united states navy royal air force and other air forces of the british commonwealth during world war ii. the t-6 is has many designations depending on the model and operating air force and the usaac called it as t-6. the first at-6 built was in 1938. it incorporates a pratt & whitney r-1340-an-1 wasp radial engine w/600 h.p. the at-6 is fitted with a single fixed .30 cal. machine gun used for basic aerial and air-to-ground gunnery training. the at-6g has a crew of two a student and an instructor. it has a maximum speed of 208 mph at 5 000 ft and a range of 730 miles. ever since world war ii the t-6 has been a regular participant at air shows and was featured in many movies. there are over 15 000 at-6 s built with over 1 200 still in existence.
the 747 family is one of the most popular family of aircraft and was the first wide-body commercial airliner produced. the 747-200 variantincorporates more powerful engines higher takeoff weights (mtow) and range than the 747-100. there were several 747-200 versions produced. introduced in 1971 and further improved over successive years the 747-200 has higher thrust and weight-lifting capability than the 747-100 allowing it to fly further. a sub-variant is unofficially called the 747-200m and is a "combi" aircraft that can carry both at the same time. like the 100 many 200s have been given a new lease on life as freight aircraft. there s a total of 393 747-200 versions built when production ended in 1991. currently there are still many 747-200s still in operation although most large carriers have retired the 747-200s from their fleets and were sold to smaller operators. following the september 11th attacks large carriers have speeded up fleet retirement and some 747-200s were either scrapped or turned into freighters.
the airbus a320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger airliner manufactured by airbus. the a320 was first delivered in 1988 and it uses digital fly-by-wire flight control systems. at that time the american west airlines was experiencing financial troubles due to the rapid growth of the airlines which resulted in large operating losses. during 1986 the company was in the verge of bankruptcy. in 1990 the american west airlines moved into the new terminal 4 and also took the delivery of several airbus a320 aircraft that were destined for the now defunct braniff airways. the a320s were sold to america west at a steep discount. the america west airlines continued to lose money and operated in bankruptcy from 1991 to 1994. the company resorted to organizational restructuring and the bankruptcy also forced a number of changes on the management aspect. the american west continued ordering airbus a320 and gradually started retiring its older boeing 737-200 aircraft. the most notable contribution of the a320 airliner is that it was the best selling member among the family. the a320 features a computerised on-board maintenance system. it also features a wider single-aisle cabin and larger overhead bins. the a320 airliners and other variants (a318 a319 and a321) incorporate lcd (liquid crystal display) units in the flight deck instead of the original crt (cathode ray tube) displays. there are over 3 000 a320 airliners built making it the second best selling jet airliner family of all time.
when the united states navy (usn) set out to replace the piston-engined world war ii-era a-1 skyraider the new attack aircraft needed to be all-weather and carrier-based. in 1957 the contract was awarded to grumman and the twin-engined a-6 intruder was developed. the prototype made its first flight on april 19 1960. the intruder s career began in 1963 and would carry on for 34 more years. the a-6 was capable of low-level flying in all weather conditions and its wings were very efficient at subsonic speeds. the aircraft s large blunt nose and slender tail earned it a string of nicknames including double ugly the mighty alpha six iron tadpol drumstick and pregnant guppy. the intruder was redesignated a-6a in the fall of 1962 and entered squadron service in february 1963. the a-6 became the navy s and marine corps principal medium and all-weather/night attack aircraft from the mid-1960s until the 1990s. the intruder first saw combat during the vietnam war where it was used extensively against targets in vietnam. the aircraft s ability to fly in any weather condition long range and heavy payload of 8 170 kg made it invaluable during the war. however its effectiveness in flying low and delivering its payload made it especially vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. in the eight years that the a-6 was used during the war the usn and usmc (united states marine corps) lost 84 aircraft to all causes. ten were shot down by surface-to-air missiles 2 were destroyed by red chinese shenyang j-6s 16 were lost to operational causes and the remaining 56 were lost to conventional ground fire and anti-aircraft artillery.
the spad s. xiii is a french biplane fighter aircraft of world war ii developed from the earlier highly successful spad s. vii. the s. vii had been surpassed by the latest german scouts. spad designer louis bechereau initially produced the s. xii though it had limited success which eventually led to the development of the s. xiii. the spad xiii s maiden flight was on april 4 1917 and was delivered the following month to the french air service. the spad xiii was flown by famous french fighter pilots such as georges guynemer and rene fonck. italy s francesco baracca and the united states army air service s eddie rickenbacker also became leading aces with 34 and 26 confirmed victories respectively. the spad xiii differed form its predecessor since it incorporates a number of aerodynamic and other refinements including a more powerful hispano-suiza engine and a second vickers .303-cal. machine gun for added firepower. the improvements greatly increased its flight and combat performance. it was also faster than its main contemporaries. the spad xiii has a maximum speed of 218 km/h and has an armament of 2 x .303-cal. (7.7-mm) vickers machine guns. the spad xiii was one of the most capable fighters of the war and one of the most produced. there were 8 472 built and orders for around 10 000 more cancelled at the armistice.
the junkers ju 52 was a transport type of aircraft manufactured by junkers. it was also a bomber nicknamed auntie ju. its maiden flight was on the 13th of october 1930 and was introduced commercially in 1931. its primary users are luftwaffe spain and france. it flew with other air carriers as an airliner and freight hauler. junkers ju 52 auntie ju also flew in military role with luftwaffe as a troop a cargo transport and a medium bomber. ju 52 was still active with swiss air force until early 1980s. the ju 52 was designed by ernst zindel with his team at the junkers located at dessau in 1930. the ju 52/3m g7e allows only three flight crew and that includes two pilots and a radio operator. it has a capacity for passengers of 18 troops or 12 litter patients. it has a length of 18.90 meter; wingspan of 29.25 meter; height of 4.5 meter; wing area of 110.5 square meters; weight of 6 510 kilogram when empty and 9 200 kilogram as max takeoff weight. it was powered by 3x bmw 132t radial engines 533 kw (715 hp) each. the ju 52 has a maximum speed of 265 km/h; service ceiling of 5 490 meter; and rate of climb 17 minutes to 3 050 meter. it got 1x 13 mm mg 131 machine gun in a dorsal position; 2x 7.92 mm mg 15 machine guns; and up to 455 kilogram of bombs.
the pt-17 "kaydet" built by stearman was typical of the biplane primary trainer used during the late 1930 s and world war ii. whereas it was powered by a continental engine the same airplane with a lycoming engine was designated the pt-13 and with a jacobs engine the pt-18. a later version which featured a cockpit canopy was designated the pt-27. 10 346 kaydets were ordered for the u.s. and its allies. following world war ii the kaydet was phased out in favor of more modern trainers. the boeing airplane company purchased the stearman company in 1938.
the 737-200 is based on the 737-100 with an extended fuselage. in 1965 737-200 was launched by united airlines and it entered service in 1968. the 737-200 advanced is an improved version of the -200 and was introduced in may 20 1971 by all nippon airways. the aircraft has improved aerodynamics automatic wheel brakes more powerful engines more fuel capacity and longer range than the -200. boeing 737-200c allows conversion between passenger and cargo use and the 737-200qc facilitates rapid conversion between roles. the last delivery of the -200 series aircraft was in august 1988. there were many 737-200s still in service mostly with "second tier" airlines and those of developing nations. there were 19 737-200s converted to trainer aircraft for navigators of the us air force designated as t-43. some were modified into ct-43s used to transport passengers and the first one was delivered on july 31 1973 and the last on july 19 1974. the indonesian air force ordered three modified 73-200s designated as boeing 737-2x9 surveiller and they were used as maritime reconnaissance (mpa)/transport aircraft fitted with slammar (side-looking multi-mission airborne radar) and were delivered between may 1982 and october 1983.
the usaf rc-135v/w rivet joint surveillance aircraft are equipped with an extensive array of sophisticated intelligence gathering equipment enabling military specialists to monitor the electronic activity of adversaries. also known as "rj" the aircraft are sometimes called "hogs" due to the extended "hog nose" and "hog cheeks". rivet joint has been widely used in the 1990`s -- during desert storm the occupation of haiti and most recently over bosnia. using automated and manual equipment electronic and intelligence specialists can precisely locate record and analyse much of what is being done in the electromagnetic spectrum. the fleet of 14 rivet joint aircraft increased to 15 in late 1999 with the addition of a converted c-135b. the jet`s conversion cost about $90 million. the rivet joint fleet is currently undergoing significant airframe navigational and powerplant upgrades which include re-engining from the tf-33 to the cfm-56 engines used on the kc-135r and upgrade of the flight deck instrumentation and navigational systems to the amp standard. the amp standard includes conversion from analog readouts to a digital glass cockpit configuration. the air force plans to spend at least $1.4 billion to keep the rc-135 rivet joint (rj) fleet flying through 2018. the service also plans to modify a recently retired air national guard kc-135 tanker turning it into the air forces 17th rj signals-intelligence aircraft.
the a330-300 is the largest member of the twin-engine a330 series. the airbus a330-300 was developed as a replacement for the a300. it entered service in 1993. the a330-300 has a seating capacity of 295 passengers in a three class cabin. it is incorporates two pratt & whitney pw4000 or rolls-royce trent 700 engines. it has a maximum cruise speed of mach 0.86 and a range of 5 669 nm. the a330-300 offers the best balance for range and cost. it s highly efficient and optimized for medium-to-extended-range market.
the boeing 757 is an american short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by boeing commercial airplanes. it was launched by eastern air lines and british airways to replace the boeing 727 and entered service in 1983. production of the 757 ended on october 28 2004 after 1 050 had been built. the first boeing 757 was delivered to eastern air lines on 22 december 1982. the boeing 757 maintains competitive economics with newer short haul aircraft like the boeing 737 and airbus a320 product lines following the trend of larger aircraft having lower seat/mile cost. while the program was a resounding financial success sales dwindled during the late 1990s eventually forcing boeing to cease production. in the short term the b757-200 has been succeeded by the 737-900er. there are several variants of the 757. the b757-200 was the original. the boeing 757 is a twin-engine short-to-medium-range jetliner incorporating advanced technology for exceptional fuel efficiency low noise levels increased passenger comfort and top operating performance. the boeing 757 offers other virtues as well including great versatility by reducing airport congest
the c-40b was built for the u.s. air force as a military version of the boeing 737-700 boeing business jet. the aircraft was created to replace the aging fleet of the c-137 aircraft for u.s. combatant commanders and other government leaders. the air force awarded the medium lift contract in august 2000. the 89th airlift wing acquired its first c-40b aircraft in december 2002. the aircraft is based in andrews air force base maryland. the 15th airlift wing hickam afb hawaii acquired its c-40b for u.s. pacific command in february 2003. the c-40b is created to be an "office in the sky" for senior military and government officials. the c-40bs are equipped with the connexion by boeing system providing secure in-flight broadband connectivity -- data/video transmit and receive capability -- to enhance communications productivity and security. this gives u.s. military officials the ability to conduct business anywhere around the world by using on-board internet and local area network connections telephones satellites television monitors facsimile and copy machines. the c-40b has a computer-based passenger data system.
the seawolf class attack submarine (ssn) was the intended successor to the los angeles class ordered at the end of the cold war in 1989. at one time an intended fleet of 29 submarines was to be built over a ten-year period later reduced to twelve. the end of the cold war and budget constraints led to the fleet being canceled at three boats in 1995 and led to the design of the smaller virginia class. they are quieter than the previous los angeles class submarines larger faster have twice as many torpedo tubes for a total of 8 and carry more weapons but were also much more expensive. they were intended to combat the then-threat of large numbers of advanced soviet ballistic-missile submarines in deep ocean such as the typhoon class and to reply to the new soviet akula class attack submarines. they were built using hy-100 steel rather than hy-80 steel which is what previous classes had used. however they also have extensive equipment for shallow-water operations including a floodable silo capable of deploying eight combat swimmers and their equipment at once. the boats can also carry up to 50 ugm-109 tomahawk cruise missiles for attacking land and shipping targets.
the v-2 rocket was the first ballistic missile and the first man-made object to achieve sub-orbital spaceflight. the first v-2 rocket to reach operational status was batterie 444 and on september 2 1944 they formed up to launch attacks on paris and eventually set up in houffalize in belgium. there were hundreds of v-2s launched that blew up in mid-flight and never made it into allied statistics. on march 27 1945 the last british civilian killed was mrs. ivy millichamp 34 in her home in elm grove orpington and an estimated 2 754 were killed in london by v-2 attacks with another 6 523 injured which is just two people killed per v-2 rocket. the v-2 despite being one of the most advanced weapons in wwii it was militarily ineffective as it lacks a proximity fuse so it couldn t be set for air burst. the v-2s undeniable value despite its over-all ineffectiveness was in its novelty as a weapon which set the stage for the next 50 years of ballistic military rocketry culminating with icbms during the cold war. at the end of world war ii many v-2 rockets were retrieved by the united states and the ussr there were three hundred trainloads of v-2s and parts were captured and shipped to the united states and 126 principal designers both wermher von braun and walter dornberger were in american hands. in october 1945 during operation backfire a small number of v-2 missiles were assembled by the british and launched three of them from a site in northern germany. operation paperclip recruited german engineers to the us and special mission v-2 transported v-2 parts to white sands proving grounds. the ussr also captured a number of v-2s and staff. after the war v-2s launched in secret may have been responsible for ghost rockets wherein unexplained objects crossed the skies over sweden and finland. a competitor for the ansari x prize the canadian arrow is based on the v-2.
the mq-1 predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance role. the mq-1 predator was developed as an advanced concept technology demonstration (actd) program and has participated in various training exercises deployments and other operational deployments. in october 2001 the mq-1 was deployed to afghanistan providing intelligence and a strike capability in support of operation enduring freedom. the predator participated in roving sands 1995 an annual exercise held in the southwestern united states and it played a substantial role during its deployment to the european theater in the summer of 1995. since 1995 mq-1s have been operational in bosnia for its intelligence gathering capabilities and it served in over 600 missions. the primary user of the mq-1 wsa the united states air force. by the end of 2004 the mq-1 was also used by the italian air force and since 2006 it was used by the royal air force. one mq-1 ws used by the pakistan air force.
the cessna citation x is a medium-sized business jet aircraft built by the cessna aircraft company in wichita kansas. the x stands for the roman numeral for 10 and not the letter. powered by two rolls-royce turbofan engines it is the world`s fastest operating passenger jet. this seven-person private plane can climb to 43 000 feet in just 30 minutes. it is equipped with an entertainment center and a vanity area for passengers. despite cessna`s long history of building business jets the citation x was a completely new aircraft in many ways. its wing tail tail cone gear and systems were designed from scratch not based on pre-existing airplane. it was the first aircraft to use a rolls-royce engine and fully-integrated avionics. it also incorporates a number of innovative design features. the large diameter of the engine intakes reduces the noise from the engines and improves fuel efficiency. the highly swept wing with a supercritical airfoil increases the mach number. the horizontal and vertical stabilizers are highly swept as well and are arranged in a t-tail configuration. the citation x is equipped with controls that are powered by dual-hydraulic systems for redundancy. cessna announced that it was developing the citation x at the national business aviation association convention in new orleans in october 1990. the prototype was publicly rolled out in september 1993 and flew for the first time on december 21 of the same year. the first customer delivery was in june 1996 to golfer and long-time cessna customer arnold palmer. once in use the aircraft continued to set speed records. arnold palmer set one in september 1997 flying 473 knots on a 5 000 km closed course. in february 1997 the citation x design team was awarded the national aeronautic association`s prestigious robert j. collier trophy. the 2 500th aircraft was delivered on september 10 1997.
the hk-1 (h-4) spruce goose or hercules manufactured by hughes aircrafts is a cargo-type flying boat aircraft. it had its first and only flight for just over a mile on november 2 1947. this trial was simple vindication from the detractors of the program and it is now looked back upon as a great moment in flight history. the hercules is the largest flying boat ever built and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history. the engineers of the said airplane incorporated eight of the most powerful engines ever 3 000-horsepower pratt and whitney radial reciprocating engines with 17-foot diameter props. to feed the engines they created a mammoth fuel storage and delivery system. the entire airframe and surface structures are composed of laminated wood (primarily birch not spruce). birch was chosen because testing proved it light strong and resistant to splitting dry rot and deterioration. all primary control surfaces except the flaps are fabric covered. the aircraft s hull is divided into two areas: a flight deck for the operating crew and a large cargo hold. the h-4 was put into storage and carefully preserved until after howard robard hughes death in april of 1976. on february 27 1993 the hughes flying boat commonly known as the spruce goose arrived in mcminnville marking the end of the 1 055 mile 138 day odyssey from long beach. it survives in good condition and became an exciting tourist attraction at the evergreen aviation museum. the popular spruce goose is now appropriately regarded as a true american icon.
the bt-13 valiant is a basic trainer aircraft of world war ii manufactured by vultee aircraft and was designed by richard palmer. the bt-13 valiant was flown by most american pilots during world war ii. the bt-13 incorporates a more powerful engine and was faster and heavier than the primary trainer. the bt-13 s maiden flight was on march 1939. the bt-13 had served its purpose well and it made a good aircraft to help transition many hundreds of pilots toward their advance trainers and fighters yet to be mastered. the bt-13 has a crew of two for a student and instructor. it has a maximum speed of 180 mph and a range of 725 miles. it incorporates a pratt & whitney r-985-an-1. the primary users and oerators of the bt-13 are the usaaf and the us navy. curently some bts including the bt-13s are still flying though there were only limited numbers. postwar virtually all were sold as surplus for a a few hundred dollars each. the bt-13 production run outnumbered all other basic trainer types produced.
the bell x-1 is a rocket plane manufactured by bell aircraft and was originally designated as the xs-1. the bell x-1 was the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound in controlled level flight. it was primarily used by the united states air force and naca (now nasa). the bell x-1 took its place in history on october 14 1947 as the first aircraft to break the "sound barrier". the recorded speed was mach 1.015 or 670 mph at an altitude of 42 000 ft. the "plane" was flown by chief test-pilot chuck yeager. the x-1 program became the pattern for all subsequent x-craft projects and it defined and solidified the post-war cooperative union by the naca in the x-1 tests then provided a basis for american aviation supremacy during the 20th century. the bell x-1 has a crew of 1. it has a maximum speed of 957 mph (mach 1.26). the bell x-1 incorporates 4 reaction motors xlr-11-rm3 liquid fuel rocket with 6 000 lbf each.
the space shuttle orbiter is the orbital vehicle of the space shuttle and is a mixture of rocket spacecraft and aircraft. it is a reusable winged "spaceplane" and it launches crew and payload into earth orbit and performs on-orbit operations. individual orbiters are both named and numbered a similar manner to ships by the nasa orbiter vehicle designation system. all orbiters external structures are very similar though they have minor differences such as new equipment fitted on a rotating basis for maintenance and the newer orbiters tend to be structurally lighter. the first test shuttle the enterprise was designed for testing the space shuttle behavior in atmospheric flight. columbia first launched on april 12 1981 and the first space shuttle to fly into orbit. challenger first launched on april 4 1983 and the second orbiter to become operational at kennedy space center in florida. discovery first launched on august 30 1984 has flown 33 missions and is still currently operational though discovery will be retiring in 2010. atlantis first launched on october 3 1985 has flown 26 missions and is still operational today but will be retiring also in 2010. and the endeavor first launched on may 7 1992 and has flown 19 missions and still operational but is due to retire also in 2010. the orbiter s crew cabin has a flight deck mid-deck and utility area. the orbiter has a large payload bay at about 60 by 15 feet. there are three space shuttle main engines (ssmes) mounted on the orbiter s aft fuselage in a triangular pattern. the aft fuselage houses three auxiliary power units. the orbiter structure is primarily made from aluminum alloy although the engine thrust structure is made from titanium alloy. space shuttle orbiters support scientific experiments and observations spacecraft deployment retrieval service and repair assembly of large space structures such as the international space station and other various space operations.
the f4u corsair is a carrier-based fighter aircraft manufactured by chance vought in 16 separate models. the f4u-1 variant was the first corsair with the original cockpit seat height and bird cage canopy. the f4u-1 was based on the x4u it has a larger fuel tank and the removal of its fuselage windows behind the canopy and a modified armament with six browning mg53-2 0.50 machine guns. gregory "pappy" boyington was credited for 22 kills in f4us. the f4u corsair was in active service in early 1943 and the first combat engagement was on february 14 1943. f4u corsair served as fighter bombers in the central pacific and the philippines. in the beginning of 1945 the corsair performed strikes with high-explosive bombs napalm tanks and hvars and its versatility made it a prominent participant in the fighting for the palaus iwo jima and okinawa prefecture. the f4u corsair quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of world war ii. f4u corsairs saw service with the us navy us marines fleet air arm and the royal new zealand air force french aeronavale and other postwar services.
the gee bee racer was custom built in 1931 specifically as a racer. this airplane was basically a huge engine with a stick and a seat behind it. the gee bee was made by the granville bros in springfield mass. it won every race it ever flew in. however after some refinements the plane crashed in a speed record attempt killing it s pilot. it soon became know as the "widow maker". the gee bee sported a 535 horse power pratt & whitney engine and was capable of speeds of 260+ mph. it had a wingspan of just over 23 feet.
the douglas a-1 skyraider known for a lot of nicknames was a propeller-powered engine was a u.s. single-seat attack bomber introduced in the year 1950s. the a-1 has nicknames such as: able dog sandy spad hobo firefly zorro the big gun old faithful old miscellaneous fat face (ad-5 version) guppy (ad-5w version) q-bird (ad-1q/ad-5q versions) flying dumptruck (a-1e) and crazy water buffalo (south vietnamese nickname). the skyraider first saw combat in the korean war where its long loiter time and heavy load-hauling capability gave it a distinct utility advantage over the jet aircraft of the time. the prototype of the skyraider was first flown on 18 march 1945. a total of 3 180 skyraiders were built during its last production in 1957. a-1h model of the a-1 skyraider was a single-seat attack aircraft with three dive brakes centerline station stressed for 3 500 lb (1 600 kg) of ordnances 30 inches (760 mm) in diameter combination 14/30 inch (360/760 mm) bomb ejector and low/high altitude bomb director. a-1h was a converted ad-6 aircraft and there were 713 built. a-1h has a distinction between the a-1j aircraft variant. the two said variants a-1h and a-1j were the final versions of the skyraider. the h and j models were externally identical; however the a-1j had strengthened landing gear and wings. the principal mission of the a-1h/j is the destruction of ground targets in support of ground forces. the aircraft s middle compartment can be readily equipped with passenger seats facilities for litters or provisions for carrying heavy cargo. the usaf used the skyraider extensively in vietnam in the close air support role. the aircraft was especially effective in providing cover for combat rescue missions.
uss nautilus ssn-571 is the world s first nuclear-powered submarine and was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit across the north pole. its propulsion system was a landmark in the history of naval engineering and submersible craft. during nautilus long career it has established many historic firsts. on may 10 nautilus headed for a shakedown and its longest submerged cruise was when it traveled 2 100 km from new london to san juan puerto rico. from 1955 to 1957 nautilus continued to be used to investigate the effects of submerged speeds and endurance. on february 4 1957 nautilus logged its 60 000th nautical mile (111 120 km). in may nautilus departed for the pacific coast to participate in coastal exercises and the fleet exercise operation "home run " which acquainted units of the pacific fleet with the capabilities of nuclear submarines. on july 21 nautilus returned to new london connecticut and departed on august 19 for its first voyage of 2 226 km (1 202 nmi) under polar pack ice. in early 1959 nautilus completed its first overhaul on may 1959 - august 1960. on october 24 nautilus departed new london for its first deployment with the sixth fleet in the mediterranean sea and returned to its home-port on december 16. on may 2 1966 nautilus returned to its home-port to resume operations with the atlantic fleet and log its 300 000th mile underway. in the next year nautilus conducted special operations for comsublant and then on august 1967 it returned to portsmouth and conducted exercises off the southeastern seaboard. on december 1968 nautilus returned to new london. in 1979 nautilus set out from groton connecticut for its final voyage reaching mare island naval shipyard of vallejo california on may 26 1979. on march 3 1980 nautilus was decommissioned and stricken from the naval vessel register.
the albatros d.v was a fighter aircraft used by the imperial german air service during world war i. the d.v was the final development of the albatros d.i family and the last albatros fighter to see operational service. the d.v entered service in may 1917 and like the d.iii before it immediately began experiencing failures of the lower wing. it was even more prone to wing failures than the d.iii and offered very little improvement in performance causing considerable dismay among frontline pilots. in october 1917 production switched to the d.va which reverted to the d.iii s aileron cable linkage to provide a more positive control response. in an effort to resolve continuing problems with the wing structure the d.va also featured a metal sleeve to strengthen the lower main spar as well as a small brace connecting the interplane struts to the leading edge of the lower wing.
the hawker 850xp is considered the best-selling midsize corporate jet because of its new winglets and advanced pro line 21 avionics. originally designed and manufactured by british aerospace as the bae 125 it is currently manufactured by hawker beechcraft. the 850xp is identical to the 800xp except that it includes winglets which have extended its operating range by 100 nautical miles. this version also incorporates upgraded avionics and a redesigned interior. the hawker 850xp essentially fills the gap left behind by the hawker 1000 when production of that aircraft ceased. this current version was certified for operation in march 2006. the hawker 850xp has the new standard in design technology and performance breakthroughs. with new winglets that reduce drag and an advanced upgraded avionics suite that enhances operational efficiency the hawker 850xp climbs faster delivers better performance and goes farther on less fuel than its predecessor. in addition with the largest cabin in its class the hawker 850xp provides unparalleled passenger comfort. the hawker could carry 2 pilots and 8-10 passengers. the hawker 800xp boasts almost 40% more space than its closest competitors. baggage area is located in the cabin with 48 cubic feet of interior luggage space. some examples of nonstop flights include california to detroit new york to aspen and dallas to new york.
the beechcraft model 17 was the first aircraft produced by beech aircraft. a biplane with an atypical backward stagger (the upper wing inversely staggered behind the lower) it was a gamble for the company. produced during the great depression the expensive aircraft was designed as a high speed comfortable business plane. the aircraft is more popularly known as the staggerwing and first flew on november 4 1932. during its time it was considered to be the premier executive aircraft setting the standard for private passenger airplanes for many years to come. the staggerwing s unusual wing configuration and unique shape resulted in a design that maximized the pilot s visibility while minimizing the aircraft s tendency to stall. its retractable conventional landing gear which was uncommon at that time coupled with streamlining light weight and radial engines helped it perform significantly better than other biplane designs. the luxurious cabin could hold up to five passengers. sales started slowly at first and the staggerwing s high price tag warded off any potential buyers. only 18 aircraft were sold during the first year of production. however the handbuilt staggerwing gradually captured a substantial share of the passenger aircraft market. by the start of world war ii more than 424 planes had been sold. the staggerwing s speed made it a favorite of air racers during the 1930s. an early version of the model 17 won the 1933 texaco trophy race. in 1935 captain h. l. farquhar a british diplomat successfully flew around the world in a model b17r. aviator jackie cochran set a women s speed record of 203.9 mph and an altitude record of 30 000 feet while flying a staggerwing. the aircraft also performed well in the bendix race between 1936 and 1938. as world war ii approached a number of staggerwings saw service in various countries. the second spanish republic used the aircraft as bombers during the spanish civil war. china used it as ambulance planes in the fight against imperial japan. on october 2 1941 beech delivered a special camouflaged plane to prince bernhard of lippe-biesterfeld who used it for refugee work while he was in exile in london.
uss dallas (ssn-770) a los angeles-class submarine is one of two ships of the united states navy to be named for dallas texas although another two ships were scheduled but never completed. the la class serves as the backbone of the united states submarine force. the la class is an attack submarine whose mission is to engage enemy surface ships and submarines perform covert operations and to protect carrier battle groups (cvbgs) which are the primary unit of us naval/military power. the uss los angeles (ssn-688) was ordered on january 8 1971 and was commissioned on november 13 1976. uss dallas (ssn-700) was launched on april 28 1979 and was commissioned on july 18 1981. dallas is assigned to the us atlantic fleet and is home ported at groton ct. since then eighty-five los angeles class ships have been delivered to the us navy with most of them still operating in 2002. uss dallas was featured prominently in the novel and film adaptation of tom clancy s the hunt for red october. the uss dallas was also featured as the submarine commanded by tessa s late father in full metal panic! it was the dallas that was in peril and ended up being saved by richard merdukas. uss dallas was mentioned in the bbc drama threads as being sunk (presumably by soviet forces) in the waters off iran in the lead up to war.
the north american x-15 was a rocket-powered research aircraft that was part of the usaf/nasa/usn x-series of experimental aircraft. designed to explore the problems of flight at very high speeds and altitudes it bridged the gap between manned flight in the atmosphere and space flight. after its initial test flights in 1959 it became the first winged aircraft to attain hypersonic velocities of mach 4 5 and 6 and to operate at altitudes above 30 500 meters. the x-15 and other research aircraft contributed to the advancement of aerospace technology. three x-15s were built in all and they made a total of 199 test flights the last one on october 24 1968. plans were made for a 200th x-15 flight to be launched over smith ranch nevada scheduled for november 21 1968. however various technical and weather delays caused the planned launch to slip at least six times until late december 1968. finally after a cancellation on december 20 1968 due to weather it was decided that there would not be a 200th flight. x-15 no. 1 was sent to the national air and space museum in washington dc. x-15 no. 2 is on display at the national museum of the united states air force at wright-patterson air force base near dayton ohio. x-15 no. 3 was destroyed in a crash on november 15 1967. twelve test pilots flew the x-15 including neil armstrong who would later become the first man on the moon and joe engle who went on to command space shuttle missions. each x-15 scale model that we offer is made from materials of the highest quality. every part of the model aircraft is handcrafted before undergoing several phases of priming and sanding. skilled artists carefully duplicate the details which are then sealed in with clear lacquer. a faithful reproduction of the original x-15 our replica will be perfect as an addition to a personal collection or as executive gifts and promotional incentives.
the cv-22 osprey is a joint service multimission military tiltrotor aircraft. it combines the vertical takeoff and landing qualities of a helicopter with the long range fuel efficiency and speed characteristics of a turboprop aircraft. built by the joint development team of bell helicopter textron and boeing helicopters collectively known as bell boeing its primary role is to conduct long range infiltration exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces. the cv-22 is the united states air force version of the us marine corps mv-22 osprey. formally approved for full-rate production by the pentagon on september 28 2005 the osprey is the world s first production tiltrotor aircraft. the cv-22 is versatile and self-deployable offering increased speed and range over other rotary wing aircraft. it can perform missions that would normally require both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. it is equipped with integrated threat countermeasures a terrain-following radar a forward-looking infrared sensor and other advanced avionics systems that allow it to operate at low altitude in adverse weather conditions and medium to high threat environments. the first two test aircraft were delivered to edwards air force base (afb) california in september 2000 for flight testing. the first operational cv-22 was delivered to the 58th special operations wing at kirtland afb new mexico on march 20 2006 and aircrew training began in august 2006. initial operating capability of the aircraft is scheduled for 2009 with a total of 50 cv-22s delivered by 2017.
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