Retro Thing

Missing The de Havilland Mosquito

Despite the promise of imminent flight lurking in this old snapshot, there are no flying de Havilland DH-98 Mosquitoes left. The last airworthy model crashed at an airshow back in 1996.

When it entered service in April 1941, the wood-framed Mosquito was one of the fastest production aircraft in the world, capable of almost 400 mph. Astonishingly, this little fighter-bomber bested the Hawker Hurricane and matched the speed of the Supermarine Spitfire.

The fuselage of the Mosquito was made of balsa wood sandwiched between layers of cedar plywood, while the rest of the airframe was constructed of plywood covered spruce. It was an unusual construction technique, but the incorporation of wood instead of scarce metal ensured that the unorthodox design reached production.

The result was one of the most useful aircraft of WWII -- a multi-role design that excelled at photo reconnaissance, precision bombing and even as a night fighter. Perhaps most importantly, DH-98s were loaded with state-of-the-art radio navigation equipment and used as pathfinder aircraft to mark targets for waves of slow and cumbersome RAF bombers. Thanks to its high performance and well trained crews, the Mosquito saw the lowest losses of any Allied aircraft during WWII.

Sadly, the wooden frame wasn't built to last and the concrete molds required to shape the plywood are long gone, almost guaranteeing that the Mosquito will remain a memory.

For history, stories and technical details, visit The Mosquito Page.

Sonex Unveils a $20,000 Sport Plane

This is the Onex, a surprisingly affordable single-seat kitplane that was unveiled at this summer's EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It's the sort of affordable yet desirable design that could reverse the flagging fortunes of general aviation.

Fly Your Own Spitfire For $239

The AirField RC Spitfire is about as close as I'm ever going to get to flying a classic warbird. It features a respectable 55 inch wingspan, with a 2.4 GHz 5-channel digital proportional radio control system and a brushless electric motor.

The pachage includes everything you need to get flying except a LiPo battery charger, which costs an extra $35 to $99.

The EPO foam kit includes the motor, 14.8V 2200 mAh battery, five servos and an electric retractable landing gear system. You can save $20 by opting for fixed landing gear, but the aircraft won't look nearly as sleek in the air.

The only problem I can see is that it won't be long before someone shows up at the airfield with a matching Messerschmitt Bf-109, eventually leading to a horrific mid-air crash.

5-Channel RC Spitfire Kit

A Personal Hovercraft For The Masses

Thirty years ago, I was a science-crazed kid. Fast-forward three decades and I'm still disappointed that we don't have the flying cars promised in the glossy pages of Popular Science. Sure, we have tiny supercomputers that fit in our back pockets, but actually taking them anywhere usually requires the use of a lumbering 4-wheeler that's at the mercy of traffic lights and an army of diligent law enforcement officials.

A Hoverjet GT might just be the solution. Its 60 hp two-cycle Rotax engine is capable of propelling the machine up to 70 mph on smooth ice or 40 mph on calm water. The GT is capable of endless dizzying 360 degree turns on land, ice or water, while carrying a pair of freedom-loving passengers in open air luxury (hearing protection optional but recommended).

The vehicle includes modern amenities such as electric start, a four rudder steering system, Hypalon^® coated skirts and stainless steel skirt anchors, a 16" windshield and replaceable hardened aluminum skid rails. The only things that might make this machine more appealing are cup holders and a gun rack. The price? A mere $13,995.

Hovertechnics Hoverjet GT

Commemorating The 75th Anniversary Of The B-17 Flying Fortress

The 75th anniversary of the first Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress flight takes place during the Experimental Aircraft Association's massive AirVenture fly-in in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this July. Over 12,700 of these fearsome machines were manufactured, but there are only 15 remaining airworthy examples worldwide. The EAA operates one, dubbed Aluminum Overcast, which was sold as surplus for $750 in the mid-1940s.

To commemorate the event, the EAA has scheduled a series of flyovers and ground events on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 -- 75 years to the day after the initial test flight. It's anticipated that at least four flying B-17s will participate. 

The EAA says, "The B-17 went from its design as the Model 299 prototype to flight testing in less than 12 months. The B-17 was a low-wing monoplane that combined aerodynamic features of the XB-15 bomber and the Model 247 transport. The B-17 was the first Boeing military aircraft with a flight deck instead of an open cockpit, and was armed with bombs and five .30-caliber machine guns mounted in clear 'blisters.'

The first B-17s saw combat in 1941, when the British Royal Air Force took delivery of several B-17s for high-altitude missions. The B-17E, the first mass-produced model Flying Fortress, carried nine machine guns and a 4,000-pound bomb load. It was several tons heavier than the prototypes and bristled with armament. It was the first Boeing airplane with the distinctive tail for improved control and stability during high-altitude bombing. Each subsequent version was more heavily armed."

B-17 ‘Flying Fortress' 75th Anniversary [EAA]

NASA Unveils Free E-Book Series

NASA recently debuted the first in a planned series of free e-books. "X-15: Extending the Frontiers of Flight," by Dennis R. Jenkins is available now in a variety of e-reader formats (the Scott Crossfield Foundation offers a nicely formatted pdf version [direct link] for those wishing to read on computer).

From NASA: "The X-15 was the ultimate 'X' vehicle. Built in the 1950s, she became the fastest and highest-flying winged aircraft of its time. During 199 flights from 1959 through 1968, she collected data about hypersonic flight that was invaluable to aeronautics and to developers of the space shuttle. This book describes the genesis of the program, the design and construction of the aircraft, years of research flights and the experiments that flew aboard them."

A second title, Mark D. Bowles' Apollo of Aeronautics: NASA's Aircraft Energy Efficiency Program, 1973-1987, is slated for release soon.

NASA Aeronautics E-Books

RotorWay Unveils "Affordable" New Turbine Helicopter

RotorWay has been manufacturing recreational kit-built helicopters for almost 50 years. The company has produced several thousand kits over the years. The only problem is that it takes a minimum of 350 to 400 hours to build a kit, not including the time required to properly balance the blades, get it FAA certified and perform flight testing. 

Enter the RotorWay Eagle 300T, the company's first certified (ready to fly) production helicopter. It incorporates a Rolls Royce RR300 turbine engine designed for low-cost operation and high reliability (the turbine also doesn't require 100 LL fuel, which is becoming increasingly rare outside the USA).

Eagle 300T Preliminary Specs

Powerplant	RR300-B1
Seats	2
MAUW	2050lbs (930 kg)
Empty Weight	950 lbs. (431 kg)
Cargo Sling Max	500 lbs. (226 kg)
Useful Load	1100 lbs. (499 kg)
Fuel	80 US gal. (302 L)
Duration	2hrs +30 min res
Cruise	110kts/127mph
Service Ceiling	13000ft (3962 m)

The company is currently accepting deposits for the new craft, although the final price is still to be decided. All they're saying for now is that it'll cost more than a Robinson R22, which retails for $243,000.

RotorWay Eagle 300T Helicopter

Online: National Air and Space Museum Poster Collection

Six interns and a couple of volunteers at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum spent the summer scanning over 1,300 vintage aviation posters.

Intern Amelia Brakeman Kile explains, "This marks the first time the poster collection, which includes graphic art published from as early as 1827 up to the twenty-first century, has been accessible to the public as an archive, since the majority of it has remained in storage in Suitland, Maryland. The collection provides a wealth of information related to balloons, early flight, military and commercial aviation, and space flight, documenting aerospace history and technology while providing a window into popular culture."

Online: The National Air and Space Museum’s Poster Collection [via Boing Boing]

MS 760 Paris Jet: The ultimate way to fly, 1950s style

Doesn't this image paint a distinguished picture of personal jet flight in the Space Age? The MS 760 jet first flew on July 29, 1954. It was initially designed as a 4-seat communications and training aircraft. In all, 165 aircraft were built for the French Air Force, as well as Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Alas, it never caught on as a weekend civilian "getaway" vehicle because of its price and steep learning curve.

The French military retired the aircraft in 1997, but more than two dozen of these machines have been restored for private use in the USA - someone quickly figured out that these aircraft are fast and relatively inexpensive to fly and maintain. The Paris Jet has a maximum speed of about 432 mph (695 km/h) and a very respectable maximum ceiling altitude of just over 39,000 feet. It offers a maximum range of approximately 1300 statute miles (2,092 km) and an initial climb rate of just under 2500 ft/min. This definitely isn't an old Cessna 172.

A restored MS760 will cost a six or seven hundred thousand dollars, but JetSet offers fractional ownership for $60,000, which includes 25 hours of flight time per year. There's also a $1,100 monthly maintenance fee and additional flight hours will run $1,100 each. 

[October 2009 update: JetSet has reached an agreement with SOCATA for the purchase and transfer of the type certificate and associated rights for the world’s first Very Light Jet (VLJ), the MS760 Paris Jet. And, led by Captain Dale “Snort” Snodgrass, retired from the United States Navy, a new two-ship, aerobatic-formation jet air show team has been formed to showcase the MS760 for the 2010 air show season. - thanks, Natalie!]

Paris Jet design history (photos)
JetSet - Fractional Paris Jet ownership

Me 262 Project: Resurrecting The First Jet Fighter

The German Messerschmitt 262 was the first combat jet fighter. It first flew against the Allies in August of 1944, eventually racking up 509 claimed kills. The project actually pre-dates the outbreak of WWII, with the original plans drawn up in April 1939. Unfortunately for the Luftwaffe, the aircraft was delayed by problems its state-of-the-art jet engines and material shortages.

Only about 10 of these historical machines still exist in aviation museums. None are airworthy, nor would it be wise to risk attempting to restore and fly such a rare machine. For many years, it seemed that the world would never again see a flying Me 262.

Luckily, a group of American aviation fanatics had other plans. The Me 262 project was founded in 1993 with the aim of building a new series limited to five Me 262 aircraft. So far, the team has completed and flown two aircraft and a third is nearing completion at their Paine Field headquarters in Washington State.

The new Me 262 was designed to be as faithful as possible to the original. The most significant change was the substitution of twin General Electric J-85 engines (as used in the T-38 Talon) in place of the failure-prone Junkers Jumo 004 powerplants, which had an engine life of only 10 to 25 hours. To make the plane appear as authentic as possible, the J-85s are built into castings of original Jumos. This helps to maintain appropriate weight and balance in the engine nacelles.

Theoretically, the modern engines should allow the Me 262 to fly faster than any previous generation of the aircraft, but the airframe simply wasn't designed for such high speeds. As a result, the design team placed a placarded airspeed limitation of 500 mph on the aircraft. The J-85 is also 40% more efficient than the original engine, giving the new Me 262 a range of approximately 1,100 miles.

One other relatively small change was made to the landing gear, since it was in everyone's best interest to make it as reliable as possible. Apart from that, these machines are as close as you'll ever get to seeing the real thing take flight, right down to the four fearsome nose-mounted Mk 108 cannons. One aircraft is currently operational in the USA, with a second registered in Germany.

STORMBIRDS presents the Me 262 Project

Boeing Unveils Budget Stealth Fighter

Times are tough everywhere these days. If you're having trouble balancing the nation's air defense budget, check out Boeing's shiny new F-15 Silent Eagle -- ideal for emerging and near-bankrupt nations (Iceland, I'm looking at you).

The F-15 Eagle first took to the skies in July, 1972. Since then, over 1200 of these versatile tactical fighters have served with a half-dozen air forces around the world. Its aggressive styling ensures your neighbors will be green with envy when you park a squadron or two in front of the presidential palace.

From Boeing's press release: "The F-15 Silent Eagle is designed to meet our international customers' anticipated need for cost-effective stealth technologies, as well as for large and diverse weapons payloads," said Mark Bass, F-15 Program vice president for Boeing. "The innovative Silent Eagle is a balanced, affordable approach designed to meet future survivability needs."

Boeing has completed a conceptual prototype of the CFT internal-carriage concept, and plans to flight-test a prototype by the first quarter of 2010, including a live missile launch.

Boeing F-15 Stealth Eagle [via Gizmodo]

Build Your Own Sopwith Pup Biplane

As a child, I spent hours in an inconspicuous garden shed somewhere in Oxford building plastic model kits. Spitfires and Bf 109s were popular among my schoolmates, but I was strangely drawn to the kite-like form of WWI aircraft. The Sopwith Pup was my absolute favorite. There was something endearing about its simple shape, and I doodled squadrons of marauding Sopwiths on any scrap of paper that fell within arm's reach.

Airdrome Aeroplanes in Holden, Missouri manufactures a broad range of WWI kitplanes, including the Fokker DR-1 Triplane, various Nieuports and -- wonder of wonders -- the stunning full scale Sopwith Pup pictured here.

A deluxe airframe kit costs $12,495 and includes everything from the rudder and fuselage to the engine mount and cowling. You'll need to add an extra $195 to get your hands on the machine gun kit. If you're skilled, it will take about 400 hours to turn a few boxes of parts into a flyable airplane.  Power comes from a decidedly modern 110 hp Rotec R2800 7-cylinder radial engine and there's room for basic instruments in the single seat cockpit.

Officially known as the Sopwith Scout, A total of 1,770 Pups were manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company between 1916 and 1918. The Pup proved to be a nimble combat aircraft and dominated the skies when it arrived on the battlefield in October 1916. However, it was quickly outclassed by formidable new German aircraft and was pulled from combat in the face of mounting losses a year later. The Pup went on to have a second life as a capable training aircraft.

Sopwith Pup Pics

The Goodyear Inflatoplane

The Goodyear GA-466 Inflatoplane was an improbable rubber aircraft designed for the United States Army as a compact rescue vehicle. The idea of parachuting a rubber airplane kit into hostile territory is ludicrous, especially when you consider that you'd need to be a trained pilot with access to a runway to have any chance of making it home.

Still, I suppose a secret agent being held hostage at an enemy airbase might be able to overpower a half dozen ill-trained guards and force them to assemble her 740 lb getaway vehicle at gunpoint. Of course, she'd also have to borrow a few gallons of avgas and evade enemy jet fighters and helicopter gunships while cruising along at a maximum speed of 70 mph.

A total of 12 Inflatoplanes were built between 1955 and 1962 before the Army concluded there was no viable use for such a quirky craft. One of the originals is on display at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, should you have an overwhelming urge to witness such lunacy first hand.

More about the Goodyear Inflatoplane [thanks, Greg Lorincz!]

Celebrating a Century of Canadian Powered Flight

The first airplane to fly in Canada - the Silver Dart - took off from Baddeck Bay in Nova Scotia on February 23, 1909. Of course, the picturesque Cape Breton village is well known as the home of Beinn Bhreagh, Alexander Graham Bell's historic estate. And it should come as no surprise that Bell had a hand in the project.

Update: Supermarine Spitfire Mk26b Kitplane

We first mentioned Supermarine Aircraft in mid 2005. Over 35 of their 80% scale Spitfire Mark 26 fighter replicas are now flying, and another 40+ kits are under construction around the world.

Many potential buyers asked about the possibility of a 100% scale version. The company decided against it, simply because such a large aircraft would require significantly higher landing speeds and extremely skilled airmanship.

Instead, they developed the Spitfire Mark 26b. This 90% version offers a roomier cockpit with tandem seating for the pilot and a passenger. It has a maximum cruise speed of 170 knots and a 260 hp GM V6 engine that gives a 2400 fpm climb rate with a service ceiling of 18,000 ft.

The airframe is tested to +6 / -4 Gs, allowing limited (and fun) aerobatics such as loops and wingovers. Most of the really hard work has already been done for you, but you'll have to put in another 1200 hours of fiddly effort to turn your kit into a lean, mean playing machine. The final product will be an 90% scale easy-to-fly reminder of the original without the multi-million dollar price tag.

The company says, "The kit is sold only as a fast build option in which the metal airframe components are jig assembled at the factory. All fuselage bulkheads are pre-cut, formed and mounted on a central spine during Factory kit construction. The main spar, wing assembly and empennage sub assemblies are also pre-built using jigs in the factory. The fuselage is supplied to the kit builder as a pre-constructed assembly. This ensures structural integrity is maintained."

The modern Spitfire is extremely well-behaved. It flies itself off the ground easily and the 48 knot stall speed (clean) ensures that you'll have time to think as you pass over the fence on short final. It shows no tendency to balloon, so beautiful 3-point landings should be easy with a bit of practice.

The price for all this fightery goodness? $175,000 (Australian) gets you a 90% fast build kit. Add $45,500 for a GM ISUZU V6 naturally aspirated engine and $2,750 for optional dual controls. You'll also need to source your own instruments and paint.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk26b [Supermarine Aircraft]