Fokker D.XVII, was a Dutch biplane created by Fokker. The prototype was powered by an unsupercharged 500+ hp Curtiss Conqueror. A later model was configured with a Rolls-Royce Kestrel of 600 hp and plans were made for a Hispano-Suiza Xbre variant. The biplane was made up of a welded steel tube fuselage with fabric covering and plywood wooden wing construction.
On 18 January 1935, it set a Dutch high-altitude record, flown by Luitenant René Wittert van Hoogland. Although many pilots noted it was a nice plane, it suffered several setbacks and numerous problems resulting in accidents, most of them during take-off or landing when the plane flipped over. In May 1939, the aircraft was considered obsolete and used as fight pilot training for the LVA Flying School. The D.XVII saw very limited combat during the Battle of the Netherlands, and when the Dutch surrendered to the Germans, the remaining aircraft were set on fire. Airspeed Ltd. in Great Britain arranged a license to build D.XVIIs for the British market as the Airspeed AS.17, but no orders were received.
Operators: Royal Netherlands Air Force Specifications D.XVII Length: 7.25 m (23 ft 9 in) Wingspan: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in) Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in) Wing area: 20.00 m² (215.28 sq ft) Empty weight: 1,070 kg (2,359 lb) Loaded weight: 1,530 kg (3,373 lb) Powerplant: 1 × Rolls Royce Kestrel IIS 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled, (595 hp) Maximum speed: 356 km/h (221 mph) Range: 849 km (528 mi) Service ceiling: 8,750 m (28,707 ft) Armament: 2 × machine guns 7.92 mm
The Koolhoven F.K.58 was a single engine, interceptor-fighter aircraft designed by Koolhoven under contract by France. Intended for Armée de l'Air use, the F.K.58 saw limited service in the Battle of France.
In 1937 it became apparent to the French Air Council that domestic manufacturers could not equip the Armée de l'Air with enough fighters. The Dutch were contracted to produce a cheap, high performance fighter to supplement French needs. As produced, the F.K.58 was rather better than the M.S.406 and comparable to the Bloch MB.151 but inferior to the D.520 and most of the German aircraft it was to face.
The FK.58 can be seen as a further development of the Fokker D.21 (also Erich Schatzki) with retractable undercarriage. It had the same composite structure: fuselage of steel tubing with a skin of metal plating and linen; the wing of wooden structure with plywood and linen skin. -------------------------------------------------
Specifications F.K.58 Crew: One Length: 8.7 m (28 ft 6.75 in) Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1.25 in) Height: 3 m (9 ft 10 in) Wing area: 17.3 m² (186.2 ft²) Empty weight: 1,930 kg (4,255 lb) Loaded weight: 2,750 kg (6,063 lb) Powerplant: 1 × Gnome-Rhône 14N-16 radial engine, 768 kW (1,030 hp) Maximum speed: 505 km/h (314 mph) Cruise speed: 450 km/h (280 mph) Range: 750 km (466 mi) Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,810 ft) Rate of climb: 11.6 m/s (1,130 ft/min) Wing loading: 159 kg/m² (32.6 lb/ft²) Power/mass: 0.28kW/kg (0.17 hp/lb) Armament: 4 x 7.5 mm FN-Browning machine guns in underwing fairings --------------------------------------------------------
The prototype Model 1166 (later named F.K.58) first flew on 17 July 1938. The French placed an order in January 1939 for 50 F.K.58s Just 17 of the French order were completed at the Koolhoven works due to insufficient French-supplied engines and instruments, and they were subsequently sent to France fitted with Dutch equipment. Production was transferred to Nevèrs where just one more F.K.58 was produced. The completed fighters (7 F.K.58s, 11 F.K.58As) were fitted with French equipment and their loaner parts returned to the Netherlands. Even had the order of 50 aircraft been available for the Battle of France, it is unlikely that the small number of aircraft, outclassed as they were by German fighters, could have changed the outcome much. Had they been employed in their intended role as colonial fighters, they might have acquitted themselves well against the Italian aircraft in that theatre.
The Dutch placed an order in late 1939 for 36 fighters powered by Bristol Taurus engines. As the Taurus was no longer available due to British restrictions these engines were to be replaced by Mercury VIII , spares of the Dutch Fokker D.21 and G.1A The lower output of these engines would have reduced the top-speed to some 480 km/h
The F.K.58 was originally procured for use as colonial fighters. Instead, the 13 fighters operational by May 1940 were manned by expatriate Polish pilots of Captain Walerian Jasionkowski's improvised escadre, the patrouille DAT (Défense Aérienne du Territoire) based at Salon and Clermont-Aulnat. As delivered, the fighters were not armed and the Poles had to acquire machine guns and fit them. From 30 May 1940, they were used in the defence of French cities, patrolling in Avignon - Marseille area, then from Clermont-Ferrand, without any encounters with the enemy. The type's service life was short-lived with only 47 or so operational sorties recorded; the unit had no confirmed victories, but at least one F.K.58 was lost. After the fall of France, all surviving airframes were scrapped.
Variants F.K.58 Prototype Prototype powered by 1,080 hp Hispano-Suiza 14AA engine, 2 built. FK-58 [Bristol Taurus] Dutch version powered by Bristol Taurus engine, projected Dutch aircraft, none build. F.K.58 First production variant powered by Hispano-Suiza 14AA radial engine, 7 built. F.K.58A Production version powered by Gnome-Rhône 14N-16 engine, 11 built. Operators France Armee de l'Air Poland Polish Air Forces in exile in France Eskadra "Koolhoven" operated eight aircraft, probably all were FK.58A variant.
The Verville-Sperry R-3 Racer was a cantilever wing monoplane with a streamlined fuselage and the second aircraft with fully retractable landing gear, the first being the Dayton-Wright Racer.
In 1961, the R-3 racer was identified as one of the "Twelve Most Significant Aircraft of all Time" by Popular Mechanics magazine. In 1924, an R-3 won the Pulitzer Trophy in Dayton, OH.
The R-3 was designed by Alfred Verville. Its first production was in 1922. The R-3 was developed by the McCook Field Engineering Division and manufactured by the Lawrence Sperry Aircraft Company of Farmingdale, New York. Three aircraft were purchased. The airplanes used cylindrical, finned Lamblin radiators and a 300 hp (224 kW) Wright H-3 engine. The R-3s bore Air Service serial numbers 22-326 to 22-328.
At the 1922 Pulitzer Trophy race, all three R-3's started in the race, but only two finished.
Lieutenant Eugene Barksdale finished fifth at around 181 mph (291 km/h). Lieutenant Fonda B. Johnson finished seventh, his engine freezing after landing. And Lieutenant St. Clair Streett broke an oil line and had a forced landing, damaging his airplane. For the 1923 Pulitzer, a Curtiss D-12 engine was installed in the plane which eliminated some vibration problems that the H-3 engine had. With the new engine the top speed now was approaching 233 mph (375 km/h).
That year a Curtiss biplane was the winner. With Orville Wright officially observing from the ground, Lieutenant Alexander Pearson, Jr. flying an R-3 set a 500 km World Speed Record of 167.74 mph (269.95 km/h) over a 10-lap course on March 31, 1923 at Wilbur Wright Field. For the 1924 Pulitzer, the R-3, piloted by Lieutenant Harry H. Mills, won the race at a slow 215 mph (346 km/h). The ranked entry–a Curtiss biplane–crashed along the course. After this race, the R-3 racers were sent to the McCook Field Museum.
Messenger oli tavanomainen kaksitaso, kiinteä laskuteline, sekä kiinteä pyrstö jalas, jonka keulaan oli kiinnitetty 60 hv (45 kW) Lawrance L-4 radial moottori.
Vuonna 1924 USAAS sotilaskoneille annettiin mallimerkinnät M-1, M-1A ja MAT. 1921 Amerikkalainen Alfred V. Verville johtama konepajaryhmä suunnitteli yksinkertaisen ja yksipaikkaisen kaksitason joiden käyttötarkoitus oli toimia lähetti ja postinkuljetus tehtävissä, ja toisena tarkoituksena korvata moottoripyörät joita silloin käytettiin näihin tarkoituksiin. Sperry Aircraft Company rakensi Sperry Messenger lentokoneen.
Lawrence Sperry sai huomiota, kun hän laskeutui omalla henkilökohtaisella Messenger koneellaan Capitol rakennuksen eteen ja pomppi koneellaan suoraan ylös Washington DC rappusille. Hän myös laskeutui omalla pienellä Messenger konellaan Lincolnin muistomerkille.
Prototyyppillä lentänyt Lawrence Sperry katosi vuonna 1923, Englannin Kanaalin ylilennolla Messenger koneellaan, matkalla Ranskasta Englantiin. Messenger pieni koko, yksinkertainen rakenne ja edullinen hinta teki siitä ihanteellisen testauksiin ja kokeiluihin, samoin kuin alkuperäiseen tarkoitukseen, erilaisten viestintäpalvelujen tehtäviin National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics käytti yhden koneen uraa uurtavaan aerodynaamiseen tutkimusohjelmaan vuosien 1923-1929 aikana.
Sperry muunsi kaksitoista konetta radio-ohjatuiksi, osana Messenger Aerial Torpedo, kokeilua joka oli varhainen lentävä pommi, ja kehitetti messengeriin laitteen jonka avulla koneella onnistuttiin kiinnittymään ilmalaivaan ja myös pystyi irroittautumaan ilmalaivasta joulukuu 1924. 15. joulukuuta kello Scott Field Illinois, Luutnantti Clyde Finter kiinnittyi onnistuneesti TC-3 ilmalaivaan. Samana vuosi kun Finter pysyi hetken kiinnitettynä koneellaan ilmalaivaan, joka puolestaan tällä kertaa kiinnittyi messenger koneeseen jonka jälkeen Finter irrottautui ilmalaivasta ja laskeutui koneellaan maahan. ------------------------------------------------- The Sperry Messenger was an American single-seat biplane designed by Alfred V.
Verville working for the Engineering Division of the United States Army Air Service (USAAS) and built under contract by Sperry Aircraft Company of Farmingdale, New York. The aircraft was later designated the M-1 and MAT by the USAAS. Sperry produced approximately 50 Messengers and the civilian two-seat version, the Sport Plane, between 1920 and 1926. The aircraft was the first to make contact between an airplane and an airship while in flight.
In 1921 Alfred V. Verville led the Engineering Division of the USAAS's design of a simple single-seat biplane to be used as a messenger aircraft to replace motorcycles. The aircraft was built by the Sperry Aircraft Company as the Sperry Messenger.
The Messenger was a conventional biplane with a fixed tailskid landing gear and a nose mounted 60 hp (45 kW) Lawrance L-4 radial engine. In 1924 the military aircraft were given USAAS designations M-1, M-1A and MAT. Lawrence Sperry gained attention when he landed his personal Messenger in front of the Capitol building and bounced up the front steps in Washington D.C. He also successfully landed his little Messenger at the Lincoln Memorial. The prototype was used by Lawrence Sperry who disappeared in 1923, flying a Messenger across the English Channel from France to England.
General characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 17 ft 9 in (5.41 m) Wingspan: 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m) Height: 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Wing area: 160 ft2 (14.86 m2) Empty weight: 623 lb (283 kg) Gross weight: 862 lb (391 kg) Powerplant: × Lawrance L-4, 60 hp (45 kW) Maximum speed: 97 mph (156 km/h) Rate of climb: 700 ft/min (3.56 m/s) Armament: None
The Messenger's small size, simple construction, and inexpensive cost made it ideal for testing and experimentation. As well as the original communications duties, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics used one in its pioneering aerodynamic research programs from 1923 to 1929. Sperry modified twelve into the radio-controlled Messenger Aerial Torpedo, an early flying bomb, and developed the apparatus for a Messenger to make the first successful airship hook on and release in December 1924.
On December 15, at Scott Field, Illinois, Lt. Clyde Finter hooked on to a trapeze attached to a non-rigid airship, the TC-3. In the Messenger, Finter remained attached briefly while the airship made a turn, then he unhooked and landed the plane on the ground.
The About this sound Saab 29 (help·info), colloquially called Flygande tunnan (English: "The Flying barrel"), was a Swedish fighter designed and manufactured by Saab in the 1950s. It was Sweden's second turbojet-powered combat aircraft, the first being the Saab 21R. Despite its rotund appearance, the J 29 was fast and agile, serving effectively in both fighter and fighter-bomber roles into the 1970s.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, it was decided that Sweden needed a strong air defence built around the newly developed jet propulsion technology. Project "JxR" began in the final months of 1945 with two proposals from the Saab design team led by Lars Brising. The first, codenamed R101, was a cigar-shaped aircraft somewhat similar to the American Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. The winning design however was the "barrel" design, codenamed R 1001, which proved to be both faster and more agile.
-------------------------- Saab 29 Tunnan oli ensimmäinen ruotsalainen suihkuhävittäjä. Konetta on kutsuttu sen rungon muodon mukaan "tynnyriksi" tai "lentäväksi tynnyriksi". Toisen maailmansodan loputtua Ruotsin ilmavoimat hankki englantilaisia De Havilland Vampire -hävittäjäkoneita. Saab käynnisti oman tutkimuksen suihkuhävittäjästä. Ruotsi sai Sveitsin kautta saksalaisten sodan aikaista aerodynaamista tietotaitoa, jonka avulla se lähti suunnittelemaan nuolisiipistä konetta. Tietotaitoa toivat myös Saksasta palaavat ruotsalaiset insinöörit ja Saksasta Ruotsiin tulleet saksalaiset insinöörit.
Esimerkiksi Yhdysvallat suunnitteli pääasiassa suorasiipisiä koneita, koska saksalaisen Alexander Lippischin suunnittelemaa 45° deltasiipeä pidettiin siellä vielä tuolloin liian erikoisena. Venäläiset ottivat nuolisiiven nopeasti käyttöön suihkukoneissaan. Tunnanista tehtiin neljä prototyyppiä. Koneen ensilento tapahtui 1. syyskuuta 1948. Koneita valmistettiin 1951–1956 kaikkiaan 661 kappaletta: 224 kpl versiota J 29A (hävittäjä) 361 kpl J/A 29B -versiota (hävittäjäpommittaja) 76 kpl S 29C-versiota (tiedustelu) 30 Tunnania myytiin Itävaltaan 1960-luvun alussa. Ruotsin ilmavoimat käyttivät Tunnania vuoteen 1976 asti.
Tunnania käytettiin YK:n palveluksessa Kongon kriisin aikana 1961–1963 sotatoimissa. ------------------------------------------------- The original R 1001 was designed around a mostly straight wing, but after the Swedish engineers had obtained German research data on swept-wing designs, the prototype was altered to incorporate a 25 degree sweep, first tested on a modified Saab Safir (designated Saab 201). A member of the Saab engineering team had been allowed to review German aeronautical documents stored in Switzerland. These files captured by the Americans in 1945 clearly indicated delta and swept-wing designs had the effect of "reducing drag dramatically as the aircraft approached the sound barrier." ----------------
General characteristics Crew: One Length: 10.23 m (33 ft 7 in) Wingspan: 11.0 m (36 ft 1 in) Height: 3.75 m (12 ft 4 in) Wing area: 24.15 m² (260.0 ft²) Empty weight: 4,845 kg (10,680 lb) Max. takeoff weight: 8,375 kg (18,465 lb) Powerplant: 1 × Svenska Flygmotor RM 2B turbojet, 6,070 lbf (27 kN) Maximum speed: 1,060 km/h (660 mph) Range: 1,100 km (685 mi) Service ceiling: 15,500 m (50,850 ft) Rate of climb: 32.1 m/s (6,320 ft/min) Armament: 4x20mm Hispano Mark V autocannon 75 mm (3 in) air-to-air rockets Rb 24 air-to-air missiles
145 mm (5.8 in) anti-armor rockets, 150 mm (6 in) HE (high-explosive) rockets, 180 mm (7.2 in) HE antiship rockets --------------- The SAAB 29 prototype flew for the first time on 1 September 1948. It was a small, chubby aircraft with a single central air intake, a bubble cockpit and a very thin swept-back wing. The test pilot was an Englishman, S/L Robert A. 'Bob' Moore, DFC and bar, who went on to become the first managing director of Saab GB Ltd, UK, set up in 1960.
Moore described the aircraft as "on the ground an ugly duckling – in the air, a swift." Because of its shape, The Saab J 29 was quickly nicknamed "Flygande Tunnan" ("The Flying Barrel") or "Tunnan" ("The Barrel") for short. While the demeaning nickname was not appreciated by SAAB, its shortform was officially adopted.[5] Since then, Saab named the aircraft in order to avoid it happening again. A total of 661 Tunnans were built from 1950 to 1956, making it the largest production run for any Saab aircraft.
Saab Tunnan on display at the Swedish Armed Forces' Airshow 2010 The J 29 was one of the first production fighters with a swept-back wing. It was fast and agile, and set the world speed record on a 500 km (310 mi) closed circuit in 1954 at 977 km/h (607.05 mph). Two S 29C (reconnaissance variant) additionally set an international speed record of 900.6 km/h (559.4 mph) over a 1,000 km (620 mi) closed-circuit course in 1955.
The crash record in early service was poor, mainly due to the inexperience with swept-winged aircraft and the lack of a two seat, dual control Tunnan trainer variant: this meant that Swedish fighter pilots could only be trained using two seat variants of the de Havilland Vampire (a straight-winged jet), before going solo in a Tunnan. 99 pilots were killed during military practice flights in Sweden. The fighter version was retired from active service in 1965, but some aircraft were used for target towing up to 1974. The last official military flight was completed in August 1976 at the Swedish Air Force's 50th anniversary air show.
The Tunnan was the first Swedish jet aircraft to enter combat. In 1961, five J 29Bs were stationed in the Republic of Congo for a UN peacekeeping mission (ONUC), organized as the F 22 Wing of the Swedish Air Force. It was reinforced by four more J 29Bs and two S 29C photo reconnaissance Tunnans in 1962. Most of the missions involved attacking ground targets with internal cannons as well as unguided rockets. No aircraft were lost in action despite large amounts of ground fire. Consensus of the crews and foreign observers was that the Tunnan's capabilities were exceptional. (Their secessionist adversaries used a few Fouga Magisters and other aircraft with relatively poor air combat capabilities.) The only aircraft lost was by a high-ranking officer who made a trial run and crashed during an aborted takeoff. When ONUC was terminated in 1964, some of the Swedish aircraft were destroyed at their base, since they were no longer needed at home and the cost of retrieving them was deemed excessive.
The Curtiss F11C Goshawk was a 1930s United States naval biplane fighter aircraft that saw limited success but was part of a long line of Curtiss Hawk airplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the American military.
------ General characteristics Crew: One Length: 22 ft 7 in (6.88 m) Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.6 m) Height: 9 ft 8.625 in (2.96 m) Wing area: 262 ft² (24.34 m²) Empty weight: 3,037 lb (1,378 kg) Max. takeoff weight: 4,132 lb (1,874 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820-78 Cyclone Air-cooled radial engine, 700 hp (522 kW) Maximum speed: 202 mph (325 km/h) Cruise speed: 150 mph (241 kp/h) Service ceiling: 25,100 ft (7,650 m) Rate of climb: 2,300 ft/min (701 m/min) Armament: 2 fixed, synchronized .30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns in the forward fuselage 1 215 lb (474 kg) bomb on an under-fuselage hardpoint or 253 lb (117 kg) bombs carried one under each lower wing ------- In April 1932, when Curtiss was planning the Model 35B, the United States Navy contracted with the manufacturer for an improved derivative of the Model 34C, F6C as the F11C. It contained major changes that included the 600 hp (450 kW) Wright R-1510-98 radial engine, single-leg cantilever main landing-gear units, a slight increase in the interplane gap, metal- rather than fabric-covered control surfaces, and armament based on two .30 in (7.62 mm) fixed forward-firing machine guns supplemented by a hardpoint under the fuselage for the carriage of a 474 lb (215 kg) bomb, or an auxiliary fuel tank.
Curtiss designed the type as the Model 64 Goshawk, with the U.S. Navy designation XF11C-1 (later XBFC-1 after the adoption of the BF for Bomber-Fighter category). The aircraft was of fabric-covered metal construction, used the wing cell structure of the dismantled YP-23, and was delivered in September 1932.
Shortly before ordering the XF11C-1, the Navy had bought a company-owned Model 64A demonstrator. This had a Wright R-1820-78 Cyclone engine, slightly longer main landing-gear legs carrying wheels with low-pressure tires, a tailwheel in place of the tailskid, fabric-covered control surfaces on the tail, and external provision for underwing racks for light bombs as well as an under-fuselage hardpoint for either a 50 gal (189 l) fuel tank or the crutch that would swing a bomb clear of the propeller disc before release in a dive-bombing attack. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Colonel General Ernst Udet (26 April 1896 – 17 November 1941) was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war (at the age of 22).
His 62 confirmed victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus. Udet rose to become a squadron commander under Richthofen, and later under Hermann Göring.
Though not interested in politics, Udet joined the Nazi party in 1933 when Göring promised to buy him two new U.S.-built Curtiss Hawk II biplanes (export designation of the F11C-2 Goshawk Helldiver). The planes were used for evaluation purposes and thus indirectly influenced the German idea of dive bombing aeroplanes, such as the Junkers Ju 87 (Stuka) dive bombers. They were also used for aerobatic shows held during the 1936 Summer Olympics. Udet piloted one of them, which survived the war and is now on display in the Polish Aviation Museum (pictured) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flight trials of this XF11C-2 (later redesignated as the XBFC-2) revealed the need for a small number of minor changes. After making the changes, the XF11C-2 came to be regarded as the prototype for the F11C-2, of which 28 examples were ordered as dual-role fighter-bombers in October 1932.
From March 1934, the aircraft were revised with a semi-enclosed cockpit and a number of other modifications before they received the revised designation BFC-2 in recognition of their fighter-bomber or, as the Navy would have it, bomber-fighter role The last aircraft in the XF11C-2 contract was converted to the prototype XF11C-3, incorporating a more powerful R-1820-80 engine and a hand-operated retractable landing gear.
The only U.S. Navy units to operate the F11C-2 were the Navy's famous "High Hat Squadron", VF-1B, aboard the carrier Saratoga, and VB-6 briefly assigned to Enterprise. In March 1934, when the aircraft were redesignated BFC-2, the "High Hat Squadron" was renumbered VB-2B, and then VB-3B, and retained its BFC-2s until February 1938. VB-6 never actually embarked on Enterprise with the BFC bombers.
The F11C-2 Goshawk was produced in two export versions as the Hawk I and Hawk II fighters. Essentially a modified XF11C-2, the Hawk II was fitted with a Wright R-1820F-3 Cyclone rated at 710 hp (530 kW) at 1,676 m (5,499 ft) and 356 liters of fuel while the Hawk I had 189 liters of internal fuel. Both versions carried the same armament as the production F11C-2.
