Between aisles of herringbone suits and wool neckties sat the ERCO Ercoupe. The small, twin-tail metal plane with a bubble canopy caught everyone’s eye. The 1945 Manhattan department store advertisement read, “Macy’s the world’s largest store, within a matter of days, will bring you America’s first certified spinproof plane!” The World’s Safest Plane Ercoupe took [...]
The Martin B-26 Marauder was introduced in 1941 for use during the course of World War II. The twin-engined medium bomber served first in the Pacific Theater in 1942 and was later used in the Mediterranean Theater as well as Western Europe. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) issued Circular Proposal 39-640 on March 11, 1939, [...]
The Airbus A310 was derived from the A300, the first twin-engine, wide-body airliner. But this derivative of the Airbus A300 introduced some significant changes to commercial air travel. Design and Production The Airbus A310 is just one of the planes to have come from the original Airbus A300B. This aircraft was shorter than the other [...]
In the years immediately following WWII, the aviation industry experienced massive growth. In the United States alone, the end of the war turned the country into the world's largest industrial manufacturer. And as aviation developed at a rapid pace, the need for bigger, better, and more modern commercial aircraft emerged. The result was tremendous advances [...]
Based on the Waco 9, the Waco 10 was designed to make something that was already good, bigger. Both had three seats and a single engine, but a larger wing area, bigger cockpit, and additional features made this model even more popular that the last. Design and Development Just like the Waco 9, the Waco [...]
World War I marks the first major conflict where the use of aircraft really took off. Unlike WWII, however, these early military planes were primarily used for reconnaissance. From Racer to Recon In January 1914, French Naval officer, engineer, and businessman Gustave Delange joined the Société Anonyme des Etablissements Nieuport (A French airplane company) and started working [...]
When you think of Boeing, you might think of large commercial jets, like the retiring 747, rather than their strategic bomber. But the Boeing B-29 Superfortress played an important role in the U.S. forces during WWII and the Korean War. On April 7, 1945, the Superfortress made the first fighter escort mission against Japan. Today [...]
The Dash 7, as it's typically referred to, is an aircraft used as a regional airliner. The Dash 7 is powered by four Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-50 Turbprop Engines. This aircraft is also known for its short take-off and landing, or STOL, performance. Development and First Flight Prior to the success of the Dash [...]
In a world of fabric-and-wood, be metal. Hugo Junkers (1859-1935)©MP/Leemage The Junkers F.13 was one of the most advanced aircraft of its time. Developed in Germany at the end of WWI, this advanced cantilever-wing monoplane was the first ever all-metal transport aircraft. It was also Junker's first commercial aircraft--not too shabby considering they would go [...]
I’ve written about the Battle of Britain before where I mentioned that 500 of the Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots were from other countries, including Ireland. Many of those pilots flew Supermarine Spitfires, and one particular Irish pilot was very well known for his Spitfire flying abilities. They called him Spitfire Paddy. The Supermarine Spitfire [...]
