THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT SEATTLE, WA

 

THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT SEATTLE, WA

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT SEATTLE, WA

The Museum of Flight is the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world! With over 175 aircraft and spacecraft, tens of thousands of artifacts, millions of rare photographs, dozens of exhibits and experiences and a world-class library, the Museum and its people bring mankind's incredible history of flight to life.

 HISTORY

A SPARK OF PASSION

In 1964 a small group of aviation enthusiasts realized that important and historic artifacts representing the evolution of flight were being lost or destroyed at an incredible rate. To aid in the preservation of these artifacts, the Pacific Northwest Aviation Historical Foundation was established with the goal of saving significant aircraft and related artifacts to educate the public about their importance.

A PLACE TO SET UP SHOP

It soon became clear that a place to store and exhibit these artifacts was needed, and in 1965 the first official Museum of Flight exhibits were put on display in a 10,000 square-foot space at the Seattle Center, the location of the 1962 World’s Fair.

A NEW BEGINNING

The concept for The Museum of Flight complex began to take in 1975 when the Port of Seattle leased the land on which the Boeing Red Barn now sits to the Museum for 99 years. The Red Barn, the birthplace of The Boeing Company, was saved from demolition in its original location on the Duwamish River and floated by river barge to its current location. The Red Barn was restored in 1983 and became the first permanent location for The Museum of Flight.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

The Red Barn was eventually joined by the Great Gallery in 1987, the Library and Archives Building in 2002 and the J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing and Airpark in 2004. The Museum of Flight continues to expand our exhibits, our experiences and our educational programs—paying homage to the history of flight and inspiring the entertainment and education of generations to come.

https://www.museumofflight.org/About-Us/history

CONCORDO

Manufacturer: Concorde: Aérospatiale and British Aircraft Corporation

Model: Concorde

Year: 1978

Registration: G-BOAG

Dimensions: Wingspan: 83.83ft, Length: 204ft, Height: 37ft

Cruise Speed: 1,354mph

Power Plant: Four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 610 turbojets, 38,050 lbs. thrust each

Range: 4,090miles

British and French aerospace companies began collaboration in 1956 on design studies of a supersonic transport. Following formal agreement in late 1962, detailed design and development began. French President Charles de Gaulle named the new aircraft "Concorde" in a 1963 speech. First flight of the French-built prototype 001 occurred at Toulouse in March 1969, followed by British-built 002 at Filton, England a month later. The partnership would ultimately lead to 20 Concorde aircraft built between 1969 and 1979. Flying with Air France and British Airways, the glamorous supersonic jets offered a luxurious and speedy trip across the Atlantic and other select routes for 27 years. Capable of speeds over two times the speed of sound and at altitudes up to 60,000 feet (18,290 m), Concorde could fly from London to New York and return in the time it took a conventional aircraft to go one way. A tragic accident in Paris in 2000 led to flagging demand and rising operating expenses, and Concorde service ultimately ended in 2003.

Concorde's elegant "ogival" delta wing design took advantage of vortex lift at the lower speeds associated with takeoff and landing. This configuration eliminated the need for complex and heavy high-lift mechanisms. The Olympus 593 engine and its inlet/exhaust design, a joint project of the British Rolls-Royce and French SNECMA firms, was a significant contributor to Concorde's performance. It was the only turbojet with reheat (afterburner, used for takeoff) in commercial service during its flying career.

The Museum's aircraft, registration code G-BOAG, is referred to as Alpha Golf. It was first flown in April of 1978 and delivered to British Airways in 1980. It was the eighth British-built production Concorde. Equipped with four powerful Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk. 610 turbojet engines, Alpha Golf logged more than 5,600 takeoffs and over 16,200 flight hours while in service. It flew the last British Airways commercial Concorde flight, from New York to London, on October 24, 2003. On its retirement flight to The Museum of Flight on November 5, 2003, Alpha Golf set a New York City-to-Seattle speed record of 3 hours, 55 minutes, and 2 seconds. Much of the flight was over northern Canada, where it flew supersonic for 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 4 seconds.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/concorde

AERONCA C-2

Manufacturer: Aeronca (Aeronautical Corporation of America)

Model: C-2

Year: 1929

Registration: N30RC

Dimensions: Wingspan: 36.00ft, Length: 20ft, Height: 8ft

Maximum Speed: 80mph

Cruise Speed: 65mph

Power Plant: One Aeronca E-107A, 26 h.p. engine (Currently equipped with an Aeronca E-113 Range: 240miles

The Aeronca C-2 wasn't fast, big, or powerful, but it was one of the first American airplanes to be affordable and practical for the average person to own. Essentially a powered glider, it heralded the dawn of general aviation in the United States, paving the way for later types such as the Piper J-3 Cub. The pilot sat on a bare plywood seat with five instruments, a stick, and rudder pedals in front of him. If the pilot wanted a heater or brakes, that cost extra. The little plane had odd, almost comical lines that earned it the nickname "The Flying Bathtub." Aeronca sold 164 C-2s in 1930 and 1931, in the depths of the Great Depression.

What became the C-2 was derived from the U.S. Army Air Service GL-2 glider designed by Jean Roche, a French-born engineer at McCook (later Wright) Field in Dayton, Ohio. Roche’s next design, this time with an engine, was built with the help of John Dohse and Harold Morehouse. In September 1925, both plane and inexperienced pilot Dohse made their first flights. Dohse and Morehouse eventually left Dayton to pursue other interests (Dohse went on to work for Boeing in Seattle), and Roche was left to find a way to produce his successful little plane. In 1929, he sold his design to the Aeronautical Corporation of America ("Aeronca") of Cincinnati, Ohio, and after some refinement, it became the first of many Aeronca C-2s and follow-on designs.

The airplane’s powerplant followed a circuitous route. First, Roche installed a borrowed Henderson motorcycle engine, but it couldn't get the plane off the ground. Roche next turned to Harold Morehouse, who had designed a small engine to pump ballast air into a blimp. It was modified and installed for the airplane’s first flights. When a crash destroyed that engine, another was fashioned by Roy Poole and Robert Galloway. For C-2 production, the Poole-Galloway engines were fabricated by the Govro-Nelson Company, assembled at Aeronca, and called Aeronca E-107s.

The Museum's restored 1929 C-2 was owned by Robert Cansdale and donated in 1986. It has an Aeronca E-113 36-horsepower engine that was typically used to power heavier Aeronca C-3s.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/aeronca-c-2

AERONCA L-3B GRASSHOPPER

Manufacturer: Aeronca (Aeronautical Corporation of America)

Model: L-3B Grasshopper

Year: 1943

Registration: N47427

Dimensions: Wingspan: 35.00ft, Length: 21ft, Height: 8ft

Maximum Speed: 87mph

Range: 350miles 

The Aeronca L-3B is an example of the light planes used by the U.S. Army during World War II. Built by Stinson, Piper, Taylorcraft, and Aeronca, these little observation and liaison planes, collectively nicknamed “Grasshoppers,” were adapted from existing commercial airplane designs made before the war. Using established designs and proven airframes saved time and money and brought the Grasshoppers into service quickly. Aeronca's Model 65TC Tandem Trainer flew as the O-58, later changed to L-3 ("Liaison" rather than "Observation"). Aeronca's L-3B was modified with a wider fuselage, bigger windows, and additional military equipment and was outfitted with a Continental A65-8 65-horsepower engine. The L-3B was used as an observation plane, VIP transport, and artillery spotter and director. A total of 701 L-3B aircraft were produced, among thousands of this aircraft class built during the war.

The Army liaison-type airplane's famous name is said to have originated with U.S. Army Major General Innis P. Swift after observing a rough landing during maneuvers at Fort Bliss, Texas, in the summer of 1941. Soon, all of the Army's liaison aircraft were generically called "Grasshoppers."

The Museum’s L-3B was manufactured in 1943 and was privately owned by several individuals after 1954. From 1979 to 1980, the Aeronca was owned and restored by Henry Coleman and Larry Henderson of Dayton, Ohio. It was purchased by Aeronca, Inc. in 1985 and returned to its wartime colors for donation to The Museum of Flight.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/aeronca-l-3b-o-58b-grasshopper

ALBATROS D.VA (L24) REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Albatros Flugzeugwerke, reproduction by Art Williams and Jim and Zona Appleby

Model: D.Va

Year: 1917 (1984 reproduction)

Registration: NX36DV

Dimensions: Wingspan: 29.67ft, Length: 25Ft, Height: 9ft

Maximum Speed: 116mph

Starting with the introduction of the D.I (L15) in August 1916, the Albatros D series produced many of the most iconic German fighter planes of World War I. However, while early planes from the run were considered fast, hearty, and well-armed compared to the opponents they met in the skies, the Albatros D.V had lost considerable ground by the time of its introduction. It was outmatched by the more powerful SPAD and S.E.5a or the more maneuverable Sopwith Camel. It was also plagued by design deficiencies. "The D.V is so outdated that one does not risk anything with it," were the harsh words from fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen. "And the people at home, for nearly a year, have developed nothing better than the lousy Albatros."

The Albatros D.Va (L24) was an updated version of the D.V that attempted to address the worst design flaws -- in particular, the "V" wing struts that caused the lower wing to flutter in high speed dives, which could lead to structural failure. Even with added support to strengthen the union between wing and wing strut, the D.Va was far from perfect. Pilots were often instructed not to dive too steeply in the plane.

Despite these shortcomings, the Albatros factory was willing and capable of producing large numbers of planes, and the war was raging. The result was that, when an Allied pilot encountered a German fighter, it was usually an Albatros. Over 2,500 examples of the D.V and D.Va were made. Armament consisted of two 7.92mm Maschinengewehr (MG) 08/15 machine guns, with interrupter gear to fire through the propeller arc. These guns were sometimes referred to as "Spandau," in reference to the arsenal where much of the German small arms development and production occurred.

The Museum's D.Va reproduction was completed in 1984 and delivered to the Champlin Collection. Airframe and wings were built by Art Williams in Germany, and the final assembly and finish work was completed by Jim and Zona Appleby. The aircraft bears the markings of German ace George van Hippel and incorporates an original Mercedes D.IIIa engine.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/albatros-dva-l24-reproduction

ALEXANDER EAGLEROCK

Manufacturer: Alexander Aircraft Company

Model: Eaglerock Combo-Wing

Year: 1928

Registration: N4648

Dimensions: Wingspan: 36.00ft, Length: 25ft, Height: 10ft

Maximum Speed: 100mph

Cruise Speed: 85mph

Range: 395miles

The Alexander Eaglerock series was one of several civilian aircraft brands that emerged after World War I. Winging away from the Denver-based Alexander Aircraft Company at "mile-high" altitudes, equipped with a Curtiss OX-5, 90-horsepower engine, Eaglerocks joined Wacos, Travel Airs, and Swallows as the most popular general aviation aircraft of the late 1920s.

The business that was to become the Alexander Aircraft Company originally started in film production. When owner J. Don Alexander became interested in airplanes, which he felt could be a boon to film advertising, the company shifted gears toward aircraft manufacturing. In 1925, the first Alexander Eaglerock hit the market, incorporating innovations such as a tail wheel and wings that folded back for storage. However, its performance didn’t live up to marketing promises and a more conventional follow-on plane appeared in early 1926.

Later that year, AAC designers Daniel Noonan and Al Mooney (who later founded the Mooney Aircraft Company) unveiled the "Combo-Wing," an aircraft with three different upper and lower wing configurations selectable by the customer. The Eaglerock Combo-Wing was one of the first aircraft certificated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, with Approved Type Certificate (ATC) #7 assigned to the "Combo-Wing" and ATC #8 to the similar "Long-Wing" version in April 1927.

The Museum's Eaglerock was purchased by Frank and Victor Hansen in 1977. "It was a true basket case," Victor said. "…So bad that we probably wouldn't have restored it if it hadn't been for our father." Their father, Bernard Hansen, owned an Eaglerock in the 1920s, which he used in barnstorming performances. The Hansens, with Bill Duncan, restored this Eaglerock in memory of their father. The Museum acquired the aircraft in 1998.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/alexander-eaglerock

ANTONOV AN-2 COLT

Manufacturer: Antonov

Model: An-2 Colt

Year: 1977

Registration: N61SL

Dimensions: Wingspan: 59.71ft, Length: 46ft, Height: 14ft

Maximum Speed: 157mph

Cruise Speed: 124mph

Range: 562miles

First taking to the skies in August 1947, the Antonov An-2 has a record-setting production run and flying career that spans over four decades. The aircraft was the first design of the OKB-153 Design Bureau, led by Oleg K. Antonov and eventually based in Kiev, Ukraine. It was originally designed for civil utility uses, but its versatility allowed the An-2 to serve in a wide range of roles, including transportation, search-and-rescue, agriculture and forestry, geographical survey, fire bombing, and research. Military versions served with Soviet, later Russian, armed forces and their allies. NATO assigned the code name "Colt" to the aircraft, but it is known throughout the former Soviet Union as "Annushka" (Annie).

The An-2 is one of the largest single-engine biplanes ever produced. It was particularly prized for its versatility and extraordinary slow-flight, short takeoff, and landing capabilities. In fact, the An-2 has no published stall speed, and pilots have been known to fly the plane under full control at 30 mph. This combined with its ability to handle extreme weather conditions and rough, makeshift runways made it an ideal workforce in undeveloped and remote operational environments.

In addition to its original factory in Novosibirsk in the former Soviet Union, the plane has seen production runs in the Ukraine, Poland, and China. It is equipped with a single 1,000-horsepower 9-cylinder Shvetsov ASh-62 radial engine. It has been produced in dozens of variants that span civil, military, and scientific uses.

The Museum's An-2 was manufactured in 1977. In April 1998, the aircraft, named Polar 1, recreated a 1928 transpolar flight originally made by Hubert Wilkins and Ben Eielson from Barrow, Alaska, USA to Spitsbergen, Norway. The recreation flight included a landing at the North Pole on April 13, 1998. The An-2 was donated to the Museum by owner Shane Lundgren and Air Berlin. In July 1999, Captain Lundgren, an Air Berlin pilot, flew the An-2 across the Atlantic and mainland United States to Seattle.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/antonov-2-colt

BEECH C-45H EXPEDITOR

Manufacturer: Beech Aircraft Corporation

Model: C-45H Expeditor (Model D18S)

Year: 1942

Registration: N115ME

Dimensions: Wingspan: 47.67ft, Length: 34ft, Height: 10ft

Maximum Speed: 215mph

Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1-3 engines

Range: 700miles

Beech's twin-engined Model 18 was developed to supplement their famous Model 17 Staggerwing. First flown in January 1937, the Beech 18 was intended for private owners or charter operators. Initial sales were slow, with only 39 units produced before the outbreak of World War II. However, C-45 versions of the plane were widely used by the Army and Navy as trainers for pilots, gunners, bombardiers, and navigators, and as personnel and cargo transports. The last of the over 7,000 civilian and military versions of the Model 18 series was built in 1969, ending a 32-year continuous production run.

Most of the American pilots who flew the big bombers and cargo planes during World War II flew Beech Model 18-type aircraft near the end of their training. After pilots had mastered the small single-engine trainers, the next step was bigger, two-engine craft. But pilots were not the only ones Beeches helped train. Around 90% of the nation's navigators and bombardiers, as well as many aerial gunners, learned their trade in Army and Navy versions of the 18.

The Museum's Beech was built in November 1942 and delivered to U.S. Army Air Forces Bolling Field Headquarters Command in Washington, D.C. It was transferred to Victorville Air Field, California in 1946 and went into storage in 1949 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Reclaimed in 1951, it was one of hundreds of C-45s extensively remanufactured to the C-45G-BH standard (similar to the civil D18S); it was delivered in "zero-timed" condition to Barksdale AFB in Louisiana in December 1952. In 1957, it was further upgraded to the C-45H standard at Laughlin AFB, Texas by substitution of Hamilton-Standard propellers and two Pratt & Whitney R-985 AN-14B engines. By 1959, it was in storage again, this time at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona.

After 17 years of serving the Army and Air Force, this and several other C-45s were sold to Rogue Valley Memorial Hospital of Medford, Oregon, later renamed Mercy Flights, Inc. Nicknamed "Iron Annie" and "The Bandaid Bomber," the C-45 evacuated over 1,150 people from remote areas in Oregon and Northern California to city hospitals for medical care. Among many missions, it was involved in the August 1959 rescue operation following the explosion of a nitrate truck passing through Roseburg, Oregon. This plane also flew missions to locate downed aircraft and assisted in firefighting operations before being retired in 1980. Mercy Flights donated “Iron Annie” to the Museum in 1982.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/beech-c-45h-expeditor

BOEING 100/P-12/F4B

Manufacturer: Boeing Airplane Company (now The Boeing Company)

Model: Model 100 (P-12/F4B)

Year: 1928

Registration: N872H

Dimensions: Wingspan: 30.00ft, Length: 21ft, Height: 10ft

Maximum Speed: 169mph

Cruise Speed: 142mph

Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney R-1340B "Wasp" 450 h.p. engine (Currently has one Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engine)

Range: 520miles

In 1928, Boeing introduced the first in a series of fighters that would become one of the most successful designs of the interwar period. The Model 83 and 89 prototypes were significantly advanced compared to Boeing's previous fighter planes. Refined and improved versions were developed as the Army P-12, the Navy F4B, and the civil Model 100 series. The military variants were armed with two machine guns, one each of .30 and .50 caliber, and could also externally carry bombs. A total of 586 examples of this famous Boeing biplane were built. It was one of the premier frontline fighters for both the U.S. Army and Navy throughout the 1930s.

The P-12/F4B/100 series is a mixture of old and new design components. Although many monoplane designs were emerging in the late 1920s, the military still wanted proven, World War I-style biplanes. While the Boeing fighters were still primarily cloth-covered, the company incorporated corrugated aluminum aileron and tail surfaces. The wing structure was made of spruce and mahogany, but the fuselage was a combination of welded steel tubing and bolted aluminum tubing. Later versions incorporated aluminum skin throughout.

The Museum's Boeing Model 100 was one of four built as commercial export versions of the Navy F4B-1. This one was delivered to Pratt & Whitney and was used as a flying test bed. Over the course of its career, it flew with a variety of different engines, including the R-1340 Wasp, R-985 Wasp Jr., R-1535 Twin Wasp, and R-1690 Hornet.

In 1933, Pratt & Whitney sold the plane to stunt pilot Milo Burcham, who modified it for skywriting, extended inverted flight, and airshow stunts. Later, the aircraft was purchased by well-known movie stunt pilot Paul Mantz. The plane appeared (often in disguise) in many aviation films, such as Men With Wings (1938) and Task Force (1949). In 1977, it was acquired by a restoration group led by Lew Wallick and Bob Mucklestone, who restored the plane to flyable condition. Today, the Model 100 sports a P-12 scheme in the markings of the U.S. Army 95th Pursuit Squadron, circa 1929.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-100p-12f4b

BOEING 737-130

Model: 737-130

Year: 1967

Registration: NASA 515

Dimensions: Wingspan: 87.00ft, Length: 94ft, Height: 37ft

Cruise Speed: 575mph

Power Plant: Two Pratt and Whitney JT8D-7 engines

Range: 1,150miles

The 737 is the smallest and most popular jetliner in the Boeing family. Dependable and economical, the 737 series has a reputation as a workhorse and can be found in airline fleets across the world. Since 1967, over 10,000 "Baby Boeings" have been produced.

The 737 was designed to share significant component commonality with its predecessor 707 and 727 aircraft. One major difference for the new 737 was elimination of the flight engineer station and adoption of a two-crew flight deck. The 737-100 and stretched -200 entered service in 1967. Early production was based at the Thompson Site at Boeing Field before moving to Renton in 1970.

The 737-300/400/500 family was introduced in the mid-1980s and sported several engineering improvements, such as new high-bypass ratio CFM56 engines and a new flight deck. Originally designed as a purely short-haul aircraft that could fly 1000 to 2000 miles, the 737 achieved transcontinental range in the mid-1990s with the Next Generation (NG) 737-600/700/800/900 series. The NG also introduced the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). The 737 MAX family, the fourth generation of the 737, entered airline service in 2017.

Several military versions of the 737 have served in various roles. The U.S. Air Force T-43 navigator-trainer was based on the 737-200. The C-40A/B was based on the NG series and provided personnel and cargo transport capability for the U.S. Navy and Air Force, respectively. The NG airframe is also the platform for the U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for several nations.

The Museum's aircraft is the very first 737 ever produced. It was the last new airplane to be manufactured at Boeing Plant 2. The aircraft made its first flight with Brien Wygle and Lew Wallick at the controls on April 9, 1967. Boeing used the 737 as a flight test aircraft before selling it to NASA in 1974. Based at the Langley Research Center in Virginia, this 737 became the Transport Systems Research Vehicle, known as NASA 515. It tested many technological innovations, including a virtual cockpit, electronic flight displays, and airborne windshear detection systems. It was retired in 1997.

This aircraft is on loan from the NASA Langley Research Center.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-737-130

BOEING B&W REPLICA

Manufacturer: The Boeing Company

Model: B&W

Year: 1916 (1966 replica)

Registration: N1916

Dimensions: Wingspan: 52.00ft, Length: 31ft

Maximum Speed: 75mph

Cruise Speed: 67mph

Power Plant: One Hall-Scott A-5, 125 h.p. engine (Replica has one Lycoming GO-435 170-horsepower engine)

Range: 320miles

The B&W was the very first Boeing aircraft, designed and built by William E. Boeing and Conrad Westervelt, hence the "B&W" initials. Boeing, then a prominent timber man, and Westervelt, a Navy engineer, first met at Seattle's University Club. They bonded over their shared interests and backgrounds; both men liked boating and playing bridge, both had studied engineering, and both had a fascination with the dawning field of aviation. Their initial flights in a Martin seaplane convinced the two men they could develop a better airplane. The result was the Model 1 or B&W, which had its first flight on June 15, 1916.

The B&W's basic design was derived from the Martin TA Trainer, which Boeing had purchased after taking flying lessons at Glenn Martin's school in Los Angeles. Boeing and Westervelt incorporated a number of improvements and innovations into their aircraft, including a lighter, improved aerodynamic wing section and twin float configuration that gave the B&W better handling on the water. Boeing showed the plane to the Navy in the hopes of a contract but was turned down. Both the first B&W, nicknamed the "Bluebill," and the second, called the "Mallard," which was built the following November, were eventually acquired by the government of New Zealand. Their ultimate fate is unknown.

As for the B&W's creators, Westervelt was soon transferred to the East Coast and went on to command the Naval Aircraft Factory in Pennsylvania. Boeing proceeded with his aeronautical efforts by incorporating the Pacific Aero Products Company in 1916. It would eventually become an aerospace giant.

The Museum's B&W is a 1966 replica built for The Boeing Company's 50th anniversary by the Jobmaster Company of Renton, Washington. Though externally similar to the original B&W, it incorporates a number of design changes for safety and ease of construction, such as revised tail surfaces, steel-tube fuselage, and a different engine. While the original B&W had one Hall-Scott A-5, 125-horsepower engine, the Museum's replica has a Lycoming GO-435 170-horsepower engine. With these changes, the aircraft was given the official designation Boeing Model 1A.

This aircraft is on loan from The Boeing Company.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-bw-replica

BOEING 787 DREAMLINER

Manufacturer: The Boeing Company

Model: 787-8 Dreamliner

Year: 2009

Dimensions: Wingspan: 197.25ft, Length: 186ft, Height: 56ft

Maximum Speed: 593mph

Cruise Speed: 567mph

Power Plant: 2x Rolls-Royce Trent 1000

Range: 9,030miles

The Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" introduced multiple technical innovations to the world of commercial air travel. Through its widespread use of composite materials in primary structure, more electric (less pneumatic) systems architecture, and advanced aerodynamic and engine technology, the 787 achieved a 20% reduction in fuel burn compared to previous airplanes in its class. It also maintains a lower maximum cabin altitude for improved passenger comfort and offers larger windows for viewing the scenery outside. The 787 is roughly the size of the 767 but with the longer range of the 777.

Initially marketed as the 7E7, the airplane was designated 787 at the time of its official launch in April 2004. It was originally planned for delivery in 2008, but the challenging technical and business aspects of the program resulted in schedule delays. First flight finally occurred on December 15, 2009, with first delivery to All Nippon Airways (ANA) on September 26, 2011.

The initial version, the 787-8, can carry 210 to 250 passengers. The longer 787-9 carries 250 to 290 passengers. The longest version, the 787-10, accommodates 300 to 330 passengers. These figures vary with airline seating configuration choices and flight range.

The Museum's 787-8, known as ZA003, was the third Dreamliner built. It first flew on March 14, 2010. In addition to its role in the flight test and certification program, Boeing flew ZA003 to 23 countries during a global marketing showcase of the 787 called the Dream Tour. At the Museum, the airplane's interior is partially configured as an airliner and flight test aircraft, with the remaining space now devoted to displays and artifacts covering the development of the 787.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-787-dreamliner

BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS

Manufacturer: Boeing Aircraft Company

Model: B-29 Superfortress

Year: 1942

Registration: 44-69729

Dimensions: Wingspan: 141.25ft, Length: 99ft, Height: 28ft

Maximum Speed: 365mph

Cruise Speed: 220mph

Power Plant: Four Wright R-3350-23 engines, 2,200 horsepower each

Range: 5,830miles

The B-29 Superfortress was the most capable bomber of World War II. It could carry more payload and fly faster and at higher altitudes than contemporary types such as the Boeing B-17, Consolidated B-24, or Avro Lancaster. Its performance enabled long-range systematic bombing of Japan in 1944 and 1945. Two modified B-29s dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in August 1945, helping end the war in the Pacific.

The B-29 continued in frontline bomber service through the Korean War. The aircraft was also used in other roles, such as maritime patrol, aerial refueling, weather reconnaissance, and search and rescue. Specific B-29s were adapted as "motherships" for research aircraft in the late 1940s and 1950s, including Chuck Yeager's first supersonic flight in the Bell X-1. The design was further developed as the B-50, introduced in 1947.

The B-29 development program was an unprecedented industrial effort in the early 1940s. The aircraft introduced several innovations for bomber types, including pressurized crew areas, remotely-controlled gun turrets, and dual bomb bays with alternating bomb release. It was the world's heaviest production airplane at the time of its introduction. The B-29's refined aerodynamics benefited from significant wind tunnel testing.

The initial XB-29 prototype first flew from Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington on September 21, 1942. The powerful Wright R-3350 engines experienced chronic overheating issues during testing, leading to the crash of the second prototype just north of Boeing Field on February 18, 1943. Wartime production of the B-29 was spread among Boeing plants in Wichita, Kansas and Renton, Washington and built under license by Martin and Bell.

The Museum's B-29, known as T-Square 54, fought in the Pacific during World War II, flying at least 37 combat missions with the 875th Bomb Squadron, 498th Bomb Group. After the war, the bomber was converted to an aerial refueling tanker and served in the Korean War. The aircraft was then retired to the China Lake Naval Gunnery Range, where it remained until a rescue was organized in 1986 by volunteers from Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado. Restoration work was begun, but the closure of Lowry in 1994 resulted in the aircraft's transfer to The Museum of Flight, where detailed restoration continues while on public display.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-b-29-superfortress

BOEING B-52G STRATOFORTRESS

Manufacturer: Boeing Airplane Company (now The Boeing Company)

Model: B-52G Stratofortress

Year: YB-52 first flight 1952, B-52G first flight 1958

Registration: 59-2584

Dimensions: Wingspan: 185.00ft, Length: 159ft, Height: 41ft

Cruise Speed: 650mph

Power Plant: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57-P-43WB engines

Range: 7,500miles

The Boeing B-52 was developed as a strategic long-range bomber. Originally designed to deliver nuclear weapons from high altitude, it has demonstrated flexibility in a variety of unforeseen roles. During the Vietnam War, the aircraft was adapted to carry up to 84 500-pound conventional bombs. Over time, advances in anti-aircraft missiles required a shift to a low altitude, under-the-radar mission profile. In the 1980s, the B-52 began a new role as a stand-off cruise missile launch platform. The aircraft continues to adapt to new 21st century missions in response to changing requirements and threats.

The YB-52 prototype first flew at Boeing Field in April 1952, and the B-52A entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were produced in Seattle, Washington and Wichita, Kansas, culminating with the B-52H model last delivered in 1962. Some B-52H aircraft are expected to continue operation until 2040.

The Museum's B-52 was one of 193 G-models built at Boeing's Wichita plant. The G-model incorporated numerous improvements in avionics, fuel system, and flight controls, as well as a shorter vertical fin. The Museum's B-52 was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in October 1960 and spent its entire service life with the Strategic Air Command. It was one of 110 B-52Gs that saw combat during the Vietnam War as part of Operation Bullet Shot/Linebacker. When it was retired in 1991, it had accumulated 15,305 hours of flight time. It was demilitarized under the terms of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in August 1992.

After its retirement, the aircraft was placed in outdoor storage at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. In June 2017, the Museum launched "Project Welcome Home," a fundraising effort to restore this aircraft for inclusion in a commemorative park honoring Vietnam War veterans. In 2019, the restored B-52 was relocated to the Museum's main campus, where its serves as the centerpiece of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-b-52g-stratofortress

BOEING MODEL 40B REPRODUCTION 

Manufacturer: Original design by Boeing Airplane Company, reproduction by Century Aviation

Model: Model 40B Replica

Year: 1927 (2007 replica)

Dimensions: Wingspan: 44.17ft, Length: 33ft, Height: 12ft

Maximum Speed: 137mph

Cruise Speed: 125mph

Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney R-1690 "Hornet" engine

Range: 535miles

In 1925, Boeing built its first Model 40 in response to a U.S. Post Office competition for a design to replace war surplus de Havilland DH-4s. The specification required using the World War I-era Liberty engine. The Model 40 first flew in July 1925, and the Post Office purchased the single airframe, but no more. However, the Kelly Act of 1925 opened up air mail to private ventures, stimulating a new industry.

In late 1926, when the Chicago-San Francisco airmail contract went for bid, former Boeing pilot and experienced mailplane operator Eddie Hubbard approached the company's chief engineer, Claire Egtvedt, with a business proposal. Together, they revisited the Model 40 design. A two-seat passenger compartment was added, the fuselage structure was redesigned with welded steel tubing, and -- most importantly -- the water-cooled Liberty engine was replaced with the new and efficient Pratt & Whitney air-cooled Wasp. Hubbard and Egtvedt convinced William Boeing that the improved Model 40 would enable the firm to win the transcontinental contract.

Boeing indeed won the business with the new airplane, dubbed Model 40A. The newly formed Boeing Air Transport would conduct the operation, beginning in July 1927. It was immediately profitable; asked how he could operate so efficiently, Boeing said, "I would rather fly 200 more pounds of mail than water." In addition to mail, the two-passenger compartment created a market of its own. Later versions of the 40 flew with a more powerful Pratt & Whitney Hornet and room for four passengers. Over time, 40As were upgraded to the Hornet and called 40B, later 40B-2 after introduction of the four-passenger 40B-4.

The Boeing Model 40 was the company's first major commercial success, ensuring Boeing a place in the rapidly growing civil market of the late 1920s. It also cemented a long-lasting relationship with engine-maker Pratt & Whitney. A total of 77 Model 40s were built between 1925 and 1932.

Thanks to the generosity of William E. Boeing Jr., the Museum's Model 40B reproduction was constructed by Century Aviation of Wenatchee, Washington, and was installed in our Great Gallery in October of 2007.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-model-40b-reproduction

BOEING CH-47D CHINOOK "MY OLD LADY"

Manufacturer: Boeing Vertol

Model: CH-47D "Chinook"

Year: 1961

Registration: 91-00261,

Dimensions: Length: 98ft, Height: 18ft 11in

Maximum Speed: 200 mph

Cruise Speed: 180 mph

Power Plant: 2x Lycoming T55-GA-714A turboshaft engines

Range: 460 miles

The CH-47 Chinook is a descendent of the banana-shaped Piasecki helicopter designs of the 1940s and 1950s, such as the H-21. Frank Piasecki’s company was renamed Vertol in 1956 and acquired by The Boeing Company in 1960. The first CH-47A Chinook for the U.S. Army entered service in 1962, and the type was widely used in Vietnam. The Chinooks were vital to many aspects of that war, including troop transport, placing artillery batteries in mountain positions inaccessible by other means, and recovering downed aircraft. Chinooks retrieved 11,500 disabled aircraft, worth over 3 billion U.S. dollars, throughout the conflict.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, a major upgrade program was initiated, converting over 500 “A” models to more powerful and modernized CH-47Ds. Three hundred of these airframes were further modernized in the early 2000s as the CH-47F, with digital flight decks and numerous improvements. Further enhancements are planned, which should keep CH-47s flying into the mid-21st Century.

The Museum’s Chinook, named My Old Lady, was built in 1962, and on January 9, 1963 it became the fifth Chinook accepted by the U.S. Army. The twin-engined helo accommodates a crew of two or three and up to 50 troops. It has served with the U.S. Army and Army National Guard, based at Camp Murray near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, since 2009. The aircraft flew combat missions in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan during 2009-2011. Locally, it was flown in support of domestic emergencies, most recently the Okanogan Complex Wildfire in 2015. It is the only authorized U.S. Army aircraft with nose art. My Old Lady was the oldest flyable Chinook in the world-wide Army inventory when it was taken off of flight status in 2017 after 54 years of service.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/CH-47D-Chinook

BOWERS FLY BABY 1A

Manufacturer: Original design by Peter Bowers, built by Al Stabler

Model: Fly Baby 1A

Year: 1971

Registration: N4339

Dimensions: Wingspan: 28.00ft, Length: 19ft, Height: 7ft

Maximum Speed: 120mph

Cruise Speed: 107mph

Power Plant: Continental A-65 engine

Range: 320miles

The Fly Baby was the winning entry in the 1962 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Design Contest. Designed and built by Seattle resident Peter Bowers, the little plane specifically met EAA's requirements for a low-cost, folding wing plane that could be towed or trailered and is easy to build and fly. A popular design with many homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts, the Fly Baby's plans sold for about $65. The finished airplane could fit in a standard garage and could also be built in biplane and twin-float seaplane versions. Although not intended for heavy aerobatics, the little Fly Baby can do simple loops, barrel rolls, and spins.

A life-long aviation enthusiast, Bowers wrote his first aviation article as a high school student in 1938. He became one of the world's most respected aviation historians, with numerous books and hundreds of articles to his credit. Never far from a camera, Bowers also amassed one of the United States' largest collections of aviation prints and negatives, now held in The Museum of Flight's archives.

This particular Fly Baby was built by Al Stabler. He purchased plans in November of 1967 and made the maiden flight in his Fly Baby on February 2, 1971, at Kitsap County Airport in Washington State. The plane was retired in 1980 with about 130 hours of flying time.

According to Al Stabler's logbook, actual work on the plane began early in 1968. The all-wood construction consisted of spruce structural members, fir plywood, and mahogany door skins. The gas tank and engine cowling were homemade and the wheels, propeller, and engine were purchased locally. The airframe was inspected by the FAA in September of 1970 and assigned the registration number N4339. Soon after, the wings were covered with Ceconite 101 fabric and nine coats of brushed-on dope. That November, Al began taxi tests, and the following February, his Fly Baby finally took to the skies!

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/bowers-flybaby-1a

BOWERS FLY BABY PROTOTYPE

Manufacturer: Peter M. Bowers

Model: Fly Baby

Year: 1962

Registration: N500F

Dimensions: Wingspan: 28.00ft, Length: 19ft, Height: 7ft

Maximum Speed: 120mph

Cruise Speed: 107mph

Power Plant: One Continental C-85, 85 h.p. engine

Range: 320miles

The Fly Baby was the winning entry in the 1962 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Design Contest. Designed and built by Seattle resident Peter Bowers, the little plane specifically met EAA's requirements for a low-cost, folding wing plane that could be towed or trailered and is easy to build and fly. A popular design with many homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts, the Fly Baby's plans sold for about $65. The finished airplane could fit in a standard garage and could also be built in biplane and twin-float seaplane versions. Although not intended for heavy aerobatics, the little Fly Baby can do simple loops, barrel rolls, and spins.

A life-long aviation enthusiast, Bowers wrote his first aviation article as a high school student in 1938. He became one of the world's most respected aviation historians, with numerous books and hundreds of articles to his credit. Never far from a camera, Bowers also amassed one of the United States' largest collections of aviation prints and negatives, now held in The Museum of Flight's archives.

The Museum's Fly Baby is the original prototype, built by Peter Bowers himself. Bowers labored 720 hours to construct the aircraft, at a cost of $1,050. It first flew on July 27, 1960 (the EAA contest was postponed to 1962 due to initial lack of entries). Following a crash by another pilot in April 1962, the fuselage was replaced. It was later obtained by Bob and Diane Dempster. The Museum acquired the aircraft from the Dempsters in 2004.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/bowers-flybaby-prototype

CAPRONI CA.20

Manufacturer: Caproni

Model: Ca.20

Year: 1914

Dimensions: Wingspan: 26.00ft, Length: 27ft, Height: 10ft

Maximum Speed: 103mph

Power Plant: One Le Rhône 110-horsepower rotary engine

The Caproni Ca.20 was an aircraft ahead of its time in design, purpose, and armament. In early 1914, before World War I, this speedy single-seat monoplane was created and equipped with a forward-facing machine gun mounted above the propeller arc. Considered the world's first fighter plane, the Ca.20's pilot could aim the overhead .303-caliber Lewis machine gun at enemy aircraft via false sight at eye level.

The model 20 was a derivative of Caproni's Ca.18 reconnaissance airplane -- the first Italian-made airplane to be used by the Italian military. The new "fighter plane" version incorporated a larger engine (a Le Rhône 110-horsepower rotary engine), shorter wingspan, and a streamlined metal cowling to reduce drag and increase speed. Interestingly, the left wing is 5.5 inches longer than the right wing (presumably to counter the torque reaction of the rotary engine.)

Test flights in 1916 proved that the Ca.20 was an exceptional airplane -- the equal of other military airplanes being made in France and Germany. Yet the Italian military wanted Gianni Caproni's company to focus on heavy bombers and only this single Ca.20 was ever produced.

The Museum acquired the historic aircraft in 1999. The plane was preserved by the Caproni family in Italy for over 85 years. It was eventually stored, strangely enough, in a monastery. To prepare for its move, the Ca.20 was carefully dismantled piece by piece by Museum staff and then lowered through a second story window. The rare aircraft was then shipped to The Museum of Flight and painstakingly reassembled and displayed as it appeared in Europe. The Caproni Ca.20 may not be as crisp, clean, and pretty as the day when it was rolled out from the workshop, but that's part of its beauty. Unlike most aircraft in museum collections, this plane is displayed in almost entirely original condition. It wears covering that was applied long ago, and that battered fabric shows all of the scars and stains of a century of life.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/caproni-ca20

CESSNA CG-2 GLIDER

Manufacturer: Cessna Aircraft Company

Model: CG-2

Year: 1930

Registration: N178V

Dimensions: Wingspan: 35.17ft, Length: 18ft, Height: 7ft

Cruise Speed: 25mph

To keep his aircraft manufacturing company alive in the early years of the Great Depression, Clyde Cessna began to sell small and simple aircraft such as the CG-2 glider (Cessna Glider, model 2). Designed and built with his son, Eldon, the little sport glider sold by catalog for $398. The CG's spartan design was based on German primary gliders used to train pilots after World War I. It could be launched to flight speed by a slingshot-like device using bungee cords. Longer flights could be made off a hill or ridge, or pulled by automobile. Cessna advertisements of 1930 stated, "Glider pilots will be future transport pilots."

The CG-2 became the basis for many other small Cessna aircraft, including the CPG-1, a powered glider; the CS-1, a sailplane; and the EC-2, a tiny one-place monoplane. Cessna records show sales of only 54 CG-2 units, although many more may have been built from kits. Sadly, sales of the CG-2 and its offspring could not save the Cessna Company from shutting down in 1931. Clyde Cessna would revive the company in the mid-1930s with a successful line of air racers.

The Museum's CG-2 was purchased and assembled in 1930 by ten members of the Yakima Glider Club, which had been recently founded by pioneer Northwest aviator Charlie McAllister. The glider cost $400, paid in equal allotments by the 10 members. The club flew the glider for ten years. It was preserved and eventually donated to The Museum of Flight in 1987.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/cessna-cg-2-glider

CURTISS P-40N WARHAWK

Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Corporation

Model: P-40N Warhawk

Year: 1944

Registration: NL10626 / 44-4192

Dimensions: Wingspan: 37.34ft, Length: 33ft

Maximum Speed: 378mph

Cruise Speed: 288mph

Power Plant: Allison V-1710-81 12-cyclinder 1,360 hp

Range: 750miles

The Curtiss P-40 was obsolete at the outbreak of World War II, and despite continued improvements, never equaled the capabilities of its adversaries. But it had one priceless advantage: it was available and being efficiently mass-produced when needed most. It was an effective weapon when its strengths were leveraged: diving passes and rapid departure without engaging in a turning dogfight with more agile opponents. The U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Free French, South Africa, and Russia flew the Curtiss fighter, and it served in all theaters of operation. The most famous P-40 unit was undoubtedly the American Volunteer Group (AVG), better known as the "Flying Tigers," who had great success flying the type in China in early 1942.

Derived from the Curtiss P-36 series and first flown in 1938, the P-40 was kept in production until 1944, with nearly 14,000 of all models delivered. The British called it the Tomahawk (B and C models) and Kittyhawk (D and E models). The F through R versions were known as Warhawks in U.S. service. The N model had decreased fuel capacity and increased armor, along with other minor system changes, relative to its predecessors. It was armed with four .50 caliber machine guns and could carry one 500-pound and two 100-pound bombs.

The Museum's P-40N-30 may have the lowest flight time of any surviving warbird. It was flown directly from the Curtiss factory in Buffalo, NY, to storage near Tucson, Arizona in 1945, with only 60 hours of total flight time. It was later put on display in Griffith Park in Los Angeles for a number of years, until noted movie pilot Frank Tallman acquired it and loaned the fighter to the San Diego Aerospace Museum. Doug Champlin purchased the P-40 in 1972 and had it fully restored by Dick Martin at Carlsbad, California in 1979. The chosen markings are those of Colonel Phil Colman of the Chinese-American Composite Wing. The plane was named after "O'Reilly's Daughter," a popular Army Air Forces drinking song.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/curtiss-p-40n-warhawk

CURTISS – ROBERTSON ROBIN C-1

Manufacturer: Curtiss-Robertson Aircraft Corporation

Model: Robin C-1

Year: 1929

Registration: N979K

Dimensions: Wingspan: 41.00ft, Length: 25ft, Height: 8ft

Maximum Speed: 120mph

Cruise Speed: 102mph

Power Plant: One Curtiss Challenger 185 h.p. engine (Currently equipped with a Wright R-760-8)

Range: 300miles

Curtiss designed the Robin to capitalize on the new popularity of aviation following Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight in 1927. It was a simple cabin monoplane design with seats for a pilot in front and two passengers in back. The aircraft was originally built to use a World War I-surplus OX-5 engine (still available almost 10 years after the war), though Robins later incorporated newer power plants. The dependable and inexpensive Curtiss Robin became one of the most commercially successful civil airplanes of its time, with 769 produced from 1928 to 1930. It was the most-produced Curtiss aircraft in the period between World Wars I and II.

The Robin was a practical airplane, but best remembered for unusual endurance flights. In 1930, Dale "Red" Jackson performed over four hundred consecutive slow rolls in his Robin. In 1929, Jackson and Forrest O'Brine spent nearly 17 days circling over St. Louis. That record was surpassed in 1935 by the brothers Fred and Al Key, who flew their Robin for over 27 continuous days. (Fuel was delivered from another Robin via hose; mail, food, oil, and spare parts came via container on the end of a rope.) The most famous Robin may be that of Douglas "Wrong-Way" Corrigan, who flew the Atlantic to Ireland after announcing his destination as Los Angeles. These endurance flights showed not only the reliability of the Robin but the dependability of aircraft in general during the 1930s.

The Museum's Robin, dubbed The Newsboy, was purchased in 1929 by the Daily Gazette newspaper of McCook, Nebraska. Delivered as a C-2 Robin powered by a Curtiss Challenger 185-horsepower engine, it flew 380 miles (600 km) a day to deliver 5,000 newspapers to 40 towns across rural Nebraska and Kansas. Publisher Harry Strunk hired pilot Steve Tuttle to deliver the Gazette in the morning and (hopefully) defray costs by selling flying lessons in the afternoon. At each town, Tuttle would drop a bundle of newspapers out of a hole in the bottom of the fuselage. The Newsboy is considered the first aircraft to be used to deliver newspapers on a regular schedule.

After sustaining damage in a tornado, the aircraft was eventually sold, repaired, and flown sporadically in the ensuing decades. The aircraft was restored as a C-1 in the late 1960s by Perry Schreffler and Robert Van Ausdell and is currently equipped with a Wright R-760-8 engine. It has been on loan to the Museum since 1972.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/curtiss-robertson-robin-c-1

DA VINCI II CIGNO INTERPRETATION

Manufacturer: Sandy McAusland, John Grove, and Merle Haley from a design by Leonardo da Vinci

Model: Ornithopter Il Cigno

Year: 1490

Dimensions: Wingspan: 31.34ft, Length: 14ft, Height: 5ft

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was one of the great minds of the Renaissance. Although most famous for his contributions to art, he was also proficient in mathematics, anatomy, botany, physics, and engineering. His flying machine illustrations are some of the earliest documented design concepts for human flight.

Il Cigno (The Swan) is an ornithopter, a machine shaped like a bird that is held aloft and propelled by wing movements. The pilot pulls the wings down by pushing with their arms and legs, while air pressure pushes the wings back up. The moveable tail, actuated by the pilot's body movements, controls pitch and yaw during gliding flight. However, ornithopters were technological dead ends; human musculature and metabolism are woefully inadequate for the job. A bird has some 60 percent of its weight devoted to the muscles that operate its wings, a huge lung capacity to sustain prolonged flight, and hollow, lightweight bones. Still, Il Cigno could make a respectable glider and with a brave, strong, and very light pilot, it might achieve a couple of wing flaps during a flight.

Il Cigno was built by Sandy McAusland, John Grove, and Merle Haley in 2002-2004, in consultation with Leonardo experts. It is not an exacting reproduction of one of Leonardo's sketches. The builders concluded that Leonardo's sketches were simply a thinking process, never intended to be made into working machines. Leonardo himself likely knew that he had not solved the problem; the wide variety of designs and unfinished drawings tend to support this conclusion. His sparing collection of human flight studies moved the dream of flight toward practical design, but much additional work would need to be done by others centuries later.

No modern materials or manufacturing techniques were used to build Il Cigno. Wood dowels and rawhide fasten the members together. The structure is white oak, a Mediterranean wood commonly used during Leonardo's time. This interpretation of Leonardo’s vision was presented to the Museum in 2004

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/da-vinci-il-cigno-interpretation

DOUGLAS A-4F SKYHAWK II

Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft Company

Model: A-4F Skyhawk

Year: 1966

Registration: 154180

Dimensions: Wingspan: 27.50ft, Length: 40ft, Height: 15ft

Maximum Speed: 674mph

Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney J52-P-8A engine with 9,300 lbs thrust

Range: 2,000miles

The nimble and speedy A-4 Skyhawk bucked the trend of "bigger is better." In 1952, Douglas designer Ed Heinemann, who had been the company's chief engineer since 1937, proposed that the Navy's newest attack plane be smaller, lighter, and faster than its contemporaries. Heinemann's team produced an A-4 design that surpassed all of the Navy's requirements for a light attack aircraft at about half the requested size and weight. Starting in 1955, the small but powerful A-4 flew with Navy and Marine units, eventually flying combat missions during the Vietnam War. The Skyhawk was the aircraft flown by the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Blue Angels, for the 1975-1986 seasons.

A small package with a powerful punch, the Skyhawk enjoyed many advantages over larger Navy planes. A-4s were easy to manage on an aircraft carrier deck and their stubby modified delta wings didn't need to be folded for storage. Without complex wing-folding mechanisms, the Skyhawk was even lighter and simpler to maintain. These attributes allowed it to stay in operational service with the U.S. and several other countries for over 35 years. The Skyhawk had one of the longest production runs of any American combat aircraft, with 2,960 built over 26 years.

The Museum's A-4 was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1967. From 1967 to 1970, it served with attack squadrons VA-125, VA-93, VA-23, and VA-22 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore in California. It is believed to have seen action over Vietnam while VA-22 was deployed aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) in 1970. During 1971-1972, the aircraft was assigned the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, then to the Naval Air Training Command at Pensacola, Florida until 1975. Afterwards, it was transferred to training and service squadron VF-43 at NAS Oceana, Virginia, where it served in land-based capacities until 1980.

In May 1980, with 2,773 flight hours logged, the Skyhawk was assigned to the Blue Angels. Several modifications, including removal of the upper fuselage avionics "hump," were completed to configure the aircraft for its new role. From 1980 to 1986, the Blue Angels flew the aircraft in positions 2, 3, 4, and 6. When the squadron transitioned to F-18 Hornets in 1987, their A-4s were retired. The Museum's A-4 sat at the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for several months before overland transfer to Seattle in June 1987. The aircraft is now painted as Blue Angel number 4, associated with the "slot" position; when the Blue Angels fly in diamond formation, the slot flies directly behind the leader, surrounded on three sides by other aircraft.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/douglas-4f-skyhawk-ii

FOKKER D.VII REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Fokker Flugzeug-Werke GmbH (Fok.), reproduction by Jim and Zona Appleby

Model: D.VII

Year: 1918

Registration: N38038

Dimensions: Wingspan: 29.34ft, Length: 23ft, Height: 9ft

Maximum Speed: 117mph

Power Plant: One Mercedes D III, 160 h.p. in-line engine or one B.M.W. III, 185 h.p. in-line engine

Most experts agree that the Fokker D.VII was the finest all-around fighter plane of World War I. Designed by Reinhold Platz, the prototype was test-flown in a January 1918 design competition by a number of notable German airmen, including Manfred von Richthofen. The D.VII was the clear winner, and was ordered into immediate production at Fokker, as well as under license at two Albatros factories. The different production lines worked from separate drawings, and their respective D.VII output and parts were not completely standardized. Regardless, by late April 1918, the first D.VIIs arrived to waiting combat units. By the end of the war in November, 775 were in service.

Pilots found that the Fokker had good visibility and was a maneuverable but relatively easy ship to fly. The D.VII remained very controllable even at its altitude ceiling, and pilots were able to make it "hang on its prop" to fire upward at higher-flying Allied machines. Famous German aces such as Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, and Hermann Göring achieved great success in the D.VII. Allied aviators began to dread the appearance of the "straight wings" with their "coffin noses." Although it couldn’t reverse the declining fortunes of the German Army on the ground in late 1918, the feared Fokker D.VII was the only airplane mentioned specifically by name to be handed over to the Allies under the Armistice terms.

Fokker D.VII armament consisted of two 7.92mm Maschinengewehr (MG) 08/15 machine guns, with interrupter gear to fire through the propeller arc. These guns were sometimes referred to as "Spandau," in reference to the arsenal where much of the German small arms development and production occurred.

The Museum's reproduction aircraft was started by the noted aircraft replica builder Joe DeFiore. After buying the basic steel-tube fuselage from DeFiore, Doug Champlin shipped it to Jim and Zona Appleby, who later completed the aircraft for museum display. Equipped with an original Mercedes water-cooled engine and two Spandau machine guns, it is authentically painted in the unique lozenge-pattern camouflage of the period and carries the winged-sword emblem of German ace Rudolf Berthold.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/fokker-dvii-reproduction

FOKKER D.VIII REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Fokker Flugzeug-Werke GmbH (Fok.), reproduction by E. O. Swearingen

Model: D.VIII

Year: 1918 (1960s reproduction)

Registration: NX7557U

Dimensions: Wingspan: 27.34ft, Length: 19ft, Height: 8ft

Maximum Speed: 128mph

Power Plant: One Oberursel U II 9, 110 h.p. rotary engine (currently has a Warner radial)

The Fokker D.VIII was the firm's final and most advanced design of World War I. Designed by Fokker's great engineering genius, Reinhold Platz, the innovative D.VIII was a highly maneuverable parasol-monoplane aircraft with great pilot visibility and pleasing flight characteristics. It would have been a formidable opponent had it not been so late in entering the war.

The swift and nimble fighter's initial designation was E.V. Arriving to combat in August 1918, its meaningful service time at the front was delayed while a wing structure problem, which caused three planes to fatally crash, was rectified. By the time the airplane was again placed in service, now labelled D.VIII, only 80 units could be fielded. It had a few weeks to prove itself in combat before the war ended in November 1918. (It was also hamstrung by a castor oil shortage in Germany, affecting its rotary engine.) If the war had continued into the winter of 1918-19, the "Flying Razor," as the D.VIII was called by British airmen, may have replaced the Fokker D.VII as the preeminent German fighter.

Fokker D.VIII armament consisted of two 7.92mm Maschinengewehr (MG) 08/15 machine guns, with interrupter gear to fire through the propeller arc. These guns were sometimes referred to as "Spandau," in reference to the arsenal where much of the German small arms development and production occurred.

After the war, a D.VIII fighter was obtained by Italy as part of war reparations. Today, its fuselage is the sole authentic D.VIII airframe remaining in existence, in the Museo dell'Aeronautica Gianni Caproni in Trento, Italy.

The Museum of Flight's reproduction aircraft was built during the 1960s by E. O. Swearingen of Worth, Illinois. Swearingen reviewed the surviving aircraft in Italy and later corresponded with Platz in order to authenticate the accuracy of his work. Following the aircraft's completion by Swearingen, it was flown for sport. In 1980, Doug Champlin purchased the aircraft. It is still equipped with the Warner radial engine that Swearingen used.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/fokker-dviii-reproduction

FOKKER E.III REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Fokker Flugzeug-Werke GmbH (Fok.), reproduction by Jim and Zona Appleby

Model: E.III Eindecker

Year: 1915 (1981 reproduction)

Registration: N3363G

Dimensions: Wingspan: 31.25ft, Length: 24ft, Height: 8ft

Maximum Speed: 81mph

Power Plant: One Oberursel U I, 100 h.p. rotary engine (currently has a Le Rhône 9C, 80 h.p. engine)

With its mid-wing monoplane design and distinct comma tail, Fokker's E-series fighter is one of the most recognizable aircraft of World War I. The Fokker E.III Eindecker ("single wing") deserves a significant place in aviation history, not necessarily because of its aerial prowess, but because it was the first combat aircraft in the world to be equipped with a forward-firing, fixed machine gun synchronized to fire between the propeller blades. No more than 150 E.III's were built, but the design changed aerial warfare and became a platform for the development of long-lasting fighter tactics and unit organization.

Not particularly fast or strong, the Eindecker's success came mainly against unsuspecting Allied observation types in late 1915 and early 1916. Early German aces such as Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke achieved great notoriety flying the type. Immelmann developed a diving attack followed by a climb and rapid direction reversal to quickly attack again, a maneuver which still bears his name. Boelcke established the fighter squadron concept and basic air-to-air combat tactics which became emulated by air forces worldwide. As for the Eindecker, its interrupter gear could be unreliable, with sometimes catastrophic results for its pilot. By mid-1916, the Eindecker was obsolete.

Eindecker armament consisted of a single 7.92mm Maschinengewehr (MG) 08/15 machine gun, with the previously noted innovative interrupter gear to fire through the propeller arc. This gun were sometimes referred to as "Spandau," in reference to the arsenal where much of the German small arms development and production occurred.

The Museum’s aircraft was commissioned by Doug Champlin and built during 1981 by Jim and Zona Appleby, then of Riverside, California. Typical of an Appleby reproduction, it is extremely accurate in virtually every detail. It is equipped with an authentic World War I-vintage Oberursel rotary engine and an authentic Spandau machine gun offset to the starboard side of the engine cowling.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/fokker-eiii-reproduction

GRANVILLE BROTHERS GEE BEE Z "CITY OF SPRINGFIELD" REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Granville Brothers Aircraft, reproduction by Bill Turner

Model: Gee Bee Model Z Super Sportster

Year: 1931 (1978 reproduction)

Registration: NR77V

Dimensions: Wingspan: 25.50ft, Length: 15ft, Height: 7ft

Maximum Speed: 270mph

Cruise Speed: 230mph

Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney R-985 "Wasp Jr." 535 h.p. engine

Range: 1,000miles

Like so many young people in the 1920s, Zantford Granville took a keen interest in the burgeoning field of aviation. He earned his pilot's license in 1925 and soon after started an airplane repair business in Boston, Massachusetts with his brother Tom. Business was good enough to bring in their other three brothers, Bob, Mark, and Ed. They named their company Gee Bee (G.B., for Granville Brothers), and expanded their scope beyond aircraft repair to aircraft design and development.

The first Gee Bee aircraft was a conventional biplane dubbed the Model A, recognized in 1929 as the first aircraft built in Boston. It incorporated cutting-edge features for its time, such as wheel brakes and a swiveling tail wheel that could be fixed for takeoff and landing. After obtaining financial support, they relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts to further develop their designs. The onset of the Great Depression affected Model A sales, which only amounted to 8 units sold.

The brothers then set their sights on the lucrative prize money offered in high-profile air races. In a shrewd business move, they hired gifted engineer Bob Hall and together they designed a series of sleek Sportsters. The Model X Sportster finished second in the Cirrus All American Flying Derby in 1930, flown by Lowell Bayles. This success and financial reward further stimulated the brothers.

The yellow and black Model Z Super Sportster was built to win the 1931 Thompson event at the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio. With an uprated Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr engine incorporated into the smallest possible airframe, the plane was fast but tricky to fly. Nevertheless, Bayles won the Thompson Trophy at a landplane record speed of 236.2 miles per hour. Refitted with a bigger Wasp engine during the autumn, the Z began flying at speeds of over 280 miles per hour. But in December, during a world speed record attempt run at 150 feet, the Z crashed in a massive fireball, killing pilot Lowell Bayles. Later Gee Bee aircraft would have further racing success and experience more tragedy, becoming an iconic and somewhat infamous brand of the era.

The Museum's Gee Bee is a reproduction of the original but is not exact in every way. In 1978, Bill Turner built the plane to fly, but with safety enhancements relative to the hot-rod original. It has slightly longer wings and fuselage and a less-powerful engine to make it easier to control. Two of the five original Granville Brothers, Bob and Ed, consulted on the project. The plane was purchased by the Disney Corporation and appeared in the 1991 movie The Rocketeer.

Afterwards, the Gee Bee was placed on display at the Santa Monica Museum of Flying and appeared on static display at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Golden Age of Air Racing exhibits at Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1991 and 1995. It was purchased by The Museum of Flight in 2003.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/granville-brothers-gee-bee-z-city-springfield

GRUMMAN EA-6B PROWLER

Manufacturer: Grumman Corporation

Year: 1971

Dimensions: Wingspan: 53.00 ft, Length: 59 ft 10 in, Height: 16 ft 3 in

Maximum Speed: 658 mph

Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408 turbojets of 11,200-lb static thrust each

Range: 2,021 miles

The Grumman (now Northrop Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is an electronic warfare aircraft that was operated by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Outfitted with advanced avionics and jamming equipment, the Prowler was designed to protect aerial strike forces by jamming enemy radar and communications. It also performed electronic surveillance and gathered electronic intelligence.

Based on Grumman's A-6 Intruder airframe, the EA-6B sports a radome on its vertical stabilizer, an enlarged cockpit for a pilot and three electronic countermeasures officers, and the ability to carry and fire anti-radiation missiles (ARMs). It has gone through multiple upgrades in its four decades of service, and its ability to suppress enemy air defenses remained formidable to the end. Grumman produced a total of 170 Prowlers. Not a single one was ever shot down in combat, but 50 were lost over the years in accidents.

The first Prowler, the EA-6A, emerged in 1963 from Grumman internal studies. The upgraded, four-crew EA-6B entered service in 1971 and, in the mid-1970s, was the only tactical radar jamming platform for all U.S. Armed Forces. Prowler squadrons were based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington and were deployed to carrier air wings as needed. Prowlers served in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm and participated in numerous other combat and support missions.

The Museum's Prowler last saw active service with Electronic Attack Squadron VAQ-134 ("Garudas"), which was based at NAS Whidbey Island. It also flew with VAQ-137, VAQ-142, VAQ-129, VAQ-130, and VAQ-131. While with VAQ-131, it operated as NE502 off the USS Ranger during Operation Desert Storm. Following the Navy's decision to replace its Grumman Prowlers with Boeing EA-18G Growlers, the National Naval Aviation Museum offered this Prowler to The Museum of Flight on long-term loan. This EA-6B was officially decommissioned on May 27, 2015, following its final active-duty flight -- to The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington -- where it became the first electronic-warfare aircraft to go on display.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/Grumman-EA-6B-Prowler

GRUMMAN F9F-8 (F-9J) COUGAR

Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation

Model: F9F-8 (F-9J) Cougar

Year: 1953

Dimensions: Wingspan: 34.50ft, Length: 42ft, Height: 12ft

Maximum Speed: 647mph

Cruise Speed: 516mph

Power Plant: One Pratt & Whitney J48 engine

Range: 1,208miles

The F9F Cougar is the swept-wing variant of its forerunner, the F9F Panther -- Grumman's first jet fighter plane. As MiG-15s tangled with the slower, less agile Panthers and McDonnell Banshees over Korea, the need for a higher performance fighter became apparent. Grumman and the Navy considered a swept-wing configuration and included provisions for it from the beginning of the Panther design effort. Grumman thus had a head start on the Cougar. The first Cougars were delivered in November of 1951, but never saw combat in Korea. However, the Cougar became a mainstay of Navy carrier fighter squadrons for most of the 1950s.

A total of 1,988 Cougars were built during 1951-60, but the type was superseded in the late-1950s by the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, Vought F-8 Crusader, and other advanced types. The Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team flew the Cougar during 1954-57, and one trainer airframe was retained until 1969. The last Navy Cougar, an advanced trainer version, was phased out in 1974.

The Museum's Cougar was built at Grumman's Bethpage, New York factory and delivered to the Navy on January 25, 1955. The plane served with Navy and Marine units at Cherry Point, North Carolina (VMF-114), Norfolk, Virginia (O&R BuAer M&S), and Chase Field, Texas (VT-24). In 1964, it was loaned to the King County Parks and Recreation Department and put on display at Marymoor Park. The Parks Department transferred the Cougar to the organization that became The Museum of Flight in 1969. Today, it wears the colors of Navy Fighter Squadron VF-81.

This aircraft is on from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/grumman-f9f-8-f-9j-cougar

INSITU AEROSONDE LAIMA

Manufacturer: InSitu Group under license by Environmental Systems and Services

Model: Laima

Year: 1998

Dimensions: Wingspan: 9.67ft, Length: 6ft, Height: 2ft

Cruise Speed: 51mph

Power Plant: Modified Enya R120 model aircraft engine

Range: 2,044 miles

"Aerosonde" is a trademarked name of an autonomous aircraft developed by InSitu, Inc. (later manufactured by Aerodonde, Ltd.), designed to collect data over the ocean, where weather stations are few and far between. Their measurements of temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind within the atmosphere complement the "big picture" data provided by satellites. Someday, Aerosondes may circulate regularly on weather-reconnaissance flights between Hawaii, Alaska, and the mainland. The information they gather will allow improved weather forecasting for the West Coast.

The Museum's Aerosonde is named Laima, after the ancient Latvian deity of good fortune. On August 21, 1998, Laima became the first unmanned aircraft to cross the North Atlantic. The flight occurred 79 years after Alcock and Brown's first non-stop crossing and 71 years after Lindbergh's historic solo flight. It spanned 2,044 miles (3,270 km) in 26 hours and 45 minutes, about half of which was in rainy conditions.

The transatlantic Aerosonde flight was a joint project of InSitu, the University of Washington, and others. Launched under manual control from a car roof rack at Bell Island Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, at 9:59 UTC on August 20, 1998, Laima was soon switched to the pre-programmed autonomous flight using Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation. Flying a route slightly to the south of the Great Circle Route at an altitude of about 5,000 feet (1,500 m), Laima headed for the landing site at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) Range at Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides Islands of Scotland. Laima could not be tracked over the Atlantic, but its telemetry was picked up by the Scotland landing crew at 12:15 UTC the next day. The craft was brought in to land under manual control half an hour later.

Laima was donated to The Museum of Flight in November 1998.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/insitu-areosonde-laima

LAMSON (ALCOR) GLIDER

Manufacturer: Robert T. Lamson

Model: L-106 Alcor

Year: 1972
Registration: N924LR

Dimensions: Wingspan: 66.00ft, Length: 25ft, Height: 6ft

Maximum Speed: 140mph

The Alcor sailplane was one of the first sailplanes in the U.S. made of composite materials. Other innovations, like a pressurized cockpit (a first for a sailplane) and a solar heater, kept the pilot comfortable at high altitudes. The Alcor is the only one of its kind.

Robert Lamson, designer and builder of the Alcor, joined the Boeing Company in the 1940s, working as a test pilot and developer of oxygen systems for high-altitude flight. His interest in composite technology led to the innovative design of the Alcor. The sailplane is constructed of Sitka spruce and epoxy glass sandwich composite material. This construction allowed for an airframe that was light, yet very strong. Today, composite materials have taken an ever more prominent role in the aviation industry.

Lamson flew the experimental sailplane recreationally from 1973 until 1985. From 1985 to 1989, the Alcor flew in a study of the Chinook Arch in Alberta, Canada. The Chinook Arch is a weather phenomenon associated with severe turbulence in the Canadian Rockies. Unlike powered aircraft, the Alcor could glide over the area of interest and collect undisturbed meteorological and environmental data for extended periods of time. The Alcor accumulated 36 flights and over 62 flight hours supporting this effort.

Lamson donated the Alcor to The Museum of Flight in 1989.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/lamson-l-106-alcor-glider

LOCKHEED D-21B DRONE

Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Model: D-21B Drone

Year: 1964

Registration: 90-0510

Dimensions: Wingspan: 19.00ft, Length: 43ft, Height: 7ft

Maximum Speed: 2211mph

Cruise Speed: 2,211mph

Power Plant: One Marquardt RJ43-MA-11 ramjet engine

Range: 2,955miles

The D-21 drone was an unpiloted aircraft originally designed for CIA and Air Force surveillance missions over particularly hostile territories. Launched from airborne carrier aircraft, the D-21's Marquardt ramjet engine propelled it at speeds over 2,000 mph (3,200 km/h). The Lockheed M-21 Blackbird "mothership" was designated M/D-21s when the D-21 "daughter" drone was mounted on top.

One of the two M-21s was lost in a D-21 launch accident in 1966. The M/D-21 project was canceled after four flight tests, but the D-21 drone was further adapted in the late 1960s to be launched from B-52H bombers. This later version, designated D-21B and mated with a large, solid-propellant rocket for launch, flew the only operational missions.

During a reconnaissance mission, the D-21 drone would follow a pre-programmed flight path over areas of interest. The drone would then return to international airspace, where the reconnaissance film package, equipped with its own parachute, was ejected. The package would be recovered in mid-air by a specially equipped airplane or at sea by a ship. Shortly after the film package was jettisoned, the drone self-destructed.

The Museum's D-21 was acquired from the U.S. Air Force in November 1993. In 1994, it was reunited with the only surviving Lockheed M-21 "mothership." The D-21 is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/lockheed-d-21b-drone

LOCKHEED F-104C STARFIGHTER

Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Model: F-104C Starfighter

Year: 1959

Registration: N56-934

Dimensions: Wingspan: 21.75ft, Length: 55ft, Height: 13ft

Maximum Speed: 1320mph

Cruise Speed: 510mph

Power Plant: One General Electric J79-GE-7A engine (with10,000 lbs thrust)

Range: 1,500miles

The development of the Lockheed F-104, America's first operational Mach 2 fighter, was initially motivated by the threat posed by fast and agile Soviet-built MiGs of the Korean War. By the time of its introduction to the U.S. Air Force in 1958, the Starfighter, with its short wings and powerful General Electric J79 engine, had been tailored to an interceptor role. The sleek aircraft was quickly dubbed the "missile with a man in it." By the Vietnam War, it was transitioned into a fighter-bomber role, which proved to be an awkward fit.

Although phased out of U.S. front line service by 1969, the F-104 was immensely popular overseas. Throughout its long career, 2,578 Starfighters were produced, with well over half built under license in Canada, Europe, and Japan. The high performance F-104 also set many speed and altitude records during its early years, and several F-104s had long careers with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), flying research, training, and chase missions.

The Museum's F-104C was delivered to the U.S. Air Force in 1959. It flew with the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George Air Force Base in California, and deployed twice to Moron Air Base in Spain. It was transferred in 1967 to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, where it flew (presumably as a testbed) for the Air Force Systems Command. It returned briefly to George AFB before it was retired in 1974, becoming a "gate guard" for many years. The Starfighter arrived at the Museum in 1992 and is now painted to represent a NASA F-104A.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/lockheed-f-104c-starfighter

LOCKHEED M-21 (BLACKBIRD)

Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Model: Lockheed M-21 (Blackbird)

Year: 1963

Registration: 60-6940

Dimensions: Length: 102ft, Height: 19ft

Maximum Speed: 2211mph

Cruise Speed: 2,211mph

Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney J58 engines

Range: 2,955miles

The Blackbird family of aircraft cruised at speeds of more than Mach 3 and flew over 85,000 feet (25,500 m) in altitude. Conceived in the 1950s, Blackbirds remain the fastest and highest flying air-breathing production aircraft ever built.

In 1959, Lockheed’s chief engineer Kelly Johnson and his team submitted an unsolicited proposal to the U.S. Air Force for a Mach 3+ reconnaissance aircraft. The resulting vehicle, called the A-12 (the twelfth of a series of Lockheed designs), was ordered first by the Central Intelligence Agency. Most of these aircraft were single-seat configuration, but two were built as two-seaters for potential later use as drone-launchers. The A-12 pioneered the use of major titanium structures, composite materials, and low radar cross-section technology. It required advances in design methods, fabrication techniques, and fuels. The prototype first flew in April 1962.

The Blackbird, as it was unofficially called, looked and performed far ahead of its time. The CIA operated the A-12 on clandestine missions through 1968. The A-12 spawned the USAF YF-12A interceptor program, which was eventually canceled. The most famous Blackbird variant, the SR-71, was developed for the USAF and flew frontline reconnaissance missions until 1990. Three SR-71s continued their careers into the late 1990s as NASA research testbeds. Although several Blackbirds were lost in accidents, none were ever shot down.

Key to the performance of the Blackbird was the Pratt & Whitney J58 turbojet and its advanced inlet design. Turbojet engines cannot function consuming air at supersonic speeds, so the inlet incorporates a spike assembly that translates fore and aft as a function of Mach number, to decelerate the incoming air to a suitable subsonic speed at the compressor face. The pressure recovery of this inlet air contributed almost two-thirds of the total net thrust at Mach 3 cruise conditions.

The Museum's aircraft is an M-21, the first of the rare two-seat variants of the early A-12. Built for a CIA program code-named "Tagboard," it carried an unpiloted D-21 drone for intelligence gathering. These drones were intended for launch from the M-21 "mothership" for flights over hostile territories. Design features of the M-21 include the second seat for the Launch Control Officer and the launch pylon on which the drone is mounted. Two M-21 airframes were manufactured; the second was lost in a D-21 launch accident in 1966.

The Museum's M-21 first flew in 1964 and is the sole surviving example of its type. It was acquired in 1991 and, with its mounted D-21 drone, is the centerpiece aircraft of the Great Gallery.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/lockheed-m-21-blackbird

LOCKHEED MARTIN RQ-3A DARK STAR

Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Corporation

Model: RQ-3A Dark Star

Year: 1996

Dimensions: Wingspan: 69.00ft, Length: 15ft, Height: 4ft

Cruise Speed: 288mph

Power Plant: One Williams-Rolls FJ44-1A engine, with 1,900 lbs thrust

Range: 575miles

During the 1990s, the U.S. Air Force showed renewed interest in UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). These aircraft were intended to fly high over defended areas, observe and record information, and even locate and mark targets without endangering a human pilot. One specification resulted in the Lockheed RQ-3 Darkstar, and the prototype first flew on March 26, 1996.

With a fuselage built by Lockheed Martin and wings built by Boeing, the RQ-3 incorporated stealth technology to make it difficult to detect as it cruised above 45,000 feet. Carrying either radar or optical sensors, the Dark Star could immediately send digital information via satellite, allowing data to be examined in near real-time. The Dark Star was fully autonomous; it could take off, fly to the target, operate its sensors, transmit information, return, and land, all without human intervention. If the battlefield situation changed while the Dark Star was airborne, operators could change the UAV's flight plan and redirect its sensors by radio or via satellite.

The first Dark Star crashed on its second flight. A modified, more stable version, designated RQ-3A, first flew in June of 1998. Two additional RQ-3As were built, but they never flew. In 1999, the Department of Defense terminated the Dark Star program, though subsequent UAV designs benefited from Dark Star technology development.

The Museum’s Dark Star is Air Vehicle (A/V) #3. It never flew. It is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/lockheed-martin-rq-3a-dark-star

MIKOYAN – GUREVICH MIG-15BIS (CHINESE MODIFIDE)

Manufacturer: OKB Mikoyan i Guryevich (MiG)

Model: MiG-15bis (Chinese Modified)

Year: 1950

Registration: 124079

Dimensions: Wingspan: 33.08ft, Length: 33ft, Height: 12ft

Maximum Speed: 688mph

Cruise Speed: 520mph

Power Plant: One Klimov VK-1 turbojet of 2,700-kg (5,952-lb) thrust

Range: 826miles

Developed by the Soviet Union, the MiG-15 first flew in 1947 and entered service in June 1950, just in time for the Korean War. The appearance of MiG-15s over North Korea in November 1950 -- flown secretly by Soviet pilots -- put a stop to daylight bombing raids by U.S. Air Force bombers. On November 1, 1950, MiG-15s took part in the world's first jet-versus-jet dogfight, when four MiGs encountered four Lockheed F-80s over North Korea.

Though externally similar to the MiG-15, the MiG-15bis incorporated many improvements, including a more-powerful engine, and entered service in 1951. More than 16,000 MiG-15 aircraft of all variants were built, serving with approximately 60 nations. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union also licensed MiG production to other nations, including China, Czechoslovakia, India, and Poland.

The early history of Museum’s MiG-15bis is unknown. It was acquired from China in 1990 by J. Curtis Earl and was donated to the Museum by the American Fighter Aces Association in 2003. The aircraft carries the colors of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force and includes nine kill markings.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/mig-15

LOCKHEED P-38L LIGHTNING

Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Model: P-38L

Year: 1944

Registration: NL3JB / 44-53097

Dimensions: Wingspan: 52.00ft, Length: 37ft, Height: 9ft

Maximum Speed: 414mph

Power Plant: Two Allison V-17105, 1,475 horsepower engines

Range: 1,175miles

Originally conceived as a high-altitude interceptor to meet a 1937 Army Air Corps requirement, Lockheed's Model 22, designated P-38 Lightning, was to become one of the most successful fighters of World War II. The P-38 was the only type flown by the top two American aces of the war, Major Richard Bong and Major Thomas McGuire, Jr. Its most famous mission was the shoot-down of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's transport in 1943. The Lightning was the only American fighter type to remain in production for the entire duration of the war.

The most distinguishing feature of the P-38 was its podded fuselage and unusual twin-boom tail assembly. Initially an innovative approach to the original Air Corps twin-engine interceptor specification, it later would prove ideal for the long, over-water flights required in the Pacific Theater. Operating in all major theaters, the design was highly flexible. The P-38 was adapted to photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber, and night fighter roles and excelled at each. As a fighter, P-38 armament typically consisted of four .50-caliber machine guns and a 20mm cannon.

The final production version of many was the P-38L. Equipped with more powerful engines and other upgrades, it was considered by many to be the best of the breed. Of approximately 10,000 P-38 airframes produced, over 3,800 were L-models. A later noteworthy P-38 variant was the P-38M two-seat night fighter, which was converted by Lockheed from P-38L airframes. This was one of the first radar-equipped U.S. fighters and was distinctive in having an elevated rear seat and an extended rear canopy for a second crew member. Its top speed exceeded that of the Northrop P-61A Black Widow by over 30 mph.

The Museum's P-38 is one of the last Lightnings produced. Originally manufactured as a P-38L, it was converted to the P-38M configuration for delivery to the U.S. Army Air Forces. It later served with the Honduran Air Force in the 1950s, then had several private U.S. owners through the 1970s. In 1983, Doug Champlin acquired it from Cecil Harp and Bob Ennis of Modesto, California. Afterwards, it was converted to its present single-seat P-38L configuration. It is now displayed in the markings of Captain John Purdy of the 475th Fighter Group, operating from New Guinea and the Philippines.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/lockheed-p-38l-lightning

MCDONNELL  F-4C (F-110A) PHANTOM II

Manufacturer: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

Model: F-4C Phantom II

Year: 1964

Registration: 64-0776

Dimensions: Wingspan: 38.42ft, Length: 58ft, Height: 16ft

Maximum Speed: 1433mph

Cruise Speed: 587mph

Power Plant: Two General Electric J79-GE-15 engines

Range: 538miles

The F-4 Phantom II is one of the most important fighter aircraft of the jet era. Begun as a derivative of the McDonnell F3H Demon in 1953, the Phantom II evolved over the next two years into a significant new design. It incorporated a second crew station for a dedicated radar intercept officer, two General Electric J79 afterburning turbojets, and an all-missile armament in the form of four radar-guided Sparrow missiles. The result was a world-class fighter with exceptional performance.

Following first flight in May 1958, the F-4 was selected by the U.S. Navy as a fleet defense interceptor. Soon, its remarkable capabilities led to adoption by the Air Force and Marine Corps as well. As the preeminent American combat aircraft of the 1960s, it fulfilled the roles of interceptor, air superiority fighter, tactical bomber, and reconnaissance aircraft. It became the standard by which all other fighters were judged until superseded by the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 and General Dynamics F-16 in the late 1970s. McDonnell produced 5,068 Phantoms in many variants, and numerous versions were produced for foreign governments.

The F-4C version was developed specifically for the Air Force and was externally similar to the Navy F-4B, including the tailhook. Differences included full dual controls, low pressure tires and deeper wheel wells, anti-skid braking, revised radar systems, and a refueling boom receptacle. It carried four AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles and was also capable of delivering multiple air-to-ground ordnance packages, including guided and unguided missiles and bombs. Up to three external fuel tanks provided additional range.

The Museum's F-4C was built in 1965 and served in Vietnam. It is depicted as it appeared in May 1967 while flying with the USAF 389th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, when this aircraft shot down three North Vietnamese MiG-21 aircraft. Two crews were responsible for these aerial victories: Major Robert D. Anderson and Captain Fred D. Kjer (1), and Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Titus and First Lieutenant Milan Zimer (2). After its active Air Force duty, this Phantom served with the 123rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the Oregon Air National Guard for nine years, flying air defense missions from Portland International Airport. It was transferred to The Museum of Flight following its retirement in 1994.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force, through the cooperation and assistance of the Oregon National Guard and the Oregon Military Museum.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/mcdonnell-f-4c-f-110a-phantom-ii

NIEUPORT 24BIS REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport, reproduction by Ron Ochs and others

Model: 24bis

Year: 1917 (1992 reproduction)

Registration: N24Rl

Dimensions: Wingspan: 26.92ft, Length: 19ft, Height: 8ft

Maximum Speed: 106mph

Power Plant: One Le Rhône 9J, 120 h.p. rotary engine

Range: 239miles

The Nieuport 24 is part of the famous line of French fighter aircraft built by the Nieuport company. A preeminent Allied airplane type, various Nieuport fighters were flown by many famous fighter aces, including Mannock, Ball, Bishop, Lufbery, Nungesser, and Guynemer. Unlike many of the models that came before it, the Type 24 was more streamlined and had a rounded fuselage instead of the slab sides seen on earlier machines. Entering service in early 1917, the 24s were not only used by France, but also by Russia, Belgium, Italy, and Britain. The United States purchased a number of 24s to use for flight training. Most Nieuports were phased out in favor of the superior SPAD XIII by the spring of 1918.

Initially, the 24 was not as popular with pilots as its Nieuport predecessors due to heavy lateral control forces. A modification to the aileron hinge installation solved this problem. Nieuport 24bis armament usually consisted of a single Vickers .303 machine gun mounted in front of the cockpit and synchronized to fire through the propeller. An additional Lewis machine gun was sometimes mounted on the upper wing.

The Museum's Type 24 is a reproduction built from Walt Redfern plans by a number of enthusiasts in Washington State. Begun in the early 1980s, Ron Ochs acquired the plane in 1992 and, along with others, completed the project. First flown in 1995, the Nieuport is powered by a Le Rhône engine originally installed in a Thomas-Morse S4C Scout that crashed in Corvallis, Oregon in the 1920s. Other than certain modern enhancements for flyability, such as hydraulic disk brakes, the aircraft is faithful to the original Nieuport. It has 1.5 hours of flying time.

The plane wears the markings of the Nieuport 24bis flown by French ace Paul Tarascon. After a plane crash in 1911, Tarascon's foot was amputated. At the outbreak of war, he volunteered to fly and was known as l'as la jambe de bois ("the ace with a wooden leg"). The name of Tarascon's plane, Zigomar, comes from a group of movie serials popular before the war.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/nieuport-bis-24-reproduction

NIEUPORT 27 REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport, reproduction by Carl Swanson and Jerry Thornhill

Model: 27

Year: 1917 (1980 reproduction)

Registration: N5597M

Dimensions: Wingspan: 26.92ft, Length: 19ft, Height: 8ft

Maximum Speed: 107mph

Power Plant: One Le Rhône 9J, 130 h.p. rotary engine (This one has a Gnome 165 h.p. rotary engine)

Range: 241miles

The Nieuport 27 was the last of its type to be flown by the French, Italian, and British airmen in World War I. Although the trend in fighter design was turning to the faster, stronger, and more heavily-armed aircraft such as the contemporary SPAD VII and XIII, the small and agile Type 27 was an important aircraft flown by many famous French flyers during the last year of the war.

The United States acquired 287 Type 27 scouts to be used as single-seat trainers before the pilots went on to fly the more complex, heavier SPADs in combat. Nieuport 27 armament initially consisted of a single "French Army surplus" Vickers .303 machine gun mounted in front of the cockpit and synchronized to fire through the propeller.

The Museum's Nieuport Type 27 is a reproduction built by Carl Swanson and Jerry Thornhill in 1980. Created to fly, the builders decided to construct the plane's structure from steel tube rather than wood and installed a Gnome 165-horsepower rotary engine. On the outside, the machine is visually an almost exact replica in every respect to the famous Nieuport scout. The Museum's example carries the markings of Captain G. B. Moore of Vancouver, B.C., who flew with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Number One Squadron.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/nieuport-27-reproduction

NIEUPORT 28 C1

Manufacturer: Société Anonyme des Établissements Nieuport

Model: 28 C1

Year: 1918

Dimensions: Wingspan: 26.25ft, Length: 20ft, Height: 8ft

Maximum Speed: 122mph

Power Plant: One Gnome 9-N, 165 h.p. rotary engine

Range: 183miles 

The Nieuport 28 was the last in the line of Nieuport fighters fielded during World War I. However, it was rejected in early 1918 by the French Air Service in favor of the superior SPAD XIII and ill-fated parasol Morane-Saulnier MoS 29. At the time, the American Army was desperate for any airplane they could scrounge, and 297 Nieuports were delivered to the "Yanks." The first airplane Americans flew into combat, it was loved by some and feared by others.

Flying 28s, Lieutenants Douglas Campbell and Alan Winslow each shot down a German fighter on April 14, 1918, becoming the first U.S. airmen to destroy a plane in combat. America's World War I "Ace of Aces," Eddie Rickenbacker, scored many of his twenty-six victories flying his Nieuport. On the other hand, Rickenbacker was almost killed when the upper wing fabric on his 28 tore apart in flight. President Theodore Roosevelt's son, Quentin, and ace Raoul Lufbery were also killed while flying Nieuport 28s.

American-flown Nieuport 28 armament initially consisted of a single "French Army surplus" Vickers .303 machine gun mounted in front of the cockpit and synchronized to fire through the propeller. A second Vickers was later added.

The Museum's Nieuport 28 is a restored original, one of a batch of twelve aircraft ordered for the U.S. Navy. Found abandoned on a Florida beach in 1920, it was owned by R. F. Coody until acquired in poor condition in 1935 by George Jarrett. Restored, it was displayed at Jarrett’s Museum of World War History in Moorestown, New Jersey for several years. In 1938, it was repainted and used to promote the film Men with Wings.

Jarrett's collection deteriorated in outdoor storage through the World War II years, and in 1948 Frank Tallman purchased the 28 and other types for $500. The aircraft remained exposed to the elements until acquired in trades by Ned Kensinger and eventually by Robert Rust. Both Rust and Jim Appleby worked on its restoration before it was purchased by Douglas Champlin in 1990. The Nieuport restoration was finished by Roger Freeman of Vintage Aviation in Texas in 1999. The plane has a Gnome 9-N, 165-horsepower rotary engine and two .303 Vickers machine guns. The plane currently carries the markings of Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt, who was killed in France on July 14, 1918.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/nieuport-28-c1

NORTHROP YF-5A (N-156F) FREEDOM FIGHTER

Manufacturer: Northrop Corporation

Model: YF-5A Freedom Fighter

Year: 1959

Registration: 59-4987

Dimensions: Wingspan: 25.25ft, Length: 45ft, Height: 13ft

Maximum Speed: 858mph

Cruise Speed: 581mph

Power Plant: Two General Electric J85-5 turbojet engines

Range: 2,230miles

In the late 1950s, at the height of the Cold War, the Northrop Corporation recognized the need and opportunity for a special kind of export fighter aircraft. Their studies formed the basis for the N-156F, a simple, economical, versatile, and easy to maintain light fighter. In 1963, the aircraft was selected for use with the Military Assistance Program (MAP) countries and designated the F-5A. More than 2,600 F-5 aircraft have been sold or produced in over 30 allied countries. The design shares much in common with the T-38 Talon, the U.S. Air Force's primary advanced trainer for approximately 50 years. Two F-5A airframes were utilized in the design of the experimental Grumman X-29 in the mid-1980s.

Although primarily an export fighter, the F-5 was also used in small numbers by the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Based on lessons learned during the Vietnam War, both services were seeking to boost their pilots' air-to-air combat skills. The upgraded F-5E model was well suited to playing the “bad guy” role in the Navy's Top Gun and the Air Force's Red Flag exercises. The F-5, small and maneuverable, had similar characteristics to the Soviet MiG-21 encountered over Vietnam. Aggressor Squadrons flying the F-5 and other Soviet-like aircraft in training have helped American fighter pilots improve their competitive edge.

The Museum's aircraft is Northrop's prototype "Freedom Fighter," the first of three N-156F airframes built. It was unveiled on May 30, 1959 in front of visitors from 40 foreign countries. Two months later, Northrop chief test pilot Lew Nelson flew the prototype supersonic during its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base. It was used for pilot familiarization and demo flights, then used as a testbed for later F-5 versions. It retired from flying in 1964 after 653 flights and 647 flight hours. Following a few years of USAF static display, the USAF donated the aircraft in 1968 to the Pacific Northwest Aviation Historical Foundation, the predecessor to The Museum of Flight. It was one of the first aircraft to join the Museum's collection.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/northrop-yf-5a-n-156f-freedom-fighter

SOPWITH SNIPE (7.F.1) REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Sopwith Aviation Company, reproduction by Richard Day

Model: Snipe (7.F.1)

Year: 1918 (1982 reproduction)

Registration: NX6765D

Dimensions: Wingspan: 31.08ft, Length: 20ft, Height: 9ft

Maximum Speed: 125mph

Power Plant: One Bentley, 250 h.p. rotary engine (This one has a Continental 220 h.p. radial engine)

Range: 375miles

The Sopwith Snipe was developed to succeed the famous Camel and designed specifically to take advantage of the 230-horsepower Bentley B.R.2 rotary engine. Resembling a more muscular Camel, the Snipe improved the pilot's upward visibility. The first Snipes reached the Western Front in August 1918, too late to contribute significantly to the Allied cause.

By November 1918, only three squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps--two British and one Australian--were equipped with Snipes. Snipes were also intended for the Royal Naval Air Service and Home Defence duties, but they did not make it into active service before the end of the war. Snipes continued to serve with the Royal Air Force until 1926. A total of 1,550 Snipes were built, mostly after the war. Armament consisted of two .303 Vickers machine guns with interrupter gear to fire through the propeller arc.

The Snipe is perhaps best known for the epic air battle on October 27, 1918, in which Canadian ace Major William Barker single-handedly engaged fifteen Fokker D.VIIs. Barker was attacked by the Fokkers after shooting down a Rumpler C type. In the ensuing melee, Barker amazingly managed to shoot down three of his foes despite being badly wounded and fainting multiple times. Barker ultimately escaped and was awarded the Victoria Cross for this action.

The Museum's Snipe was built by Richard Day of Colonia, New Jersey and completed in 1982. It incorporates a modern Continental 220-horsepower radial engine, but otherwise is an authentic reproduction of a Snipe in postwar Royal Air Force service.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/sopwith-snipe-7f1-reproduction

RUMPLER TAUBE (DOVE) REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Rumpler-Werke A.G., reproduction by Art Williams

Model: Taube (Dove)

Year: 1913 (1984 reproduction)

Wingspan: 45.83ft, Length: 34ft, Height: 11ft

Maximum Speed: 60mph

Power Plant: One Mercedes D.IIIa, 120 h.p. in-line engine

Range: 180miles

When German glider pioneer Otto Lilienthal perished in a flying accident in 1896, an Austrian named Ignaz "Igo" Etrich acquired two of his gliders. Etrich went on to build many of his own designs, improving but not entirely deviating from the bird-like forms of his predecessor. The first Taube ("Dove") flew in 1910. After the German Patent Office invalidated Etrich's patent in 1911, dozens of companies began producing aircraft based on the design.

The Taube was stable in flight, which made it very attractive to the neophyte aviators of the time. Built by over fifty manufacturers in hundreds of configurations, the Taube was the most common type of airplane seen in Germany and Austria prior to World War I. It has the distinction of dropping the world's first aerial bombs (one-pound devices), delivered by Italian Commander Gavotti, on Turkish forces in Libya on November 11, 1911.

In 1914, during the first months of World War I, Taubes flew with the Central Powers armies in the role of scout aircraft. As new Allied aircraft began arriving at the front, Taubes became a serious liability; they were slow, unmaneuverable, and unarmed. As such, they were soon transferred to the role of training student aviators.

The Museum's Taube is a reproduction of the configuration built by the German firm Rumpler. The reproduction was built by master craftsman Art Williams for Doug Champlin, completed in 1984. It is equipped with a rare, original Mercedes D.IIIa engine.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/rumpler-taube-dove-reproduction

SOPWITH CAMEL F.1 REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Sopwith Aviation Company, reproduction by Jim and Zona Appleby

Model: Camel F.1

Year: 1917 (1979 reproduction)

Registration: NX6330

Dimensions: Wingspan: 28.00ft, Length: 19ft, Height: 9ft

Maximum Speed: 117mph

Power Plant: Commonly one Clerget 9B or Z, 110 or 130 h.p. rotary engine (This one has a Warner 185 h.p. radial engine)

Range: 293miles

The famous successor to the Sopwith Pup, the Camel owes its nickname to the pronounced hump in front of the cockpit -- actually an enclosure for two Vickers machine guns. The plane's design resulted in an unusual concentration of mass, with guns, ammunition, engine, pilot, and fuel tank all in close proximity. This configuration allowed for superior maneuverability but required great pilot skill to leverage the advantage in aerial combat. The Camel was known for the torque effect from its rotary engine, which caused the nose to drop in a right turn and rise in a left turn. It was an unforgiving aircraft with a high accident rate.

Despite its quirks, the Camel was one of the most successful and versatile fighters of World War I, performing air-to-air, bombing, and training roles. Camels destroyed 1,200-plus enemy aircraft, more than any other type. It flew in combat with the British Army Royal Flying Corps, the U.S. Army Air Service, and the air forces of Belgium and Greece. Additionally, a naval variant, the 2F.1, conducted ship-borne operations with the Royal Naval Air Service. After the war, Camels operated primarily in the United States, Canada, and Poland. A total of 5,490 Camels were built.

Sopwith Camel armament consisted of two .303 Vickers machine guns with interrupter gear to fire through the propeller arc. Camels flew with several different rotary engine types, including 130-horsepower Clerget, 110-hp Le Rhône, and 150-hp Bentley B.R.1, among others.

The Museum's flyable reproduction was acquired by Doug Champlin in 1979 from Jim and Zona Appleby's Antique Aero Limited. This aircraft is authentic to the original but is powered by a modern Warner 185-horsepower radial engine and includes other enhancements, such as main gear brakes and improved instrumentation.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/sopwith-camel-f1reproduction

RUTAN MODEL 76 VOYAGER REPLICA

Manufacturer: Original design by Rutan Aircraft Factory

Model: Model 76 Voyager (replica)

Year: 1984

Dimensions: Wingspan: 110.00ft, Length: 25ft, Height: 10ft

Maximum Speed: 122mph

Cruise Speed: 116mph

Power Plant: Teledyne Continental IOL-200

Range: 26,366miles

More than a dozen innovative aircraft designs have sprung from the mind of Burt Rutan. After early work as a flight test engineer, then a designer for Bede Aircraft, Rutan formed his own company in the mid-1970s. He was a pioneer in the use of composite materials such as fiberglass and later formed Scaled Composites to produce prototypes for himself and the aerospace industry.

Rutan's Model 76 Voyager is an all-composite airframe made primarily from a 1/4-inch sandwich of paper honeycomb and graphite fiber, which was shaped and then cured in an oven. The front and rear propellers are powered by two difference engines. The front engine, an air-cooled Teledyne Continental O-240, provides extra power for take-off and during the initial flight stage while the plane was heavily loaded with fuel. The rear engine is a water-cooled Teledyne Continental IOL-200, which acts as the main source of power throughout the flight.

The Voyager accomplished the first nonstop, non-refueled flight around the world. Piloted by Dick Rutan (Burt's brother) and Jeana Yeager, the plane began its flight on December 14, 1986. On December 23, Nine days, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds later, it landed back at Edwards Air Force Base.

The original Rutan Voyager is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The Museum of Flight's facsimile of the Model 76 Voyager is on loan to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), where it can be seen on display in the main terminal.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/rutan-model-76-voyager-replica

SOPWITH TRIPLANE REPRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Original design by Sopwith Aviation Company, reproduction by Carl Swanson

Model: Triplane

Year: 1916 (1977 reproduction)

Registration: N38057

Dimensions: Wingspan: 26.50ft, Length: 19ft, Height: 11ft

Maximum Speed: 117mph

Power Plant: One Clerget, 110 or 130 h.p. rotary engine

The Sopwith Triplane was closely related to its sibling, the Pup, but designed for superior roll and turn rate and had a remarkable rate of climb. The type’s small-chord wings offered a good field of vision compared to biplane fighters. Structurally, the Triplane was strong enough to avoid the extensive rigging seen on many other airplanes of the time. Its maneuverability was helped by the fact that all six of the plane's wings incorporated an aileron. Known as the "Tripe" or "Tripehound," it was a highly influential design that spawned multiple imitations, including the famous Fokker Dr.1.

Production Triplanes were operated by the British Royal Naval Air Service from early to late 1917. The most famous Tripes were flown by the Canadian pilots of B or "Black" Flight, No. 10 Naval Squadron, commanded by fighter ace Raymond Collishaw. These aircraft carried names such as Black Maria, Black Death, Black Sheep, Black Roger, and Black Prince. Despite its success and influence, only about 150 Tripes were built, partly due to the introduction of the Camel.

Early Sopwith Triplanes were powered by a 110-horsepower Clerget rotary engine, later upgraded to a 130-hp version. Two airframes were equipped with a 150-hp or 180-hp Hispano-Suiza engine, but this version was not mass-produced. Armament consisted of a single synchronized .303-inch Vickers machine gun. Like the Pup, this relatively light weaponry was considered its primary drawback, leading to a few airframes being modified to carry two guns. This shortcoming was finally addressed with development of the twin-Vickers Sopwith Camel.

The Museum's aircraft was built by Carl Swanson of Darien, Wisconsin. It is a highly accurate reproduction, including a Clerget 9B, 110-horsepower rotary engine. This plane carries the Black Prince markings of Canadian ace Sub-Lieutenant Mel Alexander, who flew with Collishaw's famous "Black Flight" squadron.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/sopwith-triplane-reproduction

STEARMAN C-3B SPORT COMMERCIAL

Manufacturer: Stearman Aircraft Company

Model: C-3B Sport Commercial

Year: 1928

Registration: N7550

Dimensions: Wingspan: 35.00ft, Length: 24ft, Height: 9ft

Cruise Speed: 108mph

Power Plant: One Wright J-5 "Whirlwind," 220 h.p. engine

Range: 620miles

 Known for rugged dependability and no-nonsense design, Stearman C-2s and C-3s became popular workhorses on the short-haul "feeder" lines of America's growing commercial airmail system in the late 1920s. The majority of Stearman C-3s were the C-3B "Sport Commercial" variety, with a Wright J-5 Whirlwind engine. Many C-3Bs were used as sportplanes and advanced trainers well into the 1930s. Nearing the end of their days, some C-3s became crop-dusting aircraft until after World War II, when replaced with another Stearman biplane, surplus Kaydet trainers.

The Museum's C-3B was manufactured in Wichita, Kansas in 1928. It was one of four aircraft delivered to U.S. Bureau of Commerce Airways Division for survey work. It later became a cropduster. By the early 1960s, the aircraft had been abandoned in Nevada. It was ferried to Twin Falls, Idaho around 1963 but suffered a ground loop accident there. Later, the aircraft was transported to Iowa, where its owner, Shelby Hagberg, sold it in 1966 to R. J. McWhorter of Prosser, Washington. (McWhorter had earlier spotted the Stearman in Twin Falls and maintained correspondence with Hagberg to make his interest known.)

McWhorter commenced a restoration project from 1966 to 1972, including installation of an original Wright J-5 Whirlwind engine. The project ultimately depicted the aircraft as a Western Air Express airmail carrier of circa 1928. It sports a "C.A.M. 12" stencil on the fuselage, indicating an aircraft flying Contract Air Mail Route 12, between Pueblo, Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming. The restored aircraft incorporates a few concessions to modern flying, such as a tailwheel rather than a skid, but is otherwise authentic to its late 1920s roots.

The aircraft and Mr. McWhorter won numerous awards from the Experimental Aircraft Association and other organizations. After about 200 post-restoration flight hours, the Museum acquired this beautiful Stearman from Mr. McWhorter in 1986.

https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/stearman-c-3b