"The Hindenburg (LZ-129) was a German zeppelin. Along with its sister ship the Graf Zeppelin II, it was the largest aircraft ever built. It was named after Paul von Hindenburg, the president of Germany from 1925 to 1934. During its second year of service, it was destroyed by a fire while landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Manchester Township, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937. The Hindenburg was built by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin in 1931 to a new, all-duralumin design. It was a visually striking “ship of the air”, at 804 feet long and 135 feet in diameter. It was longer than three Boeing 747s placed end to end, longer than four Goodyear Blimps end to end, and only 79 feet shorter than the Titanic. It was originally equipped with cabins for 50 passengers and a crew complement of 40, though on the last flight there were an additional 21 crew members in training. To reduce drag, the passenger rooms were contained entirely within the hull, rather than in the gondola as on the Graf Zeppelin. During its first year of commercial operation in 1936, the Hindenburg flew 308,323 km carrying 2,798 passengers and 160 tons of freight and mail. It made 17 round trips across the Atlantic Ocean, with ten trips to the US and seven to Brazil. In July of that year it also completed a record Atlantic double-crossing in 5 days, 19 hours and 51 minutes. The German boxer Max Schmeling returned home on the Hindenburg to a hero's welcome in Frankfurt, after defeating Joe Louis. On August 1 the Hindenburg was present at the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Moments before the arrival of Adolf Hitler, the airship crossed over the Olympic stadium, trailing the Olympic flag from its gondola."
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"The Wright Flyer, also referred to as Flyer I and Kitty Hawk, was the first successful powered, piloted, controlled heavier-than-air aircraft. It was designed and built by brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright, and was based on their 1902 Glider. The Flyer was made of spruce and ash covered with muslin. Since the brothers could find no suitable automobile engine for the task, they commissioned their employee Charlie Taylor to build a new one from scratch. A sprocket chain drive, borrowed from bicycle technology, powered the twin propellers, which were also made by hand. The basic problems of mechanical flight, lift, propulsion and control were solved in the Wright design. The Flyer was a canard biplane configuration. The pilot flew lying on his stomach on the lower wing, with his head toward the front of the aircraft and his left hand operating the elevator control. Lateral control was achieved by warping the wing tips in opposite directions via wires attached to a hip cradle mounted on the lower wing. The pilot shifted his hips from side to side to operate the mechanism, which also moved the rudder. The Flyer's “runway” was a track of 2x4's stood on their narrow end, which the brothers nicknamed the “Junction Railroad”. On December 14, 1903, after practicing on the 1902 Glider, the brothers felt ready for their first attempt at powered flight. They tossed a coin to decide who would get the first chance at piloting, and Wilbur won the toss. However, he pulled up too sharply, stalled, and brought the Flyer back down with minor damage. The plane was ready again after three days of repairing. On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Flyer achieved controlled, sustained flight. With Orville at the controls, the plane took off from a launching rail and flew for 12 seconds and a distance of 120 feet. The airplane was flown three more times that day, with the brothers alternating turns. Wilbur made the longest flight, flying for 59 seconds and 852 feet. "
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"The Wright Flyer (often retrospectively referred to as Flyer I and occasionally Kitty Hawk) was the first powered aircraft designed and built by the Wright brothers. It was the first successful powered, piloted, controlled heavier-than-air aircraft. The Wright Flyer was a canard biplane configuration. The Wright Flyer was based on the Wrights' experience testing gliders at Kitty Hawk between 1900 and 1902. The Wrights built the aircraft in 1903 using 'giant spruce' wood as their construction material. Since they could find no suitable automobile engine for the task, they commissioned their employee Charlie Taylor to build a new design from scratch. A sprocket chain drive, borrowing from bicycle technology, powered the twin propellers, which were also made by hand. In 1904, the Wrights continued refining their designs and piloting techniques in order to obtain fully controlled flight. Major progress toward this goal was achieved in 1904 and even more decisively with the modifications during the 1905 program, which resulted in a 39-minute, 24 mile nonstop circling flight by Wilbur on October 5. While the 1903 Flyer was clearly a historically important test vehicle, its near-mythical status in American imagination has obscured its place as part of a continuing development program that eventually led to the Wrights' mastery of controlled flight in 1905. In 1910 the Wrights first made attempts to exhibit the Flyer in the Smithsonian Institution but talks fell through with the ensuing lawsuits against Glenn Curtiss and the Flyer may have been needed as repeated evidence in court cases. In 1916, Orville brought the Flyer out of storage and prepared it for display at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Wilbur had died in 1912.) He replaced parts of the covering, the props, and the engine's crankcase, crankshaft, and flywheel. The crankcase, crankshaft and flywheel had been sent to the Aero Club of America for an exhibit in 1906 and were never returned to the Wrights. A number of individuals and groups have attempted to build reproductions of the Wright Flyer for demonstration or scientific purposes."
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"The Sikorsky VS-44 was a large four-engined flying boat built to compete in the transatlantic air travel trade carrying 40 or more passengers across the Atlantic Ocean. Sikorsky’s standard of luxury boasted full-length beds, dressing rooms, a full galley, a snack bar, a lounge, and fully controlled ventilation. American Export Airlines (AEA) ordered for three VS-44s. They were named Excalibur, Excambian, and Exeter. World War II began and put civilian transatlantic air service on hold. Now under a Navy contract and with the Navy designation JR2S-1, AEA's three VS-44s continued flying between New York, New York and Foynes, Ireland, carrying passengers, freight and war materiel. Excalibur, the first VS-44, crashed on takeoff in 1942. After the war, the two remaining VS-44s continued to fly for the airline, which had been renamed American Overseas Airlines (AOA). AOA sold Excambian in 1949 to Tampico Airlines. In 1946 Exeter was sold to TACI of Montevideo, Uruguay. It crashed on August 15, 1947 while landing in River Plate off Montevideo. In 1976, Excambian was donated to the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida and eventually put on permanent loan to the New England Air Museum (NEAM) in Connecticut. NEAM restored Excambian to its WWII livery with volunteer help from some of the former Sikorsky workers who had built the original VS-44. "
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"The Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic transport (SST) was first flown by Andre Turcat in 1969. The aircraft was initially referred to as ""Concorde"", with the French spelling, but the name was changed officially by Harold Macmillan to ""Concord"". Concorde pioneered a double-delta shaped wings, variable inlet ramps, supercruise capability, thrust-by-wire engines and a droop-nose section for improved landing visibility. In February 1965, there were two Concordes prototype built. The first was the 001, which was built by Aerospatiale at Toulouse and 002, built by BAC at Filton, Bristol. On September 4, 1971, Concorde embarked on a sales and demonstration tour, as the flight programme progressed. While the Concorde 002 toured the Middle and Far East on June 2, 1972. These trips resulted to 70 aircraft orders, but a number of incidents occurred that resulted to a sudden number of order cancellations such as the oil crisis in 1973 and the sonic boom, takeoff-noise and pollution. The Concorde service commenced in 1976 and still in service for about 27 years. The airliner flew regular transatlantic flights from British Airways and Air France to New York JFK and Washington Dulles in just less than half the time compared to other airliners. In 1971, the US had cancelled its supersonic transport (SST) programme. Concorde's scheduled flights started on January 21, 1976 on the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio (via Dakar) routes. New York banned Concorde locally, the time When the Us ban on JFK Concorde operations was lifted in February 1977. From 1974 onwards, European Airlines flew both demonstration and test flights. There were 20 Concordes built in total, six for development and 14 for commercial service. "
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"The Saab 340 “American Eagle” is a two-engine turboprop passenger aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild in 65:35 ratios. Under the initial plan Saab built the aluminium fuselage and plastic vertical stabilizer, and also performed final assembly in Linköping, Sweden while Fairchild was responsible for the plastic wings, empennage, and wing-mounted nacelles for the two turboprop engines. After Fairchild ceased this work, production of these parts was shifted to Sweden. Within the 65/35 Saab - Fairchild partnership split Saab was responsible for the fuselage, fin and final assembly, while Fairchild was responsible for the wings, engine nacelles and empennage. The two companies selected the General Electric CT7 (a commercial development of the T700 which powers Sikorsky's S70 series of military helicopters) to power the new airliner. The resulting SF340 design was launched in September 1980 with the aim of capturing 25 to 30% of its market. The American Eagle flew for the first time on January 25, 1983. As of October 2005, there were 430 Saab 340's in service with 56 operators in 25 countries. In August 2006 a total of 361 Saab 340 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service around the "
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"More than a million spectators were cheering as RAF Flight officer H.R.D. Waghorn set down his Supermarine S-6 in southern England's Solent Channel on September 10, 1929. Waghorn had just flown an average of 328 mph around the triangular course to defeat his Italian rivals and capture Britain's second straight Schneider Trophy win. France, Italy and the U.S. had all won the Schneider trophy in the past, as had Britain. But none of the four had managed to win three out of five consecutive races, as required for retiring the trophy. Now Britain stood within reach of the elusive goal and, shortly after Waghorn's victory, Prime Minister McDonald vowed that England would do her level best to win the next race in 1931. But a few months later, McDonald's Air Ministry stunned the Aero Club of Britain -- sponsors of the country's Schneider Trophy entries -- by announcing the government would give no financial support to future Schneider trophy efforts. Without this financial support, the Aero Club could not develop a new racer to compete with heavily subsidized French and Italian challengers expected in 1931. The British public was outraged. Their country's prestige was at stake. Soon several million pounds were raised to support the home team. Disaster struck the Italian and French teams. Mid-summer crashes claimed a top plane and top pilot from each. Crippled by these losses, both countries withdrew from the race a week before it was scheduled to be run. On Sunday, September 13, 1931, RAF Lieutenant John Boothman flew the S-6B, unopposed, over the Solent Channel course at an average speed of 340 mph. With courage, skill and a little bit of luck, England had retired the Schneider Trophy. Was it worth all the money, work and heartache to claim a fairly ugly, now almost forgotten trophy? The British think it was. Because five years after the 1931 race, Reginald J. Mitchell introduced a new Rolls Royce powered interceptor fighter incorporating many lessons he had learned designing Schneider Trophy seaplanes. Someone gave Mitchell's fighter a nickname, which stuck: ""Spitfire."" "
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"The Sabreliner, manufactured by North American, is a mid size corporate jet. The airplane was successfully developed for both military and civil use. North American Aviation began work on the Sabreliner as a private venture but it was formally launched in August 1956 in response to the US Air Force's UTX (Utility Trainer Experimental) requirement for a utility jet aircraft capable of performing transport and combat readiness training missions. A civil configured prototype (designated NA264) flew for the first time on September 16 1958 powered by General Electric YJ85 turbojets. On June 29 1977, The Model 65 had its first flight. The Sabreliner 65 has an eight passenger interior with two forward facing chairs in the rear of the cabin, four club seating chairs in the mid-cabin, one place side facing divan on forward left hand side of cabin, luggage area located on the right side of forward cabin. In 1981, the last production Model 65, S/N 465-076, was delivered to Acopian Technical. "
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"S-43 is an amphibious aircraft manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft in the 1930s. It was also known as the Baby Clipper in airline service. The S-43 was a smaller version of S-42 flying boat. The S-43 was used primarily by Pan American World Airways. Pan American Airways used the S-43 in Caribbean and South American routes. The S-43 was also operated by other airlines including Norway, West Africa, Russia, China, Hawaii and Philippine islands. There were 15 S-43s used primarily by the Navy as utility transports and some were also assigned to the Army and the Marines. The S-43 incorporates two Pratt & Whitney R-1690-52 radials with 750 hp each. It has a crew of two pilots and a seating capacity of 15 passengers. It has a maximum speed of 190 mph and a range of 775 miles. "
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"The American Sikorsky S-42 is regarded as the first truly American seaplane and was based on the earlier Sikorsky S-40. It was described as the ""most beautiful aircraft of its time."" Igor Sikorsky and Charles Lindbergh, both consultants of Pan American Airways consultant at that time, laid out plans for a new and larger flying boat. During the inaugural flight of the S-40 on November 19, 1931, the two visionaries began preliminary sketches on the back of a menu in the S-40's lounge. The Pan American President, Juan Trippe, had a similar vision of an aircraft that could span oceans. The new design provided for an increased lifting capacity, permitting to carry fuel for a 2,500 mile nonstop flight against a 30 mile-an-hour, at a cruising speed far in excess of the average operating speed of any flying boat at that time. The S-42's maiden flight was on March 30, 1934 and was also known as the Flying Clipper and the Pan Am Clipper. On October 10, 1931, the first S-40 was delivered to Pan Am and was flown to the Anacostia Naval Air Station at Washington D.C., christened by Mrs. Herbert Hoover. There's a total of ten S-42s built and manufactured by the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Division of the United Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, Connecticut. S-42 has crew capacity for four. It has a maximum speed of 188 mph and a range of 1,930 miles. All Sikorsky S-42s were either scrapped or destroyed in accidents. "
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"The Spirit of St. Louis is a custom-built airplane which was flown by Charles Lindbergh. The Spirit of St. Louis is officially known as the Ryan NYP, designed by Donald A. Hall of Ryan Airlines in San Diego, California. Lindbergh wanted to increase fuel efficiency and he has the opinion that single-engine planes could travel farther and it led to the design of the Spirit of St. Louis, which was one of the most streamlined aircraft at that time. Donald A. Hall decided that the tail and control surfaces would not be altered from his original Ryan M2 design. It resulted to a less stable aircraft, by which the experienced Lindbergh nevertheless approved. There was a dispute about the preference of design since the estimated 40-hour flight would be very challenging in terms of pilot fatigue. Hall and Lindbergh weighed the advantages and disadvantages of the setup, determining that an unstable aircraft would help keep Lindbergh awake and this resulted in a plane with unstable flight characteristics, with a tendency to curve, dip and bank at random times and the cockpit was also purposely uncomfortable, but it was custom-fitted to Lindbergh's tall and lanky frame. Lindbergh also insisted the elimination of unnecessary weight such as radio since it was unreliable at that time. On May 20 and 21, 1927, Spirit of St. Louis, piloted by Lindbergh, made the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight, making him an instant celebrity and media star. He won the $25,000 Orteig prize. Lindbergh subsequently flew the Spirit of St. Louis to Belgium and England before going back to the United States upon order by President Calvin Coolidge. Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis on promotional and goodwill tours across the United States and Latin America. Spirit of St. Louis' final flight was on April 30, 1928, having flown from St. Louis to Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., wherein Lindbergh presented the historic aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution. The Original Spirit of St. Louis is currently displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, in the main atrium on the same side as the Bell X-1 and SpaceShipOne. Many static and flying replicas have been made. There were three replicas of the Spirit of St. Louis converted from Ryan B-1s for the 1957 film The Spirit of St. Louis starring James Stewart"
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"In 1932, Roscoe Turner acquired a new aircraft, the Wedell-Williams Racer, which was designed and built by one of the era's leading pilots. The racer gave Turner the edge he needed to start capturing some of aviation's most prestigious prizes, or at least, to be poised to capture them. That year, Turner finished third in the Bendix and Thompson races and in the Shell Speed Dash, one of the National Air Races in Cleveland. He also set a new transcontinental record from New York to Los Angeles and received the Harmon Trophy for being the best American aviator of 1932. The Gilmore ""Red Lion"" was the work of Jimmy Wedell. The Model Number 44 with a smooth cowl contour. The Gilmore Oil Company sponsored Rosco Turner in the 1932 Air Race where he placed third. Later, with a new sponsor the ""Red Lion"" was replaced by 20th Century Fox and colorful paint scheme was a thing of the past. The engine and cowl replaced by a more conventional cowl with rocker cover fairings. The ""Red Lion"" was a classic among the racing fleet of that time."
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The R3C-2 is a racing aircraft built in land and seaplane form manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the Schneider Trophy race. The R3C was introduced in 1925. James Doolittle won the trophy with a Curtiss R3C-2 but the other two Curtiss R3C-2s, piloted by George Cuddihy and Ralph Oftsie did not reach the finish line. The next day, Doolittle set a new world record. The primary user of the R3C is the United States Army. The R3C-2 incorporates a Curtiss V-1400, 619 hp. The R3C-2 has a crew of 1 and has a maximum speed of 248 mph.
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Pitts thought of everything when it designed the Pitts Special, a single seat aerobatic biplane. For example, it comes equipped with a clear Plexiglas floor in the cockpit for improved vision when flying upside down.
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"Piper J-3 Cub is a small and light aircraft built and manufactured by Piper Aircraft and designed by C. G. Taylor. After Piper moved his company from Bradford to Lock Haven, the J-3 replaced the J-2. The Piper J-3 Cub quickly became popular when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt took a flight in aJ-3 Cub, posing for a series of publicity photos, promoting the CPTP. The Piper J-3 Cub's maiden flight was 1938. Piper J-3 Cub was a favorite among pilots and non-pilots and there are still thousands currently in use. In the late 1940's J-3s were replaced by the PA-11 and then the Piper PA-18 Super Cub, introduced untl 1981. There's a total of 19,703 Piper J-3 cub built. "
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"The P180 Avanti II is Piaggio Aero’s flagship product. It is the world’s fastest turboprop business aircraft. It offers customers the speed of a light jet aircraft, the comfort of a large, quiet, midsize cabin, and fuel efficiencies that are nearly 40% higher than most business jets and 25% higher than the most efficient twin turboprops. The P180 Avanti II is the culmination of an effort by Piaggio Aero engineers to design, without compromise, an aircraft to meet the objectives of jet-like speed, a wide-body, stand-up cabin, and turboprop efficiency. After an intensive aerodynamic analysis and thousands of hours of wind tunnel testing, Piaggio engineers concluded that these goals could not be achieved utilizing conventional aircraft configurations. "
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"The Beechcraft (now Raytheon) Premier I, a light jet aircraft, first flew on December 22, 1998 flown by Charlie Volk and Warren Gould. It was the first all new product of the Raytheon Aircraft Beech/Hawker combine to fly, and is an all-new entry-level corporate jet designed to compete head on with Cessna's highly successful CitationJet/CJ1 series. Construction of the first Premier I began in late 1996 and rollout was on August 19 1998. The Premier 1 received FAA certification, including single pilot approval, in 2001. It also received FAA RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum) certification in May 2003. Upgrade kits for RVSM capability are available for aircraft already delivered. The Premier I is the first composite-fuselage corporate jet to be FAA certified. The Premier I has high-speed cruise of more than 520 miles per hour. A standard-equipped aircraft with full fuel, a pilot and four passengers has a range of more than 1,650 miles and is certified to operate up to 41,000 feet. Last year Raytheon Aircraft was awarded the National Society of Professional Engineers' (NSPE) 2000 New Product Award in the mega size company category for its development of the Premier I. The all new Premier I Raytheon Aircraft is constructed with a high-strength composite, carbon fiber/epoxy honeycomb fuselage, completely produced by computer-controlled, automated machines, giving the aircraft a medium-jet sized cabin at light jet acquisition and operating costs. Last May 2005, Raytheon has announced an upgrade, from Premier I the Premier IA, which received certification in October 2005. The aircraft has an improved interior, seating and avionics suite and 'acoustical liner' to reduce cabin noise levels. "
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"The Travel Air Mystery Ship was designed by two young engineers, Herb Rawdon and Walter Burnham, under the guidance of Walter Beech, president and founder of the Travel Air Company. On its first test flight, the aircraft exceeded the calculated airspeed by 15 percent. The Mystery Ship was a little red and black racer, with a low-wing design, an engine cowled with an NACA streamlined cover, and wheels fully enclosed in streamlined pants. During construction, two other types of cowling were tried, but the NACA type proved to be the most efficient. The Mystery Ship not only introduced the NACA cowl and wheel pants to commercial aviation, but also contributed toward the trend of low-wing military and commercial airplanes. On September 2, 1929, the Mystery Ship, with its super smooth finish, was rolled out of the hangar, ready for the Thompson Cup Race – Event 26. Despite going against high powered military ships, the low power racer went on to win the event at a speed of 194.90 mph. "
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"On December 21, 1999, the Boeing Plant held a ceremony attended by 1000 employees and other guests. Trans World Airlines (TWA) Inc. took delivery of the last MD-80 to come off the twinjet production line on December 23. The MD-80 is one of the most successful airplane programs in commercial aviation history. Douglas Aircraft, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing delivered 1,191 MD-80s from 1979 to 1999. More than 1,180 are still in service with more than 50 domestic and foreign airlines. The final MD-80, an MD-83 model featuring non-stop range of approximately 2,880 statute miles, brings to 102 the number of MD-80 twinjets operated by TWA. The first MD-80 also known as DC-9 Series 80, or Super 80, made its initial flight on Oct. 18, 1979. Less than a year later, on Sept. 13, 1980, Swissair took the first delivery. The airplane entered passenger service the following month. TWA took delivery of its first MD-80 and an MD-82 on April 18, 1983. The MD-80 is the quiet, clean and modern successor to the popular DC-9. "
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The MD-80 is a popular series and an improved development of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9. In 1975, the origin of the MD-80 can be traced back to the series of testing of the DC-9, fitted with improved more efficient, higher bypass ratio JT8D-200 series turbofans. The MD-80 designation is a generic designation for the series and doesn't apply to a certain model type. Derived from the DC-9, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a twin-engine, medium-range, single-aisle commercial jet airplane. Introduced commercially in October 1980 by Swissair, it was designed for frequent, short-haul flights for 130 to 172 passengers, depending on plane version and seating arrangement. It first flew on October 19, 1979, and production ended in 1999. The MD80 has been used by airlines around the world, one of which was Northwest Airlines. Northwest is the world's fourth largest airline in terms of scheduled passenger miles flown. It acquired the MD-80 in 1986 and retired the aircraft in 1999.
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"Derived from the DC-9, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a twin-engine, medium-range, single-aisle commercial jet airplane. It was introduced commercially in October 1980 by Swissair and can seat up to 172 passengers. Douglas Aircraft developed the DC-9 in the 1960s as a short-range companion to the larger DC-8. The MD-80 was the second generation of the DC-9. It was originally called the DC-9-80 before it was redesignated in July 1983 as a marketing move, to show that McDonnell Douglas had an airliner for the 1980s. The MD-80 features a fuselage about 14 feet longer than the DC-9. The wings were redesigned by adding sections at the wing root and tip for a wing that is 28 percent larger. The cockpit, avionics, aerodynamics and engines were upgraded. It also has a higher maximum take-off weight, greater fuel capacity and longer range than the DC-9. The MD-80 has been used by airlines around the world. While many airlines have started to retire the aircraft in the 2000s, it is still flown extensively by some, including Delta Air Lines, on domestic routes. Delta is the second largest operator of the MD-80, after American Airlines. "
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"The MD-80 is a commercial jet airplane manufactured by McDonnell Douglas/Boeing and was derived from the DC-9. The MD-80 series was the second generation of the DC-9 and was originally called the DC-9-80 series and the DC-9 Super 80, entering service in 1980. The MD-80 has cockpit, avionics and aerodynamic upgrades along with the more powerful, efficient and quieter JT8D-200 series engines. It also has a longer fuselage than its earlier counterparts, as well as longer range. As of 2007, some customers such as the American Airlines and Alitalia still refer to the planes in fleet documentation as Super 80 or SP80. The MD-80 is the backbone of the American Airlines fleet and has flown more than 270 MD-80 series aircraft and is the world's largest operator of the type. The first American MD-80 was delivered on May 12, 1983. The MD-80's introduction allowed the Americans to rapidly expand its route system and fleet. In 1984, American Airlines operated a fleet of 244 MD-80 and by 1997, it has grown to 649 aircraft and 250 were MD-80s. "
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"The MD-11 is a widebody airliner based on the DC-10 and was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas/Boeing. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 entered the American's fleet in 1991 as its long-haul international aircraft to supplement and replace the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The MD-11 is available in four models: passenger, all freighter, convertible freighter and combi. An extended range feature is available on all versions. The MD-11 incorporates three 60,000/62,000-pound thrust P&W PW4462 engines or three 61,500-pound thrust GE CF6-80C2 engines. It has a speed of 588 mph and a range of 7,000 to 10,000 miles. The MD-11 has a seating capacity of 290 to 350 passengers. By January 1998, there were 174 MD-11s delivered and the aircraft was in service with more than 20 operators and has served more than 100 cities in 55 countries with more than 270 scheduled daily flights. The MD-11 retired in 2001 and had earned a reputation as a good passenger/cargo airplane. The last MD-11 was delivered on February 22, 2001."
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"The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a twin-engine, medium-range, single-aisle commercial jet airplanes. The MD-80 aircraft was originally part of the DC-9 line when first delivered before being later renamed. The MD-80 series have seating capacity up to 172 passengers. They have a common cabin layout that seats 140 passengers on scheduled flights and 161 or 165 on low-cost or charter flights. The Alaska Airlines flew MD-80 aircraft on the routes more than 92 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Alaska airlines operates a fleet of Boeing 737 and MD-80. The airline ultimately plans to replace all MD-80 aircraft with Boeing 737-800s by the end of 2008. The retired MD-80s will be stored in Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, California or Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California. The MD-80 series was derived from the DC-9 and it was introduced commercially in October 1980 by Swissair. It entered service in 1980. The MD-80 versions have cockpit, avionics and aerodynamic upgrades along with the more powerful, efficient and quieter JT8D-200 series engines. The MD series aircraft also have longer fuselages than their earlier DC-9 counterparts, as well as longer range. The MD-80 series has been used by airlines around the world. The MD-80 series production ended in 1999. Notably, some customers, American Airlines and Alitalia still, as of 2007, refer to the planes in fleet documentation as ""Super 80"" or ""SP80"". The MD-80 model is still flown extensively by American Airlines and Delta Airlines on domestic routes. "
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"The Macchi M.C. 72 is an experimental seaplane designed and built by Macchi Aeronautica, an aircraft company. Macchi M.C. 72 was built in 1931, and was planned to compete in the final Schneider Trophy race. Unfortunately, the aircraft was unable to compete due to engine problems. Instead of halting the development program, Macchi continued work on the M.C. 72. The Macchi M.C. 72 suffered many mechanical defects, as well as the loss of two test pilots who died trying to coax world class speed out of the aircraft. Macchi M.C. 72's design was unique with a fuselage partly metal to the cockpit and wood monocoque bolted to the front tubular portion by four bolts. The final design of M.C. 72 used a double, counter-rotating fixed-pitch propeller powered by a modified Fiat AS-6 engine generating 2,500 to 3,100 horse power. The engines were overhauled in preparation for a record attempt after the M.C. 72's 35th flight. It set a new world speed record on April 1933 of 682 km/h and was piloted by Warrant Officer Francesco Agello. Further development continued as the M.C. 72's designers thought they could break the 700 km/h record and this feat was achieved on October 23, 1934, when Warrant Officer Francesco Agello piloted the plane for an average speed of 709 km/h over three passes. As of 2006, the record remains the fastest speed ever attained by a piston engine seaplane. Though after the aircraft's success, it was never flown again. There's one M.C. 72 currently on display at the Vignia de Valle Aircraft Museum, which is near Rome. "
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"The Martin M-130 is an influential plane designed and built by the Genn L. Martin Company. The Martin M-130 is an all-metal flying boat having streamlined aerodynamics and powerful engines to achieve Pan Am's specifications for range and payload. The M-130's maiden flight was on December 30, 1934. On November 22, 1935, the China Clipper piloted by Captain Edwin C. Musick and First Officer R.O.D. Sullivan flew the first Trans-Pacific airmail route. The M-130 has a crew of 6-9 for a Captain, First Officer, Junior Flight Officer, Engineering Officer, Assistant Engineering Officer, Radio Operator, Navigation Officer and cabin stewards. It incorporates four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S2A5G Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial engines. The M-130 has a maximum speed of 180 mph and a range of 3,200 miles. There was a wreck with the China Clipper NC14716 at Port of Spain, Trinidad at the time of its landing on January 8, 1945. "
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"The Martin M-130 is a rare but influential plane that was designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. The M-130's maiden flight was on December 30, 1934. On November 22, 1935, the China Clipper, piloted by Captain Edwin C. Musick and First Officer R.O.D. Sullivan flew the first trans-Pacific airmail route. Their range and capacity made them prime candidates to fulfill the over ocean hauling needs of the military during World War. In 1942, the two remaining planes were impressed into transport roles for the U Navy. In 1943, a crash occurred when the Phlippine Clipper hit the side of a mountain as it descended to land in San Francisco and the final M-130 casualty was the China Clipper NC14716, after it was wrecked at Port of Spain. The M-30 is an all-metal flying boat employing streamlined aerodynamics and powerful engines to achieve Pan Am's specifications for range and payload "
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"The Lockheed L-188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. It was the first turboprop airliner built in the USA. The design of the L-188 was started by Lockheed in 1954, and the following year the company received a launch order from American Airlines. The prototype first flew on December 6, 1957. Many airlines in the US flew the L-188, but the only European airline to order the type was KLM. TEAL in the South Pacific, NAC the Viscount and Air New Zealand flew both. TAA and Ansett in Australia operated the L-188 and QANTAS also operated 4 L-188. American Airlines was the launch customer, followed by Eastern Airlines and Braniff Airways. The L-188 flew in commercial service until the mid-1970s. A total of 144 L-188s were built, 57 of which have been destroyed in accidents, according to Aviation Safety network. The most recent L-188 accident was in July 2003. Lockheed developed a variant of the Electra, the P-3 Orion, for the United States Navy. The Orion was originally developed using modified civilian Electra airframes. The L-188 is a low-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear, powered by four Allison 501D turboprops. Standard accommodation was for 66 to 88 passengers, with an optional high-density layout for 98 passengers. The initial production was the L-188A and later, a longer-range L-188C was produced. Most of the L-188 aircraft currently in service are operated as Freighters. Lockheed proposed a development of the Electra which was later placed into production as the "
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"The Learjet 60 is a business jet manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace. The Learjet 60 is an improved version of the Learjet 55, having a longer fuselage and incorporates more powerful engines. Its maiden flight was on June 1991 and received FAA certification in January 1993. The modification that converted the Learjet Model 55 into a model 60 were the results of an aerodynamics improvement program and a need and for increased capacity of the Learjet product line and the modifications include an all new inboard wing cuff added to the inboard sections of the ""Longhorn"" wing and an all new wing-to-body fairing. By increasing the wing cord and the leading edge droop, the wing cuff improved the low speed handling during approach and landing while the wing-to-body fairing reduced the interference drag between the wing and the fuselage. Since the engines were new for this aircraft, a new engine pylon had to be designed. The cockpit's lines were not changed but the fuselage was lengthened. In addition, the blend between the fuselage and the empennage was all new. An all new E/B (Emergency/Baggage) door was added to the right-hand side of the fuselage just at the leading edge of the wing. The final aeroimprovement to the Model 60 was the creation of the distinctive ""Ogive"" winglet trailing edge. This lengthening of the cord near the interface of the winglet and the winglet greatly improved the interaction of the wing's pressure spike with the winglet's pressure spike. The result was a significant lowering of the drag in this area and a significant improvement of the wings efficiency. The Learjet Model 45 winglet blend design took into account the lessons learned from the model 60 and the ogive was not necessary. Finally, the ventral fin was replaced with the hallmark split ventral fins that Learjet called ""Delta Fins."""
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"The Learjet 45 aircraft is a mid-sized business jet produced by Bombardier Aerospace. The maiden flight of the prototype Learjet 45 was on October 7, 1995, which was the 32nd anniversary of the first flight of the Learjet 23. Though FAA certification was delayed, it was finally granted in September 1997, with the first customer aircraft subsequently delivered in January 1998. The cockpit equips a four-screen Honeywell Primus 1000 EFIS avionics system and it incorporates two FADEC-controlled Honeywell TFE731-20 engines. An APU provides ground power. An upgraded version of the Learjet 45 which is the Learjet 45XR was introduced in June 2004, with higher take-off weights, faster cruise speeds and faster time-to-climb rates as compared to the LJ45. It has a seating capacity of 9 passengers, including one in the lavatory which is certified as a seat. It has a maximum speed of 464 kt and a range of 2,120 nm. The Learjet 45 is also one of the main airplanes that was featured in the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise. "
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"The Learjet Model 35 is a multirole business jets and military transport aircraft manufactured by Learjet and its primary use and operator is the United States Air Force. The Learjet Model 35's maiden flight was on August 22, 1973 and the aircraft gained its FAA certification on July 1974. The Learjet 35A is a variant of the Model 35 also known as the Model 35A. It is an upgraded Model 35 introduced in 1976, replacing the 35. As of January 2007, the US National Transportation Safety Board database lists 19 fatal accidents for the 35/35A. There were 600 35As built. "
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"On April 7, 1967, Trans World Airlines (TWA) became one of the world's first all-jet airlines with the retirement of their last Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation and L-1649 Starliner aircraft. Many people consider the L-1049 Super Constellation to be the loveliest commercial aircraft ever built, which is why they often affectionately call it the ""Super Connie""./P> The L-1049G Super Constellation took off from Hamburg, Germany, to New York, USA, with a stop in Dusseldorf. The flight lasted 17 hours. In those days, flights across the Atlantic heading for America could be accomplished only with an intermediate stop. Flights to Germany were usually non-stop, due to the tail-wind. This marked the beginning of a new era. It wasn't until the Super Constellation that the plane became a means of mass transportation that allowed people to travel quickly and comfortably to cities around the world. The L-1049-G Super Constellation has 5 flight crews. The L-1049-G's capacity is typically 62-95 passengers, up to 109 could be seated. The L-1049-G Super Constellation has a maximum speed of 380 mph and range of 5,400 mi. The L-1049G is distinguished by round windows and the ability to carry wingtip fuel tanks. The L-1049G Super Constellation had another distinguishing feature: It was the first commercial aircraft to have a pressurised cabin."
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"The L-1049 Super Constellation was introduced in 1951. The fuselage was extended by 18 ft 4.75 in and its passenger capacity increased from 69 up to 92 passengers. Its maiden flight was on July 14, 1951. It has an auxiliary wing-tip fuel tanks. The L-1049 Super Constellation could fly nonstop between New York and Los Angeles. When the L-1049G was introduced, the range was increased by 700 miles. The L-1049G featured 100 design improvements over the L-1049E model to make it better. Trans World Airlines named it the Super G and it received a total order of 102. The L-1049G has a crew of 5 with a typical seating capacity of 62-95 passengers. It has a maximum speed of 380 mph and a range of 5,400 mi. Currently, an existing L-1049G (Super G) Constellation built originally for cargo carier Slick Airways was restored by the ""Save-a-Connie"" organization (now the Airline History Museum) in 1986. It was repainted in the 1950s livery of TWA, resembling ""Star of America"" Constellation. The aircraft appeared at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at the original TWA terminal designed by Eero Saarinen, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the airline."
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"The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was the main competitor to McDonnell Douglas' DC-10, having a wide-body, high capacity tri-jets for medium to long haul routes. The L-1011 project was launched in 1968. In 1972, L-1011 entered service with TWA and Eastern Airlines. The initial version of the TriStar was the L-1011-1, which was the most-built variant. It has a greater fuel capacity and incorporates -200 more powerful engines. The L-1011 has a typical two-class seating of 256 and a range of 5,752 km. There were many civilian operators of the TriStar including Aer Lingus, AeroPeru, Air Atlanta Icelandic, Air Canada, Air France, Air Luxor, Air Lanka, All Nippon Airways, Arrow Air, ATA Airlines, British Airways and many more. Most major airlines retired the L-1011 from their fleets. TWA withdrew its last TriStar from service in 1997. The TriStar was also used as a military tanker and passenger/cargo aircraft. Royal Air Force has nine aircraft of four variants The L-1011 was to be the last passenger airliner and in 1983, production ended. Many TriStars were converted for improved performance."
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"The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar is a three engine jet airliner. The L-1011 TriStar was the last Lockheed airliner to be developed and was launched in March 1968 in response to an American Airlines requirement for a large capacity medium range airliner. The L-1011-1 was the first production model of the L-1011 which entered service with Eastern Airlines and TWA in April 1972. It was designed for short and medium-range flights and was purchased by Air Canada, ANA, Cathay Pacific, Eastern and other operators with regional trunk routes requiring a wide-body aircraft. Pacific Southwest Airlines purchased two L-1011 models with lower deck seating. This variant was also the only wide-body ever to have the option for a full-height built-in airstair incorporated into the design, although it remained an option on other variants. In 1983, production of L-1011-1 ceased when 250 had been built. In 1986, the prototype was sold to be broken up for spares. The L-1011-1 TriStar has a cockpit crew for three and has a seating capacity of 253 in a 3-class. It has a maximum speed of .95 Mach and a range of 4,610 mi. There are approximately 156 TriStars which remained in service in 1998, with 122 standard fuselage models. In 2000, the number went down to about 137, with 109 standard fuselage models. By the end of 2002, it dropped further to 51 active TriStars, with 23 standard fuselage ones. Delta retired its TriStar fleet in 2001, replacing them with the Boeing 767-400ER. The airplane was also used in the television series Lost, featuring a dismantled L-1011 formerly belonging to Eastern Airlines."
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The Bulldog Racer was designed and built by Robert Hall, an engineering and test pilot in the early 1930s who had worked for the Granville Brothers design the famous Gee-Bee Z. Hall decided to design his own airplanes after a disagreement with the Granvilles. First was a two place airplane to fly in the England to Melbourne Race, named Chicada, which looked like an insect for its paint scheme. The second airplane design features a gull-wing "Bulldog" and it suffered in directional control stability. Several modifications of the vertical fin and rudder were made, the fin and rudder area above the wing level was increased to escape turbulence from the gull wing, reversal of lateral control was experienced with the ailerons, before downward deflection was eliminated. During the race, the Bulldog's speed was a disappointing 215.57 mph with a very top speed of 270 mph. The Bulldog finished in sixth place. There was a speculation that a restricted air inlet kept the inlet Bulldog from showing its true potential. The Bulldog was dismantled after the races were over and the engine was returned to Pratt & Whitney.
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"Visualize flying the latest evolution of the world’s best-selling midsize business jet. Hawker aircraft have always provided superior payload capabilities, extended range, superb reliability and unsurpassed comfort. And the new Hawker 900XP midsize business jet is certainly no exception. Featuring enhanced winglets and powerful new Honeywell TFE731-50R engines, the Hawker 900XP offers increased hot/high-altitude takeoff, climb and cruise performance as well as a 6.9 percent range increase over the Hawker 850XP. The result? The ability to make one-stop flights from New York to Honolulu an incredible 99 percent of the time. In addition, With its low operating costs, fuel efficiency and the most spacious cabin in its class, the Hawker 900XP represents an unbeatable value. Have it all—unprecedented performance, comfort and reliability complemented by legendary comfort—with the new Hawker 900XP."
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The Gee Bee R-1 was designed and built for the 1932 Races. The Gee Bee R-1 is a fairly constructed aircraft. Only the best materials were used and the workmanship was incredible. The wings were covered with mahogany plywood and covered with "balloon-fabric" for added strength. The most unusual feature was its pilot position just ahead of the vertical fin. The R-1 and R-2 were considerably larger than the previous model Z. The R-1 and R-2 are very similar except that the R-1 has a larger and more powerful Pratt & Whitney R1340 "Wasp" engine and it is specifically made for the Thompson Trophy. The R-2 was built for the Bendix Trophy races. The biggest difference between the two aircraft was that the R-2 had two fuel tanks totaling a 302 gallons versus a single 160 gallon tank in the R-1. The R-2 has a 20-gallon oil tank and the R-2 also has streamlined running lights in the wings and on the tail for night flights. The R-1 has a speed of 294.38 miles per hour and a cruising range of 925 miles.
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"The Gulfstream V is known as the world's first ultra long-range business jet. It is recognized as the safest, most reliable, most comfortable, high-performance, ultra-long range business aircraft in the world. Gulfstream V completes worldwide missions that exceed the capabilities of all other corporate aircraft. From the unique engine performance and advanced communications capabilities to the cabin that offers maximum passenger comfort and productivity, the Gulfstream V continues the Gulfstream legacy of innovation and quality. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, the Gulfstream V’s ability to travel non-stop for 6,500 nautical miles and at speeds up to Mach 0.885 sets The World Standard for world travel. Now in its eighth year of customer service, the Gulfstream V routinely flies non-stop from Aspen to Frankfurt, London to Hong Kong, Beijing to New York, and Moscow to Los Angeles. In February 1998, Gulfstream and the GV Industry Team were awarded the prestigious 1997 Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association. To date, there are more than 188 Gulfstream Vs in service worldwide. The Gulfstream V, which has set more than 80 world and national records, ended production with the 193rd aircraft in December 2002 when the production line transitioned to the G500 and G550. "
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"In 1920, the Fokker F.VII airliner was produced by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary, Atlantic Aircraft Corporation and other companies under license. The original Dutch design of 1924 was a single-engined high-winged monoplane. Fokker modified the design with two additional engines to enter the Inaugural Ford Reliability Tour in 1925 , in which it won. Consequently, the production versions F.VIIa/3m, F.VIIb/3m and F.10 all had three engines and the aircraft became popularly known as the Fokker Trimotor. The F.VII was the aircraft of choice for many early airlines, both in Europe and the Americas. Along with the similar Ford Trimotor, it dominated the American market in the late 1920s. However, the popularity of the Fokker quickly came to an end after the death of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne in the crash of TWA Flight 599. The subsequent investigation, which revealed problems with the Fokker's ply-wood laminate construction, resulted in the banning of the aircraft on commercial flights and the rise of all-metal aircraft, such as the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The F.VII was a 10-seat transport using one 400-hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter 9-cylinder radial piston engine therefore, giving the airplane a maximum speed of 115 mph, cruising speed of 96 mph, service ceiling of 8,530 feet and a range of 721 miles. The F.VII was used by many explorers and aviation pioneers, including Richard E. Byrd, Lester Maitland, Albert Hegenberger, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Amelia Earhart and Carl Spaatz. "
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"The 5-AT Ford Tri-motor is a rugged, dependable transport airplane which became the most famous Ford Tri-motor aircraft. The incredible durability of the aircraft was well-proven by NC9683, the thirty-ninth 5-AT built by Ford. On April 12, 1929, 5-AT was sold to Southwest Air Fast Express (SAFE). The company had built 199 %-AT models. It has flown the routes of Colonial Air Transport and later, flew the transcontinental route between Cleveland and Los Angeles. In May 1934, the 5-AT was transferred to the Chicago base and in 1935, it retired from the American Airlines. It was sold to TACA International Airlines and operated in Nicaragua. In 1946, the 5-AT was sent to Mexico, wherein it was used for passenger and cargo hauling until 1954, then, it was sold to a crop-dusting company in Montana. The aircraft ended up beside the a small airfield as someone's living quarters. In 1960, American Airlines required NC9683 and was restored. It was seen flying public relations tours promoting the airline. In November 1962, the NC9683 had made the first regular commercial flight from the new Dulles International Airport, Virginia. The NC9683 was donated to the National Air and Space Museum, hanging in the Air Transportation gallery."
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"Dornier Do X is the largest, heaviest and most powerful flying boat produced by the Dornier company in 1929. On February 20, 1929, the Do X test flight was complete, having 71 flights and had been airborne for 37 hours. Due to several lack of interest and a number of accidents, though not reported to be fatal, had prevented more than three models from being built. On July 12, 1929, it was launched for its first test flight, wherein it broke the world record for the number of people aboard an airplane. On Novermber 3, 1930, the Do X took off from from Friedrichshafen, Germany, commencing a transatlantic test flight. On August 27, 1931, the aircraft went of north to the United States, reaching New York, wherein it spent the next nine months for its scheduled overhaul. The Do X had an all-duralumin hull, with wings made of a steel-reinforced duralumin framework covered in heavy linen fabric, covered with aluminum paint. Do X has a maximum speed of 211 km/h and a range of 1,700 km. It has a seating capacity of 66-100 passengers. Luxurious accommodation approached the standards of transatlantic airliners. The Do X was featured in Michael Murrcock's alternate universe fiction, symbolizing power and style emblematic of the lost era of the 1930's. It was also featured in the 1934 movie, The Perils of Pauline, wherein it featured historic footage of the Do X's flight and in 1985 music video of the Alphaville pop group. Do X was also featured in an episode of Lupin III, Albatross: Wings of Death, wherein it depicted a twin-tail, having only five engines."
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"The DC-7 is an American aircraft built by Douglas Aircraft company in 1953 to 1958 and was the last major piston engine powered transport of Douglas. The early DC-7s were only sold to US carriers. The extended range variant of the DC-7, the DC-7C ""Seven Seas"" was released by the Douglas Aircraft since European carriers could not take advantage of he small range increase in the early DC-7. Pan American Airlines used the DC-7C aircraft to inaugurate the first non-stop New York-London service. Pan Am flew the DC-7Cs for only two and and a half years before entering the jet age. The DC-7 is the largest propeller transport aircraft that Pan Am has ever used. The DC-7C was also used by several other overseas airlines' fleets. In 1959, Douglas began converting DC-7A and DC-7C aircraft into DC-7F freighters, extending the life of the aircraft past its viability as a passenger transport."
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"The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed wing, propeller-driven aircraft and is generally considered one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made. The DC3's maiden fight was on December 17, 1935. DC3's were drafted for the war effort and nearly 10,000 military versions were built during World War II and were designated as C-47, C-53, R4D and Dakota. The DC-3 and its military variants were used by the Armed Forces for the transport of troops, cargo and wounded. Both Delta and Continental Airlines operate DC-3s. It was also used to fly air shows today and has been used in various movies. Thousands of surplus C-47s were converted to civil service, became the standard equipment of most world's airlines and it remained in front-line service for many years. The DC-3 has a maximum speed of 237 mph and a range of 1,025 mi. There were 10,655 DC-3s built at Sta. Monica, California and Long Beach, California, both in civil and military versions. In 1998, there are over 400 DC-3s which remained in commercial service."
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"The B & W Seaplane, also known as the Boeing Model 1, was the first Boeing product. It was named after the initials of its designers, William Boeing and Lieutenant Conrad Westervelt of the US Navy. The first B&W, completed in June 1916, was made of wood, linen and wire. Similar to the Martin trainer that Boeing owned, the B & W had, among other improvements, better pontoons and a more powerful engine. The two B & Ws built were offered to the US Navy, but the Navy was not interested. They were sold to the New Zealand Flying School and became the company's first international sale. On June 25, 1919, the B & W set a New Zealand altitude record of 6,500 feet. The B & Ws were later used for express and airmail deliveries, making New Zealand's first official airmail flight on December 16, 1919. The B & W Seaplane has a crew of two. It has a maximum speed of 75 mph and a range of 320 miles. It incorporates a Hall-Scott A-5 Straight-6 piston engine. The primary user of the B & W Seaplane is the New Zealand Flying School. There's a total of 2 B & W Seaplanes built."
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"The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser is a luxurious propeller airliner manufactured by Boeing. It was developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter. The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was the civilian version of the C-97 Stratofreighter, which in turn was derived from the B-50 Superfortress. It first flew on July 8, 1947. Despite serious design flaws and a marginal service record, the Stratocruiser was considered one of the greatest post-war propeller airliners. Extremely complex and expensive, only 56 were built. It continued in mainline service until 1960, when it had been made obsolete by the coming of the 707 and other first generation jetliners. The Boeing 377 Stratofreighter has a seating capacity of up to 100 passengers on main deck plus 14 in lower deck lounge. It has a maximum speed of 375 mph and a range of 3,650 nm. It incorporates four Pratt & Whitney R-4360-B6 Wasp Major 28-cylinder radial engines four-bladed propellers with 3,500 hp each. The primary users and operators of the Boeing 377 Stratofreighters are the Pan Am and the BOAC."
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"Ted is one of two airline divisional brands of United Airlines similar in concept to the Delta Shuttle or the US Airways Shuttle, but specifically targeted to compete effectively in the low cost airline market. The airline is equipped with 57 Airbus A320 aircraft, in a 156-seat all-economy configuration. The A-320 is a short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. Ted was created to give United a way to compete with low-cost airlines, such as Frontier and Southwest. Ted A320s are configured in one class that is split into two sub-classes. Economy Plus is the first sub-class which provides an extra 4 inches to the existing 31 inches of legroom for economy. "
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"The TH-55 Trainer or better known as the TH-55 Osage was two-seater light pilot training helicopter used by the U.S Army. The Trainer was initially designed as a fully-glazed cockpit with seating for two pilots, or a pilot and passenger. It also had an open-framework fuselage and a three-blade articulated rotor. Manufactured by Hughes Helicopters, the TH-55 Trainer first flew in October 1956. It was produced as the Model 269 family of light utility helicopters, some of which were marketed as the Model 300. Also known as the Hughes 269 was created with a fully articulated, counter-clockwise rotating, three-bladed main rotor, and a two-bladed tail rotor that would remain as distinctive characteristics of all its variants. It also has shock absorber-dampened, skid-type landing gear. The flight controls are directly linked to the control surfaces of the helicopter so there is no hydraulics in the 269. There are generally two sets of controls, although this was optional on the civil 269A. The TH-55 Trainer was powered by a Lycoming O-360-C2B four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine providing a top speed of 136 km/h and a flying time of 2.6 hours. "
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"The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopter is the newest aircraft in the US Navy's fleet. It is replacing SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters and combines the capabilities of these aircraft. The helicopter is equipped for a range of missions including: anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), naval gunfire support (NGFS), surveillance, communications relay, logistics support, personnel transfer and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). For vertical replenishment missions the helicopter is fitted with a 2,721.55kg (6,000lb) cargo hook. Lockheed Martin, Owego, is the mission systems integrator. The maiden flight of the MH-60R took place in July 2001. The first low-rate initial production (LRIP) helicopters were remanufactured SH-60Bs but following MH-60Rs are all new-build. The first new production MH-60R helicopter was delivered in August 2005. Operational evaluation (OPEVAL) was completed in October 2005 and full-rate production approved in April 2006. Production levels are planned to increase to up to 30 helicopters a month. The US Navy expects to operate 252 MH-60R helicopters by 2015."
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"The CV-22 Osprey is a joint service, multimission, military tiltrotor aircraft. It combines the vertical takeoff and landing qualities of a helicopter with the long range, fuel efficiency and speed characteristics of a turboprop aircraft. Built by the joint development team of Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing Helicopters collectively known as Bell Boeing, its primary role is to conduct long range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces. The CV-22 is the United States Air Force version of the US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey. Formally approved for full-rate production by the Pentagon on September 28, 2005, the Osprey is the world's first production tiltrotor aircraft. The CV-22 is versatile and self-deployable, offering increased speed and range over other rotary wing aircraft. It can perform missions that would normally require both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. It is equipped with integrated threat countermeasures, a terrain-following radar, a forward-looking infrared sensor, and other advanced avionics systems that allow it to operate at low altitude in adverse weather conditions and medium to high threat environments. The first two test aircraft were delivered to Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California in September 2000 for flight testing. The first operational CV-22 was delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico on March 20, 2006, and aircrew training began in August 2006. Initial operating capability of the aircraft is scheduled for 2009, with a total of 50 CV-22s delivered by 2017. "
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"The AH-1G Cobra was developed by Bell featuring a new wide bladed rotor and slim fuselage that gave it twice the speed of the UH-1B or Huey. The Cobra aircraft is armed with 2.75 inch Folding Fin Aerial Rockets and a chin turret on the M28/M28A1 armament subsystem. The AH-1G Cobra or Snake was first set up on September 1967 in Vietnam. The principal mission of the AH-1G was to give fire support to troop carrying Hueys. During the Vietnam War the AH-1G Cobra was used in a lot of missions from armed escort and reconnaissance to fire suppression and aerial rocket artillery. The AH-1G Cobra was always paired with an unarmed OH 6A Cayuse Loach or OH58A Kiowa light observation helicopter or a UH-1H Night hawk. The AH-1G Cobra was also equipped with Cobra Night Fire Control System or CONFICS and the Southeast Asia Multi Sensor Armament Subsystem for Huey Cobra or SMASH to provide the AH-1G with the capability of detecting, identifying and targeting ground targets during day or night operations. The AH-1G is one of the high performance attack helicopters in history. Some of the specifications of AH-1G Cobra are as follows: for the crew, the helicopter allows one pilot and one CPG; its length is 44 ff and 5 inches, rotor diameter is 44 ft, height is at 13 ft and 5 inches, weight when empty is 6,073 pounds, maximum take off weight is 9,500 pounds, power plant is 1x AVCO Lycoming T53L-13 turbo shaft, and the rotor system has 2 blades. "
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"The CH-53E Super Sea Stallion is the largest and heaviest helicopter in the history of the United States Military. The CH-53E is commonly referred to as the Hurricane Maker. Built by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Marine Corps, the CH-53E served both the Navy and Marines in the heavy lift transport role. The CH-53E Super Sea Stallion is the larger version of the CH-53 Sea Stallion. The CH-53E Stallion was configured with 3 gas turbine engines and in flight refueling. The said aircraft was used to transport personnel and equipment, lift heavy loads and conduct minesweeping missions. In addition to that, the CH-53E is also used for long range delivery and re supply of special operations and combat rescue missions. The CH-53E Super Stallion van transports up to 55 troops and has an external load lift system that allows the helicopter to carry a load up to 16,330 kg. The CH-53E has a speed of 278 km/h and a maximum un-refueled range of 2,000 km. The range and endurance of the CH-53E can be extended by Flight refueling. The general characteristics of the CH-53E are as follows: 2 pilots, 1 right gunner, 1 left gunner, 1 tail gunner, the capacity of the CH-53E aircraft is 37 troops, payload is at 32,000 pounds, length is at 99 ft and ½ inches, rotor diameter is at 79ft, height is at 27ft 9 inches, Disc area is at 4,900 square feet, empty weight is 33,226 pounds, maximum take off weight is 73,500 pounds and the power plant is 3x general electric T64-GE-416A turboshafts, 4,380 shp each. For the performance of the CH-53E Super Stallion, the maximum speed is 170 knots, range is 600 nm, service ceiling is at 18,500 ft, rate of climb is 2,500 ft/min and the armament are guns, chaff and flare dispensers. "
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"The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (NATO reporting name Fagot) was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where it outclassed all enemy fighters except the F-86 Sabre. The MiG's combat success and its dependability made the plane very popular with Eastern Bloc and Communist nations around the world. Since 1950 roughly 7,500 MiG-15s have been built in Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and China. The MiG-15 arguably had sufficient power to dive at supersonic speeds, but could not do so because it did not feature an ""all-flying"" tail. As a result, the pilot's ability to control the aircraft deteriorated significantly as Mach 1 was approached. Later MiGs would incorporate all-flying tails. A variety of MiG-15 variants were built, but the most common was the MiG-15UTI (NATO reporting name Midget) two-seat trainer. The MiG-15 was widely exported, with the People's Republic of China receiving MiG-15bis models in 1950 and is also believed to have been the most numerous jet aircraft ever made, with over 12,000 built. In the late 1980s, the first MiG-15 appeared on the civilian register in the USA, and in the last decade, at least 20 have been licensed as warbirds around the world. "
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"The Japanese A6M Zero is the most famous Japanese helicopter aircraft from the Second World War. Its code name is Zeke. The Japanese A6M was built as a land-based, carrier borne and a seaplane. The Japanese A6M Zero is indeed an excellent helicopter. The Japanese A6M aircraft was designed by Mitsubishi, it first flew on April 1, 1939. In addition to this, Mitsubishi and Nakajima built 10,937 Japanese A6M Zero helicopters. The Zeros are said to be the best fighters of Japan during WW II. They were the ones who spearheaded the advances from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway, where Japan lost a number of pilots and planes. A combination of admirable maneuverability and very long range made the Japanese A6M Zero one of the supreme fighters of its era. The Japanese A6M Zero is armed with various guns but the common set up is: two 20mm cannons in outer wings and two 12.7 mm guns in the fuselage. The Japanese A6M is very noteworthy for being the first carrier based fighter to outperform its land based equivalents. The Japanese A6M Zero achieved a famous reputation which was a lot better than its contemporaries. The Japanese A6M Zero’s first variant, A6M1, which is powered by a 780-hp, was first flown on April 1, 1939. The second one was the A6M2 which is powered by a 925-hp Nakajima Sakae engine. Other variants are as follows: the A6M2-K which is a two seat trainer, the A6M2-N which is a Nakajima built float plane version, and the A6M5 which is a performance increased version. "
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"The A6M Zero is carrier-based fighter aircraft manufactured by Mitsubishi and was considered the best carrier-based fighter aircraft since the time it was produced. During 1940-1941, the pre-series A6M2 Zero became known, when the fighter was confirmed to have destroyed 266 aircraft in China. During Pearl Harbor, there were 420 Zeros in active service in the Pacific. In 1941, the Zero fighters were superior in many performance aspects to all Allied fighters in the Pacific and it quickly gained reputation. However, the Zero failed to achieve air superiority when suitable tactics and new aircraft were developed by the Allies. During World War II, the Zero destroyed at least 1,550 American aircraft. The A6M5 is an updated model of the A6M3 Model 22, with nonfolding wing tips and thinner skinning for faster diving speeds, plus an improved exhaust system which provides an increment of thrust. There are three subvariants of the A6M5, the A6M5a Model 52a, A6M5b Model 52b and A6M5c Model 52c. The A6M5 could travel at 540 km/h and can reach a height of 8,000 meters in nine minutes and 57 seconds. There were several Zero fighters which survived the war and were currently on display in Japan, China, United States and the UK, as well as the Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand. "
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"The Pfalz D.III is a World War I fighter aircraft manufactured by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke Gmbh. In August 1917, deliveries to operational units began. Jasta 10 was the first recipient followed by Jasta 4. The D.III was generally inferior to the Albatros D.III and D.V. due to its heavy controls, lack of speed, lack of power or lack of climb compared to the Albatros. The aircraft also slipped in turns, leading to crashes when unwary pilots turned at very low altitudes. The Pfalz's primary advantage was its strength and sturdiness. However, the Pfalz could safely dive at high speeds due to its twin-spar lower wing, making it well-suited to attack observation balloons which are usually heavily defended with anti-aircraft guns trained to the balloon's altitude. The primary user and operator of the D.III is the German Empire (Luftstreitkrafte). Currently, there are no known D.IIIs which survived, although there are several flying replicas that existed. "
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"The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the first turbojet fighter aircraft to enter operational service. It was produced during World War II and began its action in 1944 as a bomber and fighter aircraft. It was formally named Schwalbe because of the bird ""Swallow"", one of the fastest birds ever known. German pilots called it the ""Turbo,"" while the Allies called it the ""Stormbird"". Even though the Messerschmitt Me 262 only had a minimal influence on the class of the warfare; its design had a powerful impact on postwar aircraft development. The Messerschmitt Me 262 was often used as an ultimate super weapon; the Me 262 was already being built as project P.1065 before the beginning of World War II. Ideas were first planned in April 1939, and the aircraft's original design was too much alike to the plane that entered the service. A total of 1400 Messerschmitt Me 262 aircrafts were produced, but the amount of operating aircraft was normally below 100, mostly due to lack of fuel. The best scorer with the Me-262 was Franz Schall with 17 kills which included six four-engine bombers and ten P-51 fighters. Another candidate for top scorer on the aircraft was Heinrich Bar, who defeated 16 enemy aircrafts while flying the Me 262. "
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"The Me-109 Messerschmitt was designed by Willy Messerschmitt and was originally powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel V engine. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era. The prototype Me-109 first flew in 1935 and that same year, the Me-109 won a fighter competition. The Me-109B and C models achieved great success in Spain with the Legion Condor's fighter unit. The progressive development in the pre-war years resulted in a more powerful and heavier armed versions of the ME-109. The Me-109 was flown by the three top-scoring fighter aces of World War II including Gunther Rall, with 275 victories. Bf 109 was the official designation, since its design was sent in by the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke company and was used extensively in all official German documents dealing with this aircraft. After July 1938, the company was renamed as Messerschmitt AG, the time when Erhard Milch finally allowed Willy Messerschmitt to acquire the company. The ""Me"" designation and mdash (except those already assigned with the Bf prefix) were to be carried by all Messerchmitt aircraft since then. The Me-109 has basically the smallest airframe that Willy Messerschmitt attached to the most powerful engine. The Me-109 remained a formidable air superiority fighter throughout World War II. "
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The Mercury Seven was the group of seven Mercury astronauts picked by National Aeronautics and Space Administration in April 1959. They are also referred to as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1. This was the only astronaut group with members that flew on all NASA manned spacecraft of the 20th century, including the Space Shuttle with John Glenn's flight on STS-95. The astronauts wrote first-hand accounts of their selection and preparation for the Mercury missions in the 1962 book We Seven. In 1979 Tom Wolfe published a less sanitized version of their story in The Right Stuff. Wolfe's book was the basis for the popular film directed by Philip Kaufman.
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