Questions tagged [aviation-history]
Questions about aviation history, starting from kites, balloons, airplanes, helicopters and rockets.
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Was differential thrust used in the P-38 to improve turn performance?
In the P-38 Lightning could differential thrust be used to improve turn performance ? If so what was the procedure ?
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What was the first jet-powered supersonic aircraft?
Just to clarify: I am explicitly not referring to the Bell X-1, or any other early experimental supersonic aircraft that were rocket-powered. I'm curious as to the first supersonic aircraft powered by ...
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Why did Boeing never replace the 757?
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2005-04-28-Boeing-Closes-Chapter-in-Aviation-History-with-Final-757-Delivery
Boeing in late 2003 decided to end 757 production because the increased capabilities of the ...
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Why (and when) did people start meowing on guard frequency?
meow
Some love it, some hate it, but we've all heard it - that's right, pilots meowing on guard frequency (121.5).
When did it start? Does (or did) it represent something?
Does ATC ever do it?
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What is the typical sink rate during a well-executed carrier landing at the moment the main wheels touch the deck?
What is the typical sink rate during a well-executed carrier landing at the moment the main wheels touch the deck? And how has this changed over the decades?
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By what measure was Gander International Airport the "largest" in the 1940s?
According to the Wikipedia article and the original source Gander International Airport
had four runways and was the largest airport in the world
by 1945.
Now, "large" can mean a lot of ...
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In 1997, what would the likely Paris–Tokyo route be? Generally, where to gain information on historic routes?
Today you would likely via Dubai, or perhaps take one of the long flights say Zurich -> NRT.
If I'm not mistaken Dubai came to it's current position in early 2000s, so in the 90s it was not the ...
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How did ICAO SARPS come to include the 250 knots speed limit for aircraft below 10,000 feet?
In certain airspace classes, a speed limit of 250 knots IAS is imposed for aircraft flying below FL100/10.000FT, according to the airspace classes defined by ICAO. How did this limit find its way into ...
CommunityBot
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What is this old seaplane floating on its wing?
I found this picture today in an old set of drawers that bought at an estate sale over 40 years ago.
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What was the flight route from New York to Paris that Air France took in 1955?
I have a photograph of me and my sister in 1955 or 1956 boarding Air France to Paris. I seem to remember the route was:
New York - Gander
Gander - Shannon
Shannon - Orly
Is that correct? I know the ...
CommunityBot
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Could the Wright Flyer II takeoff without wind?
The Wright Flyer II could reach about 20 mph of airspeed on the track alone. The aircraft needed an airspeed of about 30 mph to make a proper takeoff (without hanging in ground effect). Before the ...
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Has there ever been a VTOL aircraft thruster that generated lift through the use of a drag force?
I have been recently thinking about a conceptual VTOL aircraft thruster that should generate lift through the use of a drag force and I am very curious to know if such a thruster has ever been built ...
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In which accident a helicopter and plane collided after a landing gear failure?
Many years ago (35+ years), my father told me a story regarding a VIP that was on a small plane that had landing gear failure. It was decided that instead of attempting a landing, a helicopter would ...
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When drop tanks (those with external lines) are released, how are the two connections (air and fuel) released?
ww2aircraft.net
Say in a P-51 (shown above), when drop tanks (those with external lines) are released, how are the two connections (air and fuel) released?
Do they shear off and fall with the tank?
...
CommunityBot
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Early turbojet RPM and thrust indicator
The flight operations handbook for the Douglas X-3 Stiletto (an experimental aircraft from the early 1950s) says that the instrument panel has instruments that indicate the thrust of the two ...
CommunityBot
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Strange airspeed indicator in the Douglas X-3 Stiletto
The cockpit of the Douglas X-3 Stiletto has a rather weird looking airspeed indicator. (The leftmost instrument in the top row.) Two concentric circular scales, the outer one goes from 0 to 20, the ...
CommunityBot
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Do the NPRMs & Final Rules preceding 1993 "alphabet" airspace re-designation indicate that these phrases were meant to exclude Class E "extensions"?
Note-- this question is specifically about the content in the rule-making documents leading up to the September 16 1993 "alphabet" airspace re-designation, which is when the terms "...
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Why would an airplane with fixed-pitch propeller(s) and no supercharging have manifold pressure gauges? (E.g. Ford Trimotor)
I had recently had a look at the Ford Trimotor NC9645 (link), currently on an EAA-sponsored tour. The propellers were fixed pitch (possibly adjustable by mechanic on ground), and the engines were not ...
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Which airplane designs have the greatest longevity?
What airplane designs have been around the longest, from first flight through last retirement from active commercial or military service?
My guess is that the DC-3 will win, since it has been around ...
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Improvements in supercritical airfoil design from 1980 - 2000
I originally asked a question (Comparisons between the A340 and 747-200 wing: sweep angle and span) about the technological developments which allowed the Airbus A340 to have a wing with greater ...
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Did Air Europe fly to Toronto from Lamezia Terme?
I am looking for more information regarding a flight from Lamezia Terme (SUF) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ) that according to some of the people I spoke to used to be operated by Air Europe around 1993.
I ...
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When was the need for a truer Earth shape for aeronautical navigation realized?
Motivated by Federico's answer to Can a great circle be drawn between any two points on Earth?
Earth is not a perfect sphere, and it can be argued that the degree of oblateness is negligible. So is ...
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Did WWII fighters do a roll before engaging to identify themselves to radar operators?
There's some folklore in the radar world about the Nazi fighters doing a roll before engagement to mark them to a German radar operator. This makes a lot of sense because it allows you to change your ...
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Was "the right stuff" ever really the right stuff? [closed]
In the history of the culture of aviation, to what extent has the popular image of "the right stuff" required of a pilot ever matched the characteristics actually sought in aviation?
In this popular ...
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Keeping the engine under the wings, doesn't hurt the lift as the airflow speed is higher under the wings?
To create a lift, the airflow speed on top of the wings should be higher than the airflow speed on the bottom of the wings.
But when you keep the engine on the bottom of the wings, wouldn't it hurt ...
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What were the J47's turbine blades made of?
What materials were used to make the General Electric J47 turbine blades in the 1960's?
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How many 747-200 are still in service?
I'm wondering how many 747-200's are still in service?
I know for sure Rolls Royce is using one for testing purposes.
And the one from the US Forces.
Are there any civilian operated ones left?
Does ...
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How was the problem of dive bomber scope fogging resolved during WW2?
During the first half of 1942, US Navy SBD bombers had problems with their bomb aiming scopes fogging over, which reduced the accuracy of their bombing during several early war operations. Was this ...
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When was 91.155(b)(2) (night VFR cloud clearance and visibility in Class G airspace in traffic pattern) implemented?
We have all memorized the helpful triangle, but now this paragraph:
(2) Airplane, powered parachute, or weight-shift-control aircraft. If the visibility is less than 3 statute miles but not less ...
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What aircraft was the Olmstead High Efficiency Propeller for? When and how was it used?
The AFResearchLab video AFRL Tech Museum Series: Propeller Development begins with the narrator standing in front of four propellers in a sequence transitioning from wood to metal, and what stands out ...
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Why is the autopilot called "George?"
The autopilot of an airplane is frequently referred to as "George" (for example, in this answer). When did this nickname enter common usage, and what is its origin? Please cite sources if possible!
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Why do U.S. METARS give visibility in statute miles?
Training to be an ATC on VATSIM. I live in the Boston area, so I'm training with VATUSA. In the US, METAR visibility data is the only exception to 'miles' = 'nautical miles' rule (that I've learned ...
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Novel Research: Best way to sabotage a Hawker Hurricane in 1940/41?
Essentially, one of the central events in my work-in-progress novel is the sabotage of a Hawker Hurricane in Malta by a member of groundcrew. I originally had this as him loosening an aileron so that ...
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Has there ever been a diesel-electric helicopter?
Occasionally I come across the diesel-electric (DE) design for submarines and freight trains. They say something like "a diesel engine powering an electric drive lets the two operate at their most ...
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Are there any published travel guides for GA Pilots? [closed]
Are there any published travel guides for GA Pilots specific to the US? Kind of like Michelin Guides, except for airplanes instead of cars and highlight scenic, historic or notable routes?
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How many nuclear weapons have been lost- and not located or recovered-- from aircraft in crashes or other mishaps? [closed]
How many nuclear weapons have been lost- and not located or recovered-- from aircraft in crashes or other mishaps?
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When was a multi-engine rating first required?
For the United States, does anyone know how this progressed over time / when?
Was it always a rating? Was it an endorsement at some time? Called something else?
Any history out there?
Thanks
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Why in the past were weather radars not used on fighter jets?
As far as I know, the weather radar is something that has been implemented very recently in fighters jets, from what I understand in modern radars it is possible to switch in various modes including ...
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Jettisonable wingspan for early long-range airplanes
Reading this question, I was wondering if, at some point early in aviation history there may have been designs or concepts anticipating variable swept wing by "expendable wingspan wing"?
For ...
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Can anyone identify this biplane with distinct wind screen?
I'm trying to identify the aircraft in this photo of my great grandfather. The photo would have been taken during the mid to late 1920s, possibly early 1930s. He lived in Utah (not sure this helps?). ...
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The Fokker Universal has a crank you have to spin rapidly upon startup. What is it?
The Fokker Universal is one of my favorite aircraft. There is only one complete representation of it in existence at a museum in Canada. A video series I saw on YouTube tells the story of its ...
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Which aircraft is easier to land-- Supermarine Spitfire or North American P-51 Mustang? [closed]
Which aircraft is easier to land (without ground-looping)-- the Supermarine Spitfire or the North American P-51 Mustang?
If the answer is different depending on conditions (e.g. no-wind versus ...
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Early "digital" rotating digit wheel type gauges
The XB-70 has a "digital" gauge showing the total fuel quantity using six rotating digit wheels (as in mechanical counters, odometers etc), and another showing the fuel quantity in the tank ...
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What inspired the unique design of the F-105 Thunderchief intakes?
The horizontally forward-swept intakes of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief is not a design emulated in other production aircraft of the time, or I think at any time.
If viewed as a more typical intake ...
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Did commercial air planes in 1972 really not have some sort of automatic distress call equipment?
I've recently watched the 1993 movie Alive, "based on" the real events of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. I don't know how accurate it was, but the basic idea is that the pilots did a ...
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How were bullets fired through the propeller in the Focke Wulf 190?
In WWII there was a plane called the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. It was designed by an engineer called Kurt Tank.
How is it possible that the Fw 190 fires through the propeller from 4 different places as you ...
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Who was the first person to break the sound barrier?
While watching this video on Wikipedia of Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 in level flight, I noticed the narrator say: "For the first time, except in dive, a man has flown ...
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Were the original gyroscopic artificial horizons "upside-down"?
Looking at an article in Flight magazine from March 1945 titled "Sperry Attitude Gyro" that you can find online, the picture of the instrument is interesting:
It seems that the orientation ...
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When did Piccard reach his record altitude of 23 km (75,500 ft)?
Swiss physicist and balloonist Auguste Piccard reached world altitude records of 15.8 km (51,800 ft) in May 1931 and 16.2 km (53,000 ft) in August 1932, accompanied by Paul Kipfer in the former and by ...
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