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red750

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  1. The Howland H-3 Pegasus is an American ultralight aircraft that was designed by Bert Howland and made available by Howland Aero Design in the form of plans for amateur construction, with kits provided by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. The H-3 first flew in 1988. The aircraft is a monoplane derivation of the biplane H-2 Honey Bee and was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg). The aircraft has a standard empty weight of 252 lb (114 kg), when equipped with the now-out of production Rotax 277 single cylinder engine. If equipped with heavier engines it falls into the Experimental - Amateur-built category in its home country, although still qualifies as an ultralight in other countries, such as Canada. The H-3 features a cantilever low-wing, a single-seat, open cockpit, conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration. The aircraft is made from wood and aluminium and covered in doped aircraft fabric covering. The fuselage is made from square aluminum tubing that is TIG welded and weighs 18 lb (8 kg) when completed. Its 25 ft (7.6 m) span wing is of a straight planform. The landing gear is conventional, with suspended main wheels and a steerable tailwheel. The cockpit is of an open design, with a small windshield. Controls are conventional three-axis, with ailerons, rudder and elevator. Since the death of the designer plans have been intermittently available and were last provided by Classic Aero Enterprises. Aircraft Spruce and Specialty continue to provide raw materials kits. The aircraft has an acceptable power range of 28 to 55 hp (21 to 41 kW). The use of the 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277, or the similar weight and power Hirth F-33, allows the aircraft to fit into the US ultralight category if weight is carefully controlled during construction. However the H-3 is underpowered with this engine and most have been equipped with heavier engines of higher output, such as the 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447 or the 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503. The 30 hp (22 kW) Hirth F-263 and 53 hp (40 kW) Hirth 2704 have also been used. he H-3 won The Most Innovative Ultralight at Sun 'n Fun in 1989 and Best Commercial Ultralight at Sun 'n Fun 1990.
  2. red750

    EADS CASA C-295

    The Airbus C295 (previously CASA C-295) is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA, which is now part of the European multinational Airbus Defence and Space division. Work on what would become the C-295 was started during the 1990s as a derivative of the successful CASA/IPTN CN-235 transport aircraft. On 28 November 1997, the prototype performed its maiden flight; quantity production commenced shortly thereafter. In April 1999, the Spanish Air Force became its launch customer with an order for nine military-configured C-295s; two years later, the type was declared operational with the service. Further orders for the C-295 would promptly follow. Following the incorporation of CASA into the pan-European aeronautical group EADS in 2000, it was redesignated as the EADS CASA C-295. EADS rebranded itself as Airbus in 2015. Both manufacturing and final assembly of the C-295 is normally performed at the Airbus Defence and Space facilities in San Pablo Airport, located in Seville, Spain. Additional manufacturing arrangements have been agreed with some customers. Since 2011, Indonesian Aerospace has produced the CN-295 under license at their facilities in Bandung, Indonesia, via an industrial collaboration with Airbus Defence & Space. During 2021, it was agreed that, as a part of a larger purchase, a batch of 40 C-295s for the Indian Air Force would be license-manufactured in India by Tata Advanced Systems. The aircraft will be manufactured in TASL's Vadodara facility in Gujarat, India. As a part of further order for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, the facility will also process delivery of 12 more aircraft for Maritime Patrol roles. Beyond its use as a tactical transporter, the C-295 is capable of performing a wide variety of missions effectively. These include parachute and cargo dropping, electronic signals intelligence (ELINT), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and maritime patrol. Some of the equipment for adapting the aircraft to performing various roles has been mounted onto pallets, allowing for its rapid installation and removal. For more detai;s, including development, operational history and 11 variants, click here.
  3. Electra unveiled its plans for a nine-passenger EL9 ultra-short takeoff and landing (STOL) hybrid aircraft that will rely on distributed electric propulsion and blown-wing technology to take off with as little as 150 feet of runway. Calling the EL9 “just an airplane,” Electra CEO Marc Allen told a gathering at the company’s facilities on November 13 in Manassas, Virginia, that the reveal marks the launch of a “real product” rather than a vision. “It's not a prototype. It's not a concept. This is a product; it's a real-world, world-changing product,” said the former senior Boeing executive. Targeted to reach market in 2029, the EL9 is designed to foster the concept of what Electra calls direct aviation—the ability to fly point-to-point directly to where a passenger wants, whether a parking lot, heliport, grass field, or small regional airport or other traditional airport infrastructure. “Ultra short” refers to the vehicle’s ability to operate into and out of a soccer field-sized space. Electra aims to bring an affordable aircraft to market that addresses issues surrounding access, noise, and emissions, Allen added. The ambition is to provide the EL9 with eVTOL or helicopter capabilities for flexibility in takeoff and landing but with a 1,100-nm range with IFR reserves and a 175-knot cruise speed found with more traditional aircraft. “It unlocks this elixir, which is helicopter-like performance at safety and lower cost levels of a fixed-wing aircraft,” Allen maintained. To be offered in cargo or passenger configuration, the EL9 will be able to carry nine passengers with baggage—or 3,000 pounds of cargo—for 330 nm. The fly-by-wire aircraft is designed with two pilots in mind but is equipped with what Electra calls its Safe Single Pilot technology for single-pilot operations.
  4. The Mil Mi-32 was a project for a super-heavy crane helicopter from 1982.A project of the heavy flying crane helicopter with a take-off weight of 140 tons intended for transporting civil and military technics. But due to the break-up of the USSR, was never built beyond prototype..
  5. The Team Tango Foxtrot, or Foxtrot 4, is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed and produced by Team Tango of Williston, Florida. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction, with or without factory builder assistance. The Foxtrot was developed as a four-seat version of the Tango 2 and shares many of the two-seater's features. The Foxtrot has a cantilever low-wing, a four-seat enclosed cockpit, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration. The rear seats have limited visibility. The aircraft is made from composites. Its 32 ft (9.8 m) span wing employs a NACA 64-415 airfoil, has an area of 128 sq ft (11.9 m2) and mounts flaps. The engines recommended are Lycoming Engines of 200 to 350 hp (149 to 261 kW). A development of the Foxtrot was the Foxtrot XR, an extended range variant, this aircraft having a fuel capacity of up to 833 litres (184 Imp gals), a useful load of between 726 kg and 1,043 kg (1,600 lb and 2,300 lb), and the ability to fly up to 3,701 km (2,300 miles) with two persons on board with their luggage, having a maximum take-off weight of up to 1,905 kg (4,200 lb).
  6. Photos: Record-breaking supersonic jet reaches 66,000 feet in 118.6 seconds Details and photos here
  7. More background on the deceased. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14095111/Tinamba-West-plane-crash.html?ito=social-facebook
  8. The Aerosport Rail is an American minimalist ultralight aircraft, designed by Harris Woods and built by Aerosport Inc. The aircraft was first flown on 14 November 1970. Included in this category due to the dual engines. The Rail is little more than a 2 by 5 inch squared aluminium tube (rail) with all-metal wings and a T-tail. The pilot sits on the tube, just ahead of and above the wings. Two small two-cycle engines derated to 25 hp (19 kW) are mounted on struts behind the seat on either side of centerline, driving pusher propellers. Individual 4 U.S. gallons (15 L; 3.3 imp gal) fiberglass fuel tanks are mounted in front of each engine. About 175 sets of plans were sold between 1970 and 1977. The follow-on design, the Aerosport Quail uses the Rail's wing design for an enclosed tractor configuration homebuilt aircraft.
  9. A British Airways flight avoided colliding with a pair of illegally flown drones by just metres, putting 200 passengers' lives at risk, a report has revealed. The Airbus A321 on a flight from Rome was at a height of 800ft and on its final approach to Heathrow when the terrifying near-miss happened. The plane was quickly descending at 160mph when the two drones loomed into view at 1pm on July 28 over Isleworth, west London. Flying at about 800ft, they were just 50ft above the plane as it soared beneath them, meaning the risk to the plane and passengers was severe. A report by the UK Airprox Board, which assesses near misses, rated it a Category A incident where there was a serious risk of collision. The drones were being flown illegally at double the usual 400ft maximum height for the devices. It is believed that they were deliberately being flown just outside the 5km restriction zone for drones which extends from the ends of every airport runway in the UK. The pilot or pilots of the devices risked prosecution for endangering an aircraft by reckless flying which carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail - but they were never caught.
  10. This report on Daily Mail.. Two of the three young people killed in a horror plane crash have been identified as brothers. The two brothers, aged 20 and 16, and a 15-year-old local male were on board a small plane when it smashed into a paddock and burst into flames in Victoria's Gippsland region on Saturday. The brothers were from the Goulburn Valley town of Tongala while the 15-year-old was from Tinamba. All three victims were related. Read more here.
  11. Link shown above photo: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.atsb.gov.au%2Fmedia%2Fnews-items%2F2024%2Ftool-left-a380-engine-after-maintenance-inspection-highlights-importance-tool-control%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR18bb1s8YmjnHqKNcwAoXdqqfuhGmgujC_93to0mHVCBozEPiGSHS6a_80_aem_rYltHP-XEf5oVWYs3ZXP-g&h=AT0UE0gFbJ3baYh4nN0Mx0A8MDyBjHWVpIziL7s4BorTNsbaeIaWKK2daEpAXkZAwY5VH2uay4MSW_LqCuRVxeLJlfcu_sOv1gwwbw27ObxZwzlWf2EXkQv5tZgS5sMMIJ3-&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1z85FYohMeEcCv_yOITZIPZnxhHC4wwnyVc4mYeYk1Z27ZMpxwcmyyt9zIjgowRRleHzLEwGKeGzTONoFhrRr2PvxKXKp9hkYK1HDF87P8DGXF-Mt7cHHK8zujIwPcMtFf8F87hU5z5bCvbmjqyznEe8jc8Et0rys82g5zbbfqHNL4xsIlmjpI4Jbar0gQXXieI5tkr83Fcv1JNwK0TTL35EBzG_pEBsK8aBYWIffqjSF7U-45wnVSpF5Ux0WpQCEgG68N
  12. The Hughes H-1 Racer is a racing aircraft built by Hughes Aircraft in 1935. Using different wings, it set both a world airspeed record and a transcontinental speed record across the United States. The H-1 Racer was the last aircraft built by a private individual to set the world speed record; most aircraft to hold the record since have been military designs. Streamlining was a paramount design criterion, resulting in what has been retroactively described as "one of the cleanest and most elegant aircraft designs ever built." Many groundbreaking technologies were developed during construction, including individually machined flush rivets that left the aluminium skin of the aircraft extremely smooth. The H-1 had retractable main landing gear and a fully retractable hydraulically actuated tail skid to reduce the drag of a conventional wheel and maximize speed. It was fitted with a Pratt & Whitney R-1535 twin-row 14-cylinder radial engine of 1,535 cubic inches (25.15 L), originally rated at 700 horsepower (522 kW) but tuned to produce over 1,000 horsepower (750 kW). To contest both maximum speed and long-distance racing records the original short-span high-speed wings were replaced with a set of longer ones for long-distance flights.
  13. red750

    Fairchild PT-19

    The original production batch of 275 were powered by the inline 175 hp Ranger L-440-1 engine and designated the PT-19. In 1941, mass production began and 3,181 of the PT-19A model, powered by the 200 hp L-440-3, were made by Fairchild. An additional 477 were built by Aeronca and 44 by the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation. The PT-19B, of which 917 were built, was equipped for instrument flight training by attaching a collapsible hood to the front cockpit. When a shortage of engines threatened production, the PT-23 model was introduced which was identical except for the 220 hp Continental R-670 radial powerplant. A total of 869 PT-23s were built as well as 256 of the PT-23A, which was the instrument flight-equipped version. The PT-23 was manufactured in the US by Fairchild, Aeronca, St. Louis Aircraft Corporation and Howard Aircraft Corporation. PT-23
  14. The Naval Aircraft Factory N3N is an American tandem-seat, open cockpit, primary training biplane aircraft built by the Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 1930s and early 1940s. Built to replace the Consolidated NY-2 and NY-3, the N3N was successfully tested as both a conventional airplane and a seaplane. The seaplane used a single large float under the fuselage and two smaller floats under the outer tips of the lower wings. The conventional airplane used a fixed landing gear. The prototype XN3N-1 was powered by a Wright J-5 radial engine. An order for 179 production aircraft was received. Near the end of the first production run the engine was replaced with the Wright R-760-2 Whirlwind radial. The aircraft is constructed using Alcoa's extruded aluminum, with bolts and rivets, rather than the more common welded steel tubing fuselages. Early production models used aluminum stringers formed for cancelled airship construction orders. The N.A.F. built 997 N3N aircraft beginning in 1935. They included 179 N3N-1s and 816 N3N-3s, plus their prototypes. Production ended in 1942, but the type remained in use through the rest of World War II. The N3N was the last biplane in US military service - the last (used by the U.S. Naval Academy for aviation familiarization) were retired in 1959. The N3N was also unique in that it was an aircraft designed and manufactured by an aviation firm wholly owned and operated by the U.S. government (the Navy, in this case) as opposed to private industry. For this purpose, the U.S. Navy bought the rights and the tooling for the Wright R-760 series engine and produced their own engines. These Navy-built engines were installed on Navy-built airframes. According to Trimble, "The N3N-3, sometimes known as the Yellow Bird for its distinctive, high-visibility paint scheme, or less kindly, Yellow Peril for the jeopardy in which student aviators often found themselves, showed itself to be rugged, reliable, and generally forgiving to student pilots." Four N3N-3s were delivered to the United States Coast Guard in 1941. Postwar, many surviving aircraft were sold on the US civil aircraft market and bought for operation by agricultural aerial spraying firms and private pilot owners. According to Robinet, "The front cockpit had been replaced with a huge metal hopper that loaded from the top and discharged dust from the bottom through a simple venturi type spreader. The airplane was originally powered by a 235 h.p. Wright Radial engine but for their purposes, these were replaced by 450 h.p. Pratt & Whitney radial engines. The engine, wheels and instruments were obtained from the Army BT-13 which was purchased for less that $350.00 each." A number are still (as of 2014) active in the USA. Vartants XN3N-1 First prototype aircraft, Bureau of Aeronautics number 9991. N3N-1 Two-seat primary trainer biplane, powered by a 220 hp (160 kW) Wright R-790 Whirlwind (J-5) radial piston engine. 179 were built. XN3N-2 One prototype only (Bureau number 0265) powered by a 240 hp (180 kW) Wright R-760-96 Whirlwind (J-6-7) radial piston engine. XN3N-3 One production N3N-1 (0020) converted into a 'dash three' prototype. N3N-3 Two-seat primary trainer biplane, powered by a 235 hp (175 kW) Wright R-760-2 Whirlwind (J-6-7) radial piston engine. 816 built.
  15. " Emergency services have responded to an incident this afternoon at Latrobe Regional Airport. A six-seater light passenger aircraft, carrying a pilot and passenger, made an emergency landing after experiencing a hydraulic failure in the landing gear. No injuries were reported. Airport operations promptly enacted the emergency response plan, and we extend our thanks to the emergency services for their quick response and support in managing the incident effectively." National Tribune. From the video on Seven News, the aircraft was a Cessna 337.
  16. There's an EV thread on the other forum.
  17. The X on the nose is the logo of the manufacturer, Xpeng.
  18. Title modified as equested.
  19. I saw on Sunrise that the Xpeng was on display at an EV car show in Sydney. The rep said they have already sold one in Australia, and there are 3 or 4 here already.
  20. The Airbus Helicopters H145 (formerly Eurocopter EC145) is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed and manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. Originally designated as the BK 117, the H145 is based upon the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 C1, which became a part of the combined Eurocopter line-up in 1992 with the merger of Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm's helicopter division of Daimler-Benz into Eurocopter. The helicopter was initially named EC145; an updated version, EC145 T2, was renamed H145 in 2015. The helicopter was significantly updated in the 2020s with first a fenestron replacing the traditional tail rotor, followed later by a 5-blade main rotor head. The H145 is a twin-engine aircraft and can carry up to nine passengers along with two crew, depending on customer configuration. The helicopter is marketed for passenger transport, corporate transport, emergency medical services (EMS), search and rescue, parapublic and utility roles. Military variants of the helicopter have also been produced under various designations, such as H145M or UH-72, and have been used for training, logistics, medical evacuation, reconnaissance, light attack, and troop-transport operations. Noted military users in terms of numbers include the United States which operates nearly 500 with National Guard, and Germany where it is used for SAR, Special Operations, and more. Over 1600 of the H145 family had been produced by June 2023. The EC145 features a larger cabin space than the older BK 117 C1 helicopter with internal space increased by 46 cm (18 in) in length and 13 cm (5 in) in width, increasing cabin volume by 1.0 m3 (35 cu ft) to 6.0 m3 (210 cu ft). Other improvements over the BK 117 include an increased maximum take-off weight and greater range, achieved partially by the adoption of composite rotor blades, which were derived from the smaller EC135. The EC145 has a hingeless rotor system with a monolithic titanium hub; the helicopter was originally powered by a pair of Turboméca Arriel 1E2 turboshaft engines, later aircraft are powered by the upgraded Turboméca Arriel 2E engine. A key feature of the rotorcraft is the variable rotorspeed and torque matching system (VARTOMS), derived from the BK 117, which Eurocopter has attributed as making the EC145 "the quietest helicopter in its class". For more details of development, design, operational history and 13 variants, click here.
  21. red750

    Hungaro Copter

    The Hungaro Copter is a Hungarian helicopter produced by Hungaro Copter Limited of Verpelét, an affiliate of the Steel Riders Limited company. The lead engineer for the design was Farkas Gábor. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction. The aircraft was designed to comply with the European microlight aircraft rules. It features a single main rotor and tail rotor, a single-seat enclosed cockpit with a fairing, or an open cockpit without a windshield, skid landing gear and a four-cylinder, four stroke 135 hp (101 kW) Subaru EJ22 or 160 hp (119 kW) Subaru EJ25 automotive conversion engine. The six-cylinder 125 hp (93 kW) D-Motor LF39 powerplant has also been used. The aircraft fuselage is made from welded steel tubing. Its two-bladed rotor has a diameter of 7.0 m (23.0 ft). The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 300 kg (661 lb) and a gross weight of 430 kg (948 lb), giving a useful load of 130 kg (287 lb). The construction time from the supplied kit is estimated as 300 hours.
  22. I used to go there quite frequently, but haven't been for years. These are all my photos. I also went to the older heliport the other side of King Street Bridge, where I took a couple of flights on the Ansett ANA Bells.
  23. Yeah, just heard a chopper on the news coverage.
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