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The Tervamäki JT-5, later marketed as the VPM MT-5, is a single-seat autogyro developed in Finland by Jukka Tervamäki in the early 1970s and which was marketed in kit form for amateur construction. A development of his ATE-3 design of 1968, the JT-5 first flew in 1973, and Tervamäki sold the prototype, its tooling, and its manufacturing rights the following year. The JT-5 features a streamlined fuselage pod that fully encloses its cockpit and a single, piston engine that drives a pusher propeller. It has a two-bladed main rotor, and fixed, tricycle undercarriage. The structure makes extensive use of composite materials around a frame of welded steel tube. The empennage is a triple tail that consists of a large fin and rudder plus smaller fins at the ends of the horizontal stabiliser, an arrangement that Tervamäki compared to that of the Lockheed Constellation. This configuration was chosen to increase the area of the tail surfaces and therefore the static and dynamic stability of the aircraft. Tervamäki saw this as an important safety feature to reduce the possibility of pilot-induced oscillation, which had been implicated in fatal autogyro crashes. The cockpit is enclosed by an expansive plexiglass canopy that hinges sideways. The instrument panel and the firewall that separates the cockpit from the rotor mast and engine hinge together with the canopy. This feature was intended to facilitate inspection and maintenance of the instruments, nosegear, rudder pedals, and front side of the engine. The level of access to the engine that this created was so great that most routine engine inspection tasks could be carried out without removing the cowling. Provisions for cold weather include an optional cabin heater, a ventilation system to prevent canopy fogging, and a carburettor heater. The prototype was powered by a Volkswagen automotive engine modified for aero use by Limbach Motorenbau. VPM specified a Limbach L1700 for the MT-5 instead. The aircraft is equipped with a pre-rotation mechanism for the rotor. Design work on the JT-5 began in 1969, and construction of the prototype the following year. Initially, the work was shared between Tervamäki and Aulis Eerola, with whom he had collaborated on the ATE-3. Eerola contributed to some of the construction work, but departed the project before its completion. Some of the funding for the development work came from a grant by the Finnish Technical Foundation. Tervamäki estimated that around 2,000 hours' work went into the prototype over three years. He later reflected that this level of effort was contrary to one of the main reasons he had originally been drawn to autogyros: their simplicity. The prototype first flew on 7 January 1973, carrying the registration OH-XYS. Apart from the prototype, at least four other JT-5s were built by 2009, three in Finland and one in Sweden, with a number of others under construction. Tervamäki continued to sell JT-5 plans for some time, with around 60 sets sold by 1979. He later made them available for free download on his personal website.

The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (キ84 疾風, lit. "Gale") is a single-seat fighter flown by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in the last two years of World War II. The Allied reporting name was "Frank"; the Japanese Army designation was Army Type 4 Fighter (四式戦闘機, yon-shiki-sentō-ki). The Ki-84 is generally considered the best Japanese fighter to operate in large numbers during the conflict. The aircraft boasted high speed and excellent maneuverability with an armament (up to two 30 mm and two 20 mm cannon) that gave it formidable firepower. The Ki-84's performance matched that of any single-engine Allied fighter it faced, and its operational ceiling enabled it to intercept high-flying B-29 Superfortress bombers. Pilots and crews in the field learned to take care with the plane's high-maintenance Nakajima Homare engine and landing gear prone to buckling. The difficulties of Japan's situation late in the war took a toll on the aircraft's field performance as manufacturing defects multiplied, good quality fuel proved difficult to procure, and experienced pilots grew scarce. Nevertheless, a well-maintained Ki-84 was Japan's fastest fighter. A total of 3,514 aircraft were built. Design of the Ki-84 commenced in early 1942 to meet an Imperial Japanese Army Air Service requirement for a replacement to Nakajima's own, earlier Ki-43 fighter, then just entering service. The specification recognized the need to combine the maneuverability of the Ki-43 with performance to match the best western fighters, and heavy firepower. The Ki-84 first flew in March 1943[6] and deliveries from Nakajima's Ota factory commenced the following month. Although the design was itself solid, growing difficulties in securing skilled pilots, proper fuel and construction materials, and adequate manufacture often prevented the aircraft from reaching its full potential in the field. The design of the Ki-84 addressed the most common complaints about the popular and highly maneuverable Ki-43: insufficient firepower, poor defensive armor, and lack of climbing speed. The Ki-84 was a cantilever low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, except for the fabric-covered control surfaces, with conventional landing gear.[8] Armament comprised two fuselage-mounted, synchronized 12.7 mm (.50 in) machine guns — these proved challenging to synchronize properly with the Hayate's four-blade propeller — and two wing-mounted 20 mm cannon, a considerable improvement over the two 12.7 mm (.50 in) machine guns used in the Ki-43 Hayabusa. Defensive armor offered Hayate pilots better protection than the unsealed wing tanks and light-alloy airframe of the Ki-43. In addition, the Ki-84 used a 65 mm (2.56 in) armor-glass canopy, 13 mm (.51 in) of head and back armor, and multiple bulkheads in the fuselage, which protected both the methanol-water tank (used to increase the effectiveness of the supercharger) and the centrally located fuel tank. It was the Nakajima firm's own-designed 35.8-litre (2,180 cu in) displacement, Ha-45 Homare ("Praise" or "Honor") air-cooled eighteen-cylinder radial engine, first accepted for military use in 1941, that gave the Hayate its high speed and prowess in combat. Derived from the Nakajima Homare engines common to many Japanese aircraft, the Hayate used several versions of the Homare engine, including the carbureted model 21 and the fuel-injected model 23 versions of the engine. Most Homare engines used water injection to aid the supercharger in giving the Ki-84 a rated 1,491 kW (2,000 hp) at takeoff. This combination theoretically gave it a climb rate and top speed roughly competitive with the top Allied fighters. Initial Hayate testing at Tachikawa in early summer 1943 saw test pilot Lieutenant Funabashi reach a maximum level airspeed of 624 km/h (387 mph) in the second prototype. In 1946, US Technical Intelligence bench-tested a Homare 45, Model 21 engine and verified the engine's maximum horsepower output using 96 octane AvGas, plus methanol injection. The first major operational involvement was during the battle of Leyte at the end of 1944, and from that moment until the end of the Pacific war the Ki-84 was deployed wherever the action was intense. The 22nd Sentai re-equipped with production Hayates. Though it lacked sufficient high-altitude performance, it performed well at medium and low levels. Seeing action against the USAAF 14th Air Force, it quickly gained a reputation as a combat aircraft to be reckoned with. Fighter-bomber models also entered service. On April 15, 1945, 11 Hayates attacked US airfields on Okinawa, destroying many aircraft on the ground. In the final year of the war the Ki-84, the Ki-100 (essentially a radial-engined version of the inline-powered Kawasaki Ki-61) and Kawanishi's N1K2-J were the three Japanese fighters best suited to combat the newer Allied fighters. For details of the 18 variants, click here. A total of 3,413 units were produced.

The Mitsubishi Ki-57 was a Japanese passenger transport aircraft, developed from the Ki-21 bomber, during the early 1940s. In 1938, when the Ki-21 heavy bomber began to enter service with the Imperial Japanese Army, its capability attracted the attention of the Imperial Japanese Airways. In consequence, a civil version was developed and this, generally similar to the Ki-21-I and retaining its powerplant of two 708 kW (950 hp) Nakajima Ha-5 KAI radial engines, differed primarily by having the same wings transferred from a mid- to low-wing configuration and the incorporation of a new fuselage to provide accommodation for up to 11 passengers. This transport version appealed also to the navy, and following the flight of a prototype in August 1940 and subsequent testing, the type was ordered into production for both civil and military use. This initial production Ki-57-I had the civil and military designations of MC-20-I and Army Type 100 Transport Model 1, respectively. A total of 100 production Ki-57-Is had been built by early 1942, and small numbers of them were transferred for use by the Japanese navy in a transport role, then becoming redesignated L4M1. After the last of the Ki-57s had been delivered production was switched to an improved Ki-57-II, which introduced more powerful 805 kW (1,080 hp) Mitsubishi Ha-102 14-cylinder radial engines installed in redesigned nacelles and, at the same time, incorporated a number of detail refinements and minor equipment changes. Civil and military designations of this version were the MC-20-II and Army Type 100 Transport Model 2, respectively. Only 406 were built before production ended in January 1945. Both versions were covered by the Allied reporting name "Topsy". Variants Ki-57-I Army Type 100 Transport Model 1: Powered by two 708 kW (950 hp) Nakajima Ha-5 KAI radial engines and a redesigned fuselage to accommodate 11 passengers. About 100 aircraft of this type were built including the civil version. MC-20-I: Same as above but built for civil use with Imperial Japanese Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK). Ki-57-II Army Type 100 Transport Model 2:Powered by two 805 kW (1,080 hp) Mitsubishi Ha-102 Zuisei 14-cylinder radial engines installed in redesigned nacelles. Minor equipment and detail refinements were also incorporated. 306 aircraft of this type were produced before the end of production in January 1945. Specifications of this model below. MC-20-II: Same as above but built for civil use with Imperial Japanese Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK). L4M1: A small number of Ki-57-Is were transferred for test by the Japanese navy as transports and were redesignated L4M1.

The Rutan VariViggen is a homebuilt aircraft designed by Burt Rutan. The aircraft is a tandem two-seater of primarily wooden construction with a delta wing and a canard foreplane. The VariViggen is powered by a 150 hp Lycoming O-320 aero engine in pusher configuration. The prototype was designated Model 27, and the production version was Model 32. The VariViggen was named after the Swedish fighter plane, the Saab 37 Viggen. This and the XB-70 Valkyrie inspired the design. Rutan became interested in aircraft which resisted stalls and spins, and the VariViggen was his first full scale design. He began working with the design as a student at Cal Poly in the early 1960s, and started building the prototype in his garage in 1968. After four years of work, the aircraft made its first flight in April, 1972. In order to increase efficiency, the Model 32 (also known as the VariViggen SP) had a slightly longer fuselage, a larger wingspan and winglets. The Rutan Aircraft Factory sold 600 plan sets for the VariViggen to homebuilders, and eventually about 20 of the aircraft were built. Following the crash of one in New Brunswick, Canada in September 2006 due to wing tank fuel contamination, fewer than five are currently still flying. The prototype aircraft, N27VV, can be seen in the 1975 movie Death Race 2000 and was eventually donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum in 1988. Currently, (August 2024), there are 63 listed on airport-data.com. Rutan also began work on an all-aluminum variant, the MiniViggen, but later abandoned the project and focused his efforts on the VariEze.

The Farman F.120 were a family of multi-engine monoplane aircraft designed and produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Farman Aviation Works. It was operated in a diverse range of purposes, including as a commercial airliner and as a military bomber aircraft. The F.120, which received the nickname of Jabiru after a Latin American stork, was a fixed-undercarriage monoplane powered by either two, three or four engines, depending on the variant. It featured an unusually broad chord, low aspect-ratio main wing and a relatively deep fuselage. The trimotor variant had the centerline engine mounted high, which gave the aircraft an unusual appearance. During the early 1920s, the Aero Club of France set out numerous rules and regulations for its commercial airplane contest of 1923. Shortly following their issuing, Farman set about the designing of a new commercial aircraft that would, so far as reasonably possible, entirely fulfil these regulations; they had been judged to be of importance of the prospective aircraft's market appeal as various aerial-navigation companies had, formally or otherwise, adopted these regulations as requirements for their own needs. Additionally, the company's design team pursued several other ambitions, including high reliability levels, good onboard comfort levels, favourable flying characteristics, while also being as economically efficient as possible. The F.121 or F.3X was the first version to fly, with four 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ac V8 engines mounted in tandem push-pull pairs mounted on stub wings, however, this arrangement caused cooling problems for the rear engines and the F.120/F.4X version followed shortly afterwards, powered by three 300 hp Salmson Az.9 radial engines. Development continued and a single F.122, modified from an F.4X, was powered by a pair of 400 hp Lorraine 12Db engines. Two military versions were also built, the F.123 with two 450 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Hb V12s, or F.124 with two 420 hp Gnome et Rhône 9Ad Jupiter radial engines. The Farman F.120 was a multi-engine multirole monoplane aircraft. It was relatively well-furnished for the era, being able to routinely conduct night flights via equipment such as searchlights, landing flares, position lights, and general illumination. Various passenger conveniences were present, including individual electric heaters and relatively large glass windows for the passengers to view the landscape below. The electricity, used by the radio set, illumination, and heating, was supplied from wind-driven generators using compact propellers that could be drawn inside the fuselage when not in use. In comparison to most contemporary aircraft, the aircraft possessed greater manoeuvrability, possessed relatively high stability, ease of handling, and was relatively easy to land. Dependent on the variant of the aircraft, as many as four engines could be installed. No significant structural changes were required for those aircraft equipped with a different number of engines, such as the trimotor and twin-engined variants. Mid-flight access to the engine was provided via special doors, permitting inspection and even minor repairs to be performed by the crew. The four-engined model of the aircraft had sufficient power that it could still consistently climb even with a single engine out; even the twin-engined model could maintain stable flight on only a single operational engine. The main fuel tanks were housed within the wing, relatively far from the engines; up to two auxiliary fuel tanks could be installed within the engine nacelles, and would operate independently of the main tanks. The aircraft possessed relatively high fuel efficiency for the era. The F.120 was equipped with a relatively thick wing, possessing a span of 19 m (62.34 ft.) and a chord of 6 m (19.68 ft.) at its centre. Both the thickness and the chord of the wing decrease towards the tips. The supporting framework of the wing was entirely enclosed. Both the spars and struts formed V-shaped girders on either side of the fuselage. The undercarriage consists of two main wheels that were supported by a pair of vertical V-shaped members that joined with oblique steel tubing to connective with the base of the fuselage. The fuselage was internally divided into various sections; the foremost section contained the baggage compartment along with, after which and just forward of the wing, the cockpit. This cockpit provided two seats for its crew, typically comprising one pilot and an assistant. The centre of the fuselage was occupied by the passenger compartment, which had sufficient space for up to 12 passengers to travel on comfortabl e seats even with a central aisle. To the rear of the fuselage was the navigator's room, which was fairly sizable and provisioned with then-modern instrumentation, including a drift meter, compass, radio set, work table and map holder; adjacent to this room was the lavatory. Primary access to the interior was via a single sliding door, while multiple exits were provided across the aircraft to aid in emergency egress. On account of having an entirely unobstructed fuselage base, it was relatively straightforward to convert the aircraft into an armed military configuration, such as that of a bomber or a torpedo plane. Furthermore, its speed and manoeuvrability were sufficient that it could realistically engage in aerial combat despite its carriage of relatively heavy bomb loadouts. The presence of multiple independent engines and its reliability meant that the aircraft could be realistically used over the sea. Despite being most commonly seen in lists of ugliest aircraft, following its first flight in 1923, the F.120 won a French airliner competition, the 1923 Grand Prix des Avions de Transports and its 500,000 francs first prize, before seeing service with several European airlines. The F.120 was capable of carrying up to nine passengers, and served on Farman airline's route Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam, but also with Danish Air Lines between Copenhagen and Amsterdam. They served until the late 1920s. Variants F.120 A single engined biplane bomber, powered by a 280 kW (370 hp) Lorraine 12Da engine. First flown in 1924, only two F.120 bombers were built. F.4X The original designation of the F.120 Jabiru F.120 Jabiru Four transport monoplanes powered by 3x 220 kW (300 hp) Salmson 9AZ water-cooled radial engines. F.3bis A twin engined transport aircraft powered by 2x 300 kW (400 hp) Lorraine 12Db engines, 1 built. F.3X The original designation of the F.121 Jabiru prototype. F.121 Jabiru (Specifications below) Nine transport aircraft powered by 4x 130 kW (180 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Ac engines, one also modified from a F.120 Jabiru. F.122 A single transport aircraft powered by 2x 300 kW (400 hp) Lorraine 12Db engines. F.123 A single three-seater bomber powered by 2x 300 kW (400 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Hb engines. F.124 A single three-seater bomber powered by 2x 310 kW (420 hp) Gnome et Rhône 9Ad Jupiter engines. Farman 121 Jabiru (4 engine) Farman 120 Jabiru (3 engine) Farman 123 Bomber (2 engine)

The Grumman F2F was a single-engine, biplane fighter aircraft with retractable undercarriage, serving as the standard fighter for the United States Navy between 1936 and 1940. It was designed for both carrier- and land-based operations. Grumman's success with the two-seat FF-1, which was significantly faster than even the single-seat fighters of its time, resulted in a contract for the single-seat XF2F-1. Armed with two 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns above the cowl, the new design also incorporated watertight compartments to reduce weight and improve survivability in the event of a water landing. The prototype first flew on 18 October 1933, equipped with the experimental 625 hp (466 kW) XR-1534-44 Twin Wasp Junior radial engine, and reached a top speed of 229 mph (369 km/h) at 8,400 ft (2,600 m) – 22 mph (35 km/h) faster than the FF-1 at the same altitude. Maneuverability also proved superior to the earlier two-seat aircraft. The Navy ordered 54 F2F-1 fighters on 17 May 1934, with the first aircraft delivered 19 January 1935.[citation needed] One additional aircraft (BuNo 9997) was ordered to replace one which crashed on 16 March 1935, bringing the total to 55, with the final F2F-1 delivered on 2 August 1935.[citation needed] The F2F-1 had a relatively long service life for the time, serving in front-line squadrons from 1935 to late 1939, when squadrons began to receive the F3F-3 as a replacement. By September 1940, the F2F had been completely replaced in fighter squadrons and was relegated to training and utility duties. The last F2F-1s were stricken from the list of naval aircraft in early 1943. Variants XF2F-1 United States Navy designation for the Grumman Model G-8 prototype with a 625 hp (466 kW) XR-1534-44 Twin Wasp Junior radial engine, one built F2F-1 Production variant with a 700 hp (522 kW) R-1535-72 Twin Wasp Junior radial engine, 55 built.