Aviations Encyclopedia

Curtiss Jenny — The Curtiss JN-4 biplane, known as “Jenny,” was a slow, stable, two-seater airplane first produced in the United States in 1916 to train prospective pilots for European duty during World War I. Some JN-4s were sent to England, but most were used in the United States. The Curtiss JN-4 is a series of aircraft built by the …

Curtiss P-40B — The Curtiss P-40B, the first American monoplane fighter, was used by the Flying Tigers, an American volunteer group, to help China defend its Burma Road supply line against the Japanese in 1941-42. Painted-on shark’s teeth and Chinese Nationalist colors identified these planes. The Curtiss P-40 was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that …

Concorde — The Concorde supersonic jetliner (in service since 1976) has a cruising speed of Mach 2 (2,180 km/h; 1,354 mph) and transports about 125 passengers. It is 62 m (204 ft) long. Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport (SST). It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale …

Boeing 707 — Non-military use of jet power attained a new plateau of achievement with the advent of the commercial jet airliner. The highly successful Boeing 707 entered service in 1958. The 707, which was 46. 6 m (153 ft) long and flew at a speed of nearly Mach 1, could carry 200 passengers over transcontinental distances. The Boeing 707 …

B-17 Flying Fortress — The U.S. World War II B-17F Flying Fortress, about 21 m (70 ft) long, flew at 510 km/h (317 mph) and could carry a 2,720-kg (6,000-lb) bombload. History The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract …

B-52 Stratofortress — The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s. The bomber carries up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weapons. Beginning with the successful contract …

B-29 Superfortress — The B-29 Superfortress, of which almost 4,000 were built during World War II, flew at 644 km/h (400 mph) and had the ability to carry a 907-kg (2,000 lb) bombload for 8,583 km (5,333 mi). The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine heavy bomber propeller aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Forces in World War …

B-24 Liberator — The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was, with the B-17 Flying Fortress, the primary long-range bomber aircraft of the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Although the B-17 achieved greater fame, the B-24 was built in greater numbers than any other American aircraft, with more than 18,000 Liberators and Liberator variants being manufactured before the end of …

B-1 Bomber — The supersonic, variable-wing B-1 bomber is able to carry more armament (up to 52,160 kg/115,000 lb) than any other combat aircraft. It was designed to replace the B-52 as the primary nuclear bomber of the United States. Its variable wing (forward for subsonic flight; swept back for supersonic flight) gives it a near-sonic, low-altitude penetration capability, as …

Autogiro — An autogiro is a small, quiet, reliable, rotary-winged aircraft. This Wallis autogiro cruises at about 160 km/h (100 mph), weighs about 227 kg (500 lb), and has a range of about 320 km (200 mi). An autogyro (autogiro) is a type of rotorcraft supported in flight by lift provided by a rotor. Unlike a helicopter, the rotor of …