While there’s no concrete evidence a similar chain of events occurred in the world of aeronautical engineering, the concepts utilized by the Dayton Wright RB-1 certainly suggest at least one time machine was involved in its development.

When the RB-1 was constructed in 1920, the vast majority of aircraft were still rickety-looking contraptions. Most were biplanes utilizing fabric covering, external wire bracing, and spindly-looking fixed landing gear. World War I-era rotary radial engines were still commonplace, their crankcase and cylinders spinning in their entirety as though the engine manufacturers were sponsored by gyroscopic precession itself. 

At the time, developments like a variable-camber wing and retractable landing gear must have resembled science fiction to most, but not to the people at Dayton-Wright in Ohio. There, a small team of engineers was tasked with creating an aircraft specifically to compete in the Gordon Bennett trophy race in France. This prestigious race consisted of three laps of a 300 km (186 mile) course, and a victory would bestow enviable bragging rights to the aircraft manufacturer.

Favorites for the 1920 race included aircraft built by Neuport, Spad, and Verville-Packard. All were among the fastest aircraft in the world at that time. But all were also open-cockpit biplanes, seemingly designed and built with little regard for parasite drag. 

Dayton-Wright identified this as an opportunity. In a flight regime where any horsepower gains are quickly overshadowed by exponentially-increasing drag, they designed and utilized features unheard of in that era. Features that in the following decades would become commonplace on virtually all aircraft built for speed.

Prioritizing drag reduction from the beginning, they designed a fully-enclosed cockpit and opted for a single wing instead of a biplane configuration. They utilized a cantilever wing, avoiding extraneous wing struts or bracing cables that would slow the airplane down. They understood that a smaller wing would be more efficient at higher speeds, but they also understood that additional lift would be necessary for takeoff and landing. 

To balance these opposing demands, they introduced what is thought to be the first wing with adjustable camber via leading-edge and trailing-edge devices. Like a modern wing with slats and flaps, the RB-1’s wing could be configured in flight by the pilot. For takeoff and landing, camber would be increased and slower airspeeds would be possible, but for high-speed cruise, the wing could be flattened and streamlined to reduce drag.

The engineers didn’t stop there. Recognizing that landing gear is a massive source of drag at higher speeds, they developed (and patented) a novel retractable landing gear design. By turning a hand-operated crank linked to chains and gears, the pilot could raise the gear in approximately ten seconds and lower it in approximately six.

The engineers also linked the landing gear to the variable-camber wing. Retracting the gear also retracted the leading and trailing edges of the wing. When it was time to land, everything extended at once, in unison.

The entire front section of the airplane was dedicated to the engine’s massive radiator, which completely enveloped the crankshaft. No forward windscreen was provided to the pilot; like the Spirit of St. Louis, they would have to make do with the side windows and utilize their peripheral vision for takeoff and landing.

Having sculpted the monocoque fuselage and wing to their liking, Dayton-Wright turned to the powerplant. They chose a water-cooled inline six manufactured by Hall Scott and producing 250 horsepower. At the RB-1’s maximum takeoff weight of 1,850 pounds, this gave it a better horsepower-to-weight ratio than a similarly-loaded Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. 

The RB-1 first flew in 1920, not long before the trophy race. Test pilots conducted a short series of test flights at the company’s facilities near Dayton, Ohio, and estimated the airplane’s top speed would approach 200 mph. Afterward, the airplane was disassembled, packed into a crate, and shipped off to France.

When the big day came, the RB-1 took off from Ville Sauvage near Étampes in the company of the other competitors, only to have to abandon the race and return to the airport after only 15 minutes. Sources vary with regard to the reasoning. Most claim the pilot was unable to retract the gear and flaps, but Flight magazine reported that he experienced “difficulty with his steering.” 

Given the complexity of the wing, it’s possible only one wing had experienced mechanical issues, thus introducing asymmetry and affecting the control and steering. In any case, the RB-1 returned safely. It was shipped back to the U.S., and it never flew again. It remains unclear why no further flying attempts were made.

Today, the RB-1 is on display at the Henry Ford Museum near Detroit, Michigan. It has been properly restored and hangs with its gear and flaps retracted. An elevated walkway provides visitors with a view of the unique flap mechanism on top of the wing.

Although unsuccessful in its intended mission, the RB-1 brought a blend of remarkably futuristic technologies to light in an era of relatively primitive aircraft and permanently altered the trajectory of aircraft design. To date, no evidence of time travel has been discovered in the development of this groundbreaking aircraft.

Previously published on flyingmag.com.

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Much has been made of the longevity of the legendary DC-3 and the ageless C-130 and B-52. However, one overlooked icon in this group is a general aviation-inspired jet that taught pilots to fly for over 50 years! The year is 1952, and the U.S. Air Force is in the middle of a transition into the Jet Age. However, pilots brought up on more forgiving seat-of-the-pants trainers like the venerable AT-6 Texan are not prepared for the speeds and altitudes envisioned in the new all-jet Air Force. 

But who to turn to for this new basic trainer? As it turns out, Cessna Aircraft, which had a growing reputation for producing reliable, sturdy and docile training and observation aircraft, answered the call. The specification for the “Trainer Experimental” (TX) program called for a two-seat, jet-powered, basic-training aircraft that would be easy to maintain, strong enough to withstand the punishment meted out by student pilots, and forgiving of their inevitable mistakes. 

Cessna’s design for the TX program, the XT-37, called for a compact monoplane with a cruciform tail, powered by two Continental J69 turbojets. Originally produced under license from the French aerospace company Turbomeca, these J69s were compact, reliable and eventually generated approximately 1,000 pounds of thrust each. However, the J69 had a centrifugal flow compressor section, similar to the original Whittle turbojets and the sirens used by fire departments. The little jet produced an unforgettable high-pitched whine, especially as the power was increased out of idle, giving rise to the T-37’s moniker, the “6,000-pound dog whistle.” 

A critical requirement was that the new jet trainer be able to spin and recover, no mean feat at a time when most jet aircraft were susceptible to engine flameout, flat spins or unrecoverable rotations if spun. Using its general aviation experience, Cessna approached this problem by equipping the XT-37 prototype with stubby straight wings and a cruciform tail that would remain effective in the spin cycle. Even with these design features, the original prototype crashed during spin testing. As a result, long spin strakes were added on each side of the nose, the tail enlarged and the problem solved. 

The Tweet, as it would come to be known, weighed in at 6,500 pounds and sat on a retractable landing gear set a whopping 14 feet apart. The instructor and student sat side by side in ejection seats under a clear canopy!

The airplane that emerged, referred to by Cessna as the Model 318, was similar in size to the typical piston-engine single. It had a wingspan of 33 feet and a length of 29 feet and was 9 feet tall at the tail. The Tweet, as it would come to be known, weighed in at 6,500 pounds and sat on a retractable landing gear set a whopping 14 feet apart. The instructor and student sat side by side in ejection seats under a clear canopy! 

The result: a jet aircraft that pilots with a few hours of flight screening time in their logbooks could solo in less than 15 hours. It was fully aerobatic and IFR equipped. Budding U.S. Air Force and NATO pilots would spend nearly 90 flight hours in the Tweety Bird while mastering aerobatics, earning their IFR rating, and becoming formation qualified. The T-37 would take all the abuse that students could mete out and was very forgiving of errors, and the side-by-side seating provided an excellent working environment for instructors and students. The T-37 was produced in several variants for nearly 20 years, with the fleet eventually numbering over 1,200 strong. All the USAF versions were eventually modified to the T-37B specification. 

However, during the Vietnam War, a call went out for a light attack aircraft that could be exported to allies. The A-37 Dragonfly, as it was called, took the basic T-37 airframe, shoehorned 2,800-pound thrust J-85 Axial Flow turbojets from the T-38 Talon and added tip tanks, hardpoints and an internal minigun. Maximum takeoff weight increased dramatically from 6,500 pounds to 14,000 pounds, and its service ceiling increased from 35,000 feet to 41,000 feet. Nearly 600 A-37B “Super Tweets,” as they were often called, were operated by USAF active and reserve units as well as several South American countries, South Korea, Thailand and, of course, south Vietnam. 

From its introduction in 1956 until the last T-37 was retired in 2009, the Tweet was the primary trainer for Air Force pilots. For those who flew it, it’s an unforgettable bird. 

It had its shortcomings, though. While the T-37 boasted a service ceiling of 35,000 feet, it was limited by regulation to 25,000 feet by its unpressurized cockpit. A very capable aerobatic performer, if a little underpowered, the Tweet could perform beautiful loops, rolls and Cuban Eights in the hands of students with barely 30 hours in their logbooks. As an instrument platform, the 1950 vintage instruments, including the venerable J8 attitude indicator, would seem a bit antique today. However, by the time pilots moved on to the Supersonic T-38 Talon, they had a solid base in basic and advanced instrument flying. 

The one feature that every pilot who flew the T-37 remembers was the spins. Unlike the spins familiarization training administered to Certified Flight Instructors today, T-37 student pilots were trained to enter and recover from a multitude of attitudes and enter and recover from spins on their check rides. And the Tweet was up to the task. However, unlike modern spin recovery techniques, the T-37 pilot’s first two action items were to pull the throttles to idle and the stick abruptly full aft. This would recover the Tweet from an inadvertent inverted spin and then allow the pilot to release back pressure and recover normally. 

Ask anyone who has flown the T-37, and they will tell you it was fun to fly, sturdy and a great place to learn to fly. In this age where we expect budding airline pilots to obtain 1,500 flight hours before they transition to jet aircraft, T-37 Tweety Bird alumni will attest that it can be done a lot sooner than that. And if you have the time and money, at least one surviving Tweet graces the pages of Trade a Plane. Kudos to Cessna for developing the T-37 Tweet that taught pilots around the world to fly for nearly 50 years. It truly is an incredible plane. 

Learn about another Incredible Plane, the Helio Courier here.

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The story begins in the imagination of a couple of PhDs, MIT Professor Dr. Otto C. Koppen and Harvard Professor Dr. Lynn Bollinger. In the years before World War II, Dr. Koppen had worked for Stout Metal Airplane (later Boeing) and was instrumental in developing the successful Ford Trimotor. Joining the faculty of MIT in the early 1930s to teach stability and control, he remained active developing unique designs for the commercial market. 

After the war, both Koppen and Bollinger began to think about requirements for a short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft that could safely operate out of unprepared landing strips. In 1949, the duo formed the Helio Corporation of Massachusetts and began to experiment with high-lift wings. The prototype for what would eventually become the Helio Courier was an extensively modified Piper PA 17 Vagabond, named the Koppen-Bollinger Helioplane, or Helio One. Test flights took place at the Greater Boston Metropolitan Airport (now Boston Logan) and soon proved the success of the basic design theory. 

The wing of Helio One featured full-span automatic leading-edge slats, 80%-span fowler flaps and a unique aileron/spoiler combination. These consisted of two square ailerons located at the outboard trailing edges of the wing that were mechanically connected to “interceptor devices” (spoilers) near the leading edge. These deploy as each aileron moves in the upward direction. The spoilers provided immediate roll response and made up for the ineffectiveness of the ailerons at slow speeds. 

With the wing transferred nearly intact to the production aircraft, the Helio Courier prototype added a large vertical tail and a powerful stabilator to provide the control leverage needed to manage the incredible lift provided by the wing. 

Power for the initial models was provided by a geared 295-horsepower GO-480-G1D6 Lycoming six-cylinder engine. This geared engine was selected to allow for the large-diameter propeller required to lift this contraption into the air. 

Keen observers will note in the photo that the main landing gear is mounted well forward of the cabin to facilitate hard braking by reducing the risk of a nose over. Less visible is the crosswind landing gear that allows the wheels to caster up to 20 degrees left or right. Combined with the large vertical stabilizer, these design features allow for landings in less than 500 feet in up to a 25-knot crosswind! 

Taken together, these design features allow the Helio Courier to take off “across” the width of a 200-foot-wide runway, as it often did at airshows. Operations out of 500-foot jungle and backcountry runways were considered routine. Power-off stall speed is a heady 31 miles per hour, and with the grunt provided by the big Lyc and the big prop, the Courier could maneuver comfortably at 28 miles per hour.  

Production began in Pittsburg, Kansas, in 1954 and continued until 1974. During that time, more than 500 Helio Couriers, in a variety of specialized configurations, headed out the factory door. Initial customers included missionary aviation operators like the Jungle Aviation and Radio Service (JAARS) that served isolated populations around the world. The Courier also found an enthusiastic audience among bush pilots in Alaska, Canada and worldwide. Law enforcement departments soon discovered that the 30 mph maneuverability of the Helio Courier made it a less-expensive alternative to helicopters, allowing operators to track the bad guys with infrared scanners at reduced cost. 

The birth of the Helio Courier also coincided neatly with the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Suddenly, the requirement for covert operations created a demand for the Helio Courier’s unique capabilities. Nearly half of the total production run was devoted to filling orders from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Special operations command and other government agencies. Dubbed the U-10 Super Courier, these aircraft rescued downed pilots, performed reconnaissance and forward air control, and inserted and extracted soldiers in the field. The most notable customer was Air America, the clandestine airline said to be covertly owned and operated by the CIA. 

In fact, Air America commissioned the little-known U-5A Twin Courier. This version took the airframe from the single-engine Helio Courier and modified it to carry two Lycoming 0-540 six-cylinder engines, along with adding a clear nose section and wing tip fuel tanks. The engines were mounted well forward on the wing and close to the fuselage. While little more is known of the type, it was FAA-certified in 1963 and operated by Air America. We can only guess what single-engine operations were like. 

Now, about that altitude record! In 1957, a Helio Courier, aptly named the Strato Courier, was modified with a 340-horsepower version of the geared Lycoming for an altitude record attempt. It worked. The plane climbed to 31,200 feet over Mexico City. Not bad for a backcountry superstar. And based on the theory that any aircraft is improved by placing a turbine engine in the nose, several Helio Stallion conversions were created with Pratt & Whitney PT6As. As expected, the torque provided by these helicopter-based engines yields spectacular performance. 

Today, the Helio Courier and its many variants soldier on in bush and backcountry flying. Although replaced by its more modern turboprop Kodiak or Caravan competition, it remains an outstanding performer. Anyone who has witnessed a Helio Courier take off in seemingly its own length and then stand vertically on its tail as it climbs out at an airshow will agree that this is one incredible plane! 

Learn about another Incredible Plane, the Lockheed YO-3 Quiet Star.

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This original design, the QT-2 (Quiet Thruster), eventually morphed into the production version, the YO-3 Quiet Star, which went on to gather intelligence for the U.S. military in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam and then had a second act catching wild game poachers in the Mississippi Delta. 

Modified general aviation aircraft have been pressed into military service for a very long time. The Piper L-4 Grasshopper, Cessna O-1 Birddog and later the Cessna O-2 Skymaster all saw extensive action as artillery spotters, forward air controllers and liaison aircraft. 

However, in 1966, the U.S. Navy had a unique request. It had been tasked with finding and interdicting traffic in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Lieutenant Leslie Horn, himself a private pilot, grew tired of the dangerous work of searching the canals in a riverboat with a set of binoculars and a starlight scope. So, he asked, what if a very quiet airplane, undetectable from the ground, could orbit over the delta for long periods of time and look for the enemy in relative safety? 

Surprisingly, the powers-that-be agreed, and soon the Lockheed Space and Missile Division had a U.S. Army contract in hand to develop a high-lift, low-noise, stealthy reconnaissance aircraft. The company, which had already been at work on a similar project, asked engineer Stanley Hall, a noted sailplane designer, to head up the project. 

Hall’s first effort, the QT-2 (Quiet Thruster Two Seats), consisted of the venerable Schweizer 2-32 glider airframe with a Continental O-200 engine mounted on top of the fuselage, just behind the pilots. To reduce propeller tip noise, a large, slow-turning wooden propeller was connected to the engine by a driveshaft that ran over the pilots’ heads. This ungainly looking arrangement was driven by a series of rubber belts to reduce gear noise. And, of course, the final stealth modification was the addition of the aforementioned 1958 Buick muffler. 

Once flight tests began, it was immediately apparent that the QT-2 was virtually undetectable on dark nights at altitudes greater than 800 feet AGL. To be sure, the QT-2 was not completely silent. However, the combination of ambient background noise, the soft, gentle surf-like sound of the large, slow-turning propeller, and the fact that the boats traveling on the river would produce their own noise made it a very stealthy platform. 

Pleased with the two prototypes’ performance, the company modified both airframes into a combat-ready airplane named the QT-2PC (Prize Crew), which was soon shipped to Vietnam. Lt. Horn, now a Lt. Commander, led a hardy band of pilots and maintainers and put the stealthy motor gliders to the test. The results were a mixed bag. The QT-2PCs were as stealthy as advertised. They managed to average 10 hours in the air each night, flying below 1,000 feet while identifying enemy traffic on the Delta, all while undetected. On the other hand, these heavily modified gliders were a handful to fly. 

The large propeller was supported by a thick pylon immediately in front of the pilot. Unfortunately, this acted as a second rudder, well forward of the center of gravity. The result was a case of serious Yaw Roll coupling, a phenomenon previously seen in Mach 2 experimental planes. Thus, any unplanned yaw had the potential to develop into a severe roll response, a liability, especially close to the ground. QT-2PC pilots soon learned to limit the aircraft to straight and level and very gentle turns. 

Handling issues aside, the test was considered a success. So, Lockheed began work on a more practical successor, the YO-3A Quiet Star. It was also based on the Schweizer 2-32 airframe. However, it featured wing-mounted retractable landing gear, a conventionally mounted Lycoming IO-360, and a large, slow-turning wooden propeller driven once again by a rubber belt drive system. The Buick muffler was retired and replaced by a sophisticated 26-foot-long acoustic exhaust system. Because of these modifications to the original concept, the Quiet Star was a safer, more capable, if slightly noisier, aircraft. 

Of the 11 Quiet Stars constructed, nine operated in Vietnam from June of 1970 to September of 1971. While three were lost to crashes, none were lost to enemy action. All turned out to be very effective at identifying enemy supply/troop movements. To ensure their stealth before setting out on their nightly missions, Quiet Star crews flew over the ramp area while the ground crew listened for any unplanned whistles or humming noises. If any were heard, the pilots would immediately land while “duct tape” was applied, and soon they were on their way. 

This is where the story usually ends. Unique military aircraft concept is designed, achieves success, then is scrapped. But not so fast! As it turns out, the same technology that allowed the Quiet Star to sneak up on enemy transports in the Mekong Delta was just as effective at tracking game poachers in the Mississippi Delta. Two of the YO-3A Quiet Stars served the Louisiana Department of Fish and Game in this role for many years. Seeing this success, the FBI eventually acquired the aircraft and used them to track down its most wanted. NASA also acquired a Quiet Star. It used its YO-3A quiet flight characteristics to measure the noise signatures of other aircraft, from helicopters and tiltrotors to the SR-71s sonic booms. 

NASA’s Quiet Star remained in service until 2015 and then found a permanent home at the Vietnam Helicopter Museum in Concord, California. Happily, most of the surviving airframes are on display in aviation museums around the country, several in flying condition. So, long before stealth was cool, military necessity, a young naval officer with general aviation roots and a Lockheed engineer with a passion for designing sailplanes created this incredible plane! 

Learn about another Incredible Plane, the V-173 Flying Pancake.

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In 1935, Zimmerman won a grant from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to develop a compact short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. His unique design featured a 7-foot wingspan, blended wing body design and large, slow-turning propellers. Unfortunately, problems with propeller synchronization grounded the Skimmer, and it never flew. However, it did catch the eye of Vought Aircraft and the U.S. Navy. Vought immediately hired Zimmerman as lead engineer on the Navy’s STOL project. To minimize risk and shorten development time, the first prototype would not be a combat-ready aircraft but rather a technology demonstrator, the V-173 Flying Pancake. 

Designed and built to the general aviation standards of the era, the V-173 was constructed of wood and fabric with aluminum reserved for the fairing and cowling areas. Zimmerman described the aircraft shape as discoidal. The fuselage formed a curved wing section approximately 25 feet in diameter. Two Continental A80, four-cylinder opposed air-cooled engines, which later powered scores of Pipers and Taylorcrafts, were buried in the blended wing. The two mechanical fuel-injected four-bangers were connected to the twin three-bladed, slow-turning propellers through a complex system of driveshafts and clutches. This system allowed either engine to power both propellers in the event of a single failure.  

The unique propeller concept was the key to both the slow and high-speed performance of the aircraft. In conventional aircraft, wingtip vortices create a significant drag penalty. To cancel out these vortices, the V-173’s propellers, located at the outer edges of the lifting body, turned in the opposite direction of the vortices, effectively canceling the drag. While the two Continental A80s ran at 2,500 RPM, the large three-bladed props turned at a lazy 400 RPM. The large slow-turning props provided smooth airflow over the vehicle for enhanced low-speed performance. Additionally, each fully adjustable propeller blade flexed forward at the root, much like helicopter rotor blades. Developing this complex system, similar to that of the modern V-22 Osprey, delayed flight testing for several months but was eventually perfected. Fuel quantity was limited to two 10-gallon tanks, each feeding one of the Continental A80 engines. Due to the 22-degree angle of the blended wing, the floor of the cockpit was glazed with plexiglass for takeoff and landing. The original configuration included twin conventional vertical and horizontal tail surfaces. Ready for takeoff, the Pancake weighed in at a little over 3,000 pounds. 

Test pilot Boone Guyton made the first flight on Nov. 23, 1942. It lasted 13 minutes, and it nearly ended in disaster. Lateral controls were too heavy, drivetrain vibration levels were high, and the conventional elevators were not powerful enough to transition from the steep climb into horizontal flight. Guyton’s saving grace, literally, was that the V-173 would not stall. In response, Zimmerman replaced the conventional horizontal stabilizers with all-flying surfaces, dubbed “airivators.” These powerful fully moveable surfaces functioned as both elevators and ailerons and were powerful enough to allow transition to and from cruise flight. 

On later flights, a pair of unique landing flaps were added between the twin rudders. Pilots complained that ground effect pressure prevented the tail from settling to the runway during landing. The addition of a set of two landing flaps that deflected upward relieved the pressure and made normal landings possible. These and other issues were addressed, and the V-173 Flying Pancake went on to make over 190 successful flights and log approximately 132 hours in the air. The bright yellow prototype could take off in less than 200 feet, cruise at 138 miles per hour, and land at 15 miles per hour. Charles Lindbergh, who flew the V-173, noted that it could nearly hover, would not stall under power with full aft stick, and was easy to land. 

The Navy was impressed and immediately ordered two full-scale fighter prototypes. These were the Vought XF5U, dubbed, appropriately, the Flying Flapjack. Amazingly, the Flapjack was only a little larger than the V-173, with a 28-by-32 width and length. However, it was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Radial engines of 1,400 horsepower each, yielding a 17-fold increase in power to offset its fivefold increase in gross weight. The Flapjack featured an ejection seat, retractable gear and a design speed of over 450 miles per hour. Unfortunately, the XF5U program was canceled in early 1947, just prior to its first flight—it was doing high-speed taxi tests and short hops on the runway. Program delays, the end of World War II and the dawn of the Jet Age proved to be simply too much for the Flying Flapjack. 

However, all the advances made by the little V-173 Flying Pancake were not lost. The all-moving “airivators” are now the “elevons” that grace the tails of a multitude of delta and swing-wing jets, providing both roll and pitch control. And the interconnected propeller drive system, finally perfected in the Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) V-22 Osprey, has become an indispensable tool for the armed services. Oh, and one more thing. The Flying Pancake test flights in the Stratford, Connecticut, region generated some of the earliest UFO reports on record! 

Fortunately, the V-173 Flying Pancake prototype was not destroyed. Sixty years later, on loan from the Smithsonian, it was lovingly restored by a team of Vought retirees. Today, you can see this incredible airplane on display at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Enjoy! 

Learn about another Incredible Plane, the Mooney M22 Mustang.

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Brothers Al and Art Mooney founded Mooney Aircraft in 1929, an inauspicious year for startup ventures, and abruptly declared bankruptcy a year later. The company lay dormant until 1948, when the Mooney brothers and their partners resurrected Mooney Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. By the mid-1950s, the brothers had designed and produced the first of the iconic Mooney M20 series. This design, with its all-flying forward-swept tail, tightly cowled engine and unique aerodynamic lines, formed the basis for nearly every Mooney to follow. 

However, by the 1960s, the brothers had left the company to work for Lockheed Aircraft. Mooney Aircraft, by then based in Kerrville, Texas, was looking to expand its line of aircraft and produce a truly top-of-the-line transportation machine. Toward that end, the company recruited Ralph Harmon from McDonnell Aircraft. Harmon, an experienced aerospace engineer, had worked on the McDonnell 119/220 and Cessna’s never-produced four-engine Cessna 620. His experience with these pressurized high-flyers, coupled with Mooney’s excellent basic platform, led to a groundbreaking design. The goal: Produce the first pressurized piston-powered single for the serious traveler. 

What emerged was a husky, pressurized, five-seat travel machine that could climb into the flight levels in less than 20 minutes. The fuselage, similar in concept to the Cherokee Six of the same vintage, sported a 6-inch plug down the center to provide a wide and more comfortable environment on long journeys. The tail feathers were widened and strengthened and a dorsal fairing added in front of the vertical stabilizer. The all-metal wing was carried over from the M20 line, and the aircraft’s beefed-up landing gear created a more aggressive stance on the ground. This sense of muscularity carried into the instrument panel, which sported a massive landing gear handle and trim wheel that would look right at home in a Boeing 707. 

Power was provided by a 310-horsepower Lycoming TIO-541 turbo supercharged engine that enabled a cruise speed of over 220 knots at its service ceiling of 24,000 feet. Cooling this tightly cowled beast appears to have been a priority with no less than six cowl flaps visible, two traditional ones and four additional vents, two on each side of the cowling. Entrance to the Mustang was through a two-piece upward-hinged entry door that featured pressurized door seals and allowed for an 11,000-foot cabin at 24,000 feet. The result is an aircraft that is definitely a Mooney. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the best that can be said about the Mustang is that it looks like a Mooney on steroids.  

First flight took place in 1965, more than a decade before the appearance of Cessna’s pressurized P210. The type certificate was granted the following year. Pilots reported that the aircraft was stable, fast and within the capabilities of single-engine pilots stepping up to a larger and faster airframe. Control forces were heavier than the M20 series, not unexpected of a 3,600-pound, 200- knot-class aircraft. Additionally, cabin altitude management, a new experience for most step-up pilots, required careful attention and training. Despite the engineering success, a disconnect appeared between Mooney’s production and marketing departments. In fact, the Mustang appeared to be selling for less than the cost to build it! Unfortunately, these kinds of issues plagued Mooney throughout the period and eventually led to its sale to Butler Aviation later in the decade. 

However, in 1967, optimism abounded. Mooney had just produced the first pressurized high-flying single and was eager to show it off to the world. The 40th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight from New York to Paris provided that opportunity. Thus, on May 23, 1967, pilot and company co-owner Paul Rachael flew the second production Mooney M22 Mustang non-stop from New York to Paris. This flight, exactly 40 years and two days after Lucky Lindy’s 1927 arrival in Le Bourget, gained international attention. The Mooney Mustang made Lindbergh’s 33.5-hour journey in just 13 hours and 10 minutes! The aircraft, christened the Spirit of Texas, remained on display at the Paris airshow and followed this with a tour of European capitals in hopes of generating international sales. 

“The Mustang solved the problems associated with pressurizing a large single-engine piston airplane, but at a significant cost in dollars and complexity. Eventually, only 36 examples of the Mustang were produced, each one likely sold at a loss.”

In the end, being first may not have been the best strategy. The Mustang solved the problems associated with pressurizing a large single-engine piston airplane but at a significant cost in dollars and complexity. Eventually, only 36 examples of the Mustang were produced, each one likely sold at a loss. Of the 36 built, a search of the registry shows fewer than half still on the books. A little more sleuthing reveals that three or four are still actively flying today. A recent internet search reveals a beautiful example of the type for sale with only 2,300 hours on the airframe. The pictures accompanying the advertisement illustrate the strength of the pressurized cabin, windows and door structure. And much to the delight of loyal Mooney owners, the cabin is incredibly spacious with room for four to stretch out in air-conditioned and pressurized comfort, all the while winging their way above the weather at over 3 miles per minute. 

Mooney aircraft have never been short on engineering excellence or innovation. The company would go on to produce the remarkable 201/231 series and still holds claim to the title of fastest piston single. Who knows; if Mooney had had the luxury of time and money to support the development of the Mustang, this incredible plane might have been as successful as the Cessna P210 or Piper Malibu that followed. 

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The story of the DRs begins in 1957 with Pierre Robin and Jean Delemontez. Robin, a flight instructor and aero club owner, was looking for an aircraft to add to his fleet that could carry four people cross country in comfort. Delemontez, the chief designer, brought a four-seat design in which his current company, Jodel, had no interest. In 1957, Delemontez and Robin joined forces to form the CEA (Centre-Est Aeronautique), which later became Avions Robin (Robin Aviation). 

Their first offering, the DR 100 featured a large glass greenhouse and cranked dihedral wood and fabric wing design that would become a Robin trademark. The wood and fabric wing, which was losing favor in the 1950s, might have seemed a drawback in a mass-produced family aircraft, but history proved that theory wrong. 

Between 1957 and 1972, the company introduced two new models, the DR 200 and DR 300. These could be found in conventional and tri-gear configurations and proved popular trainers for the still relatively small European market. However, their most elegant design was just around the corner. 

The DR 400 began serial production in 1972. This definitive iteration of the design featured the now-iconic forward-sliding canopy, cranked dihedral wing (a term that describes the outer section of the wing being angled up), and a host of aerodynamic improvements. The fixed-gear DR 400 was powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360 engine. With a maximum gross weight of  2,425 pounds, an 800-feet-per-minute rate of climb to its service ceiling of over 15,000 feet, and a cruise speed of over 134 knots, it was a good performer. 

As it turned out, the rivet-less wood and fabric wings and cranked dihedral wing design produced less drag than many of the DR 400’s conventional metal counterparts. Additionally, the unique wing provided strong lateral stability in the stall regime. 

The DR 400 went on to become the bestselling Robin single in the product lineup. However, as 1970 rolled around, the company decided to make the move toward metal construction. Noted aircraft designer Chris Heinz, later famous for the very successful line of Zenith kit-built aircraft, came on board to create the next product line. The resulting HR 1000 series of aircraft (Heinz Robin) retained the fuselage and forward-sliding canopy of the DR 400 series and mated them to a conventional all-metal wing, notably without the cranked dihedral of the 400. While this more modern and conventional variant sold modestly well, the HR series was out of production by the late 1990s, while the wood and fabric DR 400 carried on. 

Fast forward to today, and the Robin DR 400 lives on in the current DR 401. A quick scan of the Avions Robin webpage yields no less than 14 specific configurations available to customers. The basic aircraft comes from the factory in a variety of configurations, from a 120 horsepower, two-seat, lightweight training version, the DR 401 LITE, to a 180-horsepower Lycoming-powered long-range travel version, the DR 400 180LR. 

More recently, a Continental 155 horsepower diesel variant has emerged. Avionics range from basic VFR conventional round dials to full-glass cockpit IFR kit with full-featured autopilots. Interiors are handcrafted leather. From the construction, it appears that each aircraft is custom configured based on its use and the customer’s individual desires. And each sports the basic wood fuselage and wing of the original DR 400. Sort of an affordable classic Bugatti sports car with wings. 

Of the total of 4,500 aircraft produced by Avions Robin, 3,000 of these are the wonderfully efficient wood and fabric Robin DR 400/401. So why the success? First things first: The efficient Robin has a lower purchase price, longer range, higher useful load, and shorter takeoff and landing roll than its erstwhile competitors. 

 “The story of the DR 400 begins in 1957 with Pierre Robin and Jean Delemontez. Robin, a flight instructor and aero club owner, was looking for an aircraft to add to his fleet that could carry four people cross country in comfort.”

The second factor may have more to do with the nature of general aviation on the European continent. While flying clubs have existed on this side of the Atlantic since shortly after the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, private ownership and fleet sales dominate the North American general aviation market. However, across the pond, the aero club movement has flourished, with over 500 aero clubs active in France alone. It seems that Pierre Robin, who began as an aero club owner, never forgot that lesson. Maybe the perceived drawbacks of additional maintenance of a wood and fabric design are mitigated by the cost sharing and centralized maintenance in the club environment. 

Finally, the Robin DR 300/400 turn out to be a favorite of Aero Club members. The visibility, with the cockpit glass extending down to the pilot and passengers’ hips, is helicopter-like. The controls are light and responsive, and the stall characteristics are very forgiving. And finally, as Bellanca Viking owners will tell you, the secure feel of a solid wood aircraft is something special. The Avions Robin website reminds all that properly maintained wooden wings do not have a fatigue life.

Unfortunately, the Robin DR 400/401 is unavailable in the North American market. However, the company’s commitment to customization and workmanship and its focus on the Aero Club market seem to be working. If you are lucky enough to travel across the pond, and even luckier to know an aero club member or Robin DR owner, it will be worth your while to hitch a ride in one of these incredible planes.

Learn about another Incredible Plane, the Globe/TEMCO Swift.

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The GC-1 Swift was designed in 1940 by Mr. R. S. “Pop” Johnson. While many consider the Swift a derivative of the Culver Cadet, which gained fame as a target drone in WWII, this appears to be only partially true. Pop Johnson did have access to the Cadet and took the general measurements of the aircraft on which to base the Swift design. However, other than the general dimensions, the Swift was a clean-sheet design. According to Globeaircraft.com, Johnson convinced John Kennedy, the CEO of Globe Medicine, to form Globe Aviation and market the aircraft. Globe Aviation soon had 40 dealers and over a million dollars in orders for the beautiful little two-seat monoplane. However, before any aircraft could be delivered, the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor turned the nation to wartime production and ended the Swift’s production dreams. 

During late 1944, with the war nearing an end, Globe Aviation, like so many other companies seeing the end of the war coming, decided to gain a foothold by catering to the hundreds of thousands of military pilots who would soon be returning home. It hired a member of the Curtiss P-40 design team, K.H. “Bud” Knox, to freshen the design of the Swift. The resulting design looks a little like an elegant little P-40 and flies just as well. 

The GC-1B has a wingspan of slightly less than 30 feet and a gross weight of 1,710 pounds and is powered by a 125-horsepower Continental engine. The Swift in its original form cruises at 120 knots, boasts a VNE of 161 knots, and has a nearly 400-mile range. And, finally, the Swift is a joy to fly, with a rapid roll rate, leading-edge slots, retractable gear and responsive controls. 

Between 1945 and 1951, Globe and TEMCO built nearly 1,500 GC-1A and GC-1B Swifts. After the postwar bubble began to burst, TEMCO obtained the type certificate for around $300,000. For many postwar companies, the story ends right here. Great airplane beset by marketing and financial issues dies a quick death. But not so for the Swift. 

To meet the demand, the U.S. Air Force was looking to replace its aging fleet of primary trainers. Competing with both Fairchild and Beechcraft, TEMCO entered the competition with a modified GC-1B Swift dubbed the T-35 Buckaroo. The Buckaroo boasted a two-place tandem cockpit and either a 145-hp Continental or a 165-hp Franklin engine. The competition was unique in that the competing aircraft were used to train actual flight students at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas. 

Unfortunately, the T-35 was the only taildragger in the competition, and by this time, the military had transitioned almost completely to tricycle gear fighters, bombers and transports. Ultimately, the competition’s winner, the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor, went on to serve as the primary Air Force and Navy trainer for several decades. However, the Royal Saudi Air Force did purchase 10 of the 30 or so Buckaroos modified to carry wing-mounted 30-caliber machine guns and unguided rockets for light attack duties. Once again, the story should end here: Company loses rich government contract, and the aircraft is never heard from again. 

“The GC-1 Swift was designed in 1940 by Mr. R. S. ’Pop’ Johnson. While many consider the Swift a derivative of the Culver Cadet, which gained fame as a target drone in WWII, this appears to be only partially true.“

But not so fast! The year is 1988, and Piper Aircraft has obtained the services of renowned aerodynamicist Roy LoPresti and the type certificate for the Globe/TEMCO Swift. The company decided to enter the burgeoning homebuilt “personal aircraft” market with a fully certificated entry. LoPresti and his team thoroughly updated and modified the airframe and powerplant. 

The Piper “Swift Fury” boasted a 500-pound gross weight increase, completely updated cabin with sliding canopy, aerodynamically efficient cowling and 200-horsepower Lycoming IO 360 engine. The aircraft could climb at over 1,300 feet per minute and boasted a maximum speed of nearly 220 knots. The Swift Fury garnered over 500 advance orders for Piper. And then, the enemy of all great aviation ideas reared its ugly head. Piper’s unfortunate 1991 bankruptcy ended any plans for what would have been a low-production volume-sport plane. 

But LoPresti, who had left Piper, obtained the type certificate for the GC-1B Swift, and as late as 2008, his company was still working to obtain type certification for what had become the LoPresti Fury. And the Swift even sported turbine power for a time. Powered by an Allison turboshaft engine, the “Swift Fire” prototype achieved cruise speeds of well over 300 knots and out-of-this-world climb rates.

However, the story has a happy ending for those fortunate enough to own and fly the Globe/TEMCO Swift. A quick look at the Swift registry maintained by Globe Aviation shows a majority of the 1,500 constructed are still flying today. Many of these are modified and personalized to increase their performance, appearance and comfort. The Swift Museum Foundation operates a museum that includes airframe number one at the McMinn County Airport (KMMI) in Athens, Tennessee. This very active foundation publishes a newsletter, provides technical and logistical support, and keeps owners connected through events and an annual gathering.  

 “A quick look at the Swift registry maintained by Globe Aviation shows a majority of the 1,500 constructed are still flying today. Many of these are modified and personalized to increase their performance, appearance and comfort.“

The Globe Swift has stood the test of time and modification and has provided decades of enjoyment for its loyal pilots and owners. It would not surprise anyone to see the Swift reemerge once again in this era of personal aviation. This Incredible Plane is just that good! 

Memories Of The Swift

Five Things That Pilots Got Totally Wrong About Aviation Over The Years

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This all-composite high-winged beauty was Extra Aircraft’s entry into the market pioneered by the Piper Malibu. With the genes of an aerobatic aircraft, and some elegant engineering, the Extra 400’s appearance and performance are nothing short of spectacular. To understand this incredible plane, it helps to start with Walter Extra himself. 

Walter Extra’s roots are in aerobatic flying and competition. Working his way up through the aerobatic ranks, Extra built and flew his own Pitts special, competed in the 1982 world aerobatic championships, and designed his first scratch-built airplane, the Extra 230. Its success led to the iconic Extra 300, a two-seat steel tube and composite wing aerobatic competition aircraft that revolutionized the industry and earned countless aerobatic titles along the way. 

Walter Extra’s experimentation with high-strength composite airframes set the stage for the development of a revolutionary single-engine transportation machine. From the start, it would be a technological tour de force. Truly a clean-sheet design, the EA 400 resembles no existing airplane. Sporting a high wing, steeply sloped widescreen and T tail, the airframe is a lesson in efficient design. The high wing, a rarity in this class of aircraft, allowed for the wing spar to be placed above the cabin for increased cabin volume.

Keen observers will note the lack of traditional cooling air intakes. To handle the stresses of flight-level cruise altitudes and steep descents, Extra chose the water-cooled Continental TSIOL-550-C Voyager engine. The liquid-cooled Voyager series was developed for the rear engine on Burt Rutan’s radical ultra-long-range Voyager that carried Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager around the world non-stop. Engine cooling was provided by a single radiator mounted in a scoop under the nose, and the Voyager engine was virtually impervious to shock cooling due to steep idle descents from the flight levels. 

The exquisite landing gear looks more at home on an F-16 than a general aviation single. However, its compact dimensions add to aerodynamic efficiency and provide increased interior space. The Extra 400 looks fast simply sitting on the ramp. Significant attention was paid to every aspect of aerodynamic efficiency. 

For example, unlike so many piston singles, the vertical tail is not offset to compensate for P factor. Rather, the airfoil is designed to provide differential side force as speed increases. Once again, the focus on speed through clean airframe design comes through loud and clear. 

So, with the looks of a fighter jet, a short wing, and a 350-horsepower water-cooled engine, is the Extra 400 an unforgiving airplane in the traffic pattern? It’s not. The sophisticated wing, designed with assistance from Delphi University, features fully recessed fowler flaps that reduce the stall speed from 79 to 58 knots at maximum gross weight. As you would expect from the designer of aerobatic championship aircraft, control response is crisp and precise, if a bit on the heavy side. 

The result of all this effort is an aircraft that will climb at nearly 1,400 feet per minute and cruise at nearly 250 knots at 25,000 feet for over 1,300 nautical miles while the pilot and up to five passengers ride in shirtsleeve comfort. Today, the idea of a nearly million-dollar Cirrus SR 22 has come to be accepted. However, when the Extra 400 debuted in 1998, the world of general aviation was not ready for its steep price tag and unique design. Word is that the aircraft required nearly 16,000 production hours to construct. Divide those hours into the million-dollar price tag, and the problem becomes clear. 

However, for pro shoppers, very low-hour Extra 400s can be found for considerably less today. While only 27 Extra 400s were completed, a recent look at the online aircraft sales websites yielded two for sale, both with under 1,000 hours and price tags right around $400,000. Thus, for the price of a new Cessna 172, transcontinental range, flight-level performance and cabin-class comfort can be yours. 

“Truly a clean-sheet design, the EA 400 resembles no existing airplane. Sporting a high wing, steeply sloped widescreen and T tail, the airframe is a lesson in efficient design. The high wing, a rarity in this class of aircraft, allowed for the wing spar to be placed above the cabin for increased cabin volume.“

Just like the Piper Malibu, the Extra 400 cried out for turboprop power. Extra Aircraft looked for a light and powerful turboprop to substitute for the heavy Continental and found it in the compact Rolls-Royce-Allison 250. Dubbed the Extra EA 500, the efficient little turbine slipped easily into the 400’s cowling. It weighed just 200 pounds and measured a meager 45 by 19 inches. The addition of the turboprop created an aircraft that did everything its predecessor could, but with turbine smoothness and simplicity. While the service ceiling and rate of climb remained the same, the Extra 500 boasted a 30-knot increase in cruise speed. Due to the thrifty Rolls-Royce turbine, the 500 featured a range of nearly 1,800 nautical miles and an endurance of over seven hours, all of this while retaining that modest 58-knot stall speed. 

As with so many outstanding aircraft, the Extra 400/500 were significantly ahead of their times and financially challenged. Throughout the early 2000s, Walter Extra and his magnificent airplanes looked for financial supporters to share the vision. Stories emerged of possible production facilities in Colorado or Arizona. Eventually, bankruptcy gave the company some financial relief. However, production of the 500 ended in 2015 and never restarted. 

For the right buyer, the Extra 400 is a truly remarkable cross-country cabin class aircraft at a relatively modest purchase price. Its small but loyal owner base has kept these remarkable aircraft up to date with modern avionics and meticulous maintenance. The Extra 400 remains ahead of its time, elegant to the eye and accomplished in the air. It truly is an incredible plane! 

Do you love Incredible Planes? Learn about The McDonnell 119/220 here.

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The year is 1957, and the jet age is in full swing. Jet fighter protypes fill the skies at a rate of three or four per year. The Boeing 707 will make its first flight and enter service with Pan Am within a year, and the Douglas DC-8 and Convair 880/990 will not be far behind. The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation is right in the thick of it with its successful F-101 Voodoo interceptor and the equally impressive Banshee and Demon fighters for the Navy. And its iconic F-4 Phantom is on the drawing boards.

In this heady environment, founder James McDonnell and his board of directors decide to pursue a military contract for a jet-powered utility/cargo aircraft. Up until this time, McDonnell (the merger with Douglas would come many years later) had restricted its efforts to jet fighters and missiles. However, since the jet technology was spinning off from military projects, it seemed if not a sure bet, then one it could afford to take, at least. 

The McDonnell 119 was an elegant design with deeply swept wings and tail surfaces, four engines in separate pods under the wings, and a roomy cockpit with a large greenhouse. The prototype had a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, a max range of 2,500 miles, and a maximum speed of around 490 knots. The cabin was designed for 10 passengers in a luxury configuration or 29 in three-abreast seating. Its first flight occurred in early 1959, and the aircraft’s performance and handling qualities met or exceeded all expectations. And the aircraft had a distinctive appearance, more like a fighter bomber than a business jet.  

Unfortunately, the winner of the Air Force UCX (Utility-Cargo-Experimental) competition was the Lockheed Jetstar of “Goldfinger” movie stardom. The reason for the selection was likely a bit complicated. However, it is thought that the underslung engines on the McDonnell 119 might have been considered too vulnerable to FOD ingestion.  

Undaunted, McDonnell repackaged the 119 as the McDonnell 220 and went after the civilian market. The newly christened 220 earned its Federal Aviation Type Certificate in October of 1960, making it the “first certified business jet.” A glamorous marketing video, available today on YouTube, extolled the virtues of a large stand-up cabin and coast-to-coast range. Included is a novel air jet system below the inlets to break up the vortices that develop and lift foreign objects into the engines. While a deal with Pan American seemed to be in the offing, it was not to be, and it appeared the McDonnell 119/220 was headed toward the scrapyard, the usual destination of failed prototypes. 

However, this is where the story gets interesting. McDonnell decided to utilize the 220 for several years as a corporate transport, where it excelled. However, around the time McDonnell merged with Douglas Aircraft, the 220 was deemed excess. Next stop was the Flight Safety Foundation for crash survivability research, which it survived intact, another miracle. By the mid-’70s, the 220 was stripped and painted for a new owner. And while the Jetstar had its James Bond moment, rumors abound that the McDonnell 220 prototype had a brief but exciting career in covert South American operations. 

And now, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story. If you fly to the El Paso International Airport, you may find the McDonnel119/220 prototype parked on the general aviation ramp, waiting for its new owner. So, just maybe someone will step up and get this incredible airplane on display or, even better, back in the air where it belongs!

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