Practical Aeronautics

The Beechcraft Starship was an unusual design for a business-class aircraft. Designed in 1982 by Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites and possessing a composite fuselage, canards, and twin 1,200 HP P&W PT6 pusher-turboprops, it first flew in 1986 (Rutan flew an 85% scale proof of concept aircraft in 1983). Lacking a conventional tail, it used winglet-like vertical control surfaces for yaw control. It suffered from production delays, changes to its design, and a downturn in the economy that resulted in production being halted in 1995 after only 53 were built. Although it was a revolutionary design, it was a commercial failure. Many were scrapped or donated to museums and schools. The airplane it was intended to replace, the King Air, is still in production and has been upgraded many times.  #canards          #composites   #bizjets             #generalaviation             #starship https://lnkd.in/eHYbEn2y https://lnkd.in/eVphZTzY

Based on the USAF XF-88 penetration/escort fighter design of the late 1940s-early 1950s, the F-101 Voodoo first flew in 1954 (the year after the Korean War armistice was signed) and was the second Century Series fighter. Originally designed as a single-seat escort fighter, it evolved into a two-seat interceptor and single seat fighter-bomber and recce aircraft. Bearing a resemblance to the later F-4 Phantom, it was powered by two J57 afterburning turbojets, it had a maximum speed at altitude of Mach 1.72 or 985 knots and a range of a little over 1,300 NM. In the interceptor role, it could carry 4 air-to-air missiles that could be armed with conventional or nuclear warheads. To extend its range, it could carry two 450-gallon external tanks under the fuselage in parallel hardpoints (kind of like the later F-14). The single-seat fighter bombers were largely assigned to European squadrons and were intended for “one-way” nuclear attack missions into the Warsaw Pact nations; pilots were expected to bail out behind enemy lines. The two-seat interceptor versions were used in CONUS and by Canada to defend against Soviet bombers. It also flew as a single seat reconnaissance version over Cuba and in Vietnam. It was retired by the US in 1982 (from the ANG) and Canada in 1984. McDonnell built 785 F-101s of all variants, including 480 of the two-seat interceptor version. [In a warhead test I participated in as a 2Lt in 1983, we blew one up…kind of sad to see it torn to pieces. – John Wissler] #Mach               #CenturySeries             #turbojets        #interceptors               #airdefense https://lnkd.in/eYrjRNhy https://lnkd.in/ebGrf-Nk

The NASA/North American X-15 rocket-powered research aircraft began flying in 1959 (!!) and over 199 flights the three aircraft that were built set multiple records for speed and altitude, flying as fast as Mach 6.72 and as high as 354,200 ft (67 miles). The last flight of an X-15 was in 1968. Because they were propelled by rockets, the aircraft were carried aloft to 45,000 ft by a B-52 and dropped from a wing station.  The X-15 started flying with two XLR-11 engines with a thrust of 16,380 lb, then, as the program matured, with a single XLR-99 engine of 57,000 lb thrust. In the thicker parts of the atmosphere, it flew and handled like an aircraft (albeit one with very small, low aspect ratio wings!) and at much thinner high altitudes, it used a reaction control system for roll, pitch, and yaw. As a research aircraft, the X-15 drove advancements in hypersonics, aerodynamics, controls, heating, and life-support systems. Over 700 technical documents were produced by the program. Twelve pilots, including Neil Armstrong, Joe Engle, Joe Walker, and Scott Crossfield, flew the X-15. One, Michael Adams, died in 1967 in the crash of ship #3 because of a problem with the adaptive flight control system. [If you are interested, NASA has an outstanding history series of over 200 monographs and reports…here’s a link to one on the X-15, “Hypersonics Before the Shuttle,” by Dennis Jenkins, June 2000: https://lnkd.in/e5zb6F4G ] #introtoaero    #nasahypersonics        #edwardsflighttest             #flightcontrols               #rocketships #aeroheating   #nasahistoryseries https://lnkd.in/es8FgXk2 https://lnkd.in/ei-fpdNH

Take a moment to read about an incredible mentor (and propulsion giant) who influenced so many, including 7 of our instructors.

The Grumman A-6 Intruder was the Navy’s and Marines’ primary heavy, all-weather attack bomber and electronic warfare jet from 1963 until 2019. Powered by two Pratt&Whitney J-52s of 9,300 pounds thrust each, it was probably the last (non-afterburning) turbojet-powered aircraft the Navy and Marines flew. With a large wing of moderate sweep, it had an L/D of 15, which is better than many light general aviation aircraft. Unlike many of its contemporaries, it was a true all-weather aircraft that could deliver up to 18,000 pounds of ordnance in zero-visibility conditions. Although the basic aircraft carried a crew of two, the later electronic warfare variant, the EA-6B Prowler, carried a crew of four. The A-6 was originally supposed to be replaced by the A-12 Avenger, but was forced to soldier on after that program was canceled until the F/A-18E and F was ready. The EA-6B was replaced by the EA-18G Growler. #navyair #marineair #subsonicjets #turbojets #glideratio #introtoaero #introtojetengines References: https://lnkd.in/erhNFaHw https://lnkd.in/dzM-pVct

Our former company president and favorite Hog driver, Craig Seymour, is this month's Practical Aero Spotlight.

This post-WW2 general aviation aircraft is a classic 2-seat light aircraft. Unlike its “little brother,” the Cessna 120, it has an electrical system with a starter and split flaps on either fabric or metal straight wings. It also has conventional landing gear, i.e., it’s a tail-dragger.  It’s known as a very stable, “well-mannered” airplane. Powered by a variety of 4-cylinder piston engines (C-85s, O-200s, O-235s, or O-290s), it can cruise at around 100 to 110 knots, thus definitely making it a low-speed aircraft. In the early 1950s, it was sold for about $3,000 ($37,240 today!). Between 1946 and 1951, 7,664 were built; many are still flying today. #taildragger     #conventionalgear       #lowspeedaero             #pistonengines             #straightwings #generalaviation             #flaps References:  https://lnkd.in/eqRg2Y4M https://lnkd.in/eAiZg2Z4

Recently the aviation world noted the 85th anniversary of the first flight of a jet aircraft. On 27 Aug 1939, the Heinkel He-178 flew using a prototype turbojet, the HeS 3B designed by Hans von Ohain. The turbojet, equipped with a single stage centrifugal-flow compressor and a single stage radial in-flow turbine, produced approximately 1,100 lbf of thrust, burned Diesel fuel, and spun at about 12,000 rpm. The He-178 was simple in design, having conventional retractable landing gear, straight wings, and an intake in the nose and an exhaust in the tail. It weighed 4,400 pounds, had a maximum speed of about 350 knots, and a range of about 110 NM. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in an Allied bombing raid in 1943. Dr von Ohain eventually came to the United States under Operation Paperclip and continued making technical contributions, finishing his career at what is now called the Air Force Research Laboratory. #jetengines      #compressors #turbines          #aeronautics             #conventionalgear     https://lnkd.in/em-93Cga

Fifty years ago, the YF-16 took flight at Edwards AFB (on 21 January 1974, to be precise). That first flight was unintended; during a high-speed taxi test, roll-axis oscillations led test pilot Phil Oestricher to take off instead of catastrophically impacting the ground. Its official first flight was on 2 February 1974. The YF-16 used a combination of a cropped delta wing with leading edge strakes for vortex lift and relaxed static stability with fly-by-wire controls to achieve its high agility. It was the first aircraft to have a side stick that didn’t move (it responded to forces only), thus increasing the possibility of over control until pilots got used to it and the flight control system was tuned. The aircraft was General Dynamics’ entry into the USAF’s Lightweight Fighter Program, competing against Northrop’s YF-17. On 13 January 1975, the USAF announced that the YF-16 had won the competition, eventually leading to the F-16 program; the YF-17 evolved into the Navy’s F-18. Originally intended to be lightweight and cheap air superiority fighters, they both eventually became sophisticated and capable fighter-bombers. The USAF has over 860 F-16s in service of the 4,500+ that have been built. #fbw    #prototypes     #lwf     #fcs     #staticstability              #introtoaero    #vortexlift https://lnkd.in/eaWeqUb2 https://lnkd.in/e9bBj9jU https://lnkd.in/e8aWXHnH

The business end of the A-10 “Warthog” (officially called the Thunderbolt II) close air support aircraft is the GAU-8/A Avenger gun. Its development started in 1970 with an Air Force call for a new cannon to be used in the upcoming A-X close support aircraft competition, flight testing in the A-10 started in 1974, and the gun entered service in 1977. The 7-barrel Gatling gun is mounted slightly left of center so the 7-o’clock position gun barrel can be fired on the centerline. It fires 30-mm high explosive incendiary and armor piercing incendiary rounds weighing a little less than a pound, including those with depleted uranium cores for extra penetrating power. The GAU-8/A is powered by the A-10’s hydraulic system and can fire at 3,900 rounds per minute, which means the approximately 1,150-round magazine can fire for about 18 seconds. The A-10 is essentially built around the 4,000 pound+ system. Spent rounds are returned to the ammunition drum to keep the A-10’s center of gravity within limits. Early tests resulted in the A-10’s engines flaming out due to gas ingestion, so when the gun fires, the A-10’s igniters operate automatically to keep the TF-34 turbofan engines running. #aircraftsystems          #aerialcannons             #warthogs             #hydraulics      #turbofan         #cas https://lnkd.in/eFA858YT https://lnkd.in/eHbjH--2