Full Scale Aircraft Posts

Official "Gold" Race Results from the 2009 Reno National Air Races Unlimited Class -     Strega           -  P51 Mustang    -  Steve Hinton        -   491.822 mph               &n...

Round 4 - Budapest , Hungary     The 4th round of the Championships took place, on August 20, in Budapest, Hungary. American Pilot Michael Goulian took the win as his first win ever in four seasons of trying on the Red Bull Series. British Pilot Paul Bonhomme snagged second place, and with it, took the lead in the Championship by 1 point over Austrian Hannes Arch. Arch finished 4th ...

    The first thing you notice when you see the DO 335 Pfeil (Arrow), is of course the tandem engine layout. The front engine is spinning a normal "tractor" prop, while the rear engine, facing backwards, is spinning a "pusher" prop. The advantages of this design, over a typical twin  (with engines mounted on both wings), are numerous. Most importantly, the plane has the power ...

The Lockheed F-94 Starfire     The F-94 Starfire was built in 1948 to replace the F-61 Black Widow and the F-82 Twin Mustang as a radar equipped interceptor. Derived from the T-33 shooting Star, the nose was lengthened and filled with guns, radar, and a Hughes E-1 automatic fire control system. A relatively simple conversion.  After the first flights on April 16, 1949, it wa...

    Last week's plane, the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was an all-weather, supersonic, fighter interceptor for the USAF and RCAF. Originally designed as a penetration fighter to escort B-36 bombers, it was no longer required when the B-36s were replaced by B-52s. It was then adapted to a multi-purpose interceptor/fighter bomber, as well as a photo reconnaissance variant that was instrumen...

  Last week's plane , the Grumman F8F Bearcat, was the fastest prop fighter that the company ever produced. Originally planned as the successor to the F6F Hellcat, the Carrier based Bearcat was 20% lighter and nearly 50 MPH faster. A Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34, an 18 cylinder radial, provided the power and was mounted on the smallest and lightest airframe that could carry it. The Bear...

RACE ONE:  ABU DHABI    This incredible aerial spectacle, a mixture of air racing and extreme aerobatics, is now beginning it's 5th championship  season. The progress and experience gained over the first four years by both the pilots and race organizers, has made it necessary to tweak the format a bit. The addition of 3 pilots brings the total number to 15 which now makes...

 In the very early stages of Pilot Training, you are routinely thrust into new experiences, a virtual sea of "Firsts". Your first takeoff, your first landing, your first "Good" landing, your first stall, etc., but few compare to your "First Solo". In actuality, your first solo, is called a "Supervised Solo", now there's an oxymoron for you. Here's how mine went. My Instructor, Matt Mayhew, e...