Featured Addon History - 2010

The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi and personal use, built by Piper Aircraft. All members of the PA-28 family are all-metal, unpressurized, single-engine piston-powered airplanes with low-mounted wings and tricycle landing gear. All PA-28 aircraft have a single door on the co-pilot side, which is entered by stepping on the wing. The first turbocharged model, the PA-28R-201T was also offered in 1977, powered by a six-cylinder Continental TSIO-360-F engine equipped with a Rajay turbocharger. A three-bladed propeller was optional. (Source: Wikipedia.)

The ERJ 145 is a family of regional jets produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company...The ERJ 145 is the largest of the group. The ERJ 145XR - Extra-long Range (numerous aerodynamic improvements, including winglets, strakes, etc. for lower cruise-configuration drag, a ventral fuel tank (aft location) in addition to the two main larger capacity wing tanks (same tanks as in the LR models), increased weight capacity, higher top speed and more powerful engines). Despite the multiple variants, pilots need only one type rating to fly any variant of the ERJ aircraft. (Source: Wikipedia.)

The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. As of 2009 it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history. More than 17,000 Bonanzas of all variants have been built. The P35 (1962-1963) was a N35 model with new instrument panel and improved seating, 467 were built. (Source: Wikipedia.)

After successful operations of the An-24T tactical transport in austere locations, interest in a version with a retractable cargo ramp increased. Initial studies for the retractable ramp were carried out as part of the projected An-40 medium transport. When given the go-ahead for the An-26 in March 1968 the Antonov OKB adapted the ramp design of the An-40 to the An-24 fuselage, thus was born the An-26. Particular attention was given to the military mission. (Source: Wikipedia.)

The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators. Pilatus announced the development of the PC-12 at the annual convention of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) in October 1989.[2] The first flight of the first of two prototypes took place on May 31, 1991. Certification of the type was originally planned for mid-1991 but a redesign of the wings (increase of wing span and addition of winglets to ensure performance guarantees were met) delayed this. Swiss certification finally took place on March 30, 1994, and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approval followed on July 15, 1994. (Source: Wikipedia.)

The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in four models, all distinguished by a triple-tail design and dolphin-shaped fuselage. The Constellation was used as a civilian airliner and as a U.S. military air transport plane, seeing service in the Berlin Airlift. It was the presidential aircraft for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The advent of jet airliners, with the de Havilland Comet, Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8 and Convair 880, rendered the piston-engined Constellation obsolete. The first routes lost to jets were the long overseas routes, but Constellations continued to fly domestic routes. The last scheduled passenger flight of a four-engined piston-engined airliner in the United States was made by a TWA L749 on May 11, 1967 from Philadelphia to Kansas City, MO.[11] However, Constellations remained in freight service for years to come, and were the mainstay of Eastern Airlines' shuttle service between New York, Washington, and Boston until 1968.  (Source: Wikipedia.)

The Morane-Saulnier MS-760 Paris is a French jet trainer and liaison aircraft built by Morane-Saulnier. Based on the earlier two-seat trainer, the MS-755 Fleuret, the Paris was used by the French military between 1959 and 1997. In the early 1950s the French Air Force needed an ab-initio jet trainer; Morane-Saulnier proposed the MS-755 Fleuret, but the competition was won by the Fouga Magister. The company re-designed the MS-755 as a four-seat liaison aircraft which they called the MS-760 Paris.

On 18 July 1956 the French government requisitioned 50 aircraft, including 14 for the Navy, from Tarbes-based manufacturer Morane-Saulnier. ... Their missions were Super Étendard and F-8 Crusader pilot IFR and all-weather training, advanced training for new pilots, proficiency training for other pilots and A.L.P.A. (admirals commanding the carriers and Naval Aviation), and 1st and 2nd Aerial Regions liaisons. Eight MS-760 Paris were on the unit's flightline.

After 40 years of service, the aircraft were retired in October 1997 at N.A.S. Landivisiau. ... In 2007, after 48 years of continuous service, the Argentine Air Force retired their last Paris. (Source: Wikipedia.)

The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston-engined. These were eventually succeeded by the upgraded T-34C Turbo-Mentor, powered by a turboprop engine. The T-34 remains in service almost six decades after it was first designed.

After a production hiatus of almost 15 years, the T-34C Turbo-Mentor powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25 turboprop engine was developed in 1973. ... Mentor production re-started in 1975 for deliveries of T-34Cs to the USN and of the T-34C-1 armed version for export customers in 1977, this version featuring four underwing hardpoints. The last Turbo-Mentor rolled off the production line in 1990. (Source: Wikipedia.)

Most DH.80As were used as private aircraft, though many also flew commercially with small air charter firms for both passenger and mail carrying. Seating was normally two although in commercial use two passengers could be carried in slightly staggered seats allowing the rear passenger's legs to lie beside the forward passenger seat. The wings folded backwards for storage, pivoting on the rear spar root fitting and the V-strut root fitting, a system used on other De Havilland light airplanes of the period.

DH.80s were used for a number of record breaking flights during the early 1930s. Surviving British civilian aircraft were impressed into service during World War II to act as communication aircraft. A small number survive into the early 21st century. (Source: Wikipedia.)

The SR22, by Cirrus Design, is a single-engine, four-seat, composite aircraft. It is a more powerful version of the Cirrus SR20, with a larger wing, higher fuel capacity, and a 310 horsepower (231 kW) engine. It is extremely popular among purchasers of new aircraft and has been the world's best-selling single-engine, four-seat aircraft for several years.[2] Like the Cessna 400, but unlike most other aircraft in its class, the SR22 has fixed (non-retractable) landing gear.

The aircraft is perhaps best known for being equipped with the Cirrus Aircraft Parachute System (CAPS), an emergency parachute capable of lowering the entire aircraft (and occupants) to the ground in an emergency. (Source: Wikipedia.)

The Sabre is best known for its Korean War role where it was pitted against the Soviet MiG-15 and obtained UN air superiority. Although developed in the late 1940s and outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved adaptable and continued as a front line fighter in air forces until the last active front line examples were retired by the Bolivian Air Force in 1994.

Its success led to an extended production run of more than 7,800 aircraft between 1949 and 1956,[citation needed] in the United States, Japan and Italy. It was by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with total production of all variants at 9,860 units.

F-86E: Improved flight control system and an "all-flying tail" (This system changed to a full power-operated control with an "artificial feel" built into the aircraft's controls to give the pilot forces on the stick that were still conventional, but light enough for superior combat control. It improved high speed maneuverability); 456 built, North American model NA-170 (F-86E-1 and E-5 blocks), NA-172, essentially the F-86F airframe with the F-86E engine (F-86E-10 and E-15 blocks); 60 of these built by Canadair for USAF (F-86E-6) (Source: Wikipedia.)