T-6A Texan II

XP-55 Ascender

P-40 Warhawk

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The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was the third-most numerous bomber fighters during the Second World War. An early prototype version of the P-40 was the first American fighter has a speed of 300 mph or higher. The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was derived from the Curtiss P-36 that the veteran designer, Don Berlin, had conceived in 1934 as the means by which Curtiss Corporation would regain its position as the premier manufacturer of fighter aircraft in the United States. The prototype XP-40 Warhark first flew on October 14, 1938.

Flying as early as 1938, the major issue with the P-40 series would be the underpowered engine. The Warhawk itself was originally designed with an air scoop under the rear fuselage, just behind the cockpit. This arrangement netted a woeful 299 miles per hour out of the Allison V-1710-19 1,160 horsepower engine. With the air scoop moved forward in the more identifiable position of later P-40’s the XP-40 could now achieve a much higher and respectable 340 miles per hour. Facing off at the US Air Corps “fly off” event, the XP-40 prototype stood with early versions of the P-38 Lightning, P-39 Airacobra, the Seversky AP-4, a Hawk 75R and the P-37. While some of the mentioned aircraft would later find their own stories written during the war, the Warhawk would net a 524 aircraft contract and solidify Curtiss’ contribution to the war effort.

Working on the design of the Warhawk started in 1937, but numerous experimental versions were tested and refined before the first production version of the P-40, the Model 81, appeared in May 1940.  By September of that year, over 200 had been delivered to the Army Air Corps. 185 more were delivered to the United Kingdom in the fall of 1940, where they were designated the Tomahawk Mk I. When production of the P-40 ceased in November 1944, 13,738 had been built. They were used by the air forces of 28 nations and remained in front line service until the end of the war.

Specifications (P-40 Warhawk)

Type: Fighter aircraft
Crew: 1
Wingspan: 37 ft. 4 in.
Length: 33 ft. 4 in.
Height: 12 ft. 4 in.
Empty Weight: 6,700 lbs
Gross Weight: 9,100 lbs
Max. Speed: 378 mph
Service Ceiling: 38,000 ft.
Range: 850 miles
Engine/Horsepower: One Allison V-1710 engine rated at 1,150 hp
Armament: Six .50-caliber machine guns and up to 700 lb of bombs

Halifax

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The Halifax is a heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force during World War II.  It was manufactured by Handley Page.

Halifax production subsequently began at English Electric’s site at Samlesbury, Lancashire with over 2,000 bombers being at the factory during the war.  The most numerous variant of the Halifax was the B Mk III, with 2,091 built.  There’s a total of 6,176 Halifaxes produced, with the last aircraft delivered in Novermber 1946.  Halifaxes were also built by English English Electric, Fairey Aviation, Rootes Motors and the London Aircraft Production Group.

The Halifax first flew on September 24, 1939, from RAF Bicester, 21 days after the UK declared war on Germany.  In November 1940, the Halifax entered service with No.35 Squadron RAF at RAF Linton-on-Ouse.  On the night of March 11-12, the first operational raid of the Halifax against Le Havre occurred.  Halifaxes had flown 82,773 operations, dropped 224,207 tons of bombs and lost 1,833 aircraft during its service with RAF Bomber Command.  Aside from bombing missions, Halifax was also used as a glider tug, electronic warfare aircraft for No. 100 Group RAF and special operations such as parachuting agents and arms into occupied Europe.  Halifaxes were also utilized for anti submarine warfare, reconnaissance and meteorological roles.

The primary users and operators of the Halifax are the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and the Polish Air Force.  Postwar, Halifaxes remained in service with the RAF Coastal Command and RAF Transport Command and the Armee de l’Air until early 1952.  The Pakistan Air Force continued to use the Halifax until 1961.

C-12 Huron

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The C-12 Huron is a twin turboprop executive passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) (formerly Beech Aircraft Corporation). The Huron is the military version of the Beechcraft Model 200 Super King AirIt made its first flight in October 27 1972.

The C-12 is a high-performance, fixed-wing, T-tail monoplane, pressurized, twin engine turboprop that could accommodate 2 crews (a pilot & co-pilot) and 8 passengers. The C-12 provides on-call, rapid response, modern air transport for high priority supply and movement of key personnel. Specifically, it is used for VIP transport or to deliver repair parts, equipment, and accident investigation teams wherever needed. Its support role also includes such functions as range clearance, medical evacuation, administrative movement of personnel, transportation connections, and courier flights. It is powered by two Pratt and Whitney PT6A-41/42/65 turbo prop engines.

The Government’s C-12 aircraft fleet is similar to the Beech Super King Air 200 & 1900C, which is operated extensively around the world by many private and commercial users. The aircraft provides operational support for military bases, sites, fleet and shore units. . C-12 variants were adopted by all U.S armed services except the U.S Coast Guard, with more than 300 currently active.

The C-12 Huron will continue to be the mainstay of Operation Support Airlift (OSA) through the year 2010.

Specifications (C-12 Huron)

Type: Passenger and cargo airlift
Crew: 2
Length: 43 feet 10 (13.3 meters)
Height: 15 feet (4.57 meters)
Weight: Max. gross, take-off: 15,000 lbs (6,750 kg)
Ceiling: 35,000 feet (10,668 meters)
Range: 1,974 nautical miles (3,658 km)
Armament: None

L-39 Albatros

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The L-39 Albatros is a military jet trainer aircraft manufactured by Aero Vodochody.  The L-39 Albatross was the first of the second-generation jet trainers and the very first turbofan-powered trainer produced.

The L-39 Albatros was built as the successor to the L-29 Delfin and design work began in 1966.  There were three variants produced, the L-39C, L-39ZA and the L-39ZO.  The L-39 has also been exported to numerous countries, including Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Iraq, Libya, Estonya and Kyrghyzstan.  The L-59, a modernized derivative of the Albatros is still being built in the Czech Republic and another modernized, but very different version, the L-39MS, actually has more in common with the L-59 than the L-39, despite its designation.  The L-39 Albatros’ maiden flight was on November 4, 1968 and was first introduced in 1971.  The L-39 has a similar mission as the MB339 as a trainer/light attack aircraft.  The L-39 is in service with various former Soviet allies. 

Today, newer versions are replacing older L-39s in service.  There are thousands of L-39s in active service as trainers and many are currently used by private owners around the world.  The L-39 is the most popular jet warbird in the world and there are at least 300 flying in private ownership.  There are over 2,800 L3 39 Albatros built.

C-12 Huron

Piasecki H-21

The Piasecki H-21, known as Workhorse or as Shawnee, was designed and built by Piasecki Heicopter later known as Boeing Vertol. Commonly called the “flying banana”, it was a multi-mission helicopter, utilizing wheels, skis and floats usually used for Arctic rescue.

Piasecki designed a series of tandem rotor helicopters and sold it to the US Navy. It started with the HRP-1 of 1944 and in 1949, Piasecki provided the H-21 Workhorse to the USAF which was an improved and all metal version of the HRP-1.

The H-21 saw active service during the Algerian War in 1956 with the French Air Force and in Vietnam.

Specifications: CH-21C
Length: 52 ft 6 in
Rotor diameter: 44 ft
Height: 15 ft 9 in
Disc area: 3,041 sq ft
Powerplant: 1 x Wright R-1820-103 radial engine
Maximum speed: 127 mph
Range: 265 mi
Service ceiling: 9,450 ft

C-47 Skytrain

Luscombe Model 8 Silvaire

The Luscombe 50, also known as the Model 8, used no wood in construction and had a monocoque fuselage with fabric-covered metal wings. It used horizontally-opposed small engines that had just been developed by engine manufacturers. The aircraft was designed with a round firewall to minimize frontal area and simple construction. The design was a revolutionary construction technique. Luscombe’s construction allowed him to build hir aircraft quickly and cheaply, without sacrificing much strength.

In 1940, the introduction of another version of the Model 8 was seen. The Model 8B was powered by a Lycoming O-145-B3 engine. The company developed a deluxe model, the Model 8C powered by a Continental C-75-8J engine. The deluxe model was named Silvaire and was sold with full-color advertising. A Model 8D was developed with greater fuel capacity compared to the 8C. In 1946, A Model 8E was developed in Dallas, Texas with an 85 horsepower engine.

Specifications: Model 8A Silvaire
Engine: 65 hp Continental
Length: 20 ft (6.1 m)
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft
Maximum speed: 115 mph
Cruise speed: 105 mph
Range: 370 miles

 

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