By Steve Pace It was first publicly known as the A-11, then the YF-12A, but it actually began life in total secrecy as the AF-12. We’ll call it the YF-12A because that’s what its buyer, the U.S. Air Force, designated it and it was just one of the many derivatives of the Lockheed-built CIA-funded A-12 [...]
By Steve Pace The supersonic North American Aviation F-100 Super Sabre was a follow-on to its subsonic F-86 Sabre. But more importantly, it gave the U.S. Air Force, specifically its Tactical Air Command, the first turbojet-powered fighter cable of supersonic speed in level attitude flight, and this was proved during its very first test flight [...]
By Jay Miller During the heart of the Depression, a stunning number of one-offs and prototype aircraft were designed, and in many cases, built and test flown, under the most humble of circumstances. There were hundreds of these experimental, often homemade, flying machines created not only in hangars, but also in barns, tin sheds, wooden [...]
How do drone pilots stay alert during 12-hour missions, especially considering that they’re in a control room while the UAV they’re piloting can be hundreds of miles away? This Gizmag article by David Szondy shares how MIT researchers are looking into ways to combat pilot boredom during long drone flights: The saying that “war is [...]
Local sponsors made the difference in keeping the National Aviation Hall of Fame enshrinement event dubbed “America’s Oscar Night of Aviation” in Dayton, Ohio, this Saturday after fears the ceremony would be wooed to North Carolina, an organizer said. Area sponsors pledged about $200,000 to keep the 50th anniversary event that celebrates aerospace luminaries in [...]
The first ever Horizon Air Meet was held last weekend at the Sanford, Maine regional airport and in addition to nonstop RC jet and heli flying and an off-road RC car race, spectators were treated to a spectacular noontime air show featuring professional airshow pilot Matt Chapman! Matt took some time out before the show [...]
When we last reported on the University of Maryland students and their impressive Gamera II machine, they had only managed to get few feet off the ground. In this latest video, Gamera II gains 8 feet in altitude using just its pedaling passenger for power! Here’s the scoop, as reported by Claudine Zap of Yahoo’s [...]
Basically, there are only two kinds of people in the aviation community: those who have been to the annual aerial orgy in Wisconsin known as Oshkosh (aka AirVenture) and those who want to go but haven’t. Unfortunately, the “wannagos” greatly outnumber the “beentheres.” So, as a public service to those who are getting tired of [...]
