Aviation History Snapshots

[ttyymmnn]

Andrea Hincerockur, a Russian pilot, Lt. Thompson Highfill of the 99th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force, and Corzen Venzopkin, another Russian flyer, pose beside a Soviet Bell P-39 during Operation Frantic. Frantic, which took place from June to September 1944, was a so-called shuttle bombing mission in which Allied bombers took off from bases in England and Italy, bombed targets in Germany and Eastern Europe, then landed in Ukraine. The bombers refueled and rearmed, then attacked targets on the way back to their bases.

Pilots of the 88th Aero Squadron pose with a Salmson 2A2 fighter at Bethelainville Aerodrome, France, November 1918

Aeromarine K6 aircraft engine. The Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company was an aircraft manufacturer and later engine builder and airline. The company existed from 1914-1930.

Aeromarine 75, also known as the Felixstowe F5L, in flight over Bimini in 1921

A cutaway of what appears to be a Fokker F-10 Trimotor

Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde prototype number 2 (G-BSST) at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, England in 1979

Boeing B-52D Stratofrotress (s/n 56-583) in flight

Atlas-Centaur 14D rocket being loaded into Aero Spacelines Super Guppy in 1968

Convair B-58 Hustler production

Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart. The Sea Dart was an attempt to develop a supersonic interceptor that could operate from the surface of the water. Though the program resulted in the only seaplane to break the sound barrier, the project was canceled when problems with buffeting on the surface of the water were never fully solved, and a test pilot was killed when the aircraft broke apart.

De Havilland DH.91 Albatross Frobisher. Powered by four de Havilland Gipsy Twelve V-12 air-cooled inverted geared and supercharged piston engines, the Albatross could accommodate 22-30 passengers. Seven were built between 1938-1939.

Pan American Douglas DC-4 (N88951)

Fokker Universal, the first aircraft built in the US based on the designs of Dutchman Anthony Fokker

Pioneering American aviatrix Jackie Cochran with Seversky SEV-S1 X18Y, 1937

Lockheed T2V SeaStar, a navalized version of the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star

"Miscellaneous aircraft" drawing from the Robert Kemp Collection, SDASM

Naval Aircraft Factory PN at Honolulu

North American TF-86F (s/n 52-5016) transonic trainer. Two Sabres were modified to this configuration.

North American XB-70 Valkyrie document

[Chariotoflove]

@ttyymmnn

That Tri-motor cutaway is wild. A living room floating in the sky.

[ttyymmnn]

@chariotoflove It took a while for commercial aviation to come to the masses.

[Chariotoflove]

@ttyymmnn said in Aviation History Snapshots:

@chariotoflove It took a while for commercial aviation to come to the masses.

Today’s cutaway would look like a sardine can.

#progress

[Smallbear]

@ttyymmnn

Big ______ Cox

Heh

[facw]

@chariotoflove I mean today's sardine can is still significantly better than what you'd get at given price. Less luxurious than it used to be, but a lot of people would have been stuck taking the bus before.

These are bit dated but:

It's pretty clear that things have gotten worse because there's been strong pressure to lower airfares, which have let more people fly than ever before.

[ttyymmnn]

@facw It would be interesting to do an analysis of what it cost to fly in such comfort in the 1930s compared to what it would cost to fly in similar comfort today. Not just first class, but limited passengers, cabin service with kitchen, etc. My sense is that, adjusted for inflation, it would be about the same.

[Chariotoflove]

@facw

Airplanes have gotten closer to commuter train amenities over my life time, and in some cases are like buses in the sky. But really it’s all in response to market demands. People prioritize lower fares over service. They got what they asked for.

[facw]

@ttyymmnn I wouldn't be shocked if it were cheaper today. But in any event, the real luxury is that on a Trimotor, a cross country flight was something like 27 hours (something like a DC-3 would be more like 16), but a similar flight today would be around 6 hours.

[ttyymmnn]

@facw said in Aviation History Snapshots:

@ttyymmnn But in any event, the real luxury is that on a Trimotor, a cross country flight was something like 27 hours

The first Ford Trimotor cross country flights were 48 hours, with two Pullman train links included. Still, that was a darn sight faster than before. The Smithsonian has a fantastic IMAX film titled Living In The Age Of Airplanes that talks about how the airplane has shrunk the globe. Great film.

[RacinBob]

@facw Regarding cost of air fare, one has to agree though that the operating cost of flying has also dropped substantially too.

The industry was regulated and airlines had monopolies at most airports. No Southwest airlines back then.
1980 aircraft had 3 or 4 engines, today's almost all have 2 engines reducing maintenance and overhaul cost.

Back then they had a 3 person flight deck crew. I suspect that fuel consumption has reduced by a third. And I bet that the first half cost of the aircraft has been cut in half......

I think most of the savings are due to reduced costs, not from cheapening the product....

[Skyfire77]

@ttyymmnn That "miscellaneous aircraft" really says "A-X" concept to me (and someone else too), but it doesn't match any of the known designs. Looks like it's got an integrated IR seeker or laser designator, whatever it is.

[RacinBob]

@facw The stunning thing was the time to overhaul for those piston engines. Lets guess the time was 1000 operating hours. That would mean the 3 engine trimotor would need to be rebuilt about once every 40 cross country trips. What would that be, an overhaul every 90 days?

[ttyymmnn]

@skyfire77 said in Aviation History Snapshots:

@ttyymmnn That "miscellaneous aircraft" really says "A-X" concept to me

I agree. It may have been an early concept. That particular collection has lots of drawings that are unlabeled. It looks like something GI Joe would have flown.

[facw]

@skyfire77 The cockpit section and engine placement seem very A-10, but yeah, doesn't seem to be any clear indication as to whether that's an early design idea of the A-10, a competing design with convergent features, or just a fanciful sketch. Kemp worked for General Dynamics, so it seems unlikely he was privy to preproduction designs of a competing aircraft like the A-10.

[ttyymmnn]

@facw I sure wish I could draw like that. I wanted to go to trade school and become a draftsman, but my dad wouldn't let me.

[facw]

@ttyymmnn My high school did have some drafting classes, but I can't say I took any of them. I did draw some planes and cars in art class.

[ttyymmnn]

@smallbear I only now understand that reference. I hadn't looked at the photo that carefully.

[gmporschenut also a fan of hondas]

@racinbob The interval when switched to jets more than tripled and 1200-1500 to 6k. And that doesn't include the amount of downtime for maintence between overhauls that jets due to their much simpler construction didn't have.

[pip bip]

@ttyymmnn random thought, how does one order spare parts for a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320?

does boeing only sell bulk parts to airlines?

[Smallbear]

@ttyymmnn said in Aviation History Snapshots:

@smallbear I only now understand that reference. I hadn't looked at the photo that carefully.

Eh, just proof that regardless of what it says on all my ID, I'm actually 12