Thursday, December 19

Author: Gareth Seagull

Gareth Seagull is a deputy editor of International Aviation HQ. Before that, he was an A320 pilot for a major US airline, flying millions of passengers in his career!
Dassault Falcon 20: Dassault’s Original Business Jet!
20Mar By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Executive

Dassault Falcon 20: Dassault’s Original Business Jet!

Today, the Dassault Falcon 20 is remembered for a lot of things. Primarily, it is known for being one of the first business jets, whilst also being one of Dassault's most successful business jets yet! Between 1965 and 1991, Dassault would produce a total of 512 Falcon 20s. Whilst many went on to become the private jets of the rich and famous, many more were used as military jets, or even as cargo aircraft... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Development In the late 1950's, the USAF launched the UTX program, which aimed to create a small, VIP jet transport. Although the USAF would later cancel the project, most companies would continue to privately fund development. Within a few years, the US had a number of early business jet designs, many of ...
Read More
Learjet 31: Learjet’s Most Versatile Jet Ever!
20Feb By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Executive

Learjet 31: Learjet’s Most Versatile Jet Ever!

Today, Learjet is known for having produced some of the best business jets to have ever flown. Among these jets is definitely the Learjet 31, which as served in a number of capacities since its introduction in 1990. Between 1987 and 2003, Learjet produced a grand total of 246 Learjet 31s. Although a few have been stored, the overwhelming majority of the jets are still in service, with some coming being almost 30 years old! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Development Learjet have been producing business jets since the birth of the industry. Here, they released their Learjet 23, which was subsequently used to design the Learjet 24, Learjet 25 and the Learjet 28/29. Around the mid-1980's, the Learjet 29, Learjet's then-flagship jet, was beginn...
Read More
Boeing 737-300: The Best 737 Classic?
10Feb By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

Boeing 737-300: The Best 737 Classic?

When the Boeing 737-300 was introduced in the mid-1980's, it was the largest development of the 737 family to that point. It would prove to be one of Boeing's most successful 737 variants, even today! Today, we often call the 737 an "Air icon". This is mostly down to the success of the 737-300. If you flew on a 737 from the mid-1980's until the mid-2000's, chances are that you flew on the 737-300. In fact, the 737-300 was so good, that it inspired the 737 Next Generation family, which in itself was instrumental for both Boeing and the 737! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Boeing 737-300 Over the course of the 1950's, jet engine technology progressed so much that long-range airliners such as the de Havilland Comet, 707, Convair 880, DC-8 a...
Read More
Hawker 400: The World’s Most Developed Business Jet!
20Jan By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Executive

Hawker 400: The World’s Most Developed Business Jet!

Today, by most accounts, the Hawker 400 is the most overdeveloped business jet in the world. A total of three different aircraft manufacturers have helped to develop the jet since the 1970's! Partly thanks to this, the Hawker has sold 951 copies over a period of 31 years. This makes the most produced business jets in history, ahead of the incredibly popular G650, Cessna Citation XLS and the Global Express family. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Development In the late 1970's, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries began to develop new jet-powered business jet as a step up from their turboprop MU-2. Mitsubishi designated this new jet as the MU-300 Diamond. Mitsubishi would build the MU-300 in the US, in order to fast track FAA approval. However, fina...
Read More
Vultee P-66 Vanguard: The US’s Forgotten WWII Fighter
6Jan By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

Vultee P-66 Vanguard: The US’s Forgotten WWII Fighter

When you think of WWII aircraft, you often think of aircraft like the P-51, Mitsubishi Zero, Bf 109, Hurricane and Spitfire. The Vultee P-66 Vanguard? Not so much... For pretty much everyone, even seasoned aviation historians, the Vultee P-66 Vanguard is forgotten. Although it was originally designed as a fighter, the Vanguard served mainly as a trainer, and partly as a fighter during WWII. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-P-66 Vultee had been established during the interwar period, by Gerard Vultee, a former Lockheed engineer. Initially, Vultee had made its money producing highly successful airliners, as had most other aircraft manufacturers. As with many other aircraft manufacturers, Vultee saw the growing market for general aviation a...
Read More
Convair 880: Too Fast Too Soon
19Dec By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

Convair 880: Too Fast Too Soon

When the Convair 880 was first introduced in May 1960, it was the fastest commercial aircraft ever built. Subsequent variants of the aircraft would hold this record until 1968, when the supersonic Tu-144 was introduced. Even today, at a time when all commercial aircraft fly subsonic (for the minute anyway!) the Convair 880 is still among the fastest airliners in history! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Convair 880 During WWII, American aircraft manufacturers Convair and Vultee were among the largest manufacturers in the country. In 1943, both companies chose to merge with one another forming Consolidated Vultee (otherwise known as Convair). For the most part, both manufacturers had only ever made military aircraft. In 1951, the company ha...
Read More
History of Marine One
25Nov By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
History

History of Marine One

Almost everyone, regardless of whether they're American or not, are familiar with Air Force One. However, what about the President's helicopter, Marine One? Why are not many people are familiar with it? People are generally unfamiliar with the president's helicopter because it is overshadowed by his famous motorcade, The Beast and by his own jet, Air Force One. As such, people tend to forget his helicopter! Recently, we covered the Vice President's private jet- Air Force Two. So now we'll cover the President's private helicopter- Marine One. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The First During his presidency, President Eisenhower wanted to travel from the White House to his summer house in Pennsylvania. The car journey was too long, making it di...
Read More
Learjet 45: Learjet’s Most Famous Private Jet Yet
24Oct By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Executive

Learjet 45: Learjet’s Most Famous Private Jet Yet

When it was introduced, the Learjet 45 was among the most successful private jets of its time. To this day, the Learjet 45 is Learjet's second best selling private jet, behind the Learjet 35. Although the aircraft is over 20 years old (which is quite old for a business jet) there are still well over 500 Learjet 45s in service all around the world. In total, there have been 642 Model 45s sold. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Development Prior to the Learjet 45, Learjet had been in the business jet industry since the beginning, having produced the first business jet (in the form of the Learjet 23, in 1964). All of Learjet's previous aircraft had been derived from the Learjet 23. Usually these aircraft were a lengthened/shortened variant of it w...
Read More
Hurricane vs Spitfire: Britain’s Best WWII Fighter?
14Oct By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Aircraft Compare

Hurricane vs Spitfire: Britain’s Best WWII Fighter?

Both the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane served with the RAF prior, during and after WWII. During this time, both aircraft served alongside one another in combat, with people often wondering which was better. We recently compared the P-51 Mustang and Spitfire, where we were inundated with requests for a Hurricane-Spitfire comparison. Today, most people view both the Hurricane and Spitfire as some of the best WWII-era fighter aircraft ever made. This is alongside the Japanese Zero, Soviet Yak-3, North American P-51, German Bf.109 and the French Caudron C.714. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Hurricane vs Spitfire: What is a Fighter? The role of WWII fighter aircraft differ greatly from modern fighter aircraft. On top of this, mod...
Read More
15 Smallest Private Jets in the World!
19Sep By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Executive

15 Smallest Private Jets in the World!

Since the first business jets, some manufacturers have tried to make the largest private jets, where others tried to make the smallest private jets. This got me thinking, which are the smallest? For the purposes of this article, I am only focusing on production private jets. These private jets are either currently in production, or have recently come out of production, with several on the secondary market. So these are the smallest private jets! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 15. Learjet 45 The Learjet 45 is the "largest" small business jet. Despite this, when you compare the Learjet 45 to other business jets, it is still one of the smallest private jets on the market! In the early 1990's, the Learjet division of Bombardier was seeking ...
Read More