Aircraft Digest | International Aviation HQ

Cessna 310: Cessna’s “King of The Skies”

24Nov

By Alya KulikovaNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Cessna 310: Cessna’s “King of The Skies”

The first Cessna aircraft of the post-WWII era, the Cessna 310 was designed so Cessna could capitalize on the postwar general aviation boom. Whilst Cessna wanted it to be successful, in many ways they failed to account for how popular it would turn out to be. Produced between 1953 and 1980, 5,449 Cessna 310s and 577 Cessna 320s (a turbocharged variant of the 310) were built, and used by literally hundreds of different operators, including corporations, pilots, film studios, airlines and even the USAF! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background Originally a producer of air racing and light training aircraft, Cessna began to play around with the idea of producing a twin-engine advanced trainer in the leadup to WWII. Known as the AT-17 B...

Cessna 340: One of General Aviation’s Greats

17Nov

By Christopher HarrowNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Cessna 340: One of General Aviation’s Greats

Ostensibly designed for corporate use, the Cessna 340 has become a staple of the general aviation market, arguably becoming one of, if not the, most recognized general aviation aircraft on the planet! Introduced in 1972, Cessna continued production of the 340 until 1984 after 1,351 units had been built for a variety of roles and operators. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background Like many aircraft manufacturers during WWII, Cessna devoted their entire production capacity to the war effort, specializing in producing twin engine Cessna T-50 advanced trainers for the US Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force. Unlike most other aircraft manufacturers, when the war ended in late 1945, Cessna didn't struggle to survive because most of the...

Why The Tupolev Tu-134 Was The End of an Era…

20Oct

By Salomón MarcoNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Why The Tupolev Tu-134 Was The End of an Era…

A member of an aviation dynasty that could trace its heritage back to the Tu-16 bomber of the 1950's, the Tupolev Tu-134 never served as the basis for another aircraft, as other members of the dynasty had. Yet this wasn't due to the failure of the Tu-134 itself - it was continuously produced for over 20 years and 854 examples of the type were built in total, including two prototypes - it was due to the economic stagnation of the 1980's in the USSR and its collapse in 1991. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background In 1955, the Soviet Union shocked the world. That year, the Tupolev design bureau unveiled the Tu-104, the Soviet Union's first jet airliner, thus making it one of only two in the entire world - the other being the de Havilland Come...

13Oct

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

How The Ilyushin Il-14 Became Russia’s Longest Serving Airliner!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background In April 1936, the Soviet Government placed an order with Douglas for 18 DC-3s on behalf of Aeroflot. By the end of the year, a further 21 had been ordered, prompting the Soviet government to acquire a license to produce the DC-3 in the Soviet Union. Built by a team under the direction of Soviet engineer Boris Lisunov, this Soviet DC-3 was known as the Lisunov Li-2. A workhorse just like the DC-3, the Soviets built over 6,000 Li-2s between 1939 and 1952. Though the primary aircraft used by Aeroflot during the 1940's, the Li-2 had become outdated by the mid-to-late 1940's, prompting Soviet aircraft manufacturer Ilyushin to design a brand new airliner to replace it. Known as the Ilyushin Il-1...

How The Ilyushin Il-18 Became The Best Soviet Airliner Ever Built!

29Sep

By Salomón MarcoNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

How The Ilyushin Il-18 Became The Best Soviet Airliner Ever Built!

A contemporary of airliners like the Bristol Britannia, Douglas DC-6 and Vickers Viscount, the Ilyushin Il-18 was one of the Eastern Bloc's most popular airliners, remaining in service throughout the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's and well into the 21st century! Given the reporting name of "Coot" by NATO, at least 678 Il-18s were built between 1957 and 1985, many of which remain in service today, primarily in military service, but also in airline service too (though in a vastly reduced capacity). During its heyday, many on both sides of the Iron Curtain hailed it as the best Soviet airliner of the time... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Ilyushin Il-18 Development Operational History Airline Air Koryo Cargo Military Museum As...

Why The Tupolev Tu-114 Was The Most Significant Airliner of The 1960’s!

22Sep

By Gareth SeagullNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

Why The Tupolev Tu-114 Was The Most Significant Airliner of The 1960’s!

A turboprop airliner released into a world where jets reigned supreme in the long-haul market, many scoffed at the idea that the Tupolev Tu-114 could actually compete with jet aircraft, that were supposedly more reliable, faster and cheaper than their turboprop cousins. Yet the Tu-114 surprised the entire world, not only competing with other Soviet-made jet airliners, but often outshining them on the world stage. Despite airliners like the Tu-104 and Tu-124 being more advanced (at least on paper) as they were jets, the sheer size of the Tu-114 and its incredible speed set the aviation world ablaze - and for good reason. After all, it was arguably the most significant airliner of the 1960's... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Tupolev Tu...

How The Tupolev Tu-104 Became The Jet That Nearly Defeated The West

18Sep

By Salomón Marco1 Comment

Aircraft Digest

How The Tupolev Tu-104 Became The Jet That Nearly Defeated The West

Designed to bring the Soviet Union into the jet era, the story of the Tupolev Tu-104 is a story of what could've been. A story of how the Soviet Union could've proven the virtues of communism over capitalism, all whilst embarrassing the West on the international stage! Although it was the only operational jet airliner between 1956 and 1958, it was only the second jet airliner to enter service, after Britain's de Havilland Comet, which entered service in 1952 (and was later grounded between 1956 and 1958 due to structural defects). (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Background During WWII, the Soviet Union (as with every other major power in the war) had been trying to create a working jet engine, and with it, a working fighter jet. Though they...

28Aug

By Salomón MarcoNo Comments

Aircraft Digest

How WWII Created The Bristol Britannia, A Truly British Airliner…

Known as the "Whispering Giant" due to its immense size and quiet exterior noise (for the time anyway), the Bristol Britannia should've become the most popular British aircraft of the postwar era. Yet, production delays and the introduction of jet airliners meant it was a huge failure and arguably began the tragic downward spiral of the British aircraft manufacturing industry... or at least contributed to it. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Bristol Britannia The idea for the Bristol Britannia originated in 1942, when then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill flew to the USSR to attend the Moscow Conference between the leaders of the "Big Three" - Stalin, Churchill and FDR. Flying in an American-made Consolidated B-24 Liberator modified to a...

How The Vickers Viscount Became The Most Popular Aircraft of Its Time

21Aug

By Salomón Marco4 Comments

Aircraft Digest

How The Vickers Viscount Became The Most Popular Aircraft of Its Time

Though many have since forgotten its name, the Vickers Viscount was the most popular British commercial airliner of the postwar era and the first turboprop airliner ever built. Produced between 1948 and 1963, Vickers built 445 Viscounts in total, which were used by airlines all over the world and became one of the first modern airliners to be used on all six inhabited continents! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Vickers Viscount When Britain entered WWII in September 1939, a decision was made to focus the country's entire aircraft industry on building military aircraft for the war effort. Much like Britain's male population, the country's airliners were conscripted into military service, often being converted into bombers. Three years lat...

Hughes H-4 Hercules: Inside The Largest Aircraft Ever Built That Could’ve Changed History!

21Jul

By Alexander Pask12 Comments

Aircraft Digest

Hughes H-4 Hercules: Inside The Largest Aircraft Ever Built That Could’ve Changed History!

Designed by Howard Hughes himself, and ridiculed as the "Spruce Goose" for its size and the material it was built out of, the Hughes H-4 Hercules should have had a long and storied service life. Yet it never took off as it was expected... As the largest fixed-wing aircraft ever built (only the LZ 129 Hindenburg airship from the famed Hindenburg disaster is bigger), the H-4 was a behemoth for its time, and indeed in our own, being far larger than anything built before or after it. So why did it go from one of the most anticipated aircraft of the 1940's to something relegated to the pages of history in less than a decade? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Hughes H-4 Hercules Having supplied the Allies (mainly Britain) with supplies since 194...