Saturday, January 4

Tag: International Aviation HQ

Allegheny Airlines: The Airline That Became US Airways
7Aug By Christopher Harrow2 Comments
Airlines

Allegheny Airlines: The Airline That Became US Airways

Chances are, that you have never heard of Allegheny Airlines. However, a quick Google search will tell you that Allegheny was the airline that became the prominent US Airways. But what was so special about Allegheny? How exactly was it different from US Airways? What impact has it left on the industry? And if it was so successful, why is it now known as US Airways? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Formation Throughout the 1920's and 1930's, commercial air transportation began to take off. Many entrepreneurs established their own airline, many of which are now some of the oldest airlines in the world, and became rich! However, many more failed, and left their owners penniless. Despite this, two brothers from the prominent industrial du Pon...
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A380: ‘SuperJumbo’
3Aug By Christopher HarrowNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

A380: ‘SuperJumbo’

A few weeks ago we talked about the Boeing 747. This week, it’s their rivals turn... with Air France announcing that all of their A380 will be retired by 2022.  The 747 is well known for its nickname ‘Queen of the Skies’ or the ‘Jumbo Jet’. But the A380 is much bigger than the 747, hence it was dubbed the ‘Superjumbo’ by the media. Airbus built the A380 as direct competition to the Boeing 747 monopoly. How was the A380 brought into being? Airbus saw that Boeing enjoyed a sort of monopoly with its 747. It was the only ultra-high capacity airliner (UHCA). Airbus tasked a team of engineers under the leadership of Jean Roeder to begin development in secret.  However, the A380 project had not been the first to attempt to challenge the 747. The MD-12 was. The MD-12 was a double deck aircraft th...
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America West Airlines: The Most Successful Airline You Don’t Remember…
31Jul By Gareth SeagullNo Comments
Airlines

America West Airlines: The Most Successful Airline You Don’t Remember…

Chances are that you've never heard of America West Airlines. Chances are that you have heard of what it later went by: US Airways. Before that, America West was one of the largest airlines in the world! Only a few years after its formation, America West Airlines became a major US airline. So why did it change its name? How was it different from US Airways? What legacy did the airline leave on the industry? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Formation The 1960's and 1970's had proven to be a relatively good time for airlines. Deregulation led to lower prices, better service and as such, more people were flying than ever before! In 1960, a young Ed Beauvais was given a senior accountancy job at Frontier Airlines. In 1963, he then took an acco...
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Yakovlev Yak-3: The WWII Fighter Everyone Forgets…
27Jul By Christopher HarrowNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

Yakovlev Yak-3: The WWII Fighter Everyone Forgets…

In recent years, the Yakovlev Yak-3 has been eclipsed by its Soviet, British, German, American and Japanese counterparts. However, during WWII, surviving a Yak-3 was a miracle! Both during and after the war, the Yakovlev Yak-3 was revered all around the world as one of the best fighter aircraft of its time. Today, few have heard of it, so why is that? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre Yak-3 Prior to the Yak-3, Yakovlev Design Bureau, the aviation manufacturer headed by Alexander Yakovlev had just introduced the Yakovlev Yak-1. This aircraft was one of the most advanced monoplanes in the Soviet Union. At the time, the Soviets and Nazi Germany had just signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, ensuring peace between the two nations. However, Stali...
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24Jul By Christopher HarrowNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

RIAT 2019: It’s been unforgettable…

Last weekend saw the world-renowned RIAT 2019 airshow. It was perfect- it was sunny and warm, and the aircraft performances were amazing. There are few events in the aviation industry that can rival the drama, intensity and spectacles of RIAT 2019. Many spectacular aircraft took flight over the weekend, including: The Spanish Navy EAV-8B Harrier; The British Airways 747 flight with the Red Arrows display team; and several German, Italian, and British Typhoons. As well as many static aircraft, including: Gulfstream G550, a US Marine Corps CV-22B Osprey, as well as Canadian, Jordanian and British C-130 Hercules just to name a few (see the full list here). (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Despite the heavy rain on the Friday, the aircraft were great- m...
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747: the most luxurious ‘Queen of the Skies’
20Jul By Christopher HarrowNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

747: the most luxurious ‘Queen of the Skies’

The Boeing 747 is affectionately known as the ‘Queen of the Skies’. It's been transporting businessmen; holiday goers and school sports teams for over 50 years! Yet the 747 wasn’t meant to last for 50 years... The 747 was meant to be a hold-the-time aircraft. Fulfilling orders whilst the Boeing 2707 was in development. With the 747 being dropped in favour of the supersonic 2707. Since its first flight in 1969, more than 1,500 747's have been produced, with around 512 still in use. Over the 50 years of production many variants have been made. The original 747-100 was capable of transporting 490 passengers. Then the 747-200. Was highly customised. Especially into cargo and freight variants. 747-300 was introduced to carry a higher number of passengers. This variant saw an extended hump. ...
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De Havilland Comet: The First Jet Airliner You’d Never Want to Fly on
17Jul By Christopher HarrowNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

De Havilland Comet: The First Jet Airliner You’d Never Want to Fly on

In 1952, British aircraft manufacturer de Havilland shocked the world. They released the de Havilland Comet, the world's first jet airliner. This single aircraft revolutionized the aviation industry, with it never being the same again! Despite this, you would never want to fly on a Comet! But why exactly is that? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Pre-Comet Prior to the Comet, jet aircraft were only relatively new. In 1930, Frank Whittle had invented the jet engine. These engines were first used on military fighter jets, designed during WWII, although entering fairly late. All commercial aircraft prior to the Comet had been piston-driven, with the most common long-range airliner being the Lockheed Constellation. Other long range aircraft like th...
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15 Smallest Aircraft in The World!
13Jul By Christopher HarrowNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

15 Smallest Aircraft in The World!

Since 1903, When the Wright Brothers built the first working airplane, people have been trying to develop the smallest aircraft as well as the largest aircraft. Many of these aircraft are available to the general public, whilst others were built solely for the purpose of gaining the title of "Smallest aircraft in the world", where others were simply experimental aircraft. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 15. CubCrafters XCub If you were expecting that the XCub would've been developed by Piper, so did I. However, the XCub was instead developed by CubCrafters, based on the Piper PA-18 Super Cub's design (from the 1940's)! Unlike the PA-18 it traces its heritage from, the XCub can't land on water as it cannot be converted into a seaplane (as o...
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The desire for an electric aircraft revealed
10Jul By Christopher HarrowNo Comments
Analysis

The desire for an electric aircraft revealed

Ever since the Wright Brothers first flight in 1903. Aviation has fascinated us just a little bit more. Like Tesla with their electric cars. Those gas guzzling airplanes are not environmentally safe. Which is why we are in need of an electric aircraft manufacturer. That is the equivalent of Tesla. A Seattle-based firm called MagniX has developed a fully electronic motor. To be retrofitted to a seaplane. With the first test flight scheduled to be in November. The engines will also power a 9-seater Alice plane. Manufactured by Eviation. The Israeli based start-up aims to be delivering commercially by 2022.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); MagniX’s chief executive officer, Roei Ganzarski says “There’s only option is going to be electric propulsion.” MagniX ...
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F-35: America’s super jet
6Jul By Christopher HarrowNo Comments
Aircraft Digest

F-35: America’s super jet

The Lockheed Martin F-35 is the United States Air Force’s newest and most powerful aircraft, is it the United States most significant aircraft yet? The Lockheed Martin F-35 is the United States' premier fighter aircraft, it was originally developed from the Lockheed Martin X-35 (pictured below). The development of the F-35, at the time called the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) as they hadn’t given out a contract for the development at the time. The development began in 1992, the two main contenders for the JSF contract were the Lockheed Martin X-35 and the Boeing X-32 (pictures below), the final design was chosen based on the X-35.  Boeing X-32B on display at Patuxent Naval Air Museum Lockheed Martin X-35 on a test flight  The X-35 was then christened as the F-35 Lightning II, it was design...
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