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Aviation: questions and answers

The most searched questions about Aviation, with a direct answer, an explanation and sources.

Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK (CC BY), vía commons
Physics of flight
Where were the elevators on the Vulcan B.1, given it had no horizontal stabiliser?
On the wing's own trailing edge. The Vulcan B.1 had four elevators on the inner section and four ailerons on the outer section; the tail only had a fin and a… more…
Bill Larkins (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Where did the Trislander carry its third engine?
On the fuselage's longitudinal axis, atop a lengthened fin: that third engine mounted high on the tail was the most visible change. The Trislander was… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What were some Super Constellations used for in North American forests in the 1970s?
To spray forests with pesticides against the spruce budworm, a pest that defoliates conifers. One of these aircraft, the L-1049H N173W, crashed on June 9… more…
Physics of flight
What is the speed of sound?
The speed of sound isn't a moment in time but a measurable quantity: in air at 15 °C at sea level it equals 340 m/s, or 1,225 km/h (661 kn), and an aircraft… more…
Neozoon (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
What was the Ju 52's "Doppelflügel"?
It was the name given to the narrow control surface that ran along the entire trailing edge of the Ju 52's wing, set apart from it. Its inboard section acted… more…
L-Bit (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
Who was the Avro Anson originally designed for?
For Imperial Airways: in 1933 the airline issued Avro a specification for a light airliner for four passengers, with a range of 420 miles (676 km) and a… more…
Aviation history
How did Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, one of Japan's great aces, die?
Nishizawa did not die at the controls of a fighter: on October 26, 1944 he was a passenger on a Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu transport, called "Helen" by the Allies… more…
Military aviation
How did Archie Donahue save almost his entire squadron when a kamikaze hit the USS Bunker Hill?
He did not save his squadron: Donahue had just returned from a mission when two kamikazes hit the Bunker Hill on May 11. He came out unharmed, but the attack… more…
skinnylawyer from Los Angeles, California, USA (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Where is Boeing made?
Boeing manufactures its commercial aircraft at several plants in the United States: Renton (Washington) assembles the 737, Everett (Washington), the largest… more…
Foto: 4300streetcar (CC BY 4.0)
Commercial aviation
How fast does the boeing 747 fly?
A Boeing 747 cruises at about Mach 0.85, roughly 900 km/h (490 kn) true airspeed at 35,000 ft (10,700 m). The 747-8 is quoted by Boeing at a typical cruise of… more…
Records and curiosities
What records did the Breguet 1001 Taon break?
The Bréguet 1001 Taon broke the international 1,000 km closed-circuit speed record: on 25 April 1958 it reached 1,046.65 km/h at 7,620 m altitude. On 23 July… more…
Physics of flight
How fast does the F-35 fly?
The F-35 Lightning II has a top speed of Mach 1.6, about 1,900 km/h (1,200 mph) at altitude, according to Lockheed Martin. That's slower than the F-16 or F-22… more…
David Monniaux (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
Who makes the Rafale?
The Rafale is designed and built by Dassault Aviation, a French company with final assembly in Mérignac, near Bordeaux. It's a national program, not a… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
What is the world's longest flight?
The world's longest regularly scheduled commercial flight is Singapore Airlines' nonstop route between Singapore and New York (JFK), flown with an Airbus… more…
Aviation history
Where did the ShS's engine come from?
From the MV-6, an unlicensed copy of a six-cylinder inline Renault engine delivering 220 hp, which powered the resulting aircraft. The Renault 6P was… more…
Aviation history
How many float-equipped Ar 66s were built?
Ten: ten production Ar 66B floatplanes were built, in addition to the Ar 66b prototype, the program's second prototype, completed as a floatplane. The main… more…
Aviation history
How many orders did the Avro Canada Jetliner receive?
None firm: the attention it drew never turned into orders. National Airlines negotiated for four aircraft with an option on six more, and Howard Hughes wanted… more…
Aviation history
Which aircraft brought home nearly all the American wounded from Vietnam?
The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, the main cargo transport to Southeast Asia, flew to Vietnam almost daily with troops and supplies and brought patients to… more…
AlixSaz (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
Why do contrails form?
Contrails form when hot, humid exhaust from jet engines meets air that is cold enough, typically below about −40 °C at cruise altitude, for the water vapour… more…
Aviation history
Why did the Ar 232 go from two to four engines?
Due to engine availability: BMW 801 production could not meet all the anticipated demand, forcing Arado to adopt an alternative engine. The choice was the 895… more…
Military aviation
How many aircraft did the Axis lose in Crusader?
Around 332 aircraft destroyed and around 228 abandoned in the operation's tally, which took place between 18 November and 30 December 1941. According to their… more…
Nicofox767 (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
Why do jet engines have a spiral?
The spiral painted on a jet engine's spinner is a safety marking. When the fan is turning, the spiral blurs into a visible, pulsing pattern that warns ground… more…
"Avro Vulcan V2 08" by Ronnie Macdonald is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.
Physics of flight
Why did the Vulcan 'howl' at air shows?
Because of the layout of its air intakes. At around 90% power, the Vulcan's engines produced a distinctive howling noise caused by the shape of the intakes… more…
Ank Kumar (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How many Concordes were built?
20 Concordes were built in total: 2 prototypes, 2 pre-production aircraft and 16 production aircraft. Of those 16, 14 entered commercial service, seven for… more…
Aviation history
Why are the planes sunk in Lake Michigan so well preserved?
Unlike salt water, which corrodes metal quickly, Lake Michigan's cold, fresh water doesn't attack metal the same way. At depths of over 300 feet, that low… more…
Physics of flight
How fast does a supersonic plane fly?
A supersonic aircraft flies faster than Mach 1, around 1,060 km/h (660 mph) at cruise altitude. Concorde cruised at Mach 2.04, about 2,180 km/h at 18,000 m… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
Which aircraft caused the largest loss of American crew members in a single Cold War shoot-down?
A Navy Lockheed EC-121M Warning Star, call sign Deep Sea 129. Two North Korean MiG-21s shot it down on 15 April 1969 over the Sea of Japan, killing all 31… more…
Military aviation
What nickname did the Japanese give the Beaufighter?
"Whispering death", for how quiet its engines were. The attribution isn't solid: a British journalist claimed Japanese soldiers called it that, something… more…
Aviation history
What success rate does the Phoenix have in US Navy tests?
The known figure comes from a specific trial, the six-on-six: four targets hit and an overall success rate of 80%. The six missiles were launched over a… more…
Safety and accidents
What happened to the German F-104 aerobatic team the day before the aircraft's presentation?
On 19 June 1962, four Luftwaffe F-104Fs crashed. All four pilots died. The following day was meant to see the first Starfighters enter service with… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What did Orville Wright say after his last flight, aboard a Constellation?
He remarked that the Constellation's wingspan was greater than the distance he had covered on his first flight. It happened aboard the XC-69 prototype, which… more…
Aviation history
What was the first delta wing produced by MiG's OKB?
The Ye-4, the first prototype with the delta wing later carried by the MiG-21's production variants. It first flew on June 16, 1955. Earlier prototypes — the… more…
Military aviation
Why are fighter jets so loud?
Fighter jets are loud because their engines push a small mass of air out at very high speed, and jet noise rises with roughly the eighth power of exhaust… more…
Lars Söderström (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was France's first commercial jet airliner?
The Sud Aviation Caravelle, born from the medium-range specification that the Comité du matériel civil published on 12 October 1951 for a 55-to-65-passenger… more…
John Robert McPherson (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How high does a Boeing 737 fly?
A Boeing 737 cruises between 9,000 and 12,000 m (about 30,000 to 39,000 ft). Its certified ceiling is 12,500 m (41,000 ft) on the Next Generation and MAX… more…
Image pending
Physics of flight
What happens if I put airplane fuel in my car?
Jet fuel (Jet A-1) is kerosene, not gasoline. In a gasoline engine it won't start properly or it runs with knocking, smoke and power loss, and can damage the… more…
Aviation history
Which helicopter earned the world's first civil certification?
The Bell 47 was the first helicopter certified for civil use, on 8 March 1946. Its production ran from 1946 to 1974. More than 5,600 were built, including… more…
Military aviation
Who founded Hispano-Suiza, and where?
Hispano-Suiza was founded in 1904 by Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt and by Damián Mateu. Birkigt, born in Geneva in 1878, had lived in Barcelona since Emilio de… more…
Aviation history
What was unusual about the Ar 64c's propeller?
The unusual feature belongs to the first prototype, the Ar 64a, not the c-version: its four-bladed propeller was made by bolting together two two-bladed… more…
Neozoon (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How long did the Ju 52 fly in the Swiss Air Force?
Until 1982. The Swiss Air Force operated the Ju 52 from 1939 to 1982, when three aircraft were still in service, probably the longest and last career of the… more…
Alan Wilson (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many German aircraft did Polish fighters shoot down in 1939?
Polish fighters claimed around 126 German aircraft in the 1939 campaign, and one order of battle raises the count to 134 across all types. These are not… more…
Aviation history
Why was the Bede HB-1 called Super Demoiselle?
Because its name honored the Demoiselle ("dragonfly" in French), Santos-Dumont's pioneering aircraft, which had a similar overall configuration. The HB-1… more…
Aviation history
Why does the Corsair have inverted gull wings?
Because of the propeller's size. To let the blades clear the deck without a very long landing gear, Rex Beisel made the wing drop sharply from the fuselage… more…
Neozoon (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
How many Ju 52s were lost in the airborne invasion of Crete?
The Luftwaffe lost 170 aircraft and 4,500 men in the airborne invasion of Crete in late May 1941. In it, 493 Ju 52/3m carried most of the 22,750 soldiers… more…
Military aviation
How many victories did René Fonck achieve?
René Fonck was credited with 75 confirmed victories, 72 solo and three shared, out of 142 claimed. He still holds the title of "top-scoring Allied ace of all… more…
Military aviation
Why did the US Navy train its carrier pilots on Lake Michigan during World War II?
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, large ships were needed that could become dedicated training carriers. On the Great Lakes, planes were out of reach of enemy… more…
Military aviation
How many Hurricanes were there compared to Spitfires in the Battle of Britain?
By the end of June 1940, after the fall of France, 31 of Fighter Command's 61 fighter squadrons were equipped with Hurricanes. According to Fighter Command… more…
Aviation history
Which French aircraft introduced the retractable landing gear?
The Blériot 111 was the first French aircraft fitted with retractable landing gear. It was a four-seat executive transport monoplane designed by André… more…
RB7MRV (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Where was the C-101 tested at low and high speed?
The low-speed tests were done in tunnel No. 1 of the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) "Esteban Terradas," using a 1/7 scale model. The… more…
Physics of flight
How does the sound barrier break?
The sound barrier is not broken so much as crossed: an aircraft with enough thrust and a shape that tolerates shock waves accelerates through Mach 1. Chuck… more…
Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
How fast does the Su-57 fly?
The Su-57 reaches about 2,140 km/h (Mach 2) at altitude according to figures published by its manufacturer, and can sustain supersonic flight without… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Which airline was the first in Latin America to fly the Super Constellation?
Cubana de Aviación. It was the first airline in Latin America with the Super Constellation, in the L-1049E and L-1049G versions, which it flew from Havana to… more…
Eric Friedebach (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Why are commercial flights safer than private?
Because they are two different systems, not two kinds of flying. General aviation in the United States runs at roughly 0.9 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight… more…
RB7MRV (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Did the Spanish Air Force buy armed C-101s?
The sources only credit it with trainers: the Spanish Air Force ordered 88 C-101EB-01 aircraft, E.25 Mirlo in service, with only a limited armed capability… more…
Aviation history
Which engine powered the two XF-104 prototypes?
The Wright J65. The intended J79 wasn't ready yet, so both XF-104s were designed around that turbojet. The first prototype flew with a non-afterburning… more…
Vincent Legendre (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How did the J.I strafe ground targets?
With a pair of fixed 7.92 mm Spandau LMG 08/15 machine guns, mounted aiming downward to strafe ground targets. The fuselage sides and bottom were armored with… more…
RB7MRV (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Who designed the C-101's rear fuselage?
The rear fuselage and tail section of the CASA C-101 Aviojet were designed by the German company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), while Northrop handled the… more…
Military aviation
Why was No. 23 Squadron RNZAF called the "Ghost Squadron"?
Because of its unofficial emblem: a figure resembling the Grim Reaper or a ghost, which earned it the nickname "Ghosts" or "Ghost Squadron". The design was… more…
Peter Haas (CC BY SA), vía commons
Safety and accidents
How many accidents did the FAA privately forecast over the 737 MAX's MCAS system?
Fifteen more fatal accidents. After the first 737 MAX accident, federal safety officials estimated 15 more fatal accidents involving the model over the… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the L-949 "Speedfreighter"?
It was a combined cargo-and-passenger version that Lockheed proposed based on the L-849, with the fuselage stretched 18 ft 4 in. The L-849 was in turn a… more…
Aviation history
How many missions did the US Navy's A-7 fly in Vietnam?
Around 97,000 combat sorties with the US Navy. The first Navy A-7As reached Vietnam in 1967 with VA-147 aboard USS Ranger, which flew about 1,400 sorties in… more…
Neozoon (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
How many Army of Africa soldiers crossed the Strait by Ju 52 between 20 July and the end of August 1936?
About 7,350. Between 20 July and the end of August 1936, the Ju 52s flew 461 transport sorties and carried 7,350 Army of Africa soldiers, with weapons and… more…
Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was special about the Avro 539's floats?
Two wooden floats sat beneath a small single-seat biplane with a short, stubby fuselage. During early test flights they were damaged by floating debris and… more…
Aviation history
Which Italian canard fighter flew in 1939?
The Ambrosini SS.4, a single-seat all-metal canard-configuration fighter, which first flew on 7 March 1939. It was the first Italian canard fighter and was… more…
Military aviation
At what speed do military aircraft fly?
Military aircraft fly anywhere from about 300 km/h for helicopters and surveillance drones to over Mach 2 (2,400 km/h) for fighters. Transports like the C-130… more…
Taras Young (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
What exotic materials did the TSR.2 use?
Uncommon alloys: machined extrusions of L.65 aluminium-copper alloy in most of the structure. The rear fuselage used RR.5B, originally developed for engine… more…
Aviation history
How many M.B.326s did Alitalia buy?
Four. Alitalia ordered four MB-326s in trainer configuration, designated the "D" version, expressly demilitarized and fitted with specialized instrumentation… more…
Aviation history
Which was the first American fighter designed from scratch to naval specifications?
The TS-1, designed in 1921 by Rex Beisel while working at the Bureau of Aeronautics: it was the first US Navy fighter actually built to naval specifications… more…
Physics of flight
Why do the Corsair's wings join the fuselage at a right angle?
Because of the propeller: with the chosen wing chord it was hard to lengthen the gear legs to clear the large propeller, and the solution was the inverted… more…
Military aviation
Why did VF-17's Corsairs carry a skull on the nose?
The emblem was chosen by VF-17's commander, Lieutenant Commander Tom Blackburn, who wanted an intimidating, characterful name for the unit. Since they flew… more…
Unknown authorUnknown author (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
What happened when eight Ju 88s attacked a Sunderland over the Bay of Biscay?
It came through. On 2 June 1943 a Sunderland survived an attack by eight Ju 88s: it shot down three, came away riddled with holes and lost an engine. The… more…
Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
How many Avro 504s had been built by 1918?
According to different sources, 8,340 or 8,970: Flight magazine gives 8,340 produced by the end of 1918, and the Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide… more…
Aviation history
In which campaign did a paratrooper assault force act for the first time?
During the German invasion of Denmark and Norway (Operation Weserübung), in April 1940. On 9 April, in Denmark, the capture of the Masnedø fortress was the… more…
Aviation history
What was "Adlertag"?
"Eagle Day": the first day of Unternehmen Adlerangriff, the Luftwaffe operation meant to destroy the Royal Air Force. Postponed several times by bad weather… more…
Aviation history
How long were B-52 missions from Guam to Vietnam?
Between 12 and 14 hours: from Andersen AFB, on Guam, it was 2,600 miles to Saigon, and the round-trip mission took 12 to 14 hours. The B-52s were first used… more…
Aviation history
Why was the HH-53 called "Super Jolly"?
Because of size and color: the HH-53B's large green fuselage earned it the nickname "Super Jolly Green Giant," a reference to the smaller HH-3E "Jolly Green… more…
Military aviation
What did the Marines change on their Corsairs to operate from land bases?
The Corsair's long nose severely restricted visibility, especially with the aircraft on the ground. The changes focused on the cockpit: the seat was raised 7… more…
Aviation history
Which musicians dedicated songs to the German Starfighter?
The best-known is Robert Calvert, former singer of the British band Hawkwind, who in 1974 created the satirical concept album Captain Lockheed and the… more…
Dreamliner_scheme_Boeing_747-8I_render.jpg: Altair78 Giant_planes_comparison.svg: Clem Tillier (clem AT tillier.net) derivative work: Altair78 (talk) (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Which Boeing is the biggest?
The largest Boeing is the 747-8: 76.3 m long, 68.4 m wingspan and 447.7 t maximum takeoff weight, with 410 seats in three classes in the passenger version… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why wouldn't any scrap dealer take the Super Constellation now flying in Australia?
Bird droppings. The C-121C 54-0157, stored at Tucson since 1977, was left unsealed after an inspection and birds nested inside for years; the guano would have… more…
Aviation history
How many German aircraft did the Defiant claim over Dunkirk in a single day?
Thirty-seven: on 29 May, its best day, No. 264 Squadron claimed 37 kills in two sorties, including 19 Ju 87s, nine Bf 110s, eight Bf 109s and one Ju 88. Over… more…
Aviation history
How did Iran use its F-14 Tomcats during the war with Iraq?
First as an early-warning platform, helping other less sophisticated aircraft with target designation and defense. Also defending vital areas, such as the oil… more…
Aviation history
Why do the Pegasus turbine rotors spin in opposite directions?
To reduce gyroscopic effects: in the Pegasus, the low-pressure and high-pressure shafts rotate in opposite directions, an unusual arrangement that… more…
Thornfield Hall (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was unusual about the Beech Staggerwing's wing?
It had negative stagger: the lower wing was set further forward than the upper one, with the top wing set back relative to the bottom. This arrangement… more…
Commercial aviation
How much does an airport VIP lounge cost?
A single entry to an airport VIP lounge in Europe costs between about 25 and 60 euros per person per visit, depending on the airport and lounge. Annual… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Safety and accidents
How many fatal accidents with loss of the aircraft did the A320 family have per million takeoffs up to 2015?
Up to 2015, 0.12 fatal accidents with loss of the aircraft per million takeoffs; counting all hull losses, 0.26 per million. That's one of the lowest fatality… more…
Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Which British fighter was tested with Shark floats?
The Blackburn Roc, a carrier-based fighter, was tested with a set of floats from a Blackburn Shark fitted via a conversion kit. With them, top speed fell to… more…
Image pending
Physics of flight
How long does it take for a parrot's wings to grow?
A parrot is not an aircraft, but the answer is specific: the chick is born with bare wings, and flight feathers grow in over weeks. A budgerigar flies 30-35… more…
Diego Dabrio at en.wikipedia (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Which Spanish helicopter had no tail rotor?
The Aerotécnica AC-13A: that's how the Madrid firm redesignated the two Nord 1750 Norelfe whose design rights it bought. The aircraft had a single main rotor… more…
Military aviation
What did the Boeing 299 do on its flight to Wright Field?
It covered the route from Seattle to Wright Field on 20 August 1935 in nine hours and three minutes, at an average ground speed of 252 mph (219 kn; 406 km/h)… more…
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
How many downed aircraft did Chinooks rescue in Vietnam?
About 12,000 aircraft, valued at more than $3.6 billion over the course of the war. Recovering other downed aircraft was perhaps the most cost-effective use… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why did Lockheed never have an L-1349 model?
Because, according to Dominique Breffort's book on the aircraft, no design ever carried that designation, possibly out of superstition over a number starting… more…
Aviation history
Why did the secret bombing of Cambodia turn aircrews into potential defendants?
Because the post-strike reports were filled in with the coordinates of the cover targets in South Vietnam, not the real ones. But the basis for a… more…
Alan Wilson (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many Avro Tutors were built?
606 or 594 Avro Tutors were built, according to different sources. The RAF ordered 21 Trainers, 381 Tutors and 15 Sea Tutors, and there was licensed… more…
Military aviation
Why was the 1943 Bf 109G a step backward from the F model?
The G wasn't a step back in every way: it was built around the DB 605, heavier than earlier engines but the same size, resulting in a fighter heavier than the… more…
Foto: USAF, TSgt. Gary Tomoyasu (dominio público)
Military aviation
When did the MiG-29 come out?
The MiG-29 first flew on 6 October 1977, with test pilot Alexander Fedotov at the controls of prototype 9-01, at Zhukovsky. The first production units reached… more…
ERIC SALARD from PARIS, FRANCE (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the A320M-7?
A320M-7 was the name given to the project that eventually became the Airbus A319: it stood for "A320 minus seven fuselage frames." The shortening was achieved… more…
Aka The Beav from Seattle, Washington (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Why is Boeing shutting down?
Boeing is not going to shut down. It is one of only two major commercial aircraft manufacturers in the world, with a backlog of more than 5,000 orders and a… more…
HawkeyeUK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What material were the Puma's blades made of from 1976?
Composite material: the main rotor blades switched to it on the improved SA.330H and SA.330J variants, an evolution from earlier designs. The composite blades… more…
Aviation history
Why did the D.H.5 have backward-staggered wings?
The DH.5 had 690 mm (27 in) of backward stagger, with the lower wing set ahead of the upper one: this put the pilot below the wing's leading edge, with… more…
Aviation history
How many AT-10s did Globe Aircraft build in addition to Beech?
Globe Aircraft Corporation built another 600 AT-10s. Beechcraft, for its part, ended production in 1943 after delivering 1,771 aircraft. Deliveries to the… more…
Pieter van Marion (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Which two aircraft were derived from the military An-24?
It isn't two: the An-26, An-32 and An-30 all descend from the An-24. The An-26 reuses most of the An-24's airframe as a regional airliner and military… more…
Aviation history
Who devised the blitzkrieg theory that Germany applied?
It is attributed above all to J. F. C. Fuller, regarded as one of the progenitors of the Blitzkrieg; the German army applied tactics similar to his analysis… more…
Colin Cooke Photo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the An-30 mainly used for?
The An-30 was designed in the Soviet Union for aerial cartography. In its usual aerial photography role, it carried four or five cameras on board, three of… more…
Aviation history
What record does the civilian Gazelle SA 341G hold?
Its mark isn't about speed: the SA 341G was the first helicopter certified for single-pilot instrument flight (IFR) operations. The two closed-circuit world… more…
Physics of flight
Why can't a plane land?
A plane can't land when safety conditions aren't met: visibility below the procedure's minimums, crosswind or tailwind beyond the aircraft's limit, an… more…
Sergey Kustov (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
What are military aircraft?
Military aircraft are state aircraft operated by the armed forces with their own nationality markings, excluded from the Chicago Convention that governs civil… more…
"Airplane Flight Wing flying to Travel on Vacation" by epSos.de is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.
Physics of flight
Are supersonic planes coming back?
Yes, but not yet for passengers. Concorde retired in 2003; since then Boom's XB-1 went supersonic in January 2025, NASA's X-59 flew in October 2025 to test… more…
Physics of flight
How fast does the B-2 Spirit fly?
The B-2 Spirit is subsonic: the U.S. Air Force lists its maximum speed as "high subsonic," which in practice is around Mach 0.95, about 1,010 km/h at… more…
Aviation history
What halted production of the Aichi B7A in 1945?
An earthquake. Production at Aichi stopped when its factory was destroyed by a quake in May 1945; the plant wiped out was the Funakata facility, where the… more…
Aviation history
Which Baffins returned to active service in World War II?
The ones that returned to the active unit list were New Zealand's Baffins, which before hostilities had mainly been used as trainers and were reactivated due… more…
Military aviation
What engine and weapons did the Australian Sabre Mk 30 carry?
The CAC Sabre Mk 30 carried the Avon 20 engine and two 30 mm ADEN cannon, which replaced the F-86F's six machine guns. It was the first production batch built… more…
Aviation history
How long were the Aichi E13A's longest patrols?
The figure on record is the aircraft's range: up to 15 hours of endurance. The E13A normally flew its intended role as a reconnaissance aircraft, though it… more…
Military aviation
What does "Guba", the name of Richard Archbold's Catalinas, mean?
"Guba" is a male name from Papua New Guinea meaning "a rain squall at sea". Richard Archbold gave this name to the modified PBY-1, registered as model 28-1… more…
Peter Gronemann (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
When are the fighter jets in Gijón?
Fighter jets fly in Gijón at the International Air Festival, held every summer over San Lorenzo beach, usually on a Sunday in the second half of July, with… more…
Contando Estrelas from Vigo, España / Spain (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the first strategic airlift in history?
The transport of troops and equipment from Morocco to Andalusia in 1936 is often cited as the first airlift in military history. It lasted 85 days, from 19… more…
Michael Rivera (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How fast does a private jet fly?
Most private jets cruise between Mach 0.75 and Mach 0.85, roughly 800-900 km/h. Light jets stay closer to 750 km/h, while high-end models like the Gulfstream… more…
Joe Ravi (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Where is Plus Ultra airline from?
Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas is a Spanish airline, headquartered in Madrid, founded in 2011 and operating since 2015. It flies mainly long-haul routes between… more…
Aviation history
Which aircraft pioneered nose-tow catapult launches?
An E-2A Hawkeye: on December 19, 1962, with naval aviator Lee Ramsey at the controls, it was catapulted from USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) in the first sea trial… more…
Aviation history
How powerful was the Fairey Fox VIR's Hispano-Suiza 12Y?
The Fox VIR carried a Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs of 830 or 860 hp, according to different sources. The intermediate step, the Fox IV, had fitted a 775 hp 12Ybrs. Of… more…
Aviation history
What was the Bede BD-2 trying to achieve, and why did it fall short?
Jim Bede designed it to attempt a non-stop round-the-world flight without refueling. What it achieved instead was a world closed-circuit distance record for… more…
Kilyann Le Hen (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
What cannon does the Fairchild A-10 carry?
A General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger: a seven-barrel, hydraulically driven, 30 mm Gatling-type automatic cannon, mounted mainly — and most famously — on the US… more…
Aviation history
Why did Italians call the F-104 the "spillone"?
Spillone means hatpin in Italian, and that is what Italian pilots called their F-104, a nickname that shaped, for better or worse, daily life in the… more…
Aviation history
What milestones did the P.1127 achieve?
The XP831 prototype made its first tethered flight on 21 October 1960 at Dunsfold, its first free hover on 19 November 1960, its first conventional flight on… more…
Aviation history
What aircraft sank the gunboat USS Panay in 1937?
Not a single aircraft or type. The Panay was hit by two of eighteen 132 lb (60 kg) bombs dropped from high altitude by three Yokosuka B4Y Type-96 bombers… more…
Military aviation
Who was the first ace of US naval aviation?
The first ace of US naval aviation was David Sinton Ingalls. With six credited victories, he was also the only US Navy ace of World War I. He flew Sopwith… more…
James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How much could the armed Bonanza PD 249 carry?
Six hardpoints, on which the YAU-22A (PD.249) could carry 7.62 mm machine gun pods, rocket launchers and parachute-retarded bombs. Even so, it could not… more…
Aviation history
Which B-47s had to perform a half loop to drop nuclear bombs?
It wasn't a specific version: the B-47's early mission profiles included loft bombing of nuclear weapons. The tactic was made public on May 7, 1957, at Eglin… more…
Military aviation
Which four aviators received the Medal of Honor for what they did at the controls of the Corsair?
There were four: Kenneth A. Walsh, Gregory Boyington, Robert M. Hanson and Thomas J. Hudner. Walsh earned it for his actions in the Solomon Islands in August… more…
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Aviation history
Why wasn't the excellent Avro 530 put into production?
Its performance proved good, but not enough of an improvement over the Bristol F.2A's, so no production order was placed. On top of that, priority for the… more…
Foto: 4300streetcar (CC BY 4.0)
Commercial aviation
Which 747 carried Enterprise "piggyback"?
The first Shuttle Carrier Aircraft was a Boeing 747-123 registered N905NA, originally built for American Airlines and acquired by NASA in 1974. Boeing… more…
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Physics of flight
Why does an airplane fly?
An airplane flies because its wings turn the oncoming airflow downward, and the air pushes back with an upward force called lift. The wing's shape and angle… more…
Aviation history
What did Maryse Hilsz win in 1936?
In 1936 Maryse Hilsz won the Hélène Boucher Cup flying a Breguet 270 Series. That same year, on 23 June, she set a new women's altitude record of 14,309 m… more…
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Aviation history
What shaped charges did GRANIT use at Eben-Emael?
At one of the Eben-Emael targets, Granite attached primitive, unlined shaped charges to the turrets. When detonated they shook the turrets but did not destroy… more…
VirtuaaliAnu (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
What are airports?
An airport is an aerodrome with facilities for commercial traffic: runways, taxiways, apron, terminal, control tower, and customs, security, fuel and… more…
Dmitry Terekhov from Odintsovo, Russian Federation (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
At what altitude could the An-32 operate?
The An-32's service ceiling is 9,500 m (31,200 ft). More striking is its hot-and-high performance: it has outstanding takeoff characteristics at temperatures… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
How many years was the EC-121 Warning Star in service?
The EC-121 Warning Star entered service in 1954 and was retired in 1978, though a single modified aircraft remained with the US Navy until 1982. It served as… more…
Aviation history
What floatplane fighter was derived from the Zero?
It was the Nakajima A6M2-N, codenamed "Rufe." It was built by the Nakajima Aircraft Company based on the Mitsubishi A6M Zero Model 11, with a slightly… more…
Aviation history
How many sets of plans for the Bede BD-4 were sold?
Thousands of sets of Bede BD-4 plans were sold, and it remains one of the most popular homebuilt aircraft in the world, with hundreds of examples completed… more…
Military aviation
How many machine guns did the Sunderland end up with, compared to the original six?
Up to 16 machine guns. The initial defensive armament included an FN-13 tail turret with four .303s and a pair of manually operated .303s, one on each side of… more…
Military aviation
Which B-17s pioneered early warning?
The pioneers were B-17Gs of the United States Navy, although the sources disagree on how many: one counts forty-eight acquired during 1945 to carry airborne… more…
Memorino (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
Why did many Vulcans have bulges for a missile they never used?
Because of Skybolt. When the Blue Steel Mk.2 was dropped in December 1959 in favour of the US Douglas GAM-87 Skybolt ballistic missile, Vulcans were fitted to… more…
Aviation history
What ended the Aerocar?
A lack of orders: the deal with Ling-Temco-Vought for mass production required 500 orders, and Taylor gathered only half that number, so the production plans… more…
Foto: 4300streetcar (CC BY 4.0)
Commercial aviation
Why did Boeing stop making the 747?
Boeing stopped building the 747 because large twin-engine jets (777, 787, A350) carry almost as many passengers with half the engines and far less fuel per… more…
Physics of flight
Is it normal for jet engines to flash flame sometimes?
Yes, seeing a brief flash out of the nozzle is usually normal and doesn't indicate a fault. Turbofans emit flashes at startup, during abrupt power changes, or… more…
Aviation history
How long did North American take to get the Mustang prototype ready?
A little over a hundred days. The firm British order for 320 aircraft was placed on 29 May 1940, and the NA-73X prototype rolled out in September 1940, 102… more…
Aviation history
Why did bombs detonate under the wing in Vietnam?
Because the F-105s carried World War II-surplus bombs and proximity fuzes, designed for internal carriage in B-17s and B-24s. Externally mounted, their limit… more…
Commercial aviation
Why are wings useful for flight?
Wings turn forward motion into lift: as the aircraft moves ahead, the airfoil deflects air downward and creates lower pressure above the wing than below it… more…
Steve Lynes from Sandshurst, United Kingdom (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Why is the 737 max 7 not certified?
The MAX 7 is waiting on one specific fix: its CFM LEAP-1B inlet can overheat if engine anti-ice is left on in dry air, a hazard the FAA now limits in service… more…
Aviation history
Could a Mustang bring back a downed comrade?
Yes, and it happened at least once. On 18 August 1944, Lieutenant Royce "Deacon" Priest landed his P-51 Mustang behind enemy lines to rescue Major Bert… more…
Pieter van Marion (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What did the An-24 replace at Aeroflot?
The An-24 was designed to replace the Ilyushin Il-14, the veteran piston-engined transport, on short- and medium-haul routes. It was a 50-seat regional… more…
Military aviation
What did Ken Gatward do with a Beaufighter over Paris?
Gatward circled the Eiffel Tower at 12:27, Fern dropped a tricolour flag over the Arc de Triomphe, and Gatward strafed the Naval Ministry in Place de la… more…
Commercial aviation
Can you leave the airport during a layover?
Yes, you can leave the airport during a layover if three conditions are met: enough time (at least four or five hours), permission to enter that country (a… more…
Richard Opitz (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
At what altitude did the Ju 87 recover automatically?
About 450 m (1,480 ft): that was the usual minimum height at which the contact altimeter's light marked the bomb release point, and on release the Ju 87… more…
Physics of flight
Why does the speed of sound vary with temperature?
Sound is a pressure wave passed along by molecular collisions, so it travels faster when molecules move faster, and molecular speed is set by temperature. In… more…
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Aviation history
What did the wheels of the first Staggerwing do in flight?
They retracted: the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing, first flown on November 4, 1932, had retractable conventional landing gear, unusual for its time. That… more…
Foto: USAF, TSgt. Gary Tomoyasu (dominio público)
Military aviation
What is the MiG-29?
The MiG-29 is a twin-engine air-superiority fighter designed by the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau to counter the American F-16 and F-15. It first flew on 6… more…
Klinke & Co. (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Which aircraft was the Luftwaffe's last frontline biplane fighter?
The Arado Ar 68, the last biplane fighter to serve in the front line with the Luftwaffe. It entered service in early 1936 and the monoplane Bf 109 relegated… more…
Aviation history
How far did the Aerocar travel by road?
More than 200,000 miles (321,865 km) combined across the six Aerocars built, plus over 5,000 flight hours. During development, the Aerocar had logged about… more…
Eric Friedebach (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
How powerful was the pressurized Duke?
The Beechcraft 60 Duke was fitted with turbocharged Lycoming TIO541-B4 engines producing 380 horsepower (280 kilowatts) each. Those same turbochargers… more…
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Aviation history
How many Beech 18s were built?
More than 9,000 aircraft, making the Model 18 one of the most widely used light aircraft in the world. It was built continuously from 1937 until November… more…
Aviation history
What was special about the B-26 Invader rebuilt by On Mark Engineering (YB-26K)?
It was no simple touch-up: On Mark rebuilt the fuselage and tail, fitted a larger rudder and reinforced the wing with steel straps from tip to root; its… more…
Physics of flight
Why does a plane keep circling?
A circling aircraft is usually holding: air traffic control has asked it to fly a racetrack pattern while a runway, a weather cell or a traffic gap clears… more…
Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why was the MiG-25 designed?
As a high-altitude interceptor: in the late 1950s, Lockheed U-2 flights over Soviet territory revealed the need for an interceptor able to fly higher. Fast… more…
Fly-by-Owen (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What landing gear and canopy did the AISA I-11B have?
According to one account, AISA reduced the cockpit canopy and fitted tailwheel gear on the production I-11B. All-Aero claims the opposite: the I-11B was… more…
James St. John (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the Avrocar mistaken for?
A flying saucer: in flight, the Avrocar would have resembled one, and its disc shape with vertical take-off and landing reproduced the look and flight pattern… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why was the Constellation's fuselage so expensive to manufacture?
Because its profile changed continuously from nose to tail, with no two structural sections alike. That dolphin-like silhouette gave the aircraft its… more…
Aviation history
What was the first aircraft with a single turboprop?
The second prototype of the Boulton Paul Balliol, powered by the Mamba turboprop, was the world's first single-engined turboprop aircraft to fly. That flight… more…
Military aviation
Why was it said that Catalina crews needed a calendar?
The joke was about the navigator: critics mockingly said the Catalina was so slow that its navigator needed a calendar more than a stopwatch. Its top speed… more…
Military aviation
Did you know the F-104 was born from interviews with fighter pilots in the middle of the Korean War?
Yes. Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, vice president of engineering and research at Lockheed's Skunk Works, toured USAF bases in South Korea in November 1951 to… more…
Pedro Aragão (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many Alouette II had the Artouste engine and how many the Astazou in 1970?
On 21 May 1970, Alouette II orders totalled 1,200 aircraft: 923 with the Artouste engine and 277 with the Astazou. Three years earlier, on 1 June 1967, the… more…
Aviation history
What material were the fuel tanks of the Beech AT-10 trainer made of?
Made of wood: the AT-10's fuel tanks were wood coated with neoprene, a synthetic rubber. Beech built the fuselage from plywood and kept only the engine… more…
Eastern_Grey_Kangaroo_Feeding.jpg: Toby Hudson derivative work: Durova ( talk ) (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What did the Kangaroo do in its six months of war?
Anti-submarine patrols with No. 246 Squadron RAF, based at Seaton Carew, County Durham, which had six months of war operations: they sank one submarine and… more…
Military aviation
How fast does the SR-71 Blackbird fly?
The SR-71 Blackbird cruised at over Mach 3 (about 3,200 km/h) at 24,000 m (80,000 ft). Its official speed record is 3,529.56 km/h, set on July 28, 1976, and… more…
Aviation history
How was the B-17 prototype lost?
The Model 299 stalled and spun into the ground shortly after takeoff, and caught fire, during a test flight scheduled for October 30, 1935. Post-accident… more…
kenhodge13 (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
How many Airtrainers did Australia buy?
The RAAF ended up with 51 CT/4s: first 37 CT-4As from the initial production run, serials A19-027 to A19-063, and in 1981 another 14 that had been built for… more…
Aviation history
How many changes did the F4U-1 undergo during production?
Seven major changes were introduced to the F4U over a year and a half, each requiring research, engineering and testing. Among them, raising the pilot's seat… more…
Military aviation
What proportion of the fighter pilots aboard British carriers off Japan in 1945 were New Zealanders?
Towards the end of the war, around 50% of the aircrews in the Fleet Air Arm's carrier-based fighter squadrons were New Zealanders. New Zealand supplied more… more…
Military aviation
How were tools delivered to a damaged B-17 in mid-flight?
From another B-17: Lieutenant Colonel Conway S. Hall flew the Fortress from which special tools were cable-passed to a crewman leaning out of the radio hatch… more…
Aviation history
How long did the Boulton Paul P.120 last?
Very briefly: the P.120 first flew on 6 August 1952, with test pilot "Ben" Gunn at the controls, and on 28 August severe flutter caused it to lose the entire… more…
Unknown authorUnknown author (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What does "Fall Gelb" mean?
It means "Case Yellow": the name of the German plan to invade the Netherlands and France. It is also known as the Manstein Plan, after its planner, Field… more…
Aviation history
Why did the B7A have an inverted gull wing?
To shorten the main landing gear. The B7A adopted an inverted gull wing, similar to that of the F4U Corsair, for this purpose. Chief engineer Toshio Ozaki… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Where can you see the A320 that ditched in the Hudson River today?
At the Sullenberger Aviation Museum, formerly the Carolinas Aviation Museum, on the grounds of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North… more…
Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How did a gunner know he had hit a target Kingcobra?
With a light: each hit moved a counter in the cockpit and lit a large red light in the nose, in the space once occupied by the 37 mm cannon. Lights also… more…
Aviation history
How much more could a Horsa carry than the Waco CG-4A?
The Horsa carried considerably more: it had seating for 28 soldiers, or alternatively a jeep or an anti-tank gun, compared with the Waco CG-4A's 13 soldiers… more…
Michael Gaylard from Horsham, UK (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
Why did the Vancouver carry six firefighters?
Because it was designed specifically for that purpose: the Royal Canadian Air Force wanted a flying boat able to carry men and equipment to forest fires… more…
Aviation history
Which Bernard racing seaplane never flew despite its 2,200 hp?
The Bernard H.V.220, a French racing seaplane from the 1930s fitted with a 2,200 hp (1,641 kW) Lorraine 12Rcr Radium engine, never managed to fly. The… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Safety and accidents
Why did around 6,000 A320-family aircraft need a software change in just days in 2025?
The order did not affect the entire A320 family equally: it required replacing certain Elevator Aileron Computers, the ELAC B L104 units, before the next… more…
Pilz (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the Luftwaffe's main weapon in Norway: Stukas or fighters?
Neither: the most numerous type was bombers, 233 against 102 fighters. Dive bombers numbered only 39, and there were also 165 reconnaissance aircraft… more…
Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why was the Siskin notable in the RAF?
It was the first all-metal fighter operated by the RAF and one of the first new fighters to enter service after the end of World War I. The first Siskin IIIs… more…
Aviation history
At what speed did the F-14's wing sweep change?
It did not change at a single fixed speed: the Central Air Data Computer moved the sweep continuously between 20° and 68°, keeping it at the optimal… more…
Eduard Marmet (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What secondary advantage did the Caravelle's rear-mounted engines offer?
Quietness on board: with the jets placed behind the passenger cabin, interior noise was greatly reduced. The goal had been a clean wing optimised only for… more…
Wanderer, W. (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why is it called the Luftwaffe's "Black Thursday"?
Because of 15 August 1940, when the Luftwaffe flew the greatest number of sorties of the Battle of Britain and Luftflotte 5 attacked northern England. Of the… more…
Aviation history
Why was the F-111 called TFX?
TFX stands for Tactical Fighter Experimental, the program that produced the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. The USAF and Navy both wanted new aircraft when… more…
Aleem Yousaf (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What other manufacturer's name was added to the Vulcan in 1963?
Hawker Siddeley. From July 1963 the aircraft was officially renamed the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, although it had been designed and built by A.V. Roe and… more…
ZemplinTemplar (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many Saab 35 Drakens were built?
Saab built a total of 651 Drakens. Production was spread across series such as the 90 aircraft delivered between March 1960 and December 1961 and the 120… more…
Aviation history
What was the Hs 123 called in Spain?
In Spain the Henschel Hs 123 was known as "Angelito". Five aircraft were deployed in early 1937 as part of the Condor Legion, whose equipment list records… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
When did the Boeing 737 stop being the best-selling commercial aircraft?
In October 2019, when the Airbus A320 family surpassed it in total orders. In active fleet size, the A320 had already overtaken it in 2017. The 737 kept the… more…
Bahnfrend (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
What is the cabin of an aircraft?
On an aircraft, "cabin" refers to two different spaces: the cockpit (flight deck), where the flight crew operates the flight controls, and the passenger… more…
Aviation history
Why was the Bv 141 so unusual?
Because of its unusual structural asymmetry. The single engine was fixed directly to the front end of the tail boom, while the crew sat in a glazed Plexiglas… more…
Alan Wilson from Weston, Spalding, Lincs, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How did the AC-47 get its nickname?
It had two names: the nickname "Puff, the Magic Dragon", taken from a popular song by the trio Peter, Paul and Mary, and the radio call sign "Spooky". The… more…
Military aviation
What TV series was inspired by Pappy Boyington's life?
The series was Baa Baa Black Sheep, which aired on NBC from September 23, 1976, to April 6, 1978, across two seasons and 36 episodes. Its premise drew on the… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Which airline flew the first scheduled Constellation flight?
Pan American. On February 3, 1946, it became the first airline to operate scheduled Constellation flights, on the route between New York and Bermuda. This put… more…
Pedro Argao (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What is the most exported Spanish aircraft in aviation history as of 1982?
The CASA C-212 Aviocar, with 478 aircraft sold in total — a figure covering its whole commercial career, not just 1982 — of which 126 were built under license… more…
Jorge Láscar from Australia (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How high did the Concorde fly?
The Concorde had an operating ceiling of 18,300 metres (60,000 ft) and normally cruised between 15,000 and 18,000 metres, well above subsonic traffic. At that… more…
Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What powerplant was proposed for the Braemar II?
Four 400 hp (300 kW) Liberty L-12 engines, versus the four 230 hp Siddeley Pumas of the first prototype. With them the Mk.II reached 125 mph (201 km/h)… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Safety and accidents
Could Flight 1549's A320 have made it back to LaGuardia?
Only in the simulator: tests showed it could return to LaGuardia if it turned toward the airport right after the bird strike. Even so, only seven of thirteen… more…
Military aviation
Why did the US Navy prefer radial engines?
The US Navy knew radial engines were much simpler to maintain and that their rugged design could absorb combat damage and keep flying. An inline engine was… more…
Aviation history
Which 1920s aircraft was the largest in the world on its first flight?
Not the largest in the world: the Witteman-Lewis XNBL-1, the Barling bomber, was the largest aircraft built in the United States until the Boeing XB-15 of… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
What companies formed International Aero Engines to power the A320?
International Aero Engines was created in 1983 to develop the V2500, the turbofan aimed at the single-aisle, roughly 150-seat market. It was formed by… more…
Aviation history
At what distance does the AWG-9 detect a bomber?
The F-14's AN/AWG-9 could detect large bombers at over 150 nautical miles (NM). Against smaller targets, such as fighters, the estimated tracking distance… more…
SounderBruce (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How much does a Boeing 737 cost?
A new Boeing 737 MAX 8 was listed at $121.6 million in Boeing's last published price list (2019), but airlines in practice pay around half that thanks to… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Safety and accidents
Why did the Hudson A320 carry life vests and rafts even though its route didn't require them?
Because that specific aircraft was certified for extended overwater operations, so it carried extra vests, rafts, and slide-rafts, even though FAA rules… more…
Aviation history
What was Goodyear's inflatable airplane?
The Goodyear Inflatoplane was an experimental inflatable aircraft built by the Goodyear Aircraft Company. It was designed as a rescue aircraft that could be… more…
Korrigan (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Which seaplane was carried aboard the largest French submarine?
The Besson MB.411, a French two-seat observation and spotting seaplane designed by Besson. The French Navy needed an observation aircraft for its new… more…
RoyDickson (CC BY), vía commons
Records and curiosities
How long did a Bellanca Pacemaker fly without refueling in 1931?
84 hours and 32 minutes: on May 28, 1931, a Bellanca CH-300 with a diesel Packard DR-980 engine, flown by Walter Edwin Lees and Frederic Brossy, stayed… more…
Aviation history
Why did the Beriev Be-30 not succeed?
It never got past a minimal series: only three Be-30s and five Be-32s were built in the late 1960s before the program was cancelled. The aircraft, designed… more…
Military aviation
What were the names of the F-15 sale programs to Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia?
Three FMS program names: Peace Fox for Israel, which has received F-15s since 1977 in phases I, II and III; Peace Sun for Saudi Arabia, which requested the… more…
Commercial aviation
Who owns Boeing?
Boeing has no single owner: it is a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BA, with its capital spread among thousands of retail and… more…
Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Which Rocs ended up as machine-gun nests?
The last four Rocs stationed at HMS Daedalus, in Gosport, which lasted until late 1944 no longer airworthy, with their turrets still used for anti-aircraft… more…
Military aviation
What are drones?
Drones are aircraft with no pilot on board, controlled remotely or with varying degrees of autonomy; official terminology refers to UAS (unmanned aircraft… more…
Aviation history
Why did the Ju 87R-1 have long range?
Because the R series was the long-range version of the Ju 87 B, the R standing for Reichweite, "(operational) range." A B-series airframe gained an extra oil… more…
David Monniaux (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
Why do jet engines use kerosene?
Jet engines burn kerosene because it packs about 43 MJ/kg into a dense, cheap, easy-to-store liquid that stays fluid down to −47 °C (Jet A-1) and does not… more…
Military aviation
Where does the name of the E-7 Wedgetail radar aircraft come from?
The name comes from the wedge-tailed eagle, Australia's largest bird of prey. In 1996 Australia issued a request for tender for the RAAF under "Project… more…
Military aviation
Which fighter did most of the British Pacific Fleet's large aircraft carriers carry?
The Vought F4U Corsair, though not on every deck: of the British Pacific Fleet's six fleet carriers, Formidable, Illustrious and Victorious each carried 36… more…
Physics of flight
How far can the b 21 fly?
The B-21 Raider's range is classified: neither the US Air Force nor Northrop Grumman has published a figure (data of September 2026). The Air Force describes… more…
Military aviation
What are military aircraft like?
Military aircraft don't follow a single pattern: they range from 15-tonne supersonic fighters to transports of nearly 400 tonnes like the C-5 Galaxy. They… more…
Kmusser (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
Why doesn't a plane fly in a straight line?
Because the shortest route over a sphere isn't a straight line on the map but a great-circle arc, which on the standard projection appears curved toward the… more…
Foto: 4300streetcar (CC BY 4.0)
Commercial aviation
Did you know a 747-200 was tested at 385,560 kg?
The figure was actually slightly lower: 381.2 t (840,500 lb). On 1 November 1976, the first RB211-powered 747-200 set a world record for the greatest mass… more…
Commercial aviation
How does airbus name their planes?
Aeroméxico doesn't have Airbus aircraft because of a fleet decision, not a ban: it moved from DC-9s and MD-80s to Boeing 737s in the 2000s, and today operates… more…
Hansueli Krapf This file was uploaded with Commonist. (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Where can I track a flight?
To track a flight live, the most common option is a tracking website or app such as Flightradar24 or FlightAware, which show the position, altitude, speed and… more…
Commercial aviation
How fast does an Airbus A320 land?
An Airbus A320 lands at around 130-140 knots (240-260 km/h) indicated airspeed, with full flaps and landing gear down. The exact figure, called VAPP, is… more…
Aviation history
How many ANBO II and III aircraft were built?
The ANBO III was the first Lithuanian-designed aircraft built in series: two batches of four built in 1930 and 1931. The ANBO II, built in Lithuania in 1927… more…
SounderBruce (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
What was the problem with the Boeing 737 MAX?
The Boeing 737 MAX's problem was MCAS, an automatic system that pushed the nose down based on a single angle-of-attack sensor. Failures of that sensor caused… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Safety and accidents
Why were all Constellations grounded in the summer of 1946?
Because on July 11, 1946, a TWA L-049, the "Star of Lisbon," crashed near Reading, Pennsylvania, on a training flight after an electrical fire in the baggage… more…
Military aviation
Why was the sr 71 blackbird decommissioned?
The SR-71 was retired in 1990 because the Air Force judged it too expensive to keep flying, at hundreds of millions of dollars a year, when satellites and… more…
Peter Gronemann (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
How much does the Eurofighter cost?
A Eurofighter Typhoon costs around 100 million euros per unit in the most recent contracts: Spain's Halcón program paid 2,043 million for 20 aircraft in 2022… more…
Curimedia (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How fast does the a320 go?
An Airbus A320 cruises at about Mach 0.78, roughly 830 km/h (450 kn) true airspeed at 35,000 ft (10,700 m). Airbus gives a maximum operating speed of Mach… more…
Aviation history
How did the Tobul family prove their Corsair had fought in Korea?
With the logbooks: the family keeps the entries recording the types of missions flown and the targets attacked. The aircraft, bureau number 97143, was… more…
Aviation history
Why did the Aeromarine 700 use a simulated torpedo?
Because of limited payload capacity: with a payload capped at 700 lb, the Aeromarine 700 could only carry a light, simulated torpedo. The seaplane was… more…
Aviation history
How many Pups had been ordered when Beagle went bankrupt?
More than 250 Pups had been ordered, but Beagle's production stopped at aircraft number 152. In December 1969 the Government withdrew financial support for… more…
Nationalmuseet - National Museum of Denmark from Denmark (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why was Denmark also invaded in 1940?
Because securing the Skagerrak strait, between Norway and Denmark, required seizing Danish airbases. Capturing Aalborg airport was considered especially… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
What rival order pushed Airbus to launch the A320neo?
Republic Airways Holdings' order to Bombardier for 40 CS300s plus 40 options, closed in 2010. Republic then owned Frontier Airlines, an all-A319/A320… more…
Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many passengers did the Tudor 1 carry, despite being larger than the York?
Twelve passengers. The Tudor I was intended for the North Atlantic route, and the United States already had the Douglas DC-4 and the Lockheed Constellation… more…
Aviation history
How many Do 217 night fighters were there?
364: of the 1,905 Do 217s built in total, 1,541 were offensive aircraft and the other 364 were night fighters. Production ceased in May 1944. Of the J-1… more…
Aviation history
How did the operator guide the Bullpup missile?
Visually and with a stick: the pilot or weapons operator tracked the Bullpup by watching its flares and steered it toward the target with a joystick that sent… more…
Les Chatfield from Brighton, England (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
What is a "sniffer" in anti-submarine warfare?
A device that detected from the air the gases a diesel submarine released into the atmosphere. The British Autolycus, developed in the early years of the Cold… more…
Owen Rushby (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Did you know at what distance the Chain Home radar could detect aircraft?
The figure is not 193 km: Chain Home's range was 100 miles (160 km), which its experimental system had already exceeded in early 1936. With that margin, the… more…
Safety and accidents
How many USAF pilots died because of the F-104's downward-firing ejection seat?
Twenty-one USAF pilots failed to escape their damaged aircraft in low-altitude emergencies because of the downward-firing ejection seat on early F-104s. Among… more…
Dmitry Terekhov from Odintsovo, Russian Federation (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
How does an aircraft's autopilot work?
The autopilot is a control system that maintains attitude, heading, altitude and speed without manual input. It reads sensors (gyroscopes, accelerometers, air… more…
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
What other aircraft shares with the Chinook more than 60 years in production and front-line service?
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules. According to the model's history, the Chinook is one of the few aircraft developed in the early 1960s that, alongside that… more…
Foto: Adrian Pingstone (dominio público)
Commercial aviation
What is the Airbus A380?
The Airbus A380 is the largest passenger aircraft ever to enter service: a full-double-deck quadjet 72.7 m long with a 79.8 m wingspan and a maximum takeoff… more…
Aviation history
What was the most powerful single-engine fighter of the war?
The Boeing XF8B was the largest and heaviest single-seat, single-engine fighter developed in the United States up to that point. Its single Pratt & Whitney… more…
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Aviation history
How many Bristol Tramps flew?
None: two examples of the Tramp were completed in 1921, and neither of them ever flew. The power transmission system, particularly the clutches, caused… more…
No machine-readable author provided. Grimmi~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the first Avro to have a proper name?
The first Avro to bear a proper name was the Avro 523 Pike, a multi-purpose combat aircraft conceived to give the Royal Naval Air Service an anti-Zeppelin… more…
"Juanda Airport Apron" by This photo was taken with Casio Exilim EX-Z110 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.
Physics of flight
What fuel do planes use?
Jet and turboprop aircraft burn aviation kerosene — Jet A-1 almost everywhere, Jet A in the United States; the military use variants such as JP-8. Light… more…
Roman Raghu Shrestha (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Which was the first AS 350 to fly?
The first to fly was the initial AS350C prototype, fitted with a Lycoming LTS101 turboshaft, which made its maiden flight on 27 June 1974 at Marignane… more…
Toyocada (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Until when did the I-115 fly in the Spanish Air Force?
Until 1976: the I-115, redesignated E.9 in the Spanish Air Force, was in service from 1956 to 1976. About 200 aircraft were delivered, 150 of them already by… more…
Aviation history
Why did Bristol build the M.R.1 in metal?
Because of timber: rising aircraft production during the First World War put pressure on the supply of high-quality wood and sparked official interest in… more…
Aviation history
What unusual wheels did the Albatros G.II have?
It had a twin set of nose wheels, intended to reduce damage in nose-over accidents and while at rest with the centre of gravity shifted forward. That landing… more…
Bahnfrend (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How many Boeing 737 MAX planes have crashed?
Two 737 MAXs have crashed: Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018 in Indonesia (189 dead), and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019 (157 dead)… more…
Aviation history
What was the first British helicopter to receive a civil airworthiness certificate?
The Bristol Sycamore: on 25 April 1949 it was granted a certificate of airworthiness, the first awarded to a British helicopter. It was also the first… more…
Aviation history
Why is the F-16's seat reclined 30°?
To change the direction in which g-forces act on the pilot's body, which helps reduce risk, and because the reclined posture routes a greater share of that… more…
Brendan and Ruth McCartney (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Why did the Concorde stop flying?
The Concorde stopped flying in 2003 due to a combination of factors: Air France's crash in Paris (July 2000), the collapse of premium transatlantic travel… more…
Commercial aviation
Why are aircraft cabins pressurised?
Cabins are pressurised because at cruise altitude (10,000-12,000 m, 33,000-39,000 ft) outside pressure is a quarter of sea level and oxygen wouldn't be enough… more…
"Long Range Soviet Airliner Tu-114" by Peer.Gynt is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/.
Commercial aviation
How many seats does an airplane have?
There's no fixed number: it depends on the model and the configuration each airline chooses. A small regional jet has between 50 and 100 seats; a narrowbody… more…
William Pretrina (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
How many victories did Richard Bong, the greatest American ace of World War II, achieve, and in which aircraft?
Richard "Dick" Bong achieved 40 victories, all of them flying a P-38 Lightning, which made him the top-scoring American ace of World War II. He was followed… more…
Aviation history
What did the Super Guppy carry for NASA?
It carried complete Saturn V stages: it is the only aircraft to have transported a complete S-IVB stage, the rocket's third stage, weighing 27,000 lb (13,500… more…
Aviation history
How did the pilot fly the Beecraft Wee Bee?
Lying face-down: the Wee Bee was an all-metal monoplane in which the pilot flew in a prone position on a beam-shaped fuselage. He rested his chin on a thick… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
When was the wreck of the Air France Constellation that ditched off Turkey in 1953 found?
In 2018. The Turkish Navy located the wreck of the L-749 of Air France flight 152 at a depth of 842 feet; the aircraft had ditched on 3 August 1953 off… more…
Aviation history
How did the Blackburn T.B. aim to shoot down Zeppelins?
With Ranken incendiary darts: the T.B. carried three containers each holding 24 darts of 1 lb (0.5 kg). It arose from a British Admiralty requirement for a… more…
Aviation history
Why did the A.300 have a lower number than the A.304 despite being more advanced?
Because the numbering doesn't follow the development order: despite what it might suggest, the A.300 was an improved and refined version of the earlier Aero… more…
Mztourist (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many people were evacuated in the last 18 hours of Saigon?
About 8,000 people in 18 hours: 1,000 American civilians and almost 7,000 South Vietnamese refugees. Dozens of helicopters flew 600 sorties in that period to… more…
Roland Turner from Birmingham, Great Britain (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
Where did the Vulcan rank among the three V bombers to enter service?
Second. The Vulcan was the second of the Royal Air Force's three "V bombers"; together with the Valiant and the Victor it sustained Britain's nuclear… more…
Peter Gronemann (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
What is the Eurofighter?
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine air superiority and strike fighter developed by a consortium of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain through… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What is the only US presidential aircraft ever sold to a private individual?
The Columbine II, a Lockheed VC-121A Constellation built in 1948 that Eisenhower used as his presidential aircraft from 1954 to 1959, is the only presidential… more…
Dhaluza at English Wikipedia (CC BY), vía commons
Physics of flight
Why do planes use knots?
Aviation uses knots because a knot is one nautical mile per hour, and a nautical mile equals one minute of latitude on a chart. That link between speed… more…
Military aviation
What did Specification B.14/46, which gave rise to the V bombers, call for?
There's a mistake in the premise: the Vulcan did not come from B.14/46, but from Specification B.35/46 of January 1947, which called for carrying a 10,000 lb… more…
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK (CC BY), vía commons
Helicopters and drones
How many fully equipped soldiers could a Chinook carry in Vietnam?
The CH-47A, which the US Army took to Vietnam in 1965, could carry 33 soldiers. That was far more than originally requested: one Army faction wanted a… more…
Alan Wilson (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many Polish aircraft escaped to Romania in September 1939?
After the Soviet invasion, 17 Łoś and more than twenty Karaś reached Romania, where they were seized. Other surviving aircraft were captured or withdrew to… more…
Aviation history
Where did Germany test its fighter prototypes around 1930, far from its own territory?
At Lipetsk: Germany had a base there, in the Soviet Union, where two Arado Ar 64s were tested in 1931. Between July and August of that year, the first… more…
Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Where did British fighters operate from in Norway in April 1940?
In April 1940, No. 263 Squadron's Gladiators operated from a runway on the frozen lake of Lesjaskogsvatnet, in Oppland, south-central Norway. Eighteen… more…
UnknownUnknown (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the largest operational flying boat of World War II?
The Blohm & Voss BV 222 Wiking was the largest Axis flying boat to reach production and operational service during the Second World War. Its first example… more…
Motohide Miwa from USA (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
Why were some Catalinas called "Black Cats"?
Because some U.S. Navy PBYs were painted matte black for night bombing, torpedo, and strafing missions against Japanese supply ships and warships during the… more…
Tim Evanson (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
When did passenger airlines begin?
The first scheduled flight with paying passengers took place on 1 January 1914 between St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida, aboard a Benoist XIV flying boat… more…
Aviation history
What luxury did the cabin of the 1926 Aero A.23 have?
The first A.23 did not fly in 1925, but in 1926. The luxury of its cabin was a toilet at the rear, together with a window for each fixed seat and a 3 m (9 ft… more…
Military aviation
How many flight hours had Canadian CF-104s logged on average when retired?
Canadian CF-104s had logged an average of 6,000 flight hours when retired, three times that of German F-104s. Canadair built 200 CF-104s for the Canadian… more…
Military aviation
How many Axis aircraft faced the August 1942 Malta convoy?
The Axis had 784 aircraft ready to engage the British in Operation Pedestal, the Malta convoy of August 1942. Figures vary: a post-war count puts Italian and… more…
Alan Wilson (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why did the Bf 110 struggle against the P.Z.L. P.11?
The premise needs nuance: the P.11c was no match for the superior speed and firepower of the Bf 109 and 110. Where the Polish fighter had the edge was… more…
William Pretrina (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Why does the P-38 fly in the Heritage Flight alongside the F-35?
The link is the name. Lockheed Martin's F-35 is called Lightning II as a tribute to the P-38 Lightning, Lockheed's World War II twin-engine fighter. Flying… more…
Military aviation
What is the b-21?
The B-21 Raider is the US Air Force's next stealth bomber, built by Northrop Grumman to replace the B-1B and B-2 from the late 2020s. A two-crew flying wing… more…
Col André Kritzinger (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the South African M.B.326 called?
It was called the Impala. In 1964 South Africa obtained a license to build the Aermacchi MB-326, and in 1966 production of the Impala Mk I began: the Atlas… more…
Foto: Adrian Pingstone (dominio público)
Commercial aviation
How many passengers does the world's largest aircraft carry?
The largest passenger aircraft is the Airbus A380: certification allows up to 853 passengers in a single-class layout, though no airline reaches that figure… more…
Commercial aviation
What is the Airbus A320?
The Airbus A320 is a twin-engine, single-aisle, short-to-medium-haul commercial airliner with 150-180 seats, put into service by Airbus in 1988. It was the… more…
Aviation history
Did you know Polish and Czech squadrons fought in the Battle of Britain?
Yes: No. 303 Squadron, formed in July 1940 at Blackpool, ranked first among the battle's 66 Allied fighter squadrons with 75 confirmed victories. No. 310… more…
Aviation history
How much runway did the Breguet 941 need?
In its production version, the Breguet 941S needed a 185 m (607 ft) take-off run at a weight of 22,000 kg (48,502 lb). The 941S was powered by four Turbomeca… more…
Aviation history
How much armor did the AEG J.I carry?
The armor of the AEG J.I was about 5.1 mm thick and extended from the aircraft's nose to somewhat behind the rear cockpit. It added about 860 pounds (lb) of… more…
Military aviation
What did France demand after testing the Hispano-Suiza 8 at Chalais-Meudon?
That production of the 8A begin as soon as possible: that was how French officials reacted. The HS-31 had returned to Chalais-Meudon on 21 July 1915 and… more…
David Monniaux (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
What is the most modern Rafale?
The most modern Rafale in service is the F4 standard, qualified in 2023 and delivered to France since then in its F4.1 and F4.2 versions, with an upgraded… more…
Aviation history
Who crewed the Plus Ultra?
Four Spanish aviators: commander Ramón Franco, captain Julio Ruiz de Alda Miqueleiz, ensign Juan Manuel Durán and mechanic Pablo Rada. Franco and Ruiz de Alda… more…
paullymac (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
Why are military aircraft on flight radar?
Military aircraft appear on flight-tracking sites because many carry the same Mode S and ADS-B transponders as airliners and must broadcast their position… more…
Aviation history
How much fuel does a KC-10A Extender transfer?
It carries up to 356,000 pounds (161,000 kg) of fuel, almost double the KC-135's capacity. The refueling boom delivers a maximum of 1,100 US gallons (4,200… more…
emmett anderson (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
How many Anderson Kingfishers were under construction around 1982?
The figure on record is from 1978, not 1982: by then 200 kit sets had been sold and 100 Kingfishers were reported under construction. The EA-1 Kingfisher is a… more…
Peter Haas (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Why does Ryanair's 737 MAX 200 need a pair of extra doors compared with the MAX 8?
Because the MAX 200 is the high-density version of the MAX 8, with slimline seats and up to 200 seats in a single class, and that greater capacity requires a… more…
David Monniaux (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
How much does the Rafale F4 cost?
A new Rafale F4 costs between €80 and €100 million at the factory, but full contracts run about double: the UAE paid around €16 billion for 80 armed Rafale… more…
InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
What is the most expensive private jet in the world?
The most expensive private jet is not a small model, but the VIP version of a wide-body jet such as the Boeing 747-8, whose list price reached about 418… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
What was the NC-121D "Tripple Nipple"?
It was a US Navy WV-2 Warning Star, the flying radar derived from the Super Constellation, converted to observe objects moving at high speed through the… more…
Tulumnes (CC BY SA), vía commons
Records and curiosities
What speed record did Macchi start with?
With the M.39: its MM.76, flown by Mario de Bernardi, took first place in the Schneider Trophy at an average of 396.698 km/h (246.497 mph) and set a new world… more…
N509FZ (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How much does luggage cost with Aerolíneas Argentinas?
It depends on the fare booked, not the route: Aerolíneas Argentinas sells fare families where checked baggage may be included or charged separately. The… more…
Military aviation
Did you know there was an F-16 powered by the same type of engine as the F-104?
Yes: the F-16/79, a downgraded export version of the F-16 fitted with the General Electric J79 turbojet, the same engine used in the F-104 and the F-4. The… more…
Dmitry Terekhov from Odintsovo, Russian Federation (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How long did the Concorde take from Paris to New York?
Air France's Concorde covered Paris-New York in about 3 hours and 45 minutes of flight, compared to roughly 8 hours for a subsonic jet on the same route. It… more…
Aviation history
What distinctive tail did the Magister have?
A V-tail, also called a butterfly tail, which made it easily recognizable. A conventional tail was tested, but proved aerodynamically inferior at higher… more…
Aviation history
How much did the Bensen Mid-Jet weigh empty?
One hundred pounds, or 45 kg: that was the empty weight of the Bensen Mid-Jet, a small single-seat open-frame helicopter that Igor Bensen developed in the… more…
Donald Trung Quoc Don (Chữ Hán: 徵國單) - Wikimedia Commons - © CC BY-SA 4.0 International.(Want to use this image?)Original publication 📤: --Donald Trung 『徵國單』 (No Fake News 💬) (WikiProject Numismatics 💴) (Articles 📚) 20:25, 16 January 2021 (UTC) (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many civilians died in Rotterdam?
At least 1,150 people died in the German bombing of Rotterdam, of which 711 correspond solely to the attack of 14 May. Another 85,000 were left homeless. That… more…
Aviation history
What did propeller aircraft use to shoot down a MiG three days after the Phantom's first combat?
With their cannons. On June 20, 1965, two A-1H Skyraiders from VA-25 "Fist of the Fleet," embarked on USS Midway (CVA-41), were attacked by MiG-17s while… more…
Military aviation
What was the C-69B Constellation designed for?
To carry troops over long range and, specifically, to transport engines for the B-29 Superfortress bomber to China. Lockheed assigned it the internal… more…
Physics of flight
What wind tunnel did NACA use to study the Corsair, and how big was it?
The full-scale 30- by 60-Foot Tunnel at the Langley Research Center, in Hampton, Virginia. NACA dedicated the facility on 27 May 1931 and used it to test the… more…
Airwolfhound (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
Which Olympic champion had his own Spitfire?
Donald Finlay, a British hurdler, was not an Olympic champion: he won bronze in the 110m hurdles at Los Angeles 1932 and silver at Berlin 1936. He flew… more…
Aviation history
How much did the S-65's power grow between the first CH-53A and the CH-53E?
The original CH-53A was fitted with two General Electric T64-GE-6 turboshafts of 2,850 shp (2,125 kW) each; the CH-53E has three T64-GE-416, GE-416A, or… more…
Aviation history
Which RAF aircraft was the first with a two-speed supercharger?
The sources gathered do not confirm that it was the Whitley: what they do credit it with is being the RAF's first aircraft with a semi-monocoque fuselage. The… more…
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
How many international operators does the H-47 Chinook have besides the US Army?
Twenty. According to Boeing, the H-47 Chinook is the heavy-lift helicopter chosen by the US Army and 20 international operators (as of October 2026)… more…
Military aviation
How many passengers did BOAC's Hythe class carry?
The H.1 had 16 seats on a single deck, the H.2 added a promenade deck, and the H.3 carried 24 seats or bunks for 16. The six demilitarised Mark IIIs from late… more…
Aviation history
What part of the Viggen folds for storage?
The vertical stabilizer: an actuator allowed it to be folded down so the aircraft could be stored in smaller hangars, hardened shelters, and underground… more…
Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How often does an A320 family aircraft take off or land somewhere in the world?
According to Airbus, an A320 family aircraft takes off somewhere in the world every six seconds. The worldwide fleet had completed more than 176 million… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What cargo was the Super Constellation that crashed on a Miami neighborhood in December 1973 carrying?
Christmas trees. On 15 December 1973, the L-1049H N6917C, carrying them to Caracas, Venezuela, crashed into a residential neighborhood two minutes after… more…
Aviation history
Was a plane deliberately made less stable?
On the contrary: the DH.6 was criticized for being "too safe," with a response to inexperienced piloting too gentle to prepare pilots for combat aircraft. The… more…
Military aviation
Who achieved the first American victory at Pearl Harbor?
There was no single actor: the destroyer Ward and a patrolling PBY Catalina together attacked a Japanese midget submarine off the entrance to Pearl Harbor… more…
Aviation history
What French aircraft did Albatros build under licence early on?
An Antoinette monoplane: the first aircraft Albatros produced was a French Antoinette monoplane, built under licence. The company had been founded in late… more…
Peter Gronemann (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
How high do military aircraft fly?
Anywhere from about 75 m to over 20,000 m, depending on the mission. Transports and tankers fly like airliners, at 9,000-12,000 m (30,000-40,000 ft); fighters… more…
Pakistan Army (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What did Zia Ul-Haq call "peanuts"?
The $400 million US aid package that President Carter offered Pakistan to counter the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: $200 million in military equipment on… more…
Dmitry Terekhov from Odintsovo, Russian Federation (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
Why do planes retract their landing gear?
Planes retract their landing gear to cut aerodynamic drag: wheels, legs and shock absorbers exposed to the airflow slow the aircraft and force it to burn more… more…
Foto: Adrian Pingstone (dominio público)
Commercial aviation
How much is the airbus a380?
The Airbus A380's last list price was $445.6 million (as of January 2018), the highest in Airbus's range, which stopped publishing prices that year. Airlines… more…
Physics of flight
What flaw sank Vought's all-metal V-141 fighter?
It wasn't a single flaw: tests showed the V-141 still flew poorly, was prone to spinning, and also suffered tail flutter, which is why it was rejected. It… more…
Aviation history
Did you know the Antelope lost out to the Hawker Hart?
Yes: evaluated at Martlesham Heath against the Hawker Hart and the Fairey Fox II, the Avro 604 Antelope was rejected in favour of the Hart because of the… more…
Aviation history
What technique inspired the surveillance of the Ho Chi Minh Trail?
From anti-submarine warfare: Operation Igloo White's first acoustic sensors were developed from the US Navy's Project Jezebel sonobuoys, which recorded and… more…
Aviation history
What was special about the 1924 SIMB AB?
It was an all-metal aircraft in the heart of the biplane era, with straight-edged, slightly tapered wings and an unusual main-wheel mounting via a… more…
Aviation history
What did the RAAF do while it waited for its F-111Cs?
Facing delays with the F-111C, the RAAF leased 24 F-4E Phantom IIs from the USAF as a stopgap measure. The formal agreement was signed on 29 June 1970 for two… more…
Hoffmann (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What was the heaviest aircraft in the world in 1945?
The Blohm & Voss BV 238, a large six-engine flying boat, was the heaviest aircraft ever built when it first flew, in 1944, and the largest produced by any… more…
Aviation history
What code names did the British give to the jamming against Knickebein and to the system itself?
The British gave the Knickebein system the code name Headache, which the RAF also applied to its beams, and called Aspirin both the efforts to jam it and the… more…
Sergey Kustov (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How long does it take a Boeing to freeze?
There's no fixed time: in flight, a Boeing can build up ice on its leading edge in under a minute when flying through clouds with supercooled water, which is… more…
Aviation history
What was the first monoplane fighter of a US Navy squadron?
The Brewster F2A Buffalo, which in 1939 won a contest against the Grumman F4F Wildcat and became the US Navy's first monoplane fighter. On 8 December 1939… more…
Johnnyw3 (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
What is the Boeing 737 MAX 8 like?
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 (737-8) is a single-aisle jet 39.5 m long with a 35.9 m wingspan, powered by two CFM LEAP-1B engines, seating 162 to 178 in two classes… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What did the Australian and Breitling Swiss Super Constellations have in common?
They rolled off the factory line side by side: the Australian HARS aircraft, VH-EAG, is construction number 4176, and the Breitling aircraft is number 4177… more…
Aviation history
What happened to A. V. Roe's first biplane?
Brooklands circuit staff damaged it by carrying it by hand over a fence on the first race day on which Roe's shed served as a refreshment room. Roe repaired… more…
David Stowell (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What distinguishes the B.A.T. F.K.26 in the history of air transport?
That it is considered the world's first airliner. All other passenger aircraft of that era were converted military aircraft, whereas the F.K.26 was the first… more…
Aviation history
What was Operation "Circus" trying to achieve?
To draw Luftwaffe fighters into combat. Circus operations sent bombers over continental Europe with a massive fighter escort for that purpose. The first was… more…
MattiPaavola (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
Why do airlines cancel flights?
Airlines cancel flights mainly due to adverse weather, technical problems with the aircraft, lack of available crew within legal duty-time limits, air traffic… more…
Aviation history
Who founded Air Tractor?
Air Tractor is the work of Leland Snow, who had already designed his first crop-dusting plane, the S-1, in 1951, and had sold his earlier company, Snow… more…
Neozoon (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How did the Ju 52 minesweeper detonate mines?
With a large ring 14 m in diameter mounted under the fuselage, through which an electric current flowed. The magnetic field it created set off submerged… more…
Steve Knight (CC BY), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How big is the Boeing 737 MAX 8?
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is 39.52 m long (129 ft 8 in), has a wingspan of 35.92 m (117 ft 10 in) and stands 12.3 m tall (40 ft 4 in). It's the best-selling MAX… more…
Vincent de Groot - http://www.videgro.net (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How many gliders landed on Fort Eben-Emael?
Nine: the remaining nine gliders carrying the troops assigned to Sturmgruppe Granit landed successfully on the roof of Fort Eben-Emael. The group, with 85 men… more…
Physics of flight
What is the speed of a supersonic aircraft?
A supersonic aircraft flies faster than Mach 1, meaning more than 1,062 km/h at cruise altitude (1,225 km/h at sea level). Concorde cruised at Mach 2.04… more…
Johnnyw3 (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
When did the Boeing 737 MAX come out?
The Boeing 737 MAX was announced in August 2011, first flew on January 29, 2016, received FAA certification in March 2017 and entered service on May 22, 2017… more…
David Monniaux (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
Why is the rafale so expensive?
The Rafale is expensive because France developed it alone, without partners to share more than €40 billion of development cost, builds it at a low rate of two… more…
Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What 1947 prototype was still flying in 1969?
The second prototype of the Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador, registered G-AKRD, was still airworthy in 1969. The type had first flown on 10 July 1947, with the… more…
Aviation history
How far did Guilbaud fly with the CAMS 37GR?
22,600 km (14,000 mi) in 38 stages without incident. Guilbaud left the Étang de Berre on 12 October 1926 in the CAMS 37GR, with a Lioré-Olivier LeO H-194, on… more…
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
Which is the only unit that flies the MH-47 special operations helicopters?
The U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). The MH-47 is unique to this unit: a long-range Chinook with in-flight refueling and… more…
Aviation history
How many Venturas returned from the "Ramrod" 17 mission?
Two returned. The raid on Amsterdam was Ramrod 16: of the twelve Lockheed Venturas of No. 487 Squadron RNZAF sent on 3 May 1943, the only survivors were the… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Physics of flight
What was the purpose of the Constellation's curved fuselage?
To raise the tail and keep the fins clear of the propellers' turbulent airflow, while the nose dipped slightly to shorten the nose landing gear leg. That… more…
Lars Söderström (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What eclipsed the Bristol Britannia?
Pure jets, and in particular the Boeing 707: against it, the turboprop had become outdated. The 707 prototype flew in August 1954, and from then on Britannia… more…
Bill Abbott (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
How many wheels did each main landing gear leg of the Vulcan have?
Four pairs of wheels. Each main landing gear leg of the Vulcan ended in a bogie with four pairs of relatively small wheels, a design meant to spread the load… more…
David Monniaux (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
How big is the Dassault Rafale?
The Dassault Rafale is 15.27 m long, has a 10.90 m wingspan and stands 5.34 m tall, with a 45.7 m² wing area. It's a compact twin-engine fighter: it weighs… more…
Flavio~ from Mazkeret Batia, Israel (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
Did a trainer aircraft fight in the Six-Day War?
Yes: the Fouga CM.170 Magister, a jet trainer, went into combat with Israel's 147 Squadron in 1967, with 44 aircraft attacking targets on the Sinai front on… more…
calflier001 (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
How does each An-22 engine drive its propellers?
Each of the An-22's four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops, rated at 11,000 kW (15,000 shp), drives a pair of contra-rotating, constant-speed, reversible-pitch… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
How long did it take an R7V-1 to convert from a passenger plane to a freighter?
Two hours. The R7V-1, the US Navy's transport version derived from the L-1049B Super Constellation, could be quickly converted from a passenger aircraft… more…
Foto: USAF, TSgt. Gary Tomoyasu (dominio público)
Military aviation
Why was the mig 29 made?
The MiG-29 was built to give Soviet frontal aviation a light, agile fighter able to win air superiority over the battlefield against the American F-15 and… more…
Phil Parker from Leamington Spa, UK (CC BY), vía commons
Physics of flight
Why did supersonic planes stop?
Concorde stopped flying in 2003 because it no longer paid its way: it burned far more fuel per seat than subsonic jets, carried only around 100 passengers… more…
Military aviation
What did Vought change on the Corsair to make it carrier-capable?
Vought had to redesign the main landing gear, tailwheel and arrestor hook, add a bleed valve in the struts to curb bouncing, fit a bulged canopy and raise the… more…
RuthAS (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
How many cars fit in a Silver City "Superfreighter"?
Three cars of up to 14 ft (3.3 m) plus 20 passengers; with larger vehicles, only two and 12 passengers. The Superfreighter's lengthened nose, Silver City's… more…
Aviation history
Which production fighter was the first designed on purpose to be aerodynamically unstable?
It was the F-16, with one qualification of scope: the first production fighter deliberately designed to be slightly unstable from an aerodynamic standpoint… more…
RuthAS (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
How many rounds per second did the Ju 87G's BK 3.7 fire?
The Ju 87G's BK 3.7 had a rate of fire of 160 rounds per minute. Each of the two 37 mm cannons was mounted in an underwing gondola with a six-round magazine… more…
Records and curiosities
Which piston-engine fighter had the longest production run in US history?
The Vought F4U Corsair: built from 1942 to 1953, the longest production run of any American piston-engine fighter. The last Corsair built left the factory on… more…
"Long Range Soviet Airliner Tu-114" by Peer.Gynt is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/.
Commercial aviation
How much does the 737 max 8 cost?
Boeing's last published price list, in 2019, put the 737 MAX 8 at $121.6 million. The figure no longer means much: Boeing publishes no list prices now, and… more…
Physics of flight
How does a plane fly?
A plane flies by using engine thrust to move its wings through the air fast enough to generate lift greater than or equal to its weight. The wing's shape and… more…
Mateo fzo (CC BY SA), vía commons
Records and curiosities
Which actress was aboard Howard Hughes's record flight in a C-69 in 1944?
Ava Gardner, Howard Hughes's girlfriend at the time. She was traveling aboard the second production C-69 that Hughes and TWA president Jack Frye flew from… more…
Foto: Adrian Pingstone (dominio público)
Commercial aviation
When did the Airbus A380 come out?
The Airbus A380 was unveiled in Toulouse on 18 January 2005, first flew on 27 April 2005 and entered service with Singapore Airlines on 25 October 2007… more…
Aviation history
Why did Albatros's first bomber fail?
Albatros's first bomber, the four-engine G.I, flew on 31 January 1916 with Alexander Hipleh at the controls, and testing revealed not only poor flying… more…
André Gerwing (CC BY SA), vía commons
Military aviation
What did Josef Würmheller do at Dieppe?
On 19 August 1942, the day of the failed Allied attack on the port of Dieppe, Josef Wurmheller flew with his right foot in a cast and claimed eight victories… more…
Aviation history
How did the P-47's landing gear fit in the wing?
Thanks to a telescopic main landing gear: each leg lengthened by 9 in (23 cm) when extended and, when retracted, shortened by that same nine inches, so it… more…
Foto: 4300streetcar (CC BY 4.0)
Commercial aviation
How fast does a Boeing 747 take off?
A Boeing 747 leaves the runway at around 290-320 km/h (155-175 kn) when loaded close to its maximum mass; when light it can rotate below 270 km/h (145 kn)… more…
Military aviation
What designation did the F-104 receive in the Spanish Air Force?
The 21 Spanish Starfighters received the classification identity C.8 and CE.8. They came from the Military Assistance Program: 18 F-104Gs built by Canadair… more…
Aviation history
Why was the EF-111A unique?
During the 1991 Gulf War it was the only unarmed crewed aircraft to fly so deep into Iraqi airspace, usually accompanying strike packages on deep-penetration… more…
Commercial aviation
How high does an Airbus A320 fly?
An Airbus A320 cruises between 9,000 and 12,000 m (about 30,000 to 39,000 ft). Its maximum operating altitude is around 12,000 m (39,100 to 39,800 ft… more…
AVA Navigate (CC BY SA), vía commons
Commercial aviation
How big is the Boeing 737 MAX 10?
The Boeing 737 MAX 10 is 43.8 m (143 ft 8 in) long, has a wingspan of 35.9 m (117 ft 10 in) and stands 12.3 m (40 ft 4 in) tall. It is the longest 737 ever… more…
Aviation history
What did Japanese ace Tetsuzo Iwamoto die of?
Of sepsis arising from treatment for appendicitis. In 1953 he began suffering stomach pains, first diagnosed as enteritis and later identified as… more…
kitmasterbloke (CC BY), vía commons
Aviation history
Who won the first Victoria Cross for aerial combat?
Captain Lanoe Hawker, flying a Bristol Scout: on 25 July 1915, over Passchendaele and Zillebeke, he shot down two German aircraft and forced a third to… more…
Aviation history
How accurately did the X-Gerät guide a bomber?
The beam was only about 91 m wide at 320 km from the antenna, and in the attack on Birmingham almost all the bombs fell within 91 m of the Weser beam's centre… more…
Military aviation
Where was the Sunderland's fourth assembly line?
At White Cross Bay, on Lake Windermere: a new, albeit temporary, Shorts plant that turned out 35 aircraft. The programme's other three factories were… more…
Airwolfhound (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
When did the Spitfire retire from RAF service?
The RAF's last Spitfire offensive sorties were flown by Mk XVIIIs of 60 Squadron over Malaya on 1 January 1951. Its last operational flight came on 1 April… more…
Military aviation
What top speed was the F2G Super Corsair rated for?
The F2G's top speed was 431 mph (694 km/h; 374 kn) at 16,400 ft (5,000 m). It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Major, a 28-cylinder radial in… more…
Peter Gronemann (CC BY), vía commons
Military aviation
How many Eurofighters does Spain have?
Spain has around 70 Eurofighter Typhoons in service (as of September 2026), from the 73 delivered between 2003 and 2020, and has ordered 45 more Tranche 4… more…
Aviation history
Did you know Bert Hinkler flew solo from England to Australia in an Avian?
Yes. Bert Hinkler made the first solo flight between England and Australia: he left England on 7 February 1928 and reached Darwin on 22 February. He flew an… more…
Helicopters and drones
Why does the Sea King have a boat-like hull?
The amphibious hull allowed it to make water landings and, being completely watertight, to stay afloat on the ocean surface for extended periods. In the… more…
Military aviation
Did you know the F-104 was tested being launched like a rocket, with no runway?
Yes: the F-104 was tested with Zero-Length Launch (ZeLL), with the fighter on a short ramp and a booster rocket underneath that fired it into the air within… more…
Dwight Sipler from Stow, MA, USA (CC BY), vía commons
Physics of flight
How fast do hummingbirds flap their wings?
A hummingbird flaps its wings between 50 and 80 times per second during normal flight; the ruby-throated hummingbird, the common species in eastern North… more…
Aeroprints.com (CC BY SA), vía commons
Aviation history
What rocket did the South African Buccaneers carry?
They carried Bristol Siddeley BS.605 rockets, mounted in pairs and retractable, on the South African Air Force's Buccaneer S.50s. They burned hydrogen… more…
Aviation history
How many P-47s did the USSR receive?
Around 195 through the Lend-Lease program, with several lost in transit. Soviet Air Force General Staff archives record 190 P-47s received in 1944 and five in… more…
Aviation history
Where was the engine located in the Bell P-39 Airacobra?
In the center of the fuselage, behind the pilot: the P-39 drove a propeller in the nose through a long shaft. That shaft, 10 feet (3 m) long and built in two… more…
Aviation history
What does "Weserübung" mean?
"Weserübung" translates as "Weser Exercise": it was the code name for the German operation against Norway and Denmark. The final plan received it on 27… more…
Aviation history
Why did a large carrier bomber like the B7A operate from land?
Because by the time it entered production, the Japanese Navy had already lost its aircraft carriers, so its service was limited and land-based. The B7A was… more…

Aviation: questions and answers

Where were the elevators on the Vulcan B.1, given it had no horizontal stabiliser?

Where did the Trislander carry its third engine?

What were some Super Constellations used for in North American forests in the 1970s?

What is the speed of sound?

What was the Ju 52's "Doppelflügel"?

Who was the Avro Anson originally designed for?

How did Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, one of Japan's great aces, die?

How did Archie Donahue save almost his entire squadron when a kamikaze hit the USS Bunker Hill?

Where is Boeing made?

How fast does the boeing 747 fly?

What records did the Breguet 1001 Taon break?

How fast does the F-35 fly?

Who makes the Rafale?

What is the world's longest flight?

Where did the ShS's engine come from?

How many float-equipped Ar 66s were built?

How many orders did the Avro Canada Jetliner receive?

Which aircraft brought home nearly all the American wounded from Vietnam?

Why do contrails form?

Why did the Ar 232 go from two to four engines?

How many aircraft did the Axis lose in Crusader?

Why do jet engines have a spiral?

Why did the Vulcan 'howl' at air shows?

How many Concordes were built?

Why are the planes sunk in Lake Michigan so well preserved?

How fast does a supersonic plane fly?

Which aircraft caused the largest loss of American crew members in a single Cold War shoot-down?

What nickname did the Japanese give the Beaufighter?

What success rate does the Phoenix have in US Navy tests?

What happened to the German F-104 aerobatic team the day before the aircraft's presentation?

What did Orville Wright say after his last flight, aboard a Constellation?

What was the first delta wing produced by MiG's OKB?

Why are fighter jets so loud?

What was France's first commercial jet airliner?

How high does a Boeing 737 fly?

What happens if I put airplane fuel in my car?

Which helicopter earned the world's first civil certification?

Who founded Hispano-Suiza, and where?

What was unusual about the Ar 64c's propeller?

How long did the Ju 52 fly in the Swiss Air Force?

How many German aircraft did Polish fighters shoot down in 1939?

Why was the Bede HB-1 called Super Demoiselle?

Why does the Corsair have inverted gull wings?

How many Ju 52s were lost in the airborne invasion of Crete?

How many victories did René Fonck achieve?

Why did the US Navy train its carrier pilots on Lake Michigan during World War II?

How many Hurricanes were there compared to Spitfires in the Battle of Britain?

Which French aircraft introduced the retractable landing gear?

Where was the C-101 tested at low and high speed?

How does the sound barrier break?

How fast does the Su-57 fly?

Which airline was the first in Latin America to fly the Super Constellation?

Why are commercial flights safer than private?

Did the Spanish Air Force buy armed C-101s?

Which engine powered the two XF-104 prototypes?

How did the J.I strafe ground targets?

Who designed the C-101's rear fuselage?

Why was No. 23 Squadron RNZAF called the "Ghost Squadron"?

How many accidents did the FAA privately forecast over the 737 MAX's MCAS system?

What was the L-949 "Speedfreighter"?

How many missions did the US Navy's A-7 fly in Vietnam?

How many Army of Africa soldiers crossed the Strait by Ju 52 between 20 July and the end of August 1936?

What was special about the Avro 539's floats?

Which Italian canard fighter flew in 1939?

At what speed do military aircraft fly?

What exotic materials did the TSR.2 use?

How many M.B.326s did Alitalia buy?

Which was the first American fighter designed from scratch to naval specifications?

Why do the Corsair's wings join the fuselage at a right angle?

Why did VF-17's Corsairs carry a skull on the nose?

What happened when eight Ju 88s attacked a Sunderland over the Bay of Biscay?

How many Avro 504s had been built by 1918?

In which campaign did a paratrooper assault force act for the first time?

What was "Adlertag"?

How long were B-52 missions from Guam to Vietnam?

Why was the HH-53 called "Super Jolly"?

What did the Marines change on their Corsairs to operate from land bases?

Which musicians dedicated songs to the German Starfighter?

Which Boeing is the biggest?