"In 1920, the Fokker F.VII airliner was produced by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary, Atlantic Aircraft Corporation and other companies under license. The original Dutch design of 1924 was a single-engined high-winged monoplane. Fokker modified the design with two additional engines to enter the Inaugural Ford Reliability Tour in 1925 , in which it won. Consequently, the production versions F.VIIa/3m, F.VIIb/3m and F.10 all had three engines and the aircraft became popularly known as the Fokker Trimotor. The F.VII was the aircraft of choice for many early airlines, both in Europe and the Americas. Along with the similar Ford Trimotor, it dominated the American market in the late 1920s. However, the popularity of the Fokker quickly came to an end after the death of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne in the crash of TWA Flight 599. The subsequent investigation, which revealed problems with the Fokker's ply-wood laminate construction, resulted in the banning of the aircraft on commercial flights and the rise of all-metal aircraft, such as the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The F.VII was a 10-seat transport using one 400-hp Gnome-Rhone Jupiter 9-cylinder radial piston engine therefore, giving the airplane a maximum speed of 115 mph, cruising speed of 96 mph, service ceiling of 8,530 feet and a range of 721 miles. The F.VII was used by many explorers and aviation pioneers, including Richard E. Byrd, Lester Maitland, Albert Hegenberger, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Amelia Earhart and Carl Spaatz. "
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"The 5-AT Ford Tri-motor is a rugged, dependable transport airplane which became the most famous Ford Tri-motor aircraft. The incredible durability of the aircraft was well-proven by NC9683, the thirty-ninth 5-AT built by Ford. On April 12, 1929, 5-AT was sold to Southwest Air Fast Express (SAFE). The company had built 199 %-AT models. It has flown the routes of Colonial Air Transport and later, flew the transcontinental route between Cleveland and Los Angeles. In May 1934, the 5-AT was transferred to the Chicago base and in 1935, it retired from the American Airlines. It was sold to TACA International Airlines and operated in Nicaragua. In 1946, the 5-AT was sent to Mexico, wherein it was used for passenger and cargo hauling until 1954, then, it was sold to a crop-dusting company in Montana. The aircraft ended up beside the a small airfield as someone's living quarters. In 1960, American Airlines required NC9683 and was restored. It was seen flying public relations tours promoting the airline. In November 1962, the NC9683 had made the first regular commercial flight from the new Dulles International Airport, Virginia. The NC9683 was donated to the National Air and Space Museum, hanging in the Air Transportation gallery."
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"Dornier Do X is the largest, heaviest and most powerful flying boat produced by the Dornier company in 1929. On February 20, 1929, the Do X test flight was complete, having 71 flights and had been airborne for 37 hours. Due to several lack of interest and a number of accidents, though not reported to be fatal, had prevented more than three models from being built. On July 12, 1929, it was launched for its first test flight, wherein it broke the world record for the number of people aboard an airplane. On Novermber 3, 1930, the Do X took off from from Friedrichshafen, Germany, commencing a transatlantic test flight. On August 27, 1931, the aircraft went of north to the United States, reaching New York, wherein it spent the next nine months for its scheduled overhaul. The Do X had an all-duralumin hull, with wings made of a steel-reinforced duralumin framework covered in heavy linen fabric, covered with aluminum paint. Do X has a maximum speed of 211 km/h and a range of 1,700 km. It has a seating capacity of 66-100 passengers. Luxurious accommodation approached the standards of transatlantic airliners. The Do X was featured in Michael Murrcock's alternate universe fiction, symbolizing power and style emblematic of the lost era of the 1930's. It was also featured in the 1934 movie, The Perils of Pauline, wherein it featured historic footage of the Do X's flight and in 1985 music video of the Alphaville pop group. Do X was also featured in an episode of Lupin III, Albatross: Wings of Death, wherein it depicted a twin-tail, having only five engines."
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"The DC-7 is an American aircraft built by Douglas Aircraft company in 1953 to 1958 and was the last major piston engine powered transport of Douglas. The early DC-7s were only sold to US carriers. The extended range variant of the DC-7, the DC-7C ""Seven Seas"" was released by the Douglas Aircraft since European carriers could not take advantage of he small range increase in the early DC-7. Pan American Airlines used the DC-7C aircraft to inaugurate the first non-stop New York-London service. Pan Am flew the DC-7Cs for only two and and a half years before entering the jet age. The DC-7 is the largest propeller transport aircraft that Pan Am has ever used. The DC-7C was also used by several other overseas airlines' fleets. In 1959, Douglas began converting DC-7A and DC-7C aircraft into DC-7F freighters, extending the life of the aircraft past its viability as a passenger transport."
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"The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed wing, propeller-driven aircraft and is generally considered one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made. The DC3's maiden fight was on December 17, 1935. DC3's were drafted for the war effort and nearly 10,000 military versions were built during World War II and were designated as C-47, C-53, R4D and Dakota. The DC-3 and its military variants were used by the Armed Forces for the transport of troops, cargo and wounded. Both Delta and Continental Airlines operate DC-3s. It was also used to fly air shows today and has been used in various movies. Thousands of surplus C-47s were converted to civil service, became the standard equipment of most world's airlines and it remained in front-line service for many years. The DC-3 has a maximum speed of 237 mph and a range of 1,025 mi. There were 10,655 DC-3s built at Sta. Monica, California and Long Beach, California, both in civil and military versions. In 1998, there are over 400 DC-3s which remained in commercial service."
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"The B & W Seaplane, also known as the Boeing Model 1, was the first Boeing product. It was named after the initials of its designers, William Boeing and Lieutenant Conrad Westervelt of the US Navy. The first B&W, completed in June 1916, was made of wood, linen and wire. Similar to the Martin trainer that Boeing owned, the B & W had, among other improvements, better pontoons and a more powerful engine. The two B & Ws built were offered to the US Navy, but the Navy was not interested. They were sold to the New Zealand Flying School and became the company's first international sale. On June 25, 1919, the B & W set a New Zealand altitude record of 6,500 feet. The B & Ws were later used for express and airmail deliveries, making New Zealand's first official airmail flight on December 16, 1919. The B & W Seaplane has a crew of two. It has a maximum speed of 75 mph and a range of 320 miles. It incorporates a Hall-Scott A-5 Straight-6 piston engine. The primary user of the B & W Seaplane is the New Zealand Flying School. There's a total of 2 B & W Seaplanes built."
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"The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser is a luxurious propeller airliner manufactured by Boeing. It was developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter. The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was the civilian version of the C-97 Stratofreighter, which in turn was derived from the B-50 Superfortress. It first flew on July 8, 1947. Despite serious design flaws and a marginal service record, the Stratocruiser was considered one of the greatest post-war propeller airliners. Extremely complex and expensive, only 56 were built. It continued in mainline service until 1960, when it had been made obsolete by the coming of the 707 and other first generation jetliners. The Boeing 377 Stratofreighter has a seating capacity of up to 100 passengers on main deck plus 14 in lower deck lounge. It has a maximum speed of 375 mph and a range of 3,650 nm. It incorporates four Pratt & Whitney R-4360-B6 Wasp Major 28-cylinder radial engines four-bladed propellers with 3,500 hp each. The primary users and operators of the Boeing 377 Stratofreighters are the Pan Am and the BOAC."
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"Ted is one of two airline divisional brands of United Airlines similar in concept to the Delta Shuttle or the US Airways Shuttle, but specifically targeted to compete effectively in the low cost airline market. The airline is equipped with 57 Airbus A320 aircraft, in a 156-seat all-economy configuration. The A-320 is a short-to-medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. Ted was created to give United a way to compete with low-cost airlines, such as Frontier and Southwest. Ted A320s are configured in one class that is split into two sub-classes. Economy Plus is the first sub-class which provides an extra 4 inches to the existing 31 inches of legroom for economy. "
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"The TH-55 Trainer or better known as the TH-55 Osage was two-seater light pilot training helicopter used by the U.S Army. The Trainer was initially designed as a fully-glazed cockpit with seating for two pilots, or a pilot and passenger. It also had an open-framework fuselage and a three-blade articulated rotor. Manufactured by Hughes Helicopters, the TH-55 Trainer first flew in October 1956. It was produced as the Model 269 family of light utility helicopters, some of which were marketed as the Model 300. Also known as the Hughes 269 was created with a fully articulated, counter-clockwise rotating, three-bladed main rotor, and a two-bladed tail rotor that would remain as distinctive characteristics of all its variants. It also has shock absorber-dampened, skid-type landing gear. The flight controls are directly linked to the control surfaces of the helicopter so there is no hydraulics in the 269. There are generally two sets of controls, although this was optional on the civil 269A. The TH-55 Trainer was powered by a Lycoming O-360-C2B four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine providing a top speed of 136 km/h and a flying time of 2.6 hours. "
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"The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopter is the newest aircraft in the US Navy's fleet. It is replacing SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters and combines the capabilities of these aircraft. The helicopter is equipped for a range of missions including: anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), naval gunfire support (NGFS), surveillance, communications relay, logistics support, personnel transfer and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). For vertical replenishment missions the helicopter is fitted with a 2,721.55kg (6,000lb) cargo hook. Lockheed Martin, Owego, is the mission systems integrator. The maiden flight of the MH-60R took place in July 2001. The first low-rate initial production (LRIP) helicopters were remanufactured SH-60Bs but following MH-60Rs are all new-build. The first new production MH-60R helicopter was delivered in August 2005. Operational evaluation (OPEVAL) was completed in October 2005 and full-rate production approved in April 2006. Production levels are planned to increase to up to 30 helicopters a month. The US Navy expects to operate 252 MH-60R helicopters by 2015."
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"The CV-22 Osprey is a joint service, multimission, military tiltrotor aircraft. It combines the vertical takeoff and landing qualities of a helicopter with the long range, fuel efficiency and speed characteristics of a turboprop aircraft. Built by the joint development team of Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing Helicopters collectively known as Bell Boeing, its primary role is to conduct long range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions for special operations forces. The CV-22 is the United States Air Force version of the US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey. Formally approved for full-rate production by the Pentagon on September 28, 2005, the Osprey is the world's first production tiltrotor aircraft. The CV-22 is versatile and self-deployable, offering increased speed and range over other rotary wing aircraft. It can perform missions that would normally require both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. It is equipped with integrated threat countermeasures, a terrain-following radar, a forward-looking infrared sensor, and other advanced avionics systems that allow it to operate at low altitude in adverse weather conditions and medium to high threat environments. The first two test aircraft were delivered to Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California in September 2000 for flight testing. The first operational CV-22 was delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico on March 20, 2006, and aircrew training began in August 2006. Initial operating capability of the aircraft is scheduled for 2009, with a total of 50 CV-22s delivered by 2017. "
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"The AH-1G Cobra was developed by Bell featuring a new wide bladed rotor and slim fuselage that gave it twice the speed of the UH-1B or Huey. The Cobra aircraft is armed with 2.75 inch Folding Fin Aerial Rockets and a chin turret on the M28/M28A1 armament subsystem. The AH-1G Cobra or Snake was first set up on September 1967 in Vietnam. The principal mission of the AH-1G was to give fire support to troop carrying Hueys. During the Vietnam War the AH-1G Cobra was used in a lot of missions from armed escort and reconnaissance to fire suppression and aerial rocket artillery. The AH-1G Cobra was always paired with an unarmed OH 6A Cayuse Loach or OH58A Kiowa light observation helicopter or a UH-1H Night hawk. The AH-1G Cobra was also equipped with Cobra Night Fire Control System or CONFICS and the Southeast Asia Multi Sensor Armament Subsystem for Huey Cobra or SMASH to provide the AH-1G with the capability of detecting, identifying and targeting ground targets during day or night operations. The AH-1G is one of the high performance attack helicopters in history. Some of the specifications of AH-1G Cobra are as follows: for the crew, the helicopter allows one pilot and one CPG; its length is 44 ff and 5 inches, rotor diameter is 44 ft, height is at 13 ft and 5 inches, weight when empty is 6,073 pounds, maximum take off weight is 9,500 pounds, power plant is 1x AVCO Lycoming T53L-13 turbo shaft, and the rotor system has 2 blades. "
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"The CH-53E Super Sea Stallion is the largest and heaviest helicopter in the history of the United States Military. The CH-53E is commonly referred to as the Hurricane Maker. Built by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Marine Corps, the CH-53E served both the Navy and Marines in the heavy lift transport role. The CH-53E Super Sea Stallion is the larger version of the CH-53 Sea Stallion. The CH-53E Stallion was configured with 3 gas turbine engines and in flight refueling. The said aircraft was used to transport personnel and equipment, lift heavy loads and conduct minesweeping missions. In addition to that, the CH-53E is also used for long range delivery and re supply of special operations and combat rescue missions. The CH-53E Super Stallion van transports up to 55 troops and has an external load lift system that allows the helicopter to carry a load up to 16,330 kg. The CH-53E has a speed of 278 km/h and a maximum un-refueled range of 2,000 km. The range and endurance of the CH-53E can be extended by Flight refueling. The general characteristics of the CH-53E are as follows: 2 pilots, 1 right gunner, 1 left gunner, 1 tail gunner, the capacity of the CH-53E aircraft is 37 troops, payload is at 32,000 pounds, length is at 99 ft and ½ inches, rotor diameter is at 79ft, height is at 27ft 9 inches, Disc area is at 4,900 square feet, empty weight is 33,226 pounds, maximum take off weight is 73,500 pounds and the power plant is 3x general electric T64-GE-416A turboshafts, 4,380 shp each. For the performance of the CH-53E Super Stallion, the maximum speed is 170 knots, range is 600 nm, service ceiling is at 18,500 ft, rate of climb is 2,500 ft/min and the armament are guns, chaff and flare dispensers. "
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"The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (NATO reporting name Fagot) was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where it outclassed all enemy fighters except the F-86 Sabre. The MiG's combat success and its dependability made the plane very popular with Eastern Bloc and Communist nations around the world. Since 1950 roughly 7,500 MiG-15s have been built in Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and China. The MiG-15 arguably had sufficient power to dive at supersonic speeds, but could not do so because it did not feature an ""all-flying"" tail. As a result, the pilot's ability to control the aircraft deteriorated significantly as Mach 1 was approached. Later MiGs would incorporate all-flying tails. A variety of MiG-15 variants were built, but the most common was the MiG-15UTI (NATO reporting name Midget) two-seat trainer. The MiG-15 was widely exported, with the People's Republic of China receiving MiG-15bis models in 1950 and is also believed to have been the most numerous jet aircraft ever made, with over 12,000 built. In the late 1980s, the first MiG-15 appeared on the civilian register in the USA, and in the last decade, at least 20 have been licensed as warbirds around the world. "
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