Aviation History
Aviation History features articles on the outstanding aircraft built by Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace/Learjet, Cessna and Raytheon/Beechcraft, along with the History of Kansas Aircraft Manufacturing and Kansas Aviation Historical Anniversaries.
"Kansas sometimes seems to have more sky than ground. So much sky that people walk outside and naturally look up. So much sky that it seems at times to overtake the ground. So much sky that it almost seems to invite dreamers and explorers to test the limits". - Anonymous
Recent Aviation HistoryU.S. AIR FORCE TEST PILOT SCHOOL HISTORY The fundamental key to success in aerospace flight test and evaluation is the individual member of the flight test team: the flight test pilot, of course, but nowadays the trained flight test engineer and navigator as well. Wichita's Wee Wooden Wonders, Part 5 When World War II grew in scope and intensity, the military wanted some cheap light planes which could be fitted with remote controls for use as target drones, to train aerial and anti-aircraft gunners – but which could hold a pilot for ferrying and other flights. Wichita's Wee Wooden Wonders, Part 3 In 1929, restless young Al arrived to attempt starting a company of his own in Wichita, Kansas, the "Air Capital City" – already home to several plane manufacturers – and 1929's largest civilian plane maker, Walter Beech's Travel Air. Wichita's Wee Wooden Wonders, Part 2 Alexander turned to engineer Noonan, and directed him to create a new plane design, from scratch, using some of the extra parts acquired with the Longren fleet. It was a daunting task, made all the more difficult by the fact that Noonan was only a "shirtsleeves" engineer, lacking the formal training of a "real" engineer. Wichita's Wee Wooden Wonders Kansas has many famous general aviation plane-makers today. But there is another legendary general aviation airplane manufacturer -- still very much alive today -- that started in Wichita, as well: Mooney Aircraft. Boeing F-86 Sabre Jet The first swept-wing airplane in the U.S. fighter inventory, the F-86 scored consistent victories over Russian-built MiG fighters during the Korean War, accounting for a final ratio of 10-to-1.
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