Ref: AIR01013
Created: 07/06/2011
DE HAVILLAND DH.88 COMET RACER
Description: Geoffrey de Havilland built the Comet in 1934 to enter the England-Australia air race for the MacRobertson Trophy, held to celebrate the centenary of the state of Victoria. Three of the aircraft entered the race and one, named Grosvenor House, won it.
Description: The versatility and reliability of the Boeing 727 made it the best-selling airliner in the world during the first 30 years of civil jet aviation. Production of the 727 extended from the early 1960s to 1984. The original market forecast was for 250 airplanes - as it turned out, 1,831 were delivered.
Description: In late 1958 Boeing announced a design study for a twin-engined feeder airliner to complete the family of Boeing passenger jets. In February 1965 the first order was placed and the
project went ahead. The 737 has since become the best selling commercial aircraft in aviation history.
Description: The Yakovlev Yak-50 (Як-50) aerobatic aircraft is a single-seat all-metal low-wing monoplane with retractable main wheels and exposed tail wheel. The control surfaces are fabric-covered to save weight. The aircraft is not equipped with flaps.
The supercharged engine may be the Vedeneyev M14P (standard production line version), M14PF or M14R, producing between 360 and 450 hp and driving the propeller via a reduction gearbox. The landing gear, brakes and engine starter are operated by compressed air. Replenished by an engine-driven compressor, the main and emergency air bottles are contained within the forward fuselage between the firewall and fuel tanks.
The Yak-50 had exceptionally fine handling characteristics enhanced by a relatively high power-to-weight ratio. It has a tough and agile airframe - the type was twice World Aerobatic Champion. It was used as a military trainer by several countries.
Description: The Sukhoi Su-26 is a single-seater aerobatics plane from the former Soviet Union, powered by a single radial reciprocating engine. The Su-26 has mid-mounted straight wings and fixed landing gear, the main gear mounted on a solid titanium arc.
The Sukhoi Su-26 made its first flight in June 1984, the original four having a two-bladed prop. The production switched to the Su-26M, with refined tail surfaces and a German-made MTV-9 3-blade composite propeller. Further refinements were made, and the model won both the men’s and women’s team prizes at the 1986 World Aerobatics Championships. The modified Su-26M3 with the new M9F 430-hp engine dominated the 2003 and 2005 Aerobatic World Championships as well as the 2004 European Championships.