Greatest Aircraft Promo Video Ever Filmed

Here's the full Bo-105 video, complete with the phenomenal 1970s pimp music:

Video courtesy YouTube user "Flying Tiger", direct link HERE.

Draco - Mike Patey's Incredible PZL-104 Turbine Wilga

Sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time.

That's what I discovered early one morning when I discovered that one of the most interesting aircraft ever built was tied down just 20 minutes down the road from my house.

I'd heard about this project and had seen some very grainy video of an engine run. Naturally, I was looking forward to seeing it up at Oshkosh.

But then I found a video on Instagram showing it performing a ridiculously short landing in Middleton, Wisconsin, just outside of my home town, Madison.

I hopped into my car at about 7am and zipped over. Fortunately, I managed to obtain access to the ramp, and shot these photos with my iPhone.

The concept is a simple one...fit an extremely powerful turbine engine to a small STOL taildragger and enjoy the resulting 420hp increase over what was originally a 260hp radial piston engine.

But simple as the concept may be, the execution was anything but. Mike clearly poured his heart and soul into this project, altering the landing gear, the interior, the panel, the wingtips, and just about every other part of the aircraft.

Note the custom wingtips:

Once upon a time, it was a simple Wilga 2000:

The tailwheel yoke was customized in more ways than one:

I wasn't able to get a good shot through the windows due to glare, but this photo still shows the upgraded panel. And perhaps most notably, it shows how high the aircraft sits; this shot was taken from eye level!

Even though I've never met the man, I'll forever admire Mike Patey for his vision and execution of such a unique project.

While others spend their time and money restoring more T-6 Texans, or L-39 Albatrosses, or any number of aircraft types that regularly frequent the airshow circuit, Mike instead chose to create something completely new and different. Something that is entirely utilitarian and at the same time, entirely fun.

I can't think of any aircraft that would be more fun or effective at providing an escape to the most rugged, remote patches of mountain wilderness for backcountry getaways.

So to Mike, I say thank you. Thanks for creating an airplane that is so unique and original. And thanks for sharing it with us at Oshkosh.

And, if I may make a request, please consider restoring a PZL M-15 Belphegor to flying status. I think you're our only hope.

Hondajet Paint Scheme: 15 Years Old and Counting

The Hondajet is a unique aircraft in many respects. It's the first private jet to utilize overwing engine mounts. It's the first FAA-certified jet to be manufactured by a major automobile manufacturer. And it utilizes natural laminar flow technology on not only the wing, but also the nose section of the fuselage.

And it's unique in another respect. As far as I can tell, no other business jet model has gone fifteen years without any significant changes to the stock factory livery.

Thus far, despite having built over 85 examples, Honda has only changed the accent color. In the case of their largest customer, Wijet, has painted more of the vertical stabilizer as shown here:

But with those two very minor exceptions, the Hondajet paint scheme has remained essentially unchanged since its first flight back in 2003.

Why?

Does some kind of technical limitation exist? Must the forward fuselage be painted differently than the aft for some reason? Does Honda lack the technical ability to alter the overall pattern during the manufacturing process?

It's possible that Honda does, in fact, offer different paint designs to their customers. Which then begs the question, why do none opt for something different? Perhaps the change would result in added expense, but with a sticker price of around $6 million, one would think such a change would be a relatively minor addition.

While it would be nice to see more variety for variety's sake, it would also be interesting to see how various paint schemes would hide...or reveal...the bulbous cockpit section.

The addition of a dark mask surrounding and extending beyond the cockpit windows could add visual length, nicely streamlining the look and proportions of the fuselage. And contrasting or blending the colors of the engine nacelles and rear fuselage could visually highlight or hide them, respectively, according to the customer's preference.

If anyone has any first-hand info regarding the stagnation of the Hondajet color scheme, and can explain why it has remained essentially unchanged since the jet's debut in 2003, please share in the comments.

Sreya SA-6 Envoy

Here's an odd one. The Sreya SA-6 Envoy single-engine turboprop. It was displayed at Oshkosh/Airventure 2007 and, as far as I can tell, never flown. 

Designed by a guy named Rienk Ayers (notice the spelling of the aircraft company), the Envoy was intended to be offered with either retractable gear or, as pictured, with rather ungainly fixed gear.

The base price was based upon the aircraft being equipped with a Walter M601 powerplant fitted with a three-blade prop. The base version was also intended to be unpressurized, with fixed landing gear.

Strangely, although the project seems to have been abandoned and the airframe left to rot at Santa Maria Public Airport in California, the website (http://www.sreyaaviation.com) is live and suggests the first flight and bustling production are imminent.

But then, isn't that so often the image that is intensely cultivated by would-be airframe manufacturers? 

Cessna 340 Single-Engine Turboprop Conversion

I'm not sure who did this or where the airframe is now, but these are the only photos I know of that show this (presumably) one-off Cessna 340 single-engine turboprop conversion:

If any of you can make out the tail number, or know who built this and/or what happened to it, please let me know in the comments!

Douglas C-54 Assembly Line, 1944

A great shot of the Douglas C-54 assembly line in Park Ridge, Illinois. This shot was taken in 1944, when the line was reportedly running 15% ahead of schedule.

High resolution version of this shot available here.

Exquisite Advertising

SNCASO Deltaviex

The striking SNCASO Deltaviex; a dangerous compilation of ideas that nevertheless went on to be tested and explored successfully. 

For example, most would agree that it would be a good idea to equip a single-engine, swept-wing jet designed to test new control concepts with an ejection seat. The Deltaviex, however, had none.

Similarly, most would probably also agree that an aircraft that requires compressed air from the engine to maintain control should probably have multiple engines for redundancy. 

Not the Deltaviex.

The Deltaviex’s primary research goal was to explore “blown” control surfaces; the trailing edges of the wing and vertical stabilizer had a huge number of tiny holes (not unlike an air hockey table) through which compressed air would be blown for roll and yaw control. 

So if the lone engine were to have failed, the Deltaviex would become an extraordinarily poor glider with little to no means of directional control and no way for the pilot to escape.

All turned out ok, though...no lives were lost to the Deltaviex.

And the story indeed has a happy ending...despite having wound up serving as a billboard by a garage owner, the aircraft was saved and restored by a wonderful aviation enthusiast group called Ailes Anciennes Toulouse, where it is now on display. 

Perception vs Reality

Top photo: How I feel when I fly.

Bottom photo: How I look when I fly.

Traffic jams would be far more tolerable if they were caused by F-14 Tomcats.

Lesher Nomad and Teal

Back in the 1960s, professor of aerodynamics Ed Lesher designed two airplanes...the two-place Nomad (top), and the single-seat Teal (bottom).

Both utilized the 100hp Continental O-200 engine (as in a Cessna 150) and pusher propellers. 

The Nomad's wing was about half the size of a Cessna 150 wing. Accordingly, cruise and stall speeds were each about 20 knots higher than the Cessna.

After experimenting with the Nomad, Ed decided to create a single-seat version specifically to break records. He came up with the Teal, which had an even tinier wing at only 60 square feet.

The Teal broke many records, including setting a closed course speed of 181.55 mph and a separate distance record of 1,835 miles.

To break these records, Ed took weight savings to the extreme. The Teal's main landing gear retraction mechanism was one example: he simply reached over his shoulders, grabbed two rings, and pulled the main gear up into the retracted position via cables. He also worked out to lose weight of his own before setting the distance record.

Presently, the Nomad is on display at the University of Michigan, where Ed taught. And the Teal is on display at the EAA museum in Oshkosh, WI.      ⠀  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  ⠀⠀⠀⠀  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀