Air & Space Airshow Spotter's Guide
You know how to tell a Viper from a Hornet, but does your airshow-newbie friend? Here are recognition tips, bite-size histories, specs and info links for the airplanes most likely to appear at airshows this year.
- By airspacemag.com
- AirSpaceMag.com, April 01, 2012
Illustrations by Harry Whitver
How to recognize: Twin piston engines, tapering flat-top fuselage and dolphin nose, twin vertical tails connected by a broad elevator, tubular steel fuselage, tail-dragging landing gear.
Claim to fame at airshows: In a black and crimson Beech 18, Matt Younkin moves from gentle barrel rolls into screaming dives and fluid yet precise loops. At some shows, a night display with strobe lights turns the former corporate transport into a flaming phantom.
Claim to fame in service: The Beechcraft 18 has earned a reputation as one of the most versatile and adaptable airframes and one of the longest production runs, with more than 9,000 copies produced from 1937 to 1969.
Mission: The basic Beech 18 has been adapted as a military trainer and called the C45; served as a corporate executive transport; light cargo hauler; ski plane; airline feeder; and air ambulance, among many other roles.
Performance and specifications: Models range from the Super H18with a cruising speed of up to 191 kts and a rate of climb of 1,400 ft/min, to the Turboliner that cruises at 243 kts and climbs at 1,520 ft/min. Its basic empty weight is about 5,845 pounds and its service ceiling 24,000 ft. With its maximum payload, two-man crew and up to nine passengers the Beech 18 can fly for up to 300 nm.
Main variants: Models C through H for civilian use, C45 and variants for military use, and a number of versions with more powerful engines, reinforcements for special missions, or custom interiors whether for luxury or for use in medical evacuation.
Links:
Matt Younkin Air Shows
Airliners.net
National Air and Space Museum
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Comments (1)
That is it? One (1) airplane ????? I know their are more aircraft in our stable. EDITORS' REPLY: There are more airplanes in the gallery at top. Click on an airplane to see its profile.
Posted by Lee Rickmers on September 2,2010 | 03:59 PM