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Waco Aircraft
The Waco Aircraft Company (WACO) was an aircraft manufacturer located in Troy, Ohio, United States. Between 1920 and 1947, the company produced a wide range of civilian biplanes. The company initially started under the name Weaver Aircraft Company of Ohio but changed its name to the Waco Aircraft Company in 1928/29. Company name WACO (referring to the aircraft) is usually pronounced "wah-co" (the first syllable pronounced as in "water"), not "way-co" like Waco, Texas, whose name is entirely unrelated. Several companies operated under the Waco name, with the first company being the Weaver Aircraft Company, a firm founded by George E. Weaver, Clayton Bruckner, and Elwood Junkin in 1920 in Lorain and Medina, Ohio after they had already been collaborating for several years. In the spring of 1923 this became the Advance Aircraft Company in Troy, Ohio, after the departure of Weaver. In 1929, it was changed from Advance Aircraft Company to Waco Aircraft Company. The firm is often ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astronautics. Aerospace organizations research, design, manufacture, operate, maintain, and repair both aircraft and spacecraft. The border between space and the atmosphere has been proposed as above the ground according to the physical explanation that the air density is too low for a lifting body to generate meaningful lift force without exceeding orbital velocity. This border has been called the Kármán line. Overview In most industrial countries, the aerospace industry is a co-operation of the public and private sectors. For example, several states have a civilian space program funded by the government, such as NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the United States, European Space Agency in Europe, the Canadian Space A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Military Glider
Military gliders (an offshoot of common gliders) have been used by the militaries of various countries for carrying troops ( glider infantry) and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g., C-47 Skytrain or Dakota, or bombers relegated to secondary activities, e.g., Short Stirling. Most military gliders do not soar, although there were attempts to build military sailplanes as well, such as the DFS 228. Once released from the tow craft near the front, they were to land on any convenient open terrain close to the target, hopefully with as little damage to the cargo and crew as possible, as most landing zones (LZ) were far from ideal. The one-way nature of the missions meant that they were treated as semi-expendable leading to construction from common and inexpensive materials such as wood. Most nations seriously attempted to recover ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Pottstown is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts (Pennsylvanian), John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the incorporation as a borough in 1815. In 1888, the limits of the borough were considerably extended. Pottstown is the center of a productive farming and dairying region. Pottstown is located on the Schuylkill River. It is south of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Allentown and northwest of Philadelphia. It is generally considered part of the Delaware Valley, Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. History Modern-day Pottstown is on land originally deeded to William Penn. Germans, Swedes and English were among the area's first European settlers. After establishment of the first iron forge in 1714, Pottstown's fortunes became tied to the iron industry, and blast furnaces for production of iron and later steel ev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semi-monocoque
The term semi-monocoque or semimonocoque refers to a stressed shell structure that is similar to a true monocoque, but which derives at least some of its strength from conventional reinforcement. Semi-monocoque construction is used for, among other things, aircraft fuselages, car bodies and motorcycle frames. Examples of semi-monocoque vehicles Semi-monocoque aircraft fuselages differ from true monocoque construction through being reinforced with longitudinal stringers. The Mooney Aviation Company, Mooney range of four seat aircraft, for instance, use a steel tube truss frame around the passenger compartment with monocoque behind. The British ARV Super2 light aircraft has a fuselage constructed mainly of aluminium alloy, but with some fibreglass elements. The cockpit is a stiff monocoque of "Supral" alloy, but aft of the cockpit bulkhead, the ARV is conventionally built, with frames, longerons and stressed skin forming a semi-monocoque."Pilot" magazine, June 1985 pages 5-6 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waco Aristocraft
The Waco Model W Aristocraft was an American four-seat monoplane, the last aircraft designed and built by the Waco Aircraft Company. It had an unusual configuration with an engine mounted at the front driving a pusher propeller at the rear. Design and development The Aristocraft was an attempt by Waco to enter the post-war market for light aircraft. The prototype first flew in March 1947 powered by a Franklin 6AL piston engine mounted at the front with a shaft driven pusher propeller at the rear. Of all-metal construction it was a high-wing monoplane with twin fins and rudders, It had a partially retractable tricycle landing gear Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', that is arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one or more nose wheels in a single front undercarriage and two or more main wheels slightly aft of th .... The company had orders for 300 aircraft but decided that the type would need costly development in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waco C-72
C-72 was a blanket designation given to a variety of privately owned Waco enclosed-cabin biplanes pressed into service by the United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ... in 1942. In all, 42 aircraft were taken and used for light transport duty wherever needed. Variants ;UC-72 :12 impressed civil Waco SRE, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-985-33 Wasp Junior. ;UC-72A :One impressed civil Waco ARE, powered by a Jacobs R-915-1 (Jacobs L-6-1). ;UC-72B :Four impressed civil Waco EGC-8, powered by a Wright R-760-E2 Whirlwind. ;UC-72C :Two impressed civil Waco HRE, powered by a Lycoming R-680-9. ;UC-72D :Two impressed civil Waco VKS-7, powered by a Continental R-670-3 ( Continental W-670-3). ;UC-72E :Four impressed civil Waco ZGC-7, powered ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Civilian Pilot Training Program
The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was a flight training program (1938–1944) sponsored by the United States government with the stated purpose of increasing the number of civilian pilots, though having a clear impact on military preparedness. Establishment In the years immediately preceding World War II, several European countries, particularly Italy and Nazi Germany, began training thousands of young people to become aviator, pilots. Purportedly civilian in nature, these European government-sponsored programs were, in fact, nothing more than clandestine military flight training academies. In October 1938, Henry H. Arnold, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold brought in the top three aviation school representatives to request they establish an unfunded startup of CPTP schools at their own risk. These were Oliver Parks of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, Parks Air College, C. C. Moseley of the Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute, and Theophilus Lee, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waco Standard Cabin Series
The Waco Standard Cabin series is a range of United States, American single-engine 4–5 seat fabric covered cabin biplanes produced by the Waco Aircraft Company beginning in 1931 with the QDC and continuing until 1942 when production ended for the VKS-7F.Brandley, 1981, p.76 They were used as light passenger and utility transports, navigational trainers, bushplanes and briefly as maritime reconnaissance aircraft during World War 2. Design All of the Waco S series, Waco Standard Cabins were powered by cowled radial engines and Waco tried to accommodate their customers preferences for many of the more common commercially available engines of the period, hence the profusion of designations, as the first letter indicates the engine installed. Individual models were each certified with various available engines but not all variations found customers. Fuselage structure was typical for the period, being welded 41xx steel, chrome-moly tubing with light wood strips to fair the shape in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waco F Series
The Waco F series is a series of American-built general aviation and military biplane trainers of the 1930s from the Waco Aircraft Company. Development The Waco 'F' series of biplanes supplanted and then replaced the earlier 'O' series of 1927/33. The 'F' series had an airframe which was smaller and about lighter than the 'O' series, while continuing to provide accommodation for three persons in tandem open cockpits. A similar performance to the earlier model was obtained on the power of smaller and more economical engines.Simpson 2001, p. 573 The initial models were the INF ( Kinner engine), KNF ( Kinner) and the RNF ( Warner Scarab), all of which had externally braced tailwheel undercarriages. Many further sub-models followed with more powerful engines of up to . The most powerful in the range was the ZPF of 1936/37, intended for executive use. Operational history The 'F' series was popular with private owner pilots for sporting and other uses and continued in pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waco CG-4
The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used American troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4A by the United States Army Air Forces, and given the service name Hadrian (after the Roman emperor) by the British. The glider was designed by the Waco Aircraft Company. Flight testing began in May 1942. More than 13,900 CG-4As were eventually delivered. Design and development The CG-4A was constructed of fabric-covered wood and metal and was crewed by a pilot and copilot. It had two fixed mainwheels and a tailwheel. The CG-4A could carry 13 troops and their equipment. Cargo loads could be a -ton truck (i.e. a Jeep), a 75 mm howitzer, or a -ton trailer, loaded through the upward-hinged nose section. Douglas C-47 Skytrains were usually used as tow aircraft. A few Curtiss C-46 Commando tugs were used during and after the Operation Plunder crossing of the Rhine in March 1945. The USAAF CG-4A tow line was nylon, long. The CG-4A pickup line was dia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Normandy Invasion
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 ( D-Day) with the Normandy landings (Operation Neptune). A 1,200-plane airborne assault preceded an amphibious assault involving more than 5,000 vessels. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on 6 June, and more than two million Allied troops were in France by the end of August. The decision to undertake cross-channel landings in 1944 was made at the Trident Conference in Washington in May 1943. American General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, and British General Bernard Montgomery was named commander of the 21st Army Group, which comprised all the land forces involved in the operation. The Normandy coast in northwestern France was chosen as the site of the landings, with the A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
