airplane Archives - Page 16 of 53 - Destination's Journey

Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose

Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose resulted from United States Army Air Corps proposal R-40C issued on 27 November 1939 for aircraft with improved performance, armament, and pilot visibility over existing fighters; it specifically allowed for unconventional aircraft designs. Also designed to this request were the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender and the Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet.

Initially designed as a low-altitude interceptor, this was changed to a high-altitude interceptor. The resulting addition of a pressurized cockpit led to a unique pilot entry method, where the seat acted as an elevator. The seat was lowered and raised electrically while the pilot at it it. Bail out was also complicated by the pusher propellors and a downward firing ejector seat was installed.

Two prototypes were built (41-1210 and 42-108994, although the second was wrongly marked 42-1211). Performance fell short of design expectations, which combined with project delays and increased costs led to its cancellation. Both aircraft saw out their days as experimental airframes until a lock of spare parts led to their grounding.

Republic XF-12 Rainbow

The Republic XF-12 Rainbow was a four-engined reconnaissance aircraft designed for the USAAF. Designed during the Second World War, the first of two prototypes had its first flight on the 4th of February 1946.

On the 10th of July 1947, the first prototype had its right main gear severed at the engine nacelle while landing during maximum load tests. The aircraft bounced and the pilot took the aircraft up to a safe altitude. During the resulting crash landing, the right wing spar was cracked and the two starboard engines needed replacing. Republic repaired the XF-12 and it was returned to service.

The second prototype crashed on the 7th of November 1948 when the port inner engine exploded, causing violent buffeting. Five of the seven crew escaped safely while two crew members were killed.

With the end of the Second World War and the introduction of jet aircraft, the USAAF lost interest in the project. When no orders were received, flight testing of the remaining XF-11 was wound down and ceased in 1952.

Republic proposed an airliner version of the XF-12, called the RC-2. Although tentative interest was shown by several airlines, the projected operating costs were higher than competing aircraft and no RC-2s were built.

Junkers Ju 86 Operated by Lufthansa

Junkers Ju 86B-0 D-AKOP Kizmet part of the Oasis Flight in Egypt

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Junkers Ju 86 Operated by Lufthansa

Lufthansa commenced operations with the Junkers Ju 86B commercial airliner in June 1936 with the delivery of the V2 and V4 prototypes. The V4 was originally given the name Dresden, but when it was decided to name all of the Ju 86s after mountains it was renamed to Brocken. After initial operations with DLH (Deutsche Lufthansa), both prototypes were handed back to Junkers in December 1936.

After being re-engined with BMW 132 Dc radial engines the V4 was returned to DLH in June 1937. On the 18th of June that year it crashed due to pilot error near Hamburg. Deliveries of 12 production Ju 86Bs continued until 1937 with and additional aircraft delivered in 1939.

With the outbreak of war all of Lufthansa’s Ju 86Bs were transferred to the Luftwaffe. However, on 30 June 1944, eight aircraft were chartered from the Luftwaffe so that civilian flights routes could be kept open.