Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range commercial transport market. More than 700 were built and many still fly today in cargo, military, and wildfire control roles.

The Army Air Forces wanted a lengthened, pressurized version of the DC-4-based C-54 Skymaster transport with more powerful engines. Douglas Aircraft modified the design into a civil transport 80 in (200 cm) longer than the DC-4. The civil DC-6 first flew on 29 June 1946, being retained by Douglas for testing. The first airline deliveries were to American Airlines and United Airlines on 24 November 1946.

The following DC-6/DC-6B's were operated in Australia :-

For more details on the development, operational history and variants, click here.

For details of the fleet rationalisation between Ansett ANA and TAA, click here.

The specifications below are for the DC-6B.

The Douglas DC-7 is an American transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. A derivative of the DC-6, it was the last major piston engine-powered transport made by Douglas, being developed shortly after the earliest jet airliner—the de Havilland Comet—entered service and only a few years before the jet-powered Douglas DC-8 first flew. Unlike other aircraft in Douglas's line of propeller-driven aircraft, no examples remain in service in the present day, as compared to the far more successful DC-3 and DC-6.

In 1945 Pan American World Airways requested a DC-7, a civil version of the Douglas C-74 Globemaster military transport. Pan Am soon canceled their order. That proposed DC-7 was unrelated to the later DC-6-derived airliner.

American Airlines revived the designation when they requested an aircraft that could fly the USA coast-to-coast non-stop in about eight hours. (Civil Air Regulations then limited domestic flight crews to 8 hours' flight time in any 24-hour period.) Douglas was reluctant to build the aircraft until American Airlines president C. R. Smith ordered 25 at a price of $40 million, thus covering Douglas' development costs.

The DC-7 wing was based on that of the DC-4 and DC-6, with the same span; the fuselage was 40 inches (100 cm) longer than the DC-6B. Four eighteen-cylinder Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone Turbo-Compound engines provided power.[6] The prototype flew in May 1953 and American received their first DC-7 in November, inaugurating the first non-stop east-coast-to-west-coast service in the country (unrealistically scheduled just under the eight-hour limit for one crew) and forcing rival TWA to offer a similar service with its Super Constellations. Both aircraft frequently experienced inflight engine failures, causing many flights to be diverted. Some blamed this on the need for high-power settings to meet the notional schedules, causing overheating and failure of the engines' power recovery turbines.

The DC-7 was followed by the DC-7B with slightly more power, and on some DC-7Bs (Pan Am and South African Airways), fuel tanks over the wing in the rear of the engine nacelles, each carrying 220 US gallons (183 imp gal; 833 l). South African Airways used this variant to fly Johannesburg to London with one stop. Pan Am's DC-7Bs started flying transatlantic in summer 1955, scheduled 1 hr 45 min faster than the Super Stratocruiser from New York to London or Paris.

Variants

DC-7
Production variant, 105 built.
DC-7B
First long-range variant with higher gross weight and fuel capacity, with most of the added fuel in saddle tanks in enlarged engine nacelles. (Only Pan Am and South African DC-7Bs had the saddle tanks.) 112 built.
DC-7C Seven Seas
Longer-range variant with non-stop transatlantic capability, improved 3,400 hp (2,500 kW) R-3350 engines and increased fuel capacity mainly in longer wings, 121 built.
DC-7D
Unbuilt variant with Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprops.
DC-7F
Freight conversion of all three variants with two large freight doors.

The first DC-8 was rolled out in Long Beach Airport on 9 April 1958 and flew for the first time on 30 May. FAA certification was achieved in August 1959 and the DC-8 entered service with Delta Air Lines on September 18.

The six-abreast, low wing airliner was a four-engined jet aircraft, the initial variants are 151 ft (46 m) long. The DC-8-10 was powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3C turbojets and had a 273,000 lb (124 t) MTOW, the DC-8-20 had more powerful JT4A turbojets for a 276,000 lb (125 t) MTOW. The intercontinental models had more fuel capacity and up to 315,000 lb (143 t) MTOW, powered JT4As for the Series 30 and by Rolls-Royce Conway turbofans for the Series 40. The Pratt & Whitney JT3D powered the later DC-8-50 and freighters versions reached a MTOW of 325,000 lb (147 t).

The DC-8 was produced until 1972 with 556 aircraft built. It was superseded by larger wide-body airliners including Douglas' DC-10. In 1975, the Series 70 retrofit was proposed with the quieter and more fuel-efficient CFM56 turbofan. Some re-engined freighters are still in use.

Elvis Presley owned a DC-8 named Lisa Marie after his daughter.

For more details of all models, click here.

The specifications below are for the original DC-8-10 model. Specifications of other models are on the above link.

The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. It first flew and entered airline service in 1965. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.

DC-9-based airliners including the MD-80, MD-90 and Boeing 717 (MD-95) later followed in production. With the final deliveries of the 717 in 2006, production of the DC-9/MD-80/90/717 aircraft family ceased after 41 years and 2441 units built.

For details of the DC-9 and later aircraft based on the DC-9, click here.

Douglas DC-9

McDonnell Douglas MD-80

Boeing 717

The aircraft family was first introduced at the Paris Air Show in 1999 and entered production in 2002. The series has been a commercial success primarily due to its ability to efficiently serve lower-demand routes while offering many of the same amenities and features of larger jets.

The E190/195 models are a larger stretch of the E170/175 models fitted with a new, larger wing, a larger horizontal stabilizer, two emergency overwing exits, and a new engine. The Embraer 190 is fitted with two underwing-mounted GE 34-8E-10 turbofan engines, rated at 82.29kN. The engines and engine nacelles are supplied by General Electric. The engines are equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC).

The first flight of the E190 was on March 12, 2004 (PP-XMA), with the first flight of the E195 (PP-XMJ) on December 7 of the same year. The launch customer of the E190 was New York-based low-cost carrier JetBlue with 100 orders options in 2003 and took its first delivery in 2005. British low-cost carrier Flybe was the first operator of the E195, had 14 orders and 12 options, and started E195 operations on 22 September 2006.

The ERJ190 was operated by Virgin Australia.

For more details of all the models in the ERJ family, click here.

Specifications for the ERJ190 are shown below.

After the success of the EMB 110 Bandeirante, Embraer began the development of their first transport category airliner in 1974. The Family 12X comprised three models with modular concept designs: EMB 120 Araguaia, EMB 123 Tapajós and EMB 121 Xingu. EMB 121 was the sole 12X model effectively produced. Araguaia's name was changed to Brasilia in 1979 at the official launching of the project, when at a CAAA (Commuter Airline Association of America) convention several suggestions from prospective operators were collected and incorporated to EMB 120 design. Thus, a completely new aircraft – no longer related to the 12X family – was launched. No common parts from EMB 121 Xingu were used, and the capacity was revised from 24 to 30 seats. Originally designed to utilise the new 1500 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW115 turboprop, it was later upgraded to the 1892 eshp PW118.

The Brasilia attracted immediate interest from many regional airlines, particularly in the US. The size, speed and ceiling allowed faster and more direct services around the US and Europe, compared to similar aircraft. The first aircraft entered service with Atlantic Southeast Airlines in October 1985. The basic EMB 120RT was upgraded to the extended range (1,575 km) EMB 120 ER, with older aircraft retrofitted via a Service Bulletin.

Most of the EMB 120s were sold in the United States and other destinations in the Western Hemisphere. Some European airlines such as Régional in France, Atlant-Soyuz Airlines in Russia, DAT in Belgium, and DLT in Germany also purchased EMB-120s, although the Angolan Air Force, for example, received new EMB 120s in 2007.

Great Lakes Airlines operated six EMB 120s in its fleet, and Ameriflight flies 10 as freighters. Network Aviation in Western Australia operated seven EMB 120's fore fly in/fly out services and Airnorth in Northern Territory also operated seven EMB 120's.

Variants

EMB 120

Basic production version.

EMB 120ER

Extended range and increased capacity version. All EMB-120ER S/Ns may be converted into the model EMB-120FC or into the model EMB-120QC.[4]

EMB 120FC

Full cargo version.

EMB 120QC

Quick change cargo version.

EMB 120RT

Transport version. All EMB-120RT S/Ns may be converted into the model EMB-120ER

VC-97

VIP transport version for the Brazilian Air Force.

Aircraft in the series include the ERJ135 (37 passengers), ERJ140 (44 passengers), and ERJ145 (50 passengers), as well as the Legacy business jet and the R-99 family of military aircraft. Each jet in the series is powered by two turbofan engines. The family's primary competition comes from the Bombardier CRJ regional jets.

The ERJ145 was designed for a perceived new market for regional jet aircraft, where the increased speed, comfort and passenger appeal would outweigh the inherent fuel economy of the turboprop aircraft which were in service and in development.

Embraer has introduced two shortened versions of the ERJ145. All three aircraft share the same crew type rating, allowing pilots to fly any of the three aircraft without the need for further training.

The ERJ140 is 1.42 metres (4.7 ft) shorter, seating 44 passengers, and has 96% parts commonality with the ERJ145. The only significant changes are a shorter fuselage, a slightly derated engine and an increased range. The ERJ140 was designed with fewer seats in order to meet the needs of some major United States airlines, which have an agreement with the pilots' union to limit the number of 50-seat aircraft that can be flown by their affiliates. At launch, Embraer estimated the cost of an ERJ140 to be approximately US $15.2 million. The estimated cost of development of the ERJ140 was US $45 million.

The ERJ135 is 3.54 metres (11.6 ft) shorter, seating 37 passengers, and has 95% parts commonality with the ERJ145. The first ERJ135 entered service in 1999.

For further details on the ERJ family, click here.

Specifications below are for the EMB-145 (ERJ-145).

EMB-135 (ERJ-135ER)

EMB-135 Legacy Business Jet

EMB-145 (LJR-145)

The Fairchild 100 Pilgrim is an American single-engined high-wing monoplane transport, and was one of a series of single-engine utility transports built by Fairchild Aircraft.

The 100 was similar in design to the Fairchild C-8 and was an enlarged version of it.

The first flight of the aircraft (NC754Y) was October 22, 1930. Although only one aircraft was completed, a modified version also known as the Pilgrim 100-A was in production for American Airways, the first operator of the type in 1931. After a total of 16 aircraft, an additional batch of ten aircraft with a larger fin were manufactured by the restructured American Aircraft & Engine Corporation that emerged in 1931 from the Fairchild Aircraft Co. The continuing series was built under the designations, Pilgrim 100-B and American/Fairchild Y1C-24. The first six in the new series went to American Airways. The parent company later reinstated the Fairchild name.

The sturdy Fairchild 100 series served as both an airliner and a bush plane. In 1932, the US Army Air Corps bought four Pilgrim Model 100-Bs designated the Y1C-24 and were initially assigned as light cargo transport and supply aircraft.

After a short time in service, the Y1C-24s were adapted for use as aeromedical evacuation aircraft, carrying up to four litter patients. The aircraft were assigned to pilot training and pursuit aircraft airfields for use as crash rescue aircraft. Exploiting the Y1C-24's ability to take off and land in a relatively short distance, the Y1C-24s remained in service into the late 1930s when they were replaced by newer air ambulance aircraft.

Variants

Pilgrim 100
Prototype of the Pilgrim 100 family, powered by a 575 hp (429 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp. designed by Virginius Clark, one built.
Pilgrim 100-A
aka American Pilgrim, powered by a 575 hp (429 kW) Pratt & Whitney Hornet B, derived directly from the Fairchild 100. 16 were built, all of which were operated by American Airways.
Pilgrim 100-B
Powered by a 575 hp (429 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone B, ten built, of which six for American Airways, and four to the US Army as the Fairchild Y1C-24.
Fairchild Y1C-24   (Specifications below)
Military designation for the US Army Y1C-24, four built, powered by 575 hp (429 kW) Wright R-1820-1 Cyclone engines.
Pilgrim Y1C-24
Alternative military designation for the US Army Y1C-24.

It would be the last Dornier-designed aircraft to reach production before the company's collapse during the early 2000s.

The 328JET was designed by Dornier in response to negative feedback from some customers on the marketability of turboprops against the more appealing turbofan engine. It was a relatively straightforward re-reengining of the existing 328, being originally designated as the 328-300 prior to being rebranded as the 328JET. During 1996, early on in the programme, the financially distressed Dornier company was acquired by the American aerospace firm Fairchild Aircraft; the resulting corporation, named Fairchild Dornier, continued development of the 328JET. On 20 January 1998, the first 328JET prototype conducted its maiden flight.

While production of the 328 family was performed in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, sales activity was centred in San Antonio, Texas and support for Dornier's products was provided from both locations. At one stage, a stretched variant commonly referred to as the 428JET was under active development. However, amid intense competition in the international market for regional jets, Fairchild Dornier were unable to attain enough sales of the type to maintain production after 2002. Support for existing aircraft continues, and a prospective revival of the programme has been mooted on multiple occasions, but no solid production-related activity has ensued. A total of 110 aircraft were produced.

Variants
328JET
     Turbofan-powered variant, formerly known as the 328-300.
428JET
     A 44-seat derivative that was under development at the time of the collapse of Fairchild-Dornier.
Lockheed Martin X-55 Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA)
     A Dornier 328J with its mid/aft fuselage and empennage replaced with advanced composite materials.

For details of the development and design of the 328Jet, click here.

The Farman F.120 were a family of multi-engine monoplane aircraft designed and produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Farman Aviation Works. It was operated in a diverse range of purposes, including as a commercial airliner and as a military bomber aircraft.

The F.120, which received the nickname of Jabiru after a Latin American stork, was a fixed-undercarriage monoplane powered by either two, three or four engines, depending on the variant. It featured an unusually broad chord, low aspect-ratio main wing and a relatively deep fuselage. The trimotor variant had the centerline engine mounted high, which gave the aircraft an unusual appearance.

During the early 1920s, the Aero Club of France set out numerous rules and regulations for its commercial airplane contest of 1923. Shortly following their issuing, Farman set about the designing of a new commercial aircraft that would, so far as reasonably possible, entirely fulfil these regulations; they had been judged to be of importance of the prospective aircraft's market appeal as various aerial-navigation companies had, formally or otherwise, adopted these regulations as requirements for their own needs. Additionally, the company's design team pursued several other ambitions, including high reliability levels, good onboard comfort levels, favourable flying characteristics, while also being as economically efficient as possible.

The F.121 or F.3X was the first version to fly, with four 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ac V8 engines mounted in tandem push-pull pairs mounted on stub wings, however, this arrangement caused cooling problems for the rear engines and the F.120/F.4X version followed shortly afterwards, powered by three 300 hp Salmson Az.9 radial engines. Development continued and a single F.122, modified from an F.4X, was powered by a pair of 400 hp Lorraine 12Db engines. Two military versions were also built, the F.123 with two 450 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Hb V12s, or F.124 with two 420 hp Gnome et Rhône 9Ad Jupiter radial engines.

The Farman F.120 was a multi-engine multirole monoplane aircraft. It was relatively well-furnished for the era, being able to routinely conduct night flights via equipment such as searchlights, landing flares, position lights, and general illumination. Various passenger conveniences were present, including individual electric heaters and relatively large glass windows for the passengers to view the landscape below. The electricity, used by the radio set, illumination, and heating, was supplied from wind-driven generators using compact propellers that could be drawn inside the fuselage when not in use. In comparison to most contemporary aircraft, the aircraft possessed greater manoeuvrability, possessed relatively high stability, ease of handling, and was relatively easy to land.

Dependent on the variant of the aircraft, as many as four engines could be installed. No significant structural changes were required for those aircraft equipped with a different number of engines, such as the trimotor and twin-engined variants. Mid-flight access to the engine was provided via special doors, permitting inspection and even minor repairs to be performed by the crew. The four-engined model of the aircraft had sufficient power that it could still consistently climb even with a single engine out; even the twin-engined model could maintain stable flight on only a single operational engine. The main fuel tanks were housed within the wing, relatively far from the engines; up to two auxiliary fuel tanks could be installed within the engine nacelles, and would operate independently of the main tanks. The aircraft possessed relatively high fuel efficiency for the era.

The F.120 was equipped with a relatively thick wing, possessing a span of 19 m (62.34 ft.) and a chord of 6 m (19.68 ft.) at its centre. Both the thickness and the chord of the wing decrease towards the tips. The supporting framework of the wing was entirely enclosed. Both the spars and struts formed V-shaped girders on either side of the fuselage. The undercarriage consists of two main wheels that were supported by a pair of vertical V-shaped members that joined with oblique steel tubing to connective with the base of the fuselage.

The fuselage was internally divided into various sections; the foremost section contained the baggage compartment along with, after which and just forward of the wing, the cockpit. This cockpit provided two seats for its crew, typically comprising one pilot and an assistant. The centre of the fuselage was occupied by the passenger compartment, which had sufficient space for up to 12 passengers to travel on comfortabl
e seats even with a central aisle. To the rear of the fuselage was the navigator's room, which was fairly sizable and provisioned with then-modern instrumentation, including a drift meter, compass, radio set, work table and map holder; adjacent to this room was the lavatory. Primary access to the interior was via a single sliding door, while multiple exits were provided across the aircraft to aid in emergency egress.

On account of having an entirely unobstructed fuselage base, it was relatively straightforward to convert the aircraft into an armed military configuration, such as that of a bomber or a torpedo plane. Furthermore, its speed and manoeuvrability were sufficient that it could realistically engage in aerial combat despite its carriage of relatively heavy bomb loadouts. The presence of multiple independent engines and its reliability meant that the aircraft could be realistically used over the sea.

Despite being most commonly seen in lists of ugliest aircraft, following its first flight in 1923, the F.120 won a French airliner competition, the 1923 Grand Prix des Avions de Transports and its 500,000 francs first prize, before seeing service with several European airlines.

The F.120 was capable of carrying up to nine passengers, and served on Farman airline's route Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam, but also with Danish Air Lines between Copenhagen and Amsterdam. They served until the late 1920s.

Variants

F.120
A single engined biplane bomber, powered by a 280 kW (370 hp) Lorraine 12Da engine. First flown in 1924, only two F.120 bombers were built.
F.4X
The original designation of the F.120 Jabiru
F.120 Jabiru
Four transport monoplanes powered by 3x 220 kW (300 hp) Salmson 9AZ water-cooled radial engines.
F.3bis
A twin engined transport aircraft powered by 2x 300 kW (400 hp) Lorraine 12Db engines, 1 built.
F.3X
The original designation of the F.121 Jabiru prototype.
F.121 Jabiru                         (Specifications below)
Nine transport aircraft powered by 4x 130 kW (180 hp) Hispano-Suiza 8Ac engines, one also modified from a F.120 Jabiru.
F.122
A single transport aircraft powered by 2x 300 kW (400 hp) Lorraine 12Db engines.
F.123
A single three-seater bomber powered by 2x 300 kW (400 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Hb engines.
F.124
A single three-seater bomber powered by 2x 310 kW (420 hp) Gnome et Rhône 9Ad Jupiter engines.

                                                 Farman 121 Jabiru (4 engine)

                                                 Farman 120 Jabiru  (3 engine)

                                          Farman 123 Bomber (2 engine)

The Fiat G.18 was an Italian airliner developed in the mid-1930s.

It was a conventional low-wing monoplane with twin engines mounted on the wings, similar in appearance to the Douglas DC-2. The main units of the tailwheel undercarriage retracted into the engine nacelles, leaving their wheels partially exposed. The cabin seated 18 passengers.

Three G.18s were put into service with Fiat's own airline, ALI, early in 1936; the feedback received was that the type was underpowered. Fiat responded the following year with a revised version, the G.18V which had more powerful engines, and a redesigned fin and long dorsal strake. Six of these were delivered to ALI, which operated them on its European routes until the outbreak of war.

In June 1940, ALI was brought under control of the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Italian Air Force), and the G.18s were put to use as transports. Among other operations, they flew troops to Albania in November 1940 as part of the campaign against Greece. By the time of the Italian armistice, only one remained in operation, with another three captured by Germany, and a fifth aircraft in use by the remaining Italian Fascist forces. This latter aircraft was involved in a major accident on 30 April 1944 when, loaded with munitions, it exploded on the runway at Bresso. The blast caused considerable damage to the airfield.

Variants

G.18 - original version with Fiat A.59 engines (3 built)
G.18V - revised version with Fiat A.80 engines (6 built) (Specifications below)

The Fiat G.212 was an Italian three-engine airliner of the 1940s. An enlarged development of Fiat's earlier G.12 transport, it was used in small numbers in commercial service and by the Italian Air Force.

The first prototype of the G.212, the G.212CA military transport, flew on 19 January 1947. While very similar in configuration to the G.12, i.e. a low-wing all-metal cantilever monoplane with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage, the G.212 was longer, and had a larger wing and a wider fuselage. It was powered by three 642 kW (860 hp) Alfa Romeo 128 radial engines.

It was followed by two versions intended for civil use, the G.212CP airliner, with accommodation for 34 passengers, and the G.212TP freighter, both using the more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines.

The G.212CP entered service with Avio Linee Italiane ("Italian Airlines"), which ordered six, in 1947, being operated on routes within Europe. On thursday 1 July 1948 I-ELSA, a flight from Milano to Brussels crashed near Keerbergen airfield (eight people died). One of the surviving crewmembers died six months later in the crash of a ALI Douglas C47 at Milano airport.On 4 May 1949, a chartered Avio Linee Italiane G.212, carrying the Torino football first team squad, the Grande Torino, back home from a match in Lisbon, crashed into a hill at Superga, near Turin, killing all 31 aboard, including the 18 players.

New G.212s were also purchased by the Egyptian airline SAIDE, which received three aircraft in 1948, and the French airline Cie Air Transport. Four of the Avio Linee Italiane aircraft were sold to Ali Flotte Riunite, one of which was sold again to the Kuwaiti airline Arabian Desert Airlines.

As well as the G.212CA prototype, the Italian Air Force acquired six G.212CPs, two of which were converted to flying classrooms for training purposes as G.212AV (Aula Volante). One of these aircraft is preserved at the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle, near Rome.

Variants

G.212CA
The first prototype of the G.212 family.
G.212CP
The first production series civil airliners.
G.212TP
Freight transports for civil and military use.
G.212AV
(Aula Volante) Navigation training aircraft; six G.212CPs fitted out as flying classrooms for the Italian Air Force.

The Focke-Wulf A 38 Möwe (German: "Gull") was an airliner, produced in Germany in the early 1930s. It was a final development of the family of designs that commenced with the A 17 in 1927. The A 38 used the same high-mounted, cantilever wing as the A 29, but mated this to an all-new fuselage design with enclosed seating for ten passengers and three crew. Unlike earlier members of the family, the flight deck was not joined to the cabin, separated now by a lavatory and baggage compartment. The main undercarriage was strengthened and the mainwheels fitted with brakes, while the tailskid was replaced with a tailwheel. All four A 38s were originally fitted with Siemens- or Gnome et Rhône-built Bristol Jupiter engines (although the BMW VI had been offered as an option), but in April 1933, all aircraft were refitted with Siemens Sh 20 powerplants. By mid-1934, they had been relegated to training duties.

The F27 was developed during the early 1950s with the expressed intent of producing a capable successor to the earlier piston engine-powered airliners that had become commonplace on the market, such as the successful Douglas DC-3. A key innovation of the F27 was the adoption of the Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engine, which produced substantially less vibration and noise which provided improved conditions for passengers; another major comfort feature was cabin pressurisation. Innovative manufacturing techniques were also employed in the aircraft's construction.

It has the distinction of being the most numerous post-war aircraft to have been manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful European airliners of its era.

The Friendship was one of the most widely used airliners in Australia, used by most mainstream airlines, (Ansett, TAA, East West, MMA, Virgin, et al), as well as the CSIRO and Dept.of Civil Aviation.

For more information on the F-27, click here.

The Fokker F-32 was a passenger aircraft built by the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America in 1929 in their Teterboro, New Jersey factory. It was the first four-engined aircraft designed and built in the United States. Ten examples were built, but they only entered limited commercial service; their high cost and problems with the cooling of the aft engines proved prohibitive. The United States Army Air Corps evaluated the F-32 as the YC-20, but did not purchase it.

The first F-32 crashed on November 27, 1929, during a demonstration of a three-engined takeoff from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York. One of the two port engines was stopped, but the other failed shortly after takeoff, causing a loss of control. The aircraft came down on a house in nearby Carle Place, and was totally destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire. Nobody was killed, although the pilot and a passenger were injured.

This crash was witnessed by famous American poet Ogden Nash, who wrote of it to his then-fiancée Frances (later his wife). Nash's account is found in Loving Letters from Ogden Nash: A Family Album, edited by Linell Nash Smith (Nash's daughter).

The crash displayed the F-32's most notable problem; it was underpowered, which was made worse by the aircraft's back-to-back engine configuration, with an engine on each end of the underwing nacelles. The front engine powered a two-bladed propeller and the rear engine a three-bladed one. The aft propellers, working in the disturbed air from the front, were inefficient, and their engines suffered from cooling problems. The underpowering problem was partially solved by replacing the prototype's Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-1860 Hornet Bs on later planes, but the other issues remained with the planes throughout their short service lives.

Orders

Initially, Western Air Express and Universal Air Lines each ordered five aircraft, and there was interest from other airlines, including KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines). However, despite the painting of a prototype for Universal, they cancelled their order, and WAE only picked up two instead of the planned five, largely because of the Great Depression.

Service with Western Air Express
Western Air Express were the only purchasers of the F-32, buying two of them. They operated out of Alhambra Airport in Alhambra, California and later Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California, flying to Oakland International Airport (Oakland, California) and other West Coast destinations.

U.S. Army Air Corps trial
In 1930, the U.S. Army Air Corps borrowed an F-32 for testing, designating it YC-20. Just as with the Boeing Y1C-18, the aircraft remained the property of the manufacturer and was returned after testing. It was the largest transport aircraft tested by the USAAC, at the time, and would remain so until the late 1930s.

The F.VII was designed as a single-engined transport aircraft by Walter Rethel. Five examples of this model were built for the Dutch airline KLM. One of these aircraft, registered H-NACC, was used in 1924 for the first flight from the Netherlands to the Dutch East Indies. In 1925, while living in the US, Anthony Fokker heard of the inaugural Ford Reliability Tour, which was proposed as a competition for transport aircraft. Fokker had the company's head designer, Reinhold Platz, convert a single-engined F.VIIa airliner (a 1924 Walter Rethel design) to a trimotor configuration, powered by 200 hp Wright Whirlwind radial engines. The resulting aircraft was designated the Fokker F.VIIa/3m. Following shipment to the US, it won the Ford Reliability Tour in late 1925. The Trimotor's structure consisted of a fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage and a plywood-skinned wooden wing.

The Fokker F.VIIb/3m had a slightly increased wing area over the F.VIIa/3m, with power increased to 220 hp per engine, while the F.10 was slightly enlarged, carrying 12 passengers in an enclosed cabin. The aircraft became popularly known as the Fokker Trimotor.

The eight- to 12-passenger Fokker was the aircraft of choice for many early airlines, both in Europe and the Americas, and it dominated the American market in the late 1920s. However, the popularity of the Fokker quickly waned after the 1931 crash of a Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F.10, which resulted in the death of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. The investigation revealed problems with the Fokker's plywood-laminate construction, resulting in a temporary ban from commercial flights, more stringent maintenance requirements, and a shift to all-metal aircraft such as the similar Ford Trimotor and later Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2.

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's F.VIIb/3m Southern Cross was the first aircraft to cross the Pacific from the United States to Australia in June 1928, and the first to cross the Tasman Sea, flying from Australia to New Zealand and back in September of that year.

To read a summary of other pioneers and explorers who used F.VII's, and the 18 variants, click here.

The specifications below are for the VIIb/3M variant, as used by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

The Fokker F.XXXVI was a 1930s Dutch four-engined 32-passenger airliner designed and built by Fokker. It was the largest transport designed and built by Fokker.

The Fokker F.XXXVI registered PH-AJA first flew on 22 June 1934 and was a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear. In Fokker tradition, the wing was an all wood structure and the fuselage was fabric covered steel tube. It was powered by four Wright Cyclone radial piston engines mounted in the wing leading edge, and carried 4 crew and 32 passengers in four eight-seat cabins. In an unusual decision, Fokker engineers went to great length in soundproofing the passenger cabin, enabling passenger to converse in a normal voice after take off. It was delivered to KLM and operated on European routes from March 1935. Although it had a good payload its range was much less than and was structurally inferior to (the maintenance advantages of all-metal aircraft were becoming clear) the new Douglas DC-2 and DC-3 and only one was built. KLM sold the aircraft in 1939 to Scottish Aviation for use as a crew and navigation trainer for the Royal Air Forces No.12 Elementary Flying Training School, which was operated by Scottish Aviation. It was scrapped in 1940 after it burnt out in a take-off accident.

Airspeed Ltd. in Great Britain arranged a license to build F.XXXVIs for the British market as the Airspeed AS.20, but no orders were received.

Following the Fokker F27 Friendship, an early and commercially successful turboprop-powered regional airliner, Fokker decided to embark on developing a new turbojet-powered commuter aircraft that would build upon its experiences with the F27. During the design phase, a high level of attention was paid to market research and operator concerns; amongst other changes made, the prospective jetliner was increased in size, changing its maximum seating capacity from 50 to 65 passengers. During April 1962, Fokker announced the formal launch of the F28 Fellowship.

The Fokker F28 Fellowship was a short-haul twin-engine jetliner, sharing broad similarities to the British Aircraft Corporation's BAC One-Eleven built in the UK and the first generation Douglas DC-9 built in the US in terms of basic configuration, featuring a T-tail and engines mounted at the rear of the fuselage. The choice of a low-mounted wing, amongst other benefits, somewhat shielded the tail-mounted engines from the threat of foreign object damage. Fuel is stored within both the outer wing and within the fuselage; additional pylon-mounted tanks could be installed for extended range operations if so required. The structure, which features a fail-safe design, is constructed using the same bonding techniques previously pioneered for the F27.

The F28s of Ansett Transport Industries' Western Australian intrastate airline, MacRobertson Miller Airlines of Western Australia, flew the longest non-stop F28 route in the world, from Perth to Kununurra, in Western Australia – a distance of about 2,240 km (1,392 mi). This was also the world's longest twin-jet route at the time. MMA's F28's also had the highest utilisation rates at the time, flying over 8 hours per day.

For more details including variants, click here.

The specifications below are for the original F-28-1000 variant.

The General Aviation GA-43 was a single engine low-wing monoplane airliner produced in small numbers in the United States in the mid-1930s, also known as the Pilgrim 150, Fairchild 150, and sometimes but erroneously as the Clark GA-43 for the designer, Virginius E. Clark who was also responsible for the Clark Y airfoil section used.
 

The prototype was developed and built by Fairchild's American Pilgrim division, but the program was taken over by General Aviation when the firm purchased American Pilgrim shortly before the prototype had flown. Although this first flight took place in 1932, manufacture did not commence until 1934, by which time General Motors had, in turn, gained a controlling interest in North American Aviation and merged it with General Aviation, which they already owned. The result of this was that the GA-43 became the first aircraft produced by North American.

The GA-43 was a conventional low-wing cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction. The prototype had fixed tailwheel landing gear, but the main units of this were later changed to be made retractable, and three of the four production examples also had retractable mainwheels, while the fourth aircraft had twin floats instead. The oval-section fuselage contained a ten-seat passenger cabin, and the cockpit was located atop the fuselage under a separate canopy.

Number built: 1 prototype, 4 production. Primary user: Swissair

They held the distinction of being the largest airliners in regular use in the world upon the type's introduction in 1931.

The H.P.42/45 were designed in response to a specification issued during 1928 by British airline Imperial Airways; the two models share considerable similarities, the H.P.42 being optimised towards greater range at the expense of payload while the H.P.45 had these priorities inverted, allowing the latter to carry more passengers over shorter distances. Imperial Airways approved of Handley Page's proposals and ordered four aircraft of the two variants to serve as the new land-based long-distance flagships of its fleet.

On 14 November 1930, the prototype, named Hannibal, conducted its maiden flight. Following their introduction into Imperial Airways, they formed the backbone of the airliner's land-based fleet through most of the 1930s and, along with the company's numerous flying boats, have been considered to be icons of their era. A total of eight aircraft were built, four of each type; all were named, with names beginning with the letter "H". Three of the survivors were pressed into Royal Air Force (RAF) service at the outbreak of the Second World War. By the end of 1940, all of the aircraft had been destroyed as a result of several accidents.

In total, four H.P.42 and four H.P.45 aircraft were delivered, but two of the HP45s were later converted into HP42s.

The H.P.45 carried more passengers with a reduced range and baggage capacity, and was intended for Imperial Airways' European routes.

For details of the development, design, operational history and individual histories of each of the eight aircraft, click here.

The specifications below are for the H.P.42 variant.

Closely related to Handley Page's Hastings military transport, the Hermes was a low-wing monoplane powered by four piston engines. Twenty-nine were built, serving briefly with BOAC in the early 1950s and later with several charter airlines.

The Hermes was built to meet the 1944 Air Ministry specification for a pressurised civil transport capable of carrying 34 first-class or 50 tourist-class passengers, at the same time as the RAF required a new transport to replace its Handley Page Halifax, for which Handley Page designed the very similar Handley Page Hastings. Unlike the tailwheel Hastings, the Hermes was planned to have a nosewheel undercarriage, although the first two prototypes used a tailwheel undercarriage, of which the first was an unpressurised "bare shell" and the second to be pressurised and fully equipped.  It was intended to introduce the Hermes before the Hastings, but production was delayed after the first prototype (HP 68 Hermes 1), registered G-AGSS crashed on its maiden flight shortly after takeoff on 2 December 1945. Handley Page's chief test pilot and the chief test observer were both killed.

Development of the civil Hermes was delayed to resolve the instability that caused the accident to the first prototype, and the chance was taken to lengthen the second prototype, producing the HP 74 Hermes II (G-AGUB), first flying on 2 September 1947.

Meanwhile, orders were placed on 4 February 1947 for 25 of the definitive HP 81 Hermes IV, fitted with a tricycle undercarriage and powered by 2,100 hp (1,570 kW) Bristol Hercules 763 engines, for BOAC and two HP Hermes V, powered by the Bristol Theseus turboprop engines.

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Variants
All 29 aircraft were built at Radlett Aerodrome, Hertfordshire, England.

HP.68 Hermes I
     Prototype powered by four 1,650 hp (1,230 kW) Bristol Hercules 101 radial engines. One built.
HP.74 Hermes II
     Prototype powered by four 1,675 hp (1,249 kW) Bristol Hercules 121 engines and a 13 ft (4.57 m) longer forward

     fuselage. One built.
HP.81 Hermes IV
     Production aircraft with tricycle landing gear, powered by four 2,100 hp (1,570 kW) Bristol Hercules 763 engines.

     Twenty-five built.
HP.81 Hermes IVa
     Hermes IV modified to use 100-octane fuel, with the engine redesignated Hercules 773. Most converted back to

     Hermes IV standard.
HP.82 Hermes V
     Development aircraft with four 2,490 hp (1,860 kW) Bristol Theseus 502 turboprops. Two built.

It was designed by Miles Aircraft Limited and largely manufactured by Handley Page (Reading) Limited (who acquired Miles' assets) at Woodley Aerodrome, Reading, England.

Originally submitted to the Air Ministry as a four-engined high-wing monoplane weighing roughly 16,500lb, the concept was well received by the Brabazon Committee, with Miles being issued with instructions to proceed. While development proceeded, various agencies argued over the aircraft's specification, leading to multiple attempts to change the design midway though, delaying progress and inflating costs. Delays over the placement of a firm order contributed to Miles' bankruptcy, after which its assets was acquired by Handley Page and formed into the subsidiary Handley Page (Reading) Limited to produce the Marathon.

The Marathon represented several firsts, being Miles' first four engined aircraft as well as their first all-metal design; it was also recognised that the Marathon was the first British transport aircraft to comply with the stringent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). However, the lack of commercial involvement in the specification to which the aircraft was built likely heavily contributed to the lukewarm response it received from such operators, with British European Airways (BEA) opting to not introduce the type despite buying seven of them with intentions of doing so. The largest operator of the Marathon was the Royal Air Force, where the type were primarily used as a navigation trainer.

A total of 43 aircraft were built, 40 of the Marathon 1 production model built by Handley Page, of which 28 were later modified to T.11 military navigation trainer versions. Specifications below are for the Marathon 1 model.

For details of the design and development, operational history and five variants, click here.

The W.8 (also known as the H.P.18) was the company's first purpose-built civil airliner although it was a development of the wartime Handley Page Type O/400 bomber via the O/7, O/10 and O/11 transports. It had an enclosed cabin for (in most versions) 12 passengers, along with two crew in an open cockpit, and has the distinction of being the world's first airliner to be designed with an on-board lavatory. The prototype first flew on 4 December 1919, shortly after it was displayed at the 1919 Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. The W.8 was subsequently revised to give the W.8b, W.8e (H.P.26), W.9 (H.P.27) and W.10 (H.P.30). It was also the basis for the W.8d (H.P.24), the Handley Page Hyderabad bomber.

W.8
Prototype, holding 15 passengers, powered by two 450 hp (336 kW) Napier Lion engines. The original company designation was to have been Handley Page W/400.

W.8b
To meet an Air Ministry ruling, the capacity was reduced to 12 passengers and the fuel tanks were moved from the engine nacelles to above the top wing. The engines were changed from the Napier Lion to the less powerful but more economical Rolls-Royce Eagle IX. In 1921 the Air Ministry ordered three aircraft, built as the W.8b, for use by Handley Page Transport, and later by Imperial Airways, on services to Paris and Brussels. Another aircraft was delivered to SABENA in 1924 and three more were license built by SABCA in Belgium.

W.8c
Planned alteration of W.8b for 1923, seating 16 passengers in longer passenger cabin, with radio compartment eliminated and freight capacity reduced. Fuel tanks would be moved to the underside of the top wing, and slotted ailerons would be fitted. Engines would be unchanged. Never built.

W.8d
The W.8d was the initial designation for the Handley Page Hyderabad heavy bomber.

W.8e
To reduce the risks involved with engine failure, the W.8e was developed with one 360 hp (270 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle IX in the nose and two 240 hp (180 kW) Siddeley Pumas in the normal position. The first W.8e was sold to Sabena, which had ten more built in Belgium by SABCA.[4]

Three-engined W.8f.
W.8f and W.8g Hamilton
One three-engine W.8f was built with cabin heating (derived from air circulated around the hot engine exhausts). The W.8f was modified in 1929 as the W.8g with an improved tail and rudder design from the W.10 and the third engine was removed and the other two replaced with 480 hp (360 kW) Rolls-Royce type F.XIIA engines.

W.9a Hampstead   (As depicted in these photos.)
Was a three-engined version with more powerful 385 hp (290 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV radial engines. It was operated by Imperial Airways and created a record on the London-Paris route of 86 minutes. In 1926, the engines were replaced by three 420 hp (310 kW) Bristol Jupiters. The aircraft was moved to Australia but was destroyed by an accident after nine months.

W.10
A twin-engined variant with the 450 hp (340 kW) Napier Lion for Imperial Airways (four built).

It was the first T-tail rear-engined trijet airliner to be designed. It was also the first airliner to make a blind landing in revenue service in 1965.

The Trident was a jet airliner of all-metal construction with a T-tail and a low-mounted wing with a quarter-chord sweepback of 35 degrees. It had three rear-mounted engines: two in side-fuselage pods, and the third in the fuselage tailcone, aspirating through an S-shaped duct. One version, the 3B, had a fourth "boost" engine aspirated through a separate intake duct above the main S-duct. All versions were powered by versions of the Rolls-Royce Spey, while the boost engine was also by Rolls-Royce: the RB.162, originally intended as a lift engine for VTOL applications.

The Trident was one of the fastest subsonic commercial airliners, regularly cruising at over 610 mph (980 km/h). At introduction into service its standard cruise Mach Number was 0.88/ 380 kn IAS, probably the highest of any of its contemporaries. Designed for high speed, with a critical Mach number of 0.93, the wing produced relatively limited lift at lower speeds. This, and the aircraft's low power-to-weight ratio, called for prolonged takeoff runs. Nevertheless, the Trident fulfilled BEA's 6,000 ft (1,800 m) field length criterion and its relatively staid airfield performance was deemed adequate before the arrival into service of the Boeing 727 and later jet airliners built to 4,500 ft (1,400 m) field length criteria. The aerodynamics and wing was developed by a team led by Richard Clarkson, who would later take the Trident's wing design for the wing of the Airbus A300; for the Trident he won the Mullard Award in 1969.

For more information on the development, design,operational history and variants, click here.

The specifications below are for the Trident 2Emodel, the most produced model with 50 built.