Len and Les Alford of Jabiru Aircraft Southern Africa are the South African dealers for Jabiru. They approached Jabiru in 2012 suggesting there was a market for a twin engine Jabiru in Africa. They explained that parts of Africa are best flown over at a great heights, and the prevalence of wild animals and AK47s tends to make flyers nervous about outfield landings.  The conclusion…two engines would be nice.

The project was always intended to be a joint development and aimed at the South African market.  Jabiru had conjured the concept of a twin for some time but could not face up to the complexity generated by hanging the engines off the wings. This would have meant going back to basics on wing structure and all the difficulties of fire-proofing the wings, etc. Another physical difficulty was the engine pods completely obstructed the entry and exit points to the cabin. These considerations gave birth to the idea of mounting the engines on a short canard mounted on the firewall.

Some quick calculations on the weight and balance weren’t too frightening and Jabiru was able to get the propellers quite close together to reduce the amount of asymmetric thrust on one engine. The issue of opening the doors against the engine pods was resolved and the design evolved from there.

Jabiru’s John Farmer got to work making a streamlined nose for a J430 airplane and the two engine pods. Jabiru’s engineer, Tom Ferguson, was given the task of testing the supporting structure for the engines. As usual, most of the structure was built in composite with aluminum connections to the engines. The firewall structure of the J430 is unchanged and the nose wheel remains in its normal position. This is a relatively simple bolt-on modification.

When the structure was finished and the molds were complete, the project was shipped to South Africa where the airplane was completed into a flying prototype.

Jabiru is considering releasing the aircraft as a kit for Australian and U.S. builders, and in other countries that accept the experimental category. It’s also possible that it could be released as a conversion to existing experimental J430s in Australia.

Introduced in 1964, it was Learjet's first model and created a new market for fast and efficient business aircraft. Production ended in 1966 after 101 aircraft had been delivered.

Production began on the first Model 23 Lear Jet on February 7, 1962. The first flight took place on 7 October 1963 with test pilots Hank Beaird and Bob Hagen.[2] Although the prototype crashed in June 1964 the Lear Jet 23 was awarded a type certificate by the Federal Aviation Administration on 31 July 1964. On October 13, 1964, the first production aircraft was delivered.

Production ended in 1966 after one hundred and one aircraft had been delivered. In 1998, thirty nine Model 23s were estimated to remain in use. Twenty seven are known to have been lost or damaged beyond repair through accidents, the most recent being in 2008.

In 2013, the FAA modified the FAR Part 91 rules to prohibit the operation of jets weighing 75,000 pounds or less that are not Stage 3 noise compliant beyond December 31, 2015, with the Lear Jet 23 listed in the Federal Register. This meant that any Lear Jet 23's without modified Stage 3 noise-compliant engines - or an approved hushkit - were no longer permitted to fly in the contiguous 48 states after that date. The ruling noted that appropriate hushkits were not currently available for the Lear Jet 23.

The Model 45 was the first all-new design since the original Learjet, and significantly altered the Learjet line. Through its four primary variants – the original Model 45, the Model 45XR, Model 40 and Model 40XR – it was the Learjet Division's principal product from the 1990s until the introduction of the Model 75 variant in 2012.

The Model 45 was developed in the 1990s as a competitor in the "super-light" business jet category, a rival to the popular Cessna Citation Excel / XLS – but sacrificing the Cessna's stand-up room for the Learjet family's traditional high-speed performance.

In size, the LJ45 and LJ45XR fit between the smaller Learjet 31 and Learjet 40, at the low end, and the larger Learjet 60 at the top of the Learjet product line. It offers the operating economics typical of a "light" business jet, but the performance and comfort of a "mid-size" business jet.

It has a 1,971-nautical-mile (3,650 km; 2,268 mi) range at Mach 0.81 with four passengers on board.

The plane was designed around a flat-floor cabin, with a non-circular cross-section for additional headroom. Typical interior configuration is eight passenger seats, in a double-club seating arrangement, and a fully enclosed toilet (usable as a 9th seat) and an adjoining 15-cubic-foot baggage area. An external 50-cubic-foot baggage area is also provided.

Outwardly, he Model 45 retained the traditional Learjet appearance, with its semi-swept wing, T-tail, sharp nose, and wrap-around windshield – while using engines and avionics similar to those in the Model 60.

The Lear 45 was certified under FAR Part 25 (transport category rules), rather than FAR Part 23 (often used in earlier business jets). The stricter Part 25 certification requires greater system redundancy, and requires that the airplane reliably meets the performance numbers published in the aircraft's FAA-approved Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH).

For more details of the Learjet 45 and its five variants, click here.

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A engines, it has a range (with 4 passengers and 2 crew) of 2,405 nautical miles (4,454 km) with NBAA 100 nmi (190 km) reserves, ISA. In July 2012 Bombardier Aerospace announced a temporary "production pause" of the latest variant Learjet 60XR to begin in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The Learjet 60 is an improved version of the Learjet 55, with a longer fuselage and more powerful turbofan engines. It first flew on 10 October 1990 and received FAA certification in January 1993.

Production of the Learjet 60 ended in 2007 after 318 aircraft had been built. The Learjet 60XR was a variation with upgraded Proline 21 avionics and slight improvements to the cabin, with production from beginning at serial number 319Bombardier Aerospace.

By 2018, a Learjet 60 could be purchased for $1 million or less.

For more det ails of the deevelopment of the Learjet 60 from the Lerajet 55, click here.

These models feature new avionics, winglets, and powerful engines that use less fuel. The Learjet 40/45 light jet is updated with touchscreen-controlled Garmin G5000 avionics and a modern interior. The combination of aerodynamic improvements, which lowered the design's drag by 2%, and 200 lbs less weight in the nose section resulted in an increased range of 4%. The canted winglet design was incorporated from the Bombardier Global 7500/8000.

The Learjet 75 received its type certificate from the FAA on 14 November 2013. Deliveries began shortly thereafter. This delay in certification caused order cancellations, and Bombardier's overall deliveries fell below expectations. By 2016, production of Learjet 70 has been temporarily discontinued due to lack of orders (with Learjet 75 still being produced).

The 100th Learjet 75 was delivered in June 2017.

By January 2019, Bombardier has delivered 132 Learjet 40/40XRs, 454 45/45XRs, and nearly 130 70/75s, including 24 in 2016 and 14 in 2017.[4] In June, Bombardier launched the sub-$10 million Learjet 75 Liberty to compete with the Cessna CitationJet and Embraer Phenom 300 from 2020, with six seats down from eight, no standard APU or lavatory sink, but still Part 25 and not FAR Part 23 certified, with a maximum payload of 2,910 lb (1,320 kg) and a range of 2,080 nmi (3,850 km).

The photos in this item and the specifications below, are for the Learjet 75.

The Let L-200 Morava light twin-engine transport was preceded in production at the Let factory by the license-built Aero Ae 45. In 1955 the newly created design team led by Ladislav Smrcek of the Czechoslovak State Aircraft Factory decided to proceed with a proprietary design for a more modern twin with seating capacity of five and powered by a pair of then new 210 hp Avia M 337 engines, but as they were not yet available, the prototype made do with the less powerful Walter Minor 6-III engines of 160 hp each. While maintaining similar characteristics of western twin engine aircraft of the time, updated features of the Morava included twin tails, standard thermal wing de-icing equipment and inverted inline engines. The first production L-200A took to the skies in February 1960.

In all, 367 L-200s were built by 1964, including 3 prototypes and 197 L-200D (eight L-200A and the L-200A prototype were converted to L-200D as well). 5 aircraft were manufactured from parts by Libis in Yugoslavia.

The aircraft is capable of landing on short and unpaved runways and operating under extreme conditions from +50 °C (122 °F) to −50 °C (−58 °F). BY 2016, 1,200 L-410s had been built, and over 350 are in service in more than 50 countries.

The L-410 UVP-E is an unpressurized all-metal high-wing commuter aircraft, with Avia V 510 five-blade propellers. It is equipped with a retractable undercarriage. The aircraft uses two hydraulic circuits: main and emergency. The main electrical system operates with 28V DC. The de-icing system is leading edge pneumatic deicers and electrical heating of propellers, cockpit windshields and pitot-static system heads.

The L 410 UVP-E20 is certified on the basis of FAR 23 either Amendment 34 or Amendment 41. It is certified by the EU, the Russian Federation, the US, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, India, Nepal, Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, Republic of South Africa, Algeria, Australia, Taiwan, Turkey, and many other countries accepting some of the previous certificates. The aircraft has also been approved for operation in a number of other countries, such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Tunisia, Colombia, Venezuela, South Korea and others.

For more details on the L-410 and fifteen variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the L-410 UVP-E20 variant.

The JetStar (company designations L-329 and L-1329; designated C-140 in US military service) was the first dedicated business jet to enter service, as well as the only such airplane built by Lockheed. It was also one of the largest aircraft in the class for many years, seating ten plus two crew. It is distinguishable from other small jets by its four engines, mounted on the rear of the fuselage, and the "slipper"-style fuel tanks fixed to the wings.

The JetStar originated as a private project within Lockheed, with an eye to winning a United States Air Force (USAF) requirement that was later dropped due to budget cuts. Lockheed decided to continue the project on its own for the business market.

JetStar production totaled 204 aircraft by final delivery in 1978. Most original JetStars have been retired, but many 731 JetStars and JetStar IIs are still flying in various roles, mainly as corporate and private jets.

For more details of the development, operational history, famous owners and nine variants, click here.

Specifications below are for the Jetstar II.

A smaller version of the Lockheed Model 10 Electra, the Lockheed 12 was not popular as an airliner but was widely used as a corporate and government transport. Several were also used for testing new aviation technologies.

After Lockheed had introduced its 10-passenger Model 10 Electra, the company decided to develop a smaller version which would be better suited as a "feeder airliner" or a corporate executive transport. At the same time, the U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce had also sensed the need for a small feeder airliner and announced a design competition for one. In order for a candidate to qualify for the competition, a prototype had to fly by June 30, 1936.

Lockheed based its candidate, which it named the Model 12 Electra Junior, around a scaled down Electra. It would carry only six passengers and two pilots but would use the same 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior SB radial engines as the main Electra version, the 10A. This made it faster than the Electra, with a top speed of 225 mph (362 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m). Like the Electra, the Model 12 had an all-metal structure, trailing-edge wing flaps, low-drag NACA engine cowlings, and two-bladed controllable-pitch propellers (later changed to constant-speed propellers). It also had the Electra's twin tail fins and rudders, which were becoming a Lockheed trademark. The landing gear was a conventional tail-dragger arrangement, with the main wheels retracting backwards into the engine nacelles; as was often the case with retractable gear of the period, the wheel bottoms were left exposed in case a wheels-up emergency landing was necessary.

For more details of the development, operational history and 14 variants, click here.

The open-cockpit aircraft seats two in tandem. As of 2019, 250 Aircams were licensed and flying. In 2019, a complete kit with Rotax 912ULS engines, less instruments, paint, shipping and crating was priced at US$128,990.

The first prototype Aircam was built in 1995. Designed by Phil Lockwood, founder of Lockwood Aircraft, it was built for the National Geographic Society for research and photography in the Ndoki Rain Forest in the northern Congo Basin. It was built to fly low and slow and to provide a wide, unobstructed view, with the additional security of a second engine. The design has since been improved while retaining the same layout.

The initial version, produced by Leza-Lockwood Corporation, was powered by twin Rotax 582 powerplants of 64 hp (48 kW) each. Twin 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912 and 115 hp (86 kW) 914 engines were optional. Later the 582 was eliminated, the 912 engine became standard and Leza-Lockwood's name was changed to Lockwood. In 2015, an optional bubble canopy kit was introduced. The aircraft can also be configured with floats to become amphibious.

The Aircam was designed to be able to take-off on one engine if needed and the positioning of the engines close to the centreline contributes to this capability as well as its benign single engine handling.

The Aircam has a landing roll of 300 feet and a takeoff roll of under 200 feet.

Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University) (MAI; Russian: Московский авиационный институт, МАИ) is one of the major engineering institutes in Moscow, Russia. They have developed, or are developing, a range of general aviation aircraft.

MAI-411 multi-purpose four-seat twin engine airplane has been designed according to AP—23 Aviation Rule requirements, analog of European CS—23 and American FAR—23. The following description is taken from the manufacturers website. Refer to this website for details of the other models by this manufacturer.

The airplane is equipped with modern all-digital navigation complex for easy and safe flight operations in all operation modes.

The standard crew and passenger seating is side-by-side in two rows. The cabin height is 1220 mm, crew and passenger seating area width is 1275 mm, which provides comfortable conditions of housing the people dressed in winter clothes.

The cabin has ventilation and heating systems efficient within the whole range of operating conditions (-25...+40˚C). The luggage section is located behind the backs of the 2nd row seats.

A vertical tail includes a fin integrated with a fuselage, and a rudder.

A horizontal tail comprises a cantilever stabilizer and an elevator. Both stabilizer and an elevator are made one-piece tailplane by span, which lowers the weight and improves efficiency.

Airplane have a tricycle landing gear with a nose wheel. The airplane has an ability of a float-type and ski landing gear mounted. 

A power plant includes two ROTAX 912S piston engines closed in engine nacelles and located on the wing symmetrically to the fuselage. The main fuel tanks are in the center-wing section.

The airplane is of a double control. A pilot's seat is on the left.

The EM-11 Orka (orca) is a touring and executive aircraft manufactured in Poland.

The EM-11 was designed by Edward Margański of Margański & Mysłowski Zakłady Lotnicze (Margański & Mysłowski Aviation Works), who were previously known for their Swift S-1 and MDM-1 Fox sailplanes. Work on this new low cost, light utility aircraft, of unorthodox configuration, with slim glider-like fuselage and two pusher engines, started in 2001 and was constructed of composite materials with a 4-seat cab placed low, for easier boarding. Luggage is stored behind the rear seats. Composite fuselage was a development of sailpane fuselage. As the designer Edward Margański pointed out, his goal was to create flying limousine "for people, not only for pilots", offering good visibility, comfort and ease of boarding. He expressed also, that his ambition was always to create beautiful aircraft, an in this field his inspiration was Let L-200 Morava.

The first prototype EM-11, registered SP-YEN, flew 8 August 2003. It has a fixed tricycle landing gear and Rotax 912 (100 hp (75 kW)) engines. The second prototype, registered SP-YEP, was to be a pattern for serial production variant EM-11C, flew 20 October 2005 with Lycoming IO-320 engines and retractable landing gear. In April 2011 EM-11C Orka was EASA certified and is currently in production. Prior to certification, two prototypes and three further aircraft had been built.

Several variants are planned including, a patrol aircraft with an FLIR head, an air ambulance, a cargo aircraft, and an amphibious version.

The Miles M.57 Aerovan was a British twin-engined short-range low-cost transport aircraft designed and produced by Miles Aircraft. It was primarily used for freight and passenger services.

Development of the Aerovan started during the latter years of the Second World War as an affordable freighter suitable for both civilian and military purposes. It was suited to austere operations, and possessed an atypically high payload capacity for its power output. Relatively large payloads, including a single car, could be transported by the aircraft, being loaded via its large clamshell freight door. While Miles intended to produce the Aerovan for the British Army as a wartime asset, development was put on hold by order of the Air Ministry until the end of the conflict.

On 26 January 1945, the maiden flight of the Aerovan took place. Quantity production formally commenced during 1946, although customer demand exceeded the company's production capacity. The Aerovan was primarily flown by commercial operators, but was also operated by a number of military users. Numerous variants were developed, and further models were envisioned, including a flying boat model; however, production was halted as a result of the company's bankruptcy in late 1947.

The Miles Aerovan was a twin-engined high-wing monoplane of plastic-bonded plywood construction with some spruce and metal parts. It had a fixed tricycle undercarriage, three vertical tail and rudder units, one central and two as tailplane endplates, the configuration being generally reminiscent of the Miles Messenger. The wing featured electrically-actuated flaps that could be adjusted to any angle, which were a recent innovation. On the ground, steering was achieved either by differential braking or differential operation of the throttles.

The Aerovan had a relatively deep-sided forward fuselage, which necessitated the use of a large fin area. A pair of pilots were accommodated within a large clear perspex canopy which formed the front dorsal part of the pod, while the pod-shaped fuselage was lined with four or five circular windows on either side for use by passengers. Access to the cabin and cockpit was via a door on the starboard side. For additional comfort, amenities such as soundproofing were typically installed. The Aerovan's lifting capabilities were such that payloads could weigh up to one tonne, along with sufficient volume to enable the carriage of a typical family car, which could be loaded through the clamshell doors set to the rear.

Various aspects of the Aerovan's configuration could be adjusted to meet customer demand; such alterations included the addition of skis for operations within snowy climates. The standard Aerovan was powered by a pair of Blackburn Cirrus Major piston engines; alternative powerplants included the de Havilland Gipsy Major and the Lycoming O-435, often necessitating the use of enlarged fins and rudders to cope with the increased power under all circumstances. By swapping the engines, the maximum speed could be increased by up to 20 mph and the rate of climb by up to 50 per cent.

Number built:  48

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

Hurel-dubois Miles HDM.105 variant (high aspect wing)

It was described by the manufacturer as the "safest light aeroplane in the world"

Designed as a twin-engined retractable landing gear version of the earlier Miles Messenger the Gemini first flew on 26 October 1945. The Gemini was a four-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane of plastic-bonded plywood construction. It had twin vertical tail units. Originally powered by 90 hp (67,5 kW) Blackburn Cirrus Minor engines, the aircraft was put into large scale production straight away and 130 Geminis were sold in the first year. Later variants were fitted with different engines.

After the collapse of Miles Aircraft in 1947 eight aircraft had not been completed and they were assembled by Handley Page (Reading) Limited at Woodley (two in 1950); Wolverhampton Aviation at Wolverhampton's Pendeford Aerodrome (five in 1951); and by F. G. Miles Limited at Redhill Aerodrome (one).

For details of the operational history and ten variants, click here.

It made its maiden flight in September 1963 and was produced until 1986. It is one of postwar Japan's most successful aircraft, with 704 manufactured in Japan and San Angelo, Texas, in the United States.

Work on the MU-2, Mitsubishi's first postwar aircraft design, began in 1956. Designed as a light twin turboprop transport suitable for a variety of civil and military roles, the MU-2 first flew on 14 September 1963. This first MU-2, and the three MU-2As built, were powered by the Turbomeca Astazou turboprop.

Civil MU-2s powered by Garrett engines were certified as variants of the MU-2B, using the MU-2B type followed by a number. For marketing purposes, each variant was given a suffix letter; the MU-2B-10, for example, was sold as the MU-2D, while the MU-2B-36A was marketed as the MU-2N.

The MU-2 has a high cruise speed coupled with a low landing speed. This is accomplished by using over-wing spoilers instead of conventional ailerons for roll control, allowing the use of full-span double-slotted flaps on the trailing edge of the wing; the very large flaps give the MU-2 wing loading comparable to a Beechcraft King Air in landing configuration, while having wing loading comparable to a light jet in cruise. The spoilers are highly effective, even when the MU-2 wing is stalled, and the lack of ailerons completely eliminates adverse yaw.

For details of the production,operational history and variants of the MU-2, click here.

Specifications below are for the stretched fuselage MU-2L variant.

The Nakajima Ki-34 was a Japanese light transport of World War II. It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane; the undercarriage was of tailwheel type with retractable main units. During the Pacific War, the Allies assigned the type the reporting name Thora.

The Ki-34 was originally designed as a civil transport. Nakajima Aircraft Company, which had the license-production rights to the Douglas DC-2, began design work in 1935 on a smaller twin engine airliner for routes which did not have the capacity to justify use of the larger DC-2. The initial design was designated AT-1, and after numerous design iterations, flew as a prototype designated AT-2 on 12 September 1936. The design was all metal, except for the flight control surfaces, which were plywood. The wings used a multi-cell cantilever design. The prototype was fitted with 432 kW (580 hp) Nakajima Kotobuki 2-1 radial engines with fixed pitch wooden propellers, which were replaced in production models with Kotobuki-41 529 kW (710 hp) nine-cylinder radial engines, with variable pitch metal propellers.

Civil use (AT-2)
A total of 32 AT-2s were produced for Imperial Japanese Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK) and Manchukuo National Airways, operating on scheduled routes between Tokyo and Hsinking, Tokyo and Tianjin, and within Manchukuo. These aircraft remained in operational service until the surrender of Japan in August 1945.

Military history (Ki-34 and L1N1)

With a high demand for increased military transport capability after the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army adapted the AT-2 design for military use by fitting with more powerful Nakajima Ha-1b radial engines and re-designating the aircraft as the Army Type 97 Transport and Ki-34. The initial 19 aircraft were produced by Nakajima Aircraft, and another 299 aircraft were subsequently produced by the Army-affiliated Tachikawa Hikoki K.K. The final airframe was delivered in 1942.

In operational service, the Ki-34 was used as a utility aircraft for liaison and communications duties, and for paratrooper training and Special Forces operations.

At a later date, some aircraft were transferred to the Imperial Japanese Navy, where they were known as the Navy Type AT-2 Transport or Nakajima L1N1. Several were also transferred to the air force of the Japanese puppet state of China-Nanjing in 1942.

In January 2016, it was reported that the project had been cancelled. But in February 2017, the project was revived. In February 2019, India's finance ministry approved ₹6,000 crore (US$840 million) for the production of the airliner.

In the mid-1980s, the Research Council recommended that the NAL should study the civil aviation requirements of India and recommended ways of establishing a viable civil aviation industry. It further recommended that the NAL should carry out a formal techno-economical feasibility study of a multi role light transport aircraft (LTA – renamed SARAS in October 1993). The feasibility study (November 1989) showed that there was a significant demand for a 9–14 seat multi-role LTA in the country and estimated a market potential of about 250–350 aircraft in the next 10 years. NAL submitted the feasibility study report to the Research Council in November 1990 and started its search for an industrial partner.

The project began in 1991 as a collaboration with Russia (Myasishchev had a similar project called the Duet), but financial trouble led the Russians to drop out early in the project. The project almost came to a halt when it was hit by US-imposed sanctions in 1998, after India's nuclear tests in Pokhran. The Saras project was sanctioned on 24 September 1999 with initial schedule of its maiden flight by March 2001. The first Saras (PT1) completed its maiden flight at the HAL airport in Bangalore on 29 May 2004.

The IAF has signed up with National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore for the purchase of 15 Saras aircraft and may need 45 more.

For more details of the development of the Saras, click here.

The North American Sabreliner, later sold as the Rockwell Sabreliner, is an American mid-sized business jet developed by North American Aviation. It was offered to the United States Air Force (USAF) in response to its Utility Trainer Experimental (UTX) program. It was named "Sabreliner" due to the similarity of the wing and tail to North American's F-86 Sabre jet fighter. Military variants, designated T-39 Sabreliner, were used by the USAF, United States Navy (USN), and United States Marine Corps (USMC) after the USAF placed an initial order in 1959. The Sabreliner was also developed into a commercial variant.

North American Aviation began development of the Sabreliner as an in-house project, and in response to the UTX request for proposals, offered a military version to the USAF. UTX combined two different roles, personnel transport and combat readiness training, into the same aircraft.

The civilian version prototype, which carried the model number NA-265, made its first flight on September 16, 1958. It was powered by two General Electric YJ85 turbojet engines. The type received its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certificate in April 1963. The UTX candidate, designated the T-39A, was identical in configuration to the NA-265, but when the contract was awarded and the T-39A entered production, it was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT12A-8 turbojet engines.

The civilian production version, or Series 40, was slightly refined over the prototype, with more speed and a roomier cabin. North American then stretched the design by 3 feet 2 inches (0.97 m), providing greater cabin space, and marketed it as the Series 60, which was certificated in April 1967. The cabin was made taller for the Series 70 and General Electric CF700 turbofans were installed for the Series 75A (also branded as the Series 80).

By 1973, North American had merged with Rockwell Standard under the name Rockwell International. In 1976 Rockwell contracted Raisbeck Engineering to redesign the wing of the Sabreliner series. The resulting Raisbeck Mark V wing was the first supercritical wing in service in the United States. The Mark V wing was combined with Garrett TFE731 turbofan engines, to create the Series 65. Sabreliner models 60 and 80 were retrofitted with the Mark V wing as the Series 60A (STC SA687NW) and Series 80A (STC SA847NW).

abreliner production came to a close in 1981. The next year, Rockwell sold its Sabreliner division to a private equity firm which formed Sabreliner Corporation, the support organization for continuing operators.

For details of operational history and the many military and civilian variants, click here.

Military Sabreliner T-39D

Sabreliner CT-39G

Sabreliner 65

Rockwell International Sabre 75A (note square windows)

The OMA SUD Skycar is an Italian twin-engined five-seat piston-engined pusher configuration monoplane designed and built by OMA SUD SpA based in Capua.

The Skycar is an unusual twin-engined pusher-configuration high-wing monoplane with twin vertical tails with a high-mounted single horizontal stabiliser. The Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 piston engines are mounted on the trailing edge of each mainplane. The prototype first flew on 21 December 2007 and was first displayed in public at the 2009 Paris Air Show. The Skycar was issued with a European Aviation Safety Agency Type Certificate on 8 January 2010. The Skycar was designed for both the General Aviation market and military market.

The Skycar was issued FAA Type Certificate A63CE on 14 March 2011.

It made its first flight on 25 May 1970, its type certification was granted on 17 November 1971 and was transferred to Vulcanair in 1998. The original six-seat high-wing monoplane is powered by twin piston engines and is used for light transport and training, the P.68 Observer is an observation aircraft variant, and it was developed in a stretched, 10/11-seat twin turboprop derivative.

The Partenavia P.68 was designed as a six-seat light transport and trainer powered by two 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming IO-360 engines, it made its first flight on 25 May 1970 at Naples. A total of 8 variants have been built, seating between 6 and 11 passengers,

For details of development and variants, including specifications for the Vulcanair AP68TP-600, click here.

Specifications below are for the P.68C model.

Vulcanair AP68TP-600

The Percival Prince is a British light transport of the early postwar period. It was a twin-engine, high-wing, cantilever monoplane of all-metal stressed-skin construction; the undercarriage was of retractable, tricycle type.

The design of the Prince continued from the solitary Merganser. Further development of the type led to the Survey Prince survey aircraft and the Sea Prince. An improved version of the Prince 3 with an increased wingspan and engine and undercarriage modifications was developed for the Royal Air Force as the Percival Pembroke.

The Prince was produced in six versions for the civil market. Several examples were operated as executive aircraft including Standard Motors and Shell Oil. Three aircraft were used by the UK Ministry of Civil Aviation as airport facilities checking aircraft.

The Sea Prince operated in two roles: in T.Mk.1 form it served as a navigation and anti-submarine trainer; the C.Mks. 1 and 2 were flown in the transport role. However, these were land planes and not COD (carrier on board delivery) aircraft. Sea Princes operated in both roles from 1954 to 1972 and as a navigation trainer until 1978, when it was replaced by the Handley Page Jetstream.

https://docslib.org/doc/4957801/percival-p-50-prince-in-australia

Variants

P.50 Prince 1 – prototype based on Merganser with modified fin and undercarriage and two 520 hp Alvis Leonides 501/4 engine, one built.
P.50 Prince 2 – As Prince 1 with sloping windscreen, stronger main spar, five built.
P.50 Prince 3 – As Prince 2 with Alvis Leonides 502/4 engine and lengthened nose on some aircraft, 12 built.
P.50 Prince 4 – Conversions to Alvis Leonides 503 engines, ten converted.
P.50 Prince 5 – original designation of the Percival President.
P.50 Prince 6 – Conversions to Alvis Leonides 504 engines.
P.54 Survey Prince – Prince 2 with lengthened transparent nose and camera hatches, six built.

P.50 Sea Prince C1 – Prince 2 for Royal Navy use, three built.
P.57 Sea Prince T1 – Prince 3 with long nose housing radar, twin wheeled main undercarriage and lengthened engine nacelles for navigation and anti-submarine training, 41 built. (Specifications below)
P.57 Sea Prince C2 – Transport version of Sea Prince T1, four built.

The Percival Q.6 was a 1930s British communications aircraft built by Percival Aircraft Limited at Luton. Originally, the Percival Q.6 was a civil transport but It was used during the Second World War by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy as a communications and liaison aircraft. It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane with a tailwheel undercarriage.

The Percival Type-Q was Percival's first twin-engine aircraft. It was constructed of wood, with plywood and fabric covering. It had a fixed, tailwheel undercarriage, with faired mainwheels, although four of the production machines would be equipped with retractable undercarriage.

Two versions were designed: the Q.4, a four-seat executive transport, and the Q.6, a six-seat feederliner. The Q.4 was not built. The prototype Q.6, registration G-AEYE, first flew on 14 September 1937 at Luton Airport. Production started in 1938, and the first production aircraft, registered G-AFFD, was delivered to Sir Philip Sassoon on 2 March 1938.

A small number were exported, including one to the King Ghazi I of Iraq, two to the Lithuanian Ministry of Communications, one to the Australian Civil Aviation Board and two to the Egyptian government in military camouflage. A total of 27 aircraft were built (one prototype and 26 production aircraft).

The Royal Air Force bought seven aircraft for communications duties under Air Ministry Specification 25/38; these were unofficially named Petrel. The Egyptian government bought two Q.6s.

In the early months of the Second World War, most of the civil Q.6s were requisitioned for service with the RAF and RN. Two Q.6s of the Lithuanian Air Lines were impressed by the Soviet Air Forces in 1940 and used with Soviet airline Aeroflot on Riga-Velikye Luki or Riga-Moscow lines.

With one exception, all the civilian Q.6s served with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Between 1946 and 1947, four requisitioned Q.6s and three Petrels were sold to civilian buyers. These were operated by small UK airlines, as executive transports and flown by private pilot owners.

Variants

Q.4
Four-seat civil executive transport, none built.
Q.6
Six-seat civil feederliner.
Q.6 Mk I
Prototype fitted with wings intended for the Q.4 variant, one built.
Q.6 Mk II
Production variant with fixed landing gear, 12 built.
Q.6 Mk III
Variant with retractable landing gear. four built and one conversion from Mk II.
Q.6 Mk IV
Proposed air survey variant, not built.
Q.6 Mk V
Variant for military communications with a toilet, four passenger seats, nine-built.
Petrel
Name given to Q.6 Mk V military communications aircraft.

The ST2 is developed from the Speedtwin E2E Comet 1. The Speedtwin E2E Comet 1, originally named the Phillips ST1 Speedtwin, is a two-seat, twin engined aircraft designed in the UK to be capable of aerobatics and the only civil twin certified for intentional spinning. After a long development time, just two have been built. The ST1 was unlike the intended production machines, having modified Victa Airtourer wings, a welded steel tube fuselage, a wooden vertical tail and fixed, spatted landing gear from a DHC-1 Chipmunk. It was powered by a pair of 74.6 kW (100 hp) Continental O-200-A flat four engines. Seriously damaged in a taxying accident in the early 2000s, it probably did not fly again. Just before Phillips's death in 1997 a second prototype was begun, eventually making its first flight on 27 March 2007 powered by 104 kW (139 hp) Avia M 332 inverted four cylinder in-line engines as the ST2 pre-production aircraft. It was later fitted with 153 kW (205 hp) Titan/Lycoming IO-390 flat four engines. Speedtwin Developments had taken over the aircraft in 2000 and in 2012 announced the new name of Comet 1. E2E stands for "Engineered to excel". At this time future developments including a retracting undercarriage, armament and turbo-prop engines were planned; the original idea of offering kits for home building had been withdrawn.

The Speedtwin ST2 is a low cantilever wing monoplane with wing mounted engines. Mounted with some dihedral, the wing is trapezoidal in plan, though there is little sweep on its leading edge. The trailing edges carry servo assisted ailerons and electrically driven plain flaps with a range of deflections between 0° and −40°. The vertical tail is straight tapered with a brief fuselage fillet; the rudder extends down to the keel via a small elevator cut-out. The horizontal tail, mounted on the upper fuselage, is also straight edged with slight sweep on its leading edge. Both rudder and elevators are aerodynamically balanced. g limits: +6/-3

The aircraft was damaged when a blade broke off the right propeller, striking the nose of the aircraft and the left propeller, necessitating a forced landing. The accident report can be viewed here.

Only the two prototypes were built. Details below are for the ST2.

The Piaggio P.136 was a twin-engine pusher-type amphibian, being capable of carrying a maximum of five people with baggage, or a pair of stretchers and an accompanying medical attendant. While the general configuration and systems remained largely the same across different models, there were some customisations present in the cabin to suit its customer and intended purpose; while military aircraft would often be fitted with alternative instrumentation and radio sets, as well as additional transparent panels in locations like the doors for greater external visibility, civil P.136s would be furnished with more comfortable seating and additional panelling for sound exclusion and heat retention purposes. The aircraft's fuel is stowed in two large metal tanks housed within the hull.

More than 80 P.136 five-seat light amphibians were built as one of the company's first post-war products, 23 of which were supplied to the Italian Air Force for use as flying-boat trainers and for air-sea rescue duties.

Trecker Aircraft Corp, a division of Kearney & Trecker Corporation, in early/mid-1960s assembled at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Piaggio P.136L-1 s and L-2s under names Trecker Gull and Super Gull.

For more details, and variants, click here.