Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Fairchild FC-2W2



This file is the work of a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the images are in the public domain.

Generally speaking, works created by U.S. Government employees are not eligible for copyright protection in the United States. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" PDF from the U.S. Copyright Office.

The first aircraft purchased by the NACA was this Fairchild FC-2W2. Marked as "NACA 26," this aircraft was the first to be flown in a NACA paint scheme. The colors applied to this Fairchild were blue fuselage, silver wings and tail. The wing had a yellow stripe down the middle, from tip to tip. A red, white and blue shield was added to the rudder. It was used by NACA in an effort to correlate wind tunnel and flight aerodynamic characteristics. Date 1929.

A 1927 FC-2W, the oldest American Airlines plane to ever fly. NASA Center: Langley Research Center. Image#: L-03546. Date: 01/01/1929.

Fairchild FC-2W2

SPAD XVI XIII clipart



SPAD XVI with two Lewis guns in the rear and a Vickers forward-firing gun. (U.S. Air Force photo)

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Generally speaking, works created by U.S. Government employees are not eligible for copyright protection in the United States. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" PDF from the U.S. Copyright Office.

The SPAD S.XIII was a French biplane fighter aircraft of World War I, developed by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) from the earlier highly successful SPAD S.VII. It was one of the most capable fighters of the war, and one of the most-produced, with 8,472 built

SPAD XVI XIII clip art

SPAD XVI XIII clipart

SPAD XIII DAYTON, Ohio -- SPAD XIII at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Thursday, August 1, 2013

PBY Catalina Consolidated OA-10 Flying Boat



The OA-10 was the U.S. Army Air Forces' version of the PBY series flown extensively by the U.S. Navy during World War II. It was a twin-engine, parasol-mounted monoplane equipped with a flying boat hull, retractable tricycle landing gear and retractable wing-tip floats. The OA-10 operated primarily for air-sea rescue work ("DUMBO" missions) with the USAAF's Emergency Rescue Squadrons throughout WWII and for several years thereafter. During the war, OA-10 crews rescued hundreds of downed fliers.

The prototype Catalina first flew on March 28, 1935, and the production version was built in both seaplane and amphibian versions. The Consolidated Aircraft Corp., along with Canadian Vickers Ltd. and the Naval Aircraft Factory, produced nearly 2,500 Catalinas; of these, the USAAF received approximately 380.

The Brazilian Air Force was one of several Allied nations that received Catalinas during the war. It operated this Catalina in a variety of roles in the Amazon Basin until 1981. Flown to the museum in 1984, it was restored and painted as an OA-10A assigned to the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

TECHNICAL NOTES: Armament: Two .50-cal. machine guns in the waist, two .30-cal. machine guns (one in the bow and another in a rear tunnel), and 8,000 lbs. of bombs. Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92s of 1,200 hp each. Maximum speed: 184 mph. Cruising speed: 120 mph. Range: 2,325 miles. Ceiling: 22,400 ft. Span: 104 ft. Length: 63 ft. 10 in. Height: 20 ft. 1 in. Weight: 36,400 lbs. loaded.

PBY Catalina Consolidated OA-10  Flying Boat

DAYTON, Ohio -- Consolidated OA-10 Catalina at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)

PBY Catalina Consolidated OA-10  Flying Boat

PBY Catalina landing at NAS Jacksonville during WWII.

These files are works of a Department of Defense employee, sailor or soldier, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the images are in the public domain.

Generally speaking, works created by U.S. Government employees are not eligible for copyright protection in the United States. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" PDF from the U.S. Copyright Office.