x planes

“Meeting de Monaco - Mars 1912 - Le Canard Voisin”

(via an immense Google album of scanned Monaco-based early aviation media. Amazing stuff.)

“L’hydravion Canard de Nungesser : entier avec l’équipe d’ouvriers et d’ingénieurs” (via)

the Leduc 0.21, 1953 (via)

Wargames, 1941 (via D. Sheley on Flickr)

“The Hawker Sea Hurricane being catapulted from the catapult armed merchant (CAM) ship at Greenock. Note the long flame from the rocket assistors.” (via)

“Second World War gun camera footage: “the pilot of this Bf-109 has bailed out even though his plane seems relatively intact..” (via)

“Bristol Beaufighters from Nos. 144 and 254 Squadrons RAF, No. 455 Squadron RAAF and No. 489 Squadron RNZAF attacking German ‘M’ class minesweepers escorting a convoy off the Dutch coast, north-west of Borkum, with rocket projectiles. Thirteen aircraft can be seen in the photograph, which was taken over the tail of a Beaufighter of No. 455 Squadron after delivering its attack.” (via)

“An Avro Lancaster of No. 1 Group, Bomber Command, silhouetted against flares, smoke and explosions during the attack on Hamburg, Germany, by aircraft of Nos. 1, 5 and 8 Groups on the night of 30/31 January 1943” (via)

“Dear Parents :

Please congratulate me. I have been given a splendid opportunity to die. This is my last day. The destiny of our homeland hinges on the decisive battle in the seas to the south where I shall fall like a blossom from a radiant cherry tree.

I shall be a shield for His Majesty and die cleanly along with my squadron leader and other friends. I wish that I could be born seven times, each time to smite the enemy…

…Thank you, my parents, for the 23 years during which you have cared for me and inspired me. I hope that my present deed will in some small way repay what you have done for me. Think well of me and know that your Isao died for our country. This is my last wish, and there is nothing else that I desire.

How glorious is the Special Attack Corps’ Giretsu Unit whose Suisei bombers will attack the enemy. Our goal is to dive against the aircraft carriers of the enemy. Movie cameramen have been i here to take our pictures. It is possible that you may see us in newsreels at the theater.

We are 16 warriors manning the bombers. May our death be as sudden and clean as the shattering of crystal.

Written at Manila on the eve of our sortie. [28th October 1944]

Isao

Soaring into the sky of the southern seas, it is our glorious mission to die as the shields of His Majesty. Cherry blossoms glisten as they open and fall.”

Kamikaze letters: [1] [2]

(Above: Kamikaze attack on the USS Colorado, 27th November 1944 - killing 19 and wounding 72)

”..The classic engagement of the day [21st March 1945] occurred later that day when Capt Sedvert observed an Me 262 at only 500ft flying over Ostofen. He dived on the jet just as it dropped a bomb on the town, and good strikes were seen on the fuselage, slowing its speed considerably as it crossed the Rhine River.

Sedvert then pulled up astern of his target, only to find that he was out of ammunition. He drew up alongside the jet and became furious when the German pilot thumbed his nose at him. Sedvert rolled back his canopy and emptied his 0.45 pistol in the direction of his foe with no result. He continued to follow the Me 262 all the way to Wiesental where he watched it belly in..” (via)

(image - not of the same incident - via)

The Douglas C-1 air ambulance, circa 1928

the EWR VJ 101C experimental German jet fighter VTOL tiltjet aircraft, circa 1965

(images via The X-Planes of Europe, Tony Buttler with Jean-Louis Delezenne, Hikoki Publications)

the Dornier Reglerversuchsgestell (RVG) (Control Test Frame?), circa 1963. developed to study the flight controls of the Do 31 VTOL aircraft (via)

the FMA I.Ae. 37 Argentine prototype jet fighter - designed by Reimar Horten - circa 1954 (via)

“Wiley Post shows off his inflated full-pressure suit in front of the Winnie Mae. Note the wingnut on Post’s shoulder, just behind the helmet.The oxygen generator is on the ground next to Post, connected to the left side of the visor.The position of Post’s arms shows the relative stiffness of the inflated suit, something that would hamper pressure suit development for another 50 years.”

Photo from an incredible free download of “Dressing for Altitude U.S. Aviation Pressure Suits–Wiley Post to Space Shuttle”, by Dennis R. Jenkins