As characteristic features of this plane we can remember the two doors from it’s rear end of the fuselage that allowed easy cargo maneuvers, his helicopter like tail and the winglets used to reduce drag. Making these aircraft one of the first (if not the first) airplane to use winglets to reduce wing drag. These type of aircraft was really easy to fly and many well known Romanian pilots took their first flight lesson in one of these.

Specification
ENGINE 1 x M-337, 155kW
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight 1300 kg 2866 lb
Loaded weight 825 kg 1819 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan 12.1 m 40 ft 8 in
Length 10.0 m 33 ft 10 in
Wing area 25.4 m2 273.40 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed 185 km/h 115 mph
Cruise speed 165 km/h 103 mph
Ceiling 4000 m 13100 ft
Range w/max.fuel 900 km 559 miles
Range w/max.payload 250 km 155 miles

Aviation regulations require that any transport company aircraft flying at more than 6,000 meters to create a pressure inside the habitat which should correspond to a pressure found at maximum of 2438 meters and no more. The average pressure varies depending on the aircraft model, that is determined depending on the shape and thickness of the fuselage, as well as the balance that the company considered profitable between the cost of pressurizing and passenger comfort. In an Airbus 310 we will find a higher pressure equivalent to that encountered at 2130 meters, while in the case of an Airbus 320 the pressure encountered will be equivalent to that of 2400 meters.

That is why it often happens to us to suffer from clogged ears when the compressor speed fails to handle the pressure change like when the plane is made to land or take-off, or with the speed of ascension or descent of the plane. The artificially created pressure rarefies the air of the compartment to some extent. And even though oxygen is maintained at normal levels – 21%, the fact that is thin diminishes its ability to enter the blood. Blood oxygenation level drops, on average, by 5%, on the plane.

To compensate, the body increases its heartbeat and the breathing. All these conditions make the alcohol to take effect much faster and more intensely on the plane due to slight decrease in oxygen, it quickly enters the bloodstream; carbonated alcoholic beverages, especially drinks such as sparkling wine or champagne. But anxious passengers who drink more in order to relax meet another drawback: accelerated drying of the membranes mucous.

This is an old problem faced by aviation specialists: humidity can not be maintained constant at 20%, since that outside air injected into the cabin is much drier than the air from the ground, and aircraft’s can not make such great water supplies on take-off. Because of this, passengers are usually recommended as they embark on a flight of three hours to drink a liter of water. And even if the body does not feel the need, this can be “tricked” to do so.

Because there are other unexpected consequences of the special environment inside the cabin of a plane: food and drinks don’t have the same taste as they do on earth, the salt is felt less, for example. After passengers have complained for a long time that served dishes are too bland, restaurants specializing in food began to spice very strongly the food served on the plane, which triggers the sensation of thirst. Newer and future long-cruise aircraft’s such as Boeing 787 or Airbus 350, which will begin to fly in 2010-2012 will bring mild improvements in the moisture section. They will have an innovative air recycling system that will allow the reuse of half of the air existing in the habitat from the ground, while the other half will be pumped from the outside – which would preserve a greater degree of humidity.

The French Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier were the first who introduced the principle of hot air balloon in 1783. That same year, the physicist Jacques Charles presented the balloon filled with hydrogen. With the silhouette of a massive cigarette-shaped made happy several generations of dreamers of air and flight passionate. The largest manufacturer of airships was the German Zeppelin Company, from 1900 until the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. Then, after a tragic accident, zeppelin for decades remained only a memory on a yellowed postcard. Today, however, he prepares a spectacular recovery. Several countries, including Russia and Germany, have developed new models of zeppelins.

6 May, 1937 marks a terrible event in the history of cigarette-shaped aerostatic: while it was heading down to Lakehurst (New Jersey), Hindenburg, zeppelin or LZ 129, caught fire, causing casualties, so confidence in this means of transport fell sharply and dramatically.

Nazi Germany would not serve the “flying sausage” (as Hitler called it) than for propaganda purposes, abolished at a time profile factories. 60 years later, in April 1997, the company zeppelin NT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH has to ascend the skies of Germany for the last time for the revival of a tradition.

Although smaller in size than its ancestors, measuring “only” 75 meters, this new balloon made in Germany has a leading technology in piloting and satellite guidance. A Zeppelin at the North Pole but Germany was not the only country that has rediscovered interest in air balloon shaped like a cigar.

Ros Aero Systems a Russian company launched in production several types of balloons. One of them, AU30, will be the means of locomotion for the next expedition to the Arctic research of Jean-Louis Etienne, in 2008. British also want to take part in this “race” of the construction of zeppelins: announced that next year will be more enthusiastic around the world with Skycat-20. In turn, the U.S. Agency for Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA) is considering the idea of balloons to achieve high performance.

Yet, what is a airship zeppelin?

New models of zeppelins work with helium, an element that presents enormous advantages like the one of not being flammable. Then, their range is not negligible: even Zeppelin NT (the “old”) was able to travel 900 km, and Skycat-20 can travel a distance of 6,000 km, maintaining a cruising speed of 120 km / hour. Most convincing argument in present time is that the zeppelin is a means of transport more environmentally friendly than any Airbus or Boeing, burning tons of kerosene on each flight.

Zepplin Pictures Gallery

The investigation of the accident was not completed not even two years after the event, but the data gathered so far lead to a technical failure occurred in the engine 12 seconds after takeoff.

Commander Peter Emil knows all about an AN2. He has over 3,000 flight hours on board such an aircraft and said that one can die either from lack of discipline or by being unprepared.

Antonov2 has 12.4 meters height, 3300 pounds empty and can reach a top speed of 258 kilometers per hour. It has a single engine and on board there is a black box. The great advantage of this aircraft can land and take off is easily undeveloped land and fly at low altitude.

It can take 12 people on board plus their equipment. Worldwide, 57 Antonov 2 aircrafts were involved in accidents in which 123 people died.

As in any pane crash an investigation comity will be organized and the plane will be taken to a hangar, where investigators will reconstruct it as a puzzle. They will analyze and verify every circuit, arc lights, so the investigation will take a long time, perhaps a year and a half or two.

Commission of inquiry has the obligation but that within 30 days to present some preliminary data. A special role in the investigation will have two survivors of the tragedy from Tuzla, Romania.

Antonov 2 AN2 Pictures Gallery

The, of The Global Strike Task Force considers the F-22 a critical component since it was designed for the sole purpose of dominating air space with his greater speed maneuverability fire power and stamina is designed to deny access and defeat threats

Features

During the development process the F-22 design has been extensively tested and refined aerodynamically. The combination of integrated avionics, sensor capability, situational awareness, and weapons allow the F-22 raptor can cruise at supersonic airspeed (greater than Mach 1.5) without using afterburners (a characteristic known as super cruise) mostly because his engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine but also because his sleek aerodynamic design.

General Characteristics
Primary Function: Air dominance, multi-role fighter
Contractor: Lockheed-Martin, Boeing
Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles.
Thrust: 35,000-pound class (each engine)
Wingspan: 44 feet, 6 inches (13.6 meters)
Length: 62 feet, 1 inch (18.9 meters)
Height: 16 feet, 8 inches (5.1 meters)
Weight: 43,340 pounds (19,700 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 83,500 pounds (38,000 kilograms)
Fuel Capacity: Internal: 18,000 pounds (8,200 kilograms); with 2 external wing fuel tanks: 26,000 pounds (11,900 kilograms)
Payload: Same as armament air-to-air or air-to-ground load outs; with or without 2 external wing fuel tanks.
Speed: Mach 2 class with super cruise capability
Range: More than 1,850 miles ferry range with 2 external wing fuel tanks (1,600 nautical miles)
Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)
Armament: One M61A2 20-millimeter cannon with 480 rounds, internal side weapon bays carriage of two AIM-9 infrared (heat seeking) air-to-air missiles and internal main weapon bays carriage of six AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles (air-to-air loadout) or two 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAMs and two AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles (air-to-ground loadout)
Crew: One
Unit Cost: $143 million
Initial operating capability: December 2005
Inventory: Total force, 137

F-22 Raptor Pictures Gallery

When the DC-9 model was fitted with highly efficient, improved, higher bypass ratio JT8D-200 series turbofans the new MD-80 lie in took shape in 1975 and all because a test. The new MDC engines (which meet Stage 3 noise limits) were originally proposed for the fitting of the new designs that were still in development, the DC-9-55, which would have featured two JT8D-209s and a 3.86m (12ft 8in) stretched fuselage over the 50. But instead MDC developed a new aircraft which combined the new engines with a further stretched fuselage giving birth to the DC-9 Super 80 (or DC-9-80), which had an increased wing span and other improvements. This new model was launched in October 1977, going by the name of Super 80 it first flew on October 18 1979. His first customer got his delivery one year before the Super 80 was certified in July 1981 Swissair.

In 1983 McDonnell Douglas renamed the DC-9-80 the MD-80. The MD-80 name was given as a generic name for the series and didn’t apply to a specific aircraft type. Among the initial MD-80 series we can enumerate the MD-81, the MD-82 that had more powerful JT8D-217s jets, an extended range craft, the MD-83 which required extra fuel and the more efficient JT8D-219s engines, and the MD-88 (first flight August 1987) also equipped with the JT8D-219s of the MD-83 plane with a redesigned cabin interior, an EFIS flight deck and, some other improvements. With a shorter fuselage but a longer range the MD-87 is described as falling under a different category by McDonnell Douglas.

Initial sales of the were slow Before American Airlines placed an initial order for 67 MD-82s (with the option of extending to 100) in the early 1984 (American Airlines now operates a fleet of 260 MD-80s), the Super 80 sales were not going to good; but these order kicked off the sealing program that proven to be highly successful when the 1000th MD-80 was delivered in March 1992.

In 1997 when the McDonnell Douglas and Boeing merged the future of the Douglas airliners were reviewed. Following which in December 1997 Boeing announced its decision to drop the MD-80 and MD-90 production once the current orders were fulfilled. But due to the TWA Company which placed an order in April 1998 of 24 MD-83s the MD-80 remained in production until January 2000.

Powerplants
MD-81 – Two 82.3kN (18,500lb) Pratt & Whitney JT8D-209 turbofans.
MD-88 – Two 93.4kN (21,000lb) JT8D-219s.

Performance
MD-81 – Max speed 925km/h (500kt), long range cruising speed 813km/h (440kt). Range with 155 passengers and reserves 2897km (1564nm).
MD-88 – Speeds same. Range with 155 passengers and reserves 4850km (2620nm).

Weights
MD-81 – Operating empty 35,329kg (77,888lb), max takeoff 63,505kg (140,000lb), or 67,810kg (149,500lb) with JT8D-217As.
MD-88 – Operating empty 35,369kg (77,976lb), max takeoff 67,810kg (149,500lb).

Dimensions
Wing span 32.87m (107ft 10in), length 45.06m (147ft 10in), height 9.02m (29ft 7in). Wing area 112.3m2 (1209sq ft).

Capacity
Flight crew of two. Max seating for 172. Typical two class seating for 142, comprising 14 premium and 128 economy class pax.

Production
Total MD-80 series (including MD-87) 1191 aircraft, of which 132 MD-81, 569 MD-82, 265 MD-83, 150 MD-88 (and 75 MD-87, see separate entry).

MD-80 Pictures Gallery

A Romanian couple have fulfilled the dream to achieve a 100% environmentally friendly device that needs no fuel. Utilizing an electric motor he is being charged while in the hangar which is equipped with solar panels.

An electric plane built by a few Romanians won a much craved, award for innovation in aviation, Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize. The distinction has been given to Romanians from Oshkosh, USA,
The electric aircraft is named Elektra One and it was designed by engineer Calin Gologan, who went to Germany 20 years ago. The team is part and another Romanian engineer, Sorin Mares.

Elektra One performed the first flight on 19 Mar. 2011 at the Augsburg Airport in Germany. The well known test pilot and aircraft engineer Jon Karkow, performed the first flight. Flight characteristics and engine parameters were tested. The test pilot was very satisfied with the results. Three flights were performed. The climbing rate was 400 ft/min. A new 30 min. flight was performed on 23 Mar. Only about 3kW from the total on board of 6kW/h energy was used and this was before the new variable pitch propeller and the retractable landing gear were installed. They have developed a one hundred to one hundred solar aircraft that can fly up to 3 hours and reach a cruising speed of 160 kilometers per hour. The device designed by Romanians does not need fuel. He is being charged while in the hangar since that is equipped with solar panels. Besides the fact that it is an environmentally friendly the aircraft produces five times less noise than an ordinary one. Elektra One weighs 200 kg complete with battery, can get one person on board and costs of $ 145,000.

Electric Aircraft Pictures Gallery

The current market conditions have made Fokker 50 aircraft a easy pick due to it’s availability at affordable prices and due to the leasing system which offered the monthly fees rentals. These aircrafts have been present in many of the European operator companies which can bring a good testimony of the exceptional quality and value of these aircraft. Offering low operating expenses and a high payload capability, resulting in outstanding economics all of these are reflected by the maturity of the Fokker 50.

Being able to perform as an effective platform for P2F conversion many Fokker50Freighters that are still in operation today, have clearly proven to be a reliable and efficient cargo turboprop alternative. Cargo of all weights and sizes can be transported due to the large forward cargo door that measures (2.34 m x 1.77 m) and it’s flexible cabin.

FLYFokker, is the full-service Life Cycle Support program offered by the Fokker company to all the operational Fokker 50. FLYFokker of composed of four solutions: Take Off, Take Care, Take Over and Take Next.

The Take Off solution helps new operators by allowing them to start their operation in six weeks instead of the typical six months period. The Fokker Company offers to their mature clients a Take Care solution which consists of tree steps: the increase of passenger comfort, Technical Dispatch Reliability (TDR) and the reduction of Direct Operating Cost (DOC). The Take Over solution presented by Fokker allows operators moving to other aircraft types to be supported in the continued competitive operation of their Fokker fleet. The fourth solution is a package for the mean and lean transfer of aircraft to the next operator, entitled Take Next.

Existing and newly formed operators say that choosing a Fokker sure dose make economic sense. Toda over 200 airlines and operators that fly Fokker aircrafts benefit of the Fokker Services that continuously invest in supporting over 600 flying Fokker aircrafts across the world.

Design speeds and ceiling
Cruise speed 270 KTAS 500 KPH
Maximum speed 230 KCAS M.507
Minimum approach speed 100 KTS 185 KPH
Ceiling 25,000 ft 7,620 m
Landing field length @ MLW

ISA, Sea Level 1130 m
ISA +10°C, 2000 ft 1180 m

Dimensions and areas

Overall length 25.25 m 82.83 ft
Overall height 8.32 m 27.28 ft
Fuselage length 25.25 m 82.83 ft
Fuselage width 2.70 m 8.86 ft
Wing area 70 m2 754 ft2
Wing span 29.00 m 95.15 ft
Gear track 7.20 m 23.62 ft
Main entrance door 1.79 x 0.76 m 70 x 30 in
Forward cargo door 1.27 x 0.61 m 50 x 24 in
Aft cargo door 1.27 x 0.86 m 50 x 34 in
Service/emergency type III door
1.27 x 0.61 m 50 x 24 in

Weights

MTOW 20,820 kg 45,900 lb
19,950 kg 43,980 lb
MLW 20,030 kg 44,160 lb
19,730 kg 43,500 lb
19,500 kg 42,990 lb
MZFW 18,900 kg 41,665 lb
18,600 kg 41,000 lb
Fuel capacity 4,120 kg 9,090 lb
Payload 6000 kg 13,228 lb

Fokker 50 Pictures Gallery

When you buy a private aircraft first you have to choose what kind of model you want. The decision should be made on how much money you are willing to spend and what needs you have. The less you think about money the safer your plane will be. If you buy an aircraft that is 10.000$, which could be a Cessna 152 you will end up with a machine which you can barely fly. If you want to buy one at a reasonable price and be safe you can move up and choose a Cessna 172, it costs between 20.000$ and 50.000$. Last but not least, if money is of no concern you can choose a Boeing Business Jet which can reach up to 100 million $ or a Gulfstream which is only 40 million $.

There are a lot of things that you have to take into consideration when you are buying an aircraft mainly because it has a life time expectancy of about 20 years. There are a lot of costs involved, besides the price of the plane. The first cost after you purchase it is for a title check which is a must because most aircrafts which are sold have had a previous owner. You will also have to pay interests because the lender is taking a high risk selling you his aircraft.

After you have made your research on what model you want and the costs that go with it you will have to decide if you want a new one or a used one. You have to think long and hard if you want to buy a new plane or a used plane. For instance, if you want to buy a used plane it is cheaper but the costs for repairing it are higher on long term. For example, if you are thinking of buying a jet it is obvious that you want a fast plane but what you are not taking into consideration are the price and the extended costs for maintaining it.

If you have decided to buy a certain model the last thing you should do is find a mechanic and have him inspect your aircraft. You should hire a certified mechanic because you need someone who can tell you if the maintenance is up to date and if any repairs which have been done won´t pose a threat in the future.

When you are picking a private plane you should immediately take into consideration all the things mentioned here. The minute you see an aircraft for sale you should have in mind the extra 50% of the purchase price which will be translated into costs. Owning and aircraft is not as easy as it seems, it is actually a decision which should be based on efficiency and need.