DORNIER DO-X
THE TALE of the Dornier Do-X flying boat has technicalities galore, an impressive world tour—and even a bit of post-Versailles skullduggery. In the early days of aviation, the efficacy of a … Continue reading
SCHNEIDER TROPHY, PART 3
IN THIS, the last of three mini-essays on the Schneider Trophy seaplane races, there are contrasting technologies, contrasting views on sportsmanship—and a moral victory for risk takers. As its title suggests, … Continue reading
SCHNEIDER TROPHY, PART 2
WHEN LAST we visited the Schneider Trophy seaplane races (virtually yesterday, http://www.wp.me/p2ETap-1ct), the Italians had choice of venue for the 1920 event, the fourth of an eventual 11 competitions. They … Continue reading
SCHNEIDER TROPHY, PART 1
THERE’S A rich history documenting the Schneider Trophy, seaplane races held 11 times between 1913 and 1931. It began in Monaco and was to end—somewhat ignominiously—off the Isle of Wight, … Continue reading
A CENTURY OF AIRLINE COMFORT
IT’S TIME to celebrate the 100th anniversary of airline comfort. Things have changed a great deal since 1913’s first commercial scheduled passenger-carrying heavier-than-air flight (all these qualifiers are useful). Here’s … Continue reading
TUPOLEV ANT-25
WHEN STALIN said “Jump,” Soviets were wise to respond “How high?” Famed aircraft designer Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev was no exception. In fact, I’ve already recounted two of his technical leaps, … Continue reading
DAYTON-WRIGHT RB RACER
THE LAST of the James Gordon Bennett Cup air races, held in 1920, had an amazingly advanced entry, the Dayton-Wright RB Racer. By any measure, the RB should have won … Continue reading
AVRO TYPE F
PILOTING—IN or out? This was a fundamental question during the first two decades of aviation. Some said a pilot needed intimacy with the air flow to optimize control. Others thought … Continue reading
STOUT BUSHMASTER 2000
WILLIAM BUSHNELL Stout designed the Ford Trimotor in the mid-1920s, but I doubt he imagined that—three decades later—he’d update his design and call it the Stout Bushmaster 2000. The story … Continue reading
CONCORDE VS QE2
THE CONCORDE Supersonic Transport and Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth 2 were already classic craft when we at R&T had our 1988 experience with them. Each craft was a fantastic technical … Continue reading
