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The Lockheed XFV (sometimes referred to as the "Salmon") was an American experimental tailsitter prototype aircraft built by Lockheed in the early 1950s to demonstrate the operation of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fighter for protecting convoys. The Lockheed XFV originated as a result of a proposal issued by the U.S. Navy in 1948 for an aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aboard platforms mounted on the afterdecks of conventional ships. Both Convair and Lockheed competed for the contract but in 1950, the requirement was revised, with a call for a research aircraft capable of eventually evolving into a VTOL ship-based convoy escort fighter. On 19 April 1951, two prototypes were ordered from Lockheed under the designation XFO-1 (company designation was Model 081-40-01). Soon after the contract was awarded, the project designation changed to XFV-1 when the Navy's code for Lockheed was changed from O to V. The XFV was powered by a 5,332 hp (3,976 kW) Allison YT40-A-6 turboprop engine driving three-bladed contra-rotating propellers. The tail surfaces were a reflected cruciform v-tail (forming an x) that extended above and below the fuselage. The aircraft had an ungainly appearance on the ground with a makeshift, fixed landing gear attached. Lockheed employees derisively nicknamed the aircraft the "pogo stick" (a direct reference to the rival Convair XFY's name).

The Extra EA-500 is a six-seat single-engined high wing turboprop aircraft designed by the Extra Aircraft company. During 2015 a decision was made to end production. Started by Walter Extra, the company has been manufacturing aerobatic airplanes almost exclusively with their latest products being the Extra EA-300 series. The company introduced the Extra EA-400 in 2001. This is a cross-country airplane with many exclusive features including carbon fiber construction, pressurized cabin, high strutless wing, and seating for six. The EA-500 was introduced as an alternative version of the EA-400 with the piston engine replaced by a Rolls-Royce Model 250-B17F/2 turboprop yielding 450 horsepower (340 kW), weighing 205 pounds (93 kg), and driving a 5 bladed propeller. This engine is widely used in small helicopters and was designed to have good fuel efficiency at lower altitudes. This engine's critical altitude is 16,000 feet. However, the Rolls-Royce Model 250 is very light and small at the expense of power. The maximum cruise speed is 225 kn at 12000 feet. The most recent changes to the aircraft come from Avidyne with their latest glass avionics, Entegra R9. The high wing design was used for a number of reasons, including no wing spar in the cabin and in the event of a dual fuel pump failure, fuel flow is helped by gravity. The EA-500's cabin is spacious, 55 inches across by 49 inches tall; also the windshield has a fast taper, which wraps up around the two pilots. The EA-500 has a T-tail instead of a regular tail to keep the elevator surfaces out of the prop wash; therefore minimizing pitch changes due to power changes. Like the Extra EA-400, the EA-500 is made of mostly composite materials, that mostly being carbon fiber. The company was planning to produce the EA-500 for the United States market, and was investigating plans to assemble the aircraft in the US. The EA500 type certificate is currently held by SST Flugtechnik, which provides customer support to the current EA400 and EA400-500 operators. In 2014 the company sold the design rights to the EA400 and 500 to the Chinese company Jiangsu A-Star Industry Co., Ltd. Extra embarked on training the engineers from Jiangsu A-Star while still retaining the type certificate and providing parts to support to the existing fleet. The EA-500's approach speed of 90-120 knots and turbine power makes it able to land on 2,000 ft runways. The EA-500 is also cheaper than its competitors, mainly the SOCATA TBM 850 and Pilatus PC-12.

The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used American troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4A by the United States Army Air Forces, and given the service name Hadrian (after the Roman emperor) by the British. The glider was designed by the Waco Aircraft Company. Flight testing began in May 1942. More than 13,900 CG-4As were eventually delivered. The CG-4A was constructed of fabric-covered wood and metal and was crewed by a pilot and copilot. It had two fixed mainwheels and a tailwheel. The CG-4A could carry 13 troops and their equipment. Cargo loads could be a 1⁄4-ton truck (i.e. a Jeep), a 75 mm howitzer, or a 1⁄4-ton trailer, loaded through the upward-hinged nose section. Douglas C-47 Skytrains were usually used as tow aircraft. A few Curtiss C-46 Commando tugs were used during and after the Operation Plunder crossing of the Rhine in March 1945. (17 mm) nylon, 350 feet (110 m) long. The CG-4A pickup line was 15⁄16 inch (24 mm) diameter nylon, but only 225 ft (69 m) long including the doubled loop. In an effort to identify areas where strategic materials could be reduced, a single XCG-4B was built at the Timm Aircraft Corporation using wood for the main structure. The 16 companies that were prime contractors for manufacturing the CG-4A were: Babcock Aircraft Company of DeLand, Florida (60 units at $51,000 each) For details of operational history Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas (750 units) The entire order was subcontracted to Boeing Aircraft Company's new Wichita plant. Commonwealth Aircraft of Kansas City, Kansas (1470 units) Ford Motor Company of Kingsford, Michigan (4,190 units at $14,891 each) G&A Aircraft of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania (627 units) General Aircraft Corporation of Astoria, Queens, New York) (1,112 units) Gibson Refrigerator of Greenville, Michigan (1,078 units) Laister-Kauffman Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri (310 units) National Aircraft Corp. of Elwood, Indiana (one unit, at an astronomical $1,741,809) Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation of Minneapolis, Minnesota (1,510 units) Pratt-Read of Deep River, Connecticut (956 units) Ridgefield Manufacturing Company of Ridgefield, New Jersey (156 units) Robertson Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri (170 units) Timm Aircraft Company of Van Nuys, California (434 units) Waco Aircraft Company of Troy, Ohio (1074 [999] units at $19,367 each) Ward Furniture Company of Fort Smith, Arkansas (7 units) The factories ran 24-hour shifts to build the gliders. For details of operational history and variants, click here.

The McCulloch Model MC-4 was an American tandem-rotor helicopter and was the first helicopter developed by McCulloch Aircraft Corporation, a division of McCulloch Motors Corporation.[1] It was evaluated by the United States Army as the YH-30 and the United States Navy as the XHUM-1. The MC-4 was a larger version of the earlier HERC JOV-3 tandem-rotor helicopter and was developed by the McCulloch Aircraft Corporation. The JOV-3 was developed by Jovanovich when he headed the Helicopter Engineering and Research Corporation. The JOV-3 first flew in 1948. In 1949, Jovanovich moved to the McCulloch Motors Corporation, where an enlarged helicopter, the MC-4, first flew in March 1951. It was followed by a similar MC-4C and three evaluation helicopters for the United States Army (as the YH-30). The MC-4C was slightly larger than the MC-4. When the MC-4C was certified in 1953, it was the first tandem-rotor helicopter to be certified in the United States for commercial use. Three examples were evaluated by the United States Army as the YH-30, but the Army's evaluation showed the helicopter to be underpowered. The YH-30 had a steel tube framework with a light metal skin, A single 200 hp Franklin piston engine was horizontally mounted amidships and powered two intermeshing tandem rotors. It had a fixed-wheel tricycle landing gear with a castering nosewheel. No civil or military orders were received and Jovanovich formed his own company, the Jovair Corporation, where he modified the MC-4C as a prototype for a four-seat private helicopter designated the Sedan 4E. The Sedan 4E was powered by a 210 hp Franklin 6A-335 engine. A version with a turbocharged engine was designed as the Sedan 4ES and a more basic Sedan 4A for agricultural use. By 1965 a small number of Sedan helicopters were built. In the early 1970s, McCulloch regained the rights to the helicopter designs. Variants McCulloch MC-4 Prototype with a 165 hp Franklin engine, two built, one for evaluation by the United States Navy. McCulloch MC-4A Variant for evaluation by the United States Navy as the XHUM-1, two built. McCulloch MC-4C Prototype with a 200 hp Franklin engine, one built and an additional three for United States Army evaluation as the YH-30. Jovair Sedan 4E Production civil four-seat version powered by a 210 hp Franklin 6A-335 engine. Jovair Sedan 4ES Sedan with a turbocharged 225 hp Franklin engine. Jovair Sedan 4A Simplified agricultural version. Military designations YH-30 Military version of the MC-4C, three built. (Specifications below) CHUM-1 Two MC-4As for evaluation by the United States Navy, later redesignated HUM-1.

The Junkers Ju 290 was a large German, four-engine long-range transport, heavy bomber and maritime patrol aircraft used by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. It was developed from an airliner. The Junkers 290 was developed directly from the Ju 90 airliner, versions of which had been evaluated for military purposes, and was intended to replace the relatively slow Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, which by 1942 was proving increasingly vulnerable when confronted with Royal Air Force aircraft. The Fw 200's airframe lacked sufficient strength for the role in any case. The Ju 290 was also intended to meet the need for large transport aircraft. A bomber version, the A-8, was planned, but never built. Design was headed by Konrad Eicholtz. The development programme resulted in the Ju 290 V1 prototype BD+TX, which first flew on 16 July 1942. It featured a lengthened fuselage, more powerful engines, and a Trapoklappe - a hydraulically operated rear loading ramp. Both the V1 and the first eight A-1 production aircraft were unarmed transports. The need for heavy transports saw the A-1s pressed into service as soon as they were completed. Several were lost in early 1943, including one taking part in the Stalingrad Airlift, and two flying supplies to German forces in Tunisia, and arming them became a priority. The urgent need for Ju 290s in the long-range maritime reconnaissance role was now also high priority, and resulted in the Ju 290A-2. Three A-1 aircraft were converted to A-2 specification on the assembly line. Production was slow due to the modifications necessary and the installation of strong defensive armament. The A-2 was fitted with FuG 200 Hohentwiel low-UHF band search radar and a dorsal turret fitted with a 20 mm MG 151 cannon. The Hohentwiel radar was successfully used to locate Allied convoys at ranges of up to 80 km (50 mi) from an altitude of 500 m (1,600 ft) or 100 km (62 mi) from an altitude of 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It allowed the Ju 290 to track convoys while remaining out of range of anti-aircraft fire. On 26 November 1943, Ju 290 A-5, no. 0170, along with many other new aircraft and prototypes, was shown to Adolf Hitler at Insterburg, East Prussia. Hitler was impressed by its potential and told Göring that he wanted a Ju 290 for his personal use. A Ju 290 was not however assigned to the Fliegerstaffel des Fuehrers (FdF) until late 1944, when an A-7 was supplied, works number 0192, which had formerly been assigned to FAGr 5. Modifications were completed by February 1945 at the FdF's base at Pocking, Bavaria, a Stammkennzeichen alphabetic designation code of KR+LW being applied. Hitler's pilot, Hans Baur, tested the aircraft, but Hitler never flew in it. The aircraft was fitted with a special passenger compartment in the front of the aircraft for Hitler, which was protected by 12 mm (.5 in) armour plate and 50 mm (2 in) bulletproof glass. A special escape hatch was fitted in the floor and a parachute was built into Hitler's seat; in an emergency it was intended that he would put on the parachute, pull a lever to open the hatch, and roll out through the opening. This arrangement was tested using life-size mannequins. Hans Baur flew the aircraft to Munich-Riem airport on 24 March 1945, landing just as an air-raid alert was sounded. He went home after parking it in a hangar but on returning to the airport, he discovered that both hangar and aircraft had been destroyed by American bombers. Ju 290Z Zwilling Junkers project documents from 1942 to 1944 indicate that a Zwilling (German: 'twin') variant was proposed. It was to be composed of two Ju 290 fuselages and powered by eight BMW 9-801 engines; two mounted on each outboard wing and four on the inboard wing. It was to carry a single Messerschmitt Me 328 jet parasite fighter on top of the right fuselage. The Ju 290Z was canceled in favor of the Ju 390. For more details of the development, operational history and variants, click here. The only photos of the Ju 290Z Zwilling available are photos of a model. Specifications (Ju 290 A-5)

The Bréguet 460 Vultur was a French bomber of the 1930s. Few of these twin-engined monoplanes and its variant, the Breguet 462 Bréguet , were built. At least one Breguet 460 was sold to the Spanish Republican Air Force during the Spanish Civil War. The Bréguet 460 was a bomber, initially labelled as Multiplace de Combat, a multifunctional aircraft, by the French aviation authorities. Eventually the prototype was modified in 1934, departing from the parameters set for its predecessor, the Breguet 413, in order to meet the requirements of a high-speed bomber for the French Air Force. The resulting aircraft was a monoplane fitted with two powerful radial Gnome et Rhône 14Kjrs engines, having a more aerodynamic appearance, although it kept the tail of the obsolete Breguet 413. Owing to technical difficulties, production was delayed and when the first prototype of the Bréguet 460 Vultur flew, it could not achieve the 400 km/h (250 mph) required for a high-speed bomber. Thus, the French Air Ministry lost interest in this unit and concentrated on projects by other companies, such as the Amiot 340 and the LeO 45. These aircraft, however, would not be ready until three years later. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War provided the French aircraft industry with a good opportunity both for getting rid of obsolete aircraft and for testing new developments. Therefore, it is in this context that the Bréguet 460 prototypes ended up in the Spanish Republican Air Force. One of the units seen in a picture of the Spanish conflict has an improved, more modern tail of the same type that would be used later for the Breguet 470 Fulgur airliner. The number and the fate of the Bréguet 460 Vultur units in the Spanish Republican Air Force are obscure as is common with most of the flying units of the loyalist air arm during the conflict. It is known that one of these aircraft was based at the Celrà airfield towards the end of the conflict and that it belonged to the Night Flight Group no. 11, which comprised the Vultur and two Bloch MB.210. This particular Breguet 460 was hit by the nationalist cruiser "Canarias" and crashed in the sea near L'Escala and all the crew perished in the crash. The Bréguet Br 462 was a modernized version of the Bréguet 460, although still very similar, that made its first test flight towards the end of 1936. The front part of the fuselage was redesigned to look more aerodynamic and the aircraft was fitted with two Gnome-Rhône 14N-0/N-1 engines that allowed it to reach a speed of 402 km/h (250 mph). Flight described it as similar to the Bréguet 461 that was supplied to Japan in 1935. A planned installation of 1,350 hp (1,010 kW) engines was expected to give it a speed of around 300 mph (480 km/h). Bombload was 1076 kg. Defensive armament was a forward-firing 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon and two rear-firing machine guns. Only three Bréguet 462s were built. Two of them served in the Vichy French Air Force where they did not see much action and were scrapped in 1942. Variants Bre 460 Light bomber and strike aircraft with two Gnome-Rhône 14Kdrs1 radial engines. One prototype built. Bre 460 M5 1935 design. Light bomber and strike aircraft powered by two Gnome-Rhône 14Kdrs radial engines. Br 462 B4 A modernized version of the Bre 460. Only three built.

The Lesher Nomad is an innovative two-place homebuilt aircraft. Designer Edgar J Lesher had previously worked at Stinson Aircraft Company in Wayne, Michigan on the Stinson 106 Skycoach. The Skycoach was a four-place aircraft with a pusher propeller, a configuration which captured Lesher's imagination. In August 1958, he attended one of the early Experimental Aircraft Association Fly-Ins. The homebuilt aircraft he saw there inspired him to design one himself. Remembering the Skycoach, he began the design of an all-aluminum two-place, side-by-side, pusher propeller aircraft. Construction began in February 1959. In October 1961, after 5,000 hours of construction, he first flew his aircraft, the Lesher Nomad (N1066Z) at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan. A novel design feature was his use of a Dodge Flexidyne Coupling in the drive train to dampen torsional vibrations. The aircraft was powered by a 100 hp Continental O-200 engine driving a 72-inch Hartzell ground-adjustable propeller. Lesher flew the Nomad to the 1962 EAA Fly-In in Rockford, Illinois, where the design attracted a lot of interest. In 1964, flying Nomad, he took the grand prize in the AC Spark Plug Rally. The aircraft was regularly flown until Lesher's death in 1998. The aircraft is on display in the atrium of the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud building at the University of Michigan.