Infante de Orlenas Foundation (FIO)

[gekho]

The Infante de Orleans Foundation houses the most important collection of historical aeroplanes still flying in Europe. The Foundation was created in 1989 with the mission of collecting and promoting aeroplanes that have played a role in Spanish aeronautical history. In 2006 the Foundation commissioned Lordcultura to conduct a Concept Revision for a new Aviation Museum that will house this important collection of historical aeroplanes. The new museum is to be designed by Foster and Partners Architects, probably on a site at Getafe, 15 km from Madrid, next to a military airport. In 2009, Lordcultura reviewed the Master Plan in order to present it to the organizations involved in securing the financial support of public institutions.

Misions:

- To acquire, restore and preserve in flying condition every plane which, due to its historic characteristics deserves to be mantained operative.

- To create the most extensive collection of aircrafts that have played an important role in the development of Spanish aviation, bringing them back to their deserved status, and preserving memory of them.

- To get and provide a proper maintenance in order to ensure that those planes stay in flying condition as long as possible.

- To promote the means for the exhibition, study, protection and popularization of this material, arranging and being present in meetings, festivals and visiting days which contribute to the expressed mission of the foundation, including a permanent static exhibition.

Planes available:

* 1 De Haviland D.H.60 Moth.
* 1 Fleet 2.
* 1 Comper C.L.A.7 Swift.
* 1 Focke Wulf 44 Stieglitz.
* 1 Polikarpov I-16 Mosca/Rata.
* 2 Boeing Stearman 75 Kaydet.
* 1 British Aircraft Swallow 2.
* 1 De Haviland D.H.89 Dragon Rapide.
* 1 British Aircraft Eagle 2.
* 5 Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann.
* 1 Miles Falcon Six M3.C.
* 1 Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister.
* 1 Piper J-3 C-65.
* 1 Beechcraft 18 (C-45 H).
* 1 AISA P.E.38 Schulgleiter.
* 2 North American T-6 Texan.
* 1 Piper L-4H Grasshopper.
* 1 Stinson L-5E Sentinel.
* 1 Stinson 108-3 Voyager.
* 1 Piper L-14 Army Cruiser
* 1 De Haviland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk.
* 1 Beechcraft T-34A Mentor.
* 1 Cessna L.19 Bird Dog.
* 1 Piper PA-20 Pacer.
* 1 Jodel D.119.S Compostela.
* 1 Aisa I-115.
* 1 AISA I-11 B.
* 1 Dornier Do-27/CASA C-127.
* 1 Hispano Aviación HA-200 Saeta.
* 1 Slingsby T.45 Swallow.
* 1 Zlin 526 F Trener Master.
* 1 Pitts S2A Special.
* 1 Polikarpov U-2.

 

[gekho]

This Jungmeister is one of the several built under license in Spain by CASA with denomination I-133. This one belongs to Fundacion Infante de Orleans, a foundation for the preservation of ancient aircraft. EC-ALP was previously owned by J.L. Aresti, the Spanish pilot that created the Aresti code wich is still used today for codifying acrobatic maneuvers.

 

[gekho]

At the start of Spanish Civil War in 1936, Republican forces pleaded for fighter aircraft. After receiving payment in gold, Joseph Stalin dispatched around 500 I-16 Type 5s and Type 6s. The aircraft immediately began dominating the enemy Heinkel He 51, Arado Ar 68 and Fiat CR.32 biplanes, and remained unchallenged until the introduction of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. A number of aviation publications called the new Soviet fighter a "Boeing" due to the incorrect assumption that it was based on the Boeing P-26's design. The Nationalists nicknamed the stubby fighter Rata (Rat), while the Republicans affectionately called it Mosca (Fly).

Combat experience showed that the I-16 had deficiencies; several aircraft were lost after structural failure of the wings which was quickly remedied by reinforced structures. Heavy machine gun bullets could sometimes penetrate the armored backrest and fuel tanks occasionally caught fire in spite of being protected. The hot Spanish climate required the addition of oil radiators, and dust adversely affected the life of the engines. Although some aircraft accumulated up to 400 hours of flying time, the average life of an I-16 was 87 days, of which one sixth was spent on maintenance. The biggest complaint in service was the light armament of only two 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine guns. This was urgently addressed with Type 6 which added a third ShKAS in the bottom of the fuselage. The four-gun Type 10 was nicknamed "Super Mosca" or simply "Super".

In the early 1990s, New Zealand pilot and entrepreneur Tim (later Sir Tim) Wallis' Alpine Fighter Collection organised the restoration of six I-16s and three I-153s to an airworthy condition, this project being completed in 1999 as the third and final I-153 arrived in New Zealand. After a spectacular international debut at the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow in 1998 (for the I-16s) and 2000 (for the I-153s), some of the aircraft were sold off around the world, being an I-16 sold to Spain, where it is held in the collection of the Fundación Infante de Orleans at Cuatro Vientos airport, Madrid, and is occasionally flown for the public.

It was painted as it flew with the 3rd squadron ("Double Six"); It wears the paint scheme of the aircraft piloted by José María Bravo, a charismatic republican pilot who fought in the Spain skies during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Initially manufactured in 1937 which conforms to Type 5, it had a M-62 engine which conforms with the later Type 24.

 

[gekho]

The fauvorite pilot´s trainning plane; the two Texas owned by the FIO flying in formation.

 

[mudpuppy]

Great pics! Thanks for the info on the FIO, as well.
You gotta love seeing these old planes in flight, but with the limited numbers of the crafts still in existence I must admit to some anxiety about the risks of losing these arre birds...not to mention the pilots! Having said that, i still get excited as a kid at Christmas when i hear the sputtering staccatto of the engine start-up and then the roar at take-off of a restored warbird.

 

[gekho]

The HA-200 Saeta (Dart) was the first Spanish turbojet aircraft. It was developed from the earlier piston powered trainer the HA-100 Triana with the participation of Willy Messerschmitt. The HA-200 was a low winged monoplane of all metal construction, with a tricycle undercarriage. It was powered by two Turboméca Marborés mounted side by-side in the forward fuselage and fed from an intake in the nose, exhausting from nozzles just aft of the wing trailing edge. The crew of two was accommodated in tandem in a pressurised cockpit, the first to be Spanish built and designed.

The prototype first flew on 12 August 1955, and the first production aircraft flew in October 1962. The HA-200A aircraft were delivered to the Spanish Air Force with the designation E.14. A single seat version (the HA-220) for the ground-attack role was developed and delivered to the Spanish Air Force with the designation C.10, first flying on 25 April 1970, remaining in service until the end of 1981. The aircraft was built in Egypt under licence as the Helwan HA-200B Al-Kahira by the Helwan Air Works.

 

[gekho]

The DH 60 was developed from the larger DH 51 biplane. The first flight of the Cirrus powered prototype DH.60 Moth (registration G-EBKT) was carried out by Geoffrey de Havilland at the works airfield at Stag Lane on 22 February 1925. The Moth was a two-seat biplane of wooden construction, it had a plywood covered fuselage and fabric covered surfaces, a standard tailplane with a single tailplane and fin. A useful feature of the design was its folding wings which allowed owners to hangar the aircraft in much smaller spaces. The then Secretary of State for Air Sir Samuel Hoare became interested in the aircraft and the Air Ministry subsidised five flying clubs and equipped them with Moths. The prototype was modified with a horn balanced rudder, as used on the production aircraft, and was entered into the 1925 King's Cup Race flown by Alan Cobham. Deliveries commenced to flying schools in England. One of the early aircraft was fitted with an all-metal twin float landing gear to become the first Moth seaplane. The original production Moths were later known Cirrus I Moths.

Three aircraft were modified for the 1927 King's Cup Race with internal modifications and a Cirrus II engine on a lowered engine mounting. Originally designated the DH.6 (for experimental) this was soon changed to Cirrus II Moth, the DH.6 designation was re-used in 1928 for the Cirrus III powered version with a split axle. The production run for the DH.6 Moth was short as it was replaced by later variants but it was still available to special order.

Although the Cirrus engine was reliable, its manufacture was not. It depended on components salvaged from World War I-era 8-cylinder Renault engines and therefore its numbers were limited by the stockpiles of surplus Renaults. Therefore, de Havilland decided to replace the Cirrus with a new engine built by his own factory. In 1928 when the new de Havilland Gipsy I engine was available a company DH.60 Moth G-EBQH was re-engined as the prototype of the DH.60G Gipsy Moth.

Next to the increase in power, the main advantage of this update was that the Gipsy was a completely new engine available in as great a number as the manufacture of Moths necessitated. The new Gipsy engines could simply be built in-house on a production line side by side with the production line for Moth airframes. This also enabled the de Havilland Aircraft Company to control the complete process of building a Moth airframe, engine and all, streamline productivity and in the end lower manufacturing costs. While the original DH 60 was offered for a relatively modest £650, by 1930 the price of a new Gipsy-powered Moth was still £650, this in spite of its state-of-the-art engine and the effects of inflation.

A metal-fuselage version of the Gipsy Moth was designated the DH.60M Moth and was originally developed for overseas customers particularly Canada. The DH.60M was also licence-built in Australia, Canada, the United States and Norway. Also in 1931 a variant of the DH.60M was marketed for military training as the DH.60T Moth Trainer In 1931 with the upgrade of the Gipsy engine as the Gipsy II, de Havilland inverted the engine and re-designated it the Gipsy III. The engine was fitted into a Moth aircraft, which was re-designated as the DH.60G-III Moth Major. The sub-type was intended for the military trainer market and some of the first aircraft were supplied to the Swedish Air Force. The DH.60T was re-engined with the Gipsy III and was re-designated the DH.60T Tiger Moth. The DH.60T Tiger Moth was modified with swept back mainplanes, the cabane struts were also moved forward to improve egress from the front cockpit in case of emergency. The changes were considered great enough that the aircraft was re-designated the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth.

 

[gekho]

The M.3 Falcon was a clean, single engined low-wing monoplane with trousered main undercarriage and fixed tail-wheel, designed in 1934. It was structurally similar to the earlier Miles M.2F Hawk Major family, but had side-by-side seating for two behind the pilot in a glazed cockpit. It was powered by a 130 hp (97 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major piston engine. The prototype, G-ACTM, built by Philips and Powis first flew at Woodley Aerodrome on 12 October 1934. The first production aircraft (designated M.3A Falcon Major) was flown in January 1935. It had a wider fuselage than the prototype to improve passenger comfort and revised glazing with a forward sloping windscreen. The M.3A was somewhat underpowered, so the (M.3B Falcon Six) and later versions were fitted with a 200 hp (150 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Six engine.

The M.3C Falcon Six was a four seater with dual controls. The M.3D was strengthened to allow an 11% increase in all up weight compared with the M.3B. The final versions were the M.3E and M.3F. An enlarged five-seat version was developed as the M.4 Merlin.

The example flying in Spain is the only Miles Falcon Six M3.C left in the world and also the only airworthy plane of the Spanish Civil War.

 

[gekho]

The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it was better known, is a 6-11 place, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. This model saw military service during and after World War II in a number of versions including the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, AT-11 Kansan; and for the United States Navy (USN), UC-45J Navigator and the SNB-1 Kansan.

The Beech 18 is the most modified U.S.-certified aircraft design, with over 200 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) on record for the aircraft. The aircraft's uses have included aerial spraying, sterile bug release, fish seeding, dry ice cloud seeding, aerial firefighting, airborne mail pick up and drop, ambulance service, numerous movie productions, skydiving, freight, gun- and drug-smuggling, engine test bed, skywriting and banner towing. A number of Model 18s were operated as passenger aircraft; the Model 18 was the first aircraft flown by Philippine Airlines, Asia's first and oldest airline. Many are now in private hands as prized collectibles.

This example wears the colors of the defunct airline Spantax.

 

[gekho]

The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s. Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the four-engined DH.86 Express. It shared many common features with the larger aircraft including its tapered wings, streamlined fairings and the Gipsy Six engine, but it demonstrated none of the operational vices of the larger aircraft and went on to become perhaps the most successful British-built commercial passenger aircraft of the 1930s.

One famous incident involving the use of a DH.89 was in July 1936 when two British MI6 intelligence agents, Cecil Bebb and Major Hugh Pollard, flew Francisco Franco in one from the Canary Islands to Spanish Morocco, at the start of the military rebellion which began the Spanish Civil War.

This example was made in England during the 30s, flew for some private airliners and took part in the WWII, recibing a hit of the german AAA. I was acquired by the FIO in England for 150.000 pounds, and was introduced to public in 2009. This year has been repainted with the colours of the Iberia Airline.

 

[gekho]

The B.A. Eagle was a British light aircraft of the 1930's. It was a three seat low wing monoplane built by the "British Klemm Aeroplane Company" (which later became known as the British Aircraft Manufacturing Co.) 42 were built.The British Klemm Aeroplane Company developed the B.K.1 Eagle a three seat light aircraft as a follow up to the British Klemm Swallow, its licensed copy of the Klemm L.25. While similar to the Klemm L.32, it was an entirely independent design by G Handasyde, the chief designer of British Klemm, first flying in early 1934. The Eagle was a low wing wooden monoplane with a retractable undercarriage. It had an enclosed cabin for the pilot and two passengers. Six of this initial version of the Eagle were built.

As was the case with the Swallow, a revised version was introduced in 1935 when British Klemm was renamed the British Aircraft Manufacturing Co. This version, the B.A. Eagle II had a revised rudder and a deepened rear fuselage. 37 Eagle IIs were built, including a single example fitted with a fixed undercarriage.

There are two Eagles that made themselves to survive: one of them is the G-AFAX, exhibited at the Fundaćion Infante de Orleans air museum at Madrid, Spain; and the other one is the VH-UTI, exhibited in Australia.

 

[gekho]

Sturdy and agile, the Bü 131A was first delivered to the Deutscher Luftsportverband (DLV). The Bü 131B was selected as the primary basic trainer for the German Luftwaffe, and it served with "virtually all" the Luftwaffe's primary flying schools during the war, as well as with night harassment units such as Nachtschlacht Gruppen (NSGr) 2, 11, and 12. Yugoslavia was the main prewar export customer; "as many as 400 may have found their way" there. She was joined by Bulgaria with 15 and Rumania with 40.

Production licenses were granted to Switzerland (using 94, 88 built under licence to Dornier), Spain (building about 530), Hungary (which operated 315), Czechoslovakia (10, as the Tatra T 131, before war began), and Japan, the last of which built 1,037 for Army with Hatsukaze power as the Kokusai Ki-86 and 339 for the Navy Air Services as the Kyūshū K9W. In Spain, production continued at CASA until the early 1960s. The Jungmann was retained as the Spanish Air Force's primary basic trainer until 1968.

About 200 Jungmanns survive to this day, many having been fitted with modern engines. In 1994, the Bü 131 was restored to production briefly using CASA jigs by Bücker Prado, with 21 aircraft constructed as the BP 131.

 

[gekho]

The Do-27 was developed from the Do-25, an aircraft originally designed to a Spanish military requirement for a light utility aircraft. The Do-27 seated four to six and the original prototype first flew in Spain on 27 June 1955. Most production aircraft were built in Germany, the first taking flight on 17 October 1956. The remainder (50) were manufactured in Spain by Construcciones Aeronauticas (CASA) as the CASA-127. The German Luftwaffe (Air Force) and Heer (Army) ordered a total of 428 of the Do 27A and Do 27B (with dual controls).

A later version with the same basic specifications but equipped with wider track landing gear was known as the Do 27Q-5. The aircraft was offered as a twin-float seaplane, the Do 27S-1, and with a larger engine (254 kW/340 hp Lycoming GSO-480-B1B6) and a three-blade propeller as the Do 27H-2. In addition to the military operators in Germany and Spain, a few were manufactured for other military and civilian operators. The Do-27 was notable for being the first mass-produced aircraft in Germany after World War II. It was appreciated for its relatively wide, comfortable cabin and excellent short-field performance.

 

[gekho]

The Fw 44 was designed as a biplane with conventional layout and straight, non-tapered wings. Its two open cockpits were arranged in tandem, and both cockpits were equipped with flight controls and instruments. The Fw 44 had fixed tailwheel landing gear. It employed ailerons on both upper and lower wings. It did not use flaps. It was flown with a Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine.

The first prototype flew in 1932. After many tests and modifications to increase the plane's durability and aerodynamics, the final Fw 44 proved to have excellent airworthiness. A second version of the Fw 44 was the Fw 44B, which had an Argus As 8 four-cylinder inverted inline air-cooled engine of 90 kW (120 hp). The cowling for this engine gave the plane a more slender, aerodynamic nose. 20 Fw 44s purchased by China were modified for combat missions and participated in the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War until all were lost in action. The last series version was Fw 44J, which was sold or built on license in several countries around the world. It ws equipped with a seven-cylinder Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine.

 

[gekho]

Occupying a unique position in Soviet aviation history, the Polikarpov U-2 primary trainer biplane had an inauspicious start. The U-2TPK prototype, which appeared in early 1927, had been built to achieve economy in repair and maintenance, the wings comprising four identical thick-section interchangeable rectangular panels with square tips. Similarly, a common control surface was used for ailerons, elevators and rudder. The result was a biplane with very poor flight characteristics. It had thus to be re-designed, appearing as a neat, manoeuvrable biplane having staggered single-bay wings with rounded tips, conventional cross-axle landing gear, and tandem open cockpits for an instructor and pupil. Most noticeable in the new aircraft was a much larger rudder. Powered by a 100 hp (74.6 kW) radial engine, the new prototype made its first flight on 7 January 1928 piloted by M.M. Gromov. An immediate success, showing great longitudinal stability making it virtually impossible to spin out in flight. It was placed in quantity production, with deliveries starting in 1928, and by the time of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 over 13,000 had been completed.

During the Spanish Civil War, many republican pilots were sent to the trainning schools of the Soviet Union, receiving basic formation with the Polikarpov U-2. This example was acquired a couple of months ago, and will fly over the spanish skies for the very first time the next april (2010).

 

[gekho]

The U.S. Navy was searching for an aircraft that could adjust artillery fire, as well as perform liaison duties, and preferably be constructed of all metal, as the canvas covered Liaison aircraft used during World War II (primarily Stinson and Piper products) had a short service life. The US Army issued the specification for a two-seat liaison and observation monoplane and the Cessna Aircraft Company submitted the Cessna Model 305A, a development of the Cessna 170. The Cessna 305A was a single-engined, light-weight, strut-braced high-wing monoplane with a tailwheel landing gear. The greatest difference from the Cessna 170 was that the 305A only had two seats, in tandem configuration (the largest tandem-seat aircraft that Cessna ever produced), with angled side windows to improve ground observation. Other differences included a re-designed rear fuselage, providing a view directly to the rear (a feature later dubbed "Omni-View" and carried to Cessna single-engine aircraft after 1964), and transparent panels in the wings' center-section (similar to those found on the Cessna 140 and the later Cessna 150 Aerobat model), which allowed the pilot to look directly overhead. A wider door was fitted to allow a stretcher to be loaded.

The U.S. Army awarded a contract to Cessna for 418 aircraft which was designated the L-19A Bird Dog. The prototype Cessna 305 (registration N41694) first flew on 14 December 1949. Deliveries began in December 1950 and the aircraft was soon in use fighting its first war in Korea from 1950 through 1953. An instrument trainer variant was developed in 1953, later versions had constant-speed propellers and the final version the L-19E had a larger gross weight. Cessna produced 3,431 aircraft which was also built under license by Fuji in Japan.

The L-19 received the name Bird Dog as a result of a contest held with Cessna employees to name the aircraft. The winning entry, submitted by Jack A. Swayze, an industrial photographer, was selected by a U.S. Army board. The name was chosen because the role of the army's new aircraft was to find the enemy and orbit overhead until artillery (or attack aircraft) could be brought to bear on the enemy. While flying low and close to the battlefield, the pilot would observe the exploding shells and adjust the fire via his radios, in the manner of a bird dog (Gun dog) used by game hunters.

 

[gekho]

The Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem (fore and aft) seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time. The Cub's simplicity, affordability and popularity invokes comparisons to the Ford Model T automobile.

The Piper Cub quickly became a familiar sight. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt took a flight in a J-3 Cub, posing for a series of publicity photos to help promote the CPTP. Newsreels and newspapers of the era often featured images of wartime leaders, such as Generals Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton and George Marshall, flying around European battlefields in Piper Cubs. Civilian-owned Cubs joined the war effort as part of the newly formed Civil Air Patrol (CAP), patrolling the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast in a constant search for German U-boats and survivors of U-boat attacks.

Piper developed a military variant ("All we had to do," Bill Jr. is quoted as saying, "was paint the Cub olive drab to produce a military airplane"), variously designated as the O-59 (1941), L-4 (after April 1942), and NE (U.S. Navy). The variety of models, as well as similar, tandem-cockpit accommodation aircraft from Aeronca and Taylorcraft, were collectively nicknamed "Grasshoppers" and used extensively in World War II for reconnaissance, transporting supplies and medical evacuation.[6] L-4s were also sometimes equipped with lashed-on infantry bazookas for ground attack. Mechanically identical to the J-3, the military versions were equipped with large Plexiglas windows extending over the top of the wing and behind the rear-seat passenger, and the side windows were enlarged. Nearly 5,700 L-4s were produced for the U.S. Army and 250 for the U.S. Navy as "elementary trainers".

In Europe, the final dogfight of WWII occurred between an L-4 and a German Fieseler Fi 156 Storch. The pilot and co-pilot of the L-4, Lts. Duane Francis and Bill Martin, opened fire on the Storch with their .45 caliber pistols, forcing the German air crew to land and surrender.[citation needed]

After the war, most L-4s were destroyed or sold as surplus, but a few saw service in the Korean War. The Grasshoppers sold as surplus in the U.S. were redesignated as J-3s, but often retained their wartime glazing and paint.

 

[gekho]

The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engined primary trainer aircraft which was the standard primary trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force and several other air forces through much of the post-Second World War years. The de Havilland Chipmunk was the first true postwar aviation project of de Havilland Canada. Today, over 500 DHC-1 Chipmunk (affectionately known as "Chippie") airframes remain airworthy with more being rebuilt every year.

The Chipmunk was designed to succeed the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane trainer that was widely used during the Second World War. Wsiewołod Jakimiuk, a Polish prewar engineer, created the first indigenous design of the aircraft at de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. It is an all-metal, low wing, tandem two-place, single engine aircraft with a conventional tail wheel landing gear and fabric-covered control surfaces. The wing is also fabric-covered aft of the spar. A clear perspex canopy covers the pilot/student (front) and instructor/passenger (rear) positions. CF-DIO-X, the Chipmunk prototype, flew for the first time at Downsview, Toronto on 22 May 1946 with Pat Fillingham, test pilot from the parent de Havilland company, at the controls. The production version of the airplane was powered by a 145 hp (108 kW) in-line de Havilland Gipsy Major 8 engine while the prototype was powered by a 145 hp (108 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major 1C.

Two Chipmunk aircraft were evaluated by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at RAF Boscombe Down. As a result, the fully-aerobatic Chipmunk was ordered as an ab initio trainer for the Royal Air Force (Prince Philip took his first flying lesson in one in 1952). The Royal Canadian Air Force also adopted the Chipmunk as their primary trainer. British-built and early Canadian-built Chipmunks are notably different from the later Canadian-built RCAF/Lebanese versions. The later Canadian-built airplanes have a bubble canopy, while early Canadian, and all Portuguese and British examples have the multi-panelled sliding canopy, the rearmost panels of which are bulged for better instructor visibility. From the 1950s onward, the Chipmunk also became a popular civilian aircraft, being used for training, aerobatics and crop spraying. Most civilian aircraft are ex-military.

 

[gekho]

he Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane, of which at least 9,783 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s as a military trainer aircraft. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known as the Stearman, Boeing Stearman or Kaydet, it served as a primary trainer for the USAAF, as a basic trainer for the USN (as the NS N2S), and with the RCAF as the Kaydet throughout World War II. After the conflict was over, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civil market. In the immediate post-war years they became popular as crop dusters and as sports planes.

The Kaydet was a conventional biplane of rugged construction with large, fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and accommodation for the student and instructor in open cockpits in tandem. The radial engine was usually uncowled, although some Stearman operators choose to cowl the engine, most notably the Red Baron Stearman Squadron. After World War II, the thousands of PT-17 Stearmans were auctioned off to civilians and former pilots. Many were modified for cropdusting use, with a hopper for pesticide or fertilizer fitted in place of the front cockpit. Additional equipment included pumps, spray bars, and nozzles mounted below the lower wings. A popular approved modification to increase the maximum takeoff weight and climb performance involved fitting a larger Pratt Whitney R-985 engine and a constant speed propeller.

 

[gekho]

In 1948 the technical office of Iberavia was founded in Madrid. After the designs of a sailplane and the light plane I-11, Iberavio was absorbed by AISA and became its new projects' office. One of the I-11 prototypes made its maiden flight on 16th July 1951. A series of problems gave way to a similar plane named I-11B. Its official name 'Peque' was not popular. It was known as 'Vespa' on account of being so practical and agreeable to handle as the scooter Vespa. The plane was entirely made of wood and it differed from the I-11 in many aspects: The bubble cockpit was somewhat lower to lessen drag, it was fitted with a conventional landing gear instead of tricycle and it was a little lighter.

On 1954 mass production was started and the plane was operated by flying clubs, private owners and the Air Force alike. One of the first units ended up in Lleida with the family Irigoyen. The young Francisco won with it the 'Vuelta Aérea' in 1957. More than 200 units were produced, although 40 were destroyed in a fire in the AISA factory in Cuatro Vientos (Madrid).