Comments on: 5 Weird Airplanes http://www.weirdworm.com/5-weird-airplanes/ Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:29:04 +0200 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lester http://www.weirdworm.com/5-weird-airplanes/#comment-2245 Lester Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:45:53 +0000 http://www.weirdworm.com/?p=695#comment-2245 The twin Mustang was the last piston engined aircraft ever made? I don't think so. And the purpose of the x-24 was not to show the pilots that a wingless aircraft could be landed. It was a research project into the entire concept of the lifting body aircraft. And yes, it is more than 2,000 miles from Hawaii to New York. The twin Mustang was the last piston engined aircraft ever made? I don’t think so. And the purpose of the x-24 was not to show the pilots that a wingless aircraft could be landed. It was a research project into the entire concept of the lifting body aircraft. And yes, it is more than 2,000 miles from Hawaii to New York.

]]> By: Sean http://www.weirdworm.com/5-weird-airplanes/#comment-2159 Sean Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:17:47 +0000 http://www.weirdworm.com/?p=695#comment-2159 The Twin Mustang isn't the only dual aircraft that was designed. During WWII, the Luftwaffe had heavy gliders -- the Me 321 and Ju 322 -- but no suitable tow aircraft. Attempts were made using three aircraft linked by a towing harness, but it was considered too dangerous, and a proposal for two aircraft joined by a central wing panel was issued. In 1941, the prototype of the He-111Z was built from two He-111 bombers joined by a center wing mounting three engines, for a total of five; after testing, it went into production in 1942. There were also other 'twin plane' designs planned by German aircraft manufacturers -- the Me-109Z, Me-309Z, Do-335Z, Ju-290Z (the 'Z' designation being 'Zwilling', or 'twin') -- but the He-111Z was the only one that made it into production; a prototype of the Me-109Z was built, but was destroyed in a crash, and with interest being focused on the Me-262 jet fighter, no further progress was made, leaving the Twin Mustang (P-82, then F-82, then F-8) the only twin fighter to go into series production, albeit not the first twin aircraft to be produced. The Twin Mustang isn’t the only dual aircraft that was designed. During WWII, the Luftwaffe had heavy gliders — the Me 321 and Ju 322 — but no suitable tow aircraft. Attempts were made using three aircraft linked by a towing harness, but it was considered too dangerous, and a proposal for two aircraft joined by a central wing panel was issued. In 1941, the prototype of the He-111Z was built from two He-111 bombers joined by a center wing mounting three engines, for a total of five; after testing, it went into production in 1942.

There were also other ‘twin plane’ designs planned by German aircraft manufacturers — the Me-109Z, Me-309Z, Do-335Z, Ju-290Z (the ‘Z’ designation being ‘Zwilling’, or ‘twin’) — but the He-111Z was the only one that made it into production; a prototype of the Me-109Z was built, but was destroyed in a crash, and with interest being focused on the Me-262 jet fighter, no further progress was made, leaving the Twin Mustang (P-82, then F-82, then F-8) the only twin fighter to go into series production, albeit not the first twin aircraft to be produced.

]]> By: Old Geezer http://www.weirdworm.com/5-weird-airplanes/#comment-1235 Old Geezer Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:36:47 +0000 http://www.weirdworm.com/?p=695#comment-1235 Help me understand. The Twin Mustang had a range of 2000 miles without re-fueling, yet it was able to fly from Hawaii to New York without refueling? What am I missing? Help me understand. The Twin Mustang had a range of 2000 miles without re-fueling, yet it was able to fly from Hawaii to New York without refueling? What am I missing?

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