Boeing 727 Rocket Takeoff
For a time, Mexicana operated a small fleet of Boeing 727s with rockets. Known as rocket assisted takeoff, or “RATO”, these provided supplemental thrust in the event of an engine failure during takeoff. The combination of high-altitude and high temperatures at many of the airports serviced by Mexicana created conditions that otherwise have limited payload to ensure the necessary climb performance would be met.
Topics Related To: AVIATION HISTORY
Airplane Waterski Display
U.S. water ski champion Bruce Parker wows the crowd as he’s pulled by a Luscombe Model 8 aircraft across Biscayne Bay near Miami, Florida, in 1946.
Tupolev Tu-144
A Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic transport jet lifts off the runway at Russia’s Zhukovsky Air Development Center in September 1998.
Aircraft Factory Lipstick
WWII-era woman factory worker applies lipstick in the reflection of aircraft aluminum