Aviation History
AIRCRAFT Design
Beechcraft X-700 Concept
In the late 1970s, Beechcraft conducted studies on a replacement for the King Air. Called the X-700, the new aircraft would incorporate a cabin with large windows and a round cross section, the latter of which would enable greater pressurization…
Wings with Springs – Wing Suspension for Small Aircraft
Over the years, a number of interesting aircraft Supplemental Type Certificates, or STCs have been created. These STCs amount to research, engineering, and paperwork that enable major changes to be made to a given aircraft while allowing it to remain…
The Future of Civil Aviation, as Envisioned in the 1960s
In the early 1960s, Lockheed launched the L-2000 supersonic transport (SST) program and built the mockup shown here. Intended to carry 250 passengers and travel at Mach 2.7 – 3.0, the L-2000 was intended to compete with Europe’s Concorde, but…
WWII Transformer – How a Little-Known WWII-era Aircraft was Designed to Transform Between Monoplane and Biplane in Flight
If one were to mention the existence of a WWII-era polymorphic fighter that incorporated a system in which one set of wings retracted into and out of another, one might assume such an airplane is fictional, perhaps featured in a…
Smithsonian Aerospace Vault: The Bede BD-5
Only 13 feet long and 4 feet high, the compact Bede BD-5 provides enough internal volume for the pilot, the engine, and little else. Photo: Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Among the historic and innovative aircraft on display in…
