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Stabilized Approaches

Plane and Pilot

Back in the early days of jet airliners, pilots long experienced in more forgiving two- and four-engine, piston-powered prop planes found themselves running out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas on the final approach to landing. So, What Is a Stabilized Approach? In fact, the verbal callout “stabilized” is part of the checklist.

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Learning Aeronautical Engineering From Historic Aircraft Designs

Vintage Aviation News

From the first days of flying to the evolution of supersonic jets, historic aircraft offer a road map for comprehending the ideas guiding aeronautical engineering. Particularly in battle aerodynamics, drag reduction, and structural durability, early aircraft teach engineers today important insights.

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The Unfulfilled Promise of the Fairchild T-46

Flying Magazine

The most significant visual differences were the T-46’s high wing and the “H” tail, with twin vertical stabilizers mounted to the ends of the horizontal stabilizer that strongly resembled those of the company’s previous jet, the A-10 Thunderbolt II. As outlined in a U.S.

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The Bold, Bulbous Douglas 1015 Cloudster II

Flying Magazine

Although the company built and flew two examples, the military quickly lost interest in piston engines, and Douglas pivoted, ultimately reworking the XB-42 into the jet-powered XB-43. A ventral stabilizer doubled as propeller protection in the event of over-rotation or tail strikes.

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Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the Convair F2Y Sea Dart

Vintage Aviation News

Convair designed several concepts for water-based jet aircraft, including a swept wing concept known as Projct Skate, but apart from a few scale models, these never left the drawing board. It was also hoped that a seaplane fighter could also operate from remote areas that had no airbases but enough water for seaplane operations.

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Today in Aviation History: First flight of the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing

Vintage Aviation News

The YB-49 was an American prototype jet-powered heavy bomber developed shortly after World War II by the Northrop Corporation. The Air Force ordered two YB-35 airframes that were converted to jet propulsion designs and were designated later as YB-49s. Northrop YB-49 (S/N 42-102367) on Dec.

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Airspeed and Altitude Control Simplified: Tips for Stable Flying

Pilot Institute

In high-speed and high-altitude scenarios, like for military and commercial jets, compressibility affects the accuracy of your IAS. For instance, an aircraft maintaining a steady IAS at 30,000 feet will have a faster TAS than at sea level due to reduced drag from thinner air. This means less drag and faster ground speed.