Category: Videos

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Model Aircraft Turbine Engine Vs. Synthetic Zombie Head [Video]

As part of quest to build a flying Iron Man suit, YouTubers “the Hacksmith” acquired a model aircraft turbine engine that is expected to provide the majority of the proposed suit’s thrust.

As part of the process, the team conducted a safety test that involved studying the effects of the engine’s heat. To do so, they positioned a synthetic Ivan Head zombie analog directly behind the engine and fired it up. The result is a perfect illustration of why turbine engine safety guidelines should be closely followed.

Check out the video below, and (needless to say) don’t try this at home.

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First Trailer Released For Upcoming WW2 Film “Hurricane” [Video]

Earlier today, Kaleidoscope Film Distribution released a new teaser for the upcoming film Hurricane, which reportedly tells “the untold true story of Squadron 303” and “the Polish fliers who found themselves fighting for the freedom of their own country in foreign skies.”

Flying Hurricanes for the RAF over Britain, they became a key component in the legend of ‘The Few’. Up against the might of the Luftwaffe they hoped that, by saving Great Britain from Nazi invasion, they were keeping the dream of a free Poland alive. In the lethal melee above England in that summer of 1940, they fought with a tenacity and skill that earned them the admiration of the whole British nation. The dogfights against superior planes cost some of the men their lives.

The story is experienced through the eyes of fighter ace and adventurer Jan Zumbach, played by Iwan Rheon (Game Of Thrones, Misfits, Inhumans) who discovers that “becoming the best in the RAF is a hollow victory for the Poles,” as “even in a man’s finest hour, cynical political manoeuvrings can destroy his hopes, strip away his dignity and lead him to a very dark place indeed.” Continue reading First Trailer Released For Upcoming WW2 Film “Hurricane” [Video]

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Museum to Display Full-Scale Spitfire Sculpture During RW388 Restoration

The original Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe based at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley, Staffordshire has been dismantled ahead of a major, off-site restoration that will see it returned to its former glory.

The museum closed on January 22nd in order to remove the aircraft (RW388) from the popular Spitfire gallery, where it has been on display since 1985. When the facility reopens on February 10th, the gallery will reportedly contain a temporary replacement in the form of a full-scale Spitfire sculpture crafted by apprentices at KMF Group Ltd.

As previously reported, RW388 was originally built by Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd. in 1945 and served in a training role during WW2. Following the war it was used as a gate guard at RAF Benson and RAF Andover before being officially presented to the city of Stoke-on-Trent by the Royal Air Force in 1972. After arriving at the museum, it was given a place of honor in the Spitfire gallery, which is dedicated to the type’s locally-born designer, Reginald Mitchell.

In 2019, the restored Spitfire is slated to return to the museum for display in a new, £6 million glass-fronted extension that will also include a new cafe and city square.

Click below to check out a time-lapse of RW388 being dismantled as well as photos of the replacement sculpture.

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Watch D-Day Lead Aircraft “That’s All, Brother” Perform Its First Post-Restoration Flight [Video]

Today, the C-47 that led the paratroop drop during the D-Day invasion returns to the air for its first post-restoration flight in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The aircraft (S/N 42-92847), which was given the name “That’s All, Brother” in order to send a personal message to Hitler, was discovered by a researcher in 2015 as it was waiting to be converted into a modern BT-67 turboprop. After its historic significance was uncovered, the Texas-based Commemorative Air Force (CAF) stepped in to negotiate for acquisition of this extremely important part of world history.

The restoration has sought to return the historic machine to airworthy condition in its exact D-Day configuration. Once flight tests are complete, it will be assigned to the CAF Central Texas Wing in San Marcos, where volunteers will be responsible for its care and maintenance. Work will also be carried out to finish the interior and detail work and restore the machine’s exterior to its 1944 appearance. Over coming years, the CAF plans to offer aircraft tours, attend aviation events and conduct educational programs before flying “That’s All, Brother” back to Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in 2019.

Click below to check out video of the first flight.

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Watch Artesanía Latina’s 1/16 Fokker Dr.1 Kit Come Together Through the Magic of Stop Motion

For his latest stop motion assembly video, modeler Tom Grigat tackles Artesanía Latina’s new 1/16 structure kit of the Fokker Dr.1.

The kit is said to be museum quality, boasting wood and injected metal parts, cockpit details and multimedia instructions with video tutorials and more than 600 photos. The completed model spans 17.72”W x 14.17”L x 7.24”H and includes an optional methacrylate engraved stand for display.

Tom reports that it was “relatively easy to build and well guided,” stating that his new video shows “how appr. 750 pieces of metal and wood could be combined to a beautiful aircraft model.” Click below to check it out.

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Airworthy TA-4J Skyhawk Offered For Sale [Video]

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

A privately-owned McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk has hit the market.

The aircraft, S/N 14291 / N518TA, was originally manufactured in 1972 and has reportedly amassed a total time of 4,490 hours. The Pratt & Whitney J52-P8B-powered machine is certified in the experimental exhibition category and is said to have over 50,000 hours of labor invested in it, with every system “scrutinized, overhauled, refurbished and tested.”

Features reportedly include a large avionics package, complete/FAA approved maintenance manuals, flight hour recorder, oxygen system, dual controls and emergency locator beacon. A number of options are also available, such as autopilot, strobe lights and an operable ejection seat.

The list price is said to be about $2.9 million, although offers are reportedly being accepted. Click below to learn more.

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Kermit Weeks Details Restoration of CAC Boomerang Damaged During WW2

Shortly after completing a video series detailing his trip to Vintage V-12s, Fantasy of Flight owner Kermit Weeks is back with a new installment of “Kermie Cam” that sees him in Australia checking up on his CAC Boomerang project.

The aircraft (S/N A46-174) was originally built by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and delivered to the RAAF in January 1944, serving with 4 Squadron. In May of that year, the machine suffered a ground loop at Cape Gloucester Airfield in Papua New Guinea (pictured above) and was deemed too far gone to repair, resulting in its remains being abandoned at Nadzab.

In the 1970s, Charles Darby visited the site and discovered remnants of roughly 30 aircraft, including the center section of A46-174, which was salvaged. In the 1980s Kermit Weeks acquired the machine and placed it on display prior to beginning restoration. In 2015, the aircraft arrived at Matt Denning’s shop at Caboolture Airport, Queensland, where work is now underway.

Kermit’s visit to the site will be presented in four parts, all of which will appear here as they become available. Click below to check out the series as well as an additional photo of the aircraft following its accident.

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GoPro Footage Takes You On a Flight Aboard a Gnome-Powered Fokker D.VIII [Video]

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Using a pair of GoPro cameras, Christopher Ford captured remarkable on-board footage of Brian Coughlin’s Fokker E.V/D.VIII as it flew over New York’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in 2015.

This Gnome rotary-powered aircraft is the second of three Fokker D.VIII replicas Brian has built over the years. His first is now part of a private collection in California, and his third, the most accurate of the trio complete with lozenge printed fabric and accurate wing streaking, was just recently completed.

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1912 Lohner Taube Project Update [Feature]

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In 1912, Michel Fithian’s grandfather, Robert Eyb, was part of the first group of pilots undergoing training in the newly formed aviation division of the Austrian-Hungarian empire and was flying a newly developed model F “Taube”, designed by Igo Etrich and built by the Lohner Company in Vienna. The military ordered 14 aircraft, which were labelled with names starting with “A” – his was the “ASRA”. Michel is building a full scale replica of that particular airplane, which is seen above performing its first engine test in 2014. He has kindly provided EarlyAero.com with the following update.

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Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 4): The 1909 Wright Military Flyer (Concluded)

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The Wright Experience in Warrenton, Virginia is home to an outstanding collection of Wright aircraft reproductions created over 25 years of meticulous study into Wilbur and Orville Wright’s engineering and fabrication practices.

Thanks to the generosity of Wright Experience team member E. Scott Rawlings, we are sharing a collection of images detailing many of these machines, which are currently available for sale or lease.

Part 1 of this series examined the team’s 1902 Wright Glider, while part 2 and part 3 featured their outstanding replica of the 1909 Military Flyer. This week we conclude our look at the 1909 machine’s construction and offer two videos providing an overview of the replica and a demonstration of its engine.

Continue reading Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 4): The 1909 Wright Military Flyer (Concluded)