(Hawker) Typhoon @·AIRCRAFTUBE

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Hawker Typhoon

The Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft starting in 1941. The first priototype first flew on February 24, 1940. Although it was intended to be a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane in the interceptor role, the Typhoon underwent a long gestation period, eventually evolving into one of the Second World War's most successful ground-attack aircraft. In RAF slang, the Typhoon was nicknamed the Tiffy.

Design and development

Even before the new Hurricane was rolling off the production lines in March 1937, Sydney Camm had moved on to designing its future replacement as a private project. This was to be a massive plane designed around the equally massive Napier Sabre engine. The work proved useful when Hawker received specification F.18/37 in January 1938 from the Air Ministry, which asked for a fighter based around either the Napier Sabre or the Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. The engines were similar in that they were both 24 cylinder designs that were designed to deliver over 2,000 hp; the difference between the two being, primarily, in the arrangement of the cylinders - an H-block in the Sabre and an X-block in the Vulture.

The two resulting models became known as the "R" and "N" (based on the engine manufacturer) and were very similar-the Vulture-powered R plane (the Tornado) had a rounder nose profile and a ventral radiator, whereas the Sabre-powered N (the Typhoon) had a flatter deck and a chin mounted radiator. The basic design of both continued the Hawker tradition of using "older" construction techniques; the front fuselage was welded steel just like the Hurricane, and the design used a massive 40 foot shallow angle inverted gull wing that was much thicker than those on designs like the Spitfire. Camm did give in to the times for much of the rest of the plane though; it was semi-monocoque from the cockpit rearward, flush riveted, and had wide-set landing gear. Instead of a sliding or lifting canopy the Typhoon was first produced with a side door.

Summary of Technical Changes

As a front line Second World War RAF aircraft the Typhoon was a rarity in that it only appeared as a Mark 1. However the Typhoon was modified and updated regularly, so that a 1945 production machine looked quite different from one built in 1942. After D-Day, as Typhoon attrition increased, a number of older aircraft were taken out of storage and overhauled. It was possible to find old R7771, a Typhoon first built in 1942 with "car-door" canopy, unfaired cannon etc. reappearing in front line service (on 182 Sqn.) in February 1945 with a clear-view "bubble" hood, rocket rails and other late series features.

The most important and visible changes are listed:

From mid to late 1941 the solid metal aft canopy fairing was replaced with a transparent structure. The pilot's head armour plate was modified to a triangular shape; the side cut-outs were fitted with armour-glass. This applied from the 163rd production Typhoon R7803. All earlier aircraft were quickly withdrawn and modified.
Longer exhaust stubs fitted in November 1941.
Portside (left) cockpit doors were sealed shut in November 1941. Both modifications were made in an attempt to alleviate the problem of carbon monoxide seepage into the cockpit.
Twelve .303 Brownings (Typhoon IA) superseded by 4 Hispano 20mm cannons (Typhoon IB).
A steel strap was fitted internally across the rear fuselage transport joint in September 1942. This was a temporary measure, superseded by Mod 286.
Mod 286; 20 alloy "fishplates" were riveted externally across the rear fuselage transport joint. This was a permanent measure designed to stop in-flight rear fuselage structural failures. From December 1942 through to March 1943 all Typhoons without this modification were taken out of service and modified. Introduced on production line from 820th production aircraft EJ902.
Redesigned internal elevator mass balance weight fitted from May 1943 on. This was also designed to alleviate rear fuselage failure due to harmonic vibration failure of the bracket holding the weight assembly.
Replacement of external mass balance weights on the rudder by an internal mass balance weight on a slightly redesigned rudder. Mid-1942.
Removable fairings over the cannon barrels were fitted.
Fitting of bomb racks capable of carrying 500 lb bombs from October 1942. First used by 181 Squadron. By mid-1943, all Typhoons off the production line were capable of carrying bombs.
Bigger, solid rubber, grooved "anti-shimmy" tail wheel tyres were introduced in March 1943 on all Typhoons from EK238 (1,001st production). The new tyres helped to make heavier, bomb-laden Typhoons more manageable during ground manoeuvres.
Small extensions on cannon shell case ejector slots. These allowed the casings to clear bombs or drop tanks suspended from the wing racks.
Reinforced mainwheels. Openings smaller than earlier wheels and flatter, thicker "spokes."
Bigger brake discs. Originally only on "Bombphoons"; eventually all Typhoons used these brakes.
Rear view mirror in perspex blister on "car-door" canopy roof. This was not very successful; the mirror was prone to vibration.
The gun camera was moved from the leading edge of the outer port wing to the starboard engine bearers, sighting through an opening in the lower engine cowling. The new location was prone to engine vibration but, because the film was still usable, the camera stayed.
Exhaust fairings were fitted in mid-1943. These were soon discarded when they were found to be of little benefit to aircraft performance, plus they complicated maintenance.
Aerial mast through the rear canopy structure was replaced by a "whip" aerial on the rear fuselage on late "car-door" Typhoons.
Wings plumbed and adapted to carry cylindrical 45-gallon drop tanks from early 1943.
The "car-door" canopy structure was replaced by a clear, one piece sliding "bubble" canopy from mid-1943. Many Typhoons were retrofitted with the new canopies. The first modified Typhoon R8843 DJ-S was flown by New Zealander Wing Commander Desmond J. Scott, C/O of the Tangmere Wing from September 1943. From November 1943, all production aircraft, starting with JR333 were so fitted. With the new canopy the pilot's head armour was reshaped and the identification light seen behind the aerial mast structure on "car-door" canopy aircraft was removed. In addition two small, rear opening vents were added below the port side radio hatch, just below the canopy. A small round window on the lower, forward, left side cockpit access panel was omitted.
Tailplane tip to fuselage IFF aerials were replaced by a "bayonet" aerial under the wing's centre section.
Steel "Mark 1" rocket rails introduced: these were first fitted to production aircraft of 181 Sqn. in October 1943. Aluminium "Mk.III" rails were used starting in December 1944.
The transparent landing light covers on the wing leading edges were discarded on all rocket equipped aircraft, and replaced with metal fairings. Eventually all production Typhoons were manufactured without the lights.
A Rebecca transponder unit was fitted in 1944, with the associated aerial appearing under the centre section.
A Four-blade propeller unit (de Havilland or Rotol) was introduced from early 1944.
Larger Tempest tailplanes were fitted from June 1944 on. Originally they were only used on "Bombphoons" which were able to be cleared to carry 1,000 lb bombs. Starting in the MN production series all Typhoons had the larger tail unit.
After D-Day, once Typhoons started operating from forward landing grounds in Normandy, it was found that the dust clouds which were stirred up by propeller wash contained hard materials which were damaging the Sabre engines. An urgent modification, fitted to all Typhoons within a week, was a mushroom shaped filter which covered the air intake in the centre of the radiator. These "mushroom" filters, which could become red-hot, had a habit of being blown off the air intake at high speed whenever a Sabre engine backfired. They were replaced by drum shaped filters which had "cuckoo clock" doors in front.
A small, elongated oval static port appeared on the rear starboard fuselage in late 1944. This was apparently used to more accurately measure the aircraft altitude.
Throughout its service life the Typhoon suffered a high frequency vibration of the airframe while in flight, such that pilots reported that touching the cockpit walls was akin to receiving a mild electric shock. Although not dangerous, it was uncomfortable and a specially sprung seat was designed and fitted. This vibration was alleviated to some extent with the introduction of the four-bladed propeller.

Typhoon carrier fighter

In 1941 Hawker tendered the Hawker P.1009 "Fleet Fighter" in response to specification N.11/40 for a carrier based fighter. A new centre section was to be fitted, extending the wingspan to over 45 feet: the wings themselves were to swing and fold parallel to the fuselage with the leading edges pointing upwards. The rear fuselage was to be longer and a vee arrestor hook and associated catapult gear was to be fitted. The design chosen was to eventuate as the Blackburn Firebrand.

Operational Development

The R version first flew in October 1939, and the RAF was so impressed they ordered 1,000 as the Tornado. In February 1940, the first N model, now known as the Typhoon, was delivered. The RAF placed a large order for it as well, but moved production to Gloster Aircraft (part of the Hawker Siddeley group), who had no designs to produce at the time. The Typhoon was soon demonstrating problems, including vibrations from the engine causing the wing skinning to peel.

Eventually the RAF postponed production plans on both models in May 1940 so that Hawker could concentrate solely on the Hurricane during the Battle of Britain. This was the design's first brush with cancellation. Some small-scale work continued with changes to streamline the fuselage and incorporating a much thinner wing were looked at, as well as alternate engines in the form of large radials. In October, pressure on the RAF eased and work was allowed to continue on the two original designs.

The Tornado was cancelled in 1941, with no more than four being built. However the Typhoon had "good enough" performance to warrant production. It soon became clear that as a replacement for the Spitfire the Typhoon was a failure. Performance above 20,000 feet deteriorated rapidly and climb rate was disappointing. Manoeuvreability was also considered to be below par. However, at lower altitudes the Typhoon was fast and stable and showed itself to be a good gun platform. Still, the Typhoon faced cancellation until the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 made its debut in late 1941.

Operational problems and baptism of fire

The Spitfire Vs, with which the bulk of Fighter Command squadrons were equipped, were outclassed in combat with the new Luftwaffe fighter and suffering heavy losses, with the result that the Typhoon was rushed into squadron service (with Nos. 56 and 609 Squadrons) in an attempt to counter the Fw 190. This decision proved to be a disaster, and several Typhoons were lost to mysterious causes. Once again there was talk of killing the Typhoon.

In-flight tail failure was eventually identified, albeit only because one pilot managed to survive and return to tell his story. The problem was found to be caused by fatigue failure of the elevator mass-balance, allowing elevator flutter to occur which was at its greatest when pulling out of a dive. Diving out of combat was the favourite escape manoeuvre for the Fw 190, which had a distinct speed advantage over the Spitfire. Against the heavy, fast diving Typhoon this manoeuvre should have proved deadly for the German pilots, but flutter problems turned the tables.

As a "temporary" measure, rectangular strengthening "fishplates" were riveted around the fuselage/empennage joint, the site of the failures. These fishplates remained a feature on all subsequent Typhoons. Problems with leakage of exhaust fumes into the cockpit and subsequent high carbon monoxide levels also meant Typhoon pilots had to use oxygen from take-off to landing. Vents were later added to the fuselage sides which, added to the new canopy, helped evacuate the fumes, although pilots continued to wear their masks as a precaution through to the end of the war. Cockpit temperatures were very high and eventually an air- ventilation tube was added. The Sabre engine was also a constant source of problems, notably in colder weather where it was very difficult to start. Due to the efforts of operational pilots like S/L Roland Beamont (609 Squadron), the Typhoon continued under development despite these design drawbacks.

An effective weapon

During late 1942 and early 1943, the Typhoon Squadrons on the South Coast were finally effective in countering the Luftwaffe's "tip and run" low-level nuisance raids, shooting down a score or more fighter-bomber Fw 190s. The first two Messerschmitt Me 210 fighter-bombers to be destroyed over the British Isles fell to the guns of Typhoons in late 1942, and during a daylight raid by the Luftwaffe on London on 20 January 1943, five Fw 190s were destroyed by Typhoons.

As soon as the aircraft entered service it was immediately apparent the profile of the Typhoon resembled a Fw 190 from some angles, and this similarity caused more than one "friendly fire" incident with Allied anti-aircraft units and other fighters. This led to Typhoons being marked up with high visibility black and white stripes under the wings, a precursor of the markings applied to all Allied aircraft on D-Day.

It was not until 1943 that the various problems with the airframe and engine had finally started to be worked out of the system. By this time the need for a pure fighter was no longer important and the design was converted into a fighter-bomber, much like the Hurricane had before it. The powerful engine allowed the plane to carry a massive load of (eventually) up to two 1,000 lb (or 450 kg) bombs, equal to the light bombers of only a few years earlier. The bomb-equipped aircraft were nicknamed, "Bombphoons", and entered service with No. 181 Squadron, formed in September 1942.

Armed with four "60 lb" RP-3 rockets under each wing, the Typhoon would however become much more famous - the so-called "Rocketphoons." In October 1943, No. 181 Squadron made the first Typhoon rocket strikes. Although the rocket projectiles were inaccurate and took some considerable skill to aim properly and allow for the drop after firing, the sheer firepower of just one Typhoon was equivalent to a destroyer's broadside. The top speed of the Typhoon was reduced by some 15 mph by the non-jettisionable rocket rails. By the end of 1943, 18 rocket-equipped Typhoon squadrons formed the basis of the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force ground attack arm in Europe.

Inaccuracy notwithstanding, the rockets (backed by the Typhoon's four 20 mm cannon) proved highly effective against many targets, such as unarmoured "soft-skinned" vehicles, road transport, trains and small sea craft. Although great things were expected against the heavily armoured tanks of the Wehrmacht, the rockets needed to hit the thin-walled engine compartment or the tank's tracks to really have any destructive effect. Analysis of destroyed tanks after the Normandy battle showed a "hit-rate" for the air-fired rockets of only 4%.

The Mk.IB (by late 1943 modified with a four-blade propeller and teardrop perspex canopy) nevertheless distinguished itself during 1944 and in the Battle of Normandy.

Normandy

By D-Day, in June 1944, the RAF had 26 operational squadrons of Typhoon IBs. The aircraft proved itself to be the most effective RAF tactical strike aircraft, both on interdiction raids against communications and transport targets deep in North Western Europe prior to the invasion, and in direct support of the Allied ground forces after D-Day.

A system of close liaison with the ground troops was set up by the RAF and army: RAF radio operators in vehicles equipped with VHF R/T travelled with the troops, often close to the front line. In situations where air support was needed they were able to call up Typhoons operating in a "Cab Rank", which then continuously attacked the targets marked for them (usually with smoke shells fired by mortar or artillery) until they were destroyed.

On 7 August, the German counter-attack at Mortain, threatening Patton's breakout from the beachhead. In the ensuing Falaise pocket, was repulsed by 2nd TAF Typhoons, some 81 vehicles destroyed or damaged. In the Vire area, where the British Army was under attack, Typhoons flew 294 sorties on one day, with 2,088 rockets and 80 tons of bombs dispatched. On 24 October 1944, No. 146 Wing of Typhoons attacked a building in Dordrecht where senior German 15th Army staff were meeting; 17 staff officers and 55 other officers were killed. Dwight D. Eisenhower regarded the contribution of RAF Hawker Typhoon squadrons as the essential factor; The chief credit in smashing the enemy's spearhead, however, must go to the rocket-firing Typhoon aircraft of the Second Tactical Air Force. The result of the strafing was that the enemy attack was effectively brought to a halt, and a threat was turned into a great victory.

For use in the tactical reconnaissance role, the Typhoon FR 1B was developed in early 1944. In this version the port inner cannon was removed and three F.24 (one forward facing 14 inch and two vertical five inch) cameras were carried in its place. Later, when it was found that the missing cannon caused a yaw during firing (the recoil of two cannon on the starboard wing wasn't properly balanced by the single cannon to port), the starboard inner cannon was also removed from some aircraft. Because of the inherent airframe vibration the photographs produced were usually sub-standard. After some service with 268 Squadron from July 1944, the FR 1B was phased out in January 1945.

In 1943 one Typhoon was converted as a prototype night fighter, the NF Mk.IB. R7881 was fitted with Airborne Interception equipment, special night-flying cockpit and other modifications. Also in 1943, five Typhoons were modified to "Tropical" standard with the fitting of an air filter in a fairing behind the main radiator housing. Three of them were trialled in Egypt by 451 (RAAF) Squadron during 1943.
Armourers loading RP-3 rockets with 60 lb High Explosive heads onto steel Mk.I rails. The large hinged gun-bay doors are open. The weathered Invasion stripes are on upper and lower wing surfaces, indicating this photo was taken some time in June 1944.

On 3 May 1945, the Cap Arcona, the Thielbek and the Deutschland were sunk in four separate attacks by RAF Hawker Typhoon 1Bs of 83 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force: the first by 184 Squadron based in Hustedt, the second by 198 Squadron based in Plantlünne led by Wing Commander John Robert Baldwin, the third by 263 Squadron based in RAF Ahlhorn (GroïŸenkneten) led by Squadron Leader Martin T.S. Rumbold and the fourth by 197 Squadron led by Squadron Leader K.J. Harding based in RAF Ahlhorn.

The top scoring Typhoon ace was Group Captain John Robert Baldwin (609 Squadron and Commanding Officer 198 Squadron, 146(Typhoon) Wing and 123(Typhoon) Wing), who claimed 15 aircraft shot down during 1942-44. Some 246 Axis aircraft were claimed by Typhoon pilots during the war.

Production of the Typhoon, almost entirely by Gloster, was 3,330 machines.

Hawker developed an improved version of the Typhoon, the Typhoon II but the differences between it and the Mk.I were so great that it was effectively a different plane, the Hawker Tempest.

Once the war in Europe was over the RAF was quick to remove the aircraft from front-line squadrons; by mid-1946 the Typhoon was no longer in use as an operational aircraft, with many of the wartime Typhoon units (eg: 198 Squadron) either being disbanded or renumbered.

Captured Typhoons

By 1943, with its change of role to ground attack, the Typhoon was constantly operating over enemy territory: inevitably some flyable examples were to fall into German hands.

The first Typhoon to be flown by the Luftwaffe was EJ956 SA-I of 486(NZ) Sqn. On 23 March 1943 two aircraft flown by F/O Smith and F/S Mawson were on a "Rhubarb" over France. Just as they were crossing the coast at low altitude Mawson's Typhoon was hit by light flak. He managed to belly-land in a field near Cany-Barville but before he could destroy the aircraft it was surrounded by German troops. The Typhoon was repaired and test flown at Rechlin (a German equivalent to RAE Farnborough) and later served as T9+GK with "Zirkus Rosarius". EJ956 overturned and was written off during a forced landing near Meckelfield, 10 August 1944.

On 14 February 1944, another Typhoon was captured and later flown in Zirkus Rosarius. JP548 of 174 Squadron, force landed after engine failure near Marigny, France - the pilot, F/O Proddow evaded capture. This Typhoon crashed at Reinsehlen on 29 July 1944, killing Feldwebel Gold.

A third unidentified Typhoon (possibly an aircraft of 1 Squadron) was also thought to have been flown by the Luftwaffe.

Flying the Typhoon

In early March 1943 at Tangmere the then new Squadron Leader of 486(NZ) Squadron, Des Scott, flew a Typhoon for the first time:
"At 1600 hours I was back at A Flight and surveying the cockpit of a Typhoon, which was like looking up at a second-story window. The small glasshouse, streamlined into the fuselage and directly behind the large engine of this seven-ton monster, was nine feet above ground. You climbed into it by placing the toes of your shoes into small covered recesses in the metal skin..."
"The 24 cylinders of the Napier Sabre engine were forced into life by what was known as a Koffman starter, which was itself motivated by a large shotgun-type cartridge. When fired, the expansion of this charge turned over the huge motor...If the engine did not come to life with the first explosion you could guarantee to have a fire in the large air intake..."
"The first thing I noticed was the Typhoon's poor forward visibility. Although my seat was hoisted to its maximum height I had to crab along in zigzag fashion..."
"With the control column hard back in my lap I opened the motor to 3,000 rpm to ensure all the plugs were cleaned after the slow revs. The aircraft strained at the leash until I eased back to about quarter boost..."
"I let go the brakes and slowly pushed the boost lever until it reached the fully-open position. She bounded forward at a great rate and tried to swing slightly to starboard. This tendency was easily corrected by applying a little left rudder. Then we thundered down the runway as straight as an arrow before rocketing into the sky..."
"My Typhoon and I began our airborne association by climbing up to 15,000 ft, where I pulled her up straight onto her tail. After reaching her zenith she spun off quickly, and I was agreeably surprised when she recovered almost as soon as I had applied corrective action. To make sure she was not fooling me I again put her into a spin, and once more she recovered beautifully. We then headed earthwards in a vertical power dive. As the speedo needle was winding up towards the 450 mph mark, I pulled her up into a loop and rolled off the top. We did ever-increasing tight turns until she blacked me out. We slow-rolled and barrel-rolled as I thrashed her about the sky for a full half hour."
"She roared, screamed, groaned and whined, but apart from being rather heavy on the controls at high speeds she came through her tests with flying colours...Applying a few degrees of flap we swung on down into the airfield approach, levelled out above the runway and softly eased down on to her two wheels, leaving her tail up until she dropped it of her own accord."
"We were soon back in her bay by the dispersal hut, where I turned off the petrol supply cock. After a few moments she ran herself out and with a spit, sob and weary sigh, her great three-bladed propeller came to a stop. So that was it: I was drenched in perspiration and tired out..."

Operators

Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom operated the Typhoon.

Survivors

Only one complete Hawker Typhoon still survives - MN235 - and it is on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon, North London. It was previously on display at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) (Smithsonian Institution) before being presented to the museum in commemoration of the RAF's 50th Anniversary in exchange for a Hawker Hurricane. The Hawker Typhoon replica at the Memorial de la Paix, Caen (France) had been reconstructed from some original components.

Typhoon Memorial Site

On 9 June 1994, in recognition of the aircraft and crew's role in the liberation of Normandy, a Typhoon Memorial at Villers Bocage was dedicated by Major M. Roland Heudier. Also present at the ceremony were General Yves Paul Ezanno DFC and bar and Squadron Leader Denis Sweeting, both former Squadron Leaders of 198 Squadron.

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Source : Article Hawker Typhoon of Wikipedia ( authors )

Specifications (Typhoon Mk.IB)

  • Crew : One.
  • Length : 31 ft 11.5 in (or 9.73 m).
  • Height : 15 ft 4 in (or 4.66 m).
  • Wingspan : 41 ft 7 in (or 12.67 m).
  • Wing area : 249 ft² (or 23.13 m²).
  • Wing loading : 45.8 lb/ft² (or 223.5 kg/m²).
  • Empty weight : 9,800 lb (or 4,445 kg).
  • Loaded weight : 11,400 lb (or 5,170 kg).
  • Max takeoff weight : 13,980 lb (or 6,340 kg).
  • Maximum speed : 405 mph (or 650 km/h) at 18,000 ft (or 5,485 m).
  • Stall speed : 88 mph IAS with flaps up.
  • Range : 610 mi (or 980 km).
  • Service ceiling : 34,000 ft (or 10,400 m).
  • Rate of climb : 2,630 ft/min (or 13.4 m/s).
  • Powerplant : One Napier Sabre IIC liquid-cooled H-24 engine.
  • Power : 2,260 hp (1,685 kW).
  • Power/mass : 0.20 hp/lb (or 0.33 kW/kg).
  • Armament : Four 20 mm Hispano cannons, two 1,000 lb (or 454 kg) bombs or eight RP-3 (60 lb) unguided air-to-ground rockets.

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Hawker Typhoon of Wikipedia ( authors )
Hawker Typhoon : Your comments on this subject
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    Memorial Flight
    Octane130
    Okrajoe
    SDASM archives
    Spottydog4477
    The Aviators TV
    Valentin Izagirre Bengoetxea
    Vexed123
    VonBerlich
    Zenos Warbirds

    Bundesarchiv

    The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv are the National Archives of Germany.

    FAQ

    I don't see my comments any more!

    Please note that each page has it's own comment entry. So, if you enter a comment i.e. on the B-747, you will only see it on that related page.

    General comments are accessed via the "BLOG En" button.

    Comments are moderated, so please allow some delay before they appear, specially if you are outside Europe.

    Menus are developing below the page, because they are too long!

    But they remain accessible, for example by scrolling the mouse wheel, or with your finger (on the menu) on a smartphone or tablet.

    I see adds on all videos.

    Use a good free add remover software.

    The site is loading random pages at startup.

    We think it is a good way to bring back the memory of aircraft, persons or events sometimes quite forgotten.

    HELP PAGE

    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).