1. True or false? Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, and Lloyd Stearman founded in 1925 an aircraft manufacturing firm that by the end of World War II had evolved into America’s largest aircraft manufacturer.
2. With what kind of deicing equipment was Douglas “Wrong-Way” Corrigan’s Curtiss Robin equipped during his famous 1938 flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland?
3. From reader Charles Baumann: In 1931 George Stainforth became the first pilot to exceed 400 mph. The aircraft he used was A. an amphibian.
B. a biplane.
C. a floatplane.
D. a pursuit aircraft.
4. True or false? America’s first jetliner was called the 707 because its wings were swept at a 45-degree angle, and the trigonometric sine of 45 degrees is .707.
5. From reader George Shanks: Given that thunderstorms are self-illuminating (so to speak), what is the purpose of thunderstorm lights in some aircraft?
6. Which one of the following does not belong (aeronautically speaking)?
A. chicken
B. goat
C. duck
D. sheep
7. What is or was the world’s fastest operational, single-engine jet aircraft?
8. Gyroplanes (autogyros) and helicopters are similar in that both incorporate rotors that develop lift (see “All-Around Winner,” p. 66). In no-wind conditions, most certified gyroplanes _____ take off vertically and _____ land vertically (no ground roll).
A. can, can
B. can, cannot
C. cannot, can
D. cannot, cannot
Test Pilot Answers
1. True. The trio founded the Travel Air Manufacturing Company, which in 1929 merged with Curtiss, Wright, and various supplier companies to become the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
2. The airplane was equipped with an 8-foot-long stick. Corrigan would stick it out the window to scrape ice off the wings as it accumulated during flight (so he said).
3. The correct answer is C. The Supermarine S.6b was a British racing seaplane designed by R.J. Mitchell, who later designed the Supermarine Spitfire of World War II fame.
4. False. The wings had 35 degrees of sweep, not 45. The airplane was called a 707 simply because it sounded good.
5. Some aircraft have a switch labeled “Thunderstorm Lights” (or something similar). Activating this switch turns on all bright white lights in the cockpit to help prevent a lightning flash from causing night blindness.
6. The correct answer is B. The first successful aerial voyage with a live payload occurred in France on September 19, 1783. The Montgolfier Brothers placed a cock, a duck, and a sheep aboard their aerostat (a hot-air balloon) to determine if the upper air could sustain life. The animals returned safely after an 8-minute flight. An alternate answer is C because of the four animals, only the duck can fly.
7. The Convair F-106 Delta Dart had a top speed of 1,525 mph and was America’s primary all-weather interceptor between the 1960s and the 1980s.
8. The correct answer is B. Engine power is used to accelerate the rotors of most certified gyroplanes while the aircraft is at rest. The pilot then disengages a clutch-type mechanism and uses rotor momentum to make a jump takeoff. Although a gyroplane can land in a very short distance, none can land without some ground roll.
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