elmshoot

My Feedback: (6)

Then on further reflection how about this a derivative of the above.

CAC Boomerang

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Sorry, not any of those. Good enough for a bonus clue with the morning clue. What well known Warbird do I describe.

1. This airplane was built in large numbers and operated by number of countries both in war and peace time.
2. When it went into production it had two significant firsts in its construction.
3. It is primarily thought of a plane of the developing country but was licensed for production to an ally.
4. The aircraft is considered to have lackluster service with the ally but it didn't stop them from building more than 3 aircraft for every one built by the developing country.
5. It was a two seater but there were single seater variants used for other roles.
6. It was used by both services of its home country.
7. It was not made by de Havilland.
8. At one point a number of this aircraft earmarked for one service were diverted to another service due to the demand of the field.
9. This airplane was considered a bit too stable to make a good dogfighter.
10. This airplane was replaced by an even more famous airplane from the same manufacturer.
11. The airplane was from an earlier era than the Hawker Hurricane.
12. Its long range and excellent armament allowed it to patrol deep in enemy held territory.
13. Like the airplane in clue 11 and all the aircraft mention by elmshoot this airplane was from an earlier war.
14. This most common armaments cared by this airplane was two .303 caliber machine guns from two different manufactures.

Hydro Junkie

It couldn't have been the Boomerang or the P-40 as they both came out in the same time frame(P-40) or after the Hurricane

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Care to make a guess?

SimonCraig1

Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter?

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Congrats you are the winner and are now up!Sopwith 1½ Strutter


The Sopwith ​1 1⁄2 Strutter was a British single- or two-seat multi-role biplane aircraft of the First World War.[1] It was significant as the first British two-seat tractor fighter and the first British aircraft to enter service with a synchronised machine gun. It was given the name ​1 1⁄2 Strutter because of the long and short cabane struts that supported the top wing. The type was operated by both British air services and was in widespread but lacklustre service with the French Aιronautique Militaire.Design and development

In December 1914, the Sopwith Aviation Company designed a small, two-seat biplane powered by an 80 horsepower (60 kW) Gnome rotary engine, which became known as the "Sigrist Bus" after Fred Sigrist, the Sopwith works manager. The Sigrist Bus first flew on 5 June 1915 and although it set a new British altitude record on the day of its first flight, only one was built, serving as a company runabout.[2]
[3]

The Sigrist Bus formed the basis for a new, larger, fighter aircraft, the Sopwith LCT (Land Clerget Tractor), designed by Herbert Smith and powered by a 110 horsepower (82 kW) Clerget engine. Like the Sigrist Bus, each of the upper wings (there was no true centre section) was connected to the fuselage by a pair of short (half) struts and a pair of longer struts, forming a "W" when viewed from the front; this giving rise to the aircraft's popular nickname of the ​1 1⁄2 Strutter.[1] The first prototype was ready in mid-December 1915, undergoing official testing in January 1916.[3]
[4]

The ​1 1⁄2 Strutter was of conventional wire-braced, wood and fabric construction. The pilot and gunner sat in widely separated tandem cockpits, with the pilot in front, giving the gunner a good field of fire for his Lewis gun. The aircraft had a variable-incidence tailplane that could be adjusted by the pilot in flight, and airbrakes under the lower wings, to reduce landing distance.[2]
[5] The Vickers-Challenger synchronisation gear was put into production for the Royal Flying Corps in December 1915 and in a few weeks, a similar order for the Scarff-Dibovski gear was placed for the RNAS.[6]
[7] Early production ​1 1⁄2 Strutters were fitted with one or the other of these gears for the fixed .303-in Vickers machine gun; due to a shortage of the new gears some early aircraft were built with only the observer's gun. Later aircraft were either fitted with the Ross or the Sopwith-Kauper gears.[8] No early mechanical synchronisation gear was reliable and it was not uncommon for propellers to be damaged or shot away.

The Scarff ring mounting was also new and production was at first slower than that of the aircraft requiring them. Various makeshift Lewis mountings as well as the older Nieuport ring mounting, were fitted to some early ​1 1⁄2 Strutters as an interim measure.[9] The two seaters could carry four 25 pounds (11 kg) bombs underwing, which could be replaced by two 65 lb (29 kg) bombs for anti-submarine patrols.[10]

From the beginning, a light bomber version was planned, with the observer's cockpit eliminated to allow more fuel and bombs to be carried in the manner of the Martinsyde Elephant and the B.E.12, with an internal bomb bay capable of carrying four 65 pounds (29 kg) bombs.[10]
[11]Operational history

In British service

The prototype two seater flew in December 1915 and production deliveries started to reach the RNAS in February 1916.[4] By the end of April, No. 5 Wing RNAS had a complete flight equipped with the new aircraft. The Sopwiths were used to escort the wing's Caudron G.4 and Breguet bombers and for bombing.[12]
[13] The War Office had ordered the type for the RFC in March but because Sopwith's production capacity was contracted to the navy, the RFC orders had to be placed with Ruston Proctor and Vickers.[14] Sub-contract production from these manufacturers did not get into its stride until August. Since the Somme offensive was planned for the end of June and with the RFC having a shortage of modern aircraft, it was agreed that a number of Sopwiths would be transferred from one service to the other, allowing No. 70 Squadron to reach the front by early July 1916 with Sopwith-built Strutters, originally intended for the Navy.[15]

At first, No. 70 Squadron did very well with their new aircraft. The period of German ascendency known as the Fokker scourge was over and the ​1 1⁄2 Strutter's long range and excellent armament, enabled offensive patrolling deep into German-held territory.[16] By the time No. 45 Squadron reached the front in October, the new Albatros fighters were arriving at the Jagdstaffeln. By January 1917, when No 43 Squadron arrived in France, the type was outclassed as a fighter; a more powerful 130 horsepower (97 kW) Clerget 9B improved performance slightly but too late to reverse the situation.[17] It was still a useful long-range reconnaissance aircraft when it could be provided with adequate fighter escort but was one of the types to suffer severely during "Bloody April" – No. 43 squadron alone suffering 35 casualties, from an officer establishment of 32.[18]
[19]

Like other early Sopwith types, the ​1 1⁄2 Strutter was very lightly built and its structure did not stand up very well to arduous war service. It was far too stable to make a good dogfighter and the distance between the pilot and the observer's cockpits impeded their communication. The last operational ​1 1⁄2 Strutters in the RFC were replaced by Sopwith Camels in late October 1917.[18]

The type's long range and stability were good qualities for a home defence fighter and it served with No. 37, No. 44 and No. 78 squadrons. Most of the ​1 1⁄2 Strutters supplied to home defence units had been built as two-seaters but many were converted locally to single-seaters to improve performance. Some of these single-seaters were similar to the bomber variant but others were of a different type, known (like similarly adapted Sopwith Camels) as the Sopwith Comic. The cockpit was moved back behind the wings and one or two Lewis guns, either mounted on Foster mountings or fixed to fire upwards, outside the arc of the propeller, replaced the synchronised Vickers.

The RNAS used most of their ​1 1⁄2 Strutters as bombers (in the Aegean and Macedonia as well as in France) and as shipboard aircraft, where it was known as the Ship's Strutter and flew from aircraft carriers, other warships of the Royal Navy and HMAS Australia. The RNAS and the RFC (and after April 1918 the Royal Air Force [RAF]) used the type as a trainer after it had been withdrawn from operational service and like the Sopwith Pup, it proved a popular personal aircraft for senior officers.

In French Service
The largest user of the Sopwith was actually the French Aιronautique Militaire. By May 1916 it was obvious that the pusher Farman and Breguet bombers and reconnaissance aircraft were obsolete and with the failure of their tractor aircraft replacements, particularly the Nieuport 14, the Sopwith was ordered in large numbers from French manufacturers in three versions, the SOP. 1A.2 (two-seat reconnaissance), SOP. 1B.2 (two-seat bomber) and SOP. 1B.1 (single-seat bomber).[20]
[21] While in French service, they equipped a large portion of the French bomber and artillery-observation squadrons and carried out many bombing attacks against industrial and military targets, including the German front lines. It was not as successful against fighters, suffering substantial casualties and downing fewer enemy aircraft than either the aircraft used before it or after. With the belated introduction of the Breguet 14 A.2 and B.2, the last of the Sopwiths were withdrawn from operational service in early 1918 although they would continue in service with training units until after the end of the war.In other foreign service

Three Belgian squadrons also flew French-built Sopwiths, and surplus French Sopwiths were used by several countries postwar. During the war, several ​1 1⁄2 Strutters that were interned after landing in the Netherlands were purchased for the Dutch Luchvaart Afdeeling.

Over 100 ​1 1⁄2 Strutters were also built in Russia by Duks and Lebedev,[22] supplemented by large numbers delivered directly from Britain and France. The ​1 1⁄2 Strutter remained in large scale use by both the Soviet forces and White Russians during the Russian civil war and Polish-Soviet war.[23] Three were captured during this war and used by the Poles in 1919–1920.[24] Other captured ones were used by Baltic states.

The American Expeditionary Force purchased 384 two-seat Strutter observation aircraft and 130 single-seat bombers from France in 1917–18.[25] While mainly used for training, they were used operationally by the 90th Aero Squadron as an interim measure, due to a shortage of later types.[21] The U.S.Navy used a number of the two-seat Sopwiths, along with Nieuport 28s and Hanriot HD.1s and 2s as ships' aircraft in the early postwar years, testing the use of aircraft from platforms mounted on the turrets of battleships.

The ​1 1⁄2 Strutter also served with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force – some examples serving in the Japanese expeditionary force in Siberia during 1918.

Around 1,500 ​1 1⁄2 Strutters were built for the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service and between 4,200 and 4,500 were built in France.Variants and designations

Sopwith Land Clerget Tractor (or Sopwith LCT)Sopwith company designation.Sopwith Type 9400Admiralty designation for two seater, number from serial of last aircraft in first batch ordered.Sopwith Type 9700Admiralty designation for single- seater bomber, number likewise assigned.Sopwith Two seaterRFC designation.Sopwith ​1 1⁄2 StrutterUnofficial name due to configuration of struts, also used by US Navy.Sopwith ComicSingle seat home defence fighterShip(s) StrutterShipboard versionSOP. 1French built version.SOP. 1A.2 two-seat reconnaissance aircraft
SOP. 1B.1 single-seat bomber
SOP. 1B.2 two-seat bomber LeO 1Liorι et Olivier licence-built version.
So-shiki Model 1Japanese licence-built bomber version.
So-Shiki Model 2Japanese licence-built LeO 1 reconnaissance version.

Operators

Military
Afghanistan
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovak Legion used four SOP 1 A.2 delivered by the French Aviation Mission in Russia, and at least one Strutter captured from bolsheviks.
Estonia
France
Greece
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Russia
Soviet Union
Ukraine A single aircraft acquired from Russia in 1918.
United Kingdom
United States
Civilian

Argentina Two aircraft registered in 1928. R-105 (later LV-BAA) and R-106 (later LV-CAA). One of these two preserved in Florida.
France 55 aircraft on French civil register in 1922.
Japan At least seven aircraft registered.
Sweden Possibly one aircraft from Switzerland in 1926.
Switzerland Two aircraft, CH-53 registered 9 April 1921, cancelled 9 October 1923. CH-67 registered 5 December 1923, cancelled December 1926 as sold to Sweden.[22]
United Kingdom One civil registered aircraft, G-EAVB.Survivors

Original Sopwith ​1 1⁄2 Strutter aircraft are preserved at the following locations.[37]
BelgiumCanadaFranceNew ZealandScotlandArmament


Guns:

• 1 Χ .303 in (7.7 mm) forward-firing synchronised Vickers machine gun
• 1 Χ .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun in observer's cockpit

Bombs: Up to 130 lb (60 kg) bombsPerformance

Maximum speed: 100 mph (87 knots, 161 km/h) at 6,500 ft (1,980 m) Endurance: 3Ύ hours Service ceiling: 15,500 ft (4,730 m) Climb to 6,500 ft (1,980 m): 9 min 10 sSpecifications


Sopwith ​1 1⁄2 Strutter drawingData from British Aeroplanes 1914–18[48]

General characteristics

Crew: two, pilot and observer Length: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft 6 in (10.21 m)
Height: 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
Wing area: 346 ft² (32.16 m²)
Empty weight: 1,305 lb (593 kg)
Loaded weight: 2,149 lb (975 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,150 lb (977 kg)
Powerplant: 1 Χ Clerget 9B rotary engine, 130 hp (97 kW)

SimonCraig1

It's been a while....

I'm looking for a pilot:
1. While he was a military pilot,he never saw combat. His skills were considered exceptional and he became an instructor.
2. He began his military career in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.

SimonCraig1

I'm looking for a pilot:
1. While he was a military pilot,he never saw combat. His skills were considered exceptional and he became an instructor.
2. He began his military career in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
3. he became an officer in the RFC and subsequently on it's formation, the RAF.

SimonCraig1

I'm looking for a pilot:
1. While he was a military pilot,he never saw combat. His skills were considered exceptional and he became an instructor.
2. He began his military career in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
3. he became an officer in the RFC and subsequently on it's formation, the RAF.
4 After the war he and some colleagues formed an aviation company and took brave customers for short hops in an AVRO 504k.

SimonCraig1

Sorry for delay, I'm looking for a pilot:
1. While he was a military pilot,he never saw combat. His skills were considered exceptional and he became an instructor.
2. He began his military career in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
3. he became an officer in the RFC and subsequently on it's formation, the RAF.
4 After the war he and some colleagues formed an aviation company and took brave customers for short hops in an AVRO 504k.
5. He was well know for two aviation achievements one of which is still in use today.

SimonCraig1

I'm looking for a pilot:
1. While he was a military pilot,he never saw combat. His skills were considered exceptional and he became an instructor.
2. He began his military career in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
3. he became an officer in the RFC and subsequently on it's formation, the RAF.
4 After the war he and some colleagues formed an aviation company and took brave customers for short hops in an AVRO 504k.
5. He was well know for two aviation achievements one of which is still in use today.
6. He was also very known for a different aviation role.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Sir; the only man who comes to mind as fitting all your clues is Sir Alan John Cobham. I know he was an instructor pilot; but I'm not sure if he ever went into combat. But, I don't know of any indication he did. He was a pioneer in long distance flying and aerial refueling; and he devised an air speed indicator that allowed pilots of two different aircraft to match their speeds. If it isn't Cobham, I'm lost. Thanks; Ernie P.




Answer: Sir Alan John Cobham

Sir Alan John Cobham, KBE, AFC (6 May 1894[1] – 21 October 1973) was an English aviation pioneer. A member of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Alan Cobham became famous as a pioneer of long distance aviation. After the war he became a test pilot for the de Havilland aircraft company, and was the first pilot for the newly formed de Havilland Aeroplane Hire Service. In 1921 he made a 5,000 mile air tour of Europe, visiting 17 cities in three weeks. Between 16 November 1925 and 13 March 1926, he made a trip from London to Cape Town and return in his de Havilland DH.50 in which he had replaced the original Siddeley Puma engine with a more powerful, air-cooled Jaguar.[3] On 30 June 1926, he set off on a flight from Britain (from the River Medway) to Australia where 60,000 people swarmed across the grassy fields of Essendon Airport, Melbourne when he landed his de Havilland DH.50floatplane (it had been converted to a wheeled undercarriage earlier, at Darwin[4]). During the flight to Australia, Cobham's engineer of the D.H.50 aircraft, Arthur B. Elliot, was shot and killed after they left Bagdad on 5 July 1926. The return flight was undertaken over the same route. Cobham was knighted the same year. On 25 November 1926, Cobham attempted but failed to be the first person to deliver mail to New York City by air from the east, planning to fly mail from the White Star ocean liner RMS Homeric in a de Havilland DH.60 Moth floatplane when the ship was about 12 hours from New York harbour on a westbound crossing from Southampton. After the Moth was lowered from the ship, however, Cobham was unable to take off owing to rough water and had to be towed into port by the ship. The same year Cobham was awarded the Gold Medal by the Fιdιration Aιronautique Internationale.[5] Cobham starred as himself in the 1927 British war film The Flight Commander directed by Maurice Elvey. In 1927–28 he flew a Short Singapore flying boat around the continent of Africa landing only in British territory. Cobham wrote his own contemporary accounts of his flights, and recalls them in his biography.[6] The films With Cobham to the Cape (1926), Round Africa with Cobham (1928) and With Cobham to Kivu (1932) contain valuable footage of the flights.[7] Recent commentaries contextualize his flights across the British Empire in the wider events and culture of the time.[8][[i]page needed][9][[i]page needed][10][[i]page needed] In 1932 he started the National Aviation Day displays – a combination of barnstorming and joyriding. This consisted of a team of up to fourteen aircraft, ranging from single-seaters to modern airliners, and many skilled pilots. It toured the country, calling at hundreds of sites, some of them regular airfields and some just fields cleared for the occasion. Generally known as "Cobham's Flying Circus", it was hugely popular, giving thousands of people their first experience of flying, and bringing "air-mindedness" to the population. These continued until the end of the 1935 season.[11][[i]page needed][12][[i]page needed] In the British winter of 1932–33, Cobham took his aerial circus to South Africa (with the mistaken view that it would be the first of its kind there).[13] Cobham was also one of the founding directors of Airspeed Limited, the aircraft manufacturing company started by Nevil Shute Norway (perhaps better known as the famous novelist, Nevil Shute), together with the designer Hessell Tiltman; who, having been discharged by the Airship Guarantee Company (a subsidiary of Vickers) after the R101 disaster also caused the grounding of the more successful R100, decided to found their own small aircraft business. Cobham was an early and enthusiastic recruit: indeed, it was thanks to Sir Alan – who placed early orders for two "Off Plan" aircraft (the three-engined ten seater Airspeed Ferry) for his National Aviation Day Limited company – that Airspeed managed to commence manufacturing at all. Cobham's early experiments with in-flight refuelling were based on a specially adapted Airspeed Courier. This craft was eventually modified by Airspeed to Cobham's specification, for a non-stop flight from London to India, using in-flight refuelling to extend the aeroplane's flight duration. In 1935 he founded a small airline, Cobham Air Routes Ltd, that flew from London Croydon Airport to the Channel Islands. Months later, after a crash that killed one of his pilots, he sold it to Olley Air Service Ltd and turned to the development of inflight refueling. Trials stopped at the outbreak of World War II until interest was successfully revived by the RAF and United States Army Air Forces in the last year of the war. He once remarked: "It's a full time job being Alan Cobham!" He retired to the British Virgin Islands, but returned to England where he died in 1973. In 1997, Cobham was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.[14] The company he formed is still active in the aviation industry as Cobham plc. In 2015 the Royal Air Force Museum in London staged an exhibition about Cobham. In 2016 the RAF exhibited his Flying Circus. In 2016 he was inducted into the Airlift/Tanker Hall of Fame.

SimonCraig1

Right again Ernie. After WWII his company retro-fitted B-29 as tankers for the strategic bombers including the one that flew round the world. This is an interesting article on his development https://www.historyhit.com/how-sir-a...air-refuelling. His flying circus was key between the wars in keeping flying in the public eye and helped the RAF at a time when military funding in Britain was decimated.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Thank you, Sir. I will take a look at the link, because I don't really know all that much about Sir Cobham. Despite his notoriety, there isn't that much written about him, particularly his military service. Thanks; Ernie P.

And here we go again.

What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

Top_Gunn

My Feedback: (6)

A guess to start the ball rolling: Ansaldo SVA?

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks for the effort, Al; but not the aircraft we seek. Here's a bonus clue to reward your efforts, though. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

6. Its owning nation never used it in actual combat.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Afternoon clue. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

6. Its owning nation never used it in actual combat.

7. But allied nations did.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Evening clue. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

6. Its owning nation never used it in actual combat.

7. But allied nations did.

8. Its cargo carrying capacity was also a notable feature.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

6. Its owning nation never used it in actual combat.

7. But allied nations did.

8. Its cargo carrying capacity was also a notable feature.

9. Our subject aircraft was not so much an aircraft model as a group of aircraft models.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Afternoon clue. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

6. Its owning nation never used it in actual combat.

7. But allied nations did.

8. Its cargo carrying capacity was also a notable feature.

9. Our subject aircraft was not so much an aircraft model as a group of aircraft models.

10. The first pair of aircraft built were developed to win a prize being offered for a long distance flight.

JohnnyS

Dc-2?

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Good guess, Johnny; but not where we're headed. But, you do earn a bonus clue. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

6. Its owning nation never used it in actual combat.

7. But allied nations did.

8. Its cargo carrying capacity was also a notable feature.

9. Our subject aircraft was not so much an aircraft model as a group of aircraft models.

10. The first pair of aircraft built were developed to win a prize being offered for a long distance flight.

11. These aircraft, and later models of these aircraft, were produced over three decades.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Evening clue. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

6. Its owning nation never used it in actual combat.

7. But allied nations did.

8. Its cargo carrying capacity was also a notable feature.

9. Our subject aircraft was not so much an aircraft model as a group of aircraft models.

10. The first pair of aircraft built were developed to win a prize being offered for a long distance flight.

11. These aircraft, and later models of these aircraft, were produced over three decades.

12. In the end, several hundred of these aircraft were produced.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.




What warbird do I describe?



1. This aircraft is often overlooked in the history books.

2. Although it holds a rather important distinction.

3. This aircraft holds a rather important distinction.

4. And, it was unique in at least one aspect.

5. It was noted for its endurance; which gained it favor for its mission.

6. Its owning nation never used it in actual combat.

7. But allied nations did.

8. Its cargo carrying capacity was also a notable feature.

9. Our subject aircraft was not so much an aircraft model as a group of aircraft models.

10. The first pair of aircraft built were developed to win a prize being offered for a long distance flight.

11. These aircraft, and later models of these aircraft, were produced over three decades.

12. In the end, several hundred of these aircraft were produced.

13. The aircraft design was in a constant state of change, sometimes in response to customer requirements.