Knowledge Quiz for Warbird wiz
05-07-2020, 12:03 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
All; not the Demon, Etendard or the Arrow. But here's a trio of bonus clues in addition to an afternoon clue to assist your research. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
05-07-2020, 02:52 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Evening clue. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
05-07-2020, 07:13 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
An excellent guess, Sir; although I believe the preferred spelling is "Kfir" and it isn't where we're headed. And, our subject aircraft wasn't a copy of anything. But you do get a bonus clue for your efforts. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
Last edited by Ernie P.; 05-08-2020 at 02:14 AM.
05-08-2020, 02:15 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Morning clue. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
05-08-2020, 11:04 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Afternoon clue. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
05-08-2020, 12:24 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an air superiority fighter.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didnt have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the governments prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircrafts government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
39. An attempt was made to cooperate with a third country to develop a suitable engine, and share access to the airframe, but that effort, after much wasted time and energy, fell through.
40. So, from the first, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
41. And it remained so for its lifetime.
05-08-2020, 02:49 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an air superiority fighter.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didnt have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the governments prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircrafts government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
39. An attempt was made to cooperate with a third country to develop a suitable engine, and share access to the airframe, but that effort, after much wasted time and energy, fell through.
40. So, from the first, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
41. And it remained so for its lifetime.
42. Instead of being a Mach 2 interceptor, it struggled to approach Mach 1.
05-08-2020, 07:48 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an air superiority fighter.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didnt have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the governments prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircrafts government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
39. An attempt was made to cooperate with a third country to develop a suitable engine, and share access to the airframe, but that effort, after much wasted time and energy, fell through.
40. So, from the first, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
41. And it remained so for its lifetime.
42. Instead of being a Mach 2 interceptor, it struggled to approach Mach 1.
43. So, our intended interceptor was now to be used as a ground attack aircraft.
44. Nevertheless, the potential of the airframe itself was proved.
05-09-2020, 08:15 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Morning and afternoon clues. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
39. An attempt was made to cooperate with a third country to develop a suitable engine, and share access to the airframe, but that effort, after much wasted time and energy, fell through.
40. So, from the first, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
41. And it remained so for its lifetime.
42. Instead of being a Mach 2 interceptor, it struggled to approach Mach 1.
43. So, our intended interceptor was now to be used as a ground attack aircraft.
44. Nevertheless, the potential of the airframe itself was proved.
45. And, as was later proven, it was a pretty good all round fighter.
46. And it stayed in service for 20+ years.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
39. An attempt was made to cooperate with a third country to develop a suitable engine, and share access to the airframe, but that effort, after much wasted time and energy, fell through.
40. So, from the first, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
41. And it remained so for its lifetime.
42. Instead of being a Mach 2 interceptor, it struggled to approach Mach 1.
43. So, our intended interceptor was now to be used as a ground attack aircraft.
44. Nevertheless, the potential of the airframe itself was proved.
45. And, as was later proven, it was a pretty good all round fighter.
46. And it stayed in service for 20+ years.
05-09-2020, 12:10 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Evening clue. Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
39. An attempt was made to cooperate with a third country to develop a suitable engine, and share access to the airframe, but that effort, after much wasted time and energy, fell through.
40. So, from the first, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
41. And it remained so for its lifetime.
42. Instead of being a Mach 2 interceptor, it struggled to approach Mach 1.
43. So, our intended interceptor was now to be used as a ground attack aircraft.
44. Nevertheless, the potential of the airframe itself was proved.
45. And, as was later proven, it was a pretty good all round fighter.
46. And it stayed in service for 20+ years.
47. A few years after it went into service, war broke out.
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an “air superiority fighter”.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didn’t have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the government’s prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircraft’s government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
39. An attempt was made to cooperate with a third country to develop a suitable engine, and share access to the airframe, but that effort, after much wasted time and energy, fell through.
40. So, from the first, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
41. And it remained so for its lifetime.
42. Instead of being a Mach 2 interceptor, it struggled to approach Mach 1.
43. So, our intended interceptor was now to be used as a ground attack aircraft.
44. Nevertheless, the potential of the airframe itself was proved.
45. And, as was later proven, it was a pretty good all round fighter.
46. And it stayed in service for 20+ years.
47. A few years after it went into service, war broke out.
05-09-2020, 01:27 PM
Senior Member
The HAL HF-24 Marut . The last clue started me on the path with the Indo-Pakistani. War. googled the HF-24 and saw the designer was Kurt Tank and that nailed it.
05-09-2020, 02:31 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
What warbird do I describe?
1. This aircraft was designed by one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world. And, in my opinion, one of the most talented.
2. Yet, this aircraft could be legitimately considered a failure.
3. It was criticized as taking far too long to develop.
4. And, it was criticized as being rather outdated by the time it was ready for service.
5. And both of those criticisms were valid.
6. But the full story is quite different.
7. In fact, the most amazing thing about this aircraft could be the simple fact that it was produced at all.
8. It was intended to be a very capable all round mission aircraft.
9. It was to be a supersonic high altitude interceptor.
10. And, it was to be an air-to-air combat aircraft; what we today call an air superiority fighter.
11. As well as being suited to ground attack roles.
12. And, of course, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier.
13. The production company, in fact the owning country, had never designed an aircraft of this complexity and capability.
14. But one of the first things they did was to hire an exceptional engineer.
15. One who had designed exceptional aircraft.
16. And one who knew what was required to build such aircraft.
17. One of the first problems was the company selected to build our subject aircraft already had two major projects on its hands.
18. The company was woefully short of actual design engineers.
19. Or, in fact, any type of engineers.
20. The only aircraft they had actually produced were license built copies.
21. And, they didnt have a suitable machine shop capable of hand producing pre-production parts.
22. Nor did they have adequate test equipment, flight testing labs, and static test rigs.
23. But the governments prestige was on the line. They had produced very specific design requirements.
24. And they intended to build a new, world class, and very fast, aircraft.
25. Within five years, our world famous designer had formed a modern industrial complex to build the aircraft.
26. And, a full scale glider version of the proposed aircraft, made of wood, was flying.
27. And within another year, the first actual airframe was flying with a stop gap engine.
28. And in less than a year, a second airframe and a test airframe were ready.
29. And the basic design was proving itself.
30. From the first, there were problems with obtaining the engines intended to be used.
31. This engine was being developed in another country, and the government of that country had decided to stop financially backing the development of the intended engines.
32. And our subject aircrafts government was unwilling, or unable, to foot the bill for development on the intended engines on its own.
33. But, in the end, nothing worked out. So, license built copies of the smaller engine were used.
34. And this engine developed far less thrust than the engine the plane was designed to use.
35. Thus, from the beginning, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
36. In fact, the engines used produced less than 60% of the thrust of the intended engines.
37. Part of the problem was that our subject aircraft was intended to be powered by two afterburning engines.
38. And the engines they had to use were not equipped with afterburners.
39. An attempt was made to cooperate with a third country to develop a suitable engine, and share access to the airframe, but that effort, after much wasted time and energy, fell through.
40. So, from the first, our subject aircraft was underpowered.
41. And it remained so for its lifetime.
42. Instead of being a Mach 2 interceptor, it struggled to approach Mach 1.
43. So, our intended interceptor was now to be used as a ground attack aircraft.
44. Nevertheless, the potential of the airframe itself was proved.
45. And, as was later proven, it was a pretty good all round fighter.
46. And it stayed in service for 20+ years.
47. A few years after it went into service, war broke out.
48. Our subject proved to be a very tough aircraft to shoot down.
49. One of the features that increased its survivability was that when the hydraulic systems failed, perhaps due to battle damage, manual controls continued to function.
50. Enemy aircraft failed to shoot down even one of our subject aircraft.
51. Although our subject only accounted for one confirmed kill against enemy aircraft.
52. Several were shot down by ground fire.
53. Another was destroyed on the ground.
54. But overall, it performed quite well.
55. And its low level performance impressed a lot of people on both sides.
56. On several occasions, damaged aircraft managed to get home on one engine, after being hit by ground fire.
57. The short war in which our subject aircraft engaged was studied by foreign observers, anxious to see how a number of untested aircraft would stack up against each other.
58. All in all, our subject aircraft did pretty well. Especially when it was going up against aircraft rather more modern. Our subject aircraft had first been specified and design started nearly 15 years prior, and first delivered more than five years prior, to the war.
59.
Answer: The HAL HF-24 Marut
The HAL HF-24 Marut ("Spirit of the Tempest") was an Indian fighter-bomber aircraft of the 1960s. Developed by Hindustan Aircraft Limited (HAL), with Kurt Tank as lead designer. It is the first Indian-developed jet aircraft, and the first Asian jet fighter to go beyond the test phase and into successful production and active service. On 17 June 1961, the type conducted its maiden flight; on 1 April 1967, the first production Marut was officially delivered to the IAF.
While the Marut had been envisioned as a supersonic-capable combat aircraft, it would never manage to exceed Mach One. This limitation was principally due to the engines used, which in turn had been limited by various political and economic factors; multiple attempts to develop improved engines or to source alternative powerplants were fruitless. The Marut's cost and lack of capability in comparison to contemporary aircraft were often criticized.
A total of 147 Maruts were manufactured, the majority for the Indian Air Force (IAF). While initially envisioned as a capable interceptor aircraft, it was primarily used for ground attack missions. In this role, the Marut saw combat during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, notably participating in the Battle of Longewala. By 1982, the Marut was increasingly obsolescent, and was gradually phased out during the late 1980s.
The Marut was used in combat in a ground attack role, where its safety features such as manual controls whenever the hydraulic systems failed, and twin engines, increased survivability. According to aviation author Pushpindar Singh, the Marut had excellent low-level flying characteristics, but its maneuverability suffered due to the lack of engine power, maintenance issues also resulted in the type being problematic in service.
In 1967, a single Marut was used as a testbed for the Egyptian indigenously-developed Brandner E-300 engine. The Indian team was recalled in July 1969, while the Egypt-based Marut was abandoned.
Given the limited number of Marut units, most Marut squadrons were considerably over-strength for the duration of their lives. According to Brian de Magray, at peak strength No.10 Squadron had on charge 32 Maruts, although the squadron probably did not hold a unit-establishment of more than 16. The Marut squadrons participated in the 1971 war and none were lost in air-to-air combat, although three were lost to ground fire, and one was destroyed on the ground. Three Marut pilots were awarded the Vir Chakra commendation.
Maruts constantly found themselves under heavy and concentrated fire from the ground during their low-level attack missions. On at least three occasions, Maruts regained their base after one engine had been lost to ground fire. On one of these, a Marut returned to base without escort on one engine, from about 150 mi (240 km) inside hostile territory. On another occasion, a pilot flying his Marut through debris that erupted into the air as he strafed a convoy felt a heavy blow to the rear fuselage of the aircraft, the engine damage warning lights immediately glowed, and one engine cut out. Fortunately, the Marut attained a safe and reasonable recovery speed on one engine. Consequently, the pilot had no difficulty in flying his crippled fighter back to base. Another safety factor was the automatic reversion to manual control in the event of a failure in the hydraulic flying control system, and there were several instances of Maruts being flown back from a sortie manually. The Marut had a good survivability record in enemy airspace.
In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, some Maruts and Hawker Hunter aircraft were used to give close support to an Indian border post in the decisive Battle of Longewala, on the morning of 5 December 1971. The aerial attack was credited with destroying a large number of tanks that had been deployed by Pakistani ground forces. More than 300 combat sorties were flown by the Maruts during a two-week period in the war.
One aerial kill was recorded as having been achieved by a Marut; on 7 December 1971, Squadron Leader KK Bakshi of No. 220 Squadron shot down a PAF F-86 Sabre, (reportedly flown by Flag Officer Hamid Khwaja of No. 15 Squadron of the Pakistan Air Force). Reportedly, not a single Marut sustained damage or a loss due to enemy aircraft.
By 1982, the IAF was proposing that the Marut fleet be phased out on the basis that the type was "no longer operationally viable". Supporters such as Air Commodore Jasjit Singh pointed out that the type had performed well in the 1971 combat, and had enjoyed superior safety records to other IAF aircraft such as the Gnat. Some aircraft had less than 100 recorded flight hours when the retirement of the Marut was being mooted.
The 1971 air war between India and Pakistan was of interest to foreign observers as a testing ground for such diverse Eastern and Western aircraft as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Sukhoi Su-7, Lockheed F-104, Mirage III, Folland Gnat and Hawker Hunter. For example, the two-week conflict marked the only occasion on which two much-vaunted Mach 2 fighters, the MiG-21 and F-104, engaged in one-on-one combat (the MiG won). The 1971 war also included another aeronautical event that was of great local significance: the combat debut of the Indian subcontinents first indigenous jet fighter, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) HF-24 Marut (Storm Spirit).
The Marut had been criticized in India because of its protracted development, and it had been derided by foreign observers for being outdated before it ever entered service. Without doubt there was some degree of validity to both charges. Nevertheless, the Indian fighter gave a good account of itself in both ground attack and air-to-air combat. Even the Pakistani Air Force (PAF), whose combat reports differed radically from those of the Indian Air Force (IAF), claimed that no Maruts had been shot down in aerial combat. The original requirement for which the Marut was developed dated from 1956, at which time HAL took on three major new projects on behalf of the IAF. One was the license production of the British Folland Gnat lightweight jet fighter, for which a new assembly line was to be set up in Bangalore. The second project was for a new basic trainer, which would eventually enter production as the HJT-16 Kiran (Ray of Light). The third and most ambitious project was for the development of a Mach 2 multirole fighter, which would eventually emerge as the HF-24.
The requirement for the Mach 2 fighter was extremely specific. The Indian Air Staff wanted a multirole fighter capable of operating both as a high-altitude interceptor and as a low-level ground attack aircraft. It was to have a speed of Mach 2, a ceiling of 60,000 feet and a 500-mile radius of action. The plane was expected to be adaptable for operation as an all-weather interceptor, as an advanced trainer and as a naval fighter for use aboard the aircraft carrier Vikrant. The Indian government also wanted the aircraft to be built in India, if possible.
The development of such an aircraft would have presented a considerable challenge in any of the major industrial nations during the mid-1950s, but in a Third World country like India it seemed almost beyond the realm of possibility. HAL, the sole aeronautical company in India at that time, had only existed since 1941.
HAL had originally been established for the assembly of foreign-built aircraft destined for India and nationalist China, and for the repair and overhaul of aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Forces. In 1942 the Indian government gained a controlling interest in the firm by purchasing three-quarters of the stock. Although India had built a few light aircraft of its own design since World War II, by the mid-1950s its only experience with modern, jet engine combat aircraft had been the construction of de Havilland Vampires under license. It was a big jump from building a first-generation jet fighter of mid-1940s vintage, based on somebody elses design, to developing an indigenous Mach 2 fighter from scratch.
The development of such an aircraft admittedly was, to a certain degree, a matter of prestige. The production of a Mach 2 fighter plane would have enhanced the status of India and HAL in the eyes of the world. Yet the military requirement was equally real. India and Pakistan had been at odds ever since 1947, when the two independent countries were originally established. Indias military also had to be prepared to contend on the northern and eastern borders with the Chinese. Armed conflict had actually broken out in 1962.
The Indian government was willing to back the Mach 2 fighter project, and HALs small but enthusiastic staff was equally eager to go ahead with it. However, the staff was spread far too thin to handle the three new major projects at once. What the firm needed was an ex*perienced aviation engineer to head the Mach 2 fighter project, someone familiar with the intricacies of developing advanced combat aircraft. Naturally enough, they looked to Europe for such an individual. Eleven years after the end of World War II, the aerospace industry was firmly under the domination of the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. Europe, still recovering from the ravages of war, was chock-full of unemployed aircraft engineers. HAL managed to engage the services of a German named Kurt Tank, whose qualifications for the job were impeccable. He had previously designed one of the finest fighter planes of WWII, the Focke Wulf Fw-190.
Tanks task went far beyond merely designing a jet fighter, however. Upon arrival in Bangalore in August 1956, Tankalong with a German assistant named Mittelhuberfound that HAL was woefully inadequate in both personnel and infrastructure to take on such a complex project. Among other deficiencies, the firm lacked a machine shop suitable for prototype engineering, adequate test equipment, static test rigs and a flight test laboratory. The firms entire design department consisted of only 54 Indian personnel, including three senior design engineers, two of whom were assigned to the jet trainer project. Tank found that he had not only to design an original jet aircraft but also help establish a modern industrial complex capable of developing one.
Unlike his Indian employers, Tank knew exactly what was involved in designing, building, testing, refining and mass-producing aircraft from his days at Focke Wulf. In addition to the Fw-190 fighter, he had designed the Fw-200 Condor four-engine commercial transport for Lufthansa. It first flew in 1937. When WWII began, the Condor design was modified into a highly successful maritime patrol bomber. Tank was also responsible for the Ta-154 Moskito, a high-performance, twin-engine, multirole combat aircraft built entirely of wood. Production of the Ta-154 was canceled when the factory that had been producing the special glue required for bonding the wooden airframe was bombed, cutting off the supply.
Despite the rudimentary nature of HALs facilities, work on the Mach 2 fighterby then designated HF-24 and given the name Marutwent ahead at a relatively brisk pace. A full-scale wooden glider version of the HF-24 began aerodynamic flight trials, towed into the air by a Douglas DC-3, on April 1, 1959. Assembly of the first prototype commenced in April 1960. It was flown for the first time on June 17, 1961, by Wing Cmdr. Suranjan Das. A little more than a week later it was demonstrated for the minister of defense, V.K. Krishna Menon. A structural test airframe was completed in November, and a second flying prototype took to the air in October 1962.
The performance of the Marut did not live up to HALs ambitious promises, however. Its projected performance had been predicated upon the availability of the Rolls-Royce Bristol Orpheus BOr-12, a British-designed afterburning turbojet engine. The Marut was to have been powered by a pair of those engines, each delivering 8,170 pounds of thrust. The British government canceled its financial support for the development of the Orpheus BOr-12, however, and when the Indian government was not prepared to step in and foot the bills, the project was terminated.
Consequently, the Marut had to be fitted with a pair of nonafterburning Orpheus 703s, the engines that HAL was currently building under license for its Gnat lightweight fighters. However, the Orpheus 703 produced only 4,850 pounds of thrust, 44 percent less than the engine for which the Marut had been designed. As a result, the Marut was underpowered and was never able to fulfill its performance potential.
Throughout the 1960s, HAL directed a great deal of effort toward acquiring more powerful engines for the Marut from various foreign sources. However, the engines under consideration either could not provide a sufficient increase in performance, required too great a structural redesign of the airframe or became unavailable due to political or economic reasons. The most unusual and unlikely of those foreign sources was Egypt. For a while during the 1960s, India collaborated with Egypts efforts to develop its own turbojet engine, called the E-300. India even donated a preproduction Marut airframe to Egypt in which to flight-test the E-300. Egypt canceled the E-300 project in 1967, however, after the Six-Day War.
The IAFs requirement for a Mach 2 interceptor was met when an agreement was struck with the Soviet Union in August 1962 for the acquisition of the MiG-21 interceptor. The availability of that formidable Soviet fighter, which HAL eventually produced under license, rendered the Maruts lack of Mach 2 performance a moot point. The Indian jets development as an interceptor was no longer seriously pursued. Instead, HAL concentrated on developing the Marut as a low-level, single-seat strike fighter and a two-seat advanced trainer.
Two preproduction Marut strike fighters were handed over to the IAF for service trials on May 10, 1964. After three more years of development, the first Marut-equipped combat unit, No. 10 Dagger Squadron, was established on April 1, 1967. Kurt Tank was back in Germany by that time, working for the Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) aerospace consortium, although he continued to take an interest in the Marut and maintained close ties with his former employers.
The Marut Mk 1, as the production version was called, was a twin-engine, single-seat fighter with swept wings and tail surfaces. It was 52 feet long and had a wingspan of 29 feet 6 inches. The fighter weighed 13,658 pounds empty and had a maximum takeoff weight of 24,048 pounds.
The aircraft boasted many of the design features used on late 1950s aircraft to reduce supersonic drag, including an area-ruled fuselage and engine air intakes incorporating shock cones. Nevertheless, the lack of power available from the planes engines limited its top speed to Mach 1.02 at 40,000 feet.
The Maruts principal armament consisted of four 30mm Aden cannons with 130 rounds per gun, the same armament used on the British Hawker Hunter, which the IAF was also operating at that time. The Aden cannon was a five-chambered revolving gun weighing 92 pounds that could fire 1,400 rounds per minute. The Marut was also armed with a retractable MATRA type 103 launching pack for 50 68mm unguided rockets, located in the fuselage just aft of the cannon bay. In addition, four underwing hardpoints could carry extra fuel tanks, air-to-ground rockets or up to 4,000 pounds of bombs.
Despite the Maruts protracted development period of 11 years and its failure to achieve Mach 2 performance, the IAF was apparently satisfied with its new strike fighter. According to correspondent Pushpindar Chopra, IAF pilots affectionately described the Marut as a Hunter Mk 2. Although they criticized the Maruts shortage of engine power, they praised the Indian jets control response and aerobatic ability. They also regarded it as a stable gun platform, possessing formidable firepower.
By the time hostilities broke out between India and Pakistan in December 1971, the IAF had two squadrons of Maruts in service, No. 10 Dagger Squad*ron and No. 220 Tigers Head Squadron. During that conflict, the Marut served with considerable success in the ground attack and interdiction role against targets in west Pakistan.
In combat the Indian fighter proved to be quite resilient. On at least three occasions, Maruts returned to base on one engine after the other had been damaged by ground fire. The jets flight controls were also designed to revert to manual control automatically if the hydraulic system failed, and at least one Indian pilot flew home on manual after his hydraulics were shot out.
Although no encounters ever took place between Maruts and the supersonic fighters then in service with the PAFthe MiG-19, Mirage III and F-104they did occasionally engage in air combat with PAF Canadair Sabre VIs. No Maruts were lost to air combat, but on at least one occasion a Marut reportedly shot down a Sabre with cannon fire. Even the PAF, whose records are at variance with those of the IAF, claims that only five Maruts were destroyed during the course of the two-week war, three by small-arms fire and two strafed on the ground by PAF aircraft. That record stands in marked contrast to that of the foreign-built ground-attack fighters the IAF was using at that time. Pakistan claimed to have destroyed 31 Soviet-built Su-7 strike fighters and 17 British-built Hawker Hunters.
HAL continued producing the Marut Mk 1 for the IAF until 1974. Total production eventually reached 145 aircraft, including 16 two-seat Mk 1T conversion trainers. The trainers were similar to the standard Mk 1, with the addition of an instructors cockpit behind the pilot. Both aircraft types remained in IAF service until 1990, when the Maruts were replaced by MiG-23s.
Kurt Tank, the German aeronautical engineer who had designed the Marut, retained his close ties with HAL into the 1970s. He designed a successor to the Marut in 1973, designated the HF-73. The new fighter was to be powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce RB-199 turbofan engines and was intended to have true Mach 2 capability. It was also designed to carry twice the weapons load of the Marut. Negotiations with Rolls-Royce broke down, however. With the RB-199 engines no longer available, the HF-73 program was canceled.
The Marut was far from the best fighter in the world at the time it entered service. Both HAL and the IAF freely admitted that the aircraft was under*powered and never lived up to its full potential. It was certainly not in the same league as contemporary U.S., Soviet and Western European jets.
Yet the development of such an aircraft was a significant achievement for a Third World country that, at the time, possessed only an embryonic aerospace industry. Regardless of Tanks contribution, it was a great tribute to the ambition and perseverance of the people at HAL that the aircraft was ever produced at all.
General characteristics
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· Crew: 1
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· Length: 15.87 m (52 ft 1 in)
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· Wingspan: 9.00 m (29 ft 6 in)
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· Height: 3.60 m (11 ft 10 in)
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· Wing area: 28.00 m2 (301.4 sq ft)
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· Aspect ratio: 2.90:1
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· Empty weight: 6,195 kg (13,658 lb)
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· Max takeoff weight: 10,908 kg (24,048 lb)
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· Fuel capacity: 2,491 L (658 US gal; 548 imp gal) usable internal fuel
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· Powerplant: 2 Χ Bristol Siddeley Orpheus Mk 703 turbojets, 21.6 kN (4,900 lbf) thrust each
Performance
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· Maximum speed: 1,112 km/h (691 mph, 600 kn) at sea level
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· Maximum speed: Mach 0.93
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· Stall speed: 248 km/h (154 mph, 134 kn) (flaps and landing gear down)
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· Combat range: 396 km (246 mi, 214 nmi) [1]
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· Rate of climb: 22.5 m/s (4,444 ft/min)[citation needed]
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· Time to altitude: 9 min 20 s to 12,000 m (40,000 ft)
Armament
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· Guns: 4Χ 30 mm (1.18 in) ADEN cannon with 120 rpg
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· Rockets: Retractable Matra pack of 50Χ 2.68 in (68 mm) rockets
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· Bombs: Up to 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) on four wing pylons
05-09-2020, 10:58 PM
Is it just me, or does the Marut look a lot like the Grumman F11F Tigercat?
The two aircraft have many similarities, including being underpowered due to the planned engine not being ready and a less powerful one being used instead.
The two aircraft have many similarities, including being underpowered due to the planned engine not being ready and a less powerful one being used instead.
05-10-2020, 03:09 AM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
You know, I was thinking it would be a good design for an EDF. And yes, I also think it looks a lot like the Tigercat. Old Kurt Tank knew what he was doing. If the engine had been available, it would truly have been a world class aircraft, for the time. And, Adrian was correct: He did indeed use this aircraft a few years ago. And it was solved in four or five clues. Thanks; Ernie P.
05-10-2020, 03:23 PM
My Feedback: (6)
Well the Marut is a delta the Tigercat isn't. The F-11 had a noticeable area rule coke bottle shape. In the limited views I have of the 24, it doesn't appear to be enjoying that design feature.
My family had another Navy Family that we were quite close with he (Paul) was a finalist for the Apollo program selection. Back then they had retired the F-11 from the fleet and they were flown in the training command for advance jet training. He was up one day in the F-11 (there are no two seat F-11's) as a student and part of the profile he was flying was afterburner supersonic then do that for a minute of two. then come back and land. well it wouldn't come out of AB! so he is calling back to base to get the problem resolved trying to stay subsonic by pulling a lot of g's over the field so when it runs out of fuel he can dead stick the plane or point it to the gulf and eject. So he is instructed which CB to pull to get it out of AB and then that emergency is resolved. then confesses that he had already attempted ejection and the seat didn't work! so now he gets to land a Tigercat with the ejection seat in an unknown condition. He said it was his smoothest landing ever. Then he sits on a hot seat while some sailors come out to the end of the runway and get his seat safed and dearmed before he can climb out of the plane!
But other than pointy nose..... I don't think I would confuse the two.
Sparky
My family had another Navy Family that we were quite close with he (Paul) was a finalist for the Apollo program selection. Back then they had retired the F-11 from the fleet and they were flown in the training command for advance jet training. He was up one day in the F-11 (there are no two seat F-11's) as a student and part of the profile he was flying was afterburner supersonic then do that for a minute of two. then come back and land. well it wouldn't come out of AB! so he is calling back to base to get the problem resolved trying to stay subsonic by pulling a lot of g's over the field so when it runs out of fuel he can dead stick the plane or point it to the gulf and eject. So he is instructed which CB to pull to get it out of AB and then that emergency is resolved. then confesses that he had already attempted ejection and the seat didn't work! so now he gets to land a Tigercat with the ejection seat in an unknown condition. He said it was his smoothest landing ever. Then he sits on a hot seat while some sailors come out to the end of the runway and get his seat safed and dearmed before he can climb out of the plane!
But other than pointy nose..... I don't think I would confuse the two.
Sparky
05-10-2020, 07:40 PM
Senior Member
My Feedback: (3)
Well the Marut is a delta the Tigercat isn't. The F-11 had a noticeable area rule coke bottle shape. In the limited views I have of the 24, it doesn't appear to be enjoying that design feature.
My family had another Navy Family that we were quite close with he (Paul) was a finalist for the Apollo program selection. Back then they had retired the F-11 from the fleet and they were flown in the training command for advance jet training. He was up one day in the F-11 (there are no two seat F-11's) as a student and part of the profile he was flying was afterburner supersonic then do that for a minute of two. then come back and land. well it wouldn't come out of AB! so he is calling back to base to get the problem resolved trying to stay subsonic by pulling a lot of g's over the field so when it runs out of fuel he can dead stick the plane or point it to the gulf and eject. So he is instructed which CB to pull to get it out of AB and then that emergency is resolved. then confesses that he had already attempted ejection and the seat didn't work! so now he gets to land a Tigercat with the ejection seat in an unknown condition. He said it was his smoothest landing ever. Then he sits on a hot seat while some sailors come out to the end of the runway and get his seat safed and dearmed before he can climb out of the plane!
But other than pointy nose..... I don't think I would confuse the two.
Sparky
My family had another Navy Family that we were quite close with he (Paul) was a finalist for the Apollo program selection. Back then they had retired the F-11 from the fleet and they were flown in the training command for advance jet training. He was up one day in the F-11 (there are no two seat F-11's) as a student and part of the profile he was flying was afterburner supersonic then do that for a minute of two. then come back and land. well it wouldn't come out of AB! so he is calling back to base to get the problem resolved trying to stay subsonic by pulling a lot of g's over the field so when it runs out of fuel he can dead stick the plane or point it to the gulf and eject. So he is instructed which CB to pull to get it out of AB and then that emergency is resolved. then confesses that he had already attempted ejection and the seat didn't work! so now he gets to land a Tigercat with the ejection seat in an unknown condition. He said it was his smoothest landing ever. Then he sits on a hot seat while some sailors come out to the end of the runway and get his seat safed and dearmed before he can climb out of the plane!
But other than pointy nose..... I don't think I would confuse the two.
Sparky
