Those Magnificent Flying Machines Quiz

Answer: Boeing 747-400

The Boeing 747 series has been around since the 1960s, and always required a flight engineer until the FAA certificated the 400 series for a flight crew of two pilots. Other "widebodys" certificated for two pilots include the Boeing 767 and 777 series, the McDonnell Douglas (later Boeing) MD-11, and the Airbus A300, A310, and A340 series.

Answer: Learjet 35A

Because so much of the fuel on each side is carried in the wingtip tanks, the Learjet 35A (as well as the 24, 25, and 36 series) is prone to tipping. Fuelers are very careful with these aircraft and the similarly "tip prone" Mitsubishi MU-2.

Answer: False

While the difference in engines is the best known and most obvious, it isn't the only one. The 421 has its own fuselage and wings, while the 414 uses the 401/402 fuselage and wings.

Answer: Beech Skipper

The earliest Cessna 150s were already 10 years old when Jim Bede started building the BD-1 (later the AA-1 Yankee) in 1968, and 20 years old when Piper started building the Tomahawk in 1978. Some people have suggested that the Tomahawk's less than stellar reputation (some 19 Airworthiness Directives were issued on the model in its first 4 years of production) might have been at least in part due to the company rushing development in order to beat the Beech Skipper to market. First deliveries of the Skipper were to Beechcraft flight centers in 1979.

Answer: Sud SE-210 Caravelle

In high density arrangements, the 707-320B carried 219 passengers, the DC-8-50 carried 179, and the VC-10 carried 151. With 50 - 100 seat jets selling very well in our time, one wonders if the Caravelle might have been just a few decades ahead of its time.

Answer: Learjet 45

The great circle distance from Sea-Tac to Honolulu International is 2,324.5 nautical miles. The Challenger 601-1A has a range of 3,352 nautical miles, the Falcon 50's range is 3,265 nautical miles, and the Astra's range is 3,110 nautical miles, allowing all of them to make the trip easily. The Learjet 45's 2,000 nautical mile range falls 324.5 nautical miles short.

Answer: Messerschmitt Bf109

The Messerschmitt Bf109 first flew in 1935 and started production that same year. The Spitfire came into being in 1936, the Corsair in 1938, and the Zero in 1940.

Answer: False

Designed by Ted Smith, the Aerostar was built by Smith from 1968 until 1970. In 1970 Butler Aviation acquired the rights and built a few Butler Aerostars before selling the rights back to Smith an 1972. Smith then built the Aerostar again until 1978, when he sold the rights to Piper. The last Aerostar, a model 700P, was produced in 1983.

Answer: Cessna 337 Skymaster

The Skymaster, also known as the "Pushmepullyou", has its engines mounted along the center axis of the fuselage rather than on the wings. As a result, pilots who earn multi-engine ratings in the Skymaster are, in the FAA's opinion, ill equipped to fly other twins that are prone to yawing with one engine out.

Although it has nothing to do with this question, it is interesting to note that the P-68 is the only one of these aircraft to have fixed landing gear.

Answer: Yakovlev Yak 40

In the early 1960s, Aeroflot requested a small jet for regional use. Yakovlev delivered the first Yak 40 to Aeroflot in September of 1968. Although Fokker began development of the F28 before Yakovlev began developing the Yak 40, the first Fellowships weren't delivered until February of 1969.

The BAe 146 was first delivered in May of 1983, and Canadair delivered the first RJ100s, a derivative of their Challenger business jet, in October of 1992.