IN CELEBRATION OF OUR
20TH YEAR SPECIALIZING IN
MOONEY AIRCRAFT;
Get your BRAND NEW
PRE-PUBLISHED
BOOK AVAILABLE FOR YOU NOW!
"THOSE MOONEY AIRPLANES"
by Richard Zephro; studying the Mooney since 1974; 38 year private pilot/owner of Mooneyland and author
of the articles within this website.
FLYING IS NOT CHEAP! Within
this book we will discuss not only how to save money while owning your
own airplane, we will discuss ways to save big bucks on purchase,
ownership, maintenance,
appearance (lipstick), and upgrades.
Further; we will discuss matters of safely operating your prized BIRD,
why Mooney is the safest (by far) in its class, and aid in the pure FUN
of owning your own airplane. BOOK INCLUDES 25 CHAPTERS OF INFORMATION
FOR MOONEY ENTHUSIASTS, OWNERS, AND ASPIRING OWNERS OF MOONEY AIRCRAFT
IN PARTICULAR, APPLICABLE TO ALL AIRCRAFT OWNERS IN GENERAL AND INCLUDES
100 HOUR/ANNUAL INSPECTION GUIDE AND ALL ABOUT MOONEY AIRCRAFT; HOW TO
KEEP THEM SAFELY FLYING (ON THE CHEAP) DO IT YOURSELF STUFF, WHAT
TO WATCH FOR, AND INCLUDES 124 FULL SIZE PAGES OF INFORMATION AND
PHOTOS. (Includes some reprints
and references from Mooneyland and tons of NEW information at your
fingertips)
2 NEW CHAPTERS JUST ADDED:
"HOW MUCH DOES IS COST TO OWN AN AIRPLANE" and
"MEMOIRS OF A MOONEY BUYER".
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ADVANCE OF PUBLICATION EMAILED DIRECTLY TO YOU FOR $39.95;
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PUBLICATION. CLICK ON THE "BUY NOW" PAYPAL LINK BELOW, PURCHASE THE BOOK
AND I WILL PERSONALLY EMAIL IT TO YOU IMMEDIATELY. (2MB) in size.
(this is the first of a series of must have books to come
by author; Richard Zephro and you will automatically receive any
updates, revisions, & additions to this BOOK).
See our dedicated new
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Enjoy
& learn, learn, and LEARN!
Richard "zef" Zephro
OR GO TO:
ENJOY!
Bell "Eagle Eye" UAV
Unmanned tilt rotor aircraft for surveillance. No need for a runway, can operate from
land or sea based platform. This picture shows an Eagle Eye in US Coast guard livery.
Boeing Bird of Prey
The Bird of Prey project cost $67 million, and the project was classified from
1992 to 1999, with the first flight in 1996. The Bird of Prey helped to develop stealth
technology for the US airforce.
General Dynamics A12 Avenger II
The McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II was designed to be an
all-weather, stealth attack replacement for the A-6 Intruder in the United States Navy and
Marines.
It suffered several problems throughout development, especially with the materials used and the
overall price of the aircraft - an estimated US $165 million per unit. Canceled in January of
1991.
Lockheed XFV-1
The Lockheed XFV-1 is a 'tailsitter'
VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft
It was created by the US Navy who were looking for ways to improve ship defense by equipping
merchant ships with vertical take-off aircraft.
The XFV-1 used the Allison YT40-A-14 engine to drive two 16 ft counter-rotating three-bladed
Curtiss-Wright propellers with electric pitch control. The XFV-1 was fitted with a conventional
landing gear to make its first horizontal flight in March 1954. A total of 27 level flights were
made. Control in hover was very poor. No vertical take-offs or landings were ever attempted.
Bell X-1
The Bell X-1 rocket powered aircraft of the US Airforce, piloted by Chuck Yeager
broke the sound barrier On October 14, 1947.
Amazingly Yeager had broken two ribs in a horse riding accident the weekend prior to the flight.
He kept the injury hidden from his superiors in order to fly the mission. Because of his injury,
to close the entry hatch Yeager had to use a sawn off broom handle with his left arm.
Martin X-24B
The rocket powered X-24B, which first flew in August 1973, was developed from the
experiences gained through the 28 flights of the X-24A.
The X-24B made 10 glide and 26 powered flights before the program ended in 1975, having
validated the lifting-body aircraft concept.
Northrop Tacit Blue
The Tacit Blue was created to test stealth technology. The USAF, DARPA, and Northrop worked
together from 1978 to 1985 to prove that curved surfaces on an aircraft result in a low radar
return signal from ground based radar. Tacit Blue made its debut flight in February 1982, and it
flew 134 more times before 1985 when the project ended.
Grumman X-29
Two X-29's were built and flown at the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility,
Edwards, California. The X-29 was used as a technology demonstrator to investigate advanced
designs and technology. The extensive program was conducted from 1984 to 1992 and engineering
data gathered is useful for the design and development of future aircraft.
NASA Boeing X-36
NASA and McDonnell-Douglas Phantom Works developed the technology essential for a tailless
aircraft beginning in 1989. To prove the technology worked Phantom Works built two unmanned X-36
aircraft.
The first flight of the X-36 took place in May 1997. One of the two X-36 aircraft completed 31
successful research flights the last in Dec 1997.
In 1998, the X-36 made two more flights to prove that software could make the necessary
adjustments to fly a damaged tailless aircraft.
ATAC Predator 480
The Predator 480 was an unconventional high performance crop-duster. Advanced
Technology Aircraft Company contracted with Scaled Composites to design and build a
proof-of-concept crop-duster. Designed by Burt Rutan, it was owned by ATAC. It never made it
into production because of a severe design flaw in the main wing.
Thanks to David Record, Jr for the information. (son of the
original inventor)
Scaled Composites White Knight
White Knight was developed as the mothership to SpaceShipOne, the first private
spaceship which won the ANSARI X-Prize.
Rutan 151
ARES
The 151 ARES (Agile Responsive Effective Support) was developed by Burt Rutan
as a low cost fighter.
The ARES first flew on February 19, 1990. Since that first flight, the 151 ARES has flown
more than 250 hours.
HONDA JET
Piaggio P180 Avanti. Fastest FAR
23 certified turboprop aircraft in production. How Fast? Maximum speed: 460 MPH!
Beech 17 Staggerwing "Sedan".
Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster
Lockheed YO-3A Quiet Star. The
quietest motorized production aircraft in the world.
Vought XF5U/V173
First Ducted-Fan Micro Air Vehicles deployed in Iraq
Convair F2Y Sea Dart. The hightest
flying seaplane and on August 3, 1954 became the only seaplane to go supersonic.
Northrop N-9MB The Northrop N9MB
was launched as a test bed for the eventual development of the XB-35 flying wing.
Ford Tri-motor "Tin Goose"
Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey
The Skycar performance exceeds that of any light helicopter,
including a top speed that is three times faster. When compared to a high-performance airplane, the
Skycar has vertical takeoff and landing capability, is safer and potentially less expensive. The
performance boundaries of the Skycar are much less restrictive than those of both helicopters and
airplanes. These expanded operating limits are the natural consequence of combining VTOL and
high-speed cruise in a single aircraft. The resulting flexibility allows many transportation
applications to be addressed for the first time.
See the Skycar Fly!
As we approach 2015, the year Marty McFly traveled to in Back to the Future, Part II, we're
still woefully far away from the dream of having a flying car in every garage. The Terrafugia
Transition hopes to change that, the first flying car to be made available to consumers. While it's
no DeLorean, the Terrafugia has the ability to drive like a car on roads, lowering its wings and
taking flight when you get sick of the traffic. Getting 30 miles per gallon both in the air and on
the road, it's surprisingly a lot more efficient than the Tahoe you use to buy groceries in
currently. Now, you'll probably need to know a thing or two about flying planes to pilot this
safely, but if you've got a really long driveway suitable for takeoffs and landings this could make
commuting a hell of a lot easier (although the FAA will probably get their panties in a bunch if you
try to take off anywhere other than an airport). It's set to be released in 2009 at a price of about
$148,000, and you can reserve one for yourself now for a 5% deposit.
Twin
Mooney
X-32
Tacit Blue
Concept Space Liner
Large enough for you?
Double
Decker!
Double
Decker!
Prescott Pusher
Even though the Aeroscraft
dwarfs the largest commercial
airliners, it requires less net space on the ground than any plane because it doesn't need a runway.
The airship takes off and lands like a helicopter: straight up and down. For more information
on this ship, see
page.
and
now; the
"Piece de Resistance".....
Unless I have miscounted? There are no less than 18 propellers
and 18 large guns on this beast!
The K-7 first flew on 11
August 1933
In 1930s the Russian army was obsessed with the idea of creating
huge planes. At that time, they were proposed to have as many
propellers as possible to help carry those huge flying
fortresses into the air. Jet propulsion has not been implemented
yet.
Not many photos were
saved from that time, because of the high secrecy levels of such
projects.
The weaponry carried
by this behemoth is shown in the last two pics!