Popular American ultralight. In the US and several other countries this FAR 103 aircraft did not need to registered nor did the pilot need a licence. That was not the case in New Zealand. Bob Kerr photo

Manufactured by the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation, hence the 'GZ' c/n prefix. NC7A was the first Model TZ airship, and the first FAA permanent licensed airship. It was based in Miami. Here it is employed in giving sight-seeing rides over the 1933-34 World's Fair at Chicago along with sister airship NC14A. (Print date stamped 30 August 1933.) The registration was cancelled on 21 September 1938 for unknown reasons.

Türkish Aerospace Industries. Experimental aircraft.

Complete two-engine nacelle of the Zeppelin-Staaken R-VI aircraft. It was a four-engined German biplane strategic bomber of World War I, and the only Riesenflugzeug ("giant aircraft") design built in any quantity (18 were built). The R.VI was a 2nd designed closed-cockpit military aircraft and the largest wooden aircraft produced in any quantity during World War I. The engine nacelle in the photo comes from an aircraft built at the Albatros plant, which crashed in March or April 1918 in Belgium while returning from a bombing raid.

The one and only Waco RPT. Originally built in 1940 for a USAAC Primary Trainer competition, which it failed to win. Sold to a private owner, who modified the aircraft with a new engine and an enclosed canopy. Acquired by the Waco Air Museum in 2018, and seen here after a restoration to her original appearance.

The Centro de Industria y Tecnología Aeroespacial (CITA) and the Bolivian air force worked together to construct three Team Tango kitplanes for the Bolivian air force. Two Tango 2 two-seaters were delivered, FAB-542 was one of these, and is seen here in rather wild camouflage colours at El Trompillo. FAB-541 was the other one, but it crashed in 2014.

The Buhl A-1 autogyro, built in 1931, was optimized for camera work, with a pusher propeller behind the pilot and camera operator. Only one aircraft was built before the company ceased operation in 1933 during The Depression. This autogyro is a replica.

The first NOTAR helicopter built in USA in 1947

A replica of Ben Epps' 1907 Monoplane, displayed at the Valiant Air Command Museum's lobby. Built by John D Pruett, model listed in the FAA registry entry as JP3. Recent research has determined that the original aircraft was actually the first monoplane to fly in the United States, and actually had its first flight in 1909, rather than 1907 as previously believed.

Designed in 1932, this unfinished Penguin was built in 2014

First flown in August 1940, the Ki-44 Shoki interceptor fighter was named for a Taoist deity who fights ghosts and evil beings. Powered by Nakajima's bulky Ha-41 radial engine, it had good climb speed, but was not outstanding. 1223 airframes were built for the Japanese army and given the reporting name 'Tojo' by the Allies. This one is listed as a 'Ki-43-Ia', but by its July 1944 manufacture date and c;/n 2068 it should be a Ki-44-IIc. It was captured at Clark Field in Mach 1945 and flown by TAIU-SWPA, a joint USAAF/USN/RAAF intelligence unit, until a crash in June. Photo from: US Navy - National Naval Aviation Museum

The sole Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake" on display at the marvelous Frontier of Flight Museum in Dallas.

Crashed in Alaska 1933. Fuselage recovered in 1986

The Fleetwings Model 36 was a plywood skinned aerial target which was given the military designation PQ-12A. It was powered by a Lycoming O-435 of 225 hp and could be manually flown for testing & evaluation when designated as the YPQ-12A (background). The protrusion hanging down from the right hand wing housed a TV camera that fed images to a mother-ship for remote guidance to intercept an enemy aircraft. In October 1943 the aircraft successfully downed a test drone over the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range by detonating a 500 lb bomb housed under the cockpit fairing. Note that the last two digits of the serial on the tail have been crudely changed from "49" to "45".

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned BQ-2A was powered by 2 x Lycoming R-680-13 engines of 300 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in a compartment just aft of the wing. It shares the Fleetwings Model 37 number with the XBQ-1 and has the same airframe, however the fixed landing gear was jettisonable for better performance. A TV camera mounted in the LH wing leading edge allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. First flight was on 21 August 1943. The design was deemed to be too expensive for operational use, so the program was cancelled in December 1943.

The Fleetwings Model 27 was a private venture radio controlled aerial gunnery target built in 1940 and known as the A-1. It had fabric covered 20ft span wings with split flaps and fabric covered empennage and flight controls. A Continental A65 engine gave a top speed of 180 mph. The radio set was located in a compartment positioned on the center of gravity, so with the equipment removed it could carry a pilot. On 1 April 1940 test pilot William H. Engle took it for a flight from the Aircraft Radio Corporation airfield at Boonton/NJ. Military designation believed to be OQ-1. No further examples were built. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle.

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned BQ-1 was powered by 2 x Franklin O-405-7 engines of 250 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in the compartment seen here just aft of the wing. A TV camera mounted in the aircraft allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. In this photo, test pilot William H. Engle is attempting to ferry the aircraft to Wright Field, Dayton/OH, but an oil leak from the LH engine forced a return to Lancaster/PA. The leaking oil can be seen on the landing gear and wheel fairings. On 17 July 1944 the aircraft was wrecked in an engine failure induced forced landing near Wright Field, resulting in cancellation of the program. Collection holder William Engle is the son of the test pilot

This is the ORIGINAL aircraft built by the three Gonzales brothers from San Francisco in 1912. Included in this display are many documents, artifacts, and photographs highlighting their contributions to the local aviation community.