Universal Aircraft Co 98 Trainer / 36

The 1934 Universal Aircraft Co 98 Trainer was a 1-2 place open cockpit biplane powered by a 40hp Ford A engine. Six were registered: N13950 c/n 3, N13973 c/n 7, N13999 c/n 18, N14884 c/n 11, N15179 c/n 10, and one with a 50hp Ford engine: N11597 c/n 50.

Others appear in the registrations as “Univeral 36” with a 40hp Continental (eg: 17671 c/n 7186-F), but the c/ns suggest those were American-Universal Flying Fleas.

Umbra M.B.902

Aeronautica Umbra’s design office was responsible for a heavy fighter of advanced and unorthodox design, the M.B.902 designed by Ing. Bellomo. The M.B902 was actually built, although flight testing had not commenced when the prototype was destroyed.

The construction of the M.B.902 was begun in 1942, and this single-seat fighter was unusual in being powered by a pair or 1,250 h.p. Daimler-Benz DB 605 liquid-cooled engines buried in the fuselage and driving twin contra-props mounted outboard on the wings via extension shafts. Featuring a retractable nose wheel undercarriage and carrying an armament of four 20-mm. and two 12.7-mm. guns, the M.B.902 had an estimated maximum speed or 429 m.p.h., and a maximum range of 1,056 miles.