Clyde Cessna remained with Travel Air Manufacturing Company for two years but found his own interests gravitating toward monoplane designs while his partners were more interested in biplane designs. When he proposed a monoplane design without wing struts, his Travel Air associates dismissed the idea, claiming it was folly. This prompted Clyde to resign from the company and build a fully cantilevered wing monoplane on his own. This aircraft, known as the Comet, inspired him to start a new business focused on monoplanes.
In 1911, finding inspiration from the American version of the Bleriot XI, Clyde created his first monoplane using linen and spruce. This initial creation was known as the “Silverwing,” and was powered by an Elbridge 4 cylinder motorboat motor with 40 hp.
For the first test flights, Clyde headed to the Great Salt Plains in Oklahoma, located next to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, his first flight attempt ended in a ground loop and a $100 repair bill. Clyde was not discouraged, however, and climbed back into that cockpit time after time, attempting to fly another thirteen times. And though each time was a failure, he managed to walk away relatively unscathed.
Finally, he became airborne on the thirteenth attempt in the Silverwing, though he managed to stay airborne for only a short time before he crashed into a stand of trees while attempting to turn the aircraft.
“I am going to make this thing fly. Do you hear me? I am going to make this thing fly and then I am going to set it afire and I’ll never have another thing to do with airplanes. Automobiles and farm machinery – that’s what I’m going to stick to” Clyde said after crashing the Silverwing.
Thankfully, he didn’t carry through on this threat, and he went back to work. His meticulous planning and continual improvement of his design finally paid off.
In December 1911, Clyde Cessna completed a 5-mile flight, including a successful landing back at his point of departure. Thanks to this success, the many people who had been scoffing at his attempts to fly did an about-face, celebrating his success and even calling him “The Birdman of Enid.” Riding the success of the Silverwing, Clyde decided to leave his career in the automotive industry and devote his full attention to aviation.
A three/four-seat light STOL monoplane, designed for use as an agricultural aircraft and glider towing. Each wing carries a full-scan one-piece leading-edge slat, and double-slotted flaps are fitted between the cabin and the ailerons.
First flown 1955 production deliveries began in March 1956, and remained in production until 1960.
The L-60 Brigadýr resembles much the Mráz J-65 ‘Èáp’ (Czech version of the Fiesler Fi 156 ‘Storch’), because it was designed and built in the same factory.
The agricultural L-60 utilised a 92 Imp.Gal. tank in the rear cockpit, or a hopper for 660 lb of dust.
A military air observation post and liaison model with RSI-6 and RPK-10 radio, full blind-flying equipment and provision for a machine gun, was supplied to the Czech Air Force.
Engine: Praga Doris M 208 B, 220 hp Wingspan: 45.801 ft / 13.96 m Wing area: 261.565 sqft / 24.3 sq.m Length: 28.018 ft / 8.54 m Height: 8.858 ft / 2.7 m Max take off weight: 3120.1 lb / 1415.0 kg Weight empty: 2194.0 lb / 995.0 kg Max. speed: 120 mph Cruising speed: 94 kts / 175 km/h / 109 mph at SL Service ceiling: 14764 ft / 4500 m Climb to 3280 ft:4.3 min Wing load: 11.89 lb/sq.ft / 58.00 kg/sq.m Range: 486 nm / 900 km Crew: 1+3
A basic trainer, the Czechoslovak Letov L.8 is also known as the TOM-8 after the bureau design chief Ing. Karel Tomas. Of all-metal construction the Letov L.8 has a cantilever wing with split metal flaps, which like the nosewheel-type retractable undercarriage, is electrically operated by way of a 1,500-watt generator situated in the fuselage.
Ing. Tomas designed the L.8 round the six-cylinder, horizontally opposed, piston, 235-h .p. M-208-C which is also known as the Praga Doris C. The Doris C is a development of the 220-h.p. (3,000 rpm) Doris B flat-six. The two-blade metal airscrew (V.421) has variable pitch and the hub is covered by a pointed metal spinner. The powerplant engine cowling has a triple entry intake – the centre one being the carburettor air intake.
The Letov L.8 is fully aerobatic and is equipped for night flying and instrument training. Light bombs can be mounted under each wing. Gunnery instruction is also catered for.
The prototype Letov L.8 is finished in light grey and has the Czech air force markings on the wings and the fin/rudder. On each side of the rear fuselage is the large serial number “K-01” painted in black.
The Czech air force planned to replace the standard piston-engine basic trainer (the Letov-built C.2B – the Czech version of the wartime Arado Ar 96B) with the Letov L.8.
First flown in 1971, the CERVA CE-43 Guepard (Cheetah) was an all metal derivative of the Wassmer WA-40 Srs. A six-seat Tiara engine version was flown in 1974.
Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 hp Wingspan: 32 ft 9.5 in / 10.00 m Length: 27 ft 6.5 in / 8.40 m Cabin max width: 3 ft 7 in / 1.09 m Empty weight: 1863 lb / 845 kg MTOW utility: 3220 lb / 1460 kg MTOW normal: 3527 lb / 1600 kg Max cruise: 167 kt / 192 mph / 310 kph Max ROC SL: 1080 fpm / 330 m/min Service ceiling: 17,400 ft / 5300 m Range max fuel: 1565 nm / 1800 mi / 2900 km Seats: 4
Centra Volo a Vela also produced prototypes of the P.110 three/four-seat cabin monoplane and P.M. 280 Tartuca single-seat low-wing monoplane.
Designed by Ing. Ermenegildo Preti, the P.110 was of all wood construction and the enclosed cabin seats four in two pairs.
The sole prototype was built by the Centro Volo a Vela (Gliding Centre) of the Milan Polytechnic School, originally designated C.V.V. P.110 or, alternatively, Preti CP.110.
The manufacturing rights were acquired by Construzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta, and the type was evaluated by the Italian Air Force, but no production orders materialised.
Engine: Alfa 110ter, 145 hp Wingspan: 34 ft 9 in Length: 23 ft 11 in Empty weight: 1500 ft Loaded weight: 2425 lb Max speed: 170 mph Cruise: 149 mph Range 620 mi
