A 75% scale ultralight P-51 Mustang that qualifies as an LSA. The entire 5151 kit is designed for the inexperienced builder and is estimated to be completed in 400-500 hours. Almost all parts are pre-cut to exact dimensions, grooved, shaped and even tapered to ensure a perfect fit. The gussets and stringer attach pieces used in large quantity in the airframe are die cut like in a good model aircraft kit. The canopy and metal parts are also pre cut and those “difficult to make” parts are even preformed, predrilled and ready to assemble. All hardware comes separately packed and labelled for each section of the aircraft to avoid loss or confusion where parts go. The airframe kit includes everything to build the aircraft less engine, instruments and paint. Covering material and fabric glue, prop, tyres etc., and the enormous 18 inch custom spinner is also included in the airframe kit. Although the ROTAX 582LC is the recommend engine, there are several engine options including a 4 cyl., in-line 4-stroke engine available.
The construction of the 5151 Mustang consists more of an assembly than actually building, since all parts are highly prefabricated. Much of the assembly is of geodetic construction which, while it looks “fussy” it is actually a simple technique producing an exceptionally strong airframe for the structure’s weight. The fuselage consists of a conventional simple box-type construction which is transformed by formers and stringers into the shape of a P-51. The heart of the 5151 is the massive 10 x 12 inch centre section box spar which takes the optional wing tanks and the retractable or fixed landing gear, which ever the builder desires. The outer box spar i.e. wing panels attach to the centre section and are removable for storage or trailer, which leaves a foot wide structure on the landing gear for easy handling. Once the spar is assembled, the wing ribs simply attach to the spar and no jigs are needed since the aircraft is designed to be built on a flat bench. Also a remarkable feature is the technique used by the designer to virtually eliminate building errors in those critical components such as washout, taper etc., since the wing is tapered and all 12 wing ribs are different.
All tail surfaces are also built conventionally and consist simply of a leading edge spar, pre-cut trailing edge, ribs and geodetic bracing. The ribs are built over full-size drawings and are also built on the workbench, just as the entire rudder, elevators and vertical stabilizer. The retractable landing gear and also the fixed version is made of 4130N 2 inch chromolly tubing and comes tack welded.
The 5151RG has retractable undercarriage.
5151-RG
By 2014, the covering no longer came as part of the kit (available separately though), and only the Rotax 582 engine was offered. Ribs are solid wood – already cut to proper airfoil shape; simply require cap strips upper and lower.
5151 Engine: Rotax 503, 50 hp. Speed max: 95 mph. Cruise: 75 mph. Range: 325 sm. Stall: 28 mph. ROC: 700 fpm. Take-off dist: 150 ft. Landing dist: 250 ft. Service ceiling: 12,500 ft. Fuel cap: 5-13 USG. Weight empty: 513 lbs. Gross: 885 lbs. Height: 6 ft. Length: 22.9 ft. Wing span: 27.4 ft. Wing area: 130 sq.ft. Seats: 1. Landing gear: tail wheel.
5151 RG Engine: Rotax 582, 65 hp. Vne: 100 mph/ 89 kt. Cruise: 85 mph/ 79 kt. Range: 325 nm. Stall: 30 mph/27 kt. ROC: 1200 fpm. Take-off dist: 150 ft. Landing dist: 250 ft. Service ceiling: 12,500 ft. Fuel cap: 13 USG. Weight empty: 600 lbs. Gross: 885 lbs. Height: 6 ft. Length: 22.9 ft. Wing span: 27.4 ft. Wing area: 130 sq.ft. Seats: 1. Landing gear: tail wheel, retractable.
5151-RG Engine: Rotax 582, 64 hp Wing span: 8.4 m Wing area: 12.7 sq.m MAUW: 300 kg Empty weight: 203 kg Fuel capacity: 25 lt Max speed: 150 kph Cruise speed: 150 kph Minimum speed: 55 kph Climb rate: 4.2 m/s Certification: Vz Seats: 1 Fuel consumption: 13 lt/hr Kit price (1998): $7995
1995-8: Shipmans Creek Rd, Wartrace, TN 37183, USA. 2009: Loehle Aircraft Corp., 380 UF Shipmans Creek Rd, Wartrace, TN 37183, USA
Squadron Aviation designs and manufacturing rights were purchased by Loehle Aviation.
Mike Loehle crashed a factory P-40 demo airplane 10/3/2011 in TN, due to possible control issues.
Mrs. Sandra “Sandy” Loehle died at NHC – Tullahoma on June 9, 2017 in Tullahoma, TN at the age of 61 after a battle with endometrial cancer. Sandy is survived by her husband, Michael Duane Loehle of Wartrace, TN. She married Michael Duane Loehle in 1989, after a business partnership became a life partnership in the world of aviation. After moving to Wartrace, TN, Sandy helped found Loehle Aircraft Corp. as co-founder and VP of Operations. Sandy wore many “hats” at Loehle Aircraft and became a sales, operations, HR, logistics, and marketing “guru” that allowed their partnership to have aircraft customers in 26 countries.
Produced by the Maxair Aircraft Corporation at the height of the ultralight boom, the original single-seat Drifter featured a 28-hp Rotax 277 engine. Its cable-braced wing and aluminum fuselage tube resulted in a rigid design that was soon expanded to include a two-seat trainer version and a short-wing, overpowered single-seat hot rod that was well outside ultralight limits. Some Drifters were equipped with monohull or dual floats.
Maxair declared bankruptcy in 1991, and the Drifter project was picked up by Phil Lockwood, who had worked for Maxair.
His company, Lockwood Aircraft, now kits the Super Drifter, an LSA, two-seat version powered by an 81-hp, four-stroke Rotax 912UL engine. With its standard 10-gallon tank, the Super Drifter claims a range of about 200 nautical miles at a cruise speed of about 60 knots—perfect for low-altitude, warm-weather exploring or short trips.
The two-seat Drifter and the similarly configured Air Cam has conventional controls and handling, and power is more than adequate. It’s worth noting that the rather short main landing gear legs and a long fuselage result in a nearly level three-point attitude on the ground. First-time front-seat pilots would benefit from climbing aboard, sitting awhile, and noting the angle between the Drifter’s small nose cone and the horizon. That’s the ideal landing attitude, and there is little ahead for a pitch reference.
Engine: Rotax 912, 80 hp HP range: 50-80 Length: 22 ft Wing span: 30 ft Wing area: 160 sq.ft Empty weight: 495 lb Gross weight: 1100 lb Fuel capacity: 10 USG Cruise: 70 mph Stall: 34 mph Range: 230 sm Rate of climb: 1000 fpm Takeoff dist: 200 ft Landing dist: 300 ft Landing gear: tailwheel
David Lockspeiser attempted to develop LDA (land development aircraft) general utility aircraft over two decades up to mid-1980s, with rear-mounted main wings and large canards, and rear-mounted engine with pusher propeller. A 70 percent-scale prototype flew 1971 as G-AVOR c/n LDA-01 and given PFA number 1346.
Construction was started at Shalford, UK, and the final assembly was done at Wisley. The two rear wing sections are interchangeable with each other and with the forward wing, which is mounted underneath the fuselage. The angular fuselage was capable of taking an underslung cargo pannier. A four unit undercarriage was fitted.
It was flown for the first time at Wisley on 24 August 1971 powered by a Continental C85-12. Initially it flew with a twin fin/rudder assembly but later a non-moving central fin was added.
In 1974, after a period of testing, the prototype was re-engined with a Lycoming O-320-D1A and given a conventional three unit undercarriage. The provision for the pannier was also removed. It appeared at the 1975 Paris Salon at Le Bourget France.
The intended full-size LDA-500 Boxer and larger LDA-1000 Boxer were designed.
Span: 29.00 ft Fore plane span: 13.00 ft Length: 22.06 ft
UK David Lockspeiser attempted to develop LDA (land development aircraft) general utility aircraft over two decades up to mid-1980s, with rear-mounted main wings and large canards, and rear-mounted engine with pusher propeller. A 70 percent-scale prototype flew 1971 as LDA-01, and intended full-size LDA-500 Boxer and larger LDA-1000 Boxer were designed.
This four-cylinder, horizontally-opposed engine is one of the earliest aero engines to be built in Australia. It was designed and built by two young motor mechanics, Azor D. Robbins and Aubrey Keith Lock. Robbins was employed at Dalgetys Garage in Bourke Street, Melbourne while Lock was an apprentice with Herbert Thomson’s Steam Car Company in Armadale. They had been approached to build a 50 horsepower (37 kW) aero engine by Lawrence Marshall, a Melbourne inventor who was building a biplane to compete for a Commonwealth government prize of £5,000 for a military aeroplane. Lock and Robbins worked on the engine part-time in Richmond and subsequently at the Dalgety’s engineering shop in Melbourne. A total of forty cylinders were believed to have been cast by an outside foundry from which the four best were selected. Despite this, the cylinders fractured during a bench test and Marshall refused to pay for the engine as it did not deliver the promised 50 horsepower.
It was later repaired by Lock and acquired by Azor Robbins and a business partner Alex Porter, who had built a Bleriot-type monoplane in Albury, New South Wales. Robbins and Porter had moved to Albury from Melbourne in 1911 opening their own automotive business at 532 Kiewa Street. The engine was reported to have been displayed at the 1912 Albury Show. Their aircraft is believed to have made several short flights in July 1913. The aircraft was subsequently sold to Blacklock’s Garage in Dean Street Albury where it was later destroyed in a fire. The engine was salvaged by Aubrey Lock who kept it at his Melbourne house until his death in 1966. It was donated to the Museum of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, in pieces in 1978 by Donald Shanks. Since then it has been reassembled and conserved to retain as much of the original finish and components as possible.
The Lockheed Martin X-55 Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA) is an experimental twinjet transport aircraft. It is intended to demonstrate new air cargo-carrier capabilities using advanced composite materials. A project of the United States Air Force’s Air Force Research Laboratory, it was built by the international aerospace company Lockheed Martin, at its Advanced Development Programs (Skunk Works) facility in Palmdale, California. The X-55 is a one-off aircraft intended to demonstrate the use of advanced composite materials in the fuselage of an otherwise conventional high-wing transport aircraft.
The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306B turbofans. The X-55 design is based on the existing Fairchild Dornier 328JET. The fuselage of that aircraft, which is constructed of aluminium alloys, was replaced aft of the entrance door with a newly designed fuselage. The new design makes extensive use of advanced composite materials, selected to allow out of autoclave curing at lower temperatures and pressures than previous materials. The new widened fuselage allows the loading of cargo through a rear ramp.
The new fuselage section is constructed as a single large component, including the vertical stabilizer. When attached to the existing nose section, the fuselage is 55 feet (16.8 m) long and 9 feet (2.74 m) diameter. The fuselage has upper and lower halves, each with a roughly-oval shape similar to a canoe. The halves are bonded to circular frames. The fuselage section ahead of the entrance door consists of the existing (metal) 328J component, with fasteners used to bring the forward and new aft sections together.
As of April 2008, the fuselage was being fabricated. The first flight of the modified aircraft was expected during the winter of 2008/2009. However, due to a “glitch” during fabricating the composite fuselage, that schedule slipped. The delay was caused by an unsatisfactory bond of the skin on the lower fuselage, which required a second fuselage to be fabricated.
The first flight was completed at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs facility (Air Force Plant 42) in Palmdale, California on June 2, 2009 by the Air Force Research Laboratory in conjunction with Lockheed Martin. In October 2009, the ACCA demonstrator was designated X-55A by the USAF. Over the course of the program, 15 to 20 flights were expected.
As of September 12, 2014, the X-55 aircraft is on display at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale, California.
The Lockheed Martin P-791 is an experimental aerostatic and aerodynamic hybrid airship developed by Lockheed Martin. The P-791 has a tri-hull shape, with disk-shaped cushions on the bottom for landing. As a hybrid airship, part of the weight of the craft and its payload are supported by aerostatic (buoyant) lift and the remainder is supported by aerodynamic lift.
The P-791 was designed as part of the U.S. Army’s Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) program, but lost the program’s competition to Northrop Grumman’s HAV-3 design. The P-791 was modified to be a civil cargo aircraft under the name SkyTug, with a lift capability of 20 short tons (18,000 kg) and plans to scale larger.
The first flight of the P-791 took place on 31 January 2006 at the company’s flight test facility at United States Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, CA.
In March 2016, Straightline Aviation signed a Letter of intent for 12 LMH1 airships, valued at $480 million.
In 2014, Hybrid Enterprises from Atlanta, Georgia entered into an agreement with Lockheed Martin to market and sell the commercial LMH-1 Hybrid Aircraft built by Lockheed, based on the technology demonstrated by the P-791.
At the Paris Air Show in June 2015, Lockheed Martin announced that all required FAA certification planning steps were complete, and Hybrid Enterprises was accepting orders. The LMH1 would initially transport 20 tonnes of cargo or 19 passengers, plus 2 crew members, with deliveries beginning in 2018. In September 2016, plans were announced to operate the LMH-1 craft in Alaska.
In September 2017 it was announced that the first flight of the LMH-1 was being delayed to 2019.
In May 2023, Lockheed Martin announced the transfer of intellectual property and assets related to their airship business, and the LMH-1, to a new company, called AT2 Aerospace, which would continue the development of the LMH-1 as the Z1 hybrid airship.
The Lockheed Martin LMZ1M is the follow on to the P-791 test vehicle.
The X-35 was the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) demonstrator, competing with the Boeing X-32. In November 1996 Boeing and Lockheed Martin were awarded contracts to build two Concept Demonstrator Aircraft (CDA)—one Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) version and one Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) version—each. The aircraft were not intended to be fighter prototypes, but rather to prove that the selected design concepts would work, hence the use of X-series designations.
Lockheed constructed two prototypes for the evaluation. The initial X-35A reflected the basic Air Force CTOL design, and was used for early flights before being modified into the STOVL version, designated X-35B. While Boeing proposed a direct lift STOVL design based on that used in the Harrier, Lockheed opted for a different approach in meeting the vertical flight requirements. Inspired by the Russian Yak-141, the X-35B incorporated a separate lift-fan that was shaft-driven by the F119 engine, allowing cooler exhaust temperatures during hover. While the Boeing design was more conventional, Lockheed argued that their strategy was better in the long term since it offered more room for growth as the aircraft evolves. The second airframe was the X-35C STOVL demonstrator for the Navy. This model featured an enlarged wing of greater span and area for larger fuel capacity as well as enlarged horizontal tails and flaperons for greater control effectiveness during low-speed carrier approaches. The X-35 was selected as the winner of the JSF competition on 26 October 2001.
The production aircraft to be designated F-35. The System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the F-35 JSF program started with the signing of the SDD contract in October 2001, and with the delivery of test aircraft scheduled to begin in 2008. During the SDD phase, 22 aircraft (14 flying test aircraft and 8 ground-test aircraft) were to be produced and tested. The JSF program is slated to produce a total of 3,002 aircraft for the United States and United Kingdom armed forces.
Lockheed Martin leads a development team including Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Pratt & Whitney. Lockheed Martin brings in advanced technology experience, stealth technology and other technologies and experience which it has gained during F-22 research and development. Northrop Grumman offers tactical aircraft knowledge, stealth technology and carrier suitability. BAE System provides expertise and experience with short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) technology as well as advanced subcontract management. Pratt & Whitney is the builder of the engine which will power the JSF which is based on the F-119 turbojet from the F-22.
To forfill the demands of the main contractors three different variants are developed. All versions will have a common structure and have the same fuselage and internal weapons bay. They will all three be powered by a F-119 modified engine. All variants will carry the standard designation F-35.
The F-35A is the standard variant with conventional take off and landing developed for the US Air Force, the biggest JSF customer. The F-35A will replace the F-16 and the A-10 aircraft currently operated by the USAF.
X-35B
The F-35B is the STOVL variant of the JSF. The F-119 is modified using the experience of BAE Systems based on the Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine from the AV-8 Harrier. Unlike the Air Force variant the F-35B carries no internal gun and the air refuelling probe is located on the right side of the forward fuselage instead of receptacle on the top surface of the aircraft. The main customers for the F-35B will be the USMC to replace the F/A-18 Hornet ands the AV-8B Harrier IIs and the United Kingdom to replace the Royal Air Force/Royal Navy combined Harrier force of Sea Harriers and GR.7s.
The F-35C is a modified design which enables the JSF to operate from aircraft carriers using conventional carrier landings and catapult take off. The F-35C internal structure and landing gear have been strengthened to handle the loads associated with catapult launches and arrested carrier landings. It has a larger wing area than other JSF types with larger control surfaces for better low speed handling. Like the F-35B is has a refuelling probe instead of a receptacle. The US Navy will be the biggest customer of this variant. The F-35C will complement the US Navy fleet of F/A-18E/F fighters by replacing the F/A-18 A+ and C Hornet in service.
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II BF-3 – the third example of the short takeoff/ vertical landing version – arrived at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland on February 17, 2010. It made its first flight on February 2 at Fort Worth, Texas and was taken from there to the naval air station by F-35 Test Pilot Jeff Knowles. Another two F-35Bs are due to join the three aircraft at Patuxent River for the flight test programme.
The F-35B was about to conduct its first vertical landing which would be a major milestone for the short take-off, vertical landing (STOVL) variant and work has started on the first F-35 lightning II for the UK.
The Lockheed Martin X-35C Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Navy demonstrator completed medium-speed taxi testing Dec. 14 2000 at Palrndale, California, in preparation for first flight as early as Dec. 16. The aircraft, with a larger wing and control surfaces than the X-35A, will undergo about 20 hr. of flight test at Edwards AFB, before being flown to NAS Patuxent River, Md., for the continuation of demonstrations. Meanwhile, Boeing has completed structural mode interaction testing on the X-32B short takeoff and vertical landing demonstrator, expected to fly during the first quarter of 2001. The Boeing X-32A demonstrator completed government-required Navy demonstrations Dec. 2, 2000.
First flown on 24 October 2000, the JSF X-35A demonstrator aircraft completed a highly successful flight-test programme in August 2001, and the following October the US Government awarded its development contract to Lockheed Martin over the other contender, Boeing. The lift system uses a counter-rotating lift fan, located behind the cockpit and connected to the engine by a drive shaft, as a primary lifting force. The fan produces more than 18,000 lbs of cool thrust in hover flight, with an additional 18,000 lbs coming from the main engine’s vectored aft nozzle and wing roll-posts. The shaft driven Rolls-Royce lift fan amplifies engine thrust and reduces exhaust temperature and velocity during STOVL operations. First flown on 24 June 2001, in 2001 the X-35A, reconfigured as the STVOL X-35B, achieved its first vertical take-off, level supersonic flight, and vertical landing. The X-35C is to evaluate manoeuvering qualities, as a conventional carrier version and first flew on 16 December 2000. This version has larger wing and control surfaces and is stressed for catapult launches and arrested landings. This wing could also be applied to the B or A version.
By March 2010, it appeared that just five F-35s had flown: F-35A AA-01 on December 25, 2006. F-35B BF-0 1 on June 11, 2008. F-35B BF-02 on February 2, 2009 F-35A AF-01 on November 14,2009 F-35B BF-03 on February 2, 2010
The first F-35A has since been retired from flight duty. Two of the three F-35Bs were at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, for preliminary STOVL evaluation tests.
The first pre-production F-35A flew on 15 December 2006, about three months behind schedule due to engine integration and ground testing delays.
F-35 Lightning II
As of 2014, 115 have been built at $106,000,000 each.
With over 1,000 aircraft delivered to 17 nations, including Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and multiple NATO allies, and production plans exceeding 3,000 units, the F-35 represents the standardisation of fifth-generation technology across Western and allied air forces.
The U.S. Air Force’s 500th F-35A Lightning II fighter jet arrived at the Florida Air National Guard’s 125th Fighter Wing in Jacksonville on July 9, 2025.
500th USAF F-35A Lightning II
The aircraft is one of the first three F-35As permanently assigned to the wing, known as “the Thunder,” and features the unit’s legacy tail flash. By the end of 2024, Lockheed Martin had delivered a total of 1,102 aircraft. That figure included 797 F-35As built for the United States and allied air forces, along with 203 short takeoff and vertical landing F-35Bs built for the U.S. Marine Corps, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, and the Italian Navy. The first examples for Japan’s Navy are also in production and delivery. According to F35.com, more than 1,215 F-35s of all variants have now been delivered worldwide, flown by over 3,000 pilots who have accumulated more than one million flight hours.
