The political ambition of the East German politburo and the cancellation of the Alekseyev 150 Soviet bomber project led to the return to East Germany in 1953 of a group of German engineers and scientists deported to Russia in 1945. They were sponsored to proceed with one of the many commercial designs that they had formulated while in Russia.
One of these was the 72 seat 152 airliner, which was based on their experience with the Alekseyev 150 and would be powered by a development of the Junkers Jumo turbojet engine named Pirna 014. The design team was led by Brunolf Baade, a former Junkers designer, and the 152 descended from a bomber design started by Junkers during WW2.
The prototype had a glazed nose and an unusual undercarriage arrangement featuring a single central gear assisted by wingtip pod-mounted outriggers, and was completed in May 1958. Late availability of the Pirna engines meant the prototype first flew with Tumansky Rd-9b engines. On its second flight, while rehearsing for the Leipzig trade fair, the prototype 152 crashed due to pressure equalization problems between the multifarious tanks and the inadequate engines. The second heavily modified (152A) model (with modified tanks, conventional undercarriage and a glazed nose) flew twice more before the project was cancelled in 1961 due to national economic crises which were exacerbated by the defection of key design team members.
VEB 152 Engines: 4 x 3165kg VDL Pirna 014A-1 turbojets Max take-off weight: 46500 kg / 102515 lb Wingspan: 25.40 m / 83 ft 4 in Length: 31.30 m / 103 ft 8 in Height: 9.70 m / 32 ft 10 in Max. speed: 920 km/h / 572 mph Range: 2500 km / 1553 miles Crew: 4-5 Passengers: 58
In 1934, the Swiss air arm, or Fliegertruppe, called upon the EKW (Eidgenossische Konstruktions Werkstätte, or Federal Construction Workshop) to design a new airplane that could combine the roles of fighter, reconnaissance and tactical sup¬port aircraft. EKW’s efforts to fulfill such a difficult requirement produced two very different blueprints. The C-35 biplane and the C-36, a mono¬plane with a metal cantilever-wing structure. The Swiss government judged the C-35 a surer prospect and the first of 80 production aircraft entered service at the end of 1937. When war broke out in Europe in September 1939, the Fliegertruppe stepped up its patrols to guard its borders against both German and Allied intruders. At the same time, the C-36 blueprints were reconsidered.
By this time EKW had become EFW (Eidgenossische Flugzeug Werke), and the team at Emmen flew the first of the new aircraft on 23 February 1939.
The C 36 had developed into a modified sub type with twin tail fins designated C-3601, powered by the same 860 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Yers engine as the C 35 but now with a variable pitch propeller. On November 30, a second. aircraft, designated C 3602, flew with a 1000 hp Saurer built 12Y 51 engine and more reasonable speed of 510 km/h (317 mph).
Following flight tests, modifications were made and an initial batch entered production as the C-3603, first flown on November 23, 1941. Ten were built, and after service evaluation a further 142 followed, serving with the Swiss air force between 1942 and 1952 in the combat role.
Ordered into production by three manufacturers—the Eidgenossische Flugzeugwerke (Federal Aircraft Factory, or EFW) at Emmen, Doflug at Alterirhein and Pilatus Allgemeine Gesellschaft at Stans, in 1942, the C-3603, as the principal operational variant was designated, entered service with the Fliegertruppe as a long-range reconnaissance and ground support plane.
Two others, designated C-3603-1 TR, were produced for training and parachute tests. In 1945 a C-3603-1 was converted for target-towing.
Further improvements followed, and in 1946 Farner-Werke at Grenchen converted a C-3603-1 into a more advanced target-tug. A long tube was fitted from the rear cockpit to eject the target sleeve above the taiiplane and between the twin fins, with a cable-cutting device available to the pilot. Twenty C-3603s were converted to this standard.
Unlike its predecessors the C 3603 had retractable landing gear, the legs folding to the rear with the wheels turning 90 degrees to lie inside the wings. Pilot and radio operator/ navigator sat under a ‘greenhouse’ canopy, the latter having a pair of 7.5 mm (0.295 in) machine guns. Two more such guns were fixed in the wings, and a 20 mm (0.79 in) Hispano fired through the propeller hub (engine was the same as the C 3602). Racks under the wings carried up to four 100 kg (220 lb) bombs or ten rocket projectiles (from 1945). By 1944 a total of 160 had been delivered and they remained in operational service until 1953.
The C-3603 was designed under the direction of EKW chief designer, J.Branger, and was just entering production when the Fliegertruppe was faced with a choice regarding engines and fuel. Until 1939, Swiss aircraft had relied on normal, high-octane petroleum fuel, which had to be imported and which might be in short supply due to the exigencies of war. If so, their flights would have to be limited to conserve existing stocks of the fuel. The alternative was to use K fuel, a wartime synthetic fuel produced at the Ems wood-processing plant. In order to maintain the level of crew training, the Swiss military decided to use the K fuel. The C-3603s then had to be modified to use the synthetic substance, and the designers were able to in¬corporate the necessary modifications into the C-3603-1 smoothly enough for production at the EFW plant of that newer variant to proceed in 1942, without a lag in overall production of the C-36 series. The C-3603-1 was powered by a 1,000-hp 12-cylinder Hispano-Suiza HS-51 12Y engine, built under license by SLM Winterthur and Adolph Saurer Allgemeine Gesellschaft in Arbon.
C-3603
Another wartime modification of the C-3603s was a change in the landing gear. After all Swiss tactical airfields were provided with paved runways, the plane’s wheel fairings, which were very unpopular with the maintenance staff, were removed. A floodlight was installed in the front portion of each undercarriage fairing to illuminate the taxiways during night flying operations.
By 1944, 144 C-3603s had been built, and six C-3603-ls would be added between 1947 and 1948. Stored components then were assembled into 11 complete aircraft, given 1,250-hp / 933kW Saurer YS-2 engines and designated C-3604s. On August 21, 1944 the faster C 3604, with three forward firing cannon, made its first flight and was rewarded by an order for 100. The type entering service in 1947-48. Spares produced for the C-3603 and not used enabled a further six C-3603-1 s to be assembled in 1948.
But within a year negotiations had been opened with de Havilland for manufacture of Vampire jets, and only 13 of the C 3604 model were built. All these machines stayed on Flugwaffe strength.
C-3604
In 1945, a C-3603-1 was converted into a Sehlepp, or target tug, and in 1946, the Farner Werke at Grenchen a more advanced version was evolved and fitted to 20 other aircraft within a year. During the early 1950s a requirement for an aircraft to tow illuminated targets at night was met with the conversion of a C-3603-1, and this machine remained in service until replaced by the C-3605 in 1972. By 1953, all 60 surviving aircraft had been converted to that role.
Further conversions of 40 C-3603-1 s to target-tugs began in 1953, while another aircraft was fitted beneath one wing with a winch built by ML Aviation in the UK for high-speed towing, and a ballast tank beneath the other wing. In the same year, 20 more C-3603-1s were converted by the military at Dubendorf for catastrophe relief using underwing supply containers.
In the mid-1960s, Jean-Pierre Weibel, in charge of the EFW’s Structures Department, proposed that a new engine be adapted to the existing airframes when the Hispano-Suiza engines of the 40 C-3603-1 conversions began to wear out. The choice of a suitable engine was an 1,150-hp Avco Lycoming T53-L-7 turbo¬prop. In September 1967 the idea was approved and work began on the conversion, which was to involve the minimum possible amount of alteration to the airframe. At 555 pounds, the T53-L-7 was less than half the weight of the original piston engine. That made it necessary to add an additional section to the nose to compensate for a serious change in the aircraft’s center of gravity. The 10-foot-9-inch-diameter Escher-Wyss V7 propeller was replaced by a Hamilton Standard 53C51 with a diameter of 9 feet 9.5 inches. New wheels with disc brakes updated the landing gear. The layout and instrumentation of the pilot’s cockpit was modernized, while a hydraulic drive supplemented the mechanical impeller for the SZW-52 winch in the rear cockpit. A third, central, fin was added.
C-3605
The overall result was a fuselage—now 39 feet 5¾ inches long— that seemed to extend as far forward of the wing as behind it. More startling than the airplane’s appearance, however, was its performance when the first prototype (actually, a modification of the 102nd production C-3603), serial No. C-502, began flight testing on August 19, 1968. Its handling qualities were excellent, and pilots also praised its short takeoff and landing capabilities (a takeoff run of 336 feet to reach an altitude of 50 feet, and 564 feet to land from an altitude of 50 feet). An impressive rate of climb (2,407 feet per minute) resulted from its new turboprop engine.
All of those capabilities were especially appreciated for the low-level flying over mountainous terrain that the target tugs would be called upon to perform. Maxi¬mum speed was 268 mph at 10,000 feet, with an economy cruising speed of 217 mph. Empty weight was 5,806 pounds, while the normal loaded weight was 7,275 pounds. By December 1968, when the plane underwent military evaluation, the only further modification deemed necessary was the addition of a small central tail fin to improve stability.
The cost-effectiveness of the program exceeded all expectations, although it was not until 1971 that the Swiss mili¬tary ordered the EFW at Emmen to begin conversion work on the next five exam¬ples of what was by then designated the C-3605. A budget of 30 million Swiss francs was delegated to pay for a total of 23 converted aircraft – an order completed by January 1973. At the same time, the target tugs also underwent a change in color scheme to identify them to the anti¬aircraft crews—from red striping to broad diagonal black and yellow bands over the wings, horizontal stabilizers and forward part of the fuselage.
All 23 C-3605s were still flying late as 1978. The C-3605s began experiencing a disturbing recurrence of forced landings in the mid-1980s, which were generally diagnosed as being due to a loss of torque and overall power. The turboprop engines had worn out before the airframes, and spare parts for them were running low. Rather than re-engining the aging veteran yet again, the Swiss judged it more economical to replace it with a new, purpose-built aircraft, equipped with the latest model turboprop engine and a fixed target-towing installation – the Pilatus PC-9. In April 1987, C-3605s flew their last missions.
C-3603 Engine: Saurer/Hispano-Suiza 12Y-51 Take-off weight; 3590 kg / 7915 lb Empty weight; 2315 kg / 5104 lb Max load: 3,402 lb Wingspan; 13.7 m / 44 ft 11 in Length; 10.2 m / 33 ft 6 in Height; 4.1 m / 13 ft 5 in Wing area; 28.7 sq.m / 308.92 sq ft Max. Speed; 477 km/h / 296 mph Cruise speed; 430 km/h / 267 mph Ceiling; 10000 m / 32800 ft Range w/max.fuel; 680 km / 423 miles Armament; 1 x 20mm cannon, 4 x 7.5mm machine-guns, 400kg of bombs Crew; 2
C-3603-1 Engine: Hispano-Suiza HS-51 12Y 12-cylinder, 1,000-hp. Max speed: 246 mph. ROC: 34 feet per second. Ceiling: 28,540 ft. Endurance: 2 hr. Range: 422 miles.
C-3604 Engine: Saurer YS-2 / Hispano-Suiza 12Y-52. 1,250-hp. Wingspan: 45 ft 1 in Length: 33 ft 7.5 in Height: 11 ft Wing area: 307.8 sq.ft Empty weight: 6260 lb Loaded weight: 9480 lb Max speed at 14,764 ft: 348 mph Max speed SL: 298 mph Cruise: 226 mph at 15,750 ft Seats: 2 Armament: 3 x 20mm cann, 4 x 7.5mm mg
C-3605 Engine; 1 x Avco Lycoming T53-L-7, 820kW / 1150-hp Max take-off weight; 3716 kg / 8192 lb Empty weight; 2634 kg / 5807 lb Wingspan; 13.74 m / 45 ft 1 in Length; 12.03 m / 39 ft 6 in Height; 4.05 m / 13 ft 3 in Wing area; 28.7 sq.m / 308.92 sq ft Max. Speed; 432 km/h / 268 mph at 10,000 ft Cruise speed; 350 km/h / 217 mph Ceiling; 10000 m / 32800 ft ROC: 2,407 fpm Range w/max fuel; 980 km / 609 miles TO dist to 50ft: 336 ft. Ldg dist from 50 ft: 564 ft. Crew; 2
Eidgenössiche (Constructions) Werkstätte was formed at Thun early in First World War. Made aircraft to designs of A. Haefeli, who was earlier with Farman and Ago. First was DH-1 pusher (six built in 1916) showing Ago influence; DH-2 was tractor which went into production as developed DH-3 (110 of these two-seaters built). DH-4 was fighter prototype of 1918; DH-5 (1919; 60 built) a DH-3 replacement; DH-5A a higher-powered version of 1928, with steel-tube fuselage (22 built). To a government specification of 1934 it built the C-35 multipurpose two-seat biplane as a replacement for the Fokker C.V-E, which it resembled, and which the company had produced jointly with Dornier since 1932. The Eidgenos¬sische Konstruktions Werkstatte (EKW) built the Fokker C.V E under licence. EKW (Eidgenossische Konstruktions Werkstätte, or Federal Construction Workshop) became EFW. In 1932 Dornier production was resumed in Germany. The Swiss factory subsequently became the Eidgenossisches Flugzeugwerk. Founded 1934 as government-run R&D organization, with manufacturing, maintenance and upgrading capabilities. In an official specification of 1934 the company had designed the C-36 monoplane. Newly named EFW, it revived the design in 1938 and built 160 as C-3603. Of C-3604 development, only 13 were built. EFW began in 1955 manufacturing the Ilyushin Il-14P under licence, as well as development of the Baade 152.
After the war became responsible for Swiss license production of various foreign aircraft for Swiss Air Force, including the British Vampire, Venom and Hunter (under Hawker Siddeley contract), several versions of French Mirage and US F-5E/F combat aircraft, plus French Alouette III helicopter. Produced C-3605 as turboprop conversion of wartime C-3603 fighter-bomber, used for target-towing. Adopted F + W title in 1972 from former EFW and two other used names. Subsequent work has included assembly of Hawk trainers, Hornet fighters, component production for Airbus and McDonnell Douglas airliners, manufacture of missiles, and more. Later became a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS),
The Prometheus is a production of EFF / Entwicklungsgemeinschaft für Flugzeugbau / Association for the development project and airplane building. It is is a high performance side-by-side glider with two Microturbo 90 kp thrust engines. A self-launching glider, its engines can be stopped and reset running at will.
One was built, registered in 1978 as HB-YBI, and the name Prometheus PV.
With a wingspan of 19.4 m, it weighs 707 kg unladen and 900 at full load. Its radius of action powered flight exceeds 500 Km
In 1980, the manufacturer reported a radio navigation facility and a transponder allowing it to integrate seamlessly restriction in controlled airspace and major airport.
The Prometheus II is linked to an engineer in Switzerland, Ulrich La Roche , who sought to reproduce with WINGGRID, some aerodynamic effect on birds. This work began in the first wind tunnel at Emmen between 1993 and 1994. In 1996, an encounter with Prof . Dr. – Ing. Hans -Reinhard Meyer- Piening would offer the opportunity to validate the concept of a real WINGGRID demonstrator.
In 1997, the Prometheus was chosen for this experiment. To this end, the size was reduced to 12 m. They hoped a glide ratio of 15 to 17, but experience showed that it was 25. The Prometheus II is a high performance glider with a fineness approaching 40, but with a high wing loading.
Named after a strong, cold wind common to southern Brazil, the Minuano high performance single-seater was designed by Professor Claudio Pinto de Barros, head of the CEA (Centro de Estudos Aeronauticos, or Air Research Centre) of the Engineering School at Minas Gerais Federal University – the Escola de Engenharia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, or EEUFMG.
The Professor had completed his first sailplane design, the CB-1 Gaivota, when he was a student; design work on the Minuano began in 1969, construction started in 1971 and the prototype first flew on 20 December 1975. Four more Minuanos were ordered, the second being due for completion by the end of 1978, and this incorporates several modifications, being designated CB-2/B.
The cantilever high wing has a single aluminium alloy main par, and the wing skin is of plywood/glassfibre honeycomb sandwich. The flaps and ailerons, which are interconnected, are similar except for having wooden spars and the flaps can be used as air brakes by deflecting up to 90°. Up to 176lb of water ballast can be carried. The all-wood fuselage is a semimonocoque, and there is a retractable unsprung monowheel with an internal shoe brake, and a sprung tailskid. The tail surfaces are plywood covered, and stiffened with foam plastics, and the all-moving tailplane has a trim tab in each half.
CB-2 Minuano Wing span: 15.0 m / 49 ft 2.5 in Length: 7.0 m / 22 ft 11 in Height: 1.43 m / 4ft 8.25 in Wing area: 10.2 sq.m / 109.8 sq ft Wing section: Wortmann FX-61 -163/60-126 Aspect ratio: 22.0 Empty weight: 214 kg / 472 lb Max weight: 304 kg / 670 lb Water ballast: None Max wing loading: 29.8 kg/sq.m / 6.1 lb/sq ft Max speed: 140 kt / 260 km/h Stalling speed: 35 kt / 65 km/h Min sinking speed: 0.55m/sec / 1.8 ft/sec at 39 kt / 72 km/h Max rough air speed: 86.5 kt / 160 km/h Best glide ratio: 38 at 48.5 kt / 90 km/h
CB-2/B Span:49 ft 2.5 in Length: 22 ft 11.75 in Height: 4 ft 8.25 in Wing area: 109.8 sqft Aspect ratio: 22.0 Empty weight: 507 1b Max weight: 882 lb Max speed: 161 mph (in smooth air) Max aero-tow speed: 99 mph Min sinking speed: 1.97 ft/sec at 51.5 mph Best glide ratio: 39:1 at 59 mph
Professor Claudio Pinto de Barros was head of the CEA (Centro de Estudos Aeronauticos, or Air Research Centre) of the Engineering School at Minas Gerais Federal University – the Escola de Engenharia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, or EEUFMG.
The CEA-311 Anequim was built by students of the Center for the study of Aeronautical Engineering at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, directed by Professor Paulo Iscold.
The school’s program was started in the early 1960s with a sailplane named CB-1 Gaviota, which was engineered by professor Cláudio Pinto de Barros, who founded CEA at age 25.
CEA stands for the Portuguese name for the Center for Aeronautical Studies. The number 3 denotes an airplane (1 is for sailplane and 2 is for ultralight). And the remaining two numbers are the order numbers for the design. Only seven airplanes have been built at the school, but Anequim is the 11th design produced.
The Prometheus 1 was an experimental powered sailplane from Switzerland, based on the airframe of the FFA Diamant 18.
Design and construction began in late 1970, the wings, Fuselage, tail units and landing gear coming from an original Diamant 18. The aircraft flew for the first time on 21 June 1971, powered by a 176 lb (80 kg) Microturbo Eclair II turbojet engine mounted on a pylon above the wing center-section. This had been later replaced by a more powerful TRS 25 engine.
Engine: One 264 lb (120 kg) st Microturbo TRS 25 turbojet Fuel capacity: 2 x 8.75 Imp gallon (40 litre) wing tanks, 1 x 0.4 Imp gallon (1.8 litre) fuselage tank. Total fuel: 17.9 Imp gallons (81.8 litres). Oil capacity: 0.11 Imp gallons (0.5 litres). Wing span: 59 ft 0.5 in / 18,0 m Wing aspect ratio: 22,5 Length overall: 24 ft 9.5 in / 7,56 m Height over tail: 4 ft 5 in / 1,35 m Tailplane span: 9 ft 6,25 in / 2,90 m Weight empty: 639 lb / / 290 kg Max T-O weight: 1,102 lb / / 500 kg Max level speed / Vne: 146 knots / / 168 mph / / 270 km/h Max cruising speed at S/L: 113 knots / 130 mph / 210 km/h Econ cruising speed at SL: 92 knots / 106 mph / 170 km/h Stalling speed, flaps up: 43.5 knots / 50 mph / 80 km/h Stalling speed, flaps down: 37 knots / 42.5 mph / 68 km/h Max rate of climb at S/L: 591 fpm / 180 m/min Service ceiling: 36,100 ft / 11,000 m T-O run: 984 ft / 300 m T-O to 50 ft (15 m): 1,476 ft / 450 m Landing from 50 ft (15 m): 492 ft / 150 m Landing run: 164 ft / 50 m Range with max fuel: > 135 nm / > 155 miles / >250 km
Incorporated 1925. Carried out three years of research and development in connection with seaplanes and flying-boats. From 1928 was famous for standardized float installations, and by 1947 over 300 types of aircraft had been equipped with Edo floats. During Second World War made sub-assemblies for Grumman Hellcat. First Edo-designed aircraft was the unsuccessful XSOE-1 single-seat observation floatplane. Company name changed in November 1947 to Edo Corporation. In 1962 fitted a Grumman amphibian flying-boat with experimental Gruenberg hydrofoils.
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