The Guardian of the Word

We reach today number five on our list of unusual aircrafts with the Caproni Stipa. Developed by Luigi Stipa and manufactured by the Italian aeronautic company Caproni this experimental aircraft with its ducted propeller (distant precursor of the turbofan), flew for the first time in October of 1932. Despite its ridiculous appearance (it was called ‘the flying barrel’) it performed well, but due to the big aerodynamic drag its maximum speed did not exceed 131 km/h. However its landing speed was extremely low (70 km/h) requiring a very short runway for landing.

 It had a wingspan of 14.3 meters and an overall length of 5.5 m. This double seat aircraft had a takeoff weight of 800 kg and was powered by a De Havilland Gipsy III 120 HP engine.

Only one prototype was built and the project was abandoned due to its limited performances.


Although the prototype does not remain, in 1988 a 3:5 scale replica was built in Australia (built like this so that it could be included in the ultralight category) and flew in 2001, again confirming the excellent maneuverability characteristics pointed out by the Italian test pilots 69 years ago. Currently this aircraft is in an Australian museum.




This is a YouTube video where you can watch one of the flights of the Stipa.



In one of our previous posts we spoke about the specialists. I will dedicate an upcoming chapter to them where I will tell you how they face their daily and special task, but today they will help us to introduce you all a very special figure. The Guardian.

El Guardian de la Palabra

Hoy alcanza el número cinco de nuestra lista de aviones poco comunes el Caproni Stipa. Desarrollado por Luigi Stipa y fabricado por la empresa aeronáutica italiana Caproni este avión experimental de hélice intubada (precursor lejano de los turbofans) voló por primera vez en Octubre de 1.932. Pese a su ridículo aspecto el avión (se le denominó "Barril Volador") se comportó muy bien aunque, debido a la gran resistencia aerodinámica que presentaba su velocidad máxima no superaba los 131 Km/h. Sin embargo su velocidad de aterrizaje era extremadamente baja (70 Km/h) lo que hacia que la distancia necesaria para posarlo  en el suelo fuese muy corta.

Con una envergadura de 14.3 m y tan solo una longitud de 5.5 m este biplaza tenía un peso al despegue de 800 Kg e iba propulsado por un motor De Havilland Gipsy III de 120 HP.

Solo se construyo un prototipo y el proyecto fue abandonado debido a sus limitadas performances.

Aunque el prototipo no se conserva, en 1.988 se construyó en Auatralia una réplica a escala 3:5 (para que pudiera entrar en la categoría de ultraligeros) que voló en 2.001, confirmando de nuevo las excelentes características de manejo que ya habían puesto de manifiesto los pilotos de prueba italianos 69 años antes. Actualmente se conserva en un museo australiano.

Aquí os dejamos un video de Youtube donde podeis ver uno de los vuelos del Stipa.



En una de nuestras anteriores entradas hablamos de los especialistas. A ellos les dedicaremos un próximo capítulo para contaros como se enfrentan día a día a su particular tarea, pero hoy nos van a dar pie para introduciros en una figura muy especial. El Guardián.

The ASG

We reach today number six at our list of aircrafts that surprise you with the Goodyear GA-468 "Inflatoplane". As you could imagine from its name it was an inflatable aircraft designed for rescue operations, which could be folded into a little container of 1 cubic meter.

Incredible as it may seem, this aircraft was able to fly and it just had to be inflated with a pressure of 25 psi. In flight the pressure was assured with a pressure intake from the engine in order to maintain the structural integrity.

The first versions were equipped with a 40 HP engine and flew at a speed of 116 km/h with a range of 630 km. Its maximum takeoff weight was 110 kg and it needed only 90 meter runway.

It was designed and built in only 12 weeks in 1956 with the idea that it could be launched behind the enemy’s lines in a container to serve as a rescue vehicle to crashed pilots.

The project did not catch on because, as a military said:  “there was no military use for an aircraft which can be shot down with a bow and arrow”.

Only twelve units were built, but Goodyear continued the development until 1973. There are still two units, one of them in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC.

This is a YouTube video showing this curious aircraft.

Our number 6 on the list of the weirdest aircrafts in history is for the Goodyear "Inflatoplane".

In our last entry we left a short test with some simple questions that should help you to know if you have the basic qualities that are required to reach the highest professional aims in your company. Now, let’s take your answers and go through them.

Los TAYS

Hoy alcanza el número seis de nuestra lista de aviones que te sorprenden, el Goodyear GA-468 Inflatoplane. Como su propio nombre indica fue un avión hinchable pensado para labores de rescate que cabía, plegado, en un contenedor de poco mas de un metro cúbico.

Por increíble que pueda parecer el avión volaba, y para inflarlo bastaba una presión de 25 psi. En vuelo una toma de presión del motor ayudaba a mantener la integridad estructural.

Dotado, en sus primeras versiones, con un motor de 40 HP era capaz de volar a 116 Km/h con un alcance de 630 Km. Su peso máximo al despegue era de 110 Kg y podía despegar en 90 m.

Fue diseñado y construido en tan solo 12 semanas en 1.956 con la idea era que pudiera ser lanzado en un contenedor para servir de vehículo de rescate a pilotos derribados tras las líneas enemigas.

El proyecto no prosperó porque como comentaron los militares "no le encontraban aplicación militar a un aeroplano que podía ser derribado con un arco y una flecha".

Se fabricaron solo doce unidades, pero Goodyear continuó su desarrollo hasta 1.973. Se conservan dos unidades una de las cuales se encuentra en el Smithsonian en Washington DC.

Aquí tenéis un vídeo de Youtube muy ilustrativo de este curioso aparato.



Vaya pues nuestro número 6 de los aviones mas raros de la historia para el Goodyear Inflatoplane.

En nuestra última entrada os dejamos un test para que respondierais a una serie de preguntas sencillas cuya misión fundamental era saber si estáis dotados de las cualidades básicas requeridas para alcanzar las mas altas cotas profesionales dentro de vuestra empresa. Así pues coged vuestra hoja de respuestas y vamos a ello.

Oculus reparo!

At number seven in our list of different aircrafts, today we find the J7W1 Kyushu Shinden, a Japanese aircraft of World War II which represented a completely new fighter concept as it was built in a "canard" design in which the horizontal stabilizer was on the front of the wing. 

This layout has the advantage that the contribution of the horizontal stabilizer to the stability of this fighter is a positive contribution to the lift (ie the lift force of the horizontal rudder helps the wing to support the weight of the aircraft) but in a conventional design with the rudder behind, this contribution is negative. Furthermore, in large angles of attack the rudder stalls before the wing, so it is virtually impossible for the airplane to spin.

However, since the moment of the tail of the vertical surfaces is small, due to the short lever arm, they usually have lateral stability problems.

With a Mitsubishi Ha-43 engine of 2,191 hp and a maximum takeoff weight of 5,200 kg, this fighter was able to reach 750 km/h but it never rended service. Only two prototypes were built, the first of which first flew in August of 1945 when the war was practically over.

The prototype flew well but it had a compensation problem of the huge torque of the engine.

The only unit that survived the war was brought to the United States and we can see it in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

Here you have a link to Youtube where you can see one of the few flights of the Shinden. Although the quality is bad, it is a great historical document. Note that in one of the takes you can see the propeller blades bent after it hit the ground.





So, our number 7 of the rarest planes of history is for the Shinden.

When you start your professional career you feel somehow lost, wondering how things will develop (as it happened to us in the past). You want to work on something you like, make money, progress, be respected in your work and, later, become a leader in your profession. But all this in nothing more than a letter of intent that has to be carried out. And for that you need a plan. And this is exactly what we are going to talk about today.