Impossibly Rare 'Flying Dorito' (A-12 Avenger II) Canopy For Sale On eBay!

The only known part of the mysterious A-12 Avenger II in the wild - and it's for sale!

 Buy It Now for $620,238.00

 Did you fail at finding the perfect Christmas gift for that loved one who has everything? How about fetching up this canopy for the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II? It's pretty safe to say that they don't already have one! In fact, it appears that this is the only piece of the never-got-completed stealth aircraft project from the late 80's... and it's currently for sale on eBay! (multiple pix in the gallery there)

 The A-12 (nicknamed the flying Dorito) was the advanced stealth design intended to replace the Navy's Grumman A-6 Intruder carrier-based aircraft. The ATA (Advanced Tactical Aircraft) program was begun by the Navy in 1983, and the team of McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics won the contract to produce the ATA over the team from Northrop/Grumman/Vought. The flying Dorito A-12 program appears to have bitten off more than it could chew. The idea of using composite structures for stealth carrier-based aircraft were a good one, but they were having all kinds of troubles achieving the design goals, and the weight was getting out of control. A lot has been learned about composite structures in the last 20 years! In 1991, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney pulled the plug on the program that had spent $2 billion but hadn't produced a flying (or even finished) aircraft, and apparently couldn't give a believable estimate of when it would. It's an icky mess that continues to be fought in court yet today.

McDonnell Douglas / General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II (the flying Dorito) rendering

 But for us mere mortals outside of the defense contractor/aerospace industry and the glamorous world of US politics, the A-12 was just a really fascinating attempt to change everything we knew about what a carrier-based military aircraft looked like. And now, for the asking price of just $620,238.00, you can purchase the only known piece to be available from a real A-12 on eBay!  It seems that this little gem of a find has actually spent last 15 years stored just 1-1/2 hours from me down at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. As the story goes, no one there seems to know how it got there, or even why it was there. They don't appear to have been doing anything with it, and they were thinking of selling it for scrap but then decided to put it up on the GovDeals website. That's where Seth Kettleman, a seller of surplus aircraft stuff, found the rare and unique piece. He grabbed it for $2,300, and after checking it all out, he's come to the conclusion it's the real deal. He's also come to the conclusion that it's really valuable! I'd certainly agree, but I'm thinking more like $75,000 valuable insetad of $600,000+. It'll be very interesting to see if it sells, and for how much.

Beautiful model of the A-132 avenger II from over at HyperScale.com

 The existence of this one canopy has gotta make you wonder if there are other parts hidden away from the A-12 airframes that were in production at the time the program was cancelled. You would think not, but after this piece turning up on eBay, who knows. The mock-up for the A-12 is still in existence, and it appears that it'll be restored and on display at the Fort Worth Air & Space Museum when it opens in 2015. And, for a better idea of what the aircraft looked like, several scale plastic models can be found on the internet, like this really great on over at HyperScale.com. The gallery of images there really help to see a lot of A-12 details - be sure to check it out.

 Ultimately, I'd love to have this impossibly rare piece of the A-12, but it's much more likely that I'll just have a $.99 bag of Doritos with lunch : )

Spotted For Sale: $18,500 Wittman Tailwind - Speed On The Cheap!

Great looking homebuilt Wittman Tailwind for sale: just 18,500 at barnstormers.com

(click the pic to go to the barnstormers.com listing)

 I've been a fan of the simple-to-build and rather speedy Wittman Tailwind for a really long time. In fact, I've got a set of plans for the modernized, extended wing tip W10 version just waiting for the day when I have lots of time and a little bit of money. It'll likely be a long wait. But wow, if I just had a small stack of cash ($18,500) I could buy this little cutie right here and be flying immediately! I'm amazed at what a little searching will turn up these days if you're looking for a great flying machine priced well under $20K... and this one sure seems to be a dandy.

 While many Tailwinds have either a Lycoming O-320 (150hp) or a Continental O-300 (145hp), this one has a C-85 that's been modified to be more like an O-200 (100hp). While there are obvious trade offs when you don't have the extra ponies up front, this Tailwind most likely has remarkable speed and fuel efficiency. Plus, I think it's just a great looking airplane. What fun it would be to take this on a 1000 mile adventure : )

 If you're looking to learn more about one of the most amazing little homebuilt aircraft ever designed, check out this Tailwind pilot report by Budd Davisson from many years back. It's just all the more evidence that Steve Wittman was an amazing master of the skies!

Clean and simple is what makes the Tailwind such a great flying machine

Spotted For Sale: 1941 Culver Cadet - 120 MPH - 5 GPH - Super Cutie!

Designed by Al Mooney - a 1941 Culver Cadet!  $21,000 at barnstormers.com

 You might have noticed my drooling on twitter (@AirPigz) a while back after I found a different Culver Cadet for sale for just $17,000... and now here's another amazingly great looking airplane for just $21,000. If I had some cash (or a credit rating that wasn't face-down-in-the-mud) I'd be all over these little cuties. In fact, I'd probably have more than one!

 Where else can you buy a true antique aircraft that has retractable landing gear and can scoot around the sky at 120 mph on just 5 gph... AND can be bought for about the price of a new nicely equipped Toyota Corolla? I don't know of any other production aircraft that can match the uniqueness, affordability and retro cool factor of the little Culver Cadet - even if the useful load is only a little over 400 pounds.

 Wanna know more about the quirky little Cadet? Read this great Vintage Airplane magazine article from 2007 - but watch out, you just might find yourself in the buying mood : )

 1941 Culver Cadet: Cheap thrills on a budget, and an elliptical wing!

Taildragger with a stick, an 85 hp Continental, and room for two = FUN!

Spotted For Sale: 1947 Round Engine Fieseler Storch Project!

French made Fieseler Storch with 245 hp Jacobs engine for sale at barnstormers.com

 I saw Kermit Weeks fly the Fieseler Storch at the Fantasy of Flight Museum last year during Sun-n-Fun and was really impressed by how it looked like a lot of fun to fly. It's big, weird, kinda ugly, and a taildragger... those are just the kind of things that make me pretty happy with a flying machine! If you don't know, I used to fly a Polish built PZL-104 Wilga 80 back in the late 1980's (and loved it) so you know I'm not very normal : / 

 This here Fieseler Storch isn't German built like we typically think of them, instead it's one of the ones built by Morane-Saulnier in France after the War. Instead of the inverted V-8 Argus engine of 240 hp that is also typical of the type, this one has a Jacobs R-755-9 radial that makes 245 hp. I know some of the French Storchs had radials, but I don't know if the Jacobs was what they were putting on them, but regardless, that's the engine on this one. One thing for sure... it must sound purrfect. If I had money and time, I'd be all over this project.

 So, if you're looking for an unusual airplane that needs restoration, and one of your goals is to turn heads at any and every airport you stop at, this Fieseler Storch might be just the ticket. Click either of the pictures to click thru to the listing. And if you buy it, please let me know when it's done because I really wanna go for a ride!

 This 1947 Fieseler Storch project is not your run-of-the-mill ride!

Spotted For Sale: 100HP Clip Wing CUBy Homebuilt - Wish I Could!

A beautiful Clip Wing CUBy homebuilt spotted for sale on Barnstormers.com

(click the pic to see the listing)

 It's true, my heart rate might increase more than yours at the sight of this gorgeous looking Clip Wing CUBy, but c'mon, what could be more fun than sweet 100 hp taildragger that can fly all day with the door open and costs less than half of a Cessna Skycatcher? Yeah I know, the Skycatcher would be new, and this is a used homebuilt. Whatever. This thing is awesome! If I had some bucks in the bank or a credit score that wasn't in a flat spin, I'd be hopping in the car right now to go check this little gem out. Ultimately, in my opinion, it's the clipped wings that really make this airplane special... more on that in a minute.

 If you check out the listing for this airplane you'll see it called a 'Cubby', but to be accurate it's really a CUBy, by Wag-Aero. It's pretty interesting that Dick Wagner was on the cutting edge way back in 1975 when he introduced the homebuilt Cub clone that he named CUBy. There's quite a bit of story that goes with all the CUBy development, and hopefully one of these days I'll research it up and post the details. But for now it's good to note that while the Cub clone frenzy has been booming in the last dozen years or so, it really had its beginning with Dick Wagner and the CUBy back in the 70's.

 But the real story here to me, is in this next picture!

Click to read more ...

Spotted For Sale: Vietnam Era Lockheed YO-3A Quiet Star

 The pic above is one of several I found posted at this BuyPlanesForSale.com listing of a 1969 Lockheed YO-3A Quiet Star being offered for sale for $84,950. I don't know if it's still available, but it's a pretty interesting little warbird restoration project for someone looking for an unusual flying machine. I'm guessing it would attract a fair amount of attention at the airshows and fly-ins!

 The YO-3 started life as a Schweizer 2-32 sailplane and then grew into what you see in these pictures. With a 210hp engine in the nose spinning either the early 6 blade prop, or as the NASA pic below shows, a 3 blade wood prop, the Quiet Star was exactly that... quiet. Used by the U.S. Army to do low-level observation at night in Vietnam, the YO-3 was essentially undetectable at 1,000 feet. An extensive engine muffler along with the specialized prop were the primary tools put in place to keep it in the hush. Only 11 were built... you can learn more at yo-3a.com.

 NASA has used the YO-3A for various acoustic tests  (photo: NASA 2004)

Lockheed YO-3 as it looked during Vietnam era use