[Here's a brief history of aircraft research & development in outline form. This was published in The Aero Engineers, December 2006. This needs to be updated though. A full description will be posted later.]
By Engr. Ernesto B. Ferreras Jr.
February 21, 1911 – First flight of Skylark, the first aircraft to conquer the Philippine skies.
Skylark
First Period: 1938 – 1949
Began with the birth of the local aviation industry in 1931, with the start of the operation of two local air transport companies – Philippine Aerial Transport Taxi Co. and Iloilo-Negros Air Express Co.
Dominant player was Feati University.
1938 – Flight of Snipe light aircraft, the first Filipino aircraft, designed and built by Dr. Gregorio Zara.
Dr. Gregorio Zara
1948 – Flight of the first locally designed glider, built by Feati University.
1949 – Feati completed an all-wood sports airplane.
Second Period: 1951 – 1956
Key players were Institute of Science and Technology and Philippine Air Force. They began a collaboration that resulted into several X series of experimental aircraft.
1951 – The Institute of Science and Technology (IST) implemented Commonwealth Act 168.
1953 – Flight of XL-14 Maya, designed by Antonio de Leon, an aeronautical engineer.
Flight of the XL-10B Balang (Grasshopper) powered glider, a joint project of IST and Philippine Air Force (PAF) Air Research and Development Authority (ARDA).
October 1954 – Flight of the XL-15 Tagak (Heron).
IST/PAF ARDA XL-15 Tagak
1956 – Completion of the XL-17 Musang (Wildcat) sports plane and light trainer; never flown.
IST/PAF ARDA XL-17 Musang
Third Period: 1973 – 1976
January 15, 1973 – PAF reactivated ARDA into Self-Reliance Development Wing (SRDW), subsequently called Air Force Research and Development Center (AFRDC).
September 10, 1973 – Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC) was established by virtue of PD 286.
1974 – PADC started assembling BO-105 helicopters and BN Islanders in agreement with Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) of Germany and Fairey Britten-Norman (FBN) of England, respectively.
PADC-assembled BO-105
PADC-assembled BN-Islander
October 1974 – Flight of Glider I, designed and built by AFRDC.
May 1975 – Flight of Glider II.
May 21, 1975 – Flight of the XT-001 Marko I light trainer, designed and built by AFRDC.
AFRDC XT-001 Marko
February 1976 – Flight of Glider III.
May 2, 1976 – Flight of the first Hovercraft, by AFRDC.
Fourth Period: 1976 – 1991
November 8, 1976 – The Philippine government bought the Super Pinto (Cali) prototype, including design and manufacturing rights.
PAF CAli
1978 – Flight of the modified L-4J Piper Cub, assembled by PATTS College of Aeronautics, using 100% alcogas as fuel.
1981 – The PAF decided to replace T-33As and T-28Ds.
1984 – The PAF recommended purchase of SIAI Marchetti S211 jet aircraft and SF 260 Turboprop Warriors as replacement for its ageing fleet.
February 22, 1988 – First flight of the Defiant 300, designed and built by Gold Wings Aviation.
Gold Wings Defiant 300
1988 – Flight of Lancair 320, assembled in the Philippines by Aviation Composite Technology (ACT) in a venture with Aerotech S.A. of Switzerland.
May 1988 – Flight of RPX-25, modified version of L-4J, built by PATTS College of Aeronautics.
PATTS-modified RP-X25 L-4J
1990 – Flight of Skyfox (RPX-44), the Philippine version of Kitfox, assembled by the Philippine Aircraft Company, Inc. (PACI) in agreement with Denney Aerocraft of the U.S.A.
PACI RP-X44 Skyfox
1990 – PADC started assembling S 211s, followed by SF 260 TPWs and SF 600 Canguro in agreement with SIAI Marchetti of Italy.
PADC-assembled S211 jet
PAF AFRDC-modified SF-260 TP Layang
1990 – Prime Parts Fabricators & Development Corporation (PPFDC) built prototypes of P-2000 Hovercraft with technical expertise from foreign hovercraft companies and the Hovercraft Prototyping Project Team of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
1991 – Pacific Aeronautical, the new name of ACT relocated to Cebu City started producing airframes for Lancair 320 and Lancair IV, the new higher-powered, four-seat version.
1991 – PADC started assembling Lancair IVs and Lancair ESs ordered by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Fifth Period: 1996 – Present
1996 – Aircraft Research and Development (ARD) 2000 Project was set up and completed a project feasibility study on the possibility of manufacturing a 9-seater utility aircraft.
ARD 2000
May 8, 1998 – Flight of the Hummingbird, the first Filipino-built helicopter prototype, designed and built by PADC. PADC also designed and assembled Centennial (RPX-100); never flown.
PADC Hummingbird
PADC RP-X100 Centennial
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