Talk:AEKKEA-RAAB R-29

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It should be clear to all airplane enthusiasts that Raab airplanes, and especially the relative lack of information about them, have a fascinating aspect. It is amazing that a WWII-era fighter (R29) due to a number of reasons that include the Greek government's apparent hostility, the complications involved with the Spanish Civil War and the secrecy around Soviet actions, left few "traces". For one, there is no confirmed picture or image of the plane. It is unfortunate that I did not have the chance to talk to Mr. Pangakis, one of chief engineers at the factory before he passed, in 2003, while Greek Civil Aviation Authority that had kept files about the factory, apparently destroyed most of the material during a move to a new location.

I would like to ask anybody who would have any more information about (especially) the AEKKEA RAAB R-29, any photo/image of it and/or info about what happened with it in Spain or the Soviet Union to contact me at my talk page. This would be greatly appreciated, and it would definitely contribute to aviation history in general. Skartsis (talk) 10:42, 23 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If it was fitted with a Fairchild Ranger then it wasn't a fighter in the accepted sense as the Rangers were all far too small. The only Ranger that could have been used in a fighter wasn't built until later and at double the displacement of those available, was still only usable in a lightweight fighter (and it never worked right anyway). All of the possible engines had roughly 400 cubic inch displacments and maxed out around 200hp unless seriously souped up (and then at the expense of reliability) (in comparison the Ar 68 or Avia BH-33 had 680hp - even the I-15 had 473hp and the obsolete NiD.52 had 500) - however this is a likely engine for an advanced fighter trainer, a concept familiar to RAAB, as the Germans used them even if few other countries did. It would have made an excellent sporting/aerobatic aircraft (as did all of the aircraft in this category) and in that capacity it is possible the Russians may have used them - assuming they got out of Spain at all. Arriving without engines at a time when there was a shortage of spares may have condemned them to remaining in their crates - and had the Germans or Italians overrun the area, they would have had little interest in erecting them. Definitely interested in photos or more info regarding RAAB of any origin.NiD.29 (talk) 04:21, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! I admit I had the same reservations, as the Ranger engine was indeed not appropriate for a "fighter". I have been trying for years to find more data about this strange story, even contacted Jane's (in case they had some more info since they had published data in 1936) with little success. Even Spanish Civil War researchers could not help. At some point I had started doubting Raab's own accounts, until I located contemporary publications from Moschato, with eyewitness accounts about aircraft parts leaving the factory loaded in trucks. It is indeed a rare case that there is so little info available - and no more findings - regarding such a story. Skartsis (talk) 06:37, 4 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]