With its glass nose and sleek lines, the XF-12 Rainbow was a high-altitude masterpiece built to spy over Japan. But by the ...

When most people think of Republic Aviation, they invariably only think of the P-47 Thunderbolt. But the XF-12 Rainbow was their most advanced piston airplane.

To see the full circle, however, you will have to be in an airplane, literally above the clouds. Or you could create your own rainbow. I am a physicist , and I’ll explain how to do that in a minute.

The airplane is covered with triangles in every color of the rainbow—and then some. The Mooney drew lots of attention during Sun ‘n Fun and was certainly one of the most photographed aircraft ...