Enea Bossi's prototypes and projects

[Stargazer]

An incredibly elegant and streamlined 1914 flying boat was this Italian Aero-Yacht by Enea Bossi, found in the June 1914 issue of Aircraft.

Was it ever built?

 

[Stargazer]

And here is the accompanying text:

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is a Bossi-Zari a twin-boom biplane bomber,powered by three
engines,and Mr. Enea Bossi designed a Type-1,Type-2,Type-3 and
Type-4,followed by a four engined bomber in 1915.

http://www.avia-it.com/act/la_tecnica/la_tecnica_di_ieri/Tecnica_ieri_2016/Seg_art_apr_16/Il_trimotore_BOSSI_ZARI.pdf

 

[ermeio]

From the Cobianchi Book we know that Enea Bossi and Luigi Mojoli of Milano were working on a "Demoiselle"-type monoplane “Signorina I” and "Curtiss"-type biplane “Dai-Dai” in late 1909. Their work was recognized with a silver medale "Diploma di Medaglia d’argento" at the end of the first aviation exhibition in Italy, Milano, November/December 1909.
The Bossi-Mojoli biplane was tested in March 1910. A second biplane made its appearance in 1910, Bossi-Mojoli II.
A new hydro-biplane designed by Bossi was listed in the "Il circuito dei laghi italiani", 5-9 October 1913, pilot was Francesco Deroye, No. 13. The Bossi hydro-biplane was not mentioned for achievements in this competition.
The "Bossi" hydro-aeroplane crashed on 16 November 1913 at Comacina Island, Lago di Como, pilot Ballila Battagli [Brev. No.34, 25 March 1911, Cameri].
Again, on 14 March 1914, "Bossi" hydro-aeroplane crashed at Lago di Como, pilot Achille Landini [Brev. No.180, 15 October 1912, Aviano] and unnamed passenger-mechanic.
Here is a photo of the Bossi Mojoli 4 Hydroplane, with the Bossi name clearly sported on the fuselage side

 

[hesham]

Good Info Ermeio.

 

[ermeio]

Here is another photo of an Enea Bossi's airccraft:
namely this is the first aircraft of Enea Bossi and Luigi Mojoli, the Signorina I (Demoiselle copy)displayed at the first Esposizione d’Aviazione Italiana held in Milano on November, 15 1909

 

[ermeio]

And here is the wing of a Curtiss Hydro copy that Bossi called "Curtiss"-type biplane “Dai-Dai” produced in late 1909 (it was on display with the Signorina I in Milan).
Please note that "Dai-Dai" is a rough italian translation of "pusher", since it is the expression that .one uses to incitate someone to push something.
Enea Bossi continued to sell Curtiss licenced copies in Italy, there comprised some Curtiss Flying boats that served under the Regia Marina colours.
And later he went to the US to sell copies of italian aircrafts like macchi flying boats (namely the Budd BB-1).

 

[ermeio]

a better photo of the Bossi I "Signorina"

 

[ermeio]

a good number of the Enea Bossi photos are available here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/eneabossisr/

 

[ermeio]

Anyway, the most elegant of the first wave of Enea Bossi's aircraft was the Bossi Mojoli Curviplano:
this machine was so appealing that a painter of the Belle Epoque (I don't remember his name) pwas inspired and painted it in colours:

 

[ermeio]

BTW, for those interested, a plan of the Bossi-Mojoli curviplano appeared in a special number of "Alata" about the italian aeronautical pioneers
Sadly I do not have that issue, but here is a scan of the bossi Mojoli 3 view:

 

[hesham]

Nice Find Ermeio.

 

[ermeio]

nice find, Hesham
Bossi-Bonomi pedal powered glider "pedaliante"

more photos here:
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fileedaliante.jpg

And a reworked translation from wikipedia:
In 1932 Enea Bossi, knowing that an airplane powered with an engine of just one horse power (0.75 kW) was tested succesfully, calculated the minimum power that had to push a plane with a crew. Its calculation determined a minimum value of power of 0.94 hp (0.70 kW); and that value could be reached using solely the human power
During a trip to Philadelphia, Bossi tested the speed at which a glider towed by a bycicle was able to get up in the air. A spring with a graduated scale was connected to the tow rope in order measure the value of the force exerted by the byker.
The results obtained by Enea Bossi confirmed that the speed required for the aircraft take-off could be achieved with the only human propulsion.
A second experiment Conducted during a trip to Paris involving a propeller powered bike that reached a speed of 37 km / h but it was not stable since the torque generated by the propeller was not counteracted. Based on this result, Bossi designed a counter-rotating two-propeller aircraft to cancel the torque effect.
During 1933, the Frankfurt Polytechnischen Gesellschaft (Frankfurt Polytechnic Society), set up a prize to promote human-powered flight.
In 1936 the fascist Italian government offered a similar reward of Lire 100,000 for the first aircraft able to fly for a 1 km by sheer force of human-power, upon the condition that it was made by an Italian Citizen. Bossi was aware that he could not receive the award because of his US citizenship, but he took the challenge and produced the Bossi-Bonomi Pedaliante, (Pedal Glider) using the construction drawings of a conventional Bonomi Glider.
The monoplane had a wingspan of 17.7 m and an area of ​​23.4 m². It was characterized by tw large propellers made up of balsa wood, each two meters in diameter. The pilot was an army major Italian, Emilio Casco, who at the time was also known as "the cyclist", particularly in light of his athleticism. A bicycle chain conveyed the muscle power from the pedals to a shaft transmission which was oriented towards the two propellers, arranged on the two sides of the fuselage. The empty weight of the aircraft was 97 kg and this was due to the Air Ministry, requiring that the vehicle had the same structural requirements of a motor airplane, while Bossi had a plan for a mere 73 kg aircraft.
On March 18, 1937, the plane flew at the Cinisello Balsamo Airport near Milan, launched from a height of nine meters and Casco pedaled successfully for a 1 km , as required by the specifications of the Italian competition , thus obtaining the first world record for human-powered flight .
However due to the catapult used , not provided for in Regulation of the competition , the flight has not been approved and the Bossi-Bonomi Pedaliante for that reason was not awarded the prize.

 

[ermeio]

Here you can also find a 3-View and some other photos of the Pedaliante, plus a bibliography:
http://www.j2mcl-planeurs.net/dbj2mcl/planeurs-machines/planeur-fiche_0int.php?code=285
While a complete hystory is reported here:
http://fly.historicwings.com/2013/03/pedaliante/

two more photos from hystoric flight:

 

[hesham]

Great find Ermeio,

and we can put it here.

 

[ermeio]

somewhere there is a photo of the Bossi Mojoli seaplane in flight and also a photo of a Bossi Built twin engined flying boat sporting italian colours during the first world war.
This latter appeared in an italian magazine some two years ago, while the seaplane in flight was available on the net.

 

[hesham]

Hi Ermeio,

what you think about this Project ?.

 

[hesham]

Here is a Bossi-Mojoli airplane;

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201931%2008.pdf

 

[ermeio]

Two great findings!
I am still trying to find the colour painting of the bossi moioli white aircraft with curved wing.
I have it somewhere.
thanks, Hesham

 

[hesham]

Hi,

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201937%2005.pdf

 

[Avimimus]

In 1932 Enea Bossi, knowing that an airplane powered with an engine of just one horse power (0.75 kW) was tested succesfully,

Interesting - I wonder what airplane this was?

 

[ermeio]

it was the one presented by Hesham one post above your post

 

[hesham]

From Aerei Italiani 1914-1918.

 

[hesham]

From, ROTARY WING AIRCRAFT HANDBOOKS AND HISTORY VOLUME 14,

a strange info,that Mr. Enea Bossi assist Mr. D. K. Jovanovich in designed
a coaxial rotor helicopter Project in 1945,I don't know if they meant
JOV-1 or a previous design ?.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/jovanovich-coaxial-rotor-helicopter.12965/#post-276505

 

[Bazinga]

1909 L'Aviatore article

 

[fortrena]

Were fellow engineers Paolo Invernizzi and Giuseppe Bellanca involved in the design, fabrication and testing (?) of the 1909 pusher biplane?

 

[burunduk]

Hi, Hesham and Stargazer! Thank you a lot for very interesting data.

BTW, Bossi-Zari trimotori bombers are quite similar to Caproni 30s series. May it be that they are not original models but just licence-built "Caproni" (although stagger seems different)?

 

[hesham]

No my dear Burunduk,

it looks like it only,but heavier than it.

 

[hesham]

No my dear Burunduk,

it looks like it only,but heavier than it.