Odds and Ends

[cluttonfred]

Grover Loening was a towering figure in early aviation and a significant influence on his contemporaries and those that came later. Here's his mini bio from Aerofiles.com.

GROVER LOENING

Born at Bremen, Germany, September 12, 1888. Died in Florida, February 29, 1976.

Pioneer, engineer, public servant, and prolific author Grover Cleveland Loening's father was US Consul-General in Germany. He received science and engineering degrees from Columbia College in 1908, and Columbia University in 1910 and 1911. After graduation, Loening joined a small company in New York building Blériots for exhibition pilots and, in 1912, built his own pioneer Aeroboat. In 1913 Orville Wright hired him as an assistant and as manager of the Dayton factory. In 1914 he was appointed Chief Aeronautical Engineer of the Army's Aviation Section in San Diego.

In 1917 he formed his original company, Loening Aeronautical Engineering Corp, to work on a Navy contract for a small plane that could be launched from a destroyer, and an Army contract for the M-8 Pursuit featuring pioneer use of rigid-strut bracing, patented by Loening and, 30 years later, still widely used. After the war, Loening produced the Flying Yacht that established world records and opened up the first significant market for private aircraft. For that he received the Collier Trophy for 1921. His next success was the novel Loening Amphibian—with the first practical retractable landing gear—used by the military, as well as airlines and private owners the world over. Among its historic records was the Army's famous Pan-American Goodwill Flight of 1926.

Loening Corp merged with the Curtiss-Wright Corp in 1928, and Loening subsequently formed Grover Loening Aircraft Co, building several research aircraft and establishing his first consulting engineering practice, for the Chase Bank, Fairchild Aircraft, Grumman Aircraft, Curtiss-Wright, and many others. During that period he was also a director of Pan Am.

When the National Air Museum was founded in 1948, President Truman selected Loening as the first of two civilian members for its advisory board, an appointment renewed by Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. He was awarded the Medal for Merit in 1946, Columbia University's Eggleston Medal in 1949, the Wright Memorial Trophy in 1950, the Air Force Medal in 1955, and the Guggenheim Medal in 1960 for "a lifetime devoted to the development of aeronautics in America." In 1966 he was awarded the Silver Wings plaque by that organization of aviators. As Director and Consulting Engineer of New York Airways, he contributed to the design of the Pan Am rooftop heliport in New York City. (— Jean Lail, NAHF)

Enshrined in National Aviation Hall of Fame 1969.

Books:

-- The Air Road Will Widen! Grover Loening (Wings Club 1969)
-- Amphibian: The Story Of The Loening Biplane; Grover Loening (NY Graphic Society 1973)
-- The Conquering Wing; Grover Loening (Chilton Book 1970)
-- 50 Years of Flying Progress; Grover Loening (USGPO 1955)
-- Military Aeroplanes; Grover Loening (Best 1917)
-- Military Aeroplanes Simplified; Grover Loening (Loening 1918)
-- Monoplanes and Biplanes; Grover Loening (Munn & Co 1911)
-- Our Wings Grow Faster; Grover Loening (Garden City 1935)
-- Takeoff Into Greatness; Grover Loening (Putnam 1968)

In the spirit of this group, and a challenge, here is a little piece from FLIGHT on a presentation by Loening in 1969 on a VTOL airliner concept:

A Pioneer's Ideas on VTOL
At the recent Air Transport Association Engineering Conference at Seattle, one of America's oldest aircraft designers, Grover Loening, gave his impressions of a possible large VTOL airliner. It would weigh 150,000 lb, he said, and its wing area would be about the same as that of the Boeing 727. There would be three 80ft-diameter two-bladed rotors, one at each wing-tip and one at the tail, each with its separate engine, and built very ruggedly. Disc loading would be 10 1b/sq ft, making autorotation possible; "cross connecting the engines for safety would be silly."
The use of tip-jet orifices was envisaged and there would be an opportunity for noise reduction. Rotor blades would fold one on top of the other and trail. The aircraft would need only four small wheels, and airbrakes, slots, flaps and reversers could be eliminated. Forward flight would be achieved by gradually shifting the pressure energy of the engines from tip-jet flow through the rotors to direct flow for forward thrust. Conventional ailerons and tail surfaces would be used in horizontal flight. Mr Loening said the idea was "a bit of a dream, but not too unattainable."

The challenge is, does anyone have any illustrations of Loening's VTOL design?

 

[Michel Van]

Famous Boeing Dash-80 barrel roll by test pilot Alvin “Tex” Johnstone, Seattle in 1955
above the representatives of the Aircraft Industries Association and International Air Transport Association.
after that, the Boeing Presidents gave the test pilots the order "No rolls"

source
http://xplanes.tumblr.com/page/115

 

[Johnbr]

:

 

[Johnbr]

The one plane was lost at the the battle of coral sea may 42 wail on the Lexington.

 

[Steve Pace]

Here's a couple. -SP

 

[Johnbr]

I have always thought what the B36 needed was the Northrop XT-37 Turbodyne.I have added one more of the XT-37 one drawing of in the EB-35b sorry they are not planes in this page.From the book Northrop an aeronautical history.

 

[Johnbr]

The engine is a Deschamps diesel.

 

[Johnbr]

:-\

 

[memaerobilia]

RE: post #83
Here is the original brochure for the Commonwealth Trimmer Amphibian.

 

[memaerobilia]

RE: post #80
Two points of interest on Loening.
Agreed that he was an aviation visionary of significance to advancement of aviation in many ways.
1. Loening's Aeroboat was marketed by the fledgling Wright Company as their Model G. Grover Loening was brought in to assist Orville, after Wilbur's death. Wilbur was the brother who loved running the Company. Orville saw it as a burden, which left him less time to experiment with aviation design.
One of Loening's books has the most remarkable anecdote by Loening, of a meeting (with Barnes, I believe, the Secretary-Treasurer of The Wright Company,) in which the Wright Bros. were described (by Barnes?) as "two hicks from Ohio!"
2. Circa the mid 80's, a proposed major aviation museum, hired me to appraise and negotiate the purchase of a very large and varied collection of aircraft-The Tertling Collection in Idaho. Aside from the dozens of aircraft, there was a room filled with filing cabinets and boxes, that had been the personal archives of Grover Loening. The contract was negotiated, but the museum failed to raise the funds to purchase, and the collection was later auctioned off, in pieces. Do these Loeing archives survive, intact, today? This was before the Internet Era, and while my hard-copy inventory and descriptions are in one of my 400 storage boxes (SOMEwhere in the back shelves), I have no digital file or record of them.

 

[Johnbr]

:-X

 

[Stargazer]

Nice series, John. The Fisher Eagle and the Curtiss Tomahawks in glorious original colour are especially astounding!

 

[Antonio]

The aircraft in the P-40 pic aren't P-40's but Allison V-1710 Mustang Mk.I/P-51/P-51A

 

[Stargazer]

The aircraft in the P-40 pic aren't P-40's but Allison V-1710 Mustang Mk.I/P-51/P-51A

Oh, blast, thanks! I kept wondering why these P-40s didn't look quite kosher... : What a fool! Of course the tail fin alone was a dead giveaway...

 

[Johnbr]

:-\

 

[Boxman]

RE: post #80
Two points of interest on Loening.
Agreed that he was an aviation visionary of significance to advancement of aviation in many ways.
1. Loening's Aeroboat was marketed by the fledgling Wright Company as their Model G. Grover Loening was brought in to assist Orville, after Wilbur's death. Wilbur was the brother who loved running the Company. Orville saw it as a burden, which left him less time to experiment with aviation design.
One of Loening's books has the most remarkable anecdote by Loening, of a meeting (with Barnes, I believe, the Secretary-Treasurer of The Wright Company,) in which the Wright Bros. were described (by Barnes?) as "two hicks from Ohio!"
2. Circa the mid 80's, a proposed major aviation museum, hired me to appraise and negotiate the purchase of a very large and varied collection of aircraft-The Tertling Collection in Idaho. Aside from the dozens of aircraft, there was a room filled with filing cabinets and boxes, that had been the personal archives of Grover Loening. The contract was negotiated, but the museum failed to raise the funds to purchase, and the collection was later auctioned off, in pieces. Do these Loeing archives survive, intact, today? This was before the Internet Era, and while my hard-copy inventory and descriptions are in one of my 400 storage boxes (SOMEwhere in the back shelves), I have no digital file or record of them.

Here is the original picture featured on the cover of the Wright Aeroboat catalog from the Library of Congress:

Here is the full resolution version linked at this this address:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/4606575132/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Another photo of the Wright Model G Flying Boat from the Library of Congress:

Here's the address of the full resolution version:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/4606575008/sizes/o/in/photostream/

 

[Johnbr]

 

[Steve Pace]

RE: post #80
Two points of interest on Loening.
Agreed that he was an aviation visionary of significance to advancement of aviation in many ways.
1. Loening's Aeroboat was marketed by the fledgling Wright Company as their Model G. Grover Loening was brought in to assist Orville, after Wilbur's death. Wilbur was the brother who loved running the Company. Orville saw it as a burden, which left him less time to experiment with aviation design.
One of Loening's books has the most remarkable anecdote by Loening, of a meeting (with Barnes, I believe, the Secretary-Treasurer of The Wright Company,) in which the Wright Bros. were described (by Barnes?) as "two hicks from Ohio!"
2. Circa the mid 80's, a proposed major aviation museum, hired me to appraise and negotiate the purchase of a very large and varied collection of aircraft-The Tertling Collection in Idaho. Aside from the dozens of aircraft, there was a room filled with filing cabinets and boxes, that had been the personal archives of Grover Loening. The contract was negotiated, but the museum failed to raise the funds to purchase, and the collection was later auctioned off, in pieces. Do these Loeing archives survive, intact, today? This was before the Internet Era, and while my hard-copy inventory and descriptions are in one of my 400 storage boxes (SOMEwhere in the back shelves), I have no digital file or record of them.

Here is the original picture featured on the cover of the Wright Aeroboat catalog from the Library of Congress:

Here is the full resolution version linked at this this address:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/4606575132/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Another photo of the Wright Model G Flying Boat from the Library of Congress:

Here's the address of the full resolution version:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/4606575008/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Love these. Thank you! -SP

 

[Johnbr]

Here is a very rare one for you all.

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks John! We DO have a topic on this rarest of birds (which, incidentally, still exists):

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,10083.0

 

[memaerobilia]

As I have spent many years studying the Wright Company history (I used to own the entire Original company archives -now in Seattle Museum of Flight) I think it is unlikely that the LOC photo is the original photo used in the Original Wright Co. catalogue for the Wright Aeroboat Model "G." The LOC photo is missing 15%, of the left side of the photo, as the catalogue one.
I have an original catalogue and it is interesting that there is No mention or credit to Loening for the Aeroboat. Early on, after the Wright Company reduced the price of its Model A types from $7,500 to $5,000 each, sales were still fairly dismal. Related to this Aeroboat, there is an inter-office letter bemoaning the lack of sales and suggesting "Maybe hydroaeroplanes will save us."
Another interesting position(Remember, NO-ONE had much experience in mass-marketing aeroplanes, as a business, at the time) was that the Wrights resented being asked to Pay for advertising. They felt their product was so newsworthy that it should be steadily reported on, and publicized for free. For one PR push they decided to get one of their board members to fly around New York City in a Wright aeroplane, and have all the newspapers report on a wealthy sportsman enjoying his Wright, so they could have free publicity. The Brothers (not the tycoon investors/board members) detested stunt "show-off" flying, yet the most often requested photo was one of Hoxsey practically dragging a wing tip on the ground in an extremely steep-angled banking turn.
Since we are often talking about design factors here, many of the early Wright designs were designed with the critical factor that they must be able to be broken down into sections that fit in standard-sized railroad crates for transport and shipping.

 

[Johnbr]

 

[Johnbr]

Sorry for the bad photo of the hood it is the only one that I have found like it.

 

[Stargazer]

As I have spent many years studying the Wright Company history (I used to own the entire Original company archives -now in Seattle Museum of Flight) I think it is unlikely that the LOC photo is the original photo used in the Original Wright Co. catalogue for the Wright Aeroboat Model "G." The LOC photo is missing 15%, of the left side of the photo, as the catalogue one.
I have an original catalogue and it is interesting that there is No mention or credit to Loening for the Aeroboat. Early on, after the Wright Company reduced the price of its Model A types from $7,500 to $5,000 each, sales were still fairly dismal. Related to this Aeroboat, there is an inter-office letter bemoaning the lack of sales and suggesting "Maybe hydroaeroplanes will save us."
Another interesting position(Remember, NO-ONE had much experience in mass-marketing aeroplanes, as a business, at the time) was that the Wrights resented being asked to Pay for advertising. They felt their product was so newsworthy that it should be steadily reported on, and publicized for free. For one PR push they decided to get one of their board members to fly around New York City in a Wright aeroplane, and have all the newspapers report on a wealthy sportsman enjoying his Wright, so they could have free publicity. The Brothers (not the tycoon investors/board members) detested stunt "show-off" flying, yet the most often requested photo was one of Hoxsey practically dragging a wing tip on the ground in an extremely steep-angled banking turn.
Since we are often talking about design factors here, many of the early Wright designs were designed with the critical factor that they must be able to be broken down into sections that fit in standard-sized railroad crates for transport and shipping.

Thanks a lot for providing some very interesting data, as you always do...

May I ask how one single man managed to own the whole of the Wright archives at one point, as well as a great part of the Curtiss Archives? I have got to admit I'm kind of puzzled about that one!

 

[Johnbr]

One more a Indian motorcycle aircraft engine.

 

[Stargazer]

Very nice set of pictures!

 

[memaerobilia]

Going through the Curtiss files this morning and came across this one (again). Early Curtiss pusher. It has always been one of my favorite aero photos. ;D

Note to Engineering Dept!
Throw away your slide rules and super-computers!
K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid).
Handwritten on back is:"First Brake"
(Brick on a rope, slides down to rub against tire)

 

[fightingirish]

Already mentioned by Boxman in the thread "Advanced Phantom Projects"...

GE Flight Test History, a superb album posted by n747ge on Flickr.

Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/n747ge/sets/72157625466397709/

B)

 

[Johnbr]

 

[Johnbr]

 

[Johnbr]

:-\

 

[Stargazer]

:-\

This is the Westland-built Cierva-Lepère C.L.20 direct-control cabin Autogiro. It was a side-by-side cabin two-seater with direct control started in August 1934, especially designed to use the new 90 hp Pobjoy S Niagara III engine. First flown on February 4, 1935 by Cierva himself and Alan Marsh, the C.L.20 proved to be underpowered and deficient in lift but was pleasant to fly despite oversensitive lateral control. Construction of six production aircraft was started in March 1935 but not completed; Lepère's plans to market the type backfired, and the prototype was scrapped in 1938.

 

[Johnbr]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Johnbr]

 

[Johnbr]

 

[Steve Pace]

A very interesting airplane! Do you know its identity? -SP

 

[Stargazer]

Sharing great pics without saying what they represent happens often in this thread... I think this can be perceived by people as 1°) a way of implying the aircraft are so well-known that the poster won't even bother to saying what they are (which can be a little intimidating to the less-knowledgeable of us who dare not ask) 2°) a sign that one is too lazy to try and identify them oneself... Either way it's not very nice!

Simple identification doesn't hurt! One doesn't have to write a detailed summary, only the manufacturer and basic type can be enough...

Anyway, the last three pictures (which are absolutely fantastic!) portray the Bristol 138A single-seat high-altitude monoplane research aircraft built to Specification 2/34, which used a 500 hp Bristol Pegasus P.E.6S supercharged engine. A second aircraft, designated Model 138B, was similar except for two seats and a 500 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel S engine instead.

 

[Retrofit]

Strange, the last pic seems to be a Westland Whirlwind?

 

[Stargazer]

Strange, the last pic seems to be a Westland Whirlwind?

Sorry, I meant the two before last. Of course the last picture shows a twin-engined aircraft and it pretty much looks like a Whirlwind, I agree...

 

[Johnbr]

Yes it is a Whirlwind I think it the prototype for the B because the canons are in a roll.