The rare and wacky U.S. aeroplanes of yesteryear...

[Stargazer]

As you may have guessed, this topic is the pre-war equivalent of the "All those weird and wonderful postwar U.S. one-offs..." topic that can be found in the Postwar projects section.

So if you know of any one-off vintage aircraft (anything that was built before 1945 is acceptable), preferably rare (slightly wacky would be a bonus!) you can share it here...Let's start with something that, if not known to ever be flown, surely was wacky...the Sellmer Corkscrew Plane!

 

[Stargazer]

Here is the uncanny Felio SP-2 Ranger [X12211] of 1931, described at Aerofiles as a "cantilever-wing creation with an oversize free cowling with offset vanes inside its rim, allegedly to direct air into the propeller blades for increased performance." Skyways adds that "There is no indication that the airplane ever flew with the deflector ring."

More on that weird bird here: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,10051.0

 

[Stargazer]

Jonathan Caldwell's Gray Goose Disk-Rotor plane [NX99Y] surely was something different..

Funny how we never seem to see these weird types in actual flying situations... :

 

[Stargazer]

The file's name says it all... An early single-framed ‘multiplane’ aircraft, built after designs by Horatio Phillips (1911). Now if you want to learn something about the notion of risk-taking, just put yourself in the shoes of this contraption's test pilot for a split second...

 

[Stargazer]

The Schroeder S-1 Cyclogyro of 1930 [X/NX606W] retained the normal wings of an aircraft, and so looked like an ordinary high-wing monoplane, except there were two large paddle-wheels in front instead of a propeller. It was powered by a Henderson engine. Vertical takeoff would be out of the question with the lift concentrated at the front, and so it appears that Schroeder, E. A. Schroeder who was based in San Francisco, was merely planning to use the rotary wings as a more efficient alternative to a propellor. In this he would have been sadly disappointed...

Sources:
http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/cyclogyro/cyclogyro.htm
http://rotoplan.narod.ru/history_e.htm

 

[Stargazer]

The Rahn Cyclogyro [NX13247], built in 1935 by the short-lived Rahn Aircraft Corporation, was only 15 feet long and carried two 6-foot span rotating wings on each side; these would theoretically allow the aircraft to rise or descend vertically, and fly forwards at up to 100 mph without the aid of a normal propeller. It was powered by a 240 hp supercharged Wright Whirlwind. No information appears to exist on whether it ever got off the ground...

Same sources as above.

 

[airman]

Damn seems they exit from "Stop the Pigeon" of Hanna & Barbera !!!
For inusual profile obliously !

 

[Kdmoo]

Here is another favorite, the Joy JX[NC12787]. The test pilot, a Mr. Monastes was a very brave soul.

Entry from Aerofiles:

Joy​

(Ervin & Lyle) Joy Aircraft Co, 6359 N Lombard St, Portland OR.
JX 1935 = 2pOhwM; two 40hp Salmson AD-9; ff: 4/23/38 (p: Sidney Monastes). Fishlike, wingless creation referred to as a "flying flapjack," with underslung motors, didn't make it past the barbed-wire fence at the end of the airport. Monastes was unhurt, but that couldn't be said for his flapjack. POP: although this had c/n 5, registration concurrency with model J suggests there was only 1 built [12787]. Photo source: http://www.shu-aero.com/AeroPhotos_Shu_Aero/Aircraft_J/Joy/index.html Note: Thinking I might have seen this one before in here, I did a search but nothing came up.

 

[Stargazer]

The Invincible Center-Wing of 1929 [X631] was built by the Invincible Metal Furniture Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It looked a bit like a Stinson Detroiter with the high-wing lowered. After some test flying, it was dismantled, the Curtiss Challenger engine removed and the airframe stored in their plant. The Great Depression probably killed any plans for production. In the fall of 1934 Dean Crites of Waukesha (just west of Milwaukee) purchased the Center-Wing and trucked it home. He purchased a Challenger engine in Chicago and installed it on the prototype, using aluminum signs to make substitutes for missing cowling. On May 17, 1935 he test-flew the plane from a farm field near his home on the outskirts of Waukesha. The flight lasted one hour and forty minutes and his log book "Remarks" column states that the flight was for the purpose of taking pictures of the then-new Waukesha airport north of the city. The airplane about 10 hours before a fellow from Ohio came along and bought it., then substituted a Hisso engine in place of the Challenger. Shortly afterwards, the plane crashed, killing the new owner. This was the end of the Invincible Center-Wing.

 

[mz]

From SDASM Flickr stream

Small canard tractor monoplane, engine above cockpit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/11874750143/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/11874873114/

Registration:
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_N31.html
NC757N Granville Ascender Q-1 NC757N

 

[Stargazer]

Great photos of the Model Q-1! Thanks!

The Gee Bee line of aircraft always were on the wacky side, but this one was the top... Certainly an aircraft to get the "heebeegeebees" in!

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is a strange flying barrel airplane,designed by Rudolph Silverston of Milwaukee,and
called his aircraft; Vacu-Aerial.

http://wisconsinology.blogspot.com.eg/2008/05/dr-silverston-and-his-flying-machine.html

 

[Cy-27]

Re: Reply No 8 from Skyblazer, here is a February 1930 advert from Aero Digest for the Invincible Center-Wing. Obviously someone saw enough commercial potential to place a series of ads in the magazine.

 

[Cy-27]

Engineers Aircraft Corp EAC-1

The Engineers Aircraft Corporation from Stamford Conn. built the EAC-1 side-by-side two seater in 1930. It was a swept-back parasol wing aircraft with folding wings. The fuselage was a rigid structure of steel tubes. Cooling was via louvres with seperate cooled exhaust pipe. One example was completed with a registration of NX39V. A neat looking early swept wing prop design.

General characteristics

Engine: Wright-Gypsy (90hp)
Wing span: 30 ft
Width with folded wings: 11 ft
Length: 20 ft
Fully loaded weight: 1,480 lb
Empty weight: 925 lb
Fuel weight: 144 lb
Baggage weight: 50 lb
Maximum speed: 120 mph
Cruising speed: 100 mph
Landing speed: 45 mph
Service ceiling: 12,500
Absolute ceiling: 15,000
Rate of climb: 800 ft per min
Range at cruising speed: 450 miles
Endurance: 3 hours

Source:
Aero Digest July 1930

 

[hesham]

Hi,

Mr. Lawrence J. Lesh was a pioneer in aviation,he designed and built many kite flying-wing planes and
made his first flight in 1906,he invented a strange all wing Model airplane in 1930s,page 26.

http://www.earlyaviators.com/elesh.htm

https://books.google.com.eg/books?id=BObmdm4CqgUC&printsec=frontcover&hl=ar&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[Stargazer]

Re: Reply No 8 from Skyblazer, here is a February 1930 advert from Aero Digest for the Invincible Center-Wing. Obviously someone saw enough commercial potential to place a series of ads in the magazine.

Thanks a lot for sharing this nice vintage ad!

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is a strange airplane,designed by Mr. R. H. Van Wie of San Francisco,not mention
in Aerofiles site.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

here is an unusual ultralight airplane,designed by E. Dormoy and called
Bathtub.

http://www.aerofiles.com/_d.html
http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201925%2005.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,

from Johnson Airplane & Supply Co.,here is a 3-view to Twin-60 pusher biplane;

Twin 60 1926 (ATC 3) = 2pOB; two 32hp Bristol Cherub pusher; span: 28'0" length: 21'0" load: 520# v: 75/60/25 range: 480; ff: 12/18/26. POP: 1 [343]; perhaps a second one was built in 1928, registered as such [1064], but no records verify this and it might be a re-register or an uncompleted model. Even with two motors, the Twin 60's gas consumption translated into an economical 24mpg. Destroyed in a crash in June 1927 at Bettis Field, Pittsburgh PA.

http://www.aerofiles.com/_j.html
http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201927%2001.pdf

 

[hesham]

Here is a rare monoplane,it was Barling Type-A;

http://www.aerofiles.com/_ba.html

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201929%2005.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,

I can't ID this airplane well,even the name of its designer,Glary,it is not
mentioned in Aerofiles ?.

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201929%2006.pdf

 

[Kdmoo]

Hi hesham, this is the McClary A.

Aerofiles entry:

McClary
Earl E McClary (also seen spelled McCleary), South Gate CA.


McClary A [2486]
McClary A [2486] (Dan Shumaker coll)


A Motor Glider c.1929 = ChwM "flying pancake" with Hisso-type motor. Huge, longitudinal wing—possibly reverse-delta, judging by its shadow—with wingtip ailerons and a cut-out for the propeller. Underslung, aft-mounted, airfoil-shaped gondola looked to be capable of fitting two people. Reports failed to mention if or how well it flew. POP: 1 [2486].


Best, Kevin

 

[hesham]

Many thanks to you my dear Kdmoo.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

I can't ID this airplane.

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201932%2003.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,

after I had been sure that,the multi-wing airplane which designed by Mr. Alexander
Nicolatos was a real aircraft,so I put it here.

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201932%2006.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,

Mr. Dan Kaiser designed and built a tandem biplane aircraft in 1912.

http://chezpeps.free.fr/0/pre-1914/pre-1914_10-451_500-copy_paste_Breguet-Pre-1914-Aircraft-Challenge.html

 

[Cy-27]

Sellers Quadruplane

Engine: 1 x Bates 2-cylinder motorcycle engine
Propeller diameter: 1.4 m
Wingspan: 4.87 m
Length: 6.65 m
Wing Area: 13 sq m
Weight empty: 72 kg
Loaded weight: 141 kg
Maximum speed: 80 km/h

Sources:

Le Document Aeronautique No 14 (May 1927 France) page 113
Aviation No.9 (USA 1927)

 

[Avimimus]

It is interesting that he kept building that late - his first design were from before the Great War and were related to wind tunnel experiments that assisted the Wrights.

 

[Avimimus]

Willoughby:
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3594.msg28426.html#msg28426

Fernic:
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,28144.msg294095.html#msg294095

 

[hesham]

here is an unusual ultralight airplane,designed by E. Dormoy and called
Bathtub.

http://www.aerofiles.com/_d.html
http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201925%2005.pdf

From old encyclopedia.

 

[Retrofit]

For the "Experimenter " February 1957.

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dear Retrofit.

 

[robunos]

Shades of Mignet . . .

cheers,
Robin.

 

[hesham]

Great photos of the Model Q-1! Thanks!

The Gee Bee line of aircraft always were on the wacky side, but this one was the top... Certainly an aircraft to get the "heebeegeebees" in!

From L+K 8-1988.

 

[cluttonfred]

If you like the Gee Bee Ascender...

Cheers,

Matthew

 

[hesham]

From Icaro 1929,

what was this airplane ?,its shape is very familiar,but I don't remember it.

 

[Kdmoo]

That is the Tunison Scout.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/the-tunison-scout-a-most-unusual-1928-prototype.27351/

 

[hesham]

From Aerophile 1934,

what was this ?.

 

[riggerrob]

From Aerophile 1934,

what was this ?.

That was an attempt at building a "Penguin" trainer for aspiring seaplane pilots.
Since the trainer could never climb out of ground effect, it could never fall far enough to kill its pilot.
Numerous "penguin" trainers were built during World War 1, though ,most were just worn out airplanes with cropped wings. They were used to teach student pilots the basics of stick-and-rudder on the ground.

 

[riggerrob]

For the "Experimenter " February 1957.

During the 1979s, another American built a one-off similar to Dormoy Bathtub. Most of the structural members were made of welded steel tubing.
All the struts, wings, landing gear, etc. were merely bolted on so that he could dis-assemble it into pieces small enough to exit his apartment down a hallway, flight of stairs, etc.