Three puzzles with a theme

[Stirlitz]

Ladies and gentlemen,
This time three puzzles with an automotive theme ;)
The one in the middle is somewhat unusual as what you get is a photograph of the inside of the aircraft in question.
Let's see who gets the pint(s).

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Baffling :confused: !

The middle one looks like an Airship interior...I can only imagine that they are aircraft built by people who also made automobiles, in which case Bristol, Ford & Messerschmitt might feature...

[Hurricane]

don't know about #1

#2 is an airship which caried a car onboard?

#3 is a Bugatti p-100 air racer http://www.lionheartcreations.com/Bugatti.html
and ot, oh my god that geog exam i just had was horrible!:a1451: :rocket: :icon36: :icon_twi:

[Stirlitz]

Hurricane,
here's a well-deserved :icon29: for you. And another one :icon29: to help you recover after the exam. Regarding #2 it is an aeroplane interior.

For those would like to learn more about the Bugatti 100, you can start here
http://www.bugattiaircraft.com/
(follow the links at the bottom of the page)

[Hurricane]

So we're looking at a very big aeroplane hmm.....

is it a Junkers G-38?

[grunau_baby]

Concerning the size and luxurious interior it could be a DoX-flying-boat. The interior is too barrock to from a clipper B314.

[Hurricane]

Could be, completely forgot about flying boats, just thought thats gotta be one hell of a big plane and remembered the Junkers had seats in the wing

[lefty]

No 1 has a touch of the Fiat about it....

And could no2 be the Maxim Gorky (Tupolev ANT-20) ?

[Stirlitz]

Lefty, you're on the right track as regards no.1!
As expected No.2 is a hard nut to crack, so to make it easier for all of you...
it was a biplane. Besides the car might provide a good clue. Why was it on board?

[Willy]

I'll take a stab at #2 with the Russkiy Vityaz built by Igor Sikorsky in 1914 for the Czar. First 4 engined aircraft, it also boasted electrics lights, toilets and a searchlight on the observation platform on the nose.

Although I think that car looks more from the '20s.

Willy

[lefty]

Do we by any chance have the Burnelli RB-2 here? This apparently was a flying automobile showroom !

Lefty

[Stirlitz]

Spot on, Lefty. It is the RB-2 (built in 1924 - Willy was right about the car), one of Vincent Burnelli's "lifting body" designs.
Here you are :icon29:
What about no.1?

[lefty]

I think I have drawn a blank with no1, Stirlitz - been through all the car manufacturers I can think of.

Maybe it's a Lancia X-99. Time to put us out of our misery.

Lefty

[Stirlitz]

Lefty,
You almost got it right. Actually you did identify the manufacturer as the mysterious no.1 is the Fiat CR.25 prototype. CR.25 was meant to be a twin-engined heavy fighter but only 12 were built. They were used for convoy escort duty in the Mediterranean and oddly enough none of them was lost to enemy fire.
Anyway, here's a :icon29: for a narrow miss :)

[lefty]

It was the shape of the tail unit that didn't look right, especially the base of the rudder. They must have altered it after the prototype.

However I was beaten fair and square!
Lefty