The Ongoing Mystery Aircraft Thread Part Deux.

[lefty]

Only thing that bothers me is that wee scoop intake on the port side. Doesn't show in my Autocar pics............

[Moses03]

Maybe the Aiglet then?

I'm chasing my tail here: http://www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/id51.htm

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Auster it ain't. My Aunt Jane defines it as a 'Four-seat Cabin monoplane', so light it ain't either. It packs 140 horses, a lot more aircraft than the 2-seat 90hp Phryg!

'Twas chosen for the obscurity of its manufacturer, and I've already given a big clue towards nationality...

[Moses03]

Pfftt! I'm going to bed.
Wake me when the light plane nightmare has passed.

[lefty]

It's a Boisavia B-60 Mercurey. A French copy of the AUSTER.

[Ralf Roggeveen]

-Light aircraft (i.e small General Aviation) are generally frowned upon unless of unusual design or of historical significance.

!

Well, I agree that this might be frowned upon as a bit of a small GA, but can't see that it's much worse than the Phryganet. It's a Boisavia B-60 Mercurey. Just thought Boisavia were a bit obscure. They were. Sorry.

Is this big enough? Have we had it before yet?

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Oh! Well done Mike,

Bag the trimotor too if you want!

[lefty]

Now that's better - an HL-8 from the land of coffee !

(If you want to explore further the Wonderful World of Auster clones - how about this one ?)

[lefty]

Or let's get into dinky choppers !

What is unusual about this one ? Apart from looking like a cable gondola, that is ? (Haven't heard from our resident chopper man for a while - still out there, James ?)

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Hmm...the Auster clone could be from the Land of Coffee or from the Land of Fray Bentos, but is most likely one of your French friends. As for the dinky chopper; have seen it somewhere before, but haven't a clue!

James gives the impression of working hard at his engineering studies in the real aviation world, only dropping in here occasionally when he can spare a moment!

Anyway, I like Austers (found one is a shabby state round the back of a museum once & felt all sorry for it).

[lefty]

Chopper from a big manufacturer (not normally of helos) and the Austerlike is not South American, or North American, or European !!!!

Also, the tail fin in the background might help with the chopper's identity !

[Ralf Roggeveen]

If the Auster imposter (Impauster?) ain't any of those, then it's gotta be ASIAN, which narrows it down to Russian, Chinese, Japanese or Indian...

...as for the funny chopper; perhaps it was helping someone to test something to do with V/STOL for a well-known aeroplane beginning with H?

[lefty]

Your geography, Ralf, is impeccable, give or take a continent or two (there have been some aircraft produced in Africa and Australia, notably the Kingsford Smith Austers, but not this one - we'll give Moses a shot at it).
The chopper is notable for its means of propulsion, not its V/STOL capabilities. (I thought all choppers were V/STOL ??) Look again at the jet behind it - same manufacturer. I can't give you any more.

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Thought it might be Hawker Siddeley?

[Moses03]

Even though I'm not a rotorhead, some designs I remember. It's a Fiat 7002.

[lefty]

Yep. That's a G.91 behind (kind of miniaturised F-86)- so what was special about the Fiat chopper ?

[Moses03]

Compressed air blowing out from the blade tips?

Here is the next one-

[sandar]

Going back to Auster's, I learnt to fly on them (a J1N), not a usual trainer, but if you could master an Auster, you could fly most light stuff. Most of my initial landings were more akin to a controlled collision with the runway, but the first time I did a 'greaser' the poxy bungee undercarriage suspension bust. They were not easy or forgiving to fly well, nor were they the nicest to fly, but, hey, an aeroplane is an aeroplane.

Sorry not to have been around for a day or two, been a bit grotty and under the influence of soporific medication

[Ralf Roggeveen]

No doubt you are glad not to be 'under the influence of soporific medication' in the hotseat of an Auster; and maybe you learnt to fly in the army? Hope you're feeling better now (Looking at my avatar aviatricies might cheer you up a bit).

Moses' early airliner reminds me of a Boeing 80 of some kind. It's not that, but may well still be American?

[lefty]

I'm having a glass of 'soporific medicine' as we speak. The Famous Grouse.

[sandar]

I learnt to fly at a gliding club, scrounging flight when I could. My dad was a pilot in the RAF from 1943 to 1950 and a flying instructor at the club, so I learnt to fly on the cheap and in anything that I could get my bum into, Austers, Tiger Moths, Cubs, Beagles,etc. Made a right bog of my first go in a Tripacer, landed it too tail low and bounced the front wheel like a yo-yo:redf:

By soporific medication, I didn't mean the Christmas spirit type, more like morphine based painkillers. Had a bad injury a few years back which plays up from time to time, especially when cold.

[lefty]

I envy you your chance to do all that flying early on - being a pilot was only ever a distant dream to me.
Don't envy you the bad back, though. Hope it eases enough for you to enjoy the Festive season.

[Moses03]

Sorry you are feeling bad Sandar. As far as the ungainly tri-motor goes, Ralf could be on the right track.

[Ralf Roggeveen]

I knew it was real medicine that was getting you down Sandar! Not really obssessed with booze - I drink very little (especially these - few of which I win), do a lot of driving on potentially-dangerous country roads every week. Hope you're feeling much better in time for Christmas.

Anyway, Mo's aircraft is the Sikorsky S-35. Unfortunately that tri-motor version crashed on a transatlantic attempt in 1926.

[lefty]

Good one, Ralf - was making slow progress with the Sikorsky.
Re booze, I like to think I'm not obsessed with it, but I have always enjoyed it, in all its wondrous manifestations, and have been fortunate to be able to keep it in moderation, despite the reputation of my countrymen !

Little true story, with an aviation connection - back in the seventies, a girfriend gave me a birthday present of a flying lesson. After a happy hour floating around the hills of Fife, I returned to meet my Sunday lunch crew in the pub. 'How was it ?' 'Terrific' said I, 'If I gave up the booze I could afford a course of flying lessons.'

At which one of my dear, dear friends piped up, 'Mike, if you gave up the booze you could afford a bloody plane.' :friday: