The Ongoing Mystery Aircraft Thread Part Deux.

[lefty]

Didn't realise the Shavrov was a twin-float amphibian ! Abandoned with prototype in early stage of construction, says Gunston.

I think a crash course in Czech is in order for someone in this group - my Czech tome has the same aircraft listed under the two names mentioned by Moses. I suspect Letov S.1 is the more common !

[DHC2Pilot]

Either will do.

[Moses03]

This one is a bit of an oddball. Included the "stylized" photo to help out since the original one is all grained up.

[lefty]

She is surely no beauty, but, amazingly, may have been the world's first true flying boat back in 1912.
Designed by Grover Loening and built from an old speedboat hull and Bleriot wings in the lovely Bronx, she is the Queen Aeroboat.

[Moses03]

And I thought this would last awhile. Silly me! Spot on Mike.

[lefty]

Here's a confusing little number..

[Hurricane91]

Here's a confusing little number..

Once a Caudron sailplane.

[lefty]

Once a Caudron sailplane.

Hmmm - need more info on that ! I see the similar tail unit to the Caudron 800....

Anyway, you obviously know this one so please reveal all, and why I referred to it as confusing !

[wout]

Hi Mike,
by any chance, perhaps, possibly the RL-16 by the other René Leduc?

if correct OH please

[lefty]

Yes, indeed, the 'other' René Leduc, i.e. not the one who built the pointy bulbous ramjetty monsters !

I think Hurricane knew about this and am curious about the Caudron connection - I'll leave the house open to him.

[Hurricane91]

I think Hurricane knew about this and am curious about the Caudron connection - I'll leave the house open to him.

Thank you for posting this excellent subject. Unfortunately I did not know of this charming airplane. To me it appeared that the builder used a Caudron sailplane as the basis for the aft fuselage. I have seen the Caudron before but could not locate a reference to the particular sailplane online. I was just starting to dig through a mountain of soaring magazines when Wout pegged it.
It is possible since Leduc obtained parts for the aircraft from a variety of sources. As a number of people have discovered, the RL-16 makes an admirable flying scale model and has perfect moments for rubber power. I saved the drawings I found for a future project.

Thank you for the open house offer, but I do not have an appropriate subject to post. Please proceed.

[lefty]

A wee story about it here - built for an altitude record.

http://aircollection.pagesperso-orange.fr/rl16.htm

Check some of the other pages - some of these quite obscure.

My French is pretty bad but Google Translate can be hilarious. Leduc becomes 'Duke' !

[Moses03]

Double open house eh? Here is one. Not a mockup, it did fly!

[Hurricane91]

Douglas XSB2D-1.

[Hurricane91]

My French is pretty bad but Google Translate can be hilarious. Leduc becomes 'Duke' !

I got a chuckle out of that too. "The Duke" only flew P-40s ( "The Flying Tigers), F4Us ("Flying Leathernecks"), and Dakotas ("Island In The Sky"). A 52 hp French motorglider? Never.