The Ongoing Mystery Aircraft Thread Part Deux.

[lefty]

The Renard hit a blank spot, although I'm sure you've posted it before.

Can't find any Belgian aviation books! It gets a mention in the 1937 Jane's - no pics - but disappears without trace from the 1938 !

This is a Schweizer RU-38A Twin Condor.

There can't be another aircraft that looks exactly like that, so I'll continue !

What is this unlikely-looking creature?

[Moses03]

for Lefty on the Condor!

[Moses03]

The steam jet looks like one of the Ambrosini (Aerfer) prototypes. Not sure at all though.

[lefty]

About 25 years later than the Ambrosini, Kevin, and not European.
A very interesting research aircraft. Look at the first picture - where's the jet tailpipe ???

[Ralf Roggeveen]

Something like a RAMJET? Looks to be a cross between a Doodlebug & a Cessna...definitely American.

The number of these things we look at & you think, 'Thank God I wasn't a test pilot for those idiotic designers!'

[Hurricane]

The experimental gives away the nationality. A ramjet would still need an exhaust, I'd have thought its an ordinary turbo jet, with the exhaust mounted under the fuselage, or possibly hidden by those mini wing thingys?

The only explanation I can think of for those is that it creates a kind of venturi effect between the main wing and the mini wing thus lowering the pressure on the top surface of the main wing, but since that wouldn't be likely to produce much lift from the mini wing I don't see it being too effective. It might allow flight at higher AoA though by giving more alpha before flow seperates and casues a stall (but equally might not!).

[Ralf Roggeveen]

You are the engineer James. True about 'Experimental', but I knew it was US before the 2nd view from the unpainted bare metal with just a (yellow?) ring round the nose. And that American-looking tail! Really wouldn't be surprised if Cessna didn't have something to do with this. Wasn't there a time when they thought people might have small private jets of some sort?

[lefty]

I'm off to the ice rink again - I think I will leave this a wee bit longer to let Moses delve into his vaults.

James is right - the jet efflux was ducted through slots on the leading edges, and it must have worked - the thing made 60+ flights.

Cessna, to the best of my knowledge, were not involved ! (Why Cessna ??)

[Moses03]

Found it! It's the Ball-Bartoe JW-1 Jetwing. Very interesting indeed. Would not have guessed a late 1970's maiden flight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball-Bartoe_Jetwing

[Hurricane]

You are the engineer James. True about 'Experimental', but I knew it was US before the 2nd view from the unpainted bare metal with just a (yellow?) ring round the nose. And that American-looking tail! Really wouldn't be surprised if Cessna didn't have something to do with this. Wasn't there a time when they thought people might have small private jets of some sort?

Looking at what moses posted I'm sort of right. As it happens I'm doing stablility and control for a group aircraft design assignment at uni, somehow I have to get a tanker with a MTOW of 220 tons to fly slow enough to refuel a helicopter!
I'm quite glad you posted this, its reminded me I haven't looked into blown flaps yet. (If it works then HWS can have a few from the cantina in lieu of royalties!)

[Moses03]

Lefty must have planted himself at the pub after the curling match so here is the next one-

[lefty]

Glad you found the Ball-Bartoe - hope you agree it was a good find !

Moses, naturally, gets another

His floatplane has the body of a North American O-47. So far, can't find a conversion - a few N.A. models were sent to Sweden so maybe they mucked about with it..............

[lefty]

After a bit of digging, found out that the EDO company did experiment with floats on an O-47. There was also a version on skis.

More than that has to come from Moses.

[Moses03]

Nope, this was just a garden variety O-47A fitted with floats as mentioned.

"During the winter of 1937 and 1938, skis were experimentally fitted to an O-47. The Edo Float company also conducted tests with a twin-float installation on an O-47. Both configurations flew, but neither was considered successful."

That's it. No tricks, subversions or anything license built in Armenia. I just like the 'ol O-47.

Lefty has the con-

PS- Rgr the Jetwing. Good find.

[Ralf Roggeveen]

(If it works then HWS can have a few from the cantina in lieu of royalties!)

Don't worry, just the royalties will do...

Did you see that programme the other day about a few guys who were all born the same day as Prince Charles, so now they're all 60 and just retiring after various lives of adventure? One of them had been quite successful, owned land, etc., but now he was practically a down-and-out. It seemed he'd invested all his hard-earned fortune in inventing & developing the rotary engine, went to patent it... only to find it had already been done! D'oh...