The Ongoing Mystery Aircraft Thread Part Deux.

**pomme homme** · December 28th, 2014, 03:41

I think that Fokker is a Cuculus canorus in the Aero nest!

**Baragouin** · December 28th, 2014, 04:30

Well gentlemen having finished my lunch accompanied by a fair share of ice-cold "pro-secco" I'm more inclined to look upon this matter in a less tense way having pondered with due respect all your exhaustive comments.
Doubtless the sources identifying the Aircraft as an Aero 300 are wrong hence my mistake in denying Moses post who was the first to correctly identify it as a Fokker TV and to whom I humbly apologize.
....as somebody said a long time ago: "rubbish in rubbish out".
Therefore Moses feel free to carry on the play!
Cheers
BG

***Moses03*** · December 28th, 2014, 10:59

Thanks BG (and Lefty for your additional detective work). Green's photo was the clincher for me.

I would take anything found on the pprune forum with a grain of salt. There are a few so called "experts" over there that rely on the google image search.

Let's try something less ambiguous-

**lefty** · December 28th, 2014, 22:17

This the Bollinger-Koppen Helioplane ? Appears to have a couple of gear struts missing compared to the only other photo I can find, but has to be it !

***Moses03*** · December 29th, 2014, 08:19

I have it as the Helio H-391 prototype (N9390H) aka Bollinger-Koppen Helioplane.

**lefty** · December 29th, 2014, 13:10

Thank you - here's another neat light aircraft from a little earlier -

**pomme homme** · December 29th, 2014, 23:21

It looks very much like the Hirtenberg H.S.9A, although the fin and the strut arrangement differs from that in the photograph I have of G-AGAK. So I assume that it is an earlier version from which the H.S.9A was derived. So if its not an H.S.9 variant, I'll take a guess at the Hopfner H.S.8/29 (of which I cannot find a picture).

Edit: I've now found a picture of the H.S.8 and it's not that. So as it doesn't seem to match anything else in the Hopfner/Hirtenberg catalogue, I give up!

**lefty** · December 30th, 2014, 00:50

Couple of good stabs there, ph, but I can confirm that, although it is indeed European, it ain't Austrian !

The smallish company made several trainers and a much larger aircraft too......

**Dev One** · December 30th, 2014, 07:28

Lots of similarly looking ones out there, but not quite what you have on display, not quite Yugoslav, nor Polish......as far as I can see, so methinks I'm throwing in the towel on this one (again!).
Keith

**lefty** · December 30th, 2014, 07:52

Final hint - whenever you are having trouble i/d-ing a mystery, take a close look at the photo to extract as much information as you can. Buildings, people, vehicles, etc etc.

In this case, there's nothing much at all. Just the horizon.......

**pomme homme** · December 30th, 2014, 09:04

All I can see on the horizon - extreme right - is what appears to be either Apollo XIII on its launch pad or the Tour Eiffel or a vertical scratch on the print!

This is a long shot. So long that the earth's curvature puts the target out of sight. Thinking around the few clues offered, taking into account the French propensity for parasol wing monoplanes in the inter war years and relying on a gut feeling, I'll guess at the S.E.C.A.T. S.4 Mouette. I've failed to find a picture of this aeroplane but comparing the dimensions given on the aviafrance website to the photograph posted, it is not beyond the bounds of possibility. But if it isn't this, then I shall have to sit back and wait either for a correct identification by someone more knowledgeable than me or the answer from lefty!

**lefty** · December 30th, 2014, 11:26

You are not thinking laterally, ph.

The whole point about the horizon is that it is totally, utterly FLAT................

and it isn't Lincolnshire.........

**pomme homme** · December 30th, 2014, 12:18

So I take it that it's not the Mouette!

***srgalahad*** · December 30th, 2014, 17:51

I'm balkin' at the idea that it might be something Polish or Romanian. It has elements of some RWD designs but I can't find anything from the Steppes either

***Moses03*** · December 30th, 2014, 19:24

Looks French to me but all the geographic discussion has just muddied up the water even more.

Be nice to have a clue other than a flat horizon...

**lefty** · December 30th, 2014, 21:17

Sorry, guys, I didn't mean to over-complicate this - but when talking about flat countries in Europe there really only is one contender......(where's Ferry when we need him?)

The only other clue I could think of will give it away immediately - I mentioned the large aircraft - it was a one-off, multi-engine job.

**Dev One** · December 30th, 2014, 22:52

I think I've found it at long last complete with a photo to prove it.

Its PH-AIK the Pander P3.

The multi engine job then must be the 3 engined S4.

Keith

**lefty** · December 30th, 2014, 23:16

You got it, Keith ! Designed by Mynheer Theo Slot. Over to Gaul......

**Baragouin** · December 31st, 2014, 02:36

Originally Posted by lefty

You got it, Keith ! Designed by Mynheer Theo Slot. Over to Gaul......

Hi Lefty!
Though I didn't participate (my ignoramus) it really was a most interesting challenge.
Could you please share with us a further piece of information concerning the Pander P-3 and tell us what kind of engine was fitted (not much on the web with regard to it)?
Thanks
BG

**Dev One** · December 31st, 2014, 04:12

BG...I found it to a certain extent by the Gipsy engine. According to the Wiki it had an inverted Gipsy III, & that wiki also gave a very good description of the aircraft but no picture. Only found a picture by googling the aircraft name & found it on another forum page.

Keith

Off now to find another for the quiz...be back soon.
K