Hi Carson. Yes, quite a hard nut to crack.
Small clue: Peruse the photograph once more, it’s registration may unlock a door! regards…
Well thanks Colonel after much perusing I could tell two letters on the wing and one thing it’s for sure it is a french “zinc”: I suppose it might be a Caudron and the C-280/6 Phalène seems to have a certain likeness with your plane but obviously it isn’t exactly the same:
At this stage I’m rather tired and going “dodo”…
Cheers and “Ad maiora”
carson
Hi Carson. Hope that you had a pleasant evening. Yes the aircraft is French. Another clue: first prototype to fly 3 Oct 1933. It’s Certificate of Airwothiness was granted 8 Mar 1935. At the outbreak of war most airframes were used as liason aircraft by the Armee de L’air. No more than 30 were ever constructed. Good Luck.
Hi Colonel
thanks very much for the abundant clues: the closest I could find is the Potez 58, although first flight date doesn’t quite tally.
If it isn’t then really I’m giving up
Cheers
carson
My dear Carson, it’s not like you to surrender! I must admit though it is rather a toughie. The aircraft in question is a 1935 SALMSON ‘DEVILLE’ D2 P3 Phrygane Major. After the war, production was once again attempted, but only another three airframes were completed and this line of aircraft came to an end!
I must agree with you, that the problem with a lot of utility aircraft is that they do look very much alike. I will try another type next.
Thanks very much dear Colonel
I must confess I was at my wits’ end and I was swinging between a Caudron and a Potez. As you say all these utilities look tremendously alike. So I’ll be looking forward to receiving your next challenge
with utmost regards
carson
Well that’s considerably easier at least for me:
a Boeing JB-17G Test bed for the powerful Pratt&Whitney XT34 Turbo Wasp.
However I’ve read somewhere that there is no consensus to this identification and quite a few people maintain that the relevant pic is just a fake!
Well “quod scripsi scripsi”
Cheers
carson
This is what I mean:
The photograph is of a rather unique B-17. After the end of WWII many aircraft were declared surplus, including many that had never been flown in combat. Designated as JB-17G N5111N, this bomber was modified for use as a flying testbed for the huge XT-34 turboprop engine. An odd side note: There is at least one photo circulating on the Internet that depicts this plane flying without any of the four wing engines, but that photo is a “PhotoShop” fake. The JB-17G kept the four wing engines, which could be fired up in case the XT-34 failed, allowing the aircraft to land safely.
Well done my dear Carson, absolutely correct. Talis est pendo of parcus technology.
Looking forward to your next challenge. Regards…
My dear Colonel
may I bother you again asking you to identify for our mutual delight this war pic?
carson
Greetings of the day dear Carson. I would say at first sight that this is a Russian medium bomber (model as yet unclear) Still searching though !
Dear Colonel
To make your search easier please note:
- the aircraft is not russian
- the aircraft operated in Eastern Europe
- it is a medium bomber
Good luck and happy landings
carson
Hi Carson. Thanks for the further clues. I’ll hazard a guess here and say it’s a Savoia-Marchetti type SM79B with a glased nose for increased bombing visability. Fingers crossed.
Spot on dear Colonel.
The aircraft is actually a IAR JRS 79B Sparviero built under licence in Roumania. The big difference is that the roumanian Sparviero had just two engines and a glazed nose whereas the actual Sparviero had three as you well know.
If I find quickly a pic of the roumanian made Sparviero I’ll send one through.
It’s your turn my dear friend
carson
PS BTW What happened to illustrious Mr. Librarian?
This is the best pic I could find of a.m. aircraft on a short notice:
Greetings My dear Carson. Thank-you very much for the additional info regarding the Sparviero. It was the engine cowlings that first threw me, until I saw that they were re-engined for use in Roumania, then everything fell into place!
Here then is my latest aircraft for consideration. Good luck!
Hmm… stubby shape, elongated cockpit, semi-retractable landing gear,short double exhausts underneath cowling…a Severski P35? I keep my fingers crossed
carson
If my assumption is correct this particular a/c should be the J-9 version exported to Sweden as it is normal for the Svenska Flygvapnet to paint big numbers on their planes
Well done once again Carson ! This aircraft though is the 2PA variant (the Swedish air force named it the B6) official designation SEVERSKY REPUBLIC
‘GUARDSMAN’ 2PA. The difference being the J9 had only one seat and the 2PA had two seats. There were 120 plus 52/ 2PA aircraft on order from the Swedes in 1940, but due to the American embargo at the beginning of WW2 only two 2PA airframes were delivered. This particular aircraft 7204 lasted until 1953 when it suffered a landing accident and was withdrawn from service. Over to you!!
Dear Colonel
I should have noted that it was the trainer version of the Swedish Seversky but you can’t notice everything in a short time and thank you anyway for pointing it out to me.
I hope I don’t sound too chauvinistic if I’m offering another italian plane and I apologize for the bad quality of the picture but it seems this is the only existing picture of this particular airplane (please forget the other two on the ground).
Anyway here it is and I wish you good luck:
Hi Carson. Looks like a military transport. I’m taking a wild guess here…
a Savoia Marchetti, Type ? SM95 perhaps?
You are taking a very good guess Colonel because it is a Savoia Marchetti derived from the SM95. This particular model which flew with the authorization of the allied authorities was completed in a short time in 1945 and though conceived as a bomber it was test flown with different engines from the original in 1945. It is normally known as SM95B.
Some time tomorrow or day after I’ll make an abstract of this interesting story and send it over to you.
Of course only one prototype was built and flown.
The ball is yours to play dear Colonel
carson