WW2 aircraft

Off-Topic Quiz Room
#781

Oh, you don’t have to apologize for something that wasn’t your fault, my dear Mr. Carson. I am assuring you that we all do know the importance of the primary principle of daily life: first things first! Therefore please – take your time, we are not in a hurry. Furthermore - time is on our side. :slight_smile:

In the meantime here are some additional hints related to our strange old flying lady. Actually, she represented the very first serialized aircraft which was produced in a state-owned factory directly subordinated to the Ministry of Defense. This tiny but surprisingly agile aircraft was primarily used as a trainer, as well as for aerial photographing, machine gun training and for liaison purposes. Her excellence is confirmed by the fact that the floats-equipped variant (two completely different type of floats - all-aluminum and wooden - were used) was still able to do aerobatics. :cool:

#782

Dear Mr. Librarian
thanks for your additional clues.
I think I know now where our agile friend comes from but I still have to accomplish some investigations so I’ll get in touch with you a bit later
Carson1934
Festina lente

#783

Dear Mr. Librarian
this task is harder than I thought however from what I could gather from your clues I have the impression that our old lady does not belong to a country having a major air force.
I’m certainly wrong but she reminds me of an yugoslav floatplane, the Fizir F1M (Fizir 1 mornaricki) a pic of which I found with great difficulty on the net in a croatian forum with no translation available. The only information I could find is her building date 1930 but nothing else.
Anyway here’s a pic:

Am I right or is it a stab in the dark?:confused:
carson1934

#784

Your first conclusion is completely correct, my dear Mr. Carson, but unfortunately your next suggestion is not: the Fizir F1M is not our birdie! You see, unlike the Fizir, our mysterious old lady is equipped with the spinner cap, and that pair of slanting frontal capotage-struts, otherwise very well visible on our photo, are also non-existent on the Fizir.

But here is another, hopefully useful hint for you: yet again, our old birdie has an air cooled radial piston engine of British origin! :wink:

#785

Thanks Librarian I didn’t have many hopes about the Fizir but trying is no harm.
I’ll work around the engine which is a nine cylinder of british make and see what happens…
BTW it isn’t a norwegian Høver, is it?
Cheers
carson1934

#786

No, it isn’t Norwegian, my dear Mr. Carson, but our mysterious flyer indeed originates from an… well, almost neighboring, otherwise incredibly lovely, valiant and creative country. :wink:

BTW: Please excuse my tiny indistinctness regarding the engine. You see, only the prototype was equipped with a very rare 9-cylinder air cooled radial, manufactured by the Dudbridge Iron Works Ltd. in Stroud (Gloucestershire). All serial produced units actually were equipped with a significantly lighter, although not so powerful German engine Siemens – Halske Sh 12.

In the meantime, as always – all the best! :slight_smile:

#787

Dear Mr.Librarian
I have a mind I may have found after much researching your mystery plane thanks to your clues.
It should be the finnish VL Sääski II which was equipped with a non specified 9 cylinder Siemens Halske Sh engine besides it does have a spinner and the overall strut configuration is similar if not identical to that of your offer.
Unfortunately no comparison could be made with the vertical fin because this does not appear in your picture.
Also the country where it was built is neighbouring Norway and it is, to use your own words: lovely (especially in summer), valiant and creative…
Can you confirm the above?
carson1934

PS BTW in the list of aircrafts using Siemens Halske Sh12 engines available on the net only german aircrafts are listed!:shock:

#788

Yes, my dear Mr. Carson! Our mysterious birdie indeed is the Valtion Lentokonetehdas VL Sääski II! :smiley:

Here is a direct link to the previously used photo:

http://www.sci.fi/~fta/ftrsqn21_history_2.htm

Honestly, I was a little bit stunned why this quite popular little birdie represented such a big difficulty for our forum members… And please don’t tell me anything more about those “prompt” and “accurate” updates at the Wikipedia! After 7 years of constant correction efforts back there I am, if truth is to be told, a little bit tired… :frowning:

Yet again, my sincerest congratulations Mr. Carson! As the old wisdom already stated: Voluptas e difficili data dulcissima est. Therefore please – bewitch our exploratory capacity again! :wink:

#789

#789
I’m glad you confirm my finding."Post nubila Phoebus"
Yes it’s rather stunning it seems like the only active members on this forum its you and me…
Concerning Wikipedia I find their lists most of the time incomplete…but perfection is not of this world!
carson1934

For the next offer please be patient a few more days I’m a little busy right now…

#790

Please, my dear Mr. Carson – take your time, we are definitely not in a hurry. Have a good weekend, you have successfully finished a splendid and truly colossal work. :wink:

#791

Dear Mr. Librarian
as I might be fairly busy this coming week I’m taking advantage of the weekend to let you have my proposal a venerable floatplane as much aged as the undersigned which was used as a maritime recce platform.
I’m sure this is goingto be identified pretty quickly but I like this birdie!
carson1934

and referring to your post #789 may I dare to quote Orazio:"Magnum hoc ego duco quod placuit tibi"

venerable floatplane.jpg
venerable floatplane.jpg750×518 32 KB

#792

I swear that’s a Supermarine aircraft, but I can’t nail it down :frowning:

#793

Hi pdf27
Sorry my friend not a Supermarine
carson1934

#794

I had in mind a Stranraer flying boat.
Not so, however, so, my best guess is a Saro A7.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1931/1931%20-%201027.html

I freely admit I’m likely to be wrong, but I can’t come up with anything better, right now. :stuck_out_tongue:

#795

Dear Uyraell

You are very very close to the solution…my mystery plane is british, it is a Saunders-Roe but not the A-7.
One further clue it first flew on my birthday year!:wink:
Cheers
carson1934

#796

Dear Carson1934,
with your latest clue, I think I’m looking at:

Saro A27.

Kind Regards Sir, and My thanks for an interesting and diverting search. Uyraell.

#797

Dear Uyraell

Yes sir it is indeed the Saunders Roe A-27 “London” a beautiful floatplane which first flew in 1934.

Your turn now to submit a challenge,
cheers
carson1934

#798

I expect this will be a simple one, but the aircraft I show has a genuine WW2 connection, in an eastern theater, where it served several roles, including (God help the poor sods crewing it!!) bomber.

OddBird 1..jpg

Regards, Uyraell.

#799

Dear Uyraell
thanks for your offer.
If I’m not mistaken this should the Curtiss-Wright BT/32 “Condor II” which first flew in 1933.
A magnificent machine!:smiley:
Cheers
carson1934

#800

Dear carson 1934. :slight_smile:
Bang on, sir ! Well Done!

I chose the Condor because right up to 1942 Gen. Chiang Kai Shek used one as his personal transport, much to the horror of Clair Chennault, who was even more horrified to learn the sister ship was still in use as a bomber.

I await your next offer with interest.

Kind Regards carson1934, Uyraell.