The Ongoing Mystery Aircraft Thread Part Deux.

Still one of my favourite films :very_drunk:

That should be the Passat Ornithopter "flown" by Count Emilio Ponticelli in "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines"
 
Spot on, Robert - although if I were a pedant (!), I might say that you're missing the word 'replica'. What became of the original after its - alleged - 450' flight across Wimbledon Common in 1912, before that flight was teminated by a tree, is not recorded.

Anyhow, over to Germany - but not, please, the Eardley Billing Tractor Biplane, shared both by the Germans and Japanese in that film!

And as for the eau de vie de prune. Oh no, I just had some Madeira m'dear!
 
I love that film and I still must smile every time I think of one of my favourite scenes where Sir Percy and his Avro ended up on a train in a tunnel. "Arretez le train!"... :redfire:

Keeping the theme of unorthodox vintage aircraft.
 

Attachments

  • SOH-216.jpg
    SOH-216.jpg
    106.2 KB · Views: 4
Last edited:
Hi Mike:encouragement:
I did not react at your Libellula II heli, simply because I did not recognize her.
AFAIK Count Ettor3e Menzolini built at least the Libellula (sometime referred to as Libellula 1), the Libellula II and the Libellula III and maybe he was also involved (financial backing?) in the MGB-2 (MGB for Manzolini, Giannini and Brondetti). To keep things simple, I have alsom sen the MGB-2 descrfibed as the Libellula 1 (?).
I was always under the impression that the Libellula II (I-MANN) is surviving in the Caproni museum in Italy and as can be seen in attached photo, she has a much different configuration than the Libellula II posted by you.
Did I take the wrong turn somewhere in the 1950s ?
 

Attachments

  • Manzolini Libellua II.jpg
    Manzolini Libellua II.jpg
    93.2 KB · Views: 4
'she has a much different configuration than the Libellula II posted by you.'

Only superficially, Walter. My photo is from Jane's 62-63. Apart from the tail assembly, and some panelling on the door and cockpit sides, it is basically the same machine, I think !
 
The plane from the picture probably never flew since it was lost in a fire during repairs.
However, a second example of that bird (possibly with a different engine) is said to have made some flights, but the design was abandoned.

The remains of the second plane still exist in a European museum.
 
First flight was around 1914, the sources vary about the exact year.

The manufacturer is probably best known for his twin-engined bombers of WW1.
 
Pretty sure I have never seen this one before. Not finding it in my archives.

Interesting ship.


Re: Magnificent Men-

I liked the Gert Frobe German Colonel character. :biggrin-new:

Along the way I found a really neat book called Building Aeroplanes for Those Magnificent Men. Chock full of photos and stories about building the planes for the movie. Test flight reports etc.

Whoever owned it before me made all kinds of engineering notes in pencil along the margins. Kind of added to its character!
 

Attachments

  • 001.jpg
    001.jpg
    62.3 KB · Views: 2
  • 002.jpg
    002.jpg
    50.7 KB · Views: 2
Interesting book, Kevin!

Re the mystery plane: You have to look in Germany and don't miss wikipedia!
The plane is named after a bird of prey.
 
Ok, time to solve the mystery.

It is the AEG Eule (owl), an article about that bird is in wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEG_Wagner_Eule

The remains of the AEG are in the "Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego" in Krakow, Poland.

Thought that my clue about the twin-engined bombers would have helped, I believe these aircraft are the best known from AEG.

Open house, please.
 
In reply to the Wiki saying it's the Owl. See attached.

Chris
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2020-01-31 at 12.51.31 PM.jpg
    Screen Shot 2020-01-31 at 12.51.31 PM.jpg
    59.7 KB · Views: 10
Now, that is interesting, Chris! :encouragement:

I didn't know that there is a controversy about the name of the AEG.
Could you tell me the source of that quote?

My photo came from the book "Deutsche Flugzeuge bis 1945" (German Aircraft until 1945) from Peter Cohausz. Mr. Cohausz has quite a reputation as an aviation author here in Germany.
Since even in the book the plane is named AEG Eule I didn't have the faintest idea that this name is disputable.

Learning something new every day. :very_drunk:
 
Hi Kevin :very_drunk:
Correct. From the info I gathered over the years, I think this is the prototype N1859M because that is supposed to be the only Jamieson with foldable wings.
I think it was called the J-1 Jupiter.

Your turn, please
 
Thanks Walter-

Moving on with an oddball design.

aEsmEne.jpg
 
Back
Top