The Ongoing Mystery Aircraft Thread Part Deux.

[cthornburg]

And the brass ring goes to SC.
Looking forward to the next one.

Chris

 

[Sopwith Chameleon]

Thanks !

What is this ?

 

[giruXX]

Boulton Paul P92/2

OH if correct

 

[Sopwith Chameleon]

Correct ! The Suds are on me

 

[Moses03]

Continuing on with a highly modified bug sprayer...

 

[fabulousfour]

Looks like the Clevenger, a heavily modified Stinson L-5.

Not only the French did build ugly planes.

 

[Moses03]

It is!

Well for killing bugs I guess looks are not too important.

 

[fabulousfour]

Perhaps the ugly looking helped to scare the bugs away.

Here is another biplane.

 

[lefty]

That would be the Koolhoven F.K 52

 

[fabulousfour]

It is the Koolhoven.

Suds to Mike

 

[lefty]

Thanks Robert. Back in the chilly lands now.....

Try this little machine -

 

[pomme homme]

A long shot ..... but could that be the second Parnall Peto, G-ACOJ, which, despite being allocated that registration mark, never materialised on civvy street? The circumstantial evidence is right - G on the tail, five cylinder radial, floats, folding wings - but the wing bracing is wrong and I was unaware that this aeroplane had been photographed in civilian guise.

 

[lefty]

You're in the right area, Mike, but this was designed a little later than the Parnall, and purely as a civilian aircraft. You are also correct about the Armstrong-Siddeley engine, although a slightly different model.

From a well-known company.

 

[pomme homme]

Then I assume the motor to be a Genet or Genet Major and if this aeroplane postdates the Peto, my only other thought is a Blackburn Bluebird. However to postdate the Peto, it would have to be a Bluebird IV. But the fin and rudder doesn't look right for a Bluebird IV, and the only British registered floatplane version of this, of which I'm aware, was the Gipsy powered G-ABGF. The only Genet Major powered Bluebird IV, of which I'm aware, was a landplane and Australian registered, namely VH-UOC. The photograph looks much more like a Genet powered Bluebird II. The only floatplane version of this, of which I'm aware, was G-EBSW. But this aeroplane dates from 1927 (although it was not converted to a floatplane until 1930), whereas the two Petos apparently date from 1929/30, and in the photographs of G-EBSW which I've seen the engine mounting and cowling look subtly different from that in the photograph posted. All considered, Mike, I think that I've confused myself to the point of giving in and running up the white flag!

 

[lefty]

You didn't confuse yourself, my dear fellow - I did it for you. For some reason I had the Peto much earlier, which was wrong - my apologies.

This is indeed G-EBSW, the Bluebird II. This is the original with wooden prop, which was subsequently changed to a Fairey Reed metal airscrew. This may explain the different appearance to some extent.

No white flag necessary, only a tribute of sackcloth, ashes, and a glass of poncha from this end......

(By the way, this was flown around the coastline of Britain by Col. the Master of Sempill. They don't make 'em like that any more either..... )

 

[pomme homme]

Thank you, kind sir. But you'll have to allow me until tomorrow to find the next brain teaser because I have nothing on the stocks at present.

As to William Forbes-Sempill, the Master of Sempill, probably it's a jolly good thing, if you have reference to his doings, that they didn't make any more like him - unless, of course, you're Japanese!

 

[pomme homme]

It appears that we've had plenty of other members of this bird's family but not this one.

 

[lefty]

Albatros L-82 ?

 

[pomme homme]

I thought I might fox you lot for a while by putting up an image of the Gipsy engined prototype - but I should have known better! Yes, it is the Albatros L-82. Over to Scotland with a large glass of eau de vie de prune mirabelle (for which, strangely, there doesn't seem to be an emoticon).

 

[lefty]

Thanks Mike. Just happened to be sitting with the appropriate book open when you posted that, and, well, that tail unit is a bit of a giveaway. Here's the photo from the book which makes it look quite a different machine !