JohnnyS

And that's correct! This was an unusual aircraft: Reverse sweep and lots of weirdness.

Please go ahead with your question, RCKen!

uncljoe

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good work Ken

RCKen

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Thanks guys. I had to take a couple muscle relaxers today because my back decided to act up on me today. I'll have a new quiz up for everybody tomorrow morning.

Ken

Ernie P.

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I hope you're feeling better, Ken. Back problems can be really nasty. Thanks; Ernie P.

Ernie P.

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Ken;

Rather than letting things sit idle, would you like for me to post a quick "This doesn't count" question to keep things moving? Thanks; Ernie P.

RCKen

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Sorry for the delay guys. I had hoped to post this up this morning, but my day literally went ka-boom when I walked in the office. I don't know what it is about being in IT but Mondays are almost always a nightmare. But here we go. I hope this quiz isn't too confusing, too mixed up, too simple for some, or too mixed-up for others. Let's see what happens.



Ok guys, here's the new quiz.


See if you can name this weapon system.


1. This system was thought of as early as 1910-1912.
2. While it was designed and patented in one country, they were not the first to put the system to use in combat

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

See if you can name this weapon system.


1. This system was thought of as early as 1910-1912.
2. While it was designed and patented in one country, they were not the first to put the system to use in combat
3. Along with the weapon system new tactics were designed for delivery.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

The Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane? Thanks; Ernie P.

The Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane was a project undertaken during World War I to develop an aerial torpedo, also called a flying bomb or pilotless aircraft, capable of carrying explosives to its target. It is considered by some to be a precursor of the cruise missile.

Before World War I, the possibility of using radio to control aircraft intrigued many inventors. One of these, Elmer Sperry, succeeded in arousing the US Navy's interest. Sperry had been perfecting gyroscopes for naval use since 1896 and established the Sperry Gyroscope Company in 1910. In 1911, airplanes had only been flying for eight years, and yet Sperry became intrigued with the concept of applying radio control to them. He realized that for radio control to be effective, automatic stabilization would be essential, so he decided to adapt his naval gyro-stabilizers (which he had developed for destroyers).

In 1913, the Navy provided a flying boat to test and evaluate the gyro-based autopilot. Sperry's son Lawrence served as an engineer during the test phase. In 1914, Lawrence Sperry was in Europe and observed the developing techniques of aerial warfare, including the use of aircraft. In 1916, the two Sperrys joined Peter Hewitt, an early inventor of radio-related devices, to develop an explosive-laden pilotless airplane.

Elmer Sperry and Hewitt served together on the Naval Consulting Board, where they both were members of the Committee on Aeronautics and Aeronautical Motors. Because of these connections, they were able to arrange for a representative of the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance, Lt. T. S. Wilkinson, to examine the control equipment they assembled. The system consisted of a gyroscopic stabilizer, a directive gyroscope, an aneroid barometer to regulate height, servo-motors for control of rudders and ailerons, and a device for distance gearing. These all could be installed in an airplane which could be catapulted or flown from the water, and would climb to a predetermined altitude, fly a pre-set course, and after traveling a pre-set distance, drop its bombs or dive to the ground. Wilkinson reported that the weapon did not possess a degree of accuracy sufficient to hit a ship, but, because of its range of 50 to 100 miles (160 km), it might be of interest to the Army.

RCKen

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Ernie,
That's a great guess, but not the weapons system I was looking for. Since Ernie took a shot I'll post a new clue, as well as another clue for this evening.

See if you can name this weapon system.


1. This system was thought of as early as 1910-1912.
2. While it was designed and patented in one country, they were not the first to put the system to use in combat
3. Along with the weapon system new tactics were designed for delivery.
4. During WW1 most countries that fielded warplanes used some form of the weapons system.Not all countries saw success with this system.
5. During the time between wars many countries worked to improve this system.

Redback

The Aerial Torpedo?

The comment below about fleets being attacked in their own harbour was prophetic!

Terry


The idea of dropping lightweight torpedoes from aircraft was conceived in the early 1910s by Bradley A. Fiske, an officer in the United States Navy.[SUP][5][/SUP] A patent for this was awarded in 1912. [SUP][6][/SUP][SUP][7][/SUP] Fiske worked out the mechanics of carrying and releasing the aerial torpedo from a bomber, and defined tactics that included a night-time approach so that the target ship would be less able to defend itself. Fiske determined that the notional torpedo bomber should descend rapidly in a sharp spiral to evade enemy guns, then when about 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 m) above the water the aircraft would straighten its flight long enough to line up with the torpedo's intended path. The aircraft would release the torpedo at a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 yards (1,400 to 1,800 m) from the target.[SUP][5][/SUP] Fiske reported in 1915 that, using this method, enemy fleets could be attacked within their own harbors if there was enough room for the torpedo track.[SUP][8][/SUP] However, the United States Congress appropriated no funds for aerial torpedo research until 1917 when the U.S. entered into direct action in World War I.[SUP][9][/SUP][SUP][10][/SUP] The U.S. would not have special-purpose torpedo planes until 1921.
First torpedo aircraft[edit]

Meanwhile, the Royal Naval Air Service began actively experimenting with this possibility. The first successful aerial torpedo drop was performed by Gordon Bell in 1914 - dropping a Whitehead torpedo from a Short S.64 seaplane. The success of these experiments led to the construction of the first purpose-built operational torpedo aircraft, the Short Type 184, built from 1915.[SUP][11][/SUP][SUP][12][/SUP]
An order for ten aircraft was placed, and 936 aircraft were built by ten different British aircraft companies during the First World War. The two prototype aircraft were embarked upon HMS Ben-my Chree, which sailed for the Aegean on 21 March 1915 to take part in the Gallipoli campaign.[SUP][13][/SUP]

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Well phooey, I expected this quiz to go quickly but not quite this quick!!!!

Yep, the aerial torpedo is the correct answer. Here are the rest of the clues I had lined up.

1. This system was thought of as early as 1910-1912.
2. While it was designed and patented in one country, they were not the first to put the system to use in combat
3. Along with the weapon system new tactics were designed for delivery.
4. During WW1 most countries that fielded warplanes used some form of the weapons system.Not all countries saw success with this system.
5. During the time between wars many countries worked to improve this system.
6. Primarily a naval weapons system.
7. While his weapon system is for aircraft there are versions of this weapon that are carried and used by other types of vehicles.
8. This was a point and shoot weapon
9. In the early years of WW2 Germany and Japan made the production of this weapon a priority
10. However, the German usage of this weapon far exceeded their use, resulting in a huge suplass at the end of the war.
11. The US version of this weapon only saw an approximate 30% success rate, and wasn't perfected until after 1943
12. Deployment of this weapon many times resulted in the loss of many planes to do the method of delivering this weapon, which left the plane vunerable for a long period time.
13. During Korean war use of this system was deemed suicidal because of improved anti-aircraft systems.
14. In modern day they are still used, but limited because missles provide more punch.

Ken

Redback

I really thought Ernie had nailed it. When Ken said no I started thinking about other options and torpedoes jumped straight into my mind. A quick Google to check and I was pretty sure I had saddled myself with thinking up another question!
Give me a little time, I'll try and come up with something.
Terry

Redback

OK, let's see how this one goes.
The aircraft I am thinking about had little impact on the war in which it was developed, however it's successors were of increasing importance in later conflicts.

Terry

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Good going, Terry. Actually, it's surprising how many seminal ideas came along around 1910. Radios in aircraft, all metal construction and specifically designed anti-aircraft systems all debuted around this time; in addition to the radio controlled aircraft and torpedo carriers. Thanks; Ernie P.

Ernie P.

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How about the Gloster Meteor? Thanks; Ernie P.


The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet aircraft during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Sir Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft itself began in 1940, although work on the engines had been underway since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. Nicknamed the "Meatbox", the Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in terms of its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter.

Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades. The Meteor saw limited action in the Second World War. Meteors of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) provided a significant contribution in the Korean War. Several other operators such as Argentina, Egypt and Israel flew Meteors in later regional conflicts. Specialised variants of the Meteor were developed for use in photo-reconnaissance and as night fighters.

The Meteor was also used for research and development purposes and to break several aviation records. On 7 November 1945, the first official air speed record by a jet aircraft was set by a Meteor F.3 of 606 miles per hour (975 km/h). In 1946, this record was broken when a Meteor F.4 reached a speed of 616 mph (991 km/h). Other performance-related records were broken in categories including flight time endurance, rate of climb, and speed. On 20 September 1945, a heavily modified Meteor I, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent turbine engines driving propellers, became the first turboprop aircraft to fly. On 10 February 1954, a specially-adapted Meteor F.8, the "Meteor Prone Pilot", which placed the pilot into a prone position to counteract inertial forces, took its first flight.

In the 1950s, the Meteor became increasingly obsolete as more nations introduced jet fighters, many of these newcomers having adopted a swept wing instead of the Meteor's conventional straight wing; in RAF service, the Meteor was replaced by newer types such as the Hawker Hunter and Gloster Javelin. As of 2013, two Meteors, WL419 and WA638, remain in active service with the Martin-Baker company as ejection seat testbeds. Two further aircraft in the UK remain airworthy, as does another in Australia.

Redback

A good answer, but not the one I was lookimg for. However you have the correct war.

1. The aircraft I am thinking about had little impact on the war in which it was developed, however it's successors were of increasing importance in later conflicts.
2. Its first flight was in 1942


Terry

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

1942? Then I'll guess the P-59 Airacomet. Thanks; Ernie P.


The Bell P-59 Airacomet was the first American jet fighter aircraft, designed and built by Bell Aircraft during World War II. The United States Army Air Force was not impressed by its performance and cancelled the contract when fewer than half of the aircraft ordered had been produced. Although no P-59s went into combat, it paved the way for another design generation of U.S. turbojet-powered aircraft and was the first turbojet fighter to have its turbojet engine and air inlet nacelles integrated within the main fuselage.

Major General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold became aware of the United Kingdom's jet program when he attended a demonstration of the Gloster E.28/39 in April 1941. The subject had been mentioned, but not in depth, as part of the Tizard Mission the previous year. He requested, and was given, the plans for the aircraft's powerplant, the Power Jets W.1, which he took back to the U.S. On 4 September, he offered the U.S. company General Electric a contract to produce an American version of the engine. On the following day, he approached Lawrence Dale Bell, head of Bell Aircraft Corporation, to build a fighter to utilize it. Bell agreed and set to work on producing three prototypes. As a disinformation tactic, the USAAF gave the project the designation "P-59A", to suggest it was a development of a completely unrelated Bell "XP-59" fighter project that had been canceled. The design was finalized on 9 January 1942, and construction began. In March, long before the prototypes were completed, an order for 13 "YP-59A" pre-production machines was added to the contract.

On 12 September 1942, the first XP-59A was sent to Muroc Army Air Field (today, Edwards Air Force Base) in California by train for testing, taking seven days to reach Muroc. While being handled on the ground, the aircraft was fitted with a dummy propeller to disguise its true nature. The aircraft first became airborne during high-speed taxiing tests on 1 October with Bell test pilot Robert Stanley at the controls, although the first official flight was made by Col Laurence Craigie the next day. A handful of the first Airacomets had open-air flight observer stations (similar to those of biplanes) later cut into the nose; over the following months, tests on the three XP-59As revealed a multitude of problems including poor engine response and reliability (common shortcomings of all early turbojets), insufficient lateral stability, i.e., in the roll axis, and performance that was far below expectations. Chuck Yeager flew the aircraft and was dissatisfied with its speed, but was amazed at its smooth flying characteristics. Nevertheless, even before delivery of the YP-59As in June 1943, the USAAF ordered 80 production machines, designated "P-59A Airacomet".

The 13 service test YP-59As had a more powerful engine than its predecessor, but the improvement in performance was negligible with top speed increased by only 5 mph and a reduction in the time they could be used before an overhaul was needed. One of these aircraft, the third YP-59A (S/n: 42-22611) was supplied to the Royal Air Force (receiving British serial RG362/G), in exchange for the first production Gloster Meteor I, EE210/G. British pilots found that the aircraft compared very unfavorably with the jets that they were already flying. (The YP-59A also compared unfavorably to the propeller-driven North American P-51 Mustang. Two YP-59A Airacomets (42-108778 and 42-100779) were also delivered to the U.S. Navy where they were evaluated as the "YF2L-1" but quickly found completely unsuitable for carrier operations.

Faced with their own ongoing difficulties, Bell eventually completed 50 production Airacomets, 20 P-59As and 30 P-59Bs. Each was armed with one 37 mm M4 cannon and 44 rounds of ammunition and three .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns with 200 rounds per gun. The P-59Bs were assigned to the 412th Fighter Group to familiarize AAF pilots with the handling and performance characteristics of jet aircraft. By 1950, all examples of the Airacomet were no longer airworthy. Over time, disposal of the aircraft included use as static displays, instructional aids in military training and use as static targets. While the P-59 was not a great success, the type did give the USAAF experience with the operation of jet aircraft in preparation for the more advanced types that would shortly become available.

Redback

No Ernie, not the P-59, however I will reward your persistance with another clue:

1. The aircraft I am thinking about had little impact on the war in which it was developed, however it's successors were of increasing importance in later conflicts.
2. Its first flight was in 1942
3. In 1943 one of these aircraft performed a feat novel at the time, but commonplace today

Terry

metaldriver

Military Helicopter, Bell or Sikorsky

Redback

Close enough! Sikorsky R-4 was what I was looking for. Thought I might have sqeezed a bit more out of this, but it's a tough neighbourhood!

The Sikorsky R-4 was a two-place helicopter designed by Igor Sikorsky with a single, three-bladed main rotor and powered by a radial engine. The R-4 was the world's first large-scale mass-produced helicopter and the first helicopter used by the United States Army Air Forces,[SUP][1][/SUP] Navy, Coast Guard, and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

A tough neighborhood indeed. Thanks; Ernie P.

metaldriver

I will Have to defer to someone else as we are going to be out of town for the weekend. But I will work up a good one after we get back

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

All; metaldriver is unable to post a question, and has surrendered the floor. The floor is open to whomever posts a question first. Thanks; Ernie P.

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Seeing no takers; we will move on with this question. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What warbird do I describe?

Clues:

(1) This aircraft was a revised version of an earlier aircraft, which had a history of some worrisome problems.

JohnnyS

Avro Lancaster bomber? (Developed from the Avro Manchester, which had a bunch of problems with the engines.)