Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Well, the first aircraft carrier was the Argus, and the first plane landed was a Sopwith. So, I'll guess the unusual fighter was the Sopwith Long Range Tractor Triplane; with its airbrakes and wing mounted nacelle for the gunner. Thanks; Ernie P.


Argus was launched on 2 December 1917 and was commissioned on 6 September 1918, just before the end of the First World War. The first landing on the ship was made on the 1st October 1918 by a Sopwith Ship Strutter by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Bell Davis. Due to her small size and relatively slow speed, she was of limited use as a combat vessel. Instead, she was used primarily to develop the techniques of aircraft carrier combat and train aviators in the operation of aircraft at sea.

The Sopwith Long Range Tractor Triplane (L.R.T.Tr) was a prototype British long-range three seat triplane escort fighter of the First World War. Of unusual layout, with a small gunner's nacelle mounted on the upper wing to give an all-round field of fire. Only a single example was built, other, smaller, fighters proving more practicable.

In early 1916, the British War Office drew up a specification for a multi-seat escort fighter to be powered by one of the new Rolls-Royce Eagle engines, intended to protect formations of bombers from German fighters, with an additional role of destroying enemy airships. While the specification did not require high speed, a good field of fire for its guns was essential, while the secondary anti-Zeppelin role demanded an endurance of at least seven hours.

Orders were placed for prototypes from Armstrong Whitworth (the F.K.6), Sopwith and Vickers (the F.B.11). All three designs were driven by the need to provide wide fields of fire in the absence of effective synchronisation gear that would allow safe firing of guns through the propeller disc.

The Sopwith proposal was modified from an existing design for a two-seat triplane, with a nacelle for a gunner added to the upper wing. It had three-bay, narrow chord wings, with the streamlined nacelle housing the upper gunner who was armed with a Lewis gun built around the centre section of the upper wing. Ailerons were fitted to all wings, with air brakes fitted to the lower wing. The deep fuselage housed the pilot and a second gunner to guard the aircraft's tail. Balancing wheels were fitted well ahead of the aircraft's mainwheels in order to prevent the aircraft overturning, as the upper gunner would be extremely vulnerable if this occurred.

The prototype, which was nicknamed "Egg-Box", flew late in 1916. It was not developed further, with smaller fighters fitted with synchronisation gear such as Sopwith's own 1½ Strutter now available, with all of the proposed three-seat escort fighters abandoned.

rivas8409

My Feedback: (1)

Not quite what I'm looking for. I think I was little too vauge on clue number 2, I'll add a little something to it.

What aircraft?

1)Designed as a fighter, this aircraft's unusual design looks like it should not be able to fly.
2) The aircraft design firm made history by also building an aircraft that was the first to take off from the deck of an American aircraft carrier.
3) Early specifications promised the ability to perform a specific maneauver that no other fixed wing aircraft could while having a high top speed.
4)The plane'sdesign firm is still around today, and maintained part of it's original name but was renamed after being bought by a company thatwas founded in 1993.
5) When the project was canceled by the Navy,and aircraft ordered destroyed, it took some HEAVY machinery to destroy it.

perttime

Vought XF5U

uncljoe

My Feedback: (8)

I would say your right ,but I did not ask the question
Semper FI
Joe

perttime

It does fit the question... but I'll wait for confirmation.
It is late here. I'll check back in 10 or 12 hours.

rivas8409

My Feedback: (1)

That's it- the Vought XF5U.  Ok, so it never entered service, but it's just a strange looking "warbird" who's early specs stated that it would be able to hover and have a top speed over 500mph! 

Not only did it get most (if not all) it's lift from the body- it's wing aspect ratio was so small that you would think it shouldn't fly.   The design alone looks like it shouldn't fly and it never really did.  Vibrations were too much, and it only managed to "hop" down the runway which didn't really classify as "flights".  It was built tough!  The first swing of the wrecking ball bounced off and didn't do much damage at all. 

Alright peritime, you're up!

perttime

What naval aircraft?

1) the original concept had the engine behind the pilot
2) it was built with the engine conventionally in the nose
3) first ones had piston engines but soon it was decided to concentrate on the turbine powered version

perttime

What naval aircraft?

1) the original concept had the engine behind the pilot
2) it was built with the engine conventionally in the nose
3) first ones had piston engines but soon it was decided to concentrate on the turbine powered version
4) when it finally entered service on carriers, a ... rather distressing ... problem was discovered: a catapult launch sometimes resulted in a flameout.

DeferredDefect

The Westland Wyvern?

perttime

Westland Wyvern is correct!

I wasn't quite sure if this is easy or difficult.

Edited from Wikipedia:

The Westland Wyvern was a British single-seat carrier-based multi-role strike aircraft built by Westland Aircraft that served in the 1950s, seeing active service in the 1956 Suez Crisis.

... design matured into the more conventional Westland W.34, with the 3,500 hp (2,610 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle 22 24-cylinder H-block piston engine in the nose driving large contra-rotating propellers and the pilot sitting high in a humped fuselage to improve visibility.

The prototype W.34; the Wyvern TF Mk 1, first flew on 12 December 1946

The definitive Wyvern mark was the TF.Mk.4, later S.Mk.4.

Total production was 127 airframes with 124 aircraft completed.

All Wyverns were withdrawn from service by 1958: while in service and testing there were 68 accidents, 39 were lost and there were 13 fatalities; including two RAF pilots and one USN pilot.

An unflown pre-production aircraft, the last to be fitted with the original Eagle piston engine, (serial number VR137) is on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, England.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland_Wyvern

Pictures: Wyvern preparing for launch, the museum aircraft painted in navy colors, the museum aircraft stripped back to bare aluminum.

...............

GraemeEllis, your turn.

DeferredDefect

One of my favourite aircraft!

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

Okay; a softball, just to keep things rolling. Thanks; Ernie P.


Question: What aircrew member scored the first aerial victory of WW II?

Clues:

(1) Obviously, the Polish Campaign.

perttime

No takers?

Unteroffizier Frank Neubert, pilot of a JU 87 "Stuka", shooting down Cptn. Mieczyslaw Medwecki, who flew a PZL P.11c ?

Ernie P.

My Feedback: (3)

That would be correct, perttime. You are up, Sir. Interesting that the first victory of WW II was a bomber shooting down a fighter. Thanks; Ernie P.



Question: What aircrew member scored the first aerial victory of WW II?

Clues:

(1) Obviously, the Polish Campaign.

(2) The victim was a veteran pilot and CO.

(3) Another member of his flight avenged the loss only minutes later.

(4) The victor was a pilot, but not a fighter pilot.

ANSWER: Leutnant Frank Neubert, flying a Stuka, downed Polish Captain Mieczyslaw Medwecki, flying a PZL P.11c, early on September 1st, 1939.


At dawn on 1 September, Capt. Mieczysław Medwecki flying a PZL P.11c was shot down by Rottenführer (Foreman Leader) Leutnant Frank Neubert of I./StG 2 (Stuka) , having the dubious honour of becoming the first aircraft shot down in the Second World War. The first Allied air victory was achieved 20 minutes later by Medwecki's wingman, Wladyslaw Gnys who shot down two Dornier Do 17s with his P.11c.

In the pre-dawn of September 1st 1939, units of Hitler's Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht were poised to smash across Poland's borders to begin WWII. At sunrise, formations of German bombers were over Krakow and attacked the Polish airbase of Rakowice.

Meanwhile, several miles to the west on a secret airfield at Balice, 121 Fighter Eskadra (Squadron) of Army Krakow's 2 Dyon (Air Regiment) was alerted to the attack by the noise of explosions and flaming horizon. Leaping from his bed and pulling on his flight clothes, 28 year-old veteran flyer, 2nd Lt. Wladek Gnys ran with his CO, Capt. Mieczyslaw Medwecki, to their gull-winged PZLP.11c fighters. As they took off to make an interception of the German attackers, the pair was surprised by fire from passing Ju-87 Stukas of I./StG2, and Medwecki was downed.

In attempting to evade, Gnys went into a stall, but regained control just above the ground. Climbing once again, he managed to put two bursts into the engine of another Stuka, which turned away trailing a plume of smoke.

Later, at 5000 feet, Gnys spotted two Do-17E bombers of III./KG77 just above the rising early-morning fog. Putting his small fighter into a near-vertical dive, Gnys banked steeply toward the Dornier on the right and fired his four 7.7mm machine guns, silencing the rear gunner and hitting the port engine. He then climbed and banked to the left, away from his smoking victim, to pursue the second German. Attacking from the second bomber's port side, Gnys dove and fired, getting hits on the cockpit. Realizing that the two mortally wounded Dorniers were on a collision course, he continued his dive below and away from them.

Returning to base, the victorious pilot did not see the two crashed bombers smoldering in a farmyard near the village of Zurada... the first victories over the Luftwaffe in World War II! Gnys later fought with the French Air Force in the Battle of France, the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain, and ended his combat career as the squadron leader of the 317F Squadron, RAF.

perttime

Here's an oddball I was reminded of by something recently posted in RC Warbirds and Warplanes.

1) It was originally designed for rocket engines but the rockets did not work out as well as was hoped, so two turbojets were installed instead.
2) the plan was to install 4 .50" machine guns but, apparently, a "different" method for disabling enemy bombers was also foreseen.

The Raven

He-176 which then became the He-178?

perttime

Nope. At least not what I had in mind.

Here's an oddball I was reminded of by something recently posted in RC Warbirds and Warplanes.

1) It was originally designed for rocket engines but the rockets did not work out as well as was hoped, so two turbojets were installed instead.
2) the plan was to install 4 .50" machine guns but, apparently, a "different" method for disabling enemy bombers was also foreseen.

3) the pilot flew it in a prone position

The Raven

Northrop XP-79B Flying Ram

perttime

Northrop XP-79B is correct!

There seems to be some dispute on whether it really was designed for ramming the tailfeathers of enemy bombers.

http://www.aero-web.org/specs/northrop/xp-79b.htm

(attached a pic from Wikipedia)

..................
Your turn, The Raven.

The Raven

What am I:

1. Although I used several different powerplants, I was the first aircraft to use a specific type.
2. Originally I was a civilian design, which was adapted for military use, with some variants evolving back to civilian applications.
3. One of my variants was an X-plane, although I carried many designations.

The Raven

What am I:

1. Although I used several different powerplants, I was the first aircraft to use a specific type.
2. Originally I was a civilian design, which was adapted for military use, with some variants evolving back to civilian applications.
3. One of my variants was an X-plane, although I carried many designations.
4. One version was trialed for night ops in Asia.
5. Depending on how you count the variants, at least 15 were built.

perttime

X-plane as in a NASA X-plane (X-31), a prototype/development (XF-91 Thunderceptor), or something else?

DeferredDefect

Lockheed Quiet Star?

The Raven

Congratulations! Yes, the Q-Star and/or one of its variants. It was the first aircraft to be powered by a wankel rotary engine, amongst other achievements.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Q-Star

The X-26 Frigate is the longest-lived of the X-plane programs. The program included the X-26A Frigate sailplane and the motorized X-26B Quiet Thruster versions: QT-2, QT-2PC, and QT-2PCII. All were based on the Schweizer 2-32 sailplane.

Development

The X-26A was used by the United States Navy (USN) to train test pilots in the condition of yaw/roll coupling. Since jet trainers were known to be dangerous in this condition, the X-26 was based on the Schweizer SGS 2-32 sailplane. Sailplanes react much slower and are easier to control than jet aircraft, making the X-26 a much safer training platform. Four aircraft were originally ordered. Three of the original planes crashed. The USN purchased a replacement for each of the crashed units.
[edit]Operational history

Two Schweizer 2-32s [(67-15345 and 67-15346) from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School X-26 Program (USNTPS)] were modified to QT-2 configuration (QT for Quiet Thruster) by the Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. (LMSC) and civil registered as N2471W and N2472W. In 1967 the aircraft were modified by adding a Continental O-200 engine, V-Belt RPM reduction system, four-bladed fixed pitch wood (Fahlin) propeller, and airframe upgrades.
After demonstrating quiet flight, the aircraft were again modified to military QT-2PC configuration, known only as Tail Numbers "1" and "2", with GFE avionics and camouflage for night operation. They were successfully evaluated in Southeast Asia (Prize Crew OpEval) for covert ("stealth") tactical airborne observation in the spring of 1968 (during Têt). The two QT-2PCs were returned to USNTPS in 1969 and re-designated X-26Bs.
The #1 QT-2PC was re-designated "67-5345" and the #2 aircraft was used for spare parts. The original X-26 glider version was then designated X-26A.
LMSC continued the covert airborne surveillance program with one Q-Star (House Test Aircraft) and eleven pre-production YO-3As.
QT-2PC, QT-2PCII, and X-26B

QT-2PC #1 in the Soc Trang, RVN Army Airfield Hangar in 1968
Role Experimental Covert Reconnaissance Aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer SACUSA and LMSC
Designed by 2-32: Bill and Ernie Schweizer
QT-2 and its variants: Stanley Hall
First flight QT-2: July, 1967, QT-2PC: Dec, 1967
Introduced 1967
Retired 1969 as X-26B
Status #1: Unknown. #2 Operational as a glider at Mile High Glider
Primary user Tri-Service (USA, USAF, USN, and USMC)
Number built 2 (QT-2 & QT-2PC/X-26B)
Developed from SGS 2-32
Variants QT-2, QT-2PC, X-26B
The remaining X-26B aircraft, known to most of the original development team (us)[who?] as QT-2 N2471W and QT-2PC #1, remains of the aircraft are unknown.
The other X-26B aircraft (known to most of us[who?] as QT-2 N2472W and QT-2PC #2) has been retro-verted to SGS 2-32 Configuration and is being operated (and known as “72 Whiskey”) at Mile High Glider in Boulder, Colorado.
The Q-Star was the first aircraft to use a rotary combustion chamber (Wankel) engine. It is currently[when?] being returned to flight status.
The YO-3As were tactically evaluated in Southeast Asia from mid 1969 to late 1971. They were later used by the Louisiana Dept of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in law enforcement, and by NASA for scientific applications.
YO-3A 69-18007 is currently[when?] being returned to flight status. YO-3A 69-18010 (NASA 818) is down[when?] for an engine upgrade.

DeferredDefect

Lets see...