View Full Version : yet another mystery plane thread
Onan the Clumsy
31st Jan 2006, 04:13
from the Frontiers of Flight Museum website:
http://flightmuseum.com/mysteryplane.htm
Ikarus 451
http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Ruvidic/4623.jpg
Museum of Yugoslav Aviation, Surcin Airport, Belgrade
Two inverted Walter six-cylinder engines of 158 bhp, 22 ft wingspan, maximum speed 182 knots, ceiling 15,570 ft.
treadigraph
31st Jan 2006, 07:36
Blimey! I do hope that's prone pilot, or he must be bl:eek::eek:dy uncomfortable!
cringe
31st Jan 2006, 07:58
Comments from the author of the above photo (http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Ruvidic/4623.htm): Prototype from 1952 with the pilot lying on his abdomen and a special head support during flight... a very uncomfortable position.
Footless Halls
31st Jan 2006, 18:29
That's an excellent position in some circumstances but not, in my experience , for flying an aeroplane.
Sammie_nl
1st Feb 2006, 19:22
I seem to remember that this position though not very comfy is great for high G maneuvres. There was a German testbed plane during WWII that was used to research the possible combat effectiveness of these sort of planes, puling up to 15g didnt seem to be a problem.
chevvron
1st Feb 2006, 19:55
One German aircraft was actually a glider that carried a cannon to use against allied bombers.
British contributions were the prone pilot Meteor and the Reid and Sigrist Desford(which looked similar to the aircraft pictured, but had a 'normal' cockpit as well)
Onan the Clumsy
1st Feb 2006, 21:12
...and round-the-world Voyager
(sort of)
Captain Airclues
1st Feb 2006, 21:42
When I was doing my PPL at Carlisle in 1964, the Desford mentioned by Chevvron paid a visit. Several of us were given a ride in the 'prone' cockpit. A strange experience, especially on landing. I've managed to find some photos prior to the 'prone' conversion, but none after.
Airclues
treadigraph
1st Feb 2006, 22:31
The Prone Pilot Desford was known as the Bobsleigh - then restored to the UK register as the Desford Trainer. When Captain Airclues had his go it was operated by Kemp's Aerial Surveys, and survives today at East Fortune. Looked better in its original form I think.
There's a pic of it on this fascinating page, but be warned it contains a lot of historic - and not so historic - pics from Coventry - worth a peruse if you have Broadband:
http://www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/id39.htm
The Prone Pilot Meteor still exists in a museum as well I believe?
frankjsmith
2nd Feb 2006, 12:32
The prone pilot Meteor is in the excellent museum at Cosford