Nov. 25 Mystery Plane Quiz

[seacue]

Tell me about this mystery plane (http://users.erols.com/rcarpen/quiz5.JPG) .

Sorry about the quality of the picture.

Seacue

[tharg]

It is, I think, a very odd beast made by Cole Aircraft of Hammersmith for the government of the day. Will check date later - but around 1918 to 1920 - and I have a nagging idea that there might have been some variable geometry in those funny wings. More later

[sycamore]

In fact so variable that the lower wings are back-to-front !!:)

[Mac the Knife]

I've got a different picture of the same ac filed under Gastembide - who, I believe was a French aircraft designer. One of the chaps in the photy is obviously French with kepi and all.

Sorry I didn't make any more notes - think the pic was via PPRuNE

[Bre901]

Gastambide-Levavasseur variable geometry biplane ca 1920.

Mac : you should have tried the search function in PPrune !

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98977&highlight=gastambide

[seacue]

And I should have done the search before starting this quiz.... And now I even remember seeing that picture. Shame, shame for using this plane on a quiz.

SC
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Variable Surface Airplane

(Aviation November 15, 1920)

The accompanying illustration shows an extremely interesting French machine recently flown before the French Technical Section at Etampes.

The machine has its upper plane in three parts, one of which forms part of a fixed biplane truss, while the other two are variable, one sliding forward and the other backward.

Construction details are not available at the moment, and it would be interesting to know the way in which the loads are transmitted from the movable planes when extended from the biplane truss. No doubt the cambered supports shown in the photograph assist in this transmission of stress.

The chord of the upper plane is 5 ft. 4 in. when normal, and 10 ft. 8 in. when the movable surfaces are displaced. The center of pressure remains unchanged by having one movable part move forward and the other rearward.

The speed range is from 125 miles to 37 miles per hour. A perfect landing was made on test, with a landing run of only 120 feet.

The plane was designed by Lavavasseur and Gastambide and flown by the aviator Grandjean, after whose demonstration of its power it was officially accepted by the commission.

The machine is a 250 hp. biplane of which a new mechanism enables the pilot to vary the wing surface from thirty to fifty square meters?????...

[tharg]

Ooops! More haste, less speed for tharg then. Realise now that I, too, saw the snap of the Gastambide-Levavasseur on PPRuNe - must have done, 'cos came up with me rather rushed "Cole aircraft" pitch by Googling for "French biplane" and found this

http://website.lineone.net/~lcvaisey/air.htm

On closer inspection, there are similarities but the wing is way out and driver's seat looks well wrong. So I stand corrected but...

Just what the dayvil is, or was, Wm Cole and Sons Aircraft makers. Aside from this ad can find no mention of them or any aeroplanes to roll out of their Hammersmith hangar (!)

Will attempt to check 1920 ish JAWA this a.m. In meantime - over to you

[tharg]

Okay - so who nicked the JAWAs for 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922 and 1923 :mad:

When - IF - they turn up, hope to be able to discover something about the working of the beast - till then will cherish the idea that the gentlemen pilot would have had a couple of chaps to turn mahoosive brass and ivory crank handles for him.

Sad to say that Wm Cole & Sons Ltd also defeats me: no trace not mention of the company anywhere.

<exits dejectedly in search of consoling glass of Chateau Collapso >