Unidentified Floatplane

[Ed Set]

Can anyone help identify the attached photo? Possibly a NAF N3N variant or am I completely wrong as it has no central float?
Also is that camouflage or just a poor photo?http://www.stonehaven-heritage.org/photos/photos/4005.jpg

[Mr_Grubby]

I think it might be a Douglas.

It looks like a World Cruiser but the engine is wrong. But the parallel struts from the fuselage to the wings are Douglas World Cruiser. But the lower wings are shorter than the upper ?

I don't know.
I'll wait for Mr Treadigraphs verdict.

Clint.

[Ed Set]

Would tend to agree about the floats but if you look closely at the fuselage there appears to be a serial of something like "450" which doesn't tie in. And as you say the wings/engines look wrong!:confused:

[seacue]

Looks like a 30s or very late 20s plane to me. And the site doesn't look much like North America.

[cringe]

The same photo can be found here: http://www.sci.fi/~ambush/faf/maritime.html

Caption: Norwegian F.346 (which became NK-173) at Stonehaven, Scotland, in the beginning of June 1940, before its flight back to Tromsö, Norway and to Petsamo, Finland.

Edit: Forgot to add that the type is Høver MF-11 (MF=Marinens Flyvebatfabrikk).

[Ed Set]

Many thanks Cringe-agree that the photo was indeed at Stonehaven. Many, many thanks for your assistance.
Any idea what the aircraft was doing her in Stonehaven? Local Heritage Group are interested.
Thanks again
Ed:

[H.Finn]

This airplane flew to Scotland, just when Germans were invading Norway. I believe it flew there together with another one of the same type. They were ordered to fly to Finland instead, and did so, landing somewhere near Petsamo in northern Finland. They, and I remember three othe MF.11's were interned by the Finns and used by the Finnish AF during the war.

[Ed Set]

thanks once again for all the information.
Yes the photo IS credited to Hugh Ramsay who is indeed of the same family (Haven't yet confirmed whether it was the Hugh Ramsay who has just retired, but I think it is more than likely, as Hugh is a leading light with the Stionehaven Heritage Society.

If a current Aberdeen ATC'er spots any likely looking ex North Sea chopper pilots in "The Ship", I'll stand you a beer.

Drop me a line!

Ed

[Nardi Riviera]

Found a website that supports the info on the one posted here.
http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str161.htm
(great pic's, never mind the language, one can read numbers and places from the text) Wonder why NK-172 sports a Swastica?

The Norwegian "Mine Factory" was licensed to produce Armstrong Siddeley Panther II engines from 1934 (made better than the original) a total of 17 engines. Their first one proved its reliability on a flight to/from arctic Svalbard (4500 km) without snags. Couldn't keep up with demand, and purchased outdated English engines for £50 (!) Panther II had 14 cylinders delivering 575 HP (aircraft weight 3.000 kg).

The MF-11 was constructed and produced at "Marinens Flyvebåtfabrikk" (Navy Flying Boat Factory). It's wingspan of 15,4 meter was set by the width of the factory doors! Cruise speed 108 kts, climb rate a mere 545 fpm. Ceiling 15000'.

Some of these a/c were flown to Scotland and thereafter to north of Finland. Found some info about that in old books at the library. Seems they refuelled somewhere and flew a wide track out to sea to avoid the Germans who by then had reached the north of Norway.

Regards and a happy new year to you all!
:p :D :p

[LowNSlow]

Nardi the swastika that NK172 sports is part of the Finnish national makings of the time, nothing to do with Nazi Germany. The Finnish swastika has it's top and bottom faces horizontal, the Nazi swastika has it's top and bottom faces at a 45 degree angle to the horizontal as per the picture before the one of NK172 of the MF-11 which was captured by the Germans.

[Bre901]

For those who do not read Polish and would like to know more, here is a Polish to English online translator : http://www.poltran.com/
just cut and paste the text.

It does some half-hearted job, but it's still better than nothing, yet it even fails to translate the main word : wodnosamolot = seaplane.

[Nardi Riviera]

Intrigued by this aicraft's appearance in Scotland during the outbreak of WWII in Norway.

Searching the factory's history yielded no useful info as to what aircraft it may have been (names and dates readable in any language): http://www.9april1940.org/html/forspill/fly.html

Pic of #306: http://borreminne.hive.no/aargangene/1994/Bilder/Borre027.jpg

Pic of #307: http://borreminne.hive.no/aargangene/1996/Bilder/Borre017.jpg

Pic of #308: http://borreminne.hive.no/aargangene/1993/Bilder/Borre015.jpg

Pic of #332: http://borreminne.hive.no/aargangene/1993/Bilder/Borre015.jpg

Tracked down a booklet issued by a Norwegian, will check if it's available.

Reverting. :)

[PaperTiger]

Serial looks like 345 to me ?

[Bof]

I'm sure this pic has appeared on Prune before - maybe three or four years ago, and we had the same guessing game before someone identified the location and came up with the correct airraf type and history. Anyone confirm?

[henry crun]

Bof: Have you noticed the date of the opening post with the pic ? :)

[Bof]

Duh! Blessed are they who cannot see, for they shall be known as blind or OLD!

Bof