What Cockpit? MK V

[windriver]

thanks evansb.. great cockpit challenge,thanks. But the name of the manufacturer kind of gave the game away... The thrill of the chase and all that....

Here's another homebuilt...... the aircraft has no name so to identify the aircraft I need.

1. The name of the Pilot
2. The Horsepower Of The Engine

and for a bonus point the identity of the other person just visible in the picture.

[evansb]

windriver's challenge

Is it Geoffrey de Havilland at the controls of a Farman F.E.1?
Is the man on the right his brother-in-law, Frank Hearle?
Is the aircraft powered by a four-cylinder 45-hp water-cooled engine?

[Kitbag]

I think that the naming of the ac is interesting here. It was de Havilland Biplane No 2 as first flown until purchased by the War Office for 400 quid who renamed it Farman Experimental 1 (FE1). This was not a series built aircraft but a unique one off (FF 10 Sept 1910, BER 15 Aug 1911) engine being a de Havilland Iris.

[evansb]

windriver's challenge

Yes, I was going to identify the aircraft as a F.E.1 clone, as de Havilland built the craft as close as he could, given the plans and materials of the day. It is surely not a D.H.1, nor a true D.H.2, therefore it is most probably a Farman clone. How did I do on the other questions?

[windriver]

Mmmm... A close run thing, but evansb takes it - according to my info it's not a Farman FE1 as such.

kitbag's supplementary info completes story in the challenge, but lost points on a technicality for not agreeing about the engine HP and Frank Hearle in his post....

Geoffrey de Havilland at the controls of his first successful machine a pusher biplane with 45 h.p. engine, built in 1910. With him is his assistant F.T.Hearle, in 1951 Chairman of the de Havilland Aircraft Company.

evansb you have control

[MReyn24050]

F.E.1

As is well known Geoffrey de Havilland, the son of a clergyman, was born in High Wycombe in 1882. As a young man he designed and built steam cars and motorcycles. With a £1,000 gift from his grandfather, de Havilland began work on his first plane in 1908.
In a rented workshop off Bothwell street Fulham and with the assistance of F.T. Hearle he built a wire braced biplane with front elevator and bicycle wheel undercarriage. His young wife made the cotton covering on a hand sewing machine and the engine mounted at right angles to the fuselage drove two aluminium propellers through bevel gearing. In 1909 it was taken to Seven Barrow on the North Hampshire Downs and erected in a shed recently vacated by J.T.C Moore Brabazon . The first flight was delayed due to unsuitable weather, when the day came, de Havilland took off downhill and became airborne briefly before the port wing failed and the aircraft wrecked fortunately without serious injury to the pilot.
In his second aircraft spars were made of straight grained spruce and ash, the engine was mounted normally to drive a single pusher propeller. A successful quarter mile flight was made at Seven Barrow on the 10th Sept 1910 and was followed by figure eights, a first passenger flight for Hearle and in October for his wife and 8 month old son Geoffrey.
On the 14th Jan 1911 the aircraft was purchased by the War Office and was used by de Havilland to qualify for Royal Aero Club Certificate No.53 on the 7th Feb 1911 .The aircraft became known as the F.E.1

[evansb]

evansb's challenge

Here is the next "what cockpit?"

[MReyn24050]

evansb

Rotary Wing for sure.
Mel

[windriver]

I`m intrigued by the rectangular panel above the radio stack?

[Tiger_mate]

It is a single engined civilian helicopter with throttle control rather then a fuel computer. My inital guess would be a FAIRCHILD HILLER MODEL FH-1100

The rear hinged pilots door is possibly unique.

[evansb]

evansb's challenge

Sorry, not a Fairchild Hiller FH-1100. The vacant panel in military versions is for additional comm. equipment. In the civilian version, I believe the space was used for stowage.

[Akubra]

Cessna CH-1?
Actually, I'm positive its an ex military CH-1 because of the Guardian B8 control grip and the missing glove box lid. So it might be called the YH-41 Seneca, but still the same aircraft.

Will post a new CP soon.

[windriver]

YH-41
and for a bonus point 56-4244

[Akubra]

Seems the CAC Wirraway had been posted back in 2005.
Oh well...
Feel free to post up a challenge anyone!

[India Four Two]

Thanks, Akubra.

Continuing with the Rotary Theme:



This aircraft is reportedly being restored to airworthy condition!

[Kitbag]

Not a Seaking variant ?

[India Four Two]

Kitbag

Not a Seaking variant ?

The grammatically correct answer to your question is Yes

[MReyn24050]

India Four Two's challenge.

Aerospatiale SA-321 Super Frelon perhaps?

[India Four Two]

Mel wins again!

Mel,

I would have said Sud Aviation , but that's the one. Specifically it is SAAF 302, photos by Brian Spurr:





I found these pictures at http://www.saairforce.co.za/news05.htm 12 Oct 2005 Entry. Further pictures and information in the 24 November 2005 entry. I hope those are inert rounds lying on the ground.

[MReyn24050]

Next Challenge

Thanks for that Simon. Good find, as you say when the aircraft was designed and built it was Sud Aviation. This aircraft was somewhat bigger and older than the Super Frelon.

Mel