25 Bizarre Aircraft
Possibly the Short SB4 Sherpa which was being operated by the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield from 1951 to 1964 - entirely possible that it went into Northolt from time to time.
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Try the Short Seamew, of which a TP reported "Entry to the cockpit is difficult; it should be made impossible".
Don't know what this is to do with the thread, and I think it's a recycled comment applied much earlier to the Blackburn Skua (or perhaps Roc) at Martlesham Heath.
Try the Short Seamew, of which a TP reported "Entry to the cockpit is difficult; it should be made impossible".
Don't know what this is to do with the thread, and I think it's a recycled comment applied much earlier to the Blackburn Skua (or perhaps Roc) at Martlesham Heath.
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No, Allan. It has everything to do with this thread.
I did read the relevant contemporary report in Aeroplane Monthly some years ago.
Whether the Short Seamew could be described as 'bizarre' is moot.
Many other adjectives have been used to describe this aircraft's aesthetics and its characteristics - none of which were particularly complimentary.
And besides, the Roc and Skua were positively handsome compared to the Seamew.
I did read the relevant contemporary report in Aeroplane Monthly some years ago.
Whether the Short Seamew could be described as 'bizarre' is moot.
Many other adjectives have been used to describe this aircraft's aesthetics and its characteristics - none of which were particularly complimentary.
And besides, the Roc and Skua were positively handsome compared to the Seamew.
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The Curtiss SO3C Seamew, AKA Seacow,was as bad a perfomer as the Blackburn B.26 Botha, both of which were reported by test pilots to be unworthy of ingress, but this thread is about weird aircraft, NOT bad aircraft.
This is weird: The Reid RFS-1, a submersible seaplane. Dove to a depth of 2 m. and flew to an altitude of 10 m. on June 9th, 1964.
This is weird: The Reid RFS-1, a submersible seaplane. Dove to a depth of 2 m. and flew to an altitude of 10 m. on June 9th, 1964.
Last edited by evansb; 8th Nov 2014 at 19:57.
Well if we're getting into "most bizarre aeroplanes I have encountered", my logbook shows 13 hours on a couple of these...
A little under 4 hours on these...
2 hours in one of these (look at the ailerons)
And an hour in this (hint: look carefully at the tail!)
Feel free to try and compete
Incidentally...
Was, in my opinion never written by a TP as the author doesn't explain the reasons for the criticism. That said, I first heard it used in the context of the Bristol Belvedere.
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A little under 4 hours on these...
2 hours in one of these (look at the ailerons)
And an hour in this (hint: look carefully at the tail!)
Feel free to try and compete
Incidentally...
Try the Short Seamew, of which a TP reported "Entry to the cockpit is difficult; it should be made impossible".
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Last edited by Genghis the Engineer; 8th Nov 2014 at 22:00.
I think that having read the word "Bede" on it, I'd just back away slowly !
Apart from the AA5 (which was actually somebody else's redesign of his AA1), did he ever design anything that didn't end up with either commercial failure, a significant body count, or both?
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Apart from the AA5 (which was actually somebody else's redesign of his AA1), did he ever design anything that didn't end up with either commercial failure, a significant body count, or both?
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The Bede BD-4 was a conventional design, a successful amateur build, and has a good safety record.
The Mississippi State University's XV-11 Marvel,
and the Anderson Greenwood AG-14 are similar in configuration to the Bede XBD-2
and somewhat similar to the Lockspeiser LDA-01:
The Mississippi State University's XV-11 Marvel,
and the Anderson Greenwood AG-14 are similar in configuration to the Bede XBD-2
and somewhat similar to the Lockspeiser LDA-01:
Last edited by evansb; 11th Nov 2014 at 06:36.
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My favourite to the subject is the Edgley EA7 Optica:
http://tighar.org/smf/index.php?acti....0;attach=7068
http://tighar.org/smf/index.php?acti....0;attach=7068
Not much roll over protection on the Farnham Flycycle:
It was ridden like a motorcycle with all controls on, or by moving, the handlebars. A friend built a free-flight model of it which flew well, if rather more aerobatically than the original, thanks to having pendulum balanced elevator & rudder.
More about the full-size here: Popular Mechanics - Google Books
It was ridden like a motorcycle with all controls on, or by moving, the handlebars. A friend built a free-flight model of it which flew well, if rather more aerobatically than the original, thanks to having pendulum balanced elevator & rudder.
More about the full-size here: Popular Mechanics - Google Books
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Edgley EA7 Optica:
Edgley EA7 Optica
I crested the hill on Interstate 270 heading into Frederick, Maryland. There was an obvious buzzing sound in the air ... looking around I saw an Edgley Optica. A very rare sighting for the USA. I suppose they were demonstrating it to the AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Assoc), which has headquarters at the Frederick airport.
It didn't sound anything like an unducted prop.
seacue
I crested the hill on Interstate 270 heading into Frederick, Maryland. There was an obvious buzzing sound in the air ... looking around I saw an Edgley Optica. A very rare sighting for the USA. I suppose they were demonstrating it to the AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Assoc), which has headquarters at the Frederick airport.
It didn't sound anything like an unducted prop.
seacue