Planegill's challenge
 

Glenn and Bri, I think planegill is also having an on this one. It certainly is a puzzle, from the photograph it would seem to be metal skinned and has a fairly narrow cockpit. He says it is from the western side of the atlantic yet that could not necessarily mean the USA. Although apart from Canada I am not sure of other other airframe builders on that side of the atlantic. I think it is certainly early 1930s.

Another stab in the dark, the AG-4 Crusader perhaps?
Mel

Funny you should mention that, Mel.

I was just wondering if it might a lot smaller than I have been thinking and the AG-4 would fit the clues. I've never found an AG-4 cockpit photo, but the bird has been on my "possibles" list for a fair while.

You might be onto something there.

Glenn

True enough. Although I can't see an aircraft the size of the AG-4 having four fuel tanks that have to be manually managed. Is that a key slot for the magneto switch? Quite car-like if it is. Also, the windshield frame doesn't quite match up with the AG-4. I see she is night and IFR equipped. The engine controls seem quite simple, compared to say a DC-2.

Planegill's challenge
 

Is it the Capelis XC-12 ?

or the Douglas DB1

I am glad to hear this is proving an interesting challenge. (No-one has obviously read the book it came out of.)
It is none of the aircraft proposed so far.
Clue: Mel was right, it is Canadian.
Here is another view which might help:
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...ll/Test11A.jpg

Planegill's challenge
 

It is the Fleet Model 50 Freighter. As soon as I saw the huge side loading door, I knew I had seen the aircraft in some distant past. Quite the challenge Gill!:ok: I do have Larry Milberry's book 'Aviation in Canada', but it doesn't have a cockpit shot of the Freighter. I briefly considered the Fairchild Sekani, but the windshield frame didn't match up.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...40/fleet50.jpghttp://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r.../fleet50-1.jpg

Bri has it, the biplane Fleet Freighter from 1938. The photo was from the book "Fleet - The Flying Years" by Page/Cumming. The second photo, and others, are on the excellent Canadian Aviation Museum site. Over to you.
David G

Thanks David G. I enjoyed that. Here is the next mystery cockpit. Note that I'll be in the Kingdom of Nod for the next 8 hours.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...0/WC080213.jpg

Planegill's challenge...
 

What a great challenge, David!!

You had us all muttering and head-scratching with that one.
It was good mental exercise... even for those of us who never got close. :ouch:

Here's another shot of that cockpit with the flip-over yoke on the other side... from the RCAF site.

http://xs224.xs.to/xs224/08073/7032839.jpg

Glenn

American seat, well used cockpit, twin engine, lot of blanking plates on panel, no obvious weapon systems or HUD, seems to be a prototype.


Have Blue?

Planegill's challenge
 

Thanks David G for a great challenge and congratulations to Bri :D:ok: for solving it I must admit my proposal the AG4 Crusader was really clutching at straws at 1 am in the morning.
Mel

Kitbag,

Well, you got the colour/color right. ;)

Tacit Blue aka The Whale.

Open house if correct - dip into your folder ozbeowulf!

More info
 

I42, I see exactly why you ascribe Tacit Blue to the image but that doesn't fit in with the apparent lack of centre pillar on the windscreen. See this external shot taken (very probably)from the same source you use: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/sha...-1234P-057.jpg

Have just found a 3/4 view of Have Blue and the same argument applies as it has a Delta Dagger style screen. Ho hum, back to the drawing board

I think the photo is deceptive - there is no centre/center pillar.

There's a picture from a different angle on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Tacit_Blue

and a great quote:
And if there is any doubt, see Bri's cockpit shot here:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/fac...a.asp?fsID=353

And re your comment about the Have Blue's "Delta Dagger" windscreen. I saw a reference that one of the changes required when scaling up to the F-117, was the need for a flat front panel, to accommodate a HUD.

I42 I agree that the source of the cockpit shot is the national air force museum (and I wish I could afford to spend a few weeks wandering around their exhibit space!). I confess I was taken in by the optical illusion. This pic seem to show a central pillarhttp://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/sha...-1234S-006.jpg. yet here the pillar is not present: http://www.fas.org/irp/mystery/tacit-blue-image3.jpg leading me to think it must have had some mods carried out. Then 'cos things like this bug me I went a bit further see these two photos from slightly different angles of the aircraft snuggled under (I think) a Valkyrie in one and looking a bit lonely in a hangar in the other: http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/...lue_3_of_7.jpg and http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/...lue_5_of_7.jpg
Or mabe (conspiracy theory alert) there was more than one built!!!!

Still waiting for Glenn to post another goody (and don't forget to add the essential Mel prefix 'This shouldn't last too long')

kb,

Judging by the perspective of the picture you linked, I think there are 7 cockpit windows, and the left two in your picture are the centre and left ones in Bri's picture.

Wake up Bri, it's 10 am in Alberta. Put us out of our misery.

Yes gents, it is Northrop's Tacit Blue, the actual, not a mock-up.
India Four Two completed the identification. It is open house per his request.

I'll give this one an hour...
 

stevef challenge
 

Only an hour, please check PMs