An early attempt by Evil Kenivel before he switched to bikes?

It might work better if he turned the 'plane around and used a bigger weight on the end of the catapult string;) It should then clear a dozen cars or so...

Ah yes, the very harry 'jump prop'.:} Seriously mates, the caption originally supplied with this photograph was wrong regarding the type of aircraft, and I also question the location of the shot. I do not know the purpose of the flight. So,there you have it!

Emsco B-3?

Found one article saying they were tested with wooden ramp at Wright Field, somewhere around WWII.

Well done moira - excerpt from "The Best of Wings Magazine" (Walter J Boyne) says 'This Emsco B-3 was sold to the Mexican airline owned by Francisco Sarabia, ... when a huge ramp was built at Wright Field to test its effect on takeoffs' but...cannot read more online cos' the pages are not viewable in the web preview!! :ugh:

That's the article indeed! :ok:

Rest of the article reads:
"The idea of using a ramp to facilitate take-off intrigued aviators through WWII, when a huge ramp was built at Wright Field to test its effect on takeoffs. Tests proved that there was no net gain in using a ramp"

Any Idea 3
 

Not too sure that it is the Emsco B-3
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...l/emsco-b3.jpg
or the Ryan M-1
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...el/ryan-b1.jpg

Must admit that the struts of the M1 look more like the "ramp picture" than those on the Emsco ... :confused:

But then again, the M1 doesn't look completely right either ...

Still an other type????

If you take the fairings off the wheels - which conceivably would have to be done in case they fouled the ramp, and look closely at the flying surfaces, it does start to resemble the Emsco. There is someone standing blocking the rudder shape tho' :)

Any Idea 3?
 

How about the Sierra BLW-2 "San Franciscan" flown in an unsuccessful endurance record attempts June-Aug 1929 at Mills Field, San Francisco?
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...mel/sierra.jpg
Although the wingspan looks too narrow and the bottom of the rudder does not appear to have the correct radius.
Mel

Hey Evansb, can't you really give us a hint?
Like the original capture that went with the picture?
Even if incorrect, it might give us some clue!!!

The original photo was part of an Alaskan State History Archive, and the caption stated a Lockheed Vega in Juneau circa 1933. It isn't a Lockheed Vega and it doesn't look like Juneau, but it just might be. No clue was given as to the nature of the ramp launch, if that is what it was.

It bears a certain resemblance to a Fairchild 71. :confused:

Any Idea 3?
 

I agree with you Bri, no way is that aircraft a Lockheed Vega. I think it is a version of the Fokker Universal or Fokker "Super" Universal. The only difference I can see between the aircraft on the ramp and the Fokker Universal and "Super" Universal in the photographs is in the vertical support for the undercarriage.
Mel
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/Vega.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...rUniversal.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...rsal179-15.jpg

Any Idea 3? - Problem solved.
 

Pilot Nat C. Browne's Fokker Universal during takeoff, Seattle ca. 1932
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/393.jpg

This is quite some story:-
http://128.95.104.14/cgi-bin/viewer....OSORTBY=subjec

Thank you very much Mel! You are a brilliant researcher.:ok: I will send an e-mail to the State Archive to correct the error and inform them of the amazing story behind the photograph.

Your welcome Bri. I just had to find out the reason for building such a ramp as I know that Harold Bromley when he attempted a solo flight from the Tacoma to Tokyo in his aircraft the "City of Tacoma" also tried to take-off using a ramp.
I was amazed to read that they replaced the wing struts with cables. OK when the upward force was equal but surley didn't allow for any twisting forces?
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/27348.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...tacoma100b.jpg
Mel

Orginal "Any idea?" Question
 

The photo in the original post is that of a Tiger Moth fighter trainer developed for the Iranian Air Corps in 1932!

Full details can be found in the book "de Havilland Tiger Moth -Legendary Biplane Trainer" by Stuart McKay. ISBN-13: 978-1857800616

Next one for the experts in arcane aeroplanes (sorry about the poor quality):
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...7/planscan.jpg

1930 Laird Holman.

See here

Flap40 has it. Didn't even last an hour!