Mystery Aircraft
 

This is both a challenge as well as an education for me. Can you identify the aircraft in the photograph. I am not sure where it was taken or the country of registry.

I have numerous photographs that were given to me by a friend upon his death and I am unable to identify many of them so your help is appreciated.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps4510b3da.jpg

Image does not seem to be there.

sorry
 

photo should be there now. I had a little trouble.

PZ-TAD Northrop YC-125B Raider
Leased by Suriname Government/SLM from Ambrose Aviation for equipment transport for landing-strip construction.

It's a Northrop YC-125B Raider. PZ was the prefix for Surinam in S America. The 'B' in it's description meant it was built for the USAF for rescue work in the Arctic in the early 50s. It was under powered and not used for long by the military. The aircraft in the photo was used in the construction of new airfields and was taken about 1959 or 60.The YC-125 was a STOL aircraft, but this one kept on having landing accidents!

Photo here of the same aircraft ("Grasshopper") at Paramaribo: v57n1 -

Though sometimes it needed a bit of help. :O

http://www.aerofiles.com/north-c125jato.jpg

"The Captain asks if you wouldn't mind putting your cigar out, sir"

A good portion of these aircraft wound up in a USAF Maintenance training school at Sheppard AFB in Texas. They were all over in a bone yard next to the main terminal when I last saw them in 1964. Don't know if they had an after life or not, but I think at least one or more wound up in Mexico and Alaska.

An ex-Mexican example is in the Pima museum outside Tucson.

Fantastic
 

You guys are really great. Thanks for all your wisdom! This photo was in our office in Philadelphia for years but no one seemed to know why since it didn't seem to be one of ours. Perhaps we leased it or moved supplies with it or something. In any case you are just great. Sooooo......what about this one?
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps39774016.jpg

Very Funny
 

siseman, that is too funny! I love your humor!

sillohed
I believe that may well be an Airco DH9A "Ninak". However, instead of starting another aircraft recognition thread why not use the ones in existence already such as the "challenge" thread or "Heikkis' Silhouette Challenge".

Unsure
 

I checked out both threads prior to starting a new one. I notice that you are very active on the challenge site so you can probably answer my question. It appears that "challenge" is rather structured and not a line where you can just "jump in" with a new line of inquiry. The appearance is that you have to wait until one subject is exhausted before starting a new one. I have a few private photographs that I was looking for information on rather than simply "challenging" someones knowledge. Perhaps the name of my thread is mis-leading. I would be pleased to have a larger "audience" in helping me identify these pictures but I didn't want to monopolize the challenge site either. What do you think?

Second Photo
 

Here is another photo of the same plane as above. I should probably state more clearly that my thread is not simply a challenge to test one's knowledge of the subject. As I stated earlier, these photos are all personal ones that I acquired through a couple different sources and what I am looking for is any information regarding what kind of aircraft, registration numbers, history, ownership, etc. The response to the initial posting was exactly what I hoped for and which I can use to share with others interested in the subject aircraft. Thank you so much for participating, I know there are other threads that might be suitable but this is a very narrowly focused thread.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps32fae8fd.jpg

More
 

Different view of same airplane.

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc471acc4.jpg

sillohed.
Please accept my apologises I misunderstood the reason for posting the images. I do however believe the aircraft is an Airco DH9A Ninak that has possibly been modified for civilian use. Have you any details where this accident occurred?

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...pseed31918.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...psa9f53fcf.jpg

The "Ninak" is also two bay biplane and the cut-out in the trailing edge of the upper wing matches the crashed aircraft. Also the upper ailerons have two similar control brackets per aileron as the crashed aircraft. The engine would appear to be a Rolls Royce eagle VIII.

Same Aircraft?
 

MReyn 24050,
Thank you so much for the photos and information. I presumed that the crash of this airplane was during WW I but I am not sure. Is this the same plane do you siuppose?

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps2cf3334c.jpg

Another Question
 

Same Airplane????

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/a...pscfc6e2d8.jpg

WAG but I think that's a Sopwith Camel.

Great photos - please post more!

sillohed,

As albatross says, great photos.

Your closeup photo is of an Airco DH4, the forerunner of the DH9. The big difference is that the cockpit of the DH4 is under the wing, between the interplane struts. The DH9 fuselage was redesigned to move the cockpit aft, away from the engine and fuel and closer to the gunner. Judging by the campaign hat of the soldier in the rear cockpit and the M1911 he is holding, I think this must be a US Army DH4.

Concerning the crashed DH9, as Mel says, it looks like it was converted for civilian use. I think the engine is the Liberty L-12, which is consistent with a DH9A (or the American produced USD-9 and 9A). The name "Ninak" or "Nine-ack" was an unofficial phonetic nickname. The letter A was called "Ack" during WWI, rather than the "Able" and then "Alpha" of later years.

Your last photo certainly does look like Camel, but the wingtips seem a little odd.