Hero of Midway
 

Is it a Douglas SBD Dauntless?

Douglas Devastator...?

This is fun ;)

I don't think Sycamore could possibly have been anywhere near this aircraft.

Just to add to the confusion, neither the Dauntless, Devastator or Helldiver have one of the key identifying features of this aircraft: tricycle gear :E

Think you`ve got it there,Jenks....be interested to see how they did the cat-strop arrangement on an early n/w aircraft....

JENKINS,

Good sleuthing but up the wrong alley. Fascinating is right, because I'd never heard of the Douglas BTD Destroyer either!

My aircraft was designed by Grumman.

Well I thought Jenkins had that. I'm struggling; as far as I can find the first single engine tricycle equipped carrier borne Grumman was the Panther, yet this cockpit is nothing like the Panther, especially the rake of the windscreen which is more reminiscent of the Wildcat/Hellcat series but obviously those were tail wheel ac.
Can't wait to find out what this is!

I've got one more clue up my sleeve, but I'll re-state the last one, which was carefully worded.

"My aircraft was designed by Grumman."

Grumman
 

Was it a Northrop product?

oldpax,

Not Northrop.

Fireball?
 

So glad to see this venerable thread active once again :D

Tried to follow the various clues and rebuttals...

Could it be the RYAN FR Fireball?

'866

Columbia XJL?

I will give it a go!!
 

T-34 Mentor?

866,
Fireball - another obscure aircraft I had never heard of, but not right.

Noyade is correct - the Columbia XJL-1, which I had also never heard of until a couple of months ago.

Designed by Grumman as a Duck replacement and built by Columbia, who were already building Ducks. Only three were built. Ordered in 1942, but the first flight was not until 1946 and the project was cancelled in 1948.

My next clue was going to be "Murphy's War Part Deux". The XJL is sometimes referred to as the Monoplane Duck.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psej5rnt0g.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psdg2tkvct.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pswgfrj5vp.jpg

This one is being slowly rebuilt after a crash landing at Camp Pendleton following an engine failure. Due to very poor glide ratio, the aircraft undershot. The right gear was torn off, the forward part of the hull broke off and the aircraft ended up inverted. Luckily there were no fatalities. Grumman Ironworks lives up to its reputation again!

An interesting feature is a circular water-tight hatch in the hull, aft of the step, which leads into a small passenger compartment, below the rear cockpit. Designed to allow divers/special forces to easily enter the water.

A very good history here: http://www.goodall.com.au/grumman-am...olumbiaXJL.pdf

Noyade has control.

It was Frank Tallman flying the Duck, although I've seen a quote from Peter O'Toole saying that he was at the controls in some shots. Murphy's Duck is now at the USAF Museum in Dayton.

I saw one some years ago at Tucson airport. A strange looking beast!

The one in Tuscon is the only other one left. The third airframe was used for structural tests and was scrapped.

Only solved due to your clues mate. Thanks Simon.

Like this one. I found it illustrated, believe it or not, in a children's book, "Aircraft in Colour", in a Melbourne Salvation Army opportunity shop. It doesn't show the flight controls, but I don't think there are many to speak of anyway. It's a replica that flew in 1968...

http://i62.tinypic.com/vwzcx4.jpg

The full illustration then. From the USA.

http://i61.tinypic.com/10iatl1.jpg

The picture looks very familiar, but I can't remember where I saw it.

Is it a relative of this early Morane Saulnier?

http://thumbs2.picclick.com/d/l400/p...RLY-K87295.jpg