It's a LeBlonde.

POP 3

I believe the aircraft in question is the ill-fated Babcock LC-11 Ranger X551E, second of the three LC-11’s which had a career measured in months instead of years. Built in March of 1929, she was similar to her sister X7997 and NC889E, except that she had a slightly shorter fuselage and larger tires with smaller hubs designed to eliminate the need of shock-absorbers and allow landings on rough fields, hence the designation Ranger

The Babcock LC-11 it is.

Your service.

Thanks Dook that was a great challenge aerofiles wasn't much use this time.


Going to declare Open House to give someone else the chance.

Here's one I found a while ago. A new one for me:

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8001b16888.jpg

ME 323 Gigant?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_323

I have seen this before and it's not German - the door shape is wrong.

I think it's the Kawanishi H11 Soku.

I think you’re right.
Bravo.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5caf51bdf.jpeg

Well done dook. The Kawanishi H11K Soku (Blue Sky)

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c0b5e6575e.jpg


Japanese Aircraft of WWII - Kawanishi H11K Soku (Blue Sky)

It didn't get beyond the wooden mockup stage before it was destroyed in a bombing raid in April 1945. It was a very large aircraft - 100,000 lb AUW. The wingspan was 157', 44' bigger than the Sunderland and 43' less than the Mars.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ea00cf8a81.png

I'm surprised it had only three machine guns.

Many thanks India.

A little smaller this time.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8e2edfa718.jpg

"Alternating stroke propeller"?
 

The Kawanishi is described as having four-bladed, alternating stroke propellers. What is this, please? Google does not reveal a source of information.

Latest challenge. Is it powered by a Hirth HM 504 Engine?

I suspect the meaning is "Variable Pitch Propeller", but something lost in translation from Japanese.

The challenge does not have a German engine.

I'm surprised at the claimed performance. That's a big and heavy aeroplane for 4x1500bhp.

PDR

Never flew so it may have been a very optimistic estimate........

If 'it didn't get beyond the wooden mockup stage' was it a 'flying machine'?

I think the `alternating stroke`meaning is that the props on the port engines,rotate one way,stbd engines rotate other way,ie counter rotating,but it`s difficult to see on the photos...
The Me `Gigant was also similar....

Some Mitsubishi engines were intended to drive contra-rotating (rather than counter-rotating) props, so that's another possibility.

I think the challenge is Belgian - Stampe et Vertongen SV.4

Pre war design that went into large scale production post WW2 - over 1000 built - a lot of them with Gypsy Major's