Search the archive:
YaBB - Yet another Bulletin Board
 
   
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print
Another Rotty-quiz (Read 787 times)
Feb 13th, 2005 at 2:32am

beaky   Offline
Global Moderator
Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

Gender: male
Posts: 14187
*****
 
This should be a little tougher than the Mourometz, but fans of weird airplanes may know  it right away.
...
Note that this is a biplane... not that that helps identify it. Just adds to the weirdness of it.
And no, it is not Danish... Grin
 

...
IP Logged
 
Reply #1 - Feb 13th, 2005 at 6:32am

C   Offline
Colonel
Earth

Posts: 13144
*****
 
Its ugly...
 
IP Logged
 
Reply #2 - Feb 13th, 2005 at 12:18pm

Ivan   Offline
Colonel
No, I'm NOT Russian, I
only like Russian aircraft
The netherlands

Gender: male
Posts: 6058
*****
 
Something from Brazil...
 

Russian planes: IL-76 (all standard length ones),  Tu-154 and Il-62, Tu-134 and An-24RV&&&&AI flightplans and repaints can be found here
IP Logged
 
Reply #3 - Feb 13th, 2005 at 4:23pm

beaky   Offline
Global Moderator
Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

Gender: male
Posts: 14187
*****
 
Charlie: yes. It's often been said that airplanes fly like they look; this one was no exception to that rule.
Ivan: no.
 

...
IP Logged
 
Reply #4 - Feb 13th, 2005 at 9:04pm

beaky   Offline
Global Moderator
Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

Gender: male
Posts: 14187
*****
 
21 hits so far, and nobody's got it. Fools- you'll never guess it! Never!!! Bwahahahaha!!    Cheesy Cheesy

Honestly, I thought somebody'd get it sooner. This aircraft was notorious in its day, and the designer's name is very memorable (a hint!!).
 

...
IP Logged
 
Reply #5 - Feb 13th, 2005 at 9:54pm

Rifleman   Offline
Colonel
" Full size A/C are just
overgrown models ! "
Tropical island in the Pacific

Posts: 6622
*****
 
That one looks like a Christmas Bullet to me !
 

...
IP Logged
 
Reply #6 - Feb 14th, 2005 at 5:57am

beaky   Offline
Global Moderator
Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

Gender: male
Posts: 14187
*****
 
"Drat, drat, and double-drat!" as Dick Dastardly used to say...
shot down by the rifleman!
Yes, it's the airplane designed by Dr. William Christmas, who it might be assumed was a competent medical doctor, but really shouldn't have dabbled in aircraft design- the Bullet was doomed to failure, thanks to Christmas'  confidence that fully flexible (but not warping), unbraced wings, an almost nonexistent rudder, and a tiny, very stiff warping tailplane (no elevator) were the way to go for this "high speed interceptor" design of 1918.
  He was definitely a competent con man, because he stirred up enough interest and money in the middle of a war to get a free Liberty 6-cylinder from the Army (promised it wouldn't be flown, only tested) and  got thousands of dollars from some brokers.
  This prototype was built by the practically-failed Continental Aircraft company, out of "hickory wood and sawmill steel", according to the book this photo was taken from, and  was flight-tested right away, despite the fact that Christmas had promised the Army that he'd send it to them for static testing first.
The first pilot he asked to fly it took a look and declined; the second was so sure he could fly it, he invited his mother to the field to watch. He got it off the ground, but as soon as he tried to turn, the wings came right off, and he was killed. Fortunately, the Bullet was destroyed.
Undeterred, the good Doctor immediately started another, with no changes whatsoever! He had the nerve to ask the Army for some propellor drawings, despite  having destroyed their new engine (and not paying them a penny for it), and once completed, the second Bullet was displayed at the NY Aero Show in 1919,  offered for sale as the "safest, easiest controlled airplane in the world"!!
  Christmas had tried unsuccessfully to get use of an Army field for flight-testing this one, so he borrowed a farmer's field in Long Island, and got another pilot to fly it. It flew into a barn after this pilot realized too late that it would not climb... of course, he was killed.
   Amazingly, Dr. Christmas later got $100,000 from the US gov't in 1923 for an aileron patent without confirming its legitimacy!!
According to this book, "thus pensioned, he lived to the fine age of ninety-four..."
 

...
IP Logged
 
Reply #7 - Feb 14th, 2005 at 9:14pm

Jared   Offline
Colonel
I'd rather be flying...
Uniontown, Ohio

Gender: male
Posts: 12621
*****
 
lol, Felix must have been sleeping, typically he's the first one to answer..Smiley
 
IP Logged
 
Reply #8 - Feb 14th, 2005 at 10:01pm

Felix/FFDS   Offline
Admin
FINALLY an official Granddad!
Orlando, FL

Gender: male
Posts: 1000000627
*****
 
Quote:
lol, Felix must have been sleeping, typically he's the first one to answer..Smiley



I like to share the pleasure.... unlike others, *I* went to kindergarden!

 

Felix/FFDS...
IP Logged
 
Reply #9 - Feb 15th, 2005 at 6:53am

beaky   Offline
Global Moderator
Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

Gender: male
Posts: 14187
*****
 
Quote:
I like to share the pleasure.... unlike others, *I* went to kindergarden!



Think it was too easy, eh?  Maybe you're right. But I enjoyed sharing it- the story is incredible. Dr. Christmas must've been a smooth customer, if an unscupulous greedy bastard!
 

...
IP Logged
 
Reply #10 - Feb 15th, 2005 at 7:00am

Hagar   Offline
Colonel
My Spitfire Girl
Costa Geriatrica

Posts: 33159
*****
 
This might be slightly off-topic & I don't wish to spoil an interesting thread. As was pointed out in another recent topic Human nature doesn't change. There will always be con-artists & their future victims. I've always thought this was based mainly on greed. If there were no greedy & gullible people people the con-artists couldn't make a living.

PS. This Dr. Christmas must have been good. I can't think how he managed to con those pilots into actually test flying that thing. ???
 

...

Founder & Sole Member - Grumpy's Over the Hill Club for Veteran Virtual Aviators
Member of the Fox Four Group

Need help? Try Grumpy's Lair

My photo gallery
IP Logged
 
Reply #11 - Feb 23rd, 2005 at 8:02pm

Jared   Offline
Colonel
I'd rather be flying...
Uniontown, Ohio

Gender: male
Posts: 12621
*****
 
GrinQuote:
I like to share the pleasure.... unlike others, *I* went to kindergarden!



which means that you were at naptime when he posted this quiz?  Grin Grin Grin
 
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print