Aircraft Trivia Quiz

More;

It's a single engined aircraft & one of the countries involved was Portugal?

PhilB

I'm sure it was my reference to the Coventry Airshow that gave it away

I tried that one but didn't get very far with it - it was the combination of engine outputs that got me there.

OK, the purchase of this aircraft by the allies was initially approved, but the axis stuck it's oar in & prevented the purchase. Production of the aircraft in another location was planned, but ultimately fell through.

There are 4 countries involved here?

I'll accept your typo   The L-40 Meta-Sokol.  I'm sure it was my reference to the Coventry Airshow that gave it away

The other aircraft I mentioned was the Aero 145

Wow, that was like the Dutch boy pulling his finger out...

The L-40 Meta Soko tourer with it's 103 & 138hp Walter engines?

I should also have said that both types were marketed by the same export organisation.

I'll make this the last clue.  If there are no takers by 21.00 UTC on Friday I'll give the answer and come up with something else.

The first ten production aircraft had 103hp engines, the remainder 138hp.  I first saw one of these at an airshow at Coventry UK in 1961 alongside a twin from the same unlikely country but a different manufacturer.  The twin was an update of a type initially flown immediately after World War 2, both had been registered on the UK register and both saw very limited UK sales.  Both types had engines by the same manufacturer which was popularly known by one name but was officially known by another and was, after 1945 known for mainly licence building engines designed in another country.

Stumped on this one!

No takers?  Many purchasers of the type and, indeed, many of the public in the countries the type was exported to would have been surprised to learn of the flourishing private flying sector in the country of manufacture.

No, rather there was an original design to meet the same needs as fulfilled by the production aircraft  This was built of wood.  Then a designer came up with an idea including metal fuselage and fabric covered control surfaces and a a V tail, specifically aimed at one of the two target markets of the original.  

This was not a good performer in prototype form and was abandoned.. Four years on a conventional tail design was tried  along with other improvements but this was still unsatisfactory so it was almost a further two years until the prototype of the definitive design appeared, which was built to meet both of the target markets of the wooden original.

Was this aircraft designed by one but built by another?

This type set many FAI world records.  The two prototypes and the production model were the result of progression from an early wooden design.

Last phrase should be "was only partly visible in flight" the W on this netbook is dying!

This aircraft had a short production run lasting two years, commencing in the year after two prototypes were built.  Whilst originally built for use in its home country, over half the production was exported to private individuals and organisations in countries which, on the face of it, would not have been natural customers.

The aircraft had a specific distinctive visual feature which as only partly visible in flight.

PhilB

Ah, in that case how about the Piper PA-47 Piperjet.

Ah, in that case how about the Piper PA-47 Piperjet.

If I tell you that the aircraft is of one of the types (VLJ to be precise) that I suspected your last question was about, would that help?

It's made by a company that is represented at many airports & airstrips the World over.......

Memory?  Checked

Library?  Checked

Slide collection?  Checked

Internet?  Checked

So unless I'm missing the obvious, and I probably am, I'm stumped.

You've got us stumbling on this one.

& more;

The manufacturer is one of the "Big Three".

The design was a success, but was cancelled.

Thrust vectoring, which replaced another system wasn't part of the original design. 

More;

The aircraft wasn't experimental, it was a commercial project that was cancelled.

There is a connection to an American car manufacturer & also the V-1 flying bomb.

This engine is located in the same place as one of the engines on a layout that became popular due to a rule change / revision.

One particular design & it's follow on took a more efficient route to mounting this engine & the aircraft in question shares this feature (think less = more).

The aircraft in question is built by a well known manufacturer who has built numerous aircraft, but only one of this example was built.

The engine location clue is doing my head in

man, youve lost me on this one....

This aircraft has a single engine, it's far more recent than the X-14 & it's engine location although once quite common isn't so much now.

Bell X-14 built using parts of a Beech Bonanza and the undercarriage of the Mentor.

This aircraft has thrust vectoring & was loosely developed from an aircraft with a different engine type & engine location.

PhilB

Now just where did you drag that out of?  Over to you.

Now just where did you drag that out of?  Over to you.

The IPTN N-250?

Now that is getting far too large.  This type was rather ambitious in some ways for its manufacturer and what would have been a major advanced feature was abandoned when the latest plans for a relaunch were announced.  

One reason given for the planned relaunch is the ageing of a type whose manufacturer ceased business in the year after this type's prototype's first flight, the new backers seeing a ruggedness in their design not available in the current competition.