Aircraft Trivia Quiz

That question should result in some interesting answers!

I think you are refering to Gustave Whitehead who allegedly on August 14, 1901, in Fairfield, Connecticut, reportedly flew his engine-powered Number 21 800 meters at 15 meters height. No photographs exist of this flight, but a sketch was made by one of the many witnesses.

There is also talk the first flight was by a twenty-five year old New Zealander, Richard Pearse on March 31, 1902 in Waitohi, New Zealand just near Timaru.

Great link, lots of information. Ok lets try this one on for size. While it is routinely considered that the Wright Brothers were the first in powered flight, there is evidence, (while maybe not compelling) that someone actually beat them into the air by some two years. Name this person and what State were the flights to have taken place?  

Mike 

You are correct. It was treated for all intents as another gun, had a captain from the Ordnance Division who sighted it and fired it. Used basically an 8" shell. Here's a nice link:

http://home.comcast.net/~ok3wirebob/Catapults.html

Pictures, Mike?

Your turn.

If i can remember from all of the summer trips to the USS Alabama as a kid, it was black powder.

Mike 

BTW I was kidding! Had to look it up.

What was the energy source for floatplane catapults in the USN, from the mid 1920's on?

Correct!

And they also patented it to be powered by "a jet of steam, or compressed air or gas". Prophetic.

But since patents have a life of 50 years, I doubt they made any money out of it.

Imagine that 1867!!!!! The first delta wing design didn't fly until 1948 with the XF-92!!!!!!!

My question is, Did they get royalties from their patent? Just curious is all.

Cheers, Richie

Sorry for the delay.

Who patented the first delta-wing design, and in what year?

Wow, that didn't take long!

Nice call Brews. Should have stayed online for a while longer last night, but a bowl of ice cream was calling out to me.

I'll go ahead and post another, if that's okay?

Hurry now, who can get it first?

mojodoctor wrote:

That's got to be the Stipa-Caproni but the rudder looks smaller. Early version here, eh?   I'll bet that thing does great barrel rolls!

That's got to be the Stipa-Caproni but the rudder looks smaller. Early version here, eh?

I'll bet that thing does great barrel rolls!

Sorry for the delay, it`s those damn hour differences. So with no further delays, whats this?

cardshark_14 wrote:

I don't know jets, but here's my guess... F-86 Sabre and Mig-15, both ostensibly based on the Huckebein. Cheers, Alex

Alex, you got the F-86, Mig-15 and Huckebein right on the nose; however, I am not aware of the Huckebein ever getting as far as the prototype stage.  There is another German project that actually had a prototype under construction that has a lineage that leads to the F-86.

The Me1101 prototype was under construction when U.S. troops came across the construction facility.  This aircraft was eventually sent to the States and was considered for completion but this was not possible due to damage during shipping and destruction of some drawings.  North American studied the aircraft and used it as a template to build the X-5 and explore different wing sweep angles at supersonic speeds.  Even though it never reached the intended speed, much of the information gained was used in the F-86.  Several design elements from the Me1101 can be seen in the Saber.

I say on to you Alex, You have the floor.

Hans von Hammer wrote:

My jet knowledge stops around 1953...  Only thing that comes to mind is the YF-17/-F/A-18 run-off, but I don't think the F-17 was ever put into production.  Doesn't fit all your parameters, either...  I'm officially stumped.  Carry on without me, fellers...

Not early enough Mike.  Since your jet knowledge stops in 1953 though, you should be right in the ballpark for the second half of the question.

More hints

The two production aircraft are quite well known for their conflict.

After all of the paperclips were out of the way, design#1 was very closely followed for a research aircraft to explore concepts that were not included in production aircraft#1. 

Design#2 seems to have been simply developed into a combat aircraft, although there is very little information available for the block of time between the design and production aircraft#2.

My jet knowledge stops around 1953...  Only thing that comes to mind is the YF-17/-F/A-18 run-off, but I don't think the F-17 was ever put into production.  Doesn't fit all your parameters, either...  I'm officially stumped.  Carry on without me, fellers...