Aircraft Trivia Quiz

Keith,

The Gervais book is in my opinion the least credible of all the AE theary books. Anyway, the take off from Lae New Guinea is well documented, including film of the take off. The aircraft was the Lockheed Electra model 10-E as modified for AE. The aircraft was serviced and the service records are still in exsistance. The witnesses at Lae were interviewed many times and their story has remained consistant. Add to this the fact that the aircraft was serviced numerous times before Lae and that adds up to a lot of witnesses and a lot of records regarding a model 10-E Electra. Some of the original service records from the last flight are at Purdue University. The records, and many of AEs personal effects, were donated to the University by her husband G.P. Putnam. If that airplane was a special variation of the Electra, such as the XC-35, I would thing one of the hundreds of people who serviced it and/or saw it would have said something by now. The model 10 Electras were in service all over the world and the folks that serviced AEs aircraft were very familiar with the aircraft. They would have noticed if she were flying an XC-35.

The Lockheed company production records indicate that one and only one XC-35 was ever produced and it is right now, as we "speak", in the NASM in storage (I do not think it has been restored or displayed yet). It was in their Silver Hills MD storage facility the last time I personally saw it. Could there have been more than one XC-35? Yes, it is possible, but there is no evedence to date to support that assumption.

The Gervais book is just as bad as the news reporter from CA, Fred Goerner. Goerner's book also came out in the 60s and proposes the "spy-on-the-Japaneese" theory.

If you consider the question answered I get to ask a question, right? OK, since you brought up Amelia Earhart, a famed pioneer of aviation, what kind of aircraft did she learn to fly in? Historical Fact:: Orville Wright signed her pilots license, at that time issued by the Civil Aeronautics Adninistration (CAA). Cheers j

T_Terrific wrote:

As far as I know the world's first mass-produced all-metal combat aircraft was the Topolev ANT 3 (R-3). See this link: http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/vvs/tupolev/tupolev_design_bureau_aircraft.htm The PZL aircraft that the P.7 was the forerunner of was the PZL P11. See this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL_P.11 As far as I know, this answers both questions.   Tom

thanks for the correction then. P.7 it is. O, and the ANT-3's a bipe. I asked for a monoplane.

rangerj wrote:

Hudskit, I'm not sure what "2nd" aircraft you're referring to, but the experiments with the XC-35 did lead to turbosupercharging that allowed higher altitudes of most of the U.S. aircraft e.g. P-38, P-47, P-51 and the bombers. The work on the pressurized cabin led to the pressurized B-29. While the XC-35 was not solely responsible for the advances it certainly contributed. If this is not what you're are referring to how about a hint?

Absolutely-

The source for this is "the Search for Amelia Earhart"-Joe Gervais -so please take into account this is a bit "tongue in cheek" circa 1965ish.

The story goes like this....

If...you buy the possibility that Amelia was flying the 2nd XC-35(there are missing serial numbers in the chain at that point in Lockheed history)

If you buy the thought that she was brought down over the Marianas in a controlled crash (possibly shot down)

The technology  in this improved Lockheed 10 (which they had purchased a licensing fee for production) led to the design of the ......(you fill in the blank)

Andif you enjoyed this thee is the story of how the Japanes got the technology for the Emily.....

Gotta love those old books....and the old dudes that wrote them.

Cheers, keith

As far as I know the world's first mass-produced all-metal combat aircraft was the Topolev ANT 3 (R-3).

See this link: http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/vvs/tupolev/tupolev_design_bureau_aircraft.htm

The PZL aircraft that the P.7 was the forerunner of was the PZL P11.

See this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL_P.11

As far as I know, this answers both questions.

  Tom

RemcoGrob wrote:

rudy_102 wrote:  RemcoGrob wrote:  rudy_102 wrote: k guys, my question: what was the very first operational all metal monoplane in service in europe? If you mean a fighter, I think it's the Junkers D.1 If you mean a passenger aircraft, I think it's the Junker F.13 It's a fighter. Let me correct myself: what was the first mass-produced all-metal monoplane in Europe. Hint: It's a Polish design The Junkers was a production aircraft, but since you are after a polish design I'm just going the say the first aircraft that's on my mind: the PZL-7

The P.7 was a prototype (as far as i know), but it is a PZL craft(the one im thinking about)

Hudskit,

I'm not sure what "2nd" aircraft you're referring to, but the experiments with the XC-35 did lead to turbosupercharging that allowed higher altitudes of most of the U.S. aircraft e.g. P-38, P-47, P-51 and the bombers. The work on the pressurized cabin led to the pressurized B-29. While the XC-35 was not solely responsible for the advances it certainly contributed.

If this is not what you're are referring to how about a hint? 

rudy_102 wrote:

RemcoGrob wrote:  rudy_102 wrote: k guys, my question: what was the very first operational all metal monoplane in service in europe? If you mean a fighter, I think it's the Junkers D.1 If you mean a passenger aircraft, I think it's the Junker F.13 It's a fighter. Let me correct myself: what was the first mass-produced all-metal monoplane in Europe. Hint: It's a Polish design

The Junkers was a production aircraft, but since you are after a polish design I'm just going the say the first aircraft that's on my mind: the PZL-7

RemcoGrob wrote:

rudy_102 wrote: k guys, my question: what was the very first operational all metal monoplane in service in europe? If you mean a fighter, I think it's the Junkers D.1 If you mean a passenger aircraft, I think it's the Junker F.13

It's a fighter. Let me correct myself: what was the first mass-produced all-metal monoplane in Europe. Hint: It's a Polish design

Hudskit,

The XC-35 was the pressurized, turbosupercharged, "Electra".  The fuselage was not an Electra fusuelage, but was rounded. The wings and epinage were the same as the Electra. This one-off aircraft is now at the National Air and Space Museum and will be restored and displayed. Lockheed started the production numbers of the model 10 at 1001 and ended them at 1145. AEs Electra was number 1055. The XC-35 had its unique production number because it was a one-off experimental aircraft built for the USAAC (no.3501). The USAAC received the Collier Trophy for its experimental work with the XC-35.

The rest of the Model 10s that were military are as follows (taken from Lockheed production records and U.S Government records);

XR-20-1(no.1052) was built for the Navy.

XR30-1 was built for the Coast Gaurd (no.1053)

Y1C-36 - 3 of these model 10s were built for the USAAC (no.s 1071, 1073, and 1074)

C-36A (UC-36-LO) 15 commercial model 10s were "impressed" into military service (drafted!) during WWII and surviving aircraft were returned to civilian service.

C-36B (UC-36B LO) 5 model 10Es were also "impressed" into military service during WWII

C-36C and (UC-36C-LO) 7 model Bs were impressed into service

Y1C-37  (C-37 and UC-37-LO) was ordered by the War Department but instead of going to the AAC it went to the National Gaurd Bureau to serve as a transport for its chief.

Would the XC-35 have helped AE  IF her flight was a spy mission? It would have been an advantage to fly at higher altitudes in order to conserve fuel, as well as take advantage of tail winds, but the photographic equipment at the time would have been nearly useless at high altitude. Plus the sky in the South Pacific are almost always cloudy. It would be pure chance to get a clear sky upon arrival over the Japaneese mandated islands the Navy was interested in. The Navy had intelegence that the Japaneese were fortifying (military fortifications) their mandated islands, in violation of the Treaty entered into at the end of WWI. Again the XC-35, the one and only one XC-35, is at the NASM and no connection to AE has ever been made.

rudy_102 wrote:

k guys, my question: what was the very first operational all metal monoplane in service in europe?

If you mean a fighter, I think it's the Junkers D.1

If you mean a passenger aircraft, I think it's the Junker F.13

Rangerj- very well done- the actual experimental high altitude version of the 10-e was the XC-35- and this was the airplane that Amelia was rumoured to have used on her last flight- with the ability to fly higher/faster than her "standard" 10-E she would have been able to overfly the mandated islands and land at Howland Island in the same amount of time as a straight line trip in her standard aircraft.

That was the easy one of the 2- now how about the other high altitude/pressurized version of the Lockheed electra and the connection between the 2 aircraft?

rudy_102 wrote:

Was he Beryl Erikson?

That is correct.  Your turn to ask a question.

Darwin, O.F.

Nick wrote:

Was it James Edmundson or  Curtis LeMay?

Neither.

Darwin, O.F.

A certain gentleman was the first to fly the B-36, the first to fly the YB-60, the first to fly the B-58 and the first to log 100 hours supersonic time.  What was his name? 

I had the pleasure of meeting this man during a tour of the Paul E Garber Storage and Restoration Facility in Silver Hill, Maryland in 1999 and then to listen to his presentation later that evening on his life as chief test pilot for Convair.

Darwin, O.F.

yardbird78 wrote:

RemcoGrob wrote: So then I can ask a question: Name two types fighter planes that where used by the french airforce in 1940 and where made by a foreign (a non-french) manufacturer?  Please note the the types, at least, must have been delivered before the fall of France, so no p-38's or p-39's etc. (which where on order but never deliverd) Gentlemen, please, let's leave out the discussions of politics about Lindbergh, Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill, etc and concentrate on the original theme of this thread, ie, aircraft trivia questions. In reference to the above question by RemcoGrob, France operated 98 of the US made Curtis 75 Hawk and 50 of the Dutch made Koolhaven FK.58. Darwin, O.F. Koolhaven FK-58                                                                                                                            Curtis Hawk 75

Your anwser is totaly correct (just a slight misspelling, it's "Koolhoven")

So, according to the rules, you are allowed to ask a new question........

Hudskit,

I believe you are referring to the Lockheed Electre 10-E (NR16020) ordered by Purdue University and flown by Amelia earhart. It had uprated engines and additional fuel and oil tanks for her "around the world" attempt. The conspiracy theory is that she was sent by the U.S. Govt. to spy on the Japanese fortifications in the South Pacific. She was, according to the conspiracy theary, shot down by the Japanese, taken prisoner, and executed. The theary has little if any credibility. AE and the navigator Fred Noonan, had reserve commissions in the Navy. At that time most experienced pilots were given reserve commissions in the Navy or Army. 

Secondly there was a high altitude Electra Model 10, pressurized if I remember right, that has been thearorized to have been built for Earhart and the spy mission. No connection has ever been made between the aircraft and Earhart. In fact the aircraft was built after AE left on her flight into history! I'm not sure of the designation but U-36 comes to mind.

rudy_102 wrote:

Bgrigg wrote: I personally believe Lindbergh would have been one of the best aces (he actually shot down an enemy plane while flying as a "civilian" observor) but I don't think he would have willingly fought in the European theatre. Shame, really, his accomplishments were almost eclipsed by his personal short-comings.   Actually, Lindbergh flew Corsairs on bombing missions in the Pacific, according to the December 2005 issue of Flight Journal, flying with VMF 331, Group 31, off Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

rudy_102 wrote:

wdolson2 wrote: After WW II every country who was involved, winner or loser had a decade or more of hard times, except the US.  The US was the only major combattant that came out of the war with a stronger economy than when the war started. Bill wdolson, sweden provided bofors guns to germany and the allies, so they also gained from the war because their netrality allowed them to buy and sell from both sides

T_Terrific wrote:

hudskit wrote: Wow- where did all the aircraft go? As I understand from some friends of mine in the UK, England literally dumped them into the ocean to avoid paying for them

Another question for the propellor crowd- please name the 2 high altitude experimental aircraft developed from the Lockheed 10 Electra (pre-war twin engine transport)- bonus points if you can tell of the "alledged" link between the 2 aircraft- it's a conspiracy theroy right up there with that Joe kennedy jr. story earlier....

Have fun!

Keith

well done RemcoGrob- the dinah's performance was well ahead of the curve when it was built in 1940 but it was never really developed/improved during the wartime.

Great answer, Keith

As for England losing it's world power status after WW I, I'd have to disagree (politely, of course). Britain had, of course, lost none of it's colonies/territories and with the dissolution of Germany's short lived empire, had increased it's possesions substantially after the war- there was no vacuum to be "filled"-much less by a (then) second rate power such as the U.S.

Things are much clearer in hindsight,

Keith

RemcoGrob wrote:

So then I can ask a question: Name two types fighter planes that where used by the french airforce in 1940 and where made by a foreign (a non-french) manufacturer?  Please note the the types, at least, must have been delivered before the fall of France, so no p-38's or p-39's etc. (which where on order but never deliverd)

Gentlemen, please, let's leave out the discussions of politics about Lindbergh, Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill, etc and concentrate on the original theme of this thread, ie, aircraft trivia questions.

In reference to the above question by RemcoGrob,

France operated 98 of the US made Curtis 75 Hawk and 50 of the Dutch made Koolhaven FK.58.

Darwin, O.F.

Koolhaven FK-58                                                                                                                           

Curtis Hawk 75