Aircraft Trivia Quiz

OK, I came up with a good question in the shower, then promptly forgot it.  They say memory is the second thing to go...

However, I just thought of another one.

This is a timely question.  Recently a warbird was involved in a lawsuit about Ebay.  What was the plane?

 Bill

wdolson2 wrote:

OK, I came up with a good question in the shower, then promptly forgot it.  They say memory is the second thing to go... However, I just thought of another one. This is a timely question.  Recently a warbird was involved in a lawsuit about Ebay.  What was the plane?  Bill

Just for my similarly age-deteriated brain, is the warbird in question a model aircraft, or an actual one?

Tom

It's the real thing, built during World War II.

 Bill

Would it be single or twin engined?

Tom

espins1 wrote:

Wirraway

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14813&highlight=wirraway 

espins1 wrote:

Wirraway

We have a winner!

 The Wirraway wasn't much of a fighter, but it was the subject of a landmark suit.

 Bill

This aircraft was the first ever to be propelled by a liquid-fueled rocket. 

Name the aircraft.

Was it the Russian BI-2 rocket fighter that first flew in 1942?

Mike T.

telsono wrote:

Was it the Russian BI-2 rocket fighter that first flew in 1942? Mike T.

Nope, the BI-2 used solid fuel.

espins1 wrote:

This aircraft was the first ever to be propelled by a liquid-fueled rocket.  Name the aircraft.

I believe the Me-163 was the first operational (and only) liquid fueled rocket fighter.   Though it probably wasn't the first to fly.

Bill 

wdolson2 wrote:

espins1 wrote: This aircraft was the first ever to be propelled by a liquid-fueled rocket.  Name the aircraft. I believe the Me-163 was the first operational (and only) liquid fueled rocket fighter.   Though it probably wasn't the first to fly. Bill

Good try, but no. 

Scott, you don't say "only"  liquid fueled rocket power, so a Heinkel 112B could be the answer, as it took off via it's piston engine, and then ignited the rocket after the piston engine was shut down.  Solely by a liquid fueled rocket would be the Heinkel 176.  The Opel Sanders glider wouldn't be it, because it had a solid fuel rocket motor. 

I don't know why I'm doing this, now if I am indeed correct, I will be in the penalty box for another question!

jeaton01 wrote:

Solely by a liquid fueled rocket would be the Heinkel 176.

That would be the one!  Here are a couple of blurbs on it from Wikipedia:

The Heinkel He 176 was the world's first aircraft to be propelled solely by a liquid-fuelled rocket, making its first powered flight on July 20, 1939 with Erich Warsitz at the controls. It was a private venture by the Heinkel company in accordance with director Ernst Heinkel's emphasis on developing technology for high-speed flight. The performance of the He 176 was not spectacular, but it did provide "proof of concept" for rocket propulsion.

The He 176 was built to utilise one of the new Walter engines. It was a tiny, simple aircraft, built almost entirely out of wood and lacking even an enclosed canopy. It had a conventional, fixed, tricycle undercarriage, but relied on the weight of the pilot to actually rest on its wheels. Empty, the tail of the plane rested on the ground.

Heinkel demonstrated the aircraft to the RLM, but official disinterest led to the abandonment of the company's rocket propulsion programme. The He 176 was placed in the Deutsches Technikmuseum ("German Technical Museum") in Berlin, where it was destroyed in an air raid during World War II.

Ahhh, bummer...

OK, there is a model of this one, injection molded at that.  It was the first series produced airplane by a designer who is very well known. It had one seat and a radial engine, and shared the same basic planform as the WW II aircraft by this same designer.    The firm established by this designer is still in existence.

This is a really good question,jeaton.

I just would appreciate a small clarification, that is a radial, not a rotary-engined plane your speaking of, right?

I am only asking because the radial engine in WWI was a rare beast.

Here is an article that defines the difference, if you need it:

 http://www.pilotfriend.com/aero_engines/aero_pst_eng.htm

Thanks.

Tom

T_Terrific wrote:

This is a really good question,jeaton. I just would appreciate a small clarification, that is a radial, not a rotary-engined plane your speaking of, right? I am only asking because the radial engine in WWI was a rare beast. Here is an article that defines the difference, if you need it:  http://www.pilotfriend.com/aero_engines/aero_pst_eng.htm Thanks. Tom

Definitely a radial, Tom, which was first termed a "stationary" rotary engine.  This is not a WW I airplane.

OK,

Lessee, it was a WW2 bird, it had a single seat, a basic planform that is still common to this type of aircraft, a radial engine, there still is a firm named after this aircraft design genious,aaaaaaaaaaand you can get a kit of one of these...

Actually, the Sikorsky R-4 Hoverfly meets all these spec's.

Tom

jeaton01 wrote:

Keith is in the neighborhood.  Radial engine.

I have it in my head that this is a Russian aircraft - the way you framed it with the designer's name as part of the question. I thought I nailed it with the Yak - except for the radial engine part. Darn. The Polikarpov is radial, but not in existance anymore. Early Migs and Suks and Ils were inlines too. Gotta think on the less aggressive part.

-Bret (not Keith)

and by the way - I'm pretty sure you know the difference between a radial and a rotary (and a wankel for that matter . . .) 

Sorry about getting your name wrong, Bret.  I wish I had a cross reference!  Remember, I said you were in the neighborhood, maybe even the back yard.

This airplane was the subject of a post on this forum at some time in the past.

bondoman wrote:

It's the LaGG-1 -NO STUPID:IT"S NOT A RADIAL!!! In the penalty box with me!!! GOOD QUESTION!!!

No time to think anymore about this today.

-Bret 

The Curtiss P-36?

It's planform was shared with the P-40 and there still is a Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Tom