Unknown Aircraft and Gadgets in the REPUBLIC thread

Romantic Technofreak · **Posted:** Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:03 am

Hi, thank you for your comments on the "correcting" thread.

Now here are the pictures in Armyjunk's thread I could not identify.

The caption of first one mentions the "Air Engineering Corps" and a person named "Bruce Eytinger", but I could not extract further information out of this. Does anybody know the aircraft type?

The next two show bombers of 1920 style. The manufacturer might be "Heinrich". There is such a firm mentioned within aerofiles.com, but no reference to aircraft shaped like these.
The first one obviously was photographed on Curtiss Field:

The second one on Nassau Boulevard Airport:

This rather scary looking machine belongs to Grumman's. The extractable information is "aneochiccamber 1961". Can anyone give a little bit of information?

What is this gagdget underneath the Grumman Goose? A "ski" providing stability in water? Or a reconnaissance device?

Thank you for every answer!

Regards, RT

The Inspector · **Posted:** Thu Jun 17, 2010 12:49 pm

No idea about the teeny biplane, the next two look like they were either scared by, or are dirivatives of WW1 CAUDRONS. Perhaps JDK could spread some illumination on them.
The 'aneochicchamber is used to test antennas and other avionics either pieces or, in some cases, entire airplanes. The foam wedges absorb any outside extranious sounds so the part (s) being teated are free from outside distracting sounds. :oops:

The JRF with the high water pants was used to test various hydrofoil like skis after the war. Since it was a conversion to a straight boat (no gear) the beaching gear had to exceptionally long to deal with the fixed ski on the bottom. You can find a pretty concise article about the whole project in AERO FILES. The next time you watch footage of some guy landing an F4F, be glad no one tried to wheel land this thing!! :shock:

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11330

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anechoic_chamber

If you have ever been in one, it sounds very strange as there are no echos or sound relections off the walls. I have also seen anechoic pyramids used around Xerox machines in offices, back when the machines were quite loud, to minimize distraction to the office workers.

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Jun 17, 2010 11:55 pm

The Inspector wrote:

No idea about the teeny biplane, the next two look like they were either scared by, or are dirivatives of WW1 CAUDRONS. Perhaps JDK could spread some illumination on them.

Happy to admit to being beaten there! :shock:

The two photos of the twin-engine aircraft are, I'm pretty certain photos of the same type - probably the same prototype after modification. The second photo looks to me like a first roll out picture, while the other (later image) shows the same fuselage / wing structure with new rotary / radial engines and additional tail area - not unknown in aircraft development! In the later shot, I can say that the centre fin and rudder is a de Havilland / Airco type, probably borrowed of a DH 9.

Romantic Technofreak · **Posted:** Sun Jun 20, 2010 9:56 am

Thank you for your answers!

About the still unknown types, could anybody give me a hint where else to ask?

Thank you, and regards, RT

Shay · **Posted:** Sun Jun 20, 2010 10:29 am

With regards to the Inspector's explanation of the "Anechoic" chamber. In this case I think the room is being used for the purpose to isolate reflections of RF Energy. The unit on test appears to be an antenna for a RADAR unit or at the least is some type of directional antenna, by the looks of the reflector and feedhorn.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Jun 22, 2010 3:19 am

Romantic Technofreak wrote:

About the still unknown types, could anybody give me a hint where else to ask?

The early types might be solved by the guys at The Aerodrome.

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/

Romantic Technofreak · **Posted:** Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:26 pm

That was a good idea, JDK! People form The Aerodrome found the solution.

#1 is the ACE K-1. "ACE" means "Aircraft Engineering Corporation", what corresponds with the picture caption. A sample of this type even survives (but has a propeller hub, the upper wing placed higher and a radiator pointing down from it).

#2, and in this you are right, JDK, #3 show the same aircraft, the Atlantic Battleplane. The designer of the Atlantic Battleplane was Albert Sigeman Heinrich, the same Heinrich from the Heinrich Aeroplane Co., what here corresponds with the caption.

So thank you for your help and interest!

Regards, RT

The Inspector · **Posted:** Fri Jul 02, 2010 2:30 pm

Darned fine detective work RTF!! now we all know more than we did 95 seconds ago, that's why I love this forum :wink:

engguy · **Joined:** Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:45 am **Posts:** 442

The horn shaped thing behind the guys head is a Microwave horn antenna, and I'm supposing the device he is working on is the refector. All the little pyramid cone shaped deals are microwave absorbers. Like someone said it is likey a radar test facility, could be for testing radar cross section of aircraft.

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:54 pm

Romantic Technofreak wrote:

That was a good idea, JDK! People form The Aerodrome found the solution.

Glad it worked!

Interesting stuff. I'd like to learn more about the Atlantic Battleplane, but the only refs on Google come back to this question, and my main aircraft encyclopaedia has nothing - most unusual.

Cheers,

Romantic Technofreak · **Posted:** Sat Jul 03, 2010 1:15 am

JDK, there is minimum information about the Atlantic Battleplane on Aerofiles.com, and also in this older Theaerodrome thread (please scroll down a bit):
http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/30565-breguet-aircraft-challenge-174-a.html

One contributor even stated that my #3 maybe a really different aircraft than #2... well, we can't have everything...

Another question: Supposed I have trouble with identifying 1920-1935 aircraft, which forum would you recommend to ask? This or another one?

Thanks once more, and regards, RT

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:26 am

Thanks, RT, I was interested in the aircraft's story - why it wasn't successful etc, but the bit at the Aerodrome was indeed better than nothing!

As to it being two different aircraft, the poster over at the Aerodrome seems to have been working off other, perhaps worse images. While one may argue what constitutes one aircraft design, there's no argument that No.2 and No.3 in this thread are the same airframe, later modified with different engines and an enhanced vertical tail setup. The wings, numbers of strut bays, fuselage, undercarriage are all identical. It's possible that the second version may have been re-named as another type for whatever (sales, funding, political) reasons, but the main airframe is the same.

Where to try? There's few here very knowledgeable about obscure pre-W.W.II era aircraft, but you never know. I can't think of one forum that's as solid as, say the Aerodrome would be for W.W.I. On the Key Historic Aviation forum there's another 'identify the aircraft' thread running and most types get nailed by someone.

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/forumd ... prune=&f=4

There are a couple of very knowledgeable posters on the Plane Talk forum (AIB) of this era, so maybe there.

http://forum.planetalk.net/

Regards,

Romantic Technofreak · **Posted:** Mon Jul 05, 2010 3:38 pm

Thank you JDK for these proposals. I am going to set the next question to one of them.

And at least: two more fascinating forums!

Best regards, RT

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