Guess the Aeroplane (just a bit of fun.)

It was actually meant to be in the water like that.
For 1929 an extremely advanced design racing sea plane the Piaggio P7.


Used hydro foils with a water prop and the air prop feathered to get moving and lift up, then clutch in the air prop to actually take off.
Water trials only but clutching in getting on for 1000hp was beyond the technology of the time.

I reckon with two separate electric motors and a nicely faired folding prop.........

an rc version was built and the company supplied all the drawings.
there were problems getting it to lift off and the wing incidence had to be changed.
but once sorted it flew very well apparently.

love4ly looking but why didnt they just put wheels on it and fly off land.was it because the races of the time were for sea planes

yup just for sea planes.

So would this aeroplane competed against what became the Spitfire if it had been successful

Absolutely Stephen, the Supermarine S5 and 6s' were designed by RJ Mitchell himself and won 3 years in a row, thus allowing Great Britain to keep the Schnieder trophy in perpetuity. The last year we could only complete due to a gift of 100,000pounds made by Lady Houston.

The Italians were the main rivals in the Schneider races and probably their ultimate attempt was the Macchi M72.

Two Fiat V12s coupled in tandem driving contra rotating props. This resulted in a huge engine of 50 litres capacity. Not surprisingly engine troubles prevented it from competing in the 1931 (and final) race although Mussolini intervened and ordered development to continue. Over a period of 3 years and the lives of two pilots it eventually achieved an average speed of 440mph, a record for a piston engine seaplane that still stands.
By comparison the Rolls Royce R used in the Supermarine S6 seaplanes was only 36 litres (the same size as the later RR Griffon) but nevertheless produced almost the same power as the big Fiat.

Not really guess what it is but.....

amazing that it actually flew!

lysander bomber.

Westland Lysander P.12. It's like the front half of an ordinary Lysander army co-operation aircraft stuck onto the tail-end of a heavy bomber (maybe a Whitley), with a four-gun power turret at the back. It first flew in 1941, but was never put into production; as far as I can tell, the intended purpose was to fly over beaches filled with German invaders and strafe them with the rear machine guns.

I believe the intention was to develop a night fighter. By using the Delanne 'tandem wing' principle a relatively small plane would be able to carry a heavy 4 gun rear turret.
The P12 Lysander apparently flew quite well but the concept was taken no further.

For once I recognised the front part as that of the Lysander as the TN one is so well publicised,funny looking thing but would have been useful in that role

How about this?

'US Army' on its side does rather give away its country of origin!

I am very tempted to build it.

It looks like a microlight crossed with an Islander that was mated with a Hercules!
I presume it is some sort of transportable AOP.

Nice to somebody also on their PC on Christmas day!

It only had one engine but no less than six sets of props. There are two small horizontal ones on the tail (a clue to its intended use?).

Some kind of VTOL jobby? With a rotating wing.

On the right track.
Actually not a tilt wing but vectored thrust.

Now that's what I call flaps!

The Fairchild VZ-F5A Fledgling.

It never flew only tethered 'flights'.
The really odd bit was it was also a tail dragger.
This is how it would take off and land vertically.


I am not sure how roll control would be maintained in the hover as with flaps fully down the ailerons would only induce a yawing moment.
Varying the pitch on the outboard props would alter their thrust and hence create a rolling force but it would also induce a yaw at the same time. Perhaps this is why it never flew!

Even if true VTOL was not possible it would make a fascinating electric job.