Aircraft Quiz #78

[Doug Robertson]

This quiz will be a bit different. Let's delve into the worldwide Experimental-Amateur Built aircraft category.

This flying replica single seat aircraft built to a reduced scale (because of the size of his construction garage) was perhaps unique with a pusher radial engine and exceedingly short fuselage only about six feet in total length. The engine/pusher propeller was right behind the short fuselage.

1. Designer/builder full name?

2a. Full model name?, 2b. Replica of what aircraft?, 2c. Scale of reduction?

3a. Radial engine full nomenclature?, 3b. Horsepower?

4. Date of first flight?

5. Bonus for the registration number of the first article flying aircraft.

6. Approximate original builder cost of complete flying aircraft?

[SunvisorFlyer]

An experimental radial pusher smaller than the SA-2A or the Bumble Bee II?
And it actually flew?

[Doug Robertson]

I sincerely apologize for the delay in replying-my computer crashed two days ago and was in the repair shop.

There is no claim re the quiz aircraft as being the world's smallest. Your examples fit that category, and stand. In fact, the Ray Stits Sky Baby was test flown on Point Mugu's 11,100' duty runway 21 by a USN Cdr. test pilot just above the runway to prove it actually flew. I worked at Point Mugu-at NMC, PMTC and NAWC-WPNS in succession for 29 years. That original Stits Sky Baby aircraft is in the EAA Museum at OSH and I have photographed it.

There is more length to the quiz aircraft than its short fuselage pod, and no claim was made re "the World's shortest/smallest aircraft by the builder of the quiz aircraft nor Ye Olde Quizmaker.

Please keep trying.

[red750]

As an aside to the quiz, this 1950's newsreel film includes scenes of the Stits Sky Baby in flight.

https://youtu.be/hvCMrt1JPwo

Peter.

[SunvisorFlyer]

Still having trouble finding this one Doug- its not a reproduction Curtiss Pusher is it? The information I found doesn't exactly fit with a down-sized home-built though..

[Doug Robertson]

No, the Quiz aircraft is not a scaled replica or reproduction of the Curtiss Pusher. Thank you and please keep searching.

[Doug Robertson]

With over 500 views and no right answers, here are the answers.

1. Joe Mason.

2a. Mason D.H.2 replica., 2b. The designer Geoffrey de Havilland D.H.2 produced as Airco DH.2 biplane in World War 1., 2c. 8/10ths reduction scale.

3a. One LeBlond 5F radial pusher engine., 3b. 90 hp.

4.1 March 1974.

5. Bonus: The aircraft was registered as N32DH.

6. Approximately $4.500.

Joe Mason of Woodland Hills, California became enamored of the WW1 vintage Airco DH.2 single-seat biplane and assembled as many 3-view drawings and photographs of it that he could find. Having the original dimensions, he scaled it down to 8/10th of normal size so it could be built within his garage from his own drawn reduced scale plans. He built the biplane of welded steel tube-dacron covered. A center fuel tank with airfoil shape occupied the upper wing center.

The original Airco DH.2 airplane was a pusher design with small short open cockpit fuselage for one pilot with pusher engine so that a forward-facing gun could be fuselage mounted on it; (The British were not privy yet to synchronized machine gun firing technology through a propeller arc). And this was a time in the Western Front war when better aiming accuracy was achieved by a fuselage mounted machine gun rather than pilot or gunner-held gun, aiming the whole aircraft at the enemy aircraft. The open cockpit single seat Airco DH.2 aircraft had a short fuselage with a pusher engine-primarily a Gnome Monosoupape 100 Hp 9 cylinder rotary engine with later models using a 110 Hp Le Rhone 9J rotary engine. The tail structure was braced from two welded and braced open structures emanating from about the biplane's upper and lower wings centers rearward vee-shaped to the low, long vertical stabilizer and larger elevators and large rudder, and with a tail skid. (Joe Mason used a swivel tail-wheel here). Fixed dual landing gear were mounted under the fuselage and lower wing of the Airco DH.2.

I have no indication that Joe Mason ever sold plans for his 8/10ths successful and handsome authentic-looking home-built early biplane design. Apparently it was a one-off build. Interested folks can see the airworthy Mason DH.2 80% replica in the Combat Air Museum at 7016 SE Forbes Avenue, Forbes Field, Topeka, Kansas 66619. Telephone (785) 862-3303

I thank all who pondered this quiz.

[SunvisorFlyer]

I don't think I would have ever figured this out.

I found a snippet about this replica via the Google Books project from Popular Mechanics- March 1977. [/img]

[Doug Robertson]

Thank you for the photo and additional information. My reference Copyrighted in 1977 only differed re the amount of money spent to build the one-off replica and 8 and 1/2 years for the build vice 9 years. In the engine/prop photo one can faintly see the cross-bracing wires on the framework leading to the tail. This duplicated the original aircraft.

The production aircraft was never known as a de Havilland, the second aircraft design by Geoffrey de Havilland. Airco was the production builder of the D.H.2. There is quite a bit of information on the Web about the production aircraft.