Aircraft Quiz No.105

[Doug Robertson]

Name a manufacturer of an airplane that had corrugated metal fuselage slab sides to strengthen the 4 place aircraft (that probably never carried four people). One of the intents of the design that was built and flew was to be powered by a wide range of horsepower engines. These engines, incidentally, were NOT all tested on the prototype.

1. Manufacturer?

2. Model nomenclature?

3. Year of first flight?

4. What was unusual about the nose gear?

5a. Range of horsepower and 5b. only engine flight tested?

BONUS for the registration number of the first aircraft and what happened to it.

[Ztex]

Nose gear?

[Ztex]

Stout Metal Airplane Company

SkyCar1 (11-W)

1931

"first nose wheel since Wright or Curtiss"

Rover and Warner engines 75 - 90 hp

Flew with Moorehouse motor?

N10899 on display at the NASM

[Doug Robertson]

Focusing on your references to the nose gear, the Stout aircraft did NOT have the unusual nose gear attribute of the quiz aircraft. Please keep trying. And, I believe the true aircraft quiz answer may surprise the readers.

[Doug Robertson]

With well over 100 looks and no correct answers, here are the answers which may surprise.

1. Cessna Aircraft Company

2. Cessna model 160. This model number fit between the C150-A152 Aerobat and the C170.

3. 1962.

4. Free castoring fixed gear nose wheel.

5a. A range of engines were planned from the 125 Hp Franklin to the 145 Hp Continental IO--360 and the 210 Hp Lycoming. 5B. Only the 125 hp Franklin was test flown.
Bonus: The registration number was N5419E. This sole C160 prototype aircraft was broken up in 1974.

No production ensued because Cessna could not decide on a price point-the "rather utilitarian C160 could not be marketed at an attractive price point".