While not a pure “aircraft”, this air vehicle was one of the more interesting footnotes is aviation history. This craft was fitted with a two blade rotor, a streamlined tail fairing with two rudderless fins, a ‘hanging’ rotor control and various flight instruments. It was tow tested behind a car, and achieved gliding speeds of up to 65 mph in November, 1943. One witness described how she watched an aircraft take off with this craft in tow, circle and land. The craft, still in tow, did not touch down at the same time, and the witness realised that its occupants “were unhappy”. With the pilot holding the hanging control column and the driver clutching the steering wheel, it made a series of up and down movements, whilst the audience hoped it would stall on a ‘down’ rather than an ‘up’. This it fortunately did, the driver taking over and driving flat-out after the tow plane, to which it remained attached. When it stopped, nobody got out for a while; the pilot was then assisted out and lay down beside the runway to recover. Apparently he was exhausted from trying to control the joystick, which had whipped in circles for the whole flight. Apparently this flight was one of the worst, and the handling and flying qualities of the craft were officially recorded as “highly satisfactory”, especially when large tail fins had been fitted and greater rotor blade articulation provided. However, development of vehicle carrying gliders made further development of the idea unnecessary.
Name this aircraft. Answer by PM only. Do not answer " Was It " or with a question mark. No changing of an answer after your original submission. Any answer submitted after 1200 hrs E.S.T on the day the answer will post will not count. Answer will post on 10/03/07 at 1200 hrs E.D.T.
Brian [C):-)]