Monthly Archives: October 2022

McDonnell XF-85 Goblin: Trick & Treat.

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To improve the defences of their massive B-36s during their long range missions, the USAAF chose to revisit the US. Navy short-lived operational parasite airship fighter concept of the 1930s. The end product was the egg-shaped Goblin, a marvel of design tested briefly in 1948-49 from a converted EB-29B with lukewarm results. The idea basically worked, but the Goblin was neither easy to operate nor up to the task against the perceived foes. The B-36s flew without them.

Mechanix Illustrated again doing a great job here; describing gadgets with a few words and a dramatic drawing. Somehow free-style, as usual.

Fokker D.VII: He sure got stripes.

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Magnificent portrait of German fighter ace Josef Mai (30 victories) of the Jasta 5 and his personally distinctive “zebra striped” D.VII. With such an aerial score Mai should have achieved the highly desired “Pour le Mèrite”. It was not to be. Though nominated and definitely eligible for such an award, the end of hostilities occurred before the process was concluded.

Sud-Ouest SO.90 Cassiopée: Not by the book.

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The Cassiopée was a twin-engined mail, eight-passenger/transport aircraft designed and built in France after the armistice. Nothing unusual or special in this conventional design powered by a pair of 325hp Bearn 6D-07 engines. Well, nothing apart of its first flight on 16 August 1943. That day, despite the control of the occupying forces and lacking any authorization, aeronautical engineer Marcel Hurel flew the prototype accompanied by eight people (among them his three sons) from Cannes to Allied-held Algeria and freedom.

Just three prototypes were produced of the SO.90, but the design later evolved into the barely-successful Corse family of aircraft. All of them were quite pretty anyway, that’s for sure.

Kaman KSA-100 SAVER: You Only Live Twice.

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The Vietnam War was still in full bloom when the US. Navy decided to be really creative about their downed aircrew rescue capabilities. One of the proposals was Kaman‘s self-explanatory “Stowable Aircrew Vehicle Escape Rotorseat”. The seat became an autogiro as part of the downed aircraft’s ejection sequence. Thoroughly ground and flight tested (Dec.1971), just the prototype was built. It became obvious it was a way too complex solution service-wise. A minor claim of fame: it was the world’s first jet-powered (Williams WRC-19) autogiro.

James Bond abides.

Sopwith Dolphin: GUNS, GUNS, GUNS.

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The 5F.1 Dolphin was designed in the mid 1917 to provide a heavily armed fighter with good visibility and powered by the geared 200hp Hispano-Suiza 8B. The result was a not very handsome biplane equipped with a two-bay wing in negative stagger configuration in which the cockpit was placed in the middle of the two parts upper wing. The first examples went to war in France in Feb. 1918 where, in general, they were quite well-liked by their pilots. The cockpit seemed to them dangerous in case of crash though and it was later improved. The engine also gave some troubles. In service their high-altitude performances was noted and they saw a fair amount of action way up high. In total circa 2000 were produced, but the end of the war also meant the end for this useful asset. The Dolphin did not have a place in the frugal postwar RAF.

This gorgeous photo displays the official armament of the Dolphin: two fixed, synchronized Vickers MGs and two movable Lewis MGs mounted on the cockpit cabane. In operations one or both of the Lewis MGs were usually discarded. They’re awkward in operation and potentially dangerous in a crash.