Breda 75: Un’aria di famiglia.

This shoulder-wing monoplane bears a definitive family resemblance with the previous smaller Breda 65. The 75 was a large two-seat ground attack and recon prototype built in the late 1930s powered by a 900 hp Isotta-Fraschini K.14. With the recon mission in mind, the 75’s fuselage was provided with a considerable number of observation windows on its belly. Tested unsuccessfully in 1939, it was soon forgotten.

Very Lockheed Vega or even Consolidated 17 Fleetster. That fixed undercarriage looked both anachronistic and ultra cool.

Campbell F: “Flying Easter Egg”.

This cabin monoplane was designed by the american Hayden S. Campbell in the mid-1930s. Pretty modern twin-boom mid-wing in configuration, it was powered by a 82 hp Ford V-8 automobile-derived pusher engine. The Campbell F’s more interesting feature was its all-magnesium construction, specially its clean monocoque fuselage pod. Only one example seems to have been produced; it met its end during a demonstration flight.

Pretty obvious nickname’s origin.

Dassault Mirage III 001: La voie à suivre.

The Mirage I was the seed, but the real prototype of the Mirage III family was this beautiful creature; the first Mirage powered by an Atar engine.

Still without its air intake “souris” in this pretty elegant artwork of Jean Massé.

Mikoyan I-250: As unlucky as its number.

The I-250 (MiG-13) was Mikoyan’s answer to counter the menace posed at the end of WW2 by the latest German jet aircraft. With the USSR still behind in turbojet technology, this somehow classic looking fighter was powered by a mixed-power engine. The latter featuring a VRDK motorjet booster placed in the rear fuselage, its axial compresor driven via an extension shaft by a Klimov KV-107R cruise piston engine. The I-250 program proved to be a commendable effort, but somehow troublesome and unsuccessful in the end. Decent pure jet engines were already available. Only a dozen were built.

Racy yet stocky lines. I kinda like it.

Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow: It was not to be.

Designed to replace the household CF-100 Canuck, the Arrow was one of those cursed aircraft designs cancelled despite its potential. It started originally as a swept-winged version of the its predecessor, but the end product was a clean sheet delta wing beauty powered by a pair of equally outstanding Iroquois engines. Fast, highly advanced and ahead of its time, the Arrow’s demise due to political considerations still echoes. The result was not just the death of a superb interceptor and its engines, but also of Canada’s aerospace industry potential as a whole.

Unfulfilled dream. Photo of the first Mk.1 prototype (RL-201) taken the day of its official roll-out, Oct. 4, 1957. Yep, it was overshadowed by the Sputnik 1’s news. Cursed already.

Profiting from these days of isolation to revisit some jewels. Pure porn this very graphic book.

Bristol 130 Bombay: Weird scene over strange land.

The Bombay was conceived in the early-1930’s to replace Vickers Valentia WW1 of vintage biplane technology. Designed to fulfil bomber-transport duties in colonial “policing work” in the Middle East and India. Due to its manufacturing difficulties and other models priority, the Bombay didn’t enter service until 1939. Only 51 of the 80 ordered were produced because by then they were definitely obsolescent. The Bombays served with distinction in the Middles East mainly, against foes much more serious than those originally envisaged.

Sublime late-1930’s Shell ad. By the way, the artist seems to have had cloning powers: the prototype was the only Bombay equipped with wheel spats.

Heinkel He 60C: Auf Wiedersehen !!

The He 60 V3 third prototype (D-IROL) during its catapult tests, Kiel 1934/35. Those Heinkels looked as rugged as the cruisers from where they operated.

This candid postcard is usually misquoted as taken during wartime.

Pfalz Dr.I: Well-nigh irresistible.

This neat Dr.I was Pfalz’s contribution to the “Triplane Craze”. In essence the Pfalz company took on of their D.VII biplane fuselages and added triplane wings. They chose to power the result with the imposing 160 hp Siemens-Halske rotary engine enclosed in a very decorative aluminium cowling. The aircraft was tested in Oct.1917 by, among others, Von Richthofen as a possible Fokker Dr.I‘s replacement. The Pfalz Dr.I displayed adequate performances, but not an easy handling and the engine was also suspect. No large scale production was ordered, although the Bavarian government acquired a limited number (10?) which saw some service with their units.

Pretty nifty design through and through. Those twelve cooling vents on the cowling sure gave it real character.

Brown SC: Diamonds were not forever.

This bizarre aircraft was built in Missouri in 1931 and was the brainchild of a guy called Ben Brown. This pusher design was powered by a 95 hp Cirrus Mark III and had a “Bellanca-like” strutted tandem wing  with joined wingtips that form a sort of diamond-shaped wing. Ailerons on the wingtips and elevons on the forward wing, close to the fuselage.  It seems it was test flown, but no data is available about that or about its fate.

Boxy yet alluring.

Photo and main source of information: the great Aerofiles place.

Ricci R.4: Pensare in Grande.

The Ricci R.4 was a transatlantic double-hull quadriplane seaplane project which appeared just after the end of WW1. This huge catamaran was designed to be powered by eight engines of a nominal power of 5000 hp. The cabin, seen here between the two inner wings, has two levels able to carry around 155 passengers. It was  conceived to offer a luxurious service worthy of the great liners of the time.

Photo Source.