These modern material clip off disks largely replace the old Woods inspection frames which were celluloid frames doped onto the fabric as a reinforcement so that the fabric in the open centre could be cut open for inspection access and a new square of linen doped on afterwards.

John

The aircraft is a DH 9a. Possibly J7805 in 1929. No record of such an incident but most of the batch were either at Duxford, Eastchurch or abroad.

John

Gentlemen:

There is obviously a lot of frustration building around identifying this aeroplane. We don’t know what it is, We don’t actually know where it was photographed, or when. We don’t know from what country it originated or when it was delivered. It is assumed to be during the Spanish Civil War.

At the time of the Spanish Civil War some countries were very much a closed book to the outside world. Due to embargoes much of the military equipment arrived in Spain via third parties via third countries. Many of the aeroplanes were totally unsuitable for military purposes but were never the less put to work, sometimes with Heath Robinson methods which can’t really be judged by today’s technical and engineering standards or official controls.

It’s a very poor and indistinct photograph. So what do we have.

What we have is an aeroplane which appears to have a similar wing to Northrop designs in that it has a flattish centre section with dihedralled outer panels which have outboard flaps fitted and projecting leading edge fairings as part of the alighting gear. Possibly a former float plane?

The rear fuselage appears to be curved and deep. It appears to have very curved elevators. Not characteristics of a Northrop. The tail wheel isn’t compatible with a Northrop design. It appears to be almost reversed as though the aircraft spun tightly round on one brake then settled back slightly , thus almost reversing the wheel.

The windscreen side panels appear to be steeply raked back on the rear edge. The cockpit is set back with a long nose and appears to be very near the tail and one might expect it to slope down to the base of the fin quite steeply. It has a reasonably compact radial engine with a three blade propeller. I think that the exhaust can be seen on the port side of the cowl at about 4 o.clock and it’s just possible to make out the traces of a forward exhaust collector and pipes behind the spinner.

The back end of the fuselage has more Seversky characteristics. IMO. The nearest aileron appears to be up as we can see the opposite aileron is slightly down so with the differential effect we are left looking at the aileron straight leading edge and so we see no outline shape.

The Seversky aircraft were numerous and diverse. some of the family had a larger wing with shorter ailerons with the dihedral angle starting further from the fuselage. they also had large cumbersome float fairings.

Is the rudder over to starb’d, and so again hiding it’s shape?

I have been an aircraft recognition enthusiast and model maker for well over 60 years and whilst in the RAF for many of them I was part of (and led) successful Station recognition teams in the annual Air Britain competitions along with other Forum luminaries such as Steve Bond. As a model manufacturer and pattern maker I have built a large library featuring many foreign aircraft publications, including pre-war Janes AWA almost every ACCA yearbook up to 1947. This aeroplane as presented here, appears in none of them.

Personally I am trying to evaluate this plane which comes from a turbulent time with what my eye sees but an open mind.

John

I just looked at one of the larger photos and I think what I’m seeing is a Wright Whirlwind J 6 R975 with a forward exhaust ring. Note also that the flap has a curved tapered edge. Also where we have been concentrating on the U/c being on the extreme ends of the centre section, I think I see it going just beyond the U/c position. Look back at my post 23. I am re-appraising this as I have felt all along the rear end is what throws out the Northop solution The Seversky I am looking at is one of the 3X family ex float plane with the vertical trailing edged rudder, wing extended to 41′ and the curvaceous elevators. I suggest that the cockpit is too far back but if dual controlled as many were the the front cockpit has been faired over and a new windscreen fabricated up. FARE operated some Seversky’s. The Spanish had quite a few differing Seversky’s, Russia had one and the US sold some to Japan via a company in Singapore. The were used by the Japanese in the Sino-Japan War.

John

Can anyone fluent read the top part of this. I think I can just make some sense, but I’d like a proper translation.

https://flic.kr/p/219M5p5

GTO when owned by the Shipside family c.1950 used to live in a shed on a tiny strip roughly I mile from where I sit. It’s a lovely little aeroplane and a joy to see.

John

Japanese types are well documented and I have not come across any any contenders. Even the Ki.15 (Kamikaze) favoured by some has the flap (single under the centre section) in the wrong place but a least it has a centre section. I feel that if we are broadening the net then to dismiss Russia is a mistake as the post revolution country was a hot bed of secrecy, control and victimisation.

I have tried to look further afield to the other Spanish speaking countries such as Mexico and Argentina as many of the Civil War aircraft were smuggled through these countries. However few of the South American states could support an aircraft industry. So far to no avail.

John

https://flic.kr/p/GczaeP

I’ve just dug out mine. One round Red and One octagonal Green. RAF and religion on one side and surname and number on the other. No rank as they stayed with you throughout your service. One fireproof and one water proof.

John

It’s a Mukinese Battle Horn Type .1. Designed by Neddy Seagoon. Powered by the infamous ****abricki (Licence built) ten cylinder radial engine with a Non Standard propeller.

Damn, it’s November the first, not April the first. Oh well keep searching.

John

On a more serious note, the windscreen rear frame has quite a steep rake on it, Also I’ve noted that on the Northrop wings with the U/c fairings with bulged leading edge extension they all have exceptionally large diameter wheels. Often a leading edge fairing denotes the use of a rearwards retracting gear. Has perhaps the a/c had an undercarriage that has been fixed down at some point. The tail wheel has almost reversed it’s self.

All small points.

John