Another selection of interesting flying machines from the editor's files

Air Classics, Dec 2001 by O'Leary, Michael

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but one of the strangest appearing flying machines was the Supermarine NightHawk. In 1915, the Zeppelin threat was very real for the British but the very eccentric Noel Pemberton Billing had a plan. Originally interested in yachts, Pemberton Billing became enamored with aircraft and established a new company named Supermarine. Having four wings in order to achieve high altitudes, the NightHawk was fitted with a Davis non-recoil gun firing a 1.5-pound shell from a position in the top wing. Also in that location was a Lewis gun on a Scarff ring. Another Lewis gun was fitted in the nose which also housed a gimbal-mounted searchlight run by a five-- horsepower motor. Power came from two 100-hp Anzani radial engines which enabled the craft to achieve 75 mph with a landine speed of only 38 mph. The craft had an amazing maximum duration of 18 hours. Pemberton Billing envisioned that a fleet of NightHawks would venture well past London to intercept incoming Zeppelins but beyond the first aircraft, the concept was quietly dropped.

For 1946, the Bell YH-12B was a sleek helicopter. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-55 Wasp of 600-hp, the USAAF ordered a service test batch of ten aircraft and although testing went smoothly, no production order was forthcoming.

When photographed, Stinson A NC14566 was operated by Gannett Newspapers. The tri-motor was originally developed for American Airways in 1933 (the company became American Airlines the following year) as an eight-place feederliner costing less than $35,000.

The Boeing Model 226 was the next-to-last craft in the batch of a dozen Model 80As and was specially modified for Standard Oil of California as a deluxe executive transport. Fitted with huge wheel pants for streamlining, the craft's interior had two convertible day beds, six adjustable overstuffed chairs, two side tables, two folding tables, gas stove, refrigerator, sink, lavatory, enlarged windows, and special upholstery and paneling. The tri-motor was registered NC233M.

One of the unsung workhorses of the USAF was the Fairchild C-123 Provider. C-1238 sin 54-- 0571 was assigned to the 21 st Air Base Group, Alaskan Air Command, based at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, when photographed. The Provider had been in storage at England AFB, Louisiana, in 1968 when it was restored to flying condition for duty with the 21st ABG. In 1971, the plane was transferred to the AFLC at Hamilton AFB, California, and in 1972 it went to the Royal Thai Air Force. (Norm Taylor)

The US Navy ordered ten bulky Curtiss XBT2C-1s on 27 March 1945. First flown during January 1946, the craft could carry 4000 pounds of bombs and was fitted with two 20mm cannon. Power was from a Wright R-3350-24 of 2500-hp. Only nine were actually delivered to the Navy and BuNo 50885 was photographed at Cleveland Airport in November 1946. Note the large bomb bay.

One of the most elegant of the 19SOs and 1960s US Navy jet fighters was the Grumman FIIF-I Tiger. The first US Navy fighter capable of supersonic level flight (the FIIF-IF could hit Mach 2), the Tiger remained with operational squadrons for only tour years betore being replaced by the even more capable Vought F8U-I Crusader. FIIF-I BuNo 141738 was assigned to VA-156 when photographed at NAS North Island during 1957. AC