What is it? June,2012

[Mark Braunlich]

Good luck everyone!

[lastvautour]

Is it rubber powered?

Lou

[Mark Braunlich]

No....it's not a model.

[Boomerang]

    British , 1930's ??

[Mark Braunlich]

American, 1930s.

[Jim]

Racing plane?

[Mark Braunlich]

Yes

[Peter]

Cessna CR3?

[vinairart]

My bet is that this is the 1935 version of the Steve Whitman's D-12 Bonzo. It was called the "tri-pod" landing gear. A couple of years later he coverted it to the Whitman "spring steel" version. Later on from that he licensed the concept to Cessna who used it on many airplanes notably the 170.

Regards, Tom Sanders
Aero-Geek Emeritus 

[Will]

I've found it (thanks to the lead from Tom and some trawling of the NASM website):

Its

Steve Wittman's "Chief Oshkosh"

http://www.252.eaachapter.org/photos/Steve-Wittman/WittmanChiefOshkosh&Steve.jpg

http://www.youngeagles.org/photos/gallery/Monoplanes/WittmanChiefOshkosh_84.jpg

Now I look again the undercart is reversed from Mark's original picture...hmmm....

5 minutes later...

No, I've found Tom seems to be right:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/58619319@N08/5884105485/in/photostream

Will

[Mark Braunlich]

Congratulations Tom  

Yes, it's the 1935 Bonzo though not sure it was called Bonzo that early in it's existance.  It was usually called the Wittman D-12 or Wittman Special and this is how it looked when it took 2nd in the Thompson Trophy Race behind Mr. Mulligan that year though it carried the race number 101 in black on wings and aft fuselage during the race.

Notice in the photo immediately above, the name of the airplane written in the clouds....unusual photographic effect I've not seen elsewhere.

[vinairart]

Thank-you, Thank-you (Applause?)

And, my next trick, (it will cost someone a couple of beers) , I can relate a disasterous real-life first encounter with the famous Steve Whittman in 1983.

Basically I just taken a indoor sales job with VanDusen Aircraft who supplied everything an FBO would need to repair airplanes. I fielded a call from a "brusk" fellow who was livid about an engine overhaul for his racing airplane. Knowing nothing about this engine, the customer (same for my my colleagues as well), I told the gentleman that I would need some time to locate his order and its status. He came "UNGLUED" with that and began swearing a blue streak!! I asked him to refain but to no avail. So I kindly told him I would not respond to anyone swearing (my mother talking) and hung up on him.

Next thing I know my boss flies out of his office screaching, "Who hung-up on Whittman?" I raised my hand assuming that my hang-up was the one in question. Whoa Boy did I get chapter and verse about who Steve Whittman was and that the engine needed was going into his latest race plane. Turns out the arrangements for the race engine were all handled by the boss who fessed up that he should have let us all know about the arrangements and the customer.

Later on while visiting Oshkosh, I met Steve In person and found that he was a neat Type-A personality with high-energy and great stories who was a real survivor of the Golden Age of Aviation and air racing.

And, now, make that a root beer, Thank-you.

Tom Sanders