Unusual early flying machines

aerohydro · 17 March 2005, 07:59 PM

Hi All

During some lunchtime browsing in a second-hand bookshop, I came across the book "Flight: a Pictorial History of Aviation" by the editors of Year Magazine. Its a profusely illustrated, but fairly general history of flight and flying, published in 1953 to cash in on the 50th anniversary of the Wrights' flights. What caught my interest were a couple of pages (pp 68, 69) that were devoted to unusual early flying machines. Two of the photos show the staggered-wing multiplanes devised by Jerome Zerbe. One photo shows his first multiplane, tested at the 1910 Los Angeles Air Meet, and which is fairly well known.

It's the other Zerbe photo, however, which is the reason for this posting. It shows a multiplane which isn't specifically mentioned in the online writings about Zerbe, nor in the published references to him that I've happened to come across. This particular multiplane has six wings, a single tractor propeller, and no front elevator. Its looks quite similar to Zerbe's 1910 multiplane design and is probably a revised, 'improved', version of it. It is not the 4-wing tractor-prop "Air Sedan" design that Zerbe had appeared with a few years later.

Does anyone know more about this 6-wing machine? Admittedly, my readings about early aviation are a bit hit-and-miss, so if someone happens to have further information about this craft, I'd appreciate hearing from them.

Cheers,
Paul

aerohydro · 31 March 2005, 09:49 PM

Hi All,

It dawned upon me that the "Flight" book probably had a listing for credits for the illustrations that appear within it. A quick trip back to the second hand book shop proved that that was so.

The photo of the 6-wing Zerbe Multiplane was credited to the "Sherman M Fairchild Collection, Institute of Aeronautical Sciences (NYC)", or at least it was when the book was published in the 1950s.

I have done some online searching (something I'm not too good at) and it seems as if this collection has morphed into the "Fairchild Industries, Inc. Collection" that is now housed by NASM. There is a huge pdf file that can be downloaded from http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/arch...inding_Aid.pdf, which details all that is in this Fairchild Industries Collection. The pdf is a mere 1000K in size, and runs to some 271 pages in length. I've done some searching within the pdf, but cannot find any reference to Jerome Zerbe nor to multiplanes, so perhaps the pdf is lacking in exact detail or the "Sherman M Fairchild Collection" was been split up with the Zerbe photo being found a new home elswhere. Not sure which.

As before, if anyone can help cast light onto the 6-wing Zerbe machine, I'd like to hear from them!

Cheers,
Paul

aerohydro · 18 May 2005, 11:29 PM

Hi All

Recently, I made another trip back to the second hand bookstore, but this time with cash in hand to buy the Flight book. The first of the two images attached to this message is a scan, taken from the book, showing the Zerbe 6-wing machine that I've been enquiring about. The RHS of the picture is a bit blurry because, in the book, it's located right next to the book's spine. In the book, the picture's caption indicates that the machine was built subsequent to the Zerbe 5-wing machine trialled at the 1910 Los Angeles Air Meet.

I've since learnt, however, that that's not the case . . .

After posting the earlier messages to the forum about Jerome Zerbe, I was lucky enough to contacted by a couple of researchers, Steve Koons and Thomas (Pete) Jordon, who have unearthed quite a bit of information about Zerbe, his background and his acheivements. It was Steve Koons who sent me the other photo, showing the 5-wing machine, this illustration coming from a 1910 issue of Scientific American. Thanks to them, I now know the 6-wing machine actually predates the 5-wing design, and that it was constructed in 1908. Pete Jordon describes it as the 1908B Zerbe Aircraft, and, yes, there was a 1908A.

Pete Jordon, in particular, has been on the Zerbe trail for several years, unearthing quite a bit of information about this obscure early aviator. He's has just finished compiling his research into a PDF entitled J Zerbe: The State of the Art, detailing what is so far known about him, and what yet needs to be uncovered. There are perhaps 10 or so different images of Zerbe's multiplane machines contained in the PDF. If you'd like to read the file, detailing the research that's been done to date, then please email Pete at [email protected] to arrange for a copy to be sent to you.

Cheers,
Paul

1 June 2005, 09:47 AM

If something never gets airborne, it is not a flying machine.

1 June 2005, 01:35 PM

There is one that is always shown at the beginning of an aerial documentary which looks like a venetian blind with a motor. Does anyone know who built that failure?

Doc · 1 June 2005, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed

There is one that is always shown at the beginning of an aerial documentary which looks like a venetian blind with a motor. Does anyone know who built that failure?

I think you are probably referring to the one developed by Horatio Phillips in the United Kingdom. Interestingly, his efforts did contribute greatly to aviation. He carried out research into cambered double-surface airfoils, and essentially every slat on his airplane was a narrow-chord wing. He tested an unpiloted version in 1896 . The "single blind" version usually depicted was made in 1904, and did not fly. Another version with four blinds was reportedly the first powered aircraft to fly in the United Kingdom (1907). Doc

aerohydro · 2 June 2005, 11:53 PM

Hi All

When I initially read Ed's message, I thought he was thinking of the 1923 Gerhardt Cycloplane (http://www.aerofiles.com/gerhardt.jpg), as that plane is often featured in a 'blooper' reel of early aircraft that crash, hop about, or otherwise fail to fly. The Cycloplane had been filmed during a takeoff attempt, only to have it's wings fold up like a lady's fan and then collapse in a heap on the ground.

There is a nice website about Horatio Phillip's flying machines at http://firstflight.open.ac.uk/phillips/phillips_aircraft01.html with the 1904 design that Doc refers to being second from the bottom. The design that the website says is "the multiplane model of 1902" actually isn't - it doesn't date from 1902, it's not even one of Horatio Phillips' designs! This multiplane, though probably inspired by Horatio's work, was actually built by Samuel Smith of Bolton, Lancashire, UK in 1910-12. Some further details about this plane can be found on page 279 of the book 'British Aircraft Before the Great War' by Goodall & Tagg.

BTW, 'flying machine' was the term used by inventors and engineers during the late 19th and early 20th C, for their aircraft, regardless of how successful or not these machines actually were. I see no problem in using the term.

Paul

11 June 2005, 01:07 PM

Aerohydro:
Yes, I think that's the crate that you mentioned. It just collapsed ina heap after a short run. Maybe he didn'tpull the right string to open the blinds for takeoff and instead applied full flaps. I have a picture of an attempted airship flight in Kalifornia in 1908 that was also a total flop. The sixteen member crew nursed broken bones and lots of bruises. John Morrell, the designer did not go aboard for the test flight. HMmm! Did he know something the crewmen didn't know?

aerohydro · 21 July 2005, 09:36 PM

Hi All

Further to the 1908 Zerbe Multiplane, an online friend of mine who goes by the name of Dannysoar pointed out that a nice print of it can be purchased off eBay (item number 61941035350).

The same seller is also offering a nice side view of another weird pre-WWI flying machine design.

This is the Cooley Aeroplane, which measured some 81ft from end to end. I've read somewhere that it was supposed to have been the longest airplane of it's day. I doubt that it had much competition for that claim! (The eBay item number is 6192491553.) A couple of contemporary print items about the Cooley Aeroplane can be found at the wonderful "Rosebud's WWI and Early Aviation Image Gallery" located here, specifically this image, and this one as well.

Cheers,
Paul

Rod_Filan · 29 July 2005, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed

Aerohydro:
I have a picture of an attempted airship flight in Kalifornia in 1908 that was also a total flop. The sixteen member crew nursed broken bones and lots of bruises. John Morrell, the designer did not go aboard for the test flight. HMmm! Did he know something the crewmen didn't know?

Ed,
Not surprisingly, information on early American airships is contradictory and vague. Do you have a good source for info on the Morrell airship?
http://www.earlyaviator.com/archive/...ll.airship.jpg

VBR
Rod