Breguet's Pre-1914 Challenge #115

[Rbailey]

For your further amusement.

The scoreboard after challenge #114 – the Bland Mayfly in early glider form - is:

20.70 Rbailey
14.20 Varese2002
12.60 aerohydro
11.20 Aquilius
7.30 matte_kudasai
6.70 richard B
6.00 Cruze
6.00 Flamingo
6.00 YavorD
5.70 Rod_Filan
5.50 Airarticles
**************
(those above this section must wait 12 hours before answering,
those below - and everyone else - may answer immediately)
**************
3.00 Lodzermensch
3.00 joegertler
2.00 berman
2.00 sobrien
2.00 Doc
1.10 Froggy
1.00 paolomiana
0.40 Wind In The Wires

Breguet's Pre-1914 Aircraft Challenge
Quote:
The rules of engagement:

1. The thread title must be "Breguet's Pre-1914 ID Challenge #......".
2. The score board, link and rules must be copied to the beginning of each thread, so that we know where we are. The score board and the correct answer to the challenge must also be placed at end of each thread.
3. The flying object must have been dreamt up before 1914 (no limit backwards in time ....).
4. There are no limits to the flying object for the pre-1914 series. There is no ruling that it must be flown, or completely built.
5. Machines which exist only as 'paper', that is absolutely no material has been cut to construct it, are excluded from this ID Challenge
6. The picture / drawing must show as much of the flying object as possible, but views showing the machine 'incomplete' are possible (with discretion).
7. Challenges which depict a machine already earlier presented are disqualified.
8. If there is any doubt as to the eligibility of a flying object for the challenge details should be PM'd to Breguet BEFORE the object is submitted.
9. Once someone has got 5 correct answers under their belt they belong to the ROYALTY. Once they belong to the ROYALTY they must wait 12hrs after the posting of the new challenge before they can post an answer.
10. To be eligible for correct ID an answer must include at least one characteristic of the aircraft that helped in its identification.
11. The first person to ID the challenge correctly gets to post the next challenge. If this can not be done for any reason Breguet himself will post the next challenge.
12. If a ROYALTY gives the correct answer too early, the challenge is over, he gets no point but has to post the next one. In lieu of the fact that the "novices" have in effect been "cheated" of their "exclusive" time that next post should be a relatively easy one. Anyone repeating the correct answer at the right time gets neither a point nor the right to post the next challenge.
13. The final arbitrator in relation to questions about the rules will be Breguet.

[Varese2002]

To break the ice, I think we are looking at a pre-1914 US model (a one and only machine of course). Dating not earlier than 1912/1913 given the already fully closed fuselage. The tall radiator is just in front of the pilot (placed behind the engine as you will). Technically a four bay wing. No tail skid because of the extra long skids around the landing gear (double wheeled). Special is the oil-tank (gravity tank) above the wing.

Looking around the myriad of early US Biplanes, a contender might be the Riggs-Weeks biplane (modified that is) or thereabout

Cheers

Kees

[Rbailey]

Some shrewed analysis, Kees, but it is not Riggs-Weeks. Incidentally, the machine still exists.

[Varese2002]

This is the Gonzales No.1 tractor biplane built by the brothers (again!) Willy and Arthur Gonzales during the period 1910 to 1912. Machine was built in the backyard of their home (again!). The machine flew sucessfully in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The machine was donated by the Gonzales family to the Jimmy Doolittle Air and Space Museum Education Foundation.

See further the characteristics of this machine as given in my analysis of the machine in the first post.

Cheers

Kees

[Rbailey]

You have it Kees. For a description of the machine and its history, and some other photos including the backyard, see Travis Air Museum. It might have flown into 1914.

The scoreboard after challenge #115 – the Gonzales tractor biplane - is:

20.70 Rbailey
15.20 Varese2002
12.60 aerohydro
11.20 Aquilius
7.30 matte_kudasai
6.70 richard B
6.00 Cruze
6.00 Flamingo
6.00 YavorD
5.70 Rod_Filan
5.50 Airarticles
**************
(those above this section must wait 12 hours before answering,
those below - and everyone else - may answer immediately)
**************
3.00 Lodzermensch
3.00 joegertler
2.00 berman
2.00 sobrien
2.00 Doc
1.10 Froggy
1.00 paolomiana
0.40 Wind In The Wires