Less known "racers" ! -series

[First time Juke]

Here is a very interesting plane Planet Satellite;

http://www.apda61.dsl.pipex.com/Av4/plansat.jpg

Here is the Hanriot racer;

http://www.aviafrance.com/827.htm

Feel free to add your unknown racer links !

[Skyracer]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Here's a bit more on the Planet Satellite:

Four place built of magnesium alloy.
Fitted with a Gipsy Queen 32 amidships.
Designer was a Mr J.N.D.Heenan.
Built in the Robinson Redwing factory at Croydon, Purley Way, Surrey in 1947.
Shown at Farnborough in September 1948.
Registered as G-ALOI in April 1949.
Failed to get airborne despite several long runs down the runway. There were no further attempts to fly her.
Dismantled and sold as scrap in 1958.
Span 33 feet 6 inches; Length 26 feet 3 inches; Empty weight 1,600 lbs; Gross weight 2,905 lbs; Estimated top speed 208 mph; Estimated cruise 191 mph.
No known drawings exist.

[First time Juke]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Thanks Skyracer !

I knew absolutely nothing about the plane..those years and the name.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Failed to get airborne despite several long runs down the runway. There were no further attempts to fly her.

Heh-heh. Penguins that cannot fly are still called BIRDS, so I guess a machine with wings that cannot fly can still be called an airplane. It's a funny world we live in.

[Bill Marsh]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

The Planet Satellite..........

Max cargo weight....1300#

Assuming that first flight was with the solo pilot

IF Sinerio #1 Pilot weight 180#... that leaves about 157 gallons for the first test? hop.

IF Sinerio #2 Minimum fuel for a test hop is .... maybe 25 gallons.... that leaves the solo pilot weight @ 1,100#

Visual opinion.... sortta looks like a pregnant Bee Dee 5..... that skinney gear sure aint gonna support a ton and a half airplane


Gee, did i miss something .... ?

BM

[Skyracer]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

When you compare the plane to the people around it, it is BIG, so, IMHO, the weight figures are not unreasonable.

Yes, the main gear looks pretty light duty for the size and weight. I think that may be a visual thing though when you scale it to the plane's size. The nosegear looks pretty substantial.

Did anyone pick up on the registration, G-ALOI? (Magnesium alloy [or aloi] construction.)

Anyone else note the striking resemblence Molt Taylor's Imp and Mini-Imp have to the Planet Satellite? (Sorry, the only resemblence I see to the BD-5 is three wheels and a pusher prop.)

[First time Juke]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Fitted with a Gipsy Queen 32 amidships.

Here the engine specs...251 hp.

http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Coates/3798.htm

Underpowered it was !

[blacksheep]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Heres a mid engine pusher that would make a cool lookin F-1

http://www.mini-imp.com/cutaway.htm

[Apteryx]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Heres a mid engine pusher that would make a cool lookin F-1

Follow that URL to the links page, for a better F1 presentation.

The company's service rep is one of F1's pilots, if that says anything....
There have been several attempts at using a drive shaft, hasn't been a successful one yet...

Paul

[FlyKidChris]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Anyone else note the striking resemblence Molt Taylor's Imp and Mini-Imp have to the Planet Satellite? (Sorry, the only resemblence I see to the BD-5 is three wheels and a pusher prop.)

I agree that there's a better resemblance to the Mini-Imp, but I also did think of the the BD-5 in it's initial "V-tailed" version. However, my first thought was of the LearFan.

And thanks to Juke for starting this thread.

[Uh-sure]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Comment on the pushers:

Just like the "Mach Buster" design, how did the designers expect to get any rotation or angle of attack to achieve take off without hitting the prop on the ground? I doubt there is any way to get it fast enough to fly off flat. Might run down the runway at a good clip, but fly.....hmmm

[Skyracer]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

After revisiting the Mini-Imp and BD-5, I'd say it's kind of a blend of both with some Lear Fan and Beech Starship thrown in. Perhaps a blending of the best attributes of all four.....naw, it couldn't be, it's British.

Actually, the design appears sound, too bad it did not fly. Perhaps a later, more powerful dash of the Gypsy Queen, more wing, more elevator authority, and reduced incidence angle of the wing (things that appear to be not quite right) and it maybe it would have flown .

OK, time to get this thread back on track. Anyone find other obscure racers to post?

[Bill Marsh]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

AAAAAAAAAH.... read

JATO bottles or the mythbusters MENTO bottles 4 xtra thrust.... and throw in the little mento mascot pinup 4 good measure...


luv those candi-apple appentage covers too.

BM

[BillRo]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Sierra Sue never raced, but it was built to F1 Specs and seems to fit into this thread:

http://www.wmof.com/Serria%20Sue.html

http://aerofiles.com/acme-sierra.jpg

Attached is a Yukio Nagai photo.

BillRo

[Apteryx]

Re: Less known "racers" ! -series

Hey Bill, do you have any shots of "Kona Wind".

Paul