Simviation Forums

Gryshnak goes to London and visits the Flight section of the Science Museum, particularly the very old planes.  Shiny new camera vs terrible lighting.  Here are some results.

Two days before Bleriot crossed the channel, Hubert Latham tried it with an Antoinette but the engine failed and he landed in the English Channel.  His plane was recovered and three days after Bleriot's flight he tried again - and suffered the same result!

Gotta love that propellor!  The engine is a V8, and that big pale thing running down the fuselage sides is the radiator.


Undercarriage details.  Note the suspension - there isn't any!  That short metal bar rocks from side to side and pulls the length of bicycle chain, which warps the wings to provide aileron control.  (The right wing has been removed, obviously)


Tail feathers.  The designer, Levavasseur, was a boat builder - and it shows!


The fuselage really is shaped like a boat hull.


This pic was Photoshopped a bit to combat the glare from those low windows.  The pilot sat behind the wing and had very long control rods to reach the engine.


Gryshnak

I love that prop......It looks like they stuck a couple of paddles together!!

Nice pics in all of them.

.Mic

Lovely detail shots.......you can't help but wonder about the boat connection, but then, in those days, nobody knew what a "real" plane was supposed to look like anyway.........

LOL......
Shows how unbelievably far aviation has come in about a hundred years, give or take a few.
Cheers,
Doc.

This takes me back to that notorious day out with Doug, Will, Sarah and Abi

I have to say that having "Latham Plage" in Calais just wouldn't have the same ring to it...

Wow... another old "skiff"-type; very interesting. The shape must've come in handy when trying to cross the Channel in that thing... I wonder if the propeller comes off for use as a paddle?

I also wonder how it would fly with a proper propeller on it...