The
ISnAP December 2008 Airplane ID Winners!
Comments from the Chair Fellow ISAP Members: Your board and I have concluded, with your input, that it is best that ISAP-IX be placed on temporary hold. In light of the massive economic collapse that has taken place across the planet over the past several months we feel it best that ISAP-IX be rescheduled for late 2009 or early 2010. We almost certainly will hold the event in Seattle, Washington as originally planned. We are facing what we predict will be some very lean financial times ahead for the aerospace community. We think the demand for professional aviation photography services is going to be significantly reduced over the coming months as the ripple effect from the economic downturn is felt not only here in the US, but all other countries in the world. We are concerned that freelance and corporate shooters alike are going to start feeling the financial crunch as the full impact of the downturn begins to soak in. There is a fair chance that ISAP members supported by corporate interests are going to see their travel budgets reduced or completely eliminated. Freelancers almost certainly will be seeing less work and leaner schedules. For those of you who have made plans and commitments already, we apologize. Please understand that we are trying to think of the organization as a whole and that we are making this decision based on what we project will be a difficult year financially for the majority of our members. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to e-mail or call me. I'll respond to the best of my ability - but please be patient.
Jay December 2008
We had three correct answers to the challenge in our last issue: Dan Patterson, Hayman Tam, and Jim Murray! Because of his completeness we selected Jim Murray's response to last issue's mystery airplane: The airplane ID is a Caproni Campini N1 (aka CC.2). This Italian proof of concept "Thermojet" or "Motorjet" jet aircraft was an early precursor to jet aviation technology. A conventional reciprocating Isotta-Fraschini radial piston engine drove ducted fan compressors into a series of ring injectors housed in an afterburner style flame chamber. The burning exhaust gas provided the propulsion - though the aircraft could also be flown with the afterburner off. The first flight was in 1940 at Taliedo with a crew of two. Though arguably some may consider it a hybrid, at the time it was thought to be the first operational jet aircraft, though it is now known to have been preceded by the secret German Heinkel He 178 the previous year. Engine designer Secondo Campini (1904-1980) originally sold the Italian Air Ministry on the idea in 1934 by building and demonstrating the engine first on a boat. Then he partnered with Caproni Aircraft Factory for the airframe. Due to many technical and design shortcomings the aircraft ran into serious production delays and and once fielded could only muster a top speed of 202 knots and gulped fuel like crazy. Considered technically as a dead-end design, testing was terminated and the concept was abandoned in 1942. Two prototypes were built (MM 488 shown - note rivet pattern on wing fairing) and also a static fuselage test article. First prototype MM 487 ended up scrapped by the British. No armament or hardpoints on either aircraft. Further dabbling in submarine and autogyro designs, after WW2 Campini moved to the USA and worked on the YB-49 & other military projects. Dimensions: 14.6 x 12.1 x 4.7 (SxLxH) meters (STV). Also of note, the Imperial Japanese Navy are believed to have designed a Campini inspired variant Motorjet powered Yokosuka Ohka 22 suicide bomb which flew in nonoperational testing early in 1945. Photograph was taken at Aeronautical Museum of Vigna di Vallee in Rome. Your next challenge is on the back cover!
The ISnAP - The International Society for Aviation Photography http://www.aviationphotographers.org
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