With the Otter? Or did that come into service in 1952?

Give that man an aquatic animal! It was indeed the deHavilland DHC-3 Otter that was the first bush plane which could carry full sheets of plywood, thus forever changing the look of the North.

Over to you

Erm, the Otter came into service after 1951 or I would have said that ages ago.. Oh well...

My references say it first flew in 1951. If they're incorrect I offer my humblest appologies.

First flight was the 12th December 1951
The De Havilland DHC-3 Otter
This website aims to provides a comprehensive
information resource for the DHC-3 Otter

Andy

Yes first flight was in 1951, but the plywood wouldn't have started to be delivered until 1952 at the earliest...

Is OK!! I am not peeved or anything.. it is only a trivia question.. ( )

Okay, but you know what? First flight does not mean first revenue service. warreni made a very good point; I based my question on a misinterpretation. I ought to have dug a few more facts out when I was dreaming it up. If I were feeling evil I could claim that 1952 was indeed after 1951 (remember my question said "before 1951 and after 1951") but that's just too cruel.

Given that warreni did know the answer, and even said it while wishing for 1/32 kits thereof, perhaps we could give the victory to him? Certainly he has fair claim to the moral vctory. What say you all?

No Jessica.. I should have just come out and typed it. Definitely Shaun's go.. COme on Shaun.. what's the question? Jessica's are too hard..

Ooh dear, I feel a bit guilty about this now ...

... but let's press on. Name a variable-geometry aircraft that has no pivots. Clue: I'm not talking about variable camber in any form.

Does variable geometry include vector thrust ? In this case I'd say F-22, or Su-35BM, Su-37 or even the whole Harrier family.

F-8 Crusader had a variable incidence wing.. But it probably had a pivot at the back.

You could argue that any aircraft that uses wing-warping for control falls into that category as well...

The Bell X-5 used a system of electric motors to adjust the sweep in flight.
Andy

Telescoping wing? No pivots on that. MAK 1xx seris.
Trust the french.

The Northrop N1M could be manually adjusted for sweepback and dihedral/anhedral at a couple different points along its wingspan but the more I think about it, the more I believe that there had to be pivots in there somewhere. They may have been unpowered, but they had to have been pivots. Oh, am I wibbling? I'll just get my coat...

J

Ooooh, this is interesting. Boeing has tested Nitinol actuators on engine cowl segments. VG without pivots!

J

Crikey, so many answers …

Variable geometry doesn’t include vectored thrust, so no, not the Harrier et al.

Wing warping is a control technique, not variable geometry in the classic sense of changing the plan of the wing in order to change the way the aircraft behaves. So not, say, the Wright Flyer.

Yes, the rear edge of the F-8’s wing was pivoted - it was just well hidden.

Ajdusting the N1M’s wing was possible only on the ground, not in flight, so it’s more like a wing that has a number of spare shapes in its back pocket.

There were in fact two broad types you could have had. Translating roots have no pivots, and telescopic wings just wind out sections of surface until the desired area is achieved. Sounds so simple, that, doesn’t it? I was rather hoping that someone would come up with the telescopic wing, as it’s so abstruse, but Andy got in first with the X-5 and its translating roots. The XF10F would have done as well.

Sorry Jaypee, you were just pipped there. I had the RK-I in mind, from Russia; what is this French thing you refer to?

Here you go.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/other-mechanical-systems-tech/makhonine-telescoping-wing-8527.html

French made but Russian designed. Same fellow?

Ok nice easy one.
Whats this thing called and who designed it.

Andy

He looks busier than a one legged man in an a*se kicking competition.. No idea..

Farley Fruitbat?

Ok clue one.
This person was a doctor turned aeronautical enthusiast and scientist, from Pennsylvania.
Andy

Andy,
That would be the Control Wing which was designed by George Spratt, also a good friend of the Wright brothers.

Cheers,
Nick.

Whoever it was must have been on some serious drugs to cross-pollinate a shopping trolley with a dragonfly !!

Correct Nick, it is indeed the Control wing. Over to you.
It featured a unique method of aircraft control. The main wing was "floating" – the pilot changed the angle of incidence to climb, descend, and turn. Spratt also pioneered the triangle-shaped "control bar," now used on many hang gliders.
Andy

A further comment to Damian's post, it seems that Spratt also invented the shopping trolley