What type aircraft is this?
- Thread starter kgruber
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Don't know, but the pilot is William Gebenini, former Washington State aeronautics director and CAP Lt.
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Pilawt
The pitch and rudder trim cranks in the ceiling look Piper, and the shape of the windshield seems to fit a PA-23 ... but I don't recall seeing one with that prominent row of toggle switches at the top of the panel.
kgruber
Final Approach
That would make sense, since it was taken while searching for Wing Luke.....I think.
j1b3h0
Line Up and Wait
SWAG, but AC 500 (Aero Commander).
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Pilawt
Good thought. The shape of the top of the panel does somewhat resemble a Commander's, but I can't find any images showing a Commander panel with toggle switches like that.
Did Commanders have overhead trim cranks like PA-23s?
I thought it looked PA23ish too, but the panel layout and the lack of tubes in the corner of the windshield makes me think it is not.
tmyers
En-Route
Is it possible the extra toggle switches are CAP for stuff?
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
I wonder if it might be a very early BN-2 Islander. I haven't found any photos of the first ones, but the curvature of the glare shield looks a lot like other
Islanders.
It really does kind of look like an early Aero Commander with Piper style trim cranks.
roncachamp
Final Approach
This photo was taken before the Islander made its first flight.
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I'll go with the Aero Commander. I just found an AC500A pilot report in a 1960 Flying magazine that mentions elevator and rudder trim controls mounted overhead.
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
That would indeed eliminate the Islander.
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
Yes, they are in the overhead, but did the very early ones use cranks? All of the AC 500s and 560s have wheels.
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You're right. It can't be an AC; there would also be electrical switches just above the windshield (even in the old 520s).
I'm back to thinking it's an Apache. The structural windshield posts could be hidden by the pilot's head on the left and just out of the frame to the right. The concentric trim cranks and the backing plate of the trim indicator look just like those in the Apache POH (below). The windshield centerpost, mag compass and OAT look right. The only thing I can't reconcile is that row of toggle switches on the panel eyebrow.
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j1b3h0
Line Up and Wait
I've only flown an Apache briefly, about 35 years ago, but I don't remember any toggle switches on the glare shield. Any Apache pilots out there?
Agreed, it's an Apache.
Old Pipers have this awful row of unlabelled identical toggle switches. Maybe someone pulled out the soldering iron and relocated all of them to the glareshield.
j1b3h0
Line Up and Wait
Gee, that was fun…Give us another one!
jpower
Cleared for Takeoff
AmazonChitlin
Pre-takeoff checklist
Well all right, I'll bite. May as well turn it into a game...
CV-340 or 440?
Warrior
Line Up and Wait
I used to know the difference between the twin engine Convair and the similar Martin.
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
It is definitely a Convair based on the exhaust pipes coming out over the wing at the trailing edge of the nacelle.
Not sure though it is is a 240, 340 or 440 though.
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Quickest spotting feature is the tailplane -- Martins have dihedral in the tailplane; Convairs do not.
kgruber
Final Approach
The OPs airplane was a Apache. Here is another view.
yep, for the lights, sirens, bomb bay doors, and depth charges.
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j1b3h0
Line Up and Wait
It's not Commander, Beaver, Islander, Porter, and doesn't look like any Aztec or Apache...could it be a really old M20 Mooney, you know, with the round back windows? Flown a Mark 21, but it's been decades. Note the antennas right out My favorite Martian...
ktup-flyer
En-Route
That's what I was thinking.
afaik mooney has never had an overhead trim crank. I've never been in anything earlier than a C model though.
Pilawt further up posted a picture from the Apache manual that shows the concentric cranks and the triangular molding for the trim indicators.
j1b3h0
Line Up and Wait
The glare shield toggle switches threw me...not like any PA-23 I've ever flown. Of course, I wasn't flying them during the Eisenhower administration ruled the country.