wonwinglo
SMF Supporter
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Vincent Burnelli was a designer of some unique aircraft that employed the aerofoil fuselage shape as a lifting wing,Burnelli spent many years developing this idea and build suitable aircraft to test his theories.
The first design was the Remington Burnelli airliner built in 1920,followed by the RB-2 biplane freighter in 1924.
In 1928 he set about designing the Chapman-Burnelli CB-16 which was recorded as the first ever wide bodied air transport accommodating 20 passengers in the main cabin area.
In 1929,Burnelli adopted his lifting fuselage concept on a twin engined experimental monoplane called the GX-3,this competed in the Guggenheim safe aircraft competition,this aircraft also featured a variable camber wing,full span flaps and a four wheel undercarriage.
He continued his attempts to develop a commercially attractive transport aircraft which embodied the lifting fuselage concept in its construction.
The picture below shows the Cunliffe Owen OA-1 built only in prototype form at Southampton,UK and fitted with two 710 hp Bristol Perseus XIVC radial engines.
His A-1 bomber design proved the basis for the General aircraft XCG-16a Transport glider which was intened to carry up to 40 fully equipped troops.
His last lifting body design the Cancargo CBY-3 Loadmaster was produced just after World war 2 by the Cancargo aircraft manufacturing company,this was built entirely of metal and was powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engines,the large lifting body fuselage could accomodate 22 passengers.
Burnelli without a doubt was just too far ahead of time,but he was a genius of the lifting body concept which was used in many ways especially space vehicles in later years.
Sadly he was never to know this as he died in 1964
The first design was the Remington Burnelli airliner built in 1920,followed by the RB-2 biplane freighter in 1924.
In 1928 he set about designing the Chapman-Burnelli CB-16 which was recorded as the first ever wide bodied air transport accommodating 20 passengers in the main cabin area.
In 1929,Burnelli adopted his lifting fuselage concept on a twin engined experimental monoplane called the GX-3,this competed in the Guggenheim safe aircraft competition,this aircraft also featured a variable camber wing,full span flaps and a four wheel undercarriage.
He continued his attempts to develop a commercially attractive transport aircraft which embodied the lifting fuselage concept in its construction.
The picture below shows the Cunliffe Owen OA-1 built only in prototype form at Southampton,UK and fitted with two 710 hp Bristol Perseus XIVC radial engines.
His A-1 bomber design proved the basis for the General aircraft XCG-16a Transport glider which was intened to carry up to 40 fully equipped troops.
His last lifting body design the Cancargo CBY-3 Loadmaster was produced just after World war 2 by the Cancargo aircraft manufacturing company,this was built entirely of metal and was powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engines,the large lifting body fuselage could accomodate 22 passengers.
Burnelli without a doubt was just too far ahead of time,but he was a genius of the lifting body concept which was used in many ways especially space vehicles in later years.
Sadly he was never to know this as he died in 1964