What is/was it?

GARY HILTON · **Posted:** Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:22 am

Ran across these wood fuselages at El Mirage, Ca.

airknocker · **Posted:** Sat Mar 14, 2009 11:26 am

I'll bite: Dehavilland Vampire cockpit?
http://www.paulnann.com/Make.asp?Make=D ... _w1873.jpg

GARY HILTON · **Posted:** Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:30 pm

Boy, I sure don't know....Was the Vampire built with a wood fuselage?

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:37 pm

Wood cockpit on the Vampire.
Jerry

The Inspector · **Posted:** Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:59 pm

Yeah, but it was along the same process as the Mossie, molded veneers on the outside (both inner and outer) and a balsa sheet sandwiched in between, and fabric over the outer veneer.
Those look to be considerably older and more along the lines of a limited production light plane from the 30's/40's

airknocker · **Posted:** Sun Mar 15, 2009 10:55 pm

It would appear to have a nosewheel well under the forward bulkhead, but no provision for a firewall if it had a tractor engine???? Dunno??

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11319

Looks like it had a retractable nose gear and had two seats side-by-side. Culver V?

airknocker · **Posted:** Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:36 pm

bdk, I think your on the right track, how about a Culver drone PDQ-8 or 14?
http://www.aerofiles.com/culver-pq8.jpg
http://www.aerofiles.com/culver-PQ14A.jpg

Alain · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:35 pm

Don't think it's a Culver, as mentionned before, look like a remain of wheel well into the lower firewall center. But not big and round enough for the Vampire and this last one had a small metal frame windshield.

You can also see 4 rusted metal piece for single engine mount. Could be Homebuilt Czetkovick Firefly CA-65. There is not enough different ones out there! we'll probably never know. :roll:

Alain.

Alain · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:38 pm

Just looked at the second link on the Culver, I should have checked before :oops:

this is more like it. the retractable one you're right.

Alain

Ztex · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:29 pm

I think you guys may be close...

retroaviation · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:33 pm

I dunno, y'all. The turtledeck on the Culver pictured looks more "pointy" to me than the rounded off turtledeck on the airframe(s) in question.

Gary

Alain · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:23 pm

Also the 45 degree angle piece between the large bulkhead and the horizontal stringer runing from front to back below shoulder height, not common to the Culver...

Cvairwerks · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:56 pm

Also, Culver PQ-14 is only about 22 inches across at the canopy rails. The pieces in the original pic are probably closer to 40 inches across

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11319

Alain wrote:

Also the 45 degree angle piece between the large bulkhead and the horizontal stringer runing from front to back below shoulder height, not common to the Culver...

Certainly not a PQ-14. might be a PQ-8, but those are quite rare and as you note, that 45 degree angle feature is not consistent with the Culver series.

As for a homebuilt, that's anybody's guess! There are a lot more possibilities there.

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