MYSTERY PHOTOS Please help us to identify these photographs.

 

Hi, I think this photo was from around 1911 here in Houston, but I cannot find anyone in the archives that looks like this. Looks like a Curtis plane but has different front. Do you have any ideas whom this might be or exactly what the aeroplane is? Dave Sharp Houston TX. PS This photo is from one of two that I have that were professionally framed LONG ago.

 

Ina Coolbrith via email from Kerry Petersen, 5-4-08       I am a researcher working on a book concerning Ina Coolbrith, the poet laureate of California. Ina is the one seated with the scarf over her head. I am trying to identify the woman who appears to be an aviatrix. The photo was taken in San Francisco in the mid-1920s. Can you identify the woman pilot? Thanks, Kerry Petersen.

Aviatrix Identified via email from John Bosko, 5-10-08       The woman with Ina Coolbrith that Kerry Petersen is looking to identify looks like Louise McPhetridge Thadden. jb Editor's Note: I am inclined to agree with John's identification. I did find a mention of her on one website at: the Women Who Dared the Skies

 

Plane Identified via email from Gordon McLaughlin, 10-19-07       The photograph of an early fuselage with neither wings nor fabric looks like a pre-WW1 Bleriot monoplane. The slightly odd feature of the construction is that it looks more like steel tube than the wooden construction that one would expect. Could it be a later replica built in the USA? Editor's Comment: I agree with Gordon that this looks like a Bleriot to me. I tried to check it with the materials available on the www.bleriot.org website, which I had linked to on my Bleriot page some time ago. I was disappointed to find that apparently it has disappeared from the net, leaving no trace. However, I was lucky to find an archived copy on the www.waybackmachine.org website. I have changed the link to that copy, which appears to be complete.

 

Mystery Plane       This postcard was included in an early postcard album from southern Michigan. The card was never mailed and there is no caption on it; the little bit of writing on the back gives me no clue. Is there anything you can tell me about this airplane, or can you direct me to someone who might be able to help? The pilot looks a bit like a young Art Smith, but I have no idea who it actually is, or what kind of plane it is. Photo & caption from Jane Lyle, 3-7-07

 

Mystery Plane Bonjour de Stenay, je viens vous embêter encore une fois, je recherche depuis des mois le nom de cet appareil. Je vous remercie d'avance et vous souhaite un agréable week-end. Bien amicalement. Pierrot. Hello from Stenay, I come to annoy you once again, I scan for since months the name of this apparatus. I thank you in advance and wishes you a pleasant weekend. Sincerely. Pierrot Photo & caption from Pierrot, 11-17-06

 

Bulgarian Freidrichshafen 33C or 33L      Can anyone assist in identifying this lady? She looks familiar, and I am sure I have seen her photo before in another context, but I cannot find it now.      Through efforts of friends on the "Aeroforum" and the "Aerodrome" sites, we have pretty convincingly determined that the airplane is probably a Bulgarian Freidrichshafen 33C or 33L, and the photo was probably taken at Varna, Bulgaria about 24 September 1918.      Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Dave Collection of Dave Lam, 10-4-06

 

San Stefano (Yesilkoy) Airfield about 1925-26 Hello Everyone again, The attached photo was taken in front of the CIDNA hangar at San Stefano (Yesilkoy) Airfield about 1925-26?. It shows a number of French and Turkish aviators. I would greatly appreciate your assistance in helping me to identify those present in this image. Thanks, Stuart Kline ADDENDUM - 6-4-06 The photo I sent you with the aviators in front of the hangar was taken most likely in 1929 instead of 1925-26. The photographer's name was Namik Gorguc, the first photographer for Cumhuriyet newspaper. His collection has recently been uncovered (59 years after his passing) and many other aviation photos will emerge from this collection, including those taken during Russell Boardman and John Polando's 11-day stay in Istanbul in 1931. Regarding the photo of Vecihi's K-XIV under construction in the shed, I'm having a friend take a 'contact' print for it, so you may want to wait on that for a bit until I get the print. Stuart Collection of Stuart Kline, 5-25-06

 

This photo shows 9 unknowns, during the years 1929 - 1931. Collection of Giovanni Giorgetti, 1-11-06

 

 

This photo shows two unknown pilots, during the years 1930 - 1934. The pilots are in front of a Breda 19, aerobatic airplane, designed by the engineer Cesare Pallavicino. SPECIFICATIONS

Pilots Identified via email from B. Paton, 5-22-06 Pilots in front of Breda 19. The man at right looks like Michel Détroyat the french aerobatic champion in the 30's. So the left man would be an italian aerobatic pilot. Sincerely yours B. Paton

Wingspan 9.00 m Lenght 6.00 m Height 2.75 m Weight 980 kg

Full Weight 1360 kg Max Speed 276 km/h Range 640 km Ceiling 6,000 m

Collection of Giovanni Giorgetti, 12-29-05

 

 

SLESAREV - SVIATOGOR 1913 Russian Aviation: A Pictorial History 1885 - 1945 RUSAVIA Collection of Pierrot, 11-12-05

Mystery Russian Plane      Bonjour de Stenay, voila je recherche le nom de cet avion, je suis à la retraite et je fais une encyclopédie des avions militaires à des fins personnelles.      Merci d'avance et bien amicalement. Translation courtesy of Dave Lam      Hello from Stenay (town in France). I am looking here for the name of this airplane. I am retired and am making an encyclopedia of military aircraft for my own use. Thanks in advance and very friendly, Pierrot. Pierrot.

 

Moulin de Stenay Editor's Note:I was so taken with this picture of the Mill in Stenay, which Pierrot so kindly shared with us, that I decided to put it on the page for our mutual enjoyment. Collection of Pierrot, 1-12-06

 

Mystery Russian Plane Identified - 1 via email from Pierrot, 11-12-05 Encore tous mes remerciements pour votre gentillesse. Vous pouvez arrêter les recherches car un ami m'a envoyé un mail. " SLESAREV SVIATOGOR 1913 " Bonjour. Selon le tome I de l'encyclopédie en deux volumes publiée par Shavrov en 1978, ce serait un "Sviatogor" construit par Slesarev en 1913, de 36 m d'envergure pour 21 m de long, avec une surface ailaire de 280 m2, une vitesse maximum calculée de 100 km/h et un plafond de 2500 m. Bonne fin de journée et bien amicalement. Pierrot Place de STENAY 1919 Machine-translation by Babelfish Still all my thanks for your kindness. You can stop research because a friend sent to me a mall "SLESAREV SVIATOGOR 1913" Hello. According to volume I of the encyclopaedia in two volumes published by Shavrov in 1978, it would be a "Sviatogor" built by Slesarev in 1913, of 36 m scale for 21 m length, with a surface ailaire of 280 m2, a calculated maximum speed of 100 km/h and a ceiling of 2500 m. Good end of day and sincerely. Pierrot Places STENAY 1919

 

Mystery Russian Plane Identified - 2 via email from Dave Lam, 11-12-05 Ralph, good morning.      The unknown Russian aircraft in the "unknowns" section seems to be named in Russian "?????????", which I transliterate as SVYATOGOR.      It seems to have had a 36 meter wingspan, 180 square meters of wing area, length 21 meters (I don't read Russian, so wingspan and length given here may be reversed, which would make more sense), weight 6500 kg, speed 100km/hr.       It seems to have been powered with two 300 hp Mercedes engines. I think it dates from 1917-1918.       I can provide a scan of a couple of pages of description if that would help, but it's in Russian. Dave

Sviatogor, V.A.Slesarev      Our good friend Roy Nagl has found two websites which help us to understand this plane and its designer. You can access the site which describes the plane by clicking on the title above. From that page, you can access the site which offers a biography of the designer, V. A. Slesarev.      If time permits, I heartily recommend that you visit the homepage of this site and sample some of the many resources which are offered.

 

 

Mystery German Aviator Collection of Dave Lam, 10-13-05

 

Mystery Ladies Comments by Dave Lam, 10-7-05      I have just realised that these cards are fascinating fakes. If you look carefully at the left hand photos you posted of them, you will see a line surrounding the faces. It looks like these are photos which have had someone else’s face inset into them. However, of interest is that this modification was not done on the upper card, but on some original which was then re-photographed and republished as a post card— I have two identical copies. Lots of work and expense for a fake card, and I can’t imagine why it was done, except as a joke of some kind.The lower card with another lady’s face on it, is the original cut-out, and the card has not been re-photographed— on careful examination, the cut around the face is evident. Like I have said, lots of interesting stories out there— wonder what the story is on these cards??

 

Mystery 1 The seller of this photo described it as being from around 1910. Comments by Steven Meska, 4-3-07      I just stumbled across your very good website and saw the picture of the unidentified mystery aircraft Nr. 1. I noticed that the aircraft in the picture has a curved bottom to the fuselage so therefor cannot be an Avro 504 as suggested. Also, the attachment points for the undercarriage are much further forward then on the Avro. As was stated there is not much detail to go by in the picture, but I believe it more likely that this is a Spyker School machine built in Trompenburg, Holland during the First World War era. There was a lot of variation in these aircraft and normally the motor would likely have been a Spyker 9 cylinder rotary, but the one in the photo does not appear to be so.

Mystery 2 Comments by James Hope Woodward Hall, 8-7-08       The one on the left appears to be my mother, Gloria Hope Woodward (Stewart) Of Hyannis Mass. on Cape Cod. She became an Instrument Flight instructor during WWII and I have a photo of her in Full Uniform... but sure looks like her. James A. Woodward Hall

Collection of Roy Nagl

Collection of Roy Nagl

 

 

Aeronca Logo Any idea what this logo is on the panel? The engine is an Aeronca

Collection of Ken Spooner, 3-21-05

 

 

If you can help us to identify any of these pictures, please contact me at: E-mail to George Ficke