ALL-METAL AIRCRAFT

"STOUT METAL AEROPLANE CO. DETROIT, 1924 - Stout built a larger all metal plane, a high wing monoplane with a Liberty engine that would carry eight passengers."

"1926 - With the production of the Ford Tri-Motor, the first all-metal airplane, Ford Motor Company becomes the world's largest manufacturer of airplanes."

That honor probably goes to Germany's Hugo Junkers.



The Junkers F13 (the export version was designated JL6), introduced in 1919, is generally considered to be the first successful all-metal plane.

Yes, I'm rather sure, timber is correct.

I'm not against...

... but Junkers constructed already in 1915 with a similar airplane, the J1 :wink:

And on

From the site about Stout, this title :

WALTER FACES CRITICAL PROBLEM ON TEST FLIGHT

That's why I joined the navy (and because I can swim, but not fly).

You know Walter I have tremendous sympathy with that

I can swim
I can walk
but not being a duck
to fly the ****
I can

Is Walter a **** navy admiral? :wink:

Good catch, Walter - the J1 probably was the first all-metal airframe to fly, and was more or less a "proof-of-concept" project which developed into the all-metal J4 of 1917, the first dedicated ground-attack plane - its engine and crew compartments even had light armor - of which perhaps a couple hundred were produced, with a somewhat smaller number actually deployed and seeing service. Due to the weight of its armor and armament, it was a lumbering beast, slow-flying, ceiling-limited, and sluggish at the controls. The post-war F13 essentially amounted to a civilianized variant, lighter, unarmed, unarmored, with a more powerful engine and better aerodynamics, making it the first successful all metal civilian plane.

Thanks for you help, although i think the last few posts have got away from my original question!! I see you are still around Francis!!

I don't know if he's a **** Navy Admiral but I do suspect he's SOME kind of Navy Admiral.

a four stars admiral...

Actually, I didn't get a star at all:

- instead of the 'normal anchor' a got this one, though

(What rank do you expect a conscript could get with the marks "H. doesn't show military attitudes" :wink: )