It's Bird? It's Plane? It's a PoGo?

[Victor Archer]

I was looking for some more older warbird photos and ran accross this beast. How cool would it be to see this going around
the pylons.

[Victor Archer]

Another view

[Victor Archer]

Hmmmmmm, wonder what els that prop would fit on?

[speeddemon]

Wouldn't want to have to land that sucker in a Mayday, though......

[Unregistered]

Maybe stand it uo in the desert and use it for a pylon..... :-)

[HiredBitSlinger]

Seems to me that I read somewhere that a signigicant problem with the "pogos" was getting a pilot to fly it more than once. That first landing seems to have been the deal breaker.

[Leo]

POGO

The old Wings program on vertical flight has some neat video of Pogo transitioning from vertical takeoff to level flight and back. Also a low pass. If the sound in the film is real it must have been REAL noisy.
Lockheed tried it also, XF5V I think it was called. They added landing gear to their version as to test fly it. Pogo had none.
Both used an experimental paired twin turboprop engine and the prop you see here.
Both also designed swivelling seats to allow the pilot a little more natural stance, but they were still backing down while looking over their shoulders to land, next to impossible (and the Lockheed design was intended to take off and land on ships!)
Later Convair did it with a jet powered test plane that was marginally succesful, taking off and landing onto a special hook and cradle.
I love the WW2 and post war experiments, it seemed that anything was tried.

Leo

[blacksheep]

around the world solo ?

when did Burt decied to try this one ?

[blacksheep]

I wonder?

With all his money and his interest in avation has anyone ever gave Branson a ride in a warbird? He's my Idea of a sponsor

[Peashooter]

Re: I wonder?

Originally posted by blacksheep
With all his money and his interest in avation has anyone ever gave Branson a ride in a warbird? He's my Idea of a sponsor

Good idea! How about a hot contra-prop Griff in a late mark Spitfire! Hale to the Queen! Peas