Flying Motorbike

[Malcolm Barnard]

When I was a lad, in the early 1950's, I saw a magazine article about an
unusual aircraft.

It was a single place, low wing monoplane with a tricycle undercarriage and,
probably, a 60 to 80 h.p. motor. The odd thing is that it was ridden,
motorbike fashion by the pilot sitting astride behind a windscreen. Control
was achieved by motorbike handle bars to operate the rudder, but which also
tilted to control the ailerons and could move back and forth to operate the
elevators. Quite a neat idea, really.

Its purpose was for fence patrols and other inspection purposes on large
ranches in the US where the rider might need to hop on and off easily to do
little maintenance jobs.

I have been told it is probably a Farnham FC-1 Fly Cycle.

Does anyone know where I might get to see a picture of this aircraft?

Malcolm

[Montblack]

("TerryJ" wrote)
> Lawrence Farnham, Fort Collins CO.
> FC-1 Fly-Cycle 1954 = 1pOlwM; 75hp Continental A-75; span: 29'7" length:
> 19'0" v: 85/x/30 range: 150. A genuine flying motorbike; the pilot had no
> cockpit, but rode the plane sitting astride the fuselage with his feet
> resting on the wings. Control was by means of handlebars and a twist-grip
> trottle in the right grip. As a "working" plane, containers for
> crop-spraying could be carried in its wings. [N201A].


Found the picture, thanks to TerryJ's info.

PPRuNe Forums - What Cockpit ?
<http://homepage.mac.com/applemacster/Flying/AircraftCockpits.htm>
(Eight spots up from the bottom)
Post # ......Date Posted ..............Aircraft.
355 .............3-May-06 ............. Farnam FC-1 Fly-Cycle

FUN site. Fun topic page: <g>
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=225754
(PPRuNe) Professional Pilots Rumor Network

Archive:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=191916
Cockpit thread. Only 149 pages to go through...

But wait! ("#355 .............3-May-06")

<http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=191916&page=143>
Page 143. Found it.


Montblack
This archive (+) Google = ....an adventure. :-)

[Stealth Pilot]

On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 23:30:32 -0600, "Montblack"
> wrote:

>("TerryJ" wrote)
>> Lawrence Farnham, Fort Collins CO.
>> FC-1 Fly-Cycle 1954 = 1pOlwM; 75hp Continental A-75; span: 29'7" length:
>> 19'0" v: 85/x/30 range: 150. A genuine flying motorbike; the pilot had no
>> cockpit, but rode the plane sitting astride the fuselage with his feet
>> resting on the wings. Control was by means of handlebars and a twist-grip
>> trottle in the right grip. As a "working" plane, containers for
>> crop-spraying could be carried in its wings. [N201A].
>
>
>Found the picture, thanks to TerryJ's info.
>
>PPRuNe Forums - What Cockpit ?
><http://homepage.mac.com/applemacster/Flying/AircraftCockpits.htm>
>(Eight spots up from the bottom)
>Post # ......Date Posted ..............Aircraft.
>355 .............3-May-06 ............. Farnam FC-1 Fly-Cycle
>
>FUN site. Fun topic page: <g>
>http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=225754
>(PPRuNe) Professional Pilots Rumor Network
>
>Archive:
>http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=191916
>Cockpit thread. Only 149 pages to go through...
>
>But wait! ("#355 .............3-May-06")
>
><http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=191916&page=143>
>Page 143. Found it.
>
>
>Montblack
>This archive (+) Google = ....an adventure. :-)
>
>
>
can you imagine hitting a pothole and going over the handlebars :-)

Stealth Pilot

[ChuckSlusarczyk]

In article >, Montblack says...
>A genuine flying motorbike; the pilot had no
>> cockpit, but rode the plane sitting astride the fuselage with his feet
>> resting on the wings.

Would have to be tough on the family jewels in the event of a hard landing
....OUCH

Chuck (never owned a motorcycle) S

[wright1902glider]

Dr. Strangelove?

How the hell is he keeping that ball cap on? And shouldn't it really
be a 10-gallon hat?

YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW WWWWW!

Ft. Collins huh? 20 minutes up the road from me... when its not
snowing.

Harry