On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 07:49:57 GMT, "Gerald S." wrote in
:

I never saw this in person but saw pictures of it. IIRC these are the
characteristics:

1. "old" - I'd say from the 1930's to early 1950's.
2. monoplane
3. prop - can't even remember if it was single or multi
4. I'm guessing about twice the size of a DC3
5. closed cabin (I'm guessing it had a cabin) but definitely an open
cockpit. This was the most distinctive aspect of the a/c. Looked like
two guys in front of an 18 wheeler but the cockpit was open.
6. I think it was based north of San Francisco and might have attempted
to cross the Atlantic but had to stop on the east coast of the US due to
a mechanical.

any ideas?

I've seen pix like that.

Can't put my finger on any of them.

"The first airplane with an enclosed cabin appeared as early as 1913
on Igor Sikorsky's airplane The Grand. However, during the 1920s
there were many passenger aircraft in which the crew were open
to the air while the passengers sat in a cabin."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockpit

"After World War I ended, Bellanca relocated his operation to Omaha,
Nebraska, where he formed the Roos-Bellanca Aircraft Company, with Victor
H. Roos and A.H. Fetters, to complete his first high-winged monoplane,
building it in the back of a fire station. Known as the C.F., the airplane
broke new ground in 1921 by offering passengers the comfort of an enclosed
cabin while continuing the tradition of an open cockpit for the pilot."

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/es...llanca/GA1.htm

Nope--the cockpit is behind the passenger cabin.

Fokker Universal?

http://dmairfield.com/airplanes/NC3317/index.htm

http://oldbeacon.com/gallery/postma/postma-13.htm

Marty
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