Aircraft Quiz #75

I am thinking of an attractive sleek for it's time three seat all metal low wing aircraft with dual controls that had hydraulic-retractable tricycle with nose gear and spot-welded as opposed to riveted construction with maximum speed greater than its numeric horsepower. The unusual flight control detail was that it bore NO rudder/s in its empennage, nor any ruddervator/s, so don't think the Beech Bonanza series (and they were 4 seat or greater aircraft).

Made by an established aircraft manufacturer it's period registered N number was NX_____ so now you know it was American registered.

1. Manufacturer?

2. Designer's name?

3. Model full nomenclature and common name?

4. Year/Month/Day date of the first flight?

5. How many were built?

Re: the Fred Weick-designed ERCO Ercoupe 415s and the follow ons-Forney Fornair F-1, Alon AirCoupe A-2/A-2A, and Mooney A-2A/M-10 Cadets of the same basic ERCO design-none of which had retractable landing gear. And some of these later examples had rudders with actual rudder pedals.

Mooney sold some 38 of the twin tail A-2A 1967 designs in 1968 before changing to the Mooney "trademark" single straight tail on the highly modified M10 of 1969 and 1970-it actually had stall strips on the wings. A rarity, only 59 M-10s were built and I have seen and photographed just one of the Mooney A2As at SZP, if memory serves. The one N5474F photographed is a Mooney A2A build here originally mis-registered as an Alon A2A.

Please keep trying.

Although I was not at AirVenture this year, I can state with certainty that the exact quiz aircraft could not be, ergo-was not there. Eventually, my answers to this quiz will exactly explain it.

With over 500 views, here are the answers, which may surprise.

1. Grumman Aircraft Engineering Company.

2. Dayton Brown.

3. Grumman G-72 Kitten II

4. 4 February 1946, incidentally the day and month, not year, of my birth.

5. Only one.

In late 1943, as World War II was turning in the Allies favor, Roy Grumman started thinking of expanding to postwar civil aircraft production. Up to that time, many light training aircraft were tube and fabric construction, as built by Piper, Aeronca and Taylorcraft. Grumman's first civil effort resulted in a single all metal G-63 Kitten I (obviously an offspring in name of its famous Naval fighter, the F4F Wildcat).

The G-63 was a sleek all metal spot welded tail dragger without rivets and two place with controls only on the left side-by-side seat. All three wheels were hydraulically retractable. The single tail was without a rudder. Power was a single Lycoming O-290 of 125 hp, resulting in a top speed of 149 mph. First flight was 18 March 1944. No production ensued.

The civil project resumed in 1946 with the G-72 Kitten II, which abandoned the tail wheel for a retractable nose gear and added needed dual controls for training instruction and a third rear seat. All landing gear were hydraulically retractable. A single tail was tried for a time, but it reverted to original twin tails, no rudders. The wing was modified in 1947 to a G-81 configuration with slotted flaps for wind tunnel and ducted-wing testing. First G-81 flight was 11 February 1947, but no production ensued. Grumman was busy at that time producing what was to be a progressively larger all metal series of amphibian aircraft starting with the G-73 Mallard and also entering the missile age.

Incidentally, the sole G-63 Kitten I survives in a New York aviation museum.

I know of the photo you linked, but the link does not work when clicked by me.

Bingo!! That Kitten II photo in flight is shown in most every reference and book about the Grumman G-72 Kitten II aircraft. Thank you for the second and good link.