Aircraft recce, what is this plane?

[[email protected]]

Hey everyone, this is my first post, I've been having trouble trying to recognise what this plane is. Being a black and white photo its hard to tell what roundel it is. All I know is that its from WWII and that its not English, I had it confused with the Fairey Firefly but apparently its not. Any help?

 

[Matt308]

Interesting. Kinda like a ******* child of the Firefly, Barracuda and handicapped Dornier 335. Beats me.

 

[k9kiwi]

It be a Fairey Battle.

 

[Matt308]

You think so? Certainly is a British/Fairey product, but the aft empanage is too thick, the vertical stab is not the same, and the cockpit design is markedly different. I think your real close though. Those are british landing gear if I ever saw one.

 

[[email protected]]

'Fraid not, Its not british. But that picture you have there seems to be quite rare, the rest of them have cockpits that go all the way back.

 

[Matt308]

That's not a fairey product? Your kidding.

I have seen some Battles that were converted into two cockpit trainers with the second cockpit identical and mounted higher than the first used for Canadian training. This looks like some sort of amalgamation for a specialized use. The fore end looks very much Battle. However the landing gear does not fold parallel to the fuselage with semi-recessed wheels like a Battle. The fore end does not look like a Fulmar or a 'cuda though. It's the outward folding landing gear that looks British to me, but doesn't match any Fairey product.

So what is it?

 

[Gnomey]

It certainly looks like it is a Fairley (and British). Here is a Fulmar but it still doesn't look quite right:

British Aircraft of World War II - FAIREY FULMAR

One captured and operated by Vichy French forces at Dakar in 1941 so this might be it?

 

[Matt308]

Yeah the Fulmar has inward folding gear and aft empanage is too delicate looking. Somewhere in that gene pool is a Do335.

 

[[email protected]]

OK, its not British or French. This is really tough.

 

[Twitch]

It's a French roundel on the side. Whatever it was, it was "meat on the table" for Luftwaffe fighters.

 

[Matt308]

 

[Gnomey]

Can't find it though...

 

[Matt308]

Is it an early Blohm aircraft of some type?

 

[ndicki]

If it was French, it would have rudder stripes - OBLIGATORILY.

 

[Matt308]

C'mon. Nobody on this forum can figure this out!?

 

[cheddar cheese]

It could be an RSI Caproni Ca.335...Very wild guess though...

 

[[email protected]]

Yeh, some more information, It was originally Italian but it has a french engine.

 

[Matt308]

Mike. Do you know what this thing is? Are we playing a game here? If so I didn't realize that.

 

[[email protected]]

No, Im playing a game elsewhere, but having alot of trouble with it.

 

[Matt308]

So, praytell, how is it then that you know it is italian with a french engine?

Or am I being thick and missing some sarcasm or humour? Wouldn't be my first time.