UK piggyback
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Sagittario64
Airman 1st Class
looks like a british Mistel. or a parasite fighter project
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Not 100% sure, but I think it was part of the trials series to extend the range of a fighter for convoy protection, before the CAT ships came into service. It was based on experience with the Shorts 'Mayo/Mercury' flying boat combination but, AFAIK, didn't go beyond trials.
fastmongrel
1st Sergeant
Looks like a photoshop job to me either that or the Hurricane is mounted all wonky. If it was a project to make a piggyback aircraft why would you use such a small carrier aircraft a Blenheim is pretty small.
What happened to the Hurricane undercarriage?
Looks like the wooden slabs are holding the planes, despite the Hurricane 'trying' to make us believe the UC is downed - the black color under wing is way too black, when compared with the paled photo.
Looks like the wooden slabs are holding the planes, despite the Hurricane 'trying' to make us believe the UC is downed - the black color under wing is way too black, when compared with the paled photo.
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
Very cool pic.
Perhaps it was jsut a test bed to see if it was feasible.
Perhaps it was jsut a test bed to see if it was feasible.
Appears to be a hoax - discussed 18 months ago by the UK aviation nerds at the Key Forum:
Blenheim Hurricane Mistel ? [Archive] - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
Nice shot of the prototype Blenheim, ahyway.
Blenheim Hurricane Mistel ? [Archive] - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
Nice shot of the prototype Blenheim, ahyway.
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
man, some people have WAY too much free time on their hands to do this stuff.Good catch mhuxt!
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Readie
Chief Master Sergeant
Well spotted mhuxt. There is no escape in aviation world for the would be hoaxer..
John
John
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Good one! I have to admit, I was rather puzzeled about the pre-war colours on the Blenhiem, combined with the Hurricane scheme and markings. BUT, somewhere I have some info on the A&AEE trials of a similar concept. Whether it got to flying status, I don' know !
Sagittario64
Airman 1st Class
Project Daisy Cutter by Ole A. Hoel
found this when i was collecting blenheim pic, and i thought i might search for blenheim/hurricane combination planes
its probably just more speculation on the purpose of the so called, "British Mistel"
found this when i was collecting blenheim pic, and i thought i might search for blenheim/hurricane combination planes
its probably just more speculation on the purpose of the so called, "British Mistel"
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GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The British were contemplating (and built a few) "pick-a-back" combinations as far back as the 20's for various purposes, but there isn't any evidence that they actually built a composite aircraft setup during WWII.
That photo, while looking fairly legitimate, is fake...the shadow gives it away (only the shadow of the lower aircraft is present)
That photo, while looking fairly legitimate, is fake...the shadow gives it away (only the shadow of the lower aircraft is present)
Readie
Chief Master Sergeant
Crimea_River
Marshal
Makes you wonder BS will be posted and taken for fact 20 years from now.
The Short/Mayo Composite springs to mind. This thread got me thinking; I had read of an idea that was never put into practise and I recently found it mentioned in a book I have. Short Bros collaborated with Hawker with the idea of mounting a Hurricane on the back of a Liberator as a means of countering the Fw 200 threat to convoys. At the time there were insufficient LB-30s available, so the idea never went any further.
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Readie
Chief Master Sergeant
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
If anyone's interested in seeing more of the British composite aircraft projects, look up the "Pemberton-Billings slip wing concept"
There's reference to a book about Hitler's survival after WW2 on another forum at the moment!
More on the British plan for a pick-a-back Hurricane. This from Frank Mason's Hawker Aircraft since 1920:
"In January 1941 discussions were held between Short Bros Ltd, the Ministry of Aircraft Production and the Hawker design staff on the mounting of a Hurricane atop a Liberator long range bomber as a means of providing fighter protection for these aircraft on Atlantic patrols. An equally unorthodox proposal resulted in the towing of a Hurricane behind a Wellington for the same purpose, this experiment being conducted by Flight Refuelling Ltd. However, severe icing inevitably prevented the Hurricane's engine from being started up when the moment to cast off arrived and this led to the abandonment of the scheme. Anticipation of similar trouble caused cancellation of the composite Liberator scheme."
