Inflatoplane?
Last night I was rifling through my assorted books/magazines/etc (looking
for some obsure fact I have since forgotten) and came across something quite
funny...

Are any of the FAC / scale type modellers familiar with the Goodyear
Aircraft Corp. 'Inflatoplane'?  I have a copy of an info sheet which
describes this craft along with several pictures.  Basically it is an
inflatable airplane.  It's a high wing, single seat monoplane with a small
pusher prop engine mounted above the wing.  The pilot (or is that the
victim..) sits at the front of the aircraft in the open breeze.  It all
collapses into a neat little package with minimal rigid framework...looks
like it would fit in a large trunk/storage box...approx. 3ft X 4ft X 3ft.

The most interesting this is that the wings are collapsible rubber.  The
text describes the material as 'Airmat'.  There is a photo showing two men
standing on the wing as the plane sits on the runway...quite rigid for an
inflatable plane.  There isn't a date on the copy I have, but it looks to be
1950's vintage from the clothing the men are wearing.

There you have it...a new scale project

"A preview of the Magic Carpet for Tomorrow"  Goodyear Aircraft Corp., Akron OH

John McClure

Re: Inflatoplane?
There was a segment of a Discovery Channel Wings program on this aircraft
which included taking it out of its container, assembling it, and flying it.
Dave Diels
Diels Engineering, Inc.
P.O. Box 263
Amherst, OH 44001, USA
email dielsengr@kellnet.com

Re: Inflatoplane?
Hi John,

I saw this thing on TV a few years ago. Couple of GIs drove up, off-loaded
the "trunk", unfolded the deflated plane and one guy got to work with a
bicycle pump! Eventually the thing began to take shape, at which point the
second GI got on the pump and the first raised the hinged pylon which held
the motor and gas tank and secured it to eyelets on the wing with four
strands of braided wire. I would imagine that it took the two of them at
least half an hour to pump the thing up but it all happened in about five
minutes of air time. Eventually one of the unfortunates strapped himself
into the plane, the other spun the prop, and the rubber express wobbled
into the wild blue yonder. There was an air to air shot, the pilot
appearing to be somewhere in the middle of a dozen large doughnuts flying
in loose formation. But it did indeed fly. Sorry I can't remember the name
of the show. If anyone is seriously interested a query to Goodyear might
bring some results although I think they might just as soon forget the
whole thing.

Dick

Re: Inflatoplane?
This one caught my eye too. I saw one on display at the Patuxent River Naval
Air Station museum. I think I took some pictures of it. I'll try to dig them
out if you're interested.

It sort of looks like a big model. The tail surfaces are pretty much flat
with rounded edges. I'm not sure what to you would use to get the "look and
feel" of the inflatable parts though. Blue foam maybe? I think it would be
fun to try with a HiLine or Kenway direct drive for power.

Bob M
Maggie & Bob Marchese                       bmarches@erols.com

Re: Inflatoplane?
G'day

The UK Aeroplane Monthly for October 1985 (pages 518/519)has a short
article, with photographs,  on the Goodyear Inflatoplanes.

The November 1974 issue of the same magazine (pages 954 to 957)has a
description of a contemporary British effort with an inflatable delta wing
with an underslung box.

Regards, Chris Greenwood