Vincent Burnelli

Vincent Justus Burnelli ( born November 22, 1895 in Temple, Texas, † June 22, 1964 ) was an American aeronautical engineer, the time of his life with the concept of the so-called buoyancy hull ( Lifting Fuselage ) dealt and decisive impetus to the development of Nurflügelkonzeptes was. When he died at 69 years old, he had a total of 50 years engaged in the design and construction of aircraft.

First drafts

In 1915 he designed his first airplane with an acquaintance, an open biplane. This was even on the later Roosevelt Field (New York ), from which Charles Lindbergh in 1927 took up his flight to Paris, presented in flight. Two years later he constructed a night fighter, in the hope that this could be used as combat aircraft in the First World War. This hope was not fulfilled, but he was able to sell the aircraft to the New York police, who then was already planning to carry out their missions even from the air.

New concepts

In 1920, Burnelli graduated with T.T. Remington and together they founded the " Airliner Engineering Corporation " in Long Iceland, NY, to build airliners. In 1921 he applied for patent protection for his concept of Lifting Fuselage. The patent number 1,758,498 he received but then only nine years later.

The two double -decker transport aircraft, which were produced in the 1920s, were the RB-1 and the deduced RB -2. Both designs differed considerably from the previous designs. The aircraft had a spacious, rectangular in plan view hull, which had a profile shaped longitudinal section. The basic idea behind his idea was that both improvements in performance and in the security should be achieved.

It is worth mentioning that at the same time, but apparently independent of Burnelli, in France, a plane was built, the very great similarity with the buoyancy hull concept had. It was built in 1925, the Dyle et Bacalan DB 10 BN4.

Although Burnelli himself described his concept as a flying wing ( Flying Wings ), but had his designs all a recognizable tail, often even supported by upturned tail booms. So that his aircraft had more the design of a lifting body ( Lifting Body) as a Nurflügels, the latter has integrated all aerodynamic control devices in the body and has no tail on.

Burn Ellis first monoplane CB -16 appeared in 1928 This was how the following Burnelli types that were produced in the 1940s, some remarkable properties.:

• The engines were relatively close to each other and were placed in front of the cabin on the " leading edge " of the fuselage.
• At cruising speeds, the profile-shaped hull was up to 50 % to the buoyancy.

The passenger cabin was especially protected because she was surrounded by more than 60 % of the aircraft structure. Burnelli was firmly convinced that his buoyancy principle offers high security as well as economic and operational advantages over conventional designs. His design philosophy was supported by many well-known experts from the civil and military aviation until the late 1940s. There he failed to win the necessary political and economic support, which would have secured a public acceptance of his unconventional designs.

In various partnerships he worked for various companies and also founded even those who should produce his designs. Mostly, however, only experimental aircraft or prototypes developed. His last construction CBY -3 Loadmaster was built by the Canada Car and Foundry in Montreal. The only prototype was tested extensively, but was unable to obtain production orders.

Later years

Even after he had moved to Southampton (New York), Burnelli remained unchanged in his desire to continue to help his buoyancy hull concept for transport aircraft to success. So he undertook in 1955 an attempt to promote his latest draft CBY -3, an expedition of 20 people and 41 sled dogs along with all the equipment to the North Pole, but this company was not performing. The loadmaster was used as a commercial airliner both in northern Canada as well as in South America. The machine was then converted to new engines Wright R- 2600 and ended its aeronautical use finally at the airport in Baltimore Maryland. Since 1964, they can in the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut are visited.

Even today, his ideas are not forgotten how you can see for example in the design of the hang glider Flight Dynamics Seasprite where clearly the idea of ​​buoyancy hull was implemented.

Burnelli Designs

• Burnelli Continental KB -1 ( 1915)
• Burnelli ( Lawson Airlines)
• Remington Burnelli RB -1 ( 1921)
• Remington Burnelli RB -2 ( 1924)
• Burnelli CB -16 Airliner Chapman (1928 )
• Uppercu - Burnelli UB -20 ( 1929)
• Uppercu - Burnelli GX -3 ( 1929)
• Uppercu - Burnelli UB -14 ( 1935)
• Cunliffe -Owen Aircraft OA -1 Clyde Clipper ( British license version of the UB -14) (1939 )
• General Airborne Transport XCG -16 ( glider, 1943)
• Canadian Car and Foundry Burnelli CBY -3 Loadmaster (1945 )