| Pobjoy Special | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pobjoy Special Replica displayed in the EAA Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin | |
| Role | Racing aircraft |
| National origin | U.S. |
| Manufacturer | Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company |
| Designer | Robert T. Jones |
| Introduction | 1930 |
| Status | unknown |
| Number built | 1 |
The Nicholas-Beazley Pobjoy Special aka the Nicholas-Beazley Phantom I, aka the Wittman Phantom, aka the Flagg Phantom, [1] aka the Reaver Special was a world record holding air racer of the 1930s.
The Nicholas-Beazley Airplane Company had imported a Pobjoy Airmotors engine with a gear reduction unit for use in its new design the Nicholas-Beazley NB-3. Designer Robert T. Jones computed the weight and balance for the setup and proposed a new design as an air-racer. Claude Flagg and H. F. Landis built the aircraft in their spare time and patented the wing design. [2]
The fuselage is welded steel with fabric covering. The wings used an early application of lightweight aluminum construction with U-shaped cantilever spars with wire bracing and fabric covering. The aircraft used wheels with small tires and without brakes. The cockpit was open and the engine was fully cowled.
In 1932 the Pobjoy P engine was replaced with a Pobjoy R of 75 hp. The cockpit was also enclosed. In 1933 Wittman lengthened the fuselage by 21 inches, removed the engine cowling and modified the rudder. In 1946 The engine was replaced with a Continental C-85.
In 1932 Ownership passed to Air Racer Steve Wittman. An Air Commerce inspector fronted the money, and had Wittman race the aircraft to avoid a conflict of interest. The Pobjoy Special is the only racer Wittman raced that he did not build or design himself. In 1937 the Pobjoy Special is flipped on its back. It was rebuilt sold, and stored until the end of World War II. [2] John Reaver entered the aircraft as the Reaver Special in the new Goodyear Formula One races.
In 1936 the 200ci class is eliminated, making the Pobjoy Special obsolete for racing.
Data from Sport Aviation
General characteristics
Performance
Sylvester Joseph "Steve" Wittman was an American air-racer and aircraft engineer.
The Type R "Mystery Ships" were a series of wire-braced, low-wing racing airplanes built by the Travel Air company in the late 1920s and early 1930s. They were so called because the first three aircraft of the series were built entirely in secrecy.
The Nicolas-Beazley NB-8G is a United States two-seat parasol wing light monoplane that was constructed in the early 1930s.
The Cranwell CLA.4 was a single-engined two-seat inverted sesquiplane designed and constructed for the 1926 Lympne trials by an amateur group from RAF College Cranwell. Two were entered, though engine problems prevented one from taking part; the other was eliminated with a broken undercarriage. A third aircraft was amateur-built in Canada and flew until 1934.
The Comper Kite was a single-engined, two-seat touring monoplane built in the UK, derived from the contemporary Comper Streak racer. Only one was built.
The Wittman V-Witt also called Witts V and Witt's Vee is single-engine tube-and-fabric construction aircraft specifically made for Formula V Air Racing.
The Wittman Big X is a four seat high wing variant of the Wittman Buttercup. The aircraft received serious attention from both Fairchild Aircraft, and Cessna Aircraft in the post World War II aviation boom.
The Church Midwing JC-1, a.k.a. Church Mid-Wing Sport, is a midwing racing aircraft designed by James Church using the fuselage of a Heath aircraft.
The Folkerts SK-2, also known as Speed King Two, "Toots" and "Miss Detroit" was a racer built for the 1936 National Air Races
Chief Oshkosha.k.a.Buster is a homebuilt racing plane designed to compete in the 1931 American Cirrus Races.
The Wittman D-12 "Bonzo" was an air racer designed by Steve Wittman for the Thompson Trophy races. The aircraft's top speed of 325 mph (523 km/h) made it faster than any United States military aircraft of the era.
The Folkerts SK-3 a.k.a. "Jupiter, Pride of Lemont" was the third in a series of air racers developed by Clayton Folkerts.
The Granville Gee Bee R-6 International Super Sportster, named "Q.E.D.", and later named "Conquistador del Cielo", was the last in a series of racing and touring monoplane aircraft from the Granville Brothers. The R-6H was dogged with bad luck throughout its career and never finished any race it entered.
The Howard DGA-3 "Pete", a.k.a. "Damned Good Airplane – 3", "Baker Special", and "Little Audrey" was the third aircraft built by Ben Howard, and the first in a series of racing aircraft. Howard claimed that the aircraft was so fast from his use of "Go Grease".
The Wittman DFA aka Little Bonzo is a homebuilt racing aircraft designed to compete in midget racing.
The Carr Special, also called the Carr Racer, the Saginaw Junior, and the Blackhawk, was an American low-wing monoplane racing aircraft developed in 1931.
The Laird-Turner RT-14 Meteor, also called the Turner TR-14, Ring Free Meteor, PESCO Special, Miss Champion, Turner Special and the Turner Meteor was the winning aircraft of the 1938 and 1939 Thompson Trophy races.
The Nicholas-Beazley NB-3, or Barling NB-3, is a two-seat, training aircraft of the 1920s.
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.80 is a two-seat monoplane amphibian tourer, with a single, tractor engine mounted above the wing, designed in Italy in the early 1930s. The SM.80bis is a four-seat variant, powered by two pusher engines.
The Williams-Cangie WC-1 Sundancer is an American homebuilt biplane racing aircraft that was designed by Art Williams and Carl Cangie and built by Ralph Thenhaus in 1974. Plans were at one time available from Williams' company, the Williams Aircraft Design Company of Northridge, California. Only one was built.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help){{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help){{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)