| TM-24 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Observation aircraft |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Thomas-Morse Aircraft |
| Designer | B Douglas Thomas |
| First flight | 1925 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Thomas-Morse TM-24 was a prototype American two-seat observation aircraft of the 1920s. A single example was built in 1925, but no production followed.
Thomas-Morse Aircraft had decided to specialize in all-metal aircraft after it lost an order for 200 MB-3 fighters to Boeing, who had offered a much lower bid. [1] Thomas Morse's chief designer, B. Douglas Thomas produced a series of all-metal aircraft, flying the unsuccessful MB-9 fighter and MB-10 trainer in 1921, and selling two R-5 racing aircraft to the United States Army Air Service in 1922. [2] In 1924, Thomas-Morse flew the TM-23, a single-seat biplane fighter, which was again a failure. Despite undergoing major redesign in an attempt to improve performance and handling it failed to obtain any orders. [3]
The Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, until it was taken over by the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in 1929.
The Thomas-Morse MB-3 was an open-cockpit biplane fighter primarily manufactured by the Boeing Company for the U.S. Army Air Service in 1922. The MB-3A was the mainstay fighter for the Air Service between 1922 and 1925.
The Boeing Company is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support services. Boeing is among the largest global aircraft manufacturers; it is the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world based on 2017 revenue, and is the largest exporter in the United States by dollar value. Boeing stock is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
In 1924, Thomas designed a single-engined two-seat observation aircraft, the TM-24, in a further attempt to find success with all-metal construction. In an attempt to improve maneuverability, the TM-24 had a short fuselage, with the aircraft being little longer than the single-seat TM-23. Like the TM-23, the TM-24's fuselage was covered in corrugated aluminum skin. The crew of two sat in separate tandem cockpits. The upper wing was much smaller than the lower wing, having a wingspan 5 feet shorter. The wings were braced by a single "N"-strut and an inverted "V"-strut on each side. Additional auxiliary tail surfaces were mounted on the aircraft's fin, above the main tailplane, which acted as trim tabs. The aircraft was powered by a 440 horsepower (330 kW) Curtiss D12 water-cooled V12 engine driving a two-bladed propeller and cooled by radiators located in fairings in the lower wing-roots. [4] [5] [6]
A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes. Not all fixed-wing aircraft have tailplanes. Canards, tailless and flying wing aircraft have no separate tailplane, while in V-tail aircraft the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and the tail-plane and elevator are combined to form two diagonal surfaces in a V layout.
Trim tabs are small surfaces connected to the trailing edge of a larger control surface on a boat or aircraft, used to control the trim of the controls, i.e. to counteract hydro- or aerodynamic forces and stabilise the boat or aircraft in a particular desired attitude without the need for the operator to constantly apply a control force. This is done by adjusting the angle of the tab relative to the larger surface.
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders each, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft. Since each cylinder bank is essentially a straight-six which is by itself in both primary and secondary balance, a V12 inherits perfect primary and secondary balance no matter which V angle is used, and therefore it needs no balance shafts. A four-stroke 12 cylinder engine has an even firing order if cylinders fire every 60° of crankshaft rotation, so a V12 with cylinder banks at a multiples of 60° will have even firing intervals without using split crankpins. By using split crankpins or ignoring minor vibrations, any V angle is possible. The 180° configuration is usually referred to as a "flat-twelve engine" or a "boxer" although it is in reality a 180° V since the pistons can and normally do use shared crankpins. It may also be written as "V-12", although this is less common.
The TM-24 flew in early 1925. It was delivered to McCook Field for testing by the Army Air Service in February that year. While testing indicated that performance was good, the aircraft's landing speed was considered too high, and its rudder was masked if the observer stood up in his cockpit to use his machine gun. The TM-24 was also considered frail by the testers. Further development was abandoned and the prototype was dismantled at McCook Field. Thomas-Morse lost $46,000 on the project. [4] [6] [7]
McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station in Dayton, Ohio. It was operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917 to 1927. It was named for Alexander McDowell McCook, an American Civil War general and his brothers and cousins, who were collectively known as "The Fighting McCooks".
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other conveyance that moves through a fluid medium. On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane. A rudder operates by redirecting the fluid past the hull (watercraft) or fuselage, thus imparting a turning or yawing motion to the craft. In basic form, a rudder is a flat plane or sheet of material attached with hinges to the craft's stern, tail, or after end. Often rudders are shaped so as to minimize hydrodynamic or aerodynamic drag. On simple watercraft, a tiller—essentially, a stick or pole acting as a lever arm—may be attached to the top of the rudder to allow it to be turned by a helmsman. In larger vessels, cables, pushrods, or hydraulics may be used to link rudders to steering wheels. In typical aircraft, the rudder is operated by pedals via mechanical linkages or hydraulics.
Data from General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors [4]
General characteristics
The Curtiss D-12, sometimes identified with the military designation Curtiss V-1150, was an aircraft engine of 18.8 liter displacement. It was a water-cooled V12, producing 443 hp (330 kW) and weighing 693 lb (314 kg). It was designed by Arthur Nutt in 1921 and used in the Curtiss CR-3 for the 1923 Schneider Trophy race. Fairey Aviation of England imported 50 Curtiss-built examples in 1926, renaming them the Fairey Felix.
Performance
The P-1 Hawk was a 1920s open-cockpit biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Army Air Corps. An earlier variant of the same aircraft had been designated PW-8 prior to 1925.
The Consolidated P-30 (PB-2) was a 1930s United States two-seat fighter aircraft. An attack version called the A-11 was also built, along with two Y1P-25 prototypes and YP-27, Y1P-28, and XP-33 proposals. The P-30 is significant for being the first fighter in United States Army Air Corps service to have retractable landing gear, an enclosed and heated cockpit for the pilot, and an exhaust-driven turbo-supercharger for altitude operation.
The Boeing Model 15 was a United States single-seat open-cockpit biplane fighter aircraft of the 1920s, manufactured by the Boeing company. The Model 15 saw service with the United States Army Air Service and with the United States Navy as a carrier-based fighter.
The Naval Aircraft Factory TS-1 was an early biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Navy, serving from 1922 to 1929.
The Boeing XP-7 was a prototype United States biplane fighter of the 1920s.
The Aeromarine PG-1 was a single-seat Pursuit and Ground Attack (PG) biplane developed by the Engineering Division of the United States Army and manufactured by the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Co..
The XP-13 Viper was a prototype biplane fighter aircraft designed by the American company Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation. The airplane was delivered to the United States Army in 1929, but they did not adopt it.
The Curtiss Model S was a single-seat fighter aircraft.
The Orenco D was an American biplane fighter aircraft, designed by Orenco and built by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. It was the first fighter type of completely indigenous design to enter US military service.
The Thomas-Morse MB-2 was an open-cockpit biplane fighter manufactured by Thomas-Morse Aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Service in 1918.
The Thomas-Morse MB-6 was an American racing aircraft built by Thomas-Morse Aircraft for the US Army Air Service.
The Verville VCP was an American single-engined biplane fighter aircraft of the 1920s. A single example of the VCP-1 was built by the United States Army Air Service's Engineering Division, which was later rebuilt into a successful racing aircraft, while a second, modified fighter was built as the PW-1.
The Curtiss Oriole was an American three-seat general-purpose biplane.
The Thomas-Morse R-5 also known as the TM-22 was an American single-engined parasol monoplane racing aircraft of the 1920s. Two were built for the United States Army Air Service in 1922, but after competing in the 1922 Pulitzer Trophy Race the type was abandoned.
The Thomas-Morse MB-4 was a prototype American mailplane of the 1920s. It was of unusual design, being a biplane with twin fuselages housing the crew of two and a central nacelle which carried the aircraft's twin engines in a push-pull configuration.
The Thomas Morse MB-9 was an experimental American fighter aircraft of the 1920s. It was a single-engined, single-seat parasol winged monoplane, but was unsuccessful, being quickly abandoned.
The Consolidated XB2Y was an American prototype single-engined dive bomber of the 1930s. It was intended to meet a United States Navy requirement for a carrier-based dive bomber, but was unsuccessful, only a single example being built.
The Orenco B was a prototype American fighter aircraft of World War I. It was a single-engined, single-seat biplane that flew in 1918. Although it demonstrated good performance, it did not enter large scale service.
The Thomas-Morse MB-1 was an open-cockpit monoplane fighter manufactured by Thomas-Morse Aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Service in 1918.
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas-Morse TM-24 . |