Brazilian Light Aircraft Prototypes & Projects

[hesham]

From, Enciclopedia de Avioes Brasileiros;

L. Bresciani was Italian and before emigrating to the
Brazil had worked, in Europe, in the construction of aircraft
light. In 1939, he asked the industrialist Francisco
Pignatari financing to build in São Paulo
two new models. One of them was the “Café”, elegant
single-engine, two-seater low-wing monoplane
side-by-side and open cab. The engine was North American, four-cylinder and 140 HP, driving propeller
beeper, wooden and fixed pitch.

There is little information about dimensions and
characteristics of this aircraft, which painted dark red was presented at an industrial fair, in
São Paulo capital. It is known, however, that the use of national wood, heavier than European spruce
what Bresciani was used to, ended up making the aircraft heavy, with marginal characteristics
of flight. After some tests, the device was disassembled as it was unsafe.

Status: 1 copy built.

The tandem two-seater airplane "Oil" was a
of the two projected aircraft (see Bresciani “Café”)
by L. Bresciani and built in 1939, in São Paulo, with the support of industrialist Francisco Pignatari.

Its design followed the general lines of the "Café", of the
same designer, built at the same time. differed
of it by the narrower fuselage, by the cabin protected by two transparent covers and by the use of a
Hirth HM 506 engine, 160 HP, driving propeller
beeper, wooden and fixed pitch. fully built
with national woods and painted silver, the
"Oil" had conventional, fixed landing gear,
careened, and was presented at an Industrial Fair in
São Paulo. Although its flying characteristics were
better than those at “Café”, it was also considered unsafe and, after some rehearsals, deactivated.

Status: 1 copy built.

 

[hesham]

From, Enciclopedia de Avioes Brasileiros;

In 1939, the pilot from Rio Grande do Sul Joaquim da Costa
Fonseca Junior designed and assembled a single engine
high-wing parasol experimental, designated
Fonseca F.1. Constructed of wood and canvas, with
partial structure of welded steel tubes, the single-seater F.1 used a Ford “A” car engine,
4-cylinder, water-cooled and modified for
aeronautical use. Bipade Propeller, Wooden and Pitch
fixed and conventional landing gear, fixed, with skid
Metallic on the bezel.

There is little information about this aircraft, but
it is known that the builder made several flights
and that, based on the experience gained with it, built and later flew another more advanced sunshade
(See Fonseca F.2).

Span: 10.60m; Height: 2.10m; Train gauge:
1.92m; Status: 1 copy built.

Fonseca F.2

Based on his experience with the F.1 model, built in 1939, the pilot and designer from Rio Grande do Sul Joaquim
da Costa Fonseca Junior designed, in 1940, an egypt single-engine two-seater with a high wing, sunshade, which was
baptized with the name “City of Pelotas”.

The aircraft had a structure of welded steel tubes and wood, with an outer covering of plywood and mesh. Conventional, fixed landing gear and steel rear skid.

The two seats were in tandem, open, protected only with small front windshields.
The engine was North American, 4-cylinder opposite
(80 HP), triggering wooden, bipade propeller and pitch
fixed. The fuel tank was built into the wing,
over the cockpit, powering the engine by
gravity.

Fonseca F.3

After designing and building two aircraft
light (see Fonseca F.1 and Fonseca F.2), Joaquim da
Costa Fonseca Junior designed an elegant single-engine low-wing and retractable landing gear.

The idea was to get a side-by-side biplace, from
wood, driven by an imported North American "flat four" engine in the range of 100 HP, driving
wooden biblade propeller and fixed pitch. Covered cabin.

There is little information available about
your aircraft. It is only known that the gaucho Fonseca
sent his plans to the Ministry of Aeronautics, in
late 1941. However, there was no official authorization
for the construction of the machine and the designer, discouraged, abandoned his aeronautical activities. The F.3
it was never built.

Train gauge: 2.50m; Dihedron: 5th; Status: project.

 

[Apophenia]

For 'searchability', probably better to use Joaquim da Costa Fonseca Filho (I'm not sure why they used "Junior"). Likely we need a native-speaker to go over that machine translation.

'Dihedron' should be dihedral; Bitolo do trem means wheelbase. 'Bipade Propeller, Wooden and Pitch fixed' obviously refers to a fixed-pitch wooden 2-bladed propeller, etc.

AFAIK, "piloto gaúcho" refers to Joaquim's time as a racecar driver - rather than to an aircraft 'pilot' ('cowboy', or otherwise). Joachim's father owned a Ford dealership, which is how he got into auto racing (and it explains the Model A engine in his F.1 parasol).

Joachim did eventually become a pilot, training with the Aeroclube de Pelotas. But that seems to have been solely a means to an end. According to an interview in Diário de Notícias (Porto Alegre, 09/5/1943), at 21 he went to the Escola de Aviação to gain aviation experience for the purposes of design but with no real desire to become a pilot.

On the actual aircraft ...

F.1 - Construction began secretly in 1936 in the basement of his house in Pelotas. But the first flight - made by Waldemar Keller, a Varig pilot - wasn't made until 1939. Flying time on the F.1 would total 30 hours. Joaquim considered the aircraft too heavy and the F.1 was then dismantled. It doesn't seem that any major components were 'recycled' for re-use in the F.2

F.2 - Airframe completed in 1943 and flown to Rio for testing at Campo dos Afonsos. Tested by the Ministério da Aeronáutica found the F.2 to be quite adequate. The aircraft was later registered as PP-TXV and dubbed 'Cidade de Pelotas'. The consensus seems to be that the F.2 simply appeared too late to be successful.

BTW: That "motor era norte-americano" was an 80 hp Franklin HO4.

F.3 - Stress calculations for the F.3 design were complete by 1946. Money received in payment for the sale of the F.2 was meant to pay for the imported engine for the F.3 (possibly a Franklin 4ACG-199 or 4A4-100?).

Your artist's impression of the F.3 (3.png) seems rather fanciful. Copies of Joaquim's layout drawings are attached. I apologize the poor quality of the drawings but they do have me questioning that "trem de pouso retrátil". Not impossible, but nothing in those drawings suggests a retractable undercarriage.

Source: Uma história de invenções: memória, narrativa e biografia em joaquim fonseca, a 2009 dissertation by Sérgio Luiz Peres de Peres.

 

[hesham]

Amazing respond dear Apophenia.

From, Enciclopedia de Avioes Brasileiros;

Hoover

One of the pioneers of aviation in Brazil, the North
American Orthon William Hoover arrived in the country
in 1915, hired to assemble three Curtiss planes
purchased by the Navy. In the years
he worked in the assembly of aircraft and in training pilots, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In
1926, he settled permanently in the capital of São Paulo,
hired by the State Government to help with the
Formation of the Force Aviation Squadron
State Public (Military Policy). He helped set up a piloting school in Campo de Mars and
it was there that, in 1928, he built a two-seater for instruction that he designed. The aircraft, of construction
mixed (metal, wood and canvas) was a biplane,
fixed train, with exposed cylinder radial engine.
After providing good services as a training plane, this device, named “S. Paulo” was damaged in an accident in 1930. Rebuilt with
improvements, the “S. Paulo” won another engine, more
strong, faired with a metallic hood, and that was it
configuration that was used by the São Paulo forces
during the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932.
There is no news about the fate of this aircraft
after that, no further information about their
dimensions and performance.

 

[Apophenia]

The full name of Orton Hoover's biplane was 'São Paulo' - since it served with that state's Aviação da Força Pública. That "motor radial de cilindros expostos" was an imported 90 hp Le Blond. That American engine originated with one of three Curtiss Model 17 Oriole [1] biplane trainers imported by the state government.

It would be interesting to know what the replacement engine was ... and why that peculiar cowling?

______________________

[1] Sometimes seen mispelled as 'Orielle' in Brazilian sources.

 

[hesham]

From, Enciclopedia de Avioes Brasileiros;

Lafay "Independence"

After building, in 1920, a single-engine
experimental in Rio de Janeiro (see Lafay “Rio de
January”) Captain Louis Etienne Lafay of the Mission
French military left for another larger aircraft,
dubbed “Independence”. Built under the supervision of engineer Braconnot, the device was a biplane.
no, five-seater and two-engine ("push-pull" type)
placed in front and behind the passenger cabin.
Completed in April 1922, in the industrialist's workshops
Henrique Lage, the “Independence” was taken to the
Campo dos Afonsos, where he made his maiden flight on the day
May 25, the first twin-engine built in America
of the South. On June 7th, he participated in the flight of
planes that Portuguese aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral received over Guanabara Bay,
coming from its historic transatlantic crossing.

Built in wood and canvas, the "Independência"
it had lines that resembled those of the Caudron G.3. But
it was much bigger and heavier. The engines were two
French-made 130 HP Rotary Clerget
each, driving two-blade fixed pitch propellers.

Although he has made other flights, some of them are long.
duration, nothing is known about its dimensions, its
characteristics or its fate, after June 1922.

Status: 1 copy built.