Southern Airplanes

[hesham]

Hi,

the Southern Aircraft Company was formed in 1940,built the BM-10,a two-seat biplane
trainer,followed by a BM-11,a twin engined high wing monoplane light transport airplane.

In an Italian magazine,they spoke about BM-16,it was similar to BM-10,I don't know if
it was a Project or a misprint ?.

http://www.aerofiles.com/_sk.html

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201942%2004.pdf

 

[Apophenia]

...they spoke about BM-16...

'BM-16' is definitely a typo for BM-10 since the BM-11 was a post-war development (perhaps we need a separate listing of post-war Southern types?).

A bit of background ... Southern Aircraft Corporation (SAC) was formed in Houston, TX (in 1938 or May 1939 - sources vary), by former Luscombe employees. The BM-10 biplane trainer was originally offered with a Continental W670, Jacobs L-4, or Wright R-760 -- all 7-cylinder radial engines producing ~225 hp.

In the event, the BM-10 first flew with the Continental and was later re-engined with a Jacobs but was never fitted with the Wright. Most sources say that the BM-10 prototype (NX17670, completed in July 1940) was the sole example built. But, according to Bruce A. Bleakley in Dallas Aviation, "In early 1941 Southern built a new plant in northeastern Dallas Country [at Garland, TX] ... where a few remaining BM-10s were assemble before production shifted to subassembly work." So, perhaps more than one BM-10 was built?

I'm not sure who designed the BM-10 but have seen three names associated with it design -- Marvin H. Greenwood, Lomis Slaughter, Jr, and E.M. Johnson, Jr. The former pair left Southern in 1940 to design the Anderson Greenwood AG-14. E.M. Johnson, Jr stayed with SAC and took part in the design of the post-war BM-11 Southernaire executive aircraft and the Southern Roadable (a developed version of the 1939 Hall XCP-1 Flying Car).

Attached are three images of the Southern BM-10 - one a snapshot offered on eBay, the other a photo by EM Johnson (reproduced in Bleakley's Dallas Aviation), and the third artwork of a BM-10 over-flying the SAC factory at Garland, TX. [Edit: images cropped and contrast increased on eBay image.]

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dear Apophenia,

and here is a Southernaire Flying Car of 1939.

http://substance-en.etsmtl.ca/flying-cars-autoplane/

 

[Apophenia]

... Southernaire Flying Car of 1939.

Thanks Hesham. There seems to be some confusion about Southern Aircraft Company (SCA) products and designations on the web. AFAIK, 'Southernaire' referred exclusively to the post-war Model 11 rather than being a re-branding of SAC itself. Contemporary sources (and post-war SAC advertisements) call the Model 11 the Southernaire.

The Model 11 is widely referred to on the web as the 'BM-11' which I also believe to be an error. If, as I suspect, the 'BM' in 'BM-10' referred to 'Biplane, Military' ... the term would be inappropriate to a civilian executive transport like the SAC Model 11.

The aircraft shown in Reply #2 is Ted Hall's XCP‑1 autoplane first flown in 1940. Southern Aircraft Company bought the rights to the XCP-1 but these were quickly returned to Hall (who was then hired as a consulting engineer by SAC). Hall's work at SAC would ultimately lead to the Southern Roadable flying car test-flown in the immediate post-war period.

 

[hesham]

Thank you for the explanation my dear Apophenia.

 

[Apophenia]

A bit more on the Southern Model BM-10 ...

In the The Aircraft Year Book for 1941, engine options for the Southern Model BM-10 are listed as 225 hp Lycoming, Continental, Jacobs, or Wright. That's the earliest mention of a Lycoming I've found - presumably the same R-680-11 as in the Stearman 75/PT-13B.

Comparison between the BM-10 and Stearman PT-13 are instructive. The Southern trainer has slightly more wing area (304.5 sq ft vs 297.6 sq ft), was 90 lbs heavier, and had less range (355 miles vs 425 miles). Otherwise, there was little performance difference between the BM-10 prototype and the by-then well-established Stearman trainer.

Two BM-10 images from The Aircraft Year Book for 1941 are attached -- a 3/4 rear view photo and a slightly better-quality 3-view drawing.

The Model BM-10 was available until 1942 but, by then, the trainer was only being offered with the 225 hp Lycoming. According to Vintage Airplane, the Model BM-10 was offered to both the US Army Air Corps and the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP).

The Aircraft Year Book for 1941, Howard Mingos (Ed.), Aeronautical Chambre of Commerce of America, NY, 1941, pp 107, 267-269
-- http://www.aia-aerospace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/THE-1941-AIRCRAFT-YEAR-BOOK.pdf

Vintage Airplane, Vol 21 No 12, Dec-1993, pg.28
-- http://members.eaavintage.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/VA-Vol-21-No-12-Dec-1993.pdf

http://www.garlandhistorical.org/online-resources/offerings-printed-articles/44-commerce-and-industry

BTW, there was another pre-war Southern Aircraft - the Southern Aircraft Co., Ltd. of Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. This British Southern Aircraft was formed by FG Miles (later joined by brother George) to develop the Southern Martlet and Metal Martlet.

https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1930/untitled0%20-%200405.html

Some sources list the Martlet as a modification of the Miles M.1 Satyr. Not so. The smaller Satyr aerobatic airplane came later than the Martlet.

 

[hesham]

Very cool,thank you my dear Apophenia.

 

[riggerrob]

BM-11 looks similar to the contemporary Ted Smith-designed Aero Commander light twins. Since both airplanes were designed for the same mission, the resemblance is unsurprising. What is better is that Southern mounted the engines ABOVE the wing, decoupling them from the pilot's visibility, allowing more flexibility in weight-and-balance.

 

[hesham]

I felt something be different ?.

 

[ACResearcher]

I'm assuming the Southern Aircraft Company is the same one that built Consolidated turrets during WWII??

Feedback appreciated.

AlanG

 

[Apophenia]

I'm assuming the Southern Aircraft Company is the same one that built Consolidated turrets during WWII??

Yes, under sub-contract to Consolidated, SAC produced the Army Models A6-C and A6-D turrets at Garland, TX.

"Southern Aircraft Corporation, Garland, Tex., increased plant area eight times in three years, and was in production on gun turrets for Liberators and tail surfaces and wing sections, pilot and co-pilot pedestals, bomb bay doors and anchor winches for other combat aircraft."

Aircraft Year Book for 1945, page 370

 

[hesham]

I'm assuming the Southern Aircraft Company is the same one that built Consolidated turrets during WWII??

Feedback appreciated.

Yes my dear Alan,it was the company as I think.

But please back to my question,and the Info on BM-16 differs from BM-10 ?.

 

[Apophenia]

But please back to my question,and the Info on BM-16 differs from BM-10 ?.

I think that was answered back in 2017 ... 'BM-16' was a typo.

The postwar BM-11 Southernaire is that last aircraft with a 'BM' series designation. (It seems that the Southern Roadable - based on the Hall XCP-1 Flying Car never received a distinct Southern designation). Southern Aircraft (later, IMCO) became a parts and ordnance maker.

 

[ACResearcher]

Thank you for your feedback. I was pretty sure it was the same SAC as I could find no record of any other company with that name involved in any aspect of aviation. I wasn't aware of the other design work, but then I only focus on military aircraft and things designed to kill bad guys.

AlanG