Unknown Ducted-Fan Airplane of 1936

[hesham]

Hi,

here is a Wooden Model for a ducted-fan airplane of 1936,I can ID the designer ?.

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/man-made-tornadoes-drive-odd-plane/

 

[VictorXL188]

Well after some research and the help of the Stillwater History Museum, I have some more information regarding the Ducted Fan design. Apparently the inventor was a Frank Odor and the device, known as the Vornadoplane was being built at the Franklin Institute in Philidelphia PA. For more details please read the articles attached from the local Stillwater papers of the time.

 

[riggerrob]

Dear Hesham,
Thanks for bringing this obscure airplane to our attention.
Your first photo shows the right-hand propeller (as seen from the pilot's seat) larger in diameter than the duct, ergo it is not a true ducted-fan.
Mr. Odor had a good idea for increasing top speeds of propeller-driven airplanes, but he was a long way from the front fans on modern turbo-fan jet engines.
The inventor was too optimisitc.

 

[Schneiderman]

Ralph Keely Odor

Vornado Plane Material Ralph K. Odor

airandspace.si.edu

Miscellaneous, Engineering and Design, General; Odor, Ralph K.. [photograph]

airandspace.si.edu

Odor, Ralph Keely | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

www.okhistory.org

https://www.facebook.com/bancfirstok/posts/3392741810764262

View: https://www.facebook.com/bancfirstok/posts/3392741810764262

Vornado: the Plane that became a Fan

My late father-in-law worked for Bell Canada, and back in the 1960's was working in one of Northern Telecom's switching rooms when he notic...

progress-is-fine.blogspot.com

 

[Schneiderman]

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dears,

I wake up on a nice dream today.

The Aerodrome Forum

The Aerodrome Forum is a forum for the discussion of WWI Aviation.

www.theaerodrome.com

 

[Aerohydro]

Hello All,

The test-rig shown being tested at Stillwater looks to be a small scale, wingless, version of the plane that's illustrated in one of Ralph Odor's patents:

US Patent 2,118,052A - Propeller assembly for aircraft

Also, here are two videos:

Youtube - Vornado Test Flight - Spring 1931

Youtube - The Vornado Plane

Cheers,
Paul