Форум Breguet's Aircraft Challenge
This machine is differently known in history:
Kuhlstein
Kuhlstein Waggonbau (a carriage building firm) from Berlin-Charlottenburg actually built the Monoplane that was designed by two people.
Max Court
From German ancestry. In one book he is named as the only designer of the Torpedo.
Emil Plage
The other designer, from Polish birth, the son of one of the founders of E. Plage and T. Laskiewicz Engineering in Lublin. He designed in 1910 a biplane and was IMO the first man on the design of the so called Torpedo Monoplane, which appeared in two versions (years later artificially called I and II to distinguish them).
So here we have it. The plane is differently know as:
- Kuhlstein Torpedo (improved version from 1912)
- Plage-Court Torpedo (with the same addition)
The plane is differently accounted as German or Polish (following Andrezj Glass or Jerzy B. Cynk it is at least from Polish ancestry).
The Torpedo made quite a show on Johannisthal, being one of the fastest machines then around. Anthony Fokker at least used the concepts from the Torpedo in the design for the Fokker M.2 (quote: A.R.Weyl. Fokker the creative years).
The machine participated in the flying week on Johannisthal [29 September 1912 - 6 October 1912), but was not succesfull. Again the winner was Hellmuth Hirth with a Rumpler monoplane [have to check this exactly, but this is my recollection).
The Torpedo monoplane was difficult to fly and was also prone to difficulties with the engine cooling. The machine crashed on 6 October 1912 killing the pilot Ernst Alig. This ended the development of this futuristic machine.
It is special that in Flight 1915 a picture of this machine surfaced. Could be because the machine was (again) entered in German books of 1915, to show the technical proficiency of the machine.
The very sleek Torpedo monoplane designed and built in October 1911 by Emil Plage and Max Court is only mentioned by Polish writers (Glass and Cynck). Engine was a 70 hp Argus engine. The german press has nothing about this machine. The two pictures which are presented are scans of the book of Glass (pictures are so bad as that book was printed in bad quality in 1977 in Poland). On these pictures are - in front of the machine - Plage and Court.
In the picture can be seen a very special (light and probably sturdy) two-wheel undercarriage, without any skids etc.
In the book by Cynck it is given that the machine was built by the Max Leuchner Kuhlsteins Wagenbau.
After the presentation of this machine (probably publicity pictures) nothing is known about the machine.
In 1912 there appeared another machine (also called Torpedo) which was built by Kuhlstein Wagenbau. This machine is widely publicized in the german press. It is also covered in the book by Glass, but not in the book by Cynk.
The machine is variously called the Kuhlstein Torpedo (german press) or Plage-Court Torpedo (only by Glass). The German press mostly only mentions Max Court as the designer.
In the Johannisthal Herbst Flugwoche [Autumn flying week] from 29 September to 6 October 1912 two Torpedo's were entered, flown by Richard Schmidt and Ernst Alig. From the article in ZFM it can be seen that Schmidt won first place on the racing event and Alig came in fourth.
There is no mention to be found about a Torpedo monoplane in 1913. The story told in the Johannisthal book may be attributed to another fast monoplane of the time (there were plenty of them then).
Jane's All The World Aircraft 1913
KUHLSTEIN. Kuhlstein Wagenbau, Karosseriefabrik, Salzufer 4, Charlottenburg. This old-established motor car firm commenced to build aeroplanes in 1911. Capacity: 20 a year.
1912. 1912.
Torpedo monoplane. Torpedo monoplane.
I. II.
Length...........feet(m.) 29? (9.10) 27 (8.2)
Span.............feet(m.) 40? (12.4) 35? (10.8)
Area.........sq.feet(m?.) 291 (27) 215 (20)
Weight,total...lbs.(kgs.) 1984 (900) 2204 (1000)
useful...lbs.(kgs.) 1322 (600) 1543 (700)
Motor................h.p. 100 Argus 96 Mercedes
Speed, max....m.p.h.(km.) ... ...
min....m.p.h.(km.) 84 (135) 87 (140)
Endurance............hrs. 3 3
Number Built during 1912 2 2
Remarks.--
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Журнал - Flight за 1915 г.
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| A GERMAN "TORPEDO" MONOPLANE. - In spite of the fact that the German authorities have practically abandoned the monoplane type for active service, it appears that German designers are still experimenting with Eindeckers. The machine shown in the above photograph has evidently been designed for speed, judging from its excellent streamline body. The way in which the engine has been all but hidden away Inside the covering is, of course, the result of an attempt to reduce head resistance to a minimum, as is also the nose piece fitted over the boss of the propeller. Strangely enough, the undercarriage is not of the simple "Vee" type that is so much favoured by German designers. Note the symmetrical rudders and tall plane.
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A.Weyl - Fokker: The Creative Years /Putnam/
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| The Kuhlstein Torpedo monoplane, which influenced the design of the Fokker M.2.
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Форум - Breguet's Aircraft Challenge /WWW/
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| Plage-Court "Torpedo II" in Berlin in 1912 y.
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Форум - Breguet's Aircraft Challenge /WWW/
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| The Torpedo monoplane at Johannisthal (1912)
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Форум - Breguet's Aircraft Challenge /WWW/
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| This picture gives the Torpedo Monoplane from 1912 with at right Richard Schmidt (licence 253). Look at the advanced construction of the engine cooling, like a sort of ducted fan. Engine was an Argus 100 hp 6-cylinder. Schmidt called the machine the 'Torpedo-Schmidt'
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Форум - Breguet's Aircraft Challenge /WWW/
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| Another photograph of a different or modified type with the same name.
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