What on earth?! (piggy backed sea planes)
Discussion
This link explains it all although for the definitive answer you'll want to ask Eric.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Mayo_Composite
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Mayo_Composite
The idea of a larger aircraft carying a smaller one dates back to the dawn of heavier than air flight. It was looked on as a possible way of extending the range of a particular service - such as deivering a payload over a long distance - whether it be passengers, mail or bombs - or as a means of carying a smaller aircrraft for fighter defence.
The aircraft shown in the picture are the Short Mayo/Short Mercury combination. This was an experiment funded by the UK government and carried out by Imnperial Airways to see if a trans-Atlantic mail service was feasible. The large aircraft is a converted Short C Class passenger flying boat and the small aircraft is the one-off Short Mercury floatplane. The idea was that the large flying boat would carry the Mercury a few hundered miles out into the Atlantic at which point the Metrcury would take off and continue its journey across the ocean.
WW2 interevened before too many trial flights had been conducted but, by the time war ended, the whole concept was obsolete - as was the large passenger carying flying boat itself.
The aircraft shown in the picture are the Short Mayo/Short Mercury combination. This was an experiment funded by the UK government and carried out by Imnperial Airways to see if a trans-Atlantic mail service was feasible. The large aircraft is a converted Short C Class passenger flying boat and the small aircraft is the one-off Short Mercury floatplane. The idea was that the large flying boat would carry the Mercury a few hundered miles out into the Atlantic at which point the Metrcury would take off and continue its journey across the ocean.
WW2 interevened before too many trial flights had been conducted but, by the time war ended, the whole concept was obsolete - as was the large passenger carying flying boat itself.
Eric Mc said:
The aircraft shown in the picture are the Short Mayo/Short Mercury combination.
Not quite!Actually it's a Short *Maia* and Short Mercury. It was the combination of the two that was called the Mayo.
I never did find one for my Dinky aircraft collection, although I do have the individual planes:
Here is a great video of the machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYtazEBQ1K8
Cheers,
dr_gn said:
Eric Mc said:
The aircraft shown in the picture are the Short Mayo/Short Mercury combination.
Not quite!Actually it's a Short *Maia* and Short Mercury. It was the combination of the two that was called the Mayo.
I never did find one for my Dinky aircraft collection, although I do have the individual planes:
Here is a great video of the machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYtazEBQ1K8
Cheers,
Eric out geeked. Tis a sad sad day. Incorrect facts, spelling mistakes in the post, it just makes me realise that it won't be long before we have to take our beloved Eric to the vets for that one last time. 
Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 11th September 10:33
emicen said:
I'd never come across any plane piggy backing outside the specially converted 747 NASA use for shuttle transport and the AN224 used by the russians for the same.
Here's another:http://aerostories.free.fr/constructeurs/leduc/pag...
rhinochopig said:
Eric out geeked. Tis a sad sad day. Incorrect facts, spelling mistakes in the post, it just makes me realise that it won't be long before we have to take our beloved Eric to the vets for that one last time. dr_gn said:
rhinochopig said:
Eric out geeked. Tis a sad sad day. Incorrect facts, spelling mistakes in the post, it just makes me realise that it won't be long before we have to take our beloved Eric to the vets for that one last time. rhinochopig said:
dr_gn said:
rhinochopig said:
Eric out geeked. Tis a sad sad day. Incorrect facts, spelling mistakes in the post, it just makes me realise that it won't be long before we have to take our beloved Eric to the vets for that one last time. 
Reckon we got there in time?
HELLO DEAR, WOULD YOU LIKE A CUP OF TEA AND SIT DOWN?
with M - A - Y - O perhaps?
I love the Short Mayo composite aircraft.
Both are beautiful aircraft by themselves but the combination is stunning. The Empire flying boat is my favourite aircraft of all time. You can still see the bricked up archway in Victoria Train Station where passengers would arrive from the former Imperial Airways building above and board trains down to the flying boat base at Hythe and them Southampton.
"Corsairville" is a great read for those interested in the Empire flying boats.
Both are beautiful aircraft by themselves but the combination is stunning. The Empire flying boat is my favourite aircraft of all time. You can still see the bricked up archway in Victoria Train Station where passengers would arrive from the former Imperial Airways building above and board trains down to the flying boat base at Hythe and them Southampton.
"Corsairville" is a great read for those interested in the Empire flying boats.
el stovey said:
I love the Short Mayo composite aircraft.
Both are beautiful aircraft by themselves but the combination is stunning.
Why is it that some things look so 'right' for no apparent reason? I'm thinking an Empire flying boat, an America's Cup yacht, a steam locomotive like 'Mallard' or even a humble traction engine. If you put them into words they sound ugly, but when you see them, they can look perfectly proportioned.Both are beautiful aircraft by themselves but the combination is stunning.
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