Update for "The end of Forked Ghosts"

[Tophe]

The Patent US 2,326,819 of Donovan Berlin ("Airplane" of tail-less layout – he said, while I would classify this beauty among twin-boomers), was filed in 1940 and published in 1943 (see http://v3.espacenet.com/textdraw?DB=EPODOC...0&QPN=US2326819 ). It clearly reminds the more achieved (but Czech, later?) Skoda-Kauba SL-6 (see the 1/72 kit at http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=RSM72139 – with spats, yes!). Mr Berlin's good idea: with so lateral tails, the moment arm is much increased, and the surfaces may be smaller, meaning less drag and weight...

[Tophe]

The US Patent 2,335,822 of H. Bowers (see http://v3.espacenet.com/textdraw?DB=EPODOC...0&QPN=US2335822 ) was for an "Airplane", pusher for high speed with an emergency exit device. It was filed in 1941 and published in 1943.

[Tophe]

The US Patent 2,315,117 of the German designer Fritz Freytag (see http://v3.espacenet.com/textdraw?DB=EPODOC...0&QPN=US2315117  ) was filed in September 1939 and published in 1943 (when, surprisingly, Germany was an enemy for the US ). It is dedicated to "Airplane Construction", and particularly to airplanes intended to transport heavy loads (with no need of ramps). The aft "fuselage extensions" holding the control surfaces are very small, thin almost like fins, raised, and this falls barely inside the twin-boom definition.

[Tophe]

The Hall Flying Car, in my book Forked Ghosts, can be further illustrated by the Hall Patent US 2,562,490 (see http://v3.espacenet.com/textdraw?DB=EPODOC...0&QPN=US2562490 ) for a "Convertible Car-Airplane". It was filed in June 1945 and published in 1951.

[Tophe]

The Patent US 2,101,853 filed by R. Bailey in 1941 for Lockheed was published in 1946 (see http://v3.espacenet.com/textdraw?DB=EPODOC...0&QPN=US2401853 ). It was an aerial torpedo, twin-boom, like the Aeronca GT-1. This is a glider for the aerial part, released from an aircraft, but there are also "pusher engine/propellers" (or "propulsive mechanism"), for the submarine part... Peculiar aircraft/submarine compound isn't it ? If the naval surfaces were counted as a third tail, this would be a triplex-boomer though .

[Tophe]

The twin-boom autogiro G&A XO-61, previously AGA XO-61, previously Pittcairn PA-44, was presented in my book "Forked Gosts"; while a patent for it seems to be US 2,421,620 (see http://v3.espacenet.com/textdraw?DB=EPODOC...0&QPN=US2421620 ): "fuselage skeleton for rotative wing aircraft", by J. Huber for Autogiro Co of America, filed in 1942 and published in 1947. Anyway, the link provides a good 2-view drawing.

[Tophe]

a P-38 LIGHTNING-CARGO has been patented (see http://v3.espacenet.com/textdraw?DB=EPODOC...0&QPN=US2367538 ). And with SPATS moreover...
The designer is George Sullivan, for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, of course.
It is referred as "Aircraft", US 2,367,538, filed in 1940 and published in January 1945.

[Brian da Basher]

Ooohhhhh that's gorgeous!!!

Yet more proof that spats add to the coolness factor of any aircraft by 1000%!

I love spats!

Brian da Basher