The Burnelli UB-14, also known as the Cunliffe-Owen Clyde Clipper, was a 1930s

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

prototype lifting-fuselage

airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

designed and built by

Vincent Burnelli Vincent Justus Burnelli (November 22, 1895 – June 22, 1964) was an American aeronautics engineer, instrumental in furthering the lifting body and flying wing concept. Biography Burnelli was born on November 22, 1895, in Temple, Texas. ...

Design and development

Following on from his earlier designs

designed a commercial transport version using the lifting-fuselage concept. Burnelli's designs were based on the idea that an airfoil-section fuselage would contribute to the lift generated. The Burnelli UB-14 first flew in

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

, the airfoil-section

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

was the centre-section of the wing. The aircraft had twin tailbooms and a widespan

tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplane ...

and

elevator An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...

fitted with twin

fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...

s and

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...

s. The UB-14 had retractable

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...

and was powered by two

Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies. Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airlines) and military aviat ...

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...

s. An enclosed

cockpit A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a Pilot in command, pilot controls the aircraft. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the ...

for the crew of two was located on the centre wing's upper surface. The cabin held 14 to 18 passengers.

Operational history

The first prototype, UB-14, was destroyed in a 1935 accident attributed to faulty maintenance on the

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...

control system. Burnelli then designed and built an improved version, the UB-14B. A modified version of the UB-14B design was built under licence in the United Kingdom by

Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer of the World War II era. They were primarily a repair and overhaul shop, but also a construction shop for other companies' designs, notably the Supermarine Seafire. The company also unde ...

, powered by two Bristol Perseus XIVC radials as the Cunliffe-Owen OA-1. A contemporary photo shows the

mockup In manufacturing and design, a mockup, or mock-up, is a scale or full-size model of a design or device, used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, promotion, and other purposes. A mockup may be a ''prototype'' if it provides at leas ...

of the original UB-14B, to be built by

Scottish Aviation Scottish Aviation Limited was an aircraft manufacturer based at Prestwick, Scotland. History The company was founded in 1935. Originally a flying school operator, the company took on maintenance work in 1938. During the Second World War, Scott ...

before bankruptcy. This design was to have had streamline inline engines. The OA-1 used radial engines. In September 1936, Burnelli applied to the CAA for approval to fly a transatlantic flight with

Clyde Edward Pangborn Clyde Edward Pangborn ( ''c''. October 28, 1895 – March 29, 1958), nicknamed "Upside-Down Pangborn", was an American aviator and barnstormer who performed aerial stunts in the 1920s for the Gates Flying Circus. He was its half-owner, chief pi ...

as the selected pilot. CunliffeOOA1

The Cunliffe-Owen failed its airworthiness certification due to excessive takeoff run and poor workmanship. It was performance tested at the A&AEE Boscombe Down in 1939. After appropriate work, in June 1941

Jim Mollison James Allan Mollison Order of the British Empire, MBE (19 April 1905 – 30 October 1959) was a Scottish pioneer aviator who, flying solo or with his wife, Amy Johnson, set many records during the rapid development of aviation in the 1930 ...

and an

Air Transport Auxiliary The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factori ...

crew delivered Cunliffe-Owen OA-1 G-AFMB to

Fort Lamy N'Djamena ( ) is the capital and largest city of Chad. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements''. The city serves as the centre of economic activity in Chad. Meat, fish and cotton processing are th ...

, Chad. The aircraft was fitted out as a personal transport for General De Gaulle. It was later abandoned at RAF Kabrit in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

, and burned during VJ-Day celebrations. The one other aircraft landed in

Vichy France Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

en route to Fort Lamy

Variants

* UB-14 Prototype, powered by Pratt & Whitney engines. Built by Burnelli Company. Destroyed 13 January 1935, without injury to those aboard. * UB-14B Second prototype with modifications. Built by Burnelli Company. * UB-14B Third prototype, modified from second unit. Built by Cunliffe Owen Aircraft in United Kingdom.

Specifications (UB-14B)

Burnelli_UB-14_3-view_L'Aerophile_February_1936

Airfoils: * Fuselage: NACA 4323 * Exterior wing, root: NACA 2412 * Exterior wing, tip: NACA 2409 Flight magazine, 1936 / pg. 1591

References

Notes

Bibliography

* ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)''. London: Orbis Publishing, 1986. * Mason, Tim. ''The Secret Years: Flight Testing at Boscombe Down, 1939–1945''. Crowborough, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2010. .

External links

Photographs of the Burnelli UB-14
{{Burnelli aircraft UB-14 1930s United States airliners Lifting bodies High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1934 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Cunliffe-Owen aircraft