The Timm Aircoach, also called the Timm Coach and the Golden Shell Special, was a custom-built, high-capacity, high altitude aircraft for charter flights.
Design and development
The Aircoach was built in a shop at
Glendale Airport, where Otto and
Wally Timm had a shop.
Al Menasco had a shop nearby where he modified engines. The Aircoach used a Menaso modified Salmson engine.
The Aircoach was a single engine,
conventional landing gear
Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...
equipped biplane with an open cockpit for two pilots and enclosed passenger cabin. The
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 aircraf ...
was made of welded steel tubing with
plywood covering.
Operational history
Roscoe Turner
Roscoe Turner (September 29, 1895 – June 23, 1970) was a record-breaking American aviator who was a three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race and widely recognized by his flamboyant style and his pet, Gilmore the Lion.
Early life ...
flew the underpowered Shell Special ''Golden Shell'' twice, attempting endurance records. Each flight resulted in damage and the efforts were abandoned.
Specifications (Aircoach)
References
{{Reflist
Biplanes
Aircoach
Aircoach is an Ireland-based subsidiary company of FirstGroup. It provides airport express coach services from Cork, Belfast, Galway, Greystones, Bray, Southside Dublin and Dublin to Dublin Airport. It also operates contracted bus services for ...