Unidentified floatplane

[Nico Braas]

Here are six photos showing a small single seat floatplane for-so to see- scouting use on board of warships.
I don't have the slightest idea what it is.
Any guesses?

[santynus]

do you know the year of that photos? country? can help for begin to search 

[Nico Braas]

I don't have any data at all on these pics. Most likely they are from early twenties.
In the book on Marine aircraft 1914-1918 I have (by Heinz Nowarra) there is absolutely nothing resembling this floatplane and that's why I think it is from a later year/////
Country? No idea since the plane does not carry any markings.
It is not Dutch (or I should know) and most likely also not German.
Maybe UK or USA?

[Wingman81]

Really cool photos Nico. I would also think from the 20s but i dont know it

[No.1]

All direct that this is maybe some kind of civilian plane with great influence of the military constructions.

[Nico Braas]

This type strongly reminds me of the FD.1 single-seat float fighter built by LTG (Luft-Torpedo-Gesellschaft) at Johannisthal.
However, this type had a Mercedes engine, but it is quite well possible it was fitted at some time with a radial engine (though literature does not mention this!). The FD.1 had struts between the two wings, but it also here possible these were not yet fitted when the pictures were taken
Any further ideas out there???

[No.1]

Problem with Mercedes engine is that they was available after the WW1 as the war prize. So this could be not only German construction. Real puzzle Nico

[javier_planells]

Hi guys,

after watching carefuly at the photos kindly providede by Nico, I can't tell you what airplane it is. But it has some very distinctive features:

The looks of an early 1920s machine.

A 5 cylinder, radial, air cooled engine. If I had the early Jane's here perhaps we could have a hint about the type of engine and manufacturer.

An all wood fuselage and fin, fabric covered wings, rudder and elevators. At that time and setting aside the Depperdussin machines early in WW I, the only ones that made such an extensive use of wood covering were the austro-hungarians in almost all of their planes and the Italians, notably in the Ansaldo series.

The strut arrangement for the floats is very advanced for the time. It reminds you of the ones used on the Junkers F.13. Also, the floats look very much like the ones used on the Albatros W.4.

Then, there's the garment of the men. They don't tell very much but one of them has what looks like a Polish or Dutch cap.

All in all, a great mistery!!!

[Nico Braas]

Plane is NOT Dutch (or I should know it!) and most likely also not Polish.
I checked the book from Jerzy Czynck on Polish aircraft and there is nothing resembling the type on the photos.
It still is a big puzzle to me but I still think it is somehow related to the German LTG type!

[javier_planells]

You're right Nico, I just pointed to the style of cap one of the men in the photos is wearing. Just that. Also, I remembered all of a sudden that the plane has a wind activated anemometer very much like the ones used by the italians and the austro hungarians.

What a mistery...

[Nico Braas]

My good friend Johan Visschendijk (from www.1000aircraftphotos.com) has helped me to find the plane's identity.
It is German after all: the Caspar U-1 boardplane for submarines.
See http://histaviation.com/Caspar_U_1.html

[No.1]

No doubt- very rare bird!

[javier_planells]

It's funny how things turn. Only today I found another picture of it with the name of the plane:

http://www.roytassell.com/images/casper-u-1.jpg

http://www.roytassell.com/drawings-01.html#

Very funny and interesting plane indeed!

Cheers,

Javier