1930’S U.S. Army Air Corps Film “ Aeronautical Oddities ” Whacky Flying Machines & Airplanes 84434 (1930)

Synopsis

This film presents footage from various news sources of experimental planes and flying contraptions from the 1920’s through the 1930’s. The collection was assembled by the US Army Air Corps (:17) and Paramount News presents the first newsreel (:37). Vehicles are seen riding down a public highway in Coatesville, Pennsylvania (:41). A glider type craft swoops in through the crowds and cars (:44). It is then seen in a field with it’s turntable wings spun by the inventor (:58). Pathe News presents D. T. Granville demonstrating his tail first plane in Springfield, Massachusetts (1:46). The craft is driven by automobile controls (1:57). The wheel is adjusted to show how it controls the rudders and ailerons (2:05). The plane takes off and flies with it’s tail facing forward (2:14). A Universal Newspaper Newsreel (2:34) brings the film to Orangeburg, New York. A windmill type flying craft is seen (2:41) invented by Johnathan Caldwell. The craft, named Gray Goose (3:09), is unable to take off from the ground. Harvest Metrotone News presents a tubular plane (3:25). It is shown in Milan and it’s rudders are viewed from the back of the cylindrical plane with long flat wings (3:32). Another craft presented by Harvest is the C. L. Synder plane in South Bend, Indiana (4:05). The craft is shown to be fairly similar to more modern air planes except for the long wing extensions which make it appear to represent a butterfly (4:26). Due to its shape, in the event of motor failure, it could be…

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Details

Running time

16 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage