John F. Cooley Airship

The Cooley airship is a fascinating story from the days of early aviation. Whether it was a scam, or a genuine effort to take to the air, or the story of a conman who really attempted to build an advanced flying machine is open to debate. Certainly it is not a straightforward story as we shall see.
The World's First Heavier Than Air Flights
• The World's First Heav...
Dangerous by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.fi...
Stock footage provided by www.pond5.com

[@williamroberts8470]

The steampunk scene often overlooks this one.

[@Forgotten_Aviation]

Ah. Well. If you want steampunk there's a brief phase from 1870 to 1890 that can be considered the literal steampunk phase of flight. The du Temple monoplane of 1874 used a steam engine and so did the Ader Éole of 1890.

[@williamroberts8470]

@@Forgotten_Aviation Yes the Eole is one of my favorites. And I hope the second one was blue.

[@fasteddie4145]

Here in Rochester the Cooley airship is the stuff of legends....

[@dixiefallas7799]

Jerry you are a tonic. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Thanks.

[@robertcardon5402]

Can't wait for you to do
a video on the junkers d1 the first all metal low wing monoplane

[@Forgotten_Aviation]

To do justice to the Junkers D.1 I'd really have to do the whole story starting with the J.1. However be assured that in so far as I can be said to have a list, it's definitely on it.

[@yelnatswaltuo]

Very interesting. I have never this before.

[@Forgotten_Aviation]

I had never heard of it until one of my subscribers emailed me about it. There are a plethora of "Forgotten Aircraft." I could almost do a RUclips channel about just them. Glad you found it interesting.

[@oliversmith9200]

... ... ...Slowly recovering from this preposterous visage after experiencing the most gaping dropped jaw in many a year.
Thank you. May I have another?

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day,
This is but a guess, but I suspect all those Wire-Braced horizontal Spars are intended to have Single-surface Wings or Sails attached to them, probably with spiral Lashings - like the Sail of a Gaff-rigged or Bermuda-rigged Dinghy, Yacht, or Ship...
The Dacron Wings of my old 8 Hp 1975 Red Baron Skycraft Scout had a Bolt-Rope sewn to their Leading Edges, and the Rope ran in a Track moulded into the Trailing Edges of extruded Aluminium Sailboat Masts, used for Wing Leading-Edge Spars.
Therefore, perhaps, my mind has been set up to interpret such a Spar/Wire Structure as the one you depict here as being what his machine looked like without it's Sails (Wing Skins) having been "bent onto" the Masts (Leading-Edge Spars).
My speculation is that the Wingplan may well have run from the Nose to the Forward Spars (which are rigged with a positive Dihedral Angle) then back to the Rear Spars, and then back to the rear of the Gondola...; with a "Lozenge" shaped outline not unlike that of the Side-View of it's Rudder.
If it had 180 Hp, and all that Area was filled-in with Wing-Skins...; then MAYBE that would have lofted itself over the Fence, but good luck with trying to wrestle it around the Circuit and landing it back into the Field from which it departed.
But, I might be wrong.
Such is life,
Have a good one...
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !

[@gunshipgray4295]

Excellent ! Thank you !

[@Forgotten_Aviation]

This one proved frustrating when shortly after I published, more information came to light.

[@hlynnkeith9334]

13:24 "distinctly wobbly" Descriptive phrase.

[@Forgotten_Aviation]

Thank you.

[@grandcrowdadforde6127]

but.....but........he forgot the bloody wings! What WAS Cooley smokin"'.... ? i want some!