Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

Burnelli CB-16

1929 GOLDEN AGE

History of the Burnelli CB-16

Vincent Burnelli (1895-1964) was an aeronautical engineer whose career focused on advanced "lifting bodies" and "flying wings" associated with fixed-wing aircraft "design. In the second half of the 1920s, during the "Golden Age of Flight" in the United States, he designed and developed the "Uppercu-Burnelli CB-300" - also known as the "CB-16". The passenger-oriented aircraft is based on a bracing monoplane high-wing layout with a wide-body fuselage and two engines mounted on the leading edge of the fuselage.

This type is notable because it is the first of its kind to have a retractable wheeled landing gear and can be powered by a single engine in an emergency.

Paul W. Chapman of Sky Lines, Incorporated funded the company after approving Burnelli's early work, specifically the 1921 prototype passenger tug "RB-1" with biplane wings (only one was built). Newer aircraft feature metal construction, and many of the successful qualities of the RB-1 have been carried over to the CB-16.

Power is provided by 2 Curtis "Conqueror" V12 piston engines, each producing 500 hp and driving the two-bladed propellers. The engines are tilted slightly outward from the centerline to counteract the yaw effect when running with a single engine.

Spacious cabin for up to 20 passengers with galley (stern to starboard) and toilet (stern to port). The cabin is accessed through a round rectangular access door and provides passengers with excellent visibility through large windows.

Unfortunately for the two-man (seated side-by-side) operator, the pilot sits in the open-air cockpit behind the nose.

The fuselage tapers aft and incorporates a unique tail assembly. The upper and lower horizontal planes are used with dual rudders to provide rotational control. Use steel wire and structural supports as necessary.

The landing gear is drivable and takes the form of a rear tug with the main wheels retracting inward towards the centerline.

The dimensions of the aircraft include a barrel length of 47 feet and a beam of 90 feet. Curb weight is 8,700 lbs and MTOW is 11,700 lbs. Performance specs include a top speed of 145 mph, a cruising speed of nearly 115 mph, a range of up to 800 miles, and a service ceiling of up to 16,500 feet.

The rate of climb reaches 940 feet per minute.

Only one CB-16 prototype was completed and flown. The aircraft underwent a historic test in Newark, New Jersey, completing a flight lasting approximately 40 minutes in January 1929.

The specimen was then moved to Curtis Field on Long Island, New York, before settling at Bolling Field in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, this all fell through as the project was terminated after a stable collapse shortly after its launch in 1929. No crew members were injured in the accident.

Vincent Burnelli's work continued into the 1940s, when World War II swept the world. His last notable work is the "CBY-3", a one-off lift transport/aircraft design for Canada built by Canada Car & Foundry.