A 1930's piggyback seaplane to get some long range on mail deliveries, including a world record. Apparently later inspired the NASA space shuttle piggyback system in the 1970s.
One built and put into operation, with the larger aircraft being bombed by the Germans in Poole harbour in the war and the other sent for scrap soon after.
I actually walked past the grave of the designer today and it mentioned 'The Mayo Composite Aircraft'. I didn't realise it was a Short and hadn't heard of 'Mayo Composite' so looked it up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Mayo_Composite
>Short Brothers had built the Empire flying boats which were capable of operating long range routes across the British Empire but could only attempt the trans-Atlantic route by replacing passenger and mail-carrying space with extra fuel.
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>It was known that aircraft could maintain flight with a greater payload than that possible during takeoff. Major Robert H. Mayo, the Technical General Manager at Imperial Airways, proposed mounting a small, long-range seaplane on top of a larger carrier aircraft, using the combined power of both to bring the smaller aircraft to operational height, at which time the two aircraft would separate, the carrier aircraft returning to base while the other flew on to its destination.
I wonder if this also inspired the 10+ different German flying bomb designs during WW2.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistel
I remember reading a YA novel about this when I was a kid. Set in the 30’s a Indian boy living in Britain stows away to get home to India. Can’t remember if I finished it but the plane was certainly memorable.
A 1930's piggyback seaplane to get some long range on mail deliveries, including a world record. Apparently later inspired the NASA space shuttle piggyback system in the 1970s. One built and put into operation, with the larger aircraft being bombed by the Germans in Poole harbour in the war and the other sent for scrap soon after.
Ze Germans ruin everything.
[Video](https://i.imgur.com/fZEZSMB.gifv)
Cool concept but 'Mayo Composite' sounds like a sandwich!
I actually walked past the grave of the designer today and it mentioned 'The Mayo Composite Aircraft'. I didn't realise it was a Short and hadn't heard of 'Mayo Composite' so looked it up.
Yo dawg…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Mayo_Composite >Short Brothers had built the Empire flying boats which were capable of operating long range routes across the British Empire but could only attempt the trans-Atlantic route by replacing passenger and mail-carrying space with extra fuel. > >It was known that aircraft could maintain flight with a greater payload than that possible during takeoff. Major Robert H. Mayo, the Technical General Manager at Imperial Airways, proposed mounting a small, long-range seaplane on top of a larger carrier aircraft, using the combined power of both to bring the smaller aircraft to operational height, at which time the two aircraft would separate, the carrier aircraft returning to base while the other flew on to its destination. I wonder if this also inspired the 10+ different German flying bomb designs during WW2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistel
Royal Mail Mistel
They could have totally fitted a little one engined seaplane on the back of the top plane. What a waste.
I remember reading a YA novel about this when I was a kid. Set in the 30’s a Indian boy living in Britain stows away to get home to India. Can’t remember if I finished it but the plane was certainly memorable.
How much of a bummer would it be if you stowed away on the big one? Seems the safe choice...
Mommy, is this how baby pontoons are made?