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The Aircraft With A Fuselage Built Like A Wing | Burnelli CBY-3 Loadmaster

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Today we're looking at the strange, remarkable, and often forgotten Burnelli CBY-3 Loadmaster. It was one of many "lifting body" designs by Vincent Burnelli, who believed this type of airframe represented a more efficient, economical future for aviation.

Research & Writing by Kevin Karr and Christoper 'Rex' Elmden.

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Sources & Recommended Reading:

Canadian Aircraft Since 1909; K. M. Molson and H. A. Taylor; Canada Wings Inc 1982

The Encyclopedia Of World Aircraft; Paul Eden, Soph Moeng; Silverdale Books 2002

New England AIr Museum: https://neam.org/pages/restoration-di...

20 Comments

@anthonyjackson280 2 months ago

It is almost screaming out "REAR LOAD RAMP!"

@weldonwin 2 months ago

I'm just going to add this, that Vincent Justice Burnelli was also the apparently ONLY sane person involved with the Infamous Christmas Bullet project, probably one of the most cursed aviation projects in the history of Aerospace, in which a con-artist and possible psychopath by the name of Doctor Christmas, somehow managed to get a respected aircraft company to sign off on a plane that was an obvious deathtrap to anyone with even a modicum of Aerodynamic or structural knowledge, and would indeed kill literally everyone who tried to fly the thing. Burnelli was working at Continental Aircraft Company at the time and repeatedly brought up his concerns to management about the blindingly obvious flaws in the design of the Christmas Bullet, but was brushed off every single time, until Burnelli flat out resigned, after getting it in writing that he had absolutely nothing to do with The Bullet or it's utter madman of an inventor.

@AirJimInCT 2 months ago

It’s nice to see a good video chronicling the Loadmaster’s life and journey, finally. I spent 7 years on her restoration and she came out beautifully. This video does her the justice that she so desperately deserves. Cheers Rex 🍻

@RedtailFox1 2 months ago

on today's episode of 'what were they smoking and can i have some?' ..... i swear some of these designers were on some good stuff back in the day

@Oliver-GS 2 months ago

From the front, this thing looks like a Twin Pioneer wearing a jumper

@MisterFlibble-y3u 2 months ago (edited)

Burnelli was so close, missed it by that much

@shatterquartz 2 months ago

7:06 The one copy of the UB-14 produced by Cunliffe-Owen had an interesting history. In 1939 it ended up in the RAF's inventory, and not knowing what to do with it, the British government gifted it to the Free French forces. Ultimately it became the personal transport of General De Gaulle.

@oddshot60 2 months ago (edited)

This lifting body design is not as half-baked as some make it out to be. For your next Burnelli vid, you might like to search around for the research Boeing did into this design. There are several photos on the internet of models that Boeing built and they are notable because they were powered by jet turbine engines. If memory serves me correctly, I believe this project was called the "754 Husky" and there were some number of variants. There is some conjecture that Boeing didn't go much further with these projects do to patent conflicts.

@nukacolared 2 months ago

I am so very happy that the loadmaster was saved and restored. I have been going to the New England air museum since i was very very little (roughly 6, I am now 27). I remember seeing that plane outside without its engines and rusting. This made me very sad. I remember when I first heard that they were starting the restoration of the aircraft. I was ecstatic. Now every time I visit, I think of how far the plane had come. I tell everyone what condition the plane was in as compared to now. Truly amazing work by the restoration team. I am fortunate to have such an amazing place near where I live. Anyway, thank you so much Rex for making a wonderful video on this unique and lovely machine.

@davidford85 2 months ago

Always good when a unique aircraft survives.

@Weidrik 2 months ago

And now the "Man of constant sorrow" song wont stop ringing in my ears. Poor mr. Burnelli.

@AirJimInCT 2 months ago

25:09 Rex, please don’t tempt fate like that 😅

@Pliniusgermanicus 2 months ago

I think his greatest achievement (apart from creating a unique aircraft design) was, that he somehow found always new money to proceed with this projects.