DAN SHUMAKER COLLECTION
No. 13169. Loening M-2 Kitten (A-441) US Navy
Photograph from USN, taken at Minaola, New York, New York, USA, August 11, 1918

Loening M-2 Kitten

06/30/2017. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "In 1918 the USN ordered three of the ultralight Kitten for operations from battleships and submarines, these were allotted BuNo A-442 to A-444. However, the aircraft in the photo shows the BuNo 441, this must be painted in erroras that number was allotted to an Aeromarine 700 seaplane. The single-seat monoplane could be operated on wheels or floats.

The pictured aircraft is most likely the first Kitten as reportedly that initially was fitted with a 32 hp ABC Gnat two-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine, which was later replaced by a 55 hp Lawrence L-3 three-cylinder air-cooled radial. The aircraft also had different wire bracing compared to that shown in other photos."


Created June 30, 2017