Burnelli UB-14

The accident occurred during a final test flight after shake-down and final finishing, before the delivery flgiht wuld take it away.
Someone on the ground left off the fasteners on aileron pivot, and the ailerons came off in mid-air.
The plane was about 250feet up at 180kts, and when it hit the ground it was rolled 100+ degrees to starboard, and was nose down about 20 degrees, at 130 kts.
The wings and tail disintegrated and scattered as the body cart-wheeled across a field also shedding the engines (which probably helped).
When they pried it open and got to them, the two crew walked way.

The Cunliffe-Owen plane went to france, and to North Africa for at least some time during the war, used as bonfire for V-E day celebration.

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A huge dis-service was done to our country when the Democratic Government in power at "Election Time "1936 declared all technical and performance information about this aircraft, was declared " Top Secret Information", for Political reasons only, thus forcing Burnelli to license England to build his planes. A sad day for the USA; Airplanes and V. J. Burnelli

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Design and development
Following on from his earlier designs Vincent Burnelli designed a commercial transport version using the lifting-fuselage concept. Burnelli's designs were based on the idea that an aerofoil-section fuselage would contribute to the lift generated. The Burnelli UB-14 first flew in 1934, the aerofoil-section fuselage was the centre-section of the wing. The aircraft had twin tailbooms and a widespan tailplane and elevator fitted with twin fins and rudders. The UB-14 had a retractable landing gear and was powered by two Pratt & Whitney radial engines. An enclosed cockpit for the crew of two was located on the centre wing's upper surface. The cabin held 14 to 18 passengers.

Operational history
The first prototype, UB-14, was destroyed in a 1935 accident attributed to faulty maintenance on the aileron control system. Burnelli then designed and built an improved version, the UB-14B. A modified version of the UB-14B design was built under licence in the United Kingdom by Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft powered by two Bristol Perseus XIVC radials. as the Cunliffe-Owen OA-1

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Burnelli's 1935 UB-14 represented the ultimate in construction of his airfoil fuselage design. The airfoil fuselage provided 50 percent of the total lift at cruising speed, while providing seating capacity for two pilots and 14 passengers. Two Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial engines provided 680 hp and a maximum speed of 235 mph.

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