Zerbe Air Sedan

The Zerbe Air Sedan was an American single engine quadruplane passenger aircraft project started by Professor James Slough Zerbe in 1918. The machine made one flight in 1921, was damaged during landing, and was subsequently abandoned.^[1]

Zerbe Air Sedan
Zerbe Air Sedan at the Fayetteville, Arkansas fair grounds in 1921
Role	Passenger
National origin	United States
Designer	Professor James Slough Zerbe
First flight	1921
Status	Abandoned project
Number built	1

Design and development

In 1918 Zerbe arrived in Fayetteville, Arkansas to begin work on passenger aircraft for local businessmen. The aircraft, completed in 1919, was a positive staggered equal span quadruplane with double cambered^[2] louvered main wings. Equipped with no tailplane or ailerons, the machine was controlled using "ganged" or linkage connected wings with variable-incidence.^[2]

The passenger cabin was made of plywood and fully enclosed with wide stance landing gear attached.^[2] A French World War I surplus powerplant was used, and has been reported to be a 90 hp (67 kW) LeRhône or 100 hp (75 kW) Gnôme^[2] rotary engine, but evidence suggests it was in fact a Le Rhône 9J of 110 hp (82 kW).^{[citation needed]}

Operational history

The Air Sedan was piloted by Tom Flannery on its first and only flight in 1921 at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville. The aircraft took off and quickly climbed to 100 ft (30 m), flew approximately 1000 ft (300 m) then was significantly damaged during landing.^[3] One report states: "After that Zerbe left town never to be heard of or seen again. (He died in New York in 1921.) What happened to the abandoned damaged plane is unknown."^[3]