Technology evolution in aviation

[learninmypc]

Interesting

 

[captaincranky]

The P-51a was called the Apache and had the same engine as the P-40 Warhawk (Flying Tigers)

• Powerplant: Allison V-1710-39 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,150 hp (858 kW)

• In reality, the P-51D model, is likely the only iteration of the plane which John Q. Public would recognize as a "Mustang". The D model introduced the bubble canopy. The A, B, & C planes, were fastback, and more closely resembled the P-40, and might even be confused for the P-40.

• P-51(b,c,d): aka Mustang

• Powerplant: Rools Royce Packard V-1650-7 (the Merlin) liquid-cooled V-12, with a 2 stage intercooled supercharger, 1,490 hp (1,111 kW) at 3,000 rpm;[116] 1,720 hp (1,280 kW) at WEP

The Apache could not fly at the altitude (20k limit) necessary to support the bombers (40k) and were thus relegated to ground support.

The much higher performance supercharger on the Rolls Royce was the trick, as the single stage supercharger on the Allison couldn't supply enough boost, and those engines simply ran out of air at about 20,000 feet.

It gives me pause to wonder if the bottom end of the Allison had to be beefed up to handle the extra compression, after, *(or during the time), the power plant's supercharger was much enhanced, and went on to become a success in the P-38.

 

[captaincranky]

@jobeard You speak of "advancements in aviation", but there were plenty of hiccups and misadventures in aviation design throughout the decades.

I have a book on the topic titled, The World's Worst Aircraft.. Written by Bill Yenne. Produced by Brompton Books corporation, 15 Sherwood Road Greenwich CT. Copyright 1990. Not sure if this is the library code for it but, here goes: ISBN 0-88029-490-6

In any case, it's most likely long out of print. If you're able to connect with a copy of it, I'm sure it would give you hours of cringe worthy entertainment. It's sort of like a horror movie for aircraft..

Amazon does stock it, or rather it's still available from their marketplace vendors:

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I saw a price of two bucks for it from B Dalton, but god knows how much they'd want to ship it.

 

[DelJo63]

@captaincranky Here's another blooper: Convair VTOL, the Pogo. Picture is both takeoff and LANDING posture - - that's right, pilot looking skyward while descending into a landing - - just brilliant. Pilot should have receive the DFC(Distinguished Flying Cross) for just making the attempt.


Courtesy of Wiki Commons: Public Domain

 

[captaincranky]

@jobeard Ahem, yes it would seem Convair got a bit cocky after the success, (?), of the B-36, now wouldn't it?

That plane made the hall of shame in Mr. Yenne's book,and justifiably so. Landing the aircraft was indeed the feat of a very intrepid pilot. Even more astonishing is the fact that it was done long before fly by wire flight controls were developed, and made even more amazing by the fact the pilots never had the benefit of Elon Musk's larger than life presence, sheer force of will, and steadily rising column of hot air, to cushion the descent. Or for that matter, it lacked even one of today's $49.95 backup camera jobbies! You'd think the joint chiefs of staff wouldn't have been so quick to shut off those late night infomercials about them.

I've wondered for decades why the turd didn't have retractable rear view mirrors...

Anyway, the Osprey had plenty of growing pains as well. Boeing's "Vertol" division is in my neck of the woods, in Eddystone PA. You'll often see helicopter (and such) blades being tested on their outdoor stands, and a handy wind tunnel available.

Anyway, as the Osprey was being "perfected", you 'd hear news blurbs every so often, with topics like, "well, the Osprey can't rotate the engine pods without damaging the wing structure, and the transmissions worked poorly, on a par with those old Oldsmobile "Jetaways". (OK, so I might be embellishing a bit there). Or maybe, "they drilled another Osprey during a test flight" (OK, so the media wasn't allowed to use terms like, "drilled", or, "planted". But, (IMHO), they would have if they could).

 

[Susan591]

By 1909, there were others in self propelled flight - - Glenn Curtiss.
The Wrights sent a warning to Curtiss that they had not given permission for the use of "their" aircraft control system to be used "for exhibitions or in a commercial way". In fact, none of the AEA's aircraft used a wing-warping system like the Wrights' for control, relying instead on triangular ailerons designed by Alexander Graham Bell, which he successfully patented in December 1911. However, in 1913 a court ruled that this technique was an infringement of the Wright's 1906 patent.

However, by 1913, technology had krogerfeedback moved on and the Brothers from Dayton Ohio were now obsolete.
View attachment 84060
The movie
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines
has many of the early planes of the Golden Era

Wow this is something really cool, great.