Irregular warfare offers new role for propeller driven aircraft

Flight International ^ | 26/10/10 | Stephen Trimble

[smokingfrog]

Updated with a turboprop engine

What's the HP rating on that? It just doesn't look right, though.

The P&W radial engines like the one in the P47 had turbosuperchargers and water injection (2,535 horsepower). Some planes designed for shooting down buzz bombs had 2800 h.p. I imagine that today we could come up with something just as good or better.

[Yo-Yo]

The P&W radial engines like the one in the P47 had turbosuperchargers and water injection (2,535 horsepower). Some planes designed for shooting down buzz bombs had 2800 h.p. I imagine that today we could come up with something just as good or better.

Douglas A2D Skyshark Wikipedia page

"Powerplant: 1× Allison XT-40-A-2 turboprop, 5,100 shp (3,800 kW)" And this was in 1950...

The Allison T56 Turboprop used on the C-130, P-3, E-2 and C-2 develops in the neighborhood of 4,000 HP.

T56 weighs just under 2,000 lbs, while the Wright R3350 of the A1 Skyraider produced 2,700 HP while weighing over 2,600 lbs.

[nascarnation]

My SIL works for Allison which is now part of Rolls Royce.

[Dick Bachert]

Most native Americans are.

[smokingfrog]

The first production A2D-1 performed its initial flight on 10 June 1953, with four more Skysharks delivered to the end of the year. Problems continued, with one of the A2D-1s crashing near Los Angeles on 5 August 1954. Some sources claim the rest of the batch of ten were completed, but they never actually flew. One of these machines still survives today -- at last notice, it was being refurbished for display by a warbirds restoration outfit in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

[Nailbiter]

Interesting thanks for posting

[mad_as_he$$]

lol...True!

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Yes,indeed.Big Frank Valesh was the pilot in the 100th bombgroup and my hero till this day.I work on B-17s these days and have since I was a young teenager.I got old before my time hanging out with a bunch of old curmudgeons and now I am one.Just paying it forward.LOL

[Yo-Yo]

. Problems continued, with one of the A2D-1s crashing near Los Angeles on 5 August 1954. Some sources claim the rest of the batch of ten were completed, but they never actually flew. One of these machines still survives today -- at last notice, it was being refurbished for display by a warbirds restoration outfit in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

"Engine development problems delayed the first flight until 26 May 1950, made at Muroc by George Jansen. Allison failed to deliver a "production" engine until 1953, and while testing an XA2D with that engine, test pilot C. G. "Doc" Livingston pulled out of a dive and was surprised by a loud noise and pitch up. His windscreen was covered with oil and the chase pilot told Livingston that the propellers were gone. The gearbox had failed. Livingston successfully landed the airplane."

Lousy counter-rotating prop gearboxes...

A2D Skyshark on static display at Idaho Falls Regional Airport.

[smokingfrog]

My brother works for RR/Allison in Indianapolis.

He has a stressful job (stress analysis).

[Boiler Plate]

Depending on the source the Mustang was about $10K to $30K less or 20 to 60%, which makes sense as most machinery is almost a linear cost function to weight. One of great selling points of the Mustang was ease of manufacture and cost. Hey it 2 less guns, right?

The Thunderbolt would have been clearly a better choice, but I think that the politics may have involved money as well as other factors.

[HamiltonJay]

Interesting, but how does something this slow protect itself from shoulder fired rockets or missles? Sure kevlar/ceramic plating may protect the crew from small to medium arms fire, but a turbo prop I would think would be toast if facing any sort of mobile rocket or missle attack.

Maybe I’m wrong... but I’m having a hard time seeing the need for a turbo prop fighter.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

My dad was in the 493rd. There is a picture of his outfit in Martin Caidin's Flying Forts book.

Not too many Forts left but I understand there is one being rebuilt in Urbana, Ohio and one in Batavia, Ohio.

I used to belong to the Yankee Air Force in Belleville, Michigan before their big fire.

Wish I could be polishing a wing right now!

Where is your favorite Fort?

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Dave Tallichets Memphis Belle(movie bird).Was a blast flying her back in the day.Saw the boys at Yankee a few months back.Great bunch of guys like ole Norm Ellison.

[One Name]

They won’t survive energy weapons aimed from the stands!

I believe you missed the point.

When all else fails, after it fails- low tech wins.

Place your bet. Think Afghanistan.

[One Name]

They won’t survive energy weapons aimed from the stands!

I believe you missed the point.

When all else fails, after it fails- low tech wins.

Place your bet. Think Afghanistan.

[okie01]

I remember reading the story of a Jug pilot who was on a strafing run in Germany. He went a little low and wasn't paying attention. Before him loomed a brick wall. Unable to pull up in time, the aircraft went through the brick wall. And survived. And flew him home.

Strafing runs in Holland were often referred to as "rhubarb runs". The Jugs flew so low they mowed the rhubarb fields.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

If the bad guys are comin’ over the wire send me anything

you got,,,

If I get a choice send me Mr. Spooky,,,

Spooky 13 stayed over us till first light(5 hrs. Tet ‘68)

I’ll never forget the roar of those guns...