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Travel Air with a Steam Engine
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:35 pm
by AviaS199
Maybe you've seen this before, but if not,
check this out. Yeah, it really flew.
Granted, at five hundred pounds/150 horsepower, the power to weight ratio wasn't that great. But still - can't help but wonder ...
With modern alloys and other improvements, who knows? Run it on biodiesel, and you could have one Lean Mean Green Flyin' Machine.
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:50 pm
by wacoykc
Apparently it flew and ran just fine. Just seems odd....a steam-powered airplane...although coal is pretty cheap!
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:22 am
by stumac
Forget the coal think about using nuclear power to heat that water. It has been attempted but the nuclear programs were never carried thru to perfection. Forget all that stuff I still have fun burning up dead dinosaurs (I am doing a lot of it sitting always behind round engines)
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:38 am
by RyanShort1
Now frankly I'd like to have the design plans for that - just in case it'd be useful in 40 years or so...
Ryan
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:52 am
by AviaS199
IIRC, the original shop drawings are in the Smithsonian.
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 10:54 am
by Baldeagle
Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:39 pm
by AviaS199
Thanks for the photo. Next time I'm in DC, I'll have to check that out.
Something I found on YouTube: Newsreel footage of the
Besler Steam Car and Airplane. Love it when he throws the Travel Air into reverse!