Warbird props.

[kenlyco]

I hope this is not to stupid of a thought. Is it possible to swing a four bladed prop on a Hellcat, early Corsair so on,is it a airframe ,engine app. gear, or is it just not to be?

[51fixer]

I hope this is not to stupid of a thought. Is it possible to swing a four bladed prop on a Hellcat, early Corsair so on,is it a airframe ,engine app. gear, or is it just not to be?

Part is the engine, part is the structure of the airframe and part is the square footage of the prop blades. All of this would first be calculated by engineers and then tested before the builder and then the military would except the design.
For example R-2800 came with various nosecase gear ratios. This would allow for different props to be used on the same basic engine core.
Yes it is possible. Any 50 spine prop could be used on a engine with a 50 spline prop shaft. Any 60 spline prop would fit on a 60 spline prop shaft. Both 50 and 60 spline props come in 3 and 4 blade versions,
Rich

Last edited by 51fixer on Mon May 19, 2008 9:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Jack Cook]

Rich,
What did the Whittington's have to do to run that 5 blade on their P-51H???

[kenlyco]

Jack ,funny you bring Whittington up when I use to work for him he had one badass counter rotating prop bearcat.I got a pic around somewhere.

[51fixer]

Rich,
What did the Whittington's have to do to run that 5 blade on their P-51H???

I believe the engine was built with the British prop shaft and that is why the 5 blade prop fit. That is all based on my memory.
Rich

[Jack Cook]

when I use to work for him

Before or after they were running *insert word here*?

[kenlyco]

NO COMMENT!

[Jack Cook]

NO COMMENT!

[bdk]

...he had one badass counter rotating prop bearcat.I got a pic around somewhere.

Are you sure you aren't talking about a Mustang?

[Jack Cook]

I thought we were talking about running *insert word here*

[Dan K]

I hope this is not to stupid of a thought. Is it possible to swing a four bladed prop on a Hellcat, early Corsair so on,is it a airframe ,engine app. gear, or is it just not to be?

Definitely to be! Would've manifested itself in the F6F-6, but which never went into production.

[kenlyco]

BDK,it was a Bearcat, but not sure if it was Don's or not.There was a dozen hangers and it was sitting in one that we didnt move alot of airplanes around in. Dan, great pic.wonder what kind of performance it got.

[Dan K]

Dan, great pic.wonder what kind of performance it got.

Approx. 410 mph at altitude. Believe F6F-6 would've used R-2800-18W, but engine production was directed toward F4U program instead.

I've always thought it would be cool to display one of the modern Hellcat flyers with the "TEST" paint and four blades.

[warbird1]

BDK,it was a Bearcat, but not sure if it was Don's or not.There was a dozen hangers and it was sitting in one that we didnt move alot of airplanes around in. Dan, great pic.wonder what kind of performance it got.

Are you sure, I've never seen or even heard of that! I'm not saying it didn't happen, but if it did, that would have to be one of the best warbird secrets ever! I know they had the 5 blade prop on the H model Mustang, as well as the Griffon and counter-rotating prop on Precious Metal, now owned by Ron Buccarelli.

Did this counter-rotating prop on the Bearcat actually fly, or was it just some sort of static display to make it look cool? I didn't know there were any gearing to mount a counter-rotating prop on a -2800? Was it modified from a Shack setup? Any more details you have would be appreciated!

[Jack Frost]

IIRC, back when the CAF got the Martin B-26 flying, it first had 3 bladed props from a C-123 installed. Overall performance was marginal to poor and there were airframe vibrations. They were later replaced with 4 bladers and the vibration disappeared and performance was normal. Can't remember where or what the 4 bladed ones came off of, though.