The Contra-Rotating Corsair ...

[Mark Allen M]

An Experimental Chance Vought F4U-1A Corsair at Rentschler Field in East Hartford with a contra-rotating Hamilton Standard prop on the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 to be exact.









A relatively recent photo of the P&W Hangar and Tower Rentschler Airport below.

Last edited by Mark Allen M on Sun Nov 22, 2015 9:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Duggy009]

Looks to me like someone having a laugh with photoshop.
Until I am proved wrong?

[Mark Allen M]

No photoshop ...




-4 as well

[Mark Allen M]

Plenty of efforts on several types way back when ...

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675 ... -in-flight

[Duggy009]

Thanks Mark, I learn't somthing new.
Question did it fly or was it just a ground test airframe.???

[tom roberts]

I believe Rentschler is now a football stadium (UConn)

[Mark Allen M]

I believe Rentschler is now a football stadium (UConn)

I believe you are correct. And I should have probably typed "Contra-Rotating" instead of "Counter-Rotating" ... there's a difference. Thx to another poster for pointing that error out.

M

[JohnB]

I was thinking about this the other day.
I can't think of a single American production aircraft that had that feature.
It showed up on prototypes....the Lockheed and Convair tail-sitters, the Douglas Skyshark....

A few English ones...the Shackleton and Gannet come to mind, plus the Russian TU-95..plus Kamov did the same with helicopters (Kaman came close but the rotors aren't vertically stacked), probably a few French as well.

[Photogator]

Thanks Mark, best images I have seen of the whole aircraft.
Normally you only see the nose shot.

[Mark Allen M]

These two come to mind ...


Boeing fighter XF8B-1


Westland Wyvern

[Chris Brame]

I was thinking about this the other day.
I can't think of a single American production aircraft that had that feature.
It showed up on prototypes....the Lockheed and Convair tail-sitters, the Douglas Skyshark....

A few English ones...the Shackleton and Gannet come to mind, plus the Russian TU-95..plus Kamov did the same with helicopters (Kaman came close but the rotors aren't vertically stacked), probably a few French as well.

Convair Tradewind, if you consider 13 aircraft "production"?

[Dan K]

Pretty sure the Fisher XP-75 made it to production status as the P-75A, but also a very small production batch.

[JohnB]

Did the Tradewind or XP-75 ever achieve IOC..or just test status? I'm 99.9 % sure the Fisher did not.

But with 13, I don't think I'd consider it a production type...more like a service test quantity.

BTW: The Navy did pi$$ away a lot of money in the late 40s-50s (by that I mean it seems they had more unsuccessful types than the AF) Cutlass, Demon (some built were never flown because of bad engines), Tiger and Guardian (maybe not a bad planes but few built with a short service life), Tradewind, Seamaster, Bell HSL and probably a few more .

[Pogo]

And I should have probably typed "Contra-Rotating" instead of "Counter-Rotating" ... there's a difference.

Okay, I'll ask: what's the diff?

[RHenry]

And I should have probably typed "Contra-Rotating" instead of "Counter-Rotating" ... there's a difference.

Okay, I'll ask: what's the diff?

"Counter-rotating" is the term used when two propellers are rotating in opposite directions, but not on the same axis (IE: P-38).

"Contra-rotating" is the term used when two propellers are rotating in opposite directions, on the *same* axis.