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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0929.PDF
MAY 4TH. 1944 FLIGHT * - ROLLS-ROYCE ENGINES 32 PASSENGERS DAY. 16 NIGHT ALL UP WEIGHT 80,000 LBS. A high-speed, tailless type of 80,000 lb. all up weight powered by four submerged liquid-cooled pusher engines. may be limited in favour of the gas turbine, we must make hay while the sun shines. We must push on with the design and development of the new, high-power reciprocat ing engines as a safeguard against any time lags which may occur before the gas turbine power plants enter the realms of practical politics. It requires about three years to develop a redesigned edition of an existing piston engine, but in the case of an entirely new type of modern high- power aero-engine, it takes all of six years, and costs about £2,000,000, and therefore we must not attempt to have too many types. In order to achieve economy in the servicing and maintenance it is desirable to use one type of engine in several types of civil aircraft. A careful survey of the layout of modern airliners shows the importance of keeping down the number of airscrew centres. "This," said Sir Roy, "should if possible, not exceed four, and whereas it may be necessary in the inter regnum period to go to six engines, this being preferable to underpowering a machine or putting in an undeveloped engine, it is essential to endeavour to keep within this limit of four, at any rate for powers up to 25,000 h.p. in machines within the 250,000 lb. range." He felt that we may meet with certain limitations on the size of piston engine which it is practicable to develop, and in the case of one uncoupled unit this will probably be of the order of 5,000 to 6,000 h.p. When we come to larger aircraft therefore, requiring power units of 10,000 to 15,000 h.p., it may well be that the gas turbine will prove to be the most practical solution, and with such a prime mover it might not be so problematic to meet requirements of four airscrew centres. Sir Roy remarked that British aviation owes a debt <A Tako off Power Required 350 850 1300 3,000 4,000 5,000 Economical Cruising Power 175 425 650 1,500 2,000- 2,500 rotitbic Number o> Cylinders r, 12 0 12 14 -18 24 28 24 28 SS 24 28 32 42 Engine Typos Cylinder Layout Iii-Line Radial Yec In-Line Radial Vee In-Line 2-Bank Radial 2-Bank Radial HorX 4-Bank Radial HorX 4-Bank Radial HorX HorX 4-Bank Radial H or X C-Bau1i Kadia! Average Dry Weight lb. 525 1,000 1,450 3,500 1.S0JJ 0,000 Specific Weigh Ib./H.P. 1.80 1.18 1.11 1.1! 1.12 1.211 THE POST-WAR PERIOD : Suggested sizes of reciprocating engine for development, with possible characteristics.
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