Sorry . another potential NERD ALERT
Three, big topics here if you have time to follow the "breadcrumbs".
All of this stuff was nearly 90 years ago. Amazing.
A B-29 USAAF/Boeing movie of ground crew maintenance/mooring between flights. Early 1940's. That was interesting. Also, a lot of technical learnings about how the plane was engineered, its strenghts/weaknesses ... the decisions made in its design/construction.
About 20 minutes if you have interest/time. And this doesnt even include the magnificant/technically challenging story of the XB-39 (pic immediately below).
Because the most strategic heavy bomber in the WWII US fleet was dependent on the initially UNreliable Wright 3350. In the event the kinks could NOT be worked out in that engine, military figured they needed another validated engine ready to go.
Anyway, when dust settled, they kinda (there's a debate about that to this day) made the Wright 3350 work, and the B-29 went on to help Allies win WWII and become one of the most storied airplanes ever made.
Enter the Allison_V-3420.
24 cylinder (two V12's, two cranks/two cams, supercharged, sandwhiched together in ONE engine blocki), 3,421 cubic inches, 2,500 HP. Pics/narrative here.
This was intended to be the potential replacement (if needed) for the Wright 3350 in the B-29 if needed. A piston-engine, engineering marvel -- right before jets made it obsolete (for high performance military use at least).
Keep following the breadcrumbs, and you will get to the Fisher_P-75_Eagle. Not a bomber, but was intended to use Allison V-3420
Yes, Fisher, as in GM Fisher Body, built a fighter, never saw service, and unforunately some consider one of the worst (in terms of not much juice from the squeeze to build it) planes ever conceived. Only one left on display in a Dayton, OH museum..
Three, big topics here if you have time to follow the "breadcrumbs". All of this stuff was nearly 90 years ago. Amazing.
A B-29 USAAF/Boeing movie of ground crew maintenance/mooring between flights. Early 1940's. That was interesting. Also, a lot of technical learnings about how the plane was engineered, its strenghts/weaknesses ... the decisions made in its design/construction.
About 20 minutes if you have interest/time. And this doesnt even include the magnificant/technically challenging story of the XB-39 (pic immediately below).
Because the most strategic heavy bomber in the WWII US fleet was dependent on the initially UNreliable Wright 3350. In the event the kinks could NOT be worked out in that engine, military figured they needed another validated engine ready to go.
Anyway, when dust settled, they kinda (there's a debate about that to this day) made the Wright 3350 work, and the B-29 went on to help Allies win WWII and become one of the most storied airplanes ever made.
Enter the Allison_V-3420.
24 cylinder (two V12's, two cranks/two cams, supercharged, sandwhiched together in ONE engine blocki), 3,421 cubic inches, 2,500 HP. Pics/narrative here.
This was intended to be the potential replacement (if needed) for the Wright 3350 in the B-29 if needed. A piston-engine, engineering marvel -- right before jets made it obsolete (for high performance military use at least).
Keep following the breadcrumbs, and you will get to the Fisher_P-75_Eagle. Not a bomber, but was intended to use Allison V-3420
Yes, Fisher, as in GM Fisher Body, built a fighter, never saw service, and unforunately some consider one of the worst (in terms of not much juice from the squeeze to build it) planes ever conceived. Only one left on display in a Dayton, OH museum..
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