Aircraft at (Showbus), I.W.M. Duxford 2014
Posted: 14:21 Saturday 1st October 2016
Really enjoyed this venue, hundreds of buses and it was possible to photograph vintage aircraft taxiing past just the other side of a fence!
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Yes it is a Dragon Rapide built in 1944. I only expected to see this type of aircraft flying as it is used for short pleasure flights around the Duxford area, so all the other aircraft running past to do their flight checks was a bonus.
Have done a bit more research and the Catalina had a maximum speed of 196 MPH, economical cruise of 125 MPH and a range of 2,520 miles. It was able to carry 2,000 pounds of bombs and two torpedoes or four 325 pound depth charges and was armed with five machine guns, so not to be messed with!. The Twin Wasp R-1830 engine had two rows of seven cylinders each making 14 cylinders in all with 30 litres total capacity. Each engine produced 1,200 HP at 2,700 RPM for take-off and 700 HP at 2,325 RPM when cruising at 13,000 feet. The service ceiling was 15,800 feet. Above is a cutaway of a twin row radial engine at RAF Cosford Museum, not sure if it is a Pratt & Whitney, but note that the connecting rod attached to the top piston furthest from the camera is part of a ring in which the crankshaft rotates. The other six connecting rods are attached to this ring which basically oscillates whilst the crankshaft spins thus transmitting the in-out 'vertical' motion of the pistons into the rotational motion of the propellor. I believe the propellors are geared to rotate a good bit slower than the engine. Note too, the air cooling fins, the nifty cam guide to the right and heavy balancing weight to the left. 173,618 of these engines were built during and just after World War II.TimBrown wrote: ↑10:07 Sunday 2nd October 2016My favourite is Catalina G-PBYA which was built by Canadian Vickers in 10/1943 and is a true flying boat and amphibious aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney twin Wasp engines of 1,200 HP each. A total of nearly 4,000 of these aircraft were built and played a big part in World War II being used on search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare, convoy duties and bombing - pretty versatile!