a wrote:

On Jan 16, 3:42 pm, Some Other Guy wrote:
Howard Eisenhauer wrote:
http://www.flixxy.com/besler-steam-airplane.htm

Cool! Interesting how easy prop reversal is, which makes sense since
it's a steam engine. The Wikipedia page claims that it was capable of
STOL operation since the prop could be used for braking on landing.

Larger prop driven airplanes did not reverse their props, but went
into beta range, meaning the pitch was negative, in effect pushing the
air forward, not back. Some complex singles also had beta range
capability for their prop pitch. It makes for shorter landings, does
not make for shorter take offs though.

But sites like

http://www.flyingkettle.com/besler6.htm

claim that the engine really did reverse:

Each time as the machine swooped down and the landing wheels touched
ground, the pilot pulled back a small lever at the side of the cockpit
and the steam engine at the nose of the plane instantly reversed,
whirling the propeller backwards, creating a powerful braking effect
which reduced the landing runs to a very short distance.

I have only run toy steam engines at home, but I do know that they are just
as happy to run one direction as another. I have never imagined one flying,
though.