Thread: Macchi Castoldi MC.72 03
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Old March 20th 13, 10:22 AM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.aviation
展奄rdo[_2_]
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Default Macchi Castoldi MC.72 03
On 20/03/2013 09:43, lid wrote:
On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:32:20 +1030, "Dave Kearton"
wrote:

"展奄rdo" wrote in message
...
On 19/03/2013 19:26, Dave Kearton wrote:

Hi Dave,

Yes, as explained to Indrek:

"Macchi-Castoldi MC-72 Fiat AS6 engine; dual V-12, 3100 total HP,
each engine drives one very course, fixed-pitch prop 440.729 mph in 1934.
Class record still stands. Why contra-prop? Supermarine S6B w/ 2650 HP on
single prop overloaded one float by 32% on takeoff due to torque."

Regards,

Ri奄rdo




What fascinated me is the engineering work required to get the job done.
Not only are there two unique engines inline, but the crankshafts can't be
simply bolted together.

I've been thinking about it for a while now and I can't think of a simple
way to do it reliably.

Sounds like the designers had the same problem - didn't Ricardo
mention that two of the three examples crashed?


That was the Fiat C.29: "This aircraft was designed for the 1929
Schneider Trophy air race, although did not compete in the end with the
first and second prototypes crashing, this being the third -
non-competing - sole survivor."


All that effort and expense for a one-off design. Absolutely outstanding
that they got it to work at all, much less in the '30s.

And how much faster would it have been without the floats?


Given the lack of space for retractable undercarriage, would the
alternative be any more aerodynamically efficient?

--
Moving Things in Still Pictures!