"phil hunt" wrote in message
.. .
On 18 Sep 2004 16:05:44 +0100, ANDREW ROBERT BREEN wrote:
A related issue was maintainance (this for multi-engine types): if you
wanted to avoid torque effects you had to have "handed" engines, turning
in different directions on each side (like the Lockheed Lightning or the
De Havilland Hornet), or you put up with the torque effects and had the
mainatainance/suppy gain of n identical engines.

Couldn't you use identical engines, but mount them back-to-front on
one wing?

There's not many engines you could do that with considering
the fittings for the accessory drives and power connections
tend to make the ends different. Then there are the stress loads,
were WWII aircraft engines structural?
I'm sure you could design an engine you *could* do it with
but it's most likely going to be a good bit heavier.