Most "B.A." Airplane - Part III - Civilian Prop

ctab5060X said:
And how many of those have tailwheels???

Changing the rules now are we? :D

As far as the DC-3... First sucessful modern airliner, used as both and airliner and cargo transport, invaded Europe, been to the icy regions of the world, used as a gunship, has fought the good fight against mosquitoes, now available with turboprops... seems kinda "bad ass" in my book.
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Yes...bad ass....but common and not exactly sexy. Sexy being defined as something Jimmy Doolittle would fly (see the Gee Bee you posted as well as the Laird Super Solution).

Correct about the nosewheels...

Maybe I should allow a half-point for the DC-3...
 
WacoFan said:
Yes...bad ass....but common and not exactly sexy. Sexy being defined as something Jimmy Doolittle would fly (see the Gee Bee you posted as well as the Laird Super Solution).

Correct about the nosewheels...

Maybe I should allow a half-point for the DC-3...
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Even at a half point, you are still behind :D

Those 5000 ponies on the Howard 500 hurt!
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Very true. Although, the core's of the engine's are the same. The Soviets had been license building the R-1820 for a while, and decided that they'd improve on it. While the Bellanca is cool, it's not Comrade Vassili cool:D The only Bellanca I'd like to fly is the small one (I think Viking) that has the L-1049 style tail (triple tail).

On the AN-2 note. Anybody have any idea where the is one in the states that I could get some training in? I'd love to just sit in one even.
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Gotta side with CRAB on this one - that model of Bellanca is incredibly cool - cooler than the Antonov which I also love.

When I go to LA and ma driving from LAX I always picture this airplane when I cross Bellanca Ave.

Now, the cardboard Connie (the triple tail Bellanca) is a really neat airplane, but CTABS offering is a beast.
 
I'm going to be a witch in church on this one and contend that part of being "badass" is going fast, preferably dangerously fast.

Which means Howard H-1 for the overall win and undisputed champion of the piston sub-category.

With a serious honorable mention to the GeeBee. (Edit: D'oh. I see that ctab beat me to this one) Still, enjoy the ridiculously large picture of badassedness.

RN-1998-Geebee-001XL.jpg



In the turbine category? KINGAIR? boooo! About as "badass" as a Ford Taurus. Go faster, on less gas, and be much louder in doing so. With the money you save, you can fill the back with strippers and blow. I know you all saw this one coming!

230.jpg


imgres


The Piaggio is awesome, gorgeous, amazing...but badass? It's like a Ferrari..."badass" is not the first word that jumps to mind. A Ferrari would blow the doors off a GTO or Challenger, but I know which I'll be modifying with machine guns and spikes for the End Times. It won't be the Ferrari. Honestly, can you picture Mad Max driving a Ferrari?
 
Boris Badenov said:
In the turbine category? KINGAIR? boooo! About as "badass" as a Ford Taurus. Go faster, on less gas, and be much louder in doing so. With the money you save, you can fill the back with strippers and blow. I know you all saw this one coming!

230.jpg
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Why yes I did. And you kick my a**. I'll remember that next time you break your airplane in Memphis on a Sunday and make your fellow pilots work on a weekend! It's just wrong. BTW the one you broke flew home yesterday.
 
Here are a couple more for you Waco...

Wendell Williams "44" and the Turner RT-14 Meteor.

The only two exact airplanes to win the Thompson Trophy in consecutive years. The Bee Gee model Z and R-1 also won in consecutive years, but they were not the same airplane. The Wendell Williams "44" won in 1933 and 1934 and the RT-14 Meteor won the last two races prior to the war in 1938 and 1939. Roscoe Turner designed and flew the Meteor (with modifications by Matty Laird). Add to this that he also flew the Wendell Williams "44" in 1934. He is the only 3 time winner of the Thompson Trophy.

Wendell Williams "44":

44burbank.jpg


Turner RT-14 Meteor:

turner_RT14-1.jpg



For those intrested, this is the Thompson Trophy (one of them)

 
Sukhoi Su-31

<table class="avion" width="400" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>Length</td> <td align="right">22</td> <td align="left">ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Wingspan</td> <td align="right">27</td> <td align="left">ft</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Wing aera</td> <td align="right">38</td> <td align="left"><sup>ft</sup><sup>2</sup></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Empty mass</td> <td align="right">1649</td> <td align="left">lbs</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Engine</td> <td align="right">Vedeneyev M14PF, nine-cylinders radial
400</td> <td align="center">
Hp</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Propeller</td> <td align="right">3 blade constant-speed
Span : 2.54</td> <td align="left">
m</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Max speed</td> <td align="right">249</td> <td align="left">MPH</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Stall speed</td> <td align="right">65</td> <td align="left">MPH</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Roll rate</td> <td align="right">400</td> <td align="left">°/s</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Max acceleration</td> <td align="right">+12 / -10</td> <td align="left">g</td></tr></tbody></table>
Sukhoi31.jpg


Oh yeah, one more thing...Russian made engine in a Russian made airplane; anything else is just heresy:D
 
braunpilot said:
I'll remember that next time you break your airplane in Memphis on a Sunday and make your fellow pilots work on a weekend! It's just wrong. BTW the one you broke flew home yesterday.
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There's something unholy going on with Memphis, me, and starter/generators. I hope at least this time the mechanic didn't just climb in, hit the "start" button, and shake his head sadly as the thing spooled up just fine. Besides, things that break all the time are categorically more badass, somehow. Or so say I, anyway.

PS. Insult to injury. It was Easter night, and the guy who had to fly out there and sit with the broken airplane has a family. If I had a heart, I would feel a little bad.
 
WacoFan said:
Gotta side with CRAB on this one - that model of Bellanca is incredibly cool - cooler than the Antonov which I also love.

When I go to LA and ma driving from LAX I always picture this airplane when I cross Bellanca Ave.

Now, the cardboard Connie (the triple tail Bellanca) is a really neat airplane, but CTABS offering is a beast.
Click to expand...


Ah, yes, I knew there was some witty name for it. Its a goofy looking plane, but throw some old TWA paint on it, and you'll have a real winner. I'll agree, Bellanca has made some cool stuff.
 
Winner in the multi-engine division:
(If you have any doubts, look at the art by the entrance door :yar:)
ctab5060X said:
Howard 500 - 5600 CID, 5000 hp
I had to... Dee Howard did so much for aviation, why not include his last big piston twin?

howard500_02_july2004.jpg


Gives me 11080 for CID, 7915 on hp for a total of 18995.

Your turn Waco:D
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Winner in the single engine division:
Anything with a motor bigger than a big rig diesel with a fuse and flying surfaces suited for a RC airplane is bad ass.

ctab5060X said:
Thompson Trophy winner in 1932...

Basically a R-1340 with wings and tail...

1340 CID - 800 hp (supercharged)

TOTAL - 21135...
(you should have let me know we were keeeping score)

2491.jpg
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I thought very hard about whether to invlude the Mystery Ship or the Wedell Williams. I went with the Mystery Ship because it was the first to use the NACA cowl and wheelpants. It was my thinking that the Wedell evolved from some of the advances in the Mystery Ship. The Wedell was an amazing airplane though - and if I could go back to the thirties the WW would be my mount (along with Greta Garbo).

They actually made an LTR-14 and flew it. I have always had more fascination about this airplane, yet it doesn't stir the same emotions as the Mystery Ship (which I have seen fly) or the Wedell Williams machines.

Here is a neat article about the LTR-14 featuring the pilot of the replica Skip Holm. It actually sounds like an airplane I would rather see fly than actually fly myself. http://www.121five.com/admin/FeatureArticles/LTR-14_1d.pdf
 
Boris Badenov said:
There's something unholy going on with Memphis, me, and starter/generators. I hope at least this time the mechanic didn't just climb in, hit the "start" button, and shake his head sadly as the thing spooled up just fine. Besides, things that break all the time are categorically more badass, somehow. Or so say I, anyway.

PS. Insult to injury. It was Easter night, and the guy who had to fly out there and sit with the broken airplane has a family. If I had a heart, I would feel a little bad.
Click to expand...
Think ignition box....got replaced and worked just fine.
 
Another one to add to the pre war list of "bad ass" civilian prop airplanes.

Grosvenor House

The de Havilland DH88 Comet that won the MacRobertson Air Race in 1934. Race was from RAF Mendenhall in England to Melbourne, Australia.
Five mandantory stops...

Grosvenor House made it in 71 hours.

Comet%2001.jpg
 
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