What was the peak of prop-driven, piston engined aeroplanes?

[aww999]

Just idle curiosity really. I would imagine at some point just after WWII, someone came up with the greatest piston engined plane ever, before all the engineering talent moved on to using that new fangled jet engine. I have only a tiny knowledge of the field, so I'm thinking of something like the Hurricane?

Similarly, at what point did it become commercially impossible to run a large, piston engined airliner, and airlines switched to jets wholesale?

I was just doing a bit of reading about Frank Whittle and it got me to thinking how his new design totally closed down the "competition" overnight . . . or did it?

[Shar2]

The peak of piston engined aircraft really depends on the aitcraft type. IMHO

Fighters - Hawker Sea Fury, Grumman Bearcat
Bombers - Boeing B-29
Attack - Douglas Skyraider

The Reno racers have done some amazing conversions of standard aircraft.

If you go for prop driven aircraft then the fastest is still the TU-95 driven by 14,000shp turboprops.

[glazbagun]

I've read that the Wankel engine was being looked at as an alternative power source for small commercial aircraft, but it was abandoned in favour of turboprop development. Doesnt help with your question (though check out the "Spitfires make me go funny" thread), but I thought I'd throw it in.

[Maxymillion]

Late 40s early 50s probably. I know a Sea Fury shot down a Mig in Korea.
You could argue though that present day is the peak of piston-engined aircraft. Some of the beasts racing at Reno

[thinfourth2]

In which way do you mean peak?

As some of the modern carbon fibre piston engined prop driven aerobatic planes are pretty damn impressive

[havoc]

Shar2 said:

The peak of piston engined aircraft really depends on the aitcraft type. IMHO

Fighters - Hawker Sea Fury, Grumman Bearcat
Bombers - Boeing B-29
Attack - Douglas Skyraider

The Reno racers have done some amazing conversions of standard aircraft.

If you go for prop driven aircraft then the fastest is still the TU-95 driven by 14,000shp turboprops.

I think we should ignore turboprops as they're just an alternative method of jet-engine-propulsion.

But I'd agree with your piston-engine'd list above...in terms of outright performance.

One plane I would add though is the P51D (& later variants) - it revolutionised European-theatre air warfare due to it's combination of range, agility and firepower, and variants were still active over Korea nearly 10 years after the -D was launched! And it seems to be one of the most common platforms in the unlimited class at Reno*.

• One of the reasons I WILL end up going to the USA at some point...against my better judgement!

[dougc]

XF-84H Thunderscreech had a turbine driven supersonic prop. I think it managed about 550mph on test flights. Didn't catch on though as the sound of it used to make bystanders feel sick it was that loud.

[Top Banana]

how's about the dornier do335 'arrow' ?

twin engined fighter with one engine at the front as normal + a second engine and prop at the back, so double the power of a single engined fighter but with roughly the same frontal area - hence it could outrun any other WW2 piston engined fighter + would probably have given some early jets a good run for their money.

also the germans had quite a bit of experience of fighters with both methanol/water injection or nitrous for short term 'boosts' of power?

regards - TB

[Simpo Two]

Eric Mc must be busy

[anonymous-user]

The Australian CA-15 was probably the fastest piston engined aircraft but wasn't put into production.



If it's production piston aircraft aircraft then I'd also say the Do.335

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 23 May 09:45

[Eric Mc]

A am busy .

The ultimate piston aero engines emerged in the mid 1950s and were mainly used on the last generation of piston engined airliners such as the Lockheed 1649 Starliner and the Douglas DC-7C "Seven Seas".

By then, the first generation of jet engined airliners were already in service and the further development of the latrge piston aero-engine was essentially uneccessary.

The ultimate piston engined military aircraft were fighters like the Grumman Bearcat, Hawker Sea Fury, Lavochkin LaG-11 and the Grumman F7F Tigercat.

Highly tuned and modified Bearcats and Sea Furies are very popular today in the Unlimted Air Racing class at Reno (as already mentioned).

I don't think the Do335 was put into serious production as the war ended before the production line was up to speed.

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 23 May 09:54

[FourWheelDrift]

Lockheed Super Constellation.

[Eric Mc]

FourWheelDrift said:

Lockheed Super Constellation.

Which was superseded by the L1649 Starliner.

[anonymous-user]

FourWheelDrift said:

Lockheed Super Constellation.

Certainly one of the most beautiful.

[Chris71]

Do they still race WWII planes? I'm surprised people haven't declared that sacriligous by now. Still, must be good to see them used properly. An (older) friend of my dad's remembers Spitfires flying over his house having just been scrambled and apparently they make a rather different noise with the throttle wide open than stooging around under low stress at air shows.

[Eric Mc]

Yes they do race WW2 aircraft. Most of the conversions were done in the 1950s and 60s when these planes were ten a penny. It's less likely (although not altogether unknown) these days that a restored warbird will be converted into an all-out racer.

[dougc]

Chris71 said:

Do they still race WWII planes? I'm surprised people haven't declared that sacriligous by now. Still, must be good to see them used properly. An (older) friend of my dad's remembers Spitfires flying over his house having just been scrambled and apparently they make a rather different noise with the throttle wide open than stooging around under low stress at air shows.

This lot in that states have loads
http://www.commemorativeairforce.org/

And these are the racers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJFXJWXPVOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYzTUBpnUKI&fea...

(the second one is particularly good if you can get over the whooping American)

[Shar2]

El stovey said:

The Australian CA-15 was probably the fastest piston engined aircraft but wasn't put into production.

The Martin Baker MB-5 looked very promising as well.

[paulmurr]

As for bombers can I nominate the Convair B-36.

[Eric Mc]

Good suggestion - although later models were assisted by four additional turbojets.