Jul 212010
The XP-69 was an unbuilt fighter designed during WWII by the Republic Aviation Corporation. While appearing largely conventional, it was to be a large plane (span 51′ 8″, length 51′ 6″), and was to be fitted with the Wright R-2160 42 cylinder (yes, forty-two) radial engine behind the cockpit, driving the propellor with a long shaft. It was designed for high altitude operations (ceiling: 48,900 feet) and had a pressurized cockpit. Max speed was to be 450 mph, with a range of 1,800 miles. It was armed with two 37mm cannon and four 50 caliber machine guns. The program was cancelled in May of 1943.
A large 3/4-scale wind tunnel model of the design was tested by the NACA, drawing shown below.
5 Responses to “Republic XP-69”
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Cool thing about the Wright Tornado – it was designed in 14-cyl modules and could be expanded up to 70 cylinders. How’d you like to do a valve and ring job on that?
Wright later applied the same modularity concept to its unsuccessful Wankel program. There were three different-sized rotors and eight-rotor engines were possible. Would be interesting to see the bending moment on that crankshaft!
Alexander Kartveli never quite gave up on some ideas — or was it that Major de Seversky had some personal preferences? The XP-69 is an updated version of the late-30s “Rocket” design, which had the same engine location but was to be equipped with contra-rotating propellors.
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13327&start=420
It’d be a hell of a job trying to keep an engine that big cool.
Jim
Looks sorta like a super Airacobra.
The Tornado was water-cooled, although even bigger engines (e. g. Pratt R-4360) were still air-cooled.