I wonder if anyone could enlighten me
on the following issue which has always
puzzled me.
Why were the B-17 Flying Fortresses not
powered with the powerful 2,000 hp class
Pratt & Whitney R2800 series of engines,
rather than the underpowered 1,200 hp
Wright R1830 ?
The R2800 even powered a relatively unimportant
light bomber like the Lockheed Ventura, which
saw little action, so why was the most powerful
engine available not selected for such an important
heavy bomber like the B-17 ? The far superior
performance of the R2800 would have saved
immeasurable lives.
Turbocharging this engine and adding water injection
would have uprated it to the 2,800 hp class which
powered the P-47M/N Thunderbolt. Indeed, during
experimental running at extreme boost pressures by
Republic, the rugged R2800 actually attained 3,600 hp
for 250 hours and survived without component failures.
By: galdri - 18th April 2003 at 20:06
Well, this is not as easy as it sounds.
When the first verstions of the B17 were being developed in the early-mid 30’s, the R1820 was among the most powerful yet relaiable engines available. The entire plane is designed around these engines. The wing for strength, the fuel cells for endurance/range, the tail for stability and the list is endless.
To take an engine like the R2800 and stick it on the B 17 is not a modification, you would have to completely redesign the aircraft and in the end nothing of the original B 17 structure would be left. You would end up with a completly new aircraft.
It would have made a lot more sence to just start with a clean sheet of paper and design a completely new bomber to take the R2800, but since the B 17 was doing it’s job rather well I guess it was not considered worthwhile to rush something into production with the R2800. However I’m sure some thought must have been given to the problem of upgrading the B 17 with something new and more powerful. The B29 for example was developed partly as a B 17 replacement, but it’s superior range made it more suited to the Pacific rather than Europe.
Regards,
Galdri
By: Morley - 18th April 2003 at 17:20
I don’t know but maybe they wouldn’t fit without major modification (the wings couldn’t take the extra weight for example) The other problem would have been the extra fuel burn which would have shorterned range or reduced bomb load. (the things only carried 4000lb anyway)
Of course this is all speculation!
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April 18, 2003 at 4:14 pm