This is one of those silly questions that keeps coming back to haunt me, usually at some unearthly hour of the morning when I should be fast asleep.
I cannot for the life of me think of a single-engined Bristol Hercules application. Was there one? And if not, does that make the Hercules unique in being used in multi-engine applications only?
(Yes, I know there were plans for a Hercules-engined Hurricane, but I’m talking real planes here, not paper ones.)
Can anyone help me get a good night’s slumber?
William
By: pogno - 12th February 2007 at 09:53
Folland 43/37 engine trials aircraft flew with a Hercules, Sabre, Centaurus, Griffon. At different times I might add.
Nothing else comes to mind at the moment.
Edit spelling of Centaurus.
By: Rocketeer - 12th February 2007 at 08:29
What was the Bristol fighter in the new types park of Hendon 1936 powered by? I have a piccie of it somewhere
By: Papa Lima - 12th February 2007 at 01:56
I don’t think the GAL 28 was ever built . . .
See here http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/4082/brit/odd_air.htm
The British specification 35/35 was for an experimental high-speed aircraft with the option of turning it in to an 8-gun fighter, as in the Hurricane & Spitfire.
There were four firms who replied to this specification the most un-conventional was the Airspeed A.S.31 which was a tractor monoplane in which the tailplane, on twin metal booms, carried the pilot in an eggshaped nacelle. No rudder or fin surface was indicated on the general arrangement drawing. Split flaps were fitted across the trailing edge of the wing between the booms, with wide-span ailerons outboard of the booms. A widetrack undercarriage was depicted . The aircraft was to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin E engine. No details of its potential performance are recorded. Its wing span was 33 ft. and its length 29.5 ft.
The other contenders were the Bristol 151 single seat monoplane, powered by a Bristol Hercules engine. Its speed, with 100-octane fuel, was estimated to be 440mph. The General Aircraft GAL.28 was a single-seat aircraft , powered by a single Hercules engine, with a wing of variable area. The Hawker design was a Hurricane variant.
The Specification not proceeded with.
By: cypherus - 12th February 2007 at 01:34
I believe the GAL 28 was fitted with a single Hurculese engine, originally built by the General Aircraft Company before it was amalgamated with Blackburn to form the Blackburn & General which of course ended up as Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor company, I don’t know if it ever entered service or how many were built, Not found a photo of one either, supposed to have had a variable wing area too,
Sign In
February 12, 2007 at 12:41 am