Name that plane

TangoWhiskey

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
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Midlothian, TX
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Display name:
3Green
Anybody want to hazard a guess? We need to get it flown to Gaston's next year. Want to go for a ride? :) (I have a feeling short field performance isn't it's strong suit).


Engines: Two high performance V-8 engines power the RP-4, representing the best compromise among size, weight, power and availability. Tandem mounted, each engine drives its own propeller. The front engine drives the front prop directly and the rear engine, through gearboxes which bypass the front engine, drives the rear prop in contra rotation. Independent fuel and cooling systems allow for single engine operation.

Propellers: Utilizing NASA Unducted Fan Technology, two four-blade propellers with variable pitch hubs were constructed. The blades consist of 84 layers of prepreg carbon fiber and are 58 inches in diameter.

Cooling: During engine warm up, thermostats cycle engine water through the oil sump heat exchanger to quickly bring engine oil to operating temperature. Once up to temperature, the thermostats then direct engine water to a series of aluminum tubes within the wing. These tubes are immersed in 50 gallons of water which carry engine heat to the wing surfaces which are cooled by the slipstream. Separate series of tubes are provided for each engine enabling autonomous cooling of either engine. Wing water can be diverted through an auxiliary radiator located in the tail cone for cooling on the ground if needed. The forced induction systems generate high inlet temperatures and induction air is directed through evaporators charged by air conditioning compressors. This system also provides conditioned air to the cockpit.

Fuel: A 100 gallon fuel cell below the wing supplies fuel to engine-driven pumps which feed the injectors.

Gear: All gear retract aft into the fuselage. The main gear articulates as it retracts holding the wheels parallel to the fuselage throughout retraction.

Wing: The wing is one of the most complex ever constructed. Less than 3 inches at its thickest point, it nevertheless contains flaps and ailerons as well as 200 feet of tubing and nearly 400 fabricated fittings and connectors which comprise the cooling systems.

Fuselage: Built entirely of large diameter chrome moly tubing, the fuselage is skinned in 60 thousandths aluminum and is 31 inches in diameter.

Empennage: The vertical and horizontal stabilizers are, like the wing, both riveted and bonded together. The vertical stabilizer houses the nav/comm antennas as well as pitot and cockpit ventilation systems.
 

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This thing sounds like it weighs a couple tons with next to no useful load outside of fuel and a single pilot, no passengers. Some pretty odd-looking prop blades.
 
I saw that on www.Barnstormers.com. God it's ugly. Is that a propeller or an industrial fan blade? I guess if its purpose is to be very very fast, it doesn't need a useful load.
 
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