For you Fly Guys... NGC

[Fireflyr]

Airplanes, by definition are very simple machines. Except for helicopters, of course.. which are a work of the devil.   

Hey, that's unfair, they've only tried to kill me a couple of times.

As for the original photo/plane in post one, there was an identical one parked on the ramp in Visalia a couple of days ago.  Had no idea they were so pricey.  Didn't get the 'N' number of that one.

[lucky phil]

To your point on the landing gear Phil, I would guess it was a weight saving measure. The structural support needed by moving the pivot point out would have required more structural strength further out, thereby adding weight to the air frame. I still consider it one of the most aesthetically appealing aircraft ever IMHO.

Now as for the plane in the original post: If someone comes out with an electric powered RC model of it with a 1 to 1.5 meter span, I'll likely be all over it.

John Henry

From my dodgy memory I believe it it was just a function of the thickness to chord ratio that precluded getting gear mounts and armament into the available real estate. The later fitment of cannon in the wing didn't improve matters either. FWIW that Griffon engine was by all accounts the best piston engine RR ever built. Powerful and could be reliably counted on to do its full on wing service life of around 2000 engine hrs.

They were a hell of a company back then RR. They actually considered themselves an engineering organisation first and foremost in those days and during the war even turned their engineering abilities to making anti aircraft guns in entirety when Vickers advised the new design gun would take 5 years to get into production RR said bugger that we have a war to win and put the thing into production within 12 months.
People of action back then RR.

Ciao

[Murray]

They were a hell of a company back then RR. They actually considered themselves an engineering organisation first and foremost in those days and during the war even turned their engineering abilities to making anti aircraft guns in entirety when Vickers advised the new design gun would take 5 years to get into production RR said bugger that we have a war to win and put the thing into production within 12 months.
People of action back then RR.

Ciao

If you have a read of what goes into the current Trent series (the things that make planes like the A380 and 777 possible) i.e. growing the turbine blade so the crystalline atomic structure is at its optimum alignment the aircraft engine company is very much and engineering company, in contrast the automotive division is a subset of BMW.

[lucky phil]

If you have a read of what goes into the current Trent series (the things that make planes like the A380 and 777 possible) i.e. growing the turbine blade so the crystalline atomic structure is at its optimum alignment the aircraft engine company is very much and engineering company, in contrast the automotive division is a subset of BMW.

I've not worked on the Trent but I hold an endorsement on the RB211-524G and H engines. Personally I prefer the GE high bypass engines which I'm also endorsed on as well as the old PW JT9 series and the CFM-56 series. The RR gas turbines are too fussy and fragile for mine.

Ciao