Wright Flyer - or - 1 in 2 won't go!

[Kolibear]

I was idly musing about the Wright Flyer today and thinking that the Wrights must be one of the few pilots who got a twin rating before a single. But thats not true, the Wright Flyer was an SEP.

Which got me thinking further - I can think of a few aircraft where two engines drive one prop,(Brabazon, Saro Princess), or even where two engines drive two props on a common shaft, (Gannet), but I can't think of another aircraft where one engine drives two props?

Any offers?

[Man-on-the-fence]

Shackleton, late model Seafire, late model Spitfire, Westland Wyvern etc all with Conra-rotating props (ok cheating I know).

[treadigraph]

Not sure how the noisy, mighty - and popular on the Nostalgia Forum - Antonov AN-22 does it (and it's too late to be rifling through books right now!).

But - how about the Beriev Be-30 (?), the twin engined transport rather like a mini AN-24. The engines were coupled by a drive shaft, so in the event of one side going silent, the other drove the stationery prop... none of that assymetric nonsense...

[Man-on-the-fence]

Going slightly off thread, what would happen if a V-22 Osprey lost an engine? Are its donks connected by a shaft that would keep both props turning?

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I beleive the Gannet had two engines (actuall one Double Mamba IIRC) each driving its own prop. I think they used to shut down one engine in the cruise and feather that prop - I'm sure I've seen film of one doing a flypast with the back prop feathered but very slowly turning probably due to the airflow off the front prop.

MOF - I think all twin rotor helos (other than where the rotors are concentric) are interconnected, including the Osprey. This not only ensures that failure of one engine isn't catastrophic, but also in many cses the rotors intermesh, so have to be geared together mechanically.

SSD

[JDK]

Weren't there a couple of twenties amphibians with one engine two props (will check books when I get home...)

[Loki]

Shaggy Sheep Driver:

Being an old git, I can assure you that Gannets (sigh) did do exactly that.

[Torres]

I know its a "one off", but the Soloy (Cessna) Caravan has twin pack PT6A-114A's, driving a single prop.

[Kolibear]

I was sort of ignoring contra-props, thinking more of bicycle chains and whirling shafts :)

By that criteria most helicpters must be included by virtue of having two rotors powered off of the same gearbox.

JDK - you're right! was it the Do-X?? 12 Conqueror engines and 24 props.