Large contra rotating prop a/c on TV last night
 

Last night watching on tv late night programme called "Winging It" (I think) about the ATA deliveries etc during WW2, lots of interesting footage Barracuda / Whitley/Halifax/ Anson/ B17 etc, etc, in the middle of the footage was a huge fighter type aircraft with in line cockpit, with what at first seemed to be contra rotating large diameter props, but then showed that both prop sets ran independently (2 engines in airframe ??) aircraft had huge pointed spinner & film showed engine start up & run then aircraft taking off, no idea what it was ???, any body else watch the programme & have an idea ? just didn't recognise the aircraft, help !!!, B Rgds, Paul H.

Off-hand can only think of Fairey Gannet? Post war though...

Westland Wyvern also post war though. Supermarine Seafang again post war. Some Spitfire 21s had conta-rotating props in 1945.

Apparently the Fairey Battle test-bed for the RR Exe piston engine(I.D'd on the Key Publishing Forum) (but where is it with those US types behind)?
A ramp shot early in the prog is a puzzle...there's a Lanc but also the Boeing XB-15/XC-105 giant

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...le-Testbed.jpg

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/z...ryAirfield.jpg

The second scene you show looks to me like it is taken in the USA. Given the variety of types, maybe somewhere like Wright-Patterson or another test airfield?

Battle testbed
 

A30yoyo, thank you, that's it, I can sleep peacefully tonight now. B Rgds, Paul H.

Excellent programme were it not for some of the 'stock shots' used which appeared to have emanated from across the pond where as far as I'm aware, the ATA never operated ('cos they had their own ferry service).
I too wondered about the aircraft with two sets of exhausts but it was so late at night and the shot was stretched to fit a 16/9 picture so I never twigged it was a Battle!
Never heard of that engine before, presumably its development was overtaken by turboprops.

Talking of contra-rotating props, the best thing I ever flew on was the Antonov AN22 - google or utube that and see !

The RR Exe was an X24 and indeed flew in a Battle: but Fairey had their own engines, the Prince (H16) and Monarch (H24), both also in Battles, and both seemed to drive coax counter rotating propellers. The Monarch-engined Battle was sent to Wright Field for evaluation, and flew 250 hrs while there.

Never heard of the Fairey engines or the Exe - as ever, one lives and learns! :ok:

Battle with Contra-rotating props
 

Sounds like the one with the Fairey Monarch engine is a candidate with the U.S background aircraft....new one to me , too!:)

See Posts #7 and #12 onFairey Battle evaluated in the USA - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums

I agree, the photo couldn't be the Exe-engined Battle as that didn't have a contra-prop and it certainly didn't go to the USA.

Me neither and following down that "river" so to speak, we reach the Crecy - a 90 degree V12, 26 litre two-stroke!

It was intended to fly in a Henley test-bed. A Battle would have been much more suitable. ;)

Imagine mixing the petrol and oil for that!

...unless they had oil injection, but also imagine the sound!!

The Exe-engined Battle was used as a Rolls-Royce liaison aircraft for many years after the engine was cancelled and never gave the slightest trouble.

Impressive for such a radical departure from RR's historical engine designs, especially considering the problems with the early Merlins which were based on previous experience.

The very same as in the picture above of Fairey Battle I K9370 (for the spotters). The Fairey P-24 engine was to be put into production by Ford in the USA to power the P-47 Thunderbolt, but that didn't happen, obviously. One of the Monarch engines survives at the FAA Museum at Yeovilton.

Some photos of the Fairey engine on Flickr - I can't resize them tonight but see
flickr.com/photos/14948947@N05/7866629132

A 51 litre engine with 4 speed (!) supercharger, 2240 hp, £9000 each (According to Anthony Furse in his biog. of Wilfred Freeman)

Thanks for the pictures, Rory. What a "tidy" engine in comparison to the Merlin with all its "bolt-ons"!

Via the magic 'share' facility on flickr....in the Cobham Hall annex, perhaps?
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7...c4c51947_z.jpg
IMG_0242 by Rory57, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7...19e84e8a_z.jpg
Propellor assembly fromFairey P24 Engine at Yeovilton FAA museum by Rory57, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8421/7...e560bb5e_z.jpg
Fairey P24 Engine at Yeovilton FAA museum by Rory57, on Flickr