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Aerospace engineers and
aviation enthusiasts can view some of the world's greatest aircraft on-line.
Ron Darner, a longtime CR4er who is also the newsletter editor for Chapter 320
(Watertown, Wisconsin) of the Experimental Aircraft
Organization (EAA), has offered to take us on another tour. Today, let's check out a video of the Besler Steam plane and visit the Aero-News Network.
The Besler Steam Plane
This
YouTube video shows the Besler Steam plane. A Travel Air 2000 biplane made
the world's first piloted flight under steam power over Oakland, California,
on 12 April 1933. The strangest feature of the flight was its relative silence;
spectators on the ground could hear the pilot when he called to them from
mid-air. The aircraft, piloted by William Besler, had been fitted with a
two-cylinder, 150-hp reciprocating engine.
The advantages that were claimed at the time included the elimination of
audible noise and destructive vibration; greater efficiency at low engine
speeds and also at high altitudes where lower air temperatures assisted condensation;
reduced likelihood of engine failure; reduced maintenance costs; reduced fuel
costs; because fuel oil was used in place of gasoline, reduced fire hazard
since the fuel was less volatile and operating temperatures were lower; and a
lack of need for radio shielding.
For capacities in excess of 1000-hp a turbine captures the energy released
by the expansion of steam more efficiently than a piston. Thus, the steam
reciprocating engine turned out to be unsuitable for scaling up to the needs of
large aircraft.
But why didn't it catch on for smaller ones?
The Aero-News Network
It's time once again to mention Aero-News Network. Their video side is
getting better and better, and covering more areas of aviation each time I
look. My latest find is a video "Aero-TV
Checks Out The 'Why' Of Homebuilt Aircraft". It opens with the
title "Homebuilts at Oshkosh: Why Build Your
Own?" After a montage of aircraft photos, they have an interview
with Scott Jones, who almost immediately speaks of being inspired in part
by a meeting with Joe Schifferl and his Velocity at Watertown.
ANN also provided the link to "The
Homebuilders Next Door", a short Aero-TV show about builder John
Brady of Tomah, WI, who built a Rans
S7. You'll want a good web connection to watch.And, if you are looking for
an engine, or know someone who is, you may want to check out their video on the
Rotax
912S/ULS.
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cnpower (1), EnviroMan (1), esbuck (1), Guest (3), Ron (2)