Forget Gloe and Gas, go Steam.

[bob forest]

Pretty interesting. Done in 1933 a steam engine for a plane.
http://www.aircraftowner.com/videos/view/the-besler-steam-plane_658.html

[zorba]

Neet. I wonder what the flight times were and how much water was carrying onboard.

[mitea_dan]

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/steamplane/steamplane.htm
http://www.rexresearch.com/besler/beslerst.htm
10 gallons de l’eau pour un vol de 400 miles ce n’est pas pire de tout. Mais, le plus intéressant, pour moi, est que le pilot peut inversée n’importe quand le sens du moteur. Le vol 4D a était inventée in 1933.

[Dwight Macdonald]

Very interesting. I wonder why it didn't catch on.

[Mick]

2 main issues with steam vs IC:

Power to weight ratio - this was soaring for IC engines leading up to WW2 as fuel, cooling and materials technology was being developed rapidly. If the steam aircraft had come 10 years earlier it may have been more competitive. Looking at the claimed engine weight of 180lb this is very light for comparable IC engines at the time so we have to assume it does not include the boiler, pumps, water and control system.

Fuel efficiency -even with the most complex locomotive steam engine the thermal efficiency rarely got above 5-10% compared to 20-30% for IC at the time. Aircraft range was typically fuel tank limited, so its military applications were limited to short range.

However, it would have made a great reconnaissance aircraft. I liked the comment about not needing brakes, as we all know WW1 aircraft love to nose over just from the wheel drag. Tricycle undercarriage and/or variable pitch mechanisms would help IC/TP powered aircraft overcome this tendency.

[bob forest]

Don't forget also, it had an open flame so that water could get to boil. That is the scary part. Imagine being in a crash, The pilot died from being boiled to death. Can you imagine having a crash let's say in africa, It would of been like instant soup.

[Kevin Rochon]

Hey Bob,

if ever some canibals want to put you in their soup just tell them your going to pis in it:D

Kevin
just watch "les tetes a claques"

[briankizner]

Thanks, Kevin, that was probably my favourite tete a claques skit. Steve Martin, in his stand-up days, said that the best way to foil a mugging was to throw up on your money.