huv wrote:
As I remember, the only reason for the Trislander configuration was that no appropriate 350-400 HP piston engines were available to replace the 260 HP engines on the Islander
That was essentially the reason the Ford Tri-Motor had three engines in the mid 1920s. Although the Wright Whirlwind had proven itself as the first really reliable aircraft engine, initially the only way to get enough power for a transport aircraft (while using Wrights) was to install three engines. That then became the trend worldwide until engines got bigger in the early 30s, and twin engined planes like the DC-3 resulted.
The same three engines scenario repeated itself with the Trislander because by that time piston engines had mostly settled into the horizontally opposed configuration, which has other advantages but is limited in number of cylinders and power output when compared with radial engines.
Silvaire wrote:
That was essentially the reason the Ford Tri-Motor had three engines in the mid 1920s
AFAIU, even the 12-engine Dornier DO-X owes its extreme config to that explanation. The 12 engines combined were not only absurdly maintenance heavy, also they took up so much space on the wing’s overside (spoiling lift) and interfered so much with each other’s airflow (spoiling thrust) that the airplane’s performance was cronically marginal and it hardly ever flew out of ground effect.
MedEwotk – I couldn’t resist the opportunity to show you these pictures of the Macchi M.C. 72, which I believe still holds the World piston engined seaplane record: All of the Italian Schneider Trophy contenders are housed in the Vigna di Valle museum.
Two Fiat AS6 engines back to back with a transistion drive in the middle driving contra rotating propellors.
Incidently, the brass coloured bits on the floats are the cooling ‘radiators’.
Italians do know how to build beautiful machines!
Neat design. The contra-rotating propellers should eliminate any torque effects, right? Certainly the sleekest seaplane design I have seen yet.
The MC.72 is a wonderful thing and the former Aeronautica Macchi factory still builds some nice hardware… which to me is a great tradition.
Schneider Trophy planes had fixed pitch propellers and looking at the props tells you have much pitch they needed to go that fast… a lot! Taking off from long stretches of water probably made more sense with that in mind than shorter runways.
achimha wrote:
Lots of single engine aircraft which both have an odd number of engines and place them on the centerline
Just sayin’ 
Now we know where Burt Rutan got his idea from…
I flew one the other day. Really.
(Well I was RHS to a captain who was also a CFI, so I got 20 mins 3-engine time in my logbook. Honestly.)
What type is that, Aveling?
