Remington-Burnelli RB-1
| Remington-Burnelli RB-1 | |
|---|---|
 RB-1 |
|
| Type: | Passenger plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
circa 1921 |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
The Remington-Burnelli RB-1 was a double-decker passenger aircraft made by the US manufacturer Remington-Burnelli in the 1920s. The aircraft had the unconventional design developed by Vincent Burnelli as a lift fuselage ( lifting fuselage ).
history
After the first, still very conventional designs, which Burnelli developed between 1915 and 1919, he turned to the new idea of buoyancy in the 1920s. The basic idea was that a suitably shaped hull can contribute up to 50% to the total lift, combined with a gain in safety and performance.
In 1920 Burnelli teamed up with TT Remington to set up the Airliner Engineering Corporation in New York . The company was to build its first new design, the RB-1. Nothing is known about the date of the first flight.
The flight behavior of the prototype (registration: 9182) was considered acceptable, with the exception of a pronounced directional instability. The first RB-1 was lost in Staten Island, New York in 1923 after a storm put it under (salt) water and the machine was declared irreparable.
Within a year, a second machine was built, which differed from the first in the small things in the landing gear, the cabin glazing and the reduced rudder area. Two Liberty XII engines with 420 hp each were installed as engines . It was probably this machine, which was designated the RB-2 in 1924 and which probably received the engines from the abandoned first machine. The RB-2 is said to have been the world's first cargo aircraft.
construction
Particularly noticeable was the unconventionally designed hull, which was designed in the shape of a profile when viewed in longitudinal section. The nose was so wide that two engines could be installed without their propeller circles overlapping.
The fuselage had a constant width over the entire length. In the longitudinal section the fuselage ran out towards the stern to an almost razor-sharp edge. The total lift area of the hull was 47 m² (504 ft²). Although the parasitic resistance of the engine pods was eliminated by the motor arrangement, on the other hand, a mutual shielding effect ( blanketing ) resulted from the propellers running close together . In addition, the aerodynamically unfavorable air flow around the rear of the vehicle greatly reduces the advantages of this design concept.
The fuselage of the RB-1 was built on three transverse plywood partitions and planked with corrugated duralumin (a light metal alloy). The two pilots were accommodated in open cockpits, while the middle fuselage section contained the spacious compartment for 32 passengers. The wings of the RB-1 had the usual structure of the time, made of a wooden latticework covered with fabric.
The RB-2 had basically the same structure, but the wings were also planked with duralumin. The 5.50 m × 4.30 m (18 ft × 14 ft) passenger cabin could accommodate 25 passengers, alternatively it could be converted into a cargo hold with a payload of 2700 kg (6000 lb). The crew then consisted of three men.
Since the fuselage provided around 50% of the total lift, the wingspan could be around 30% smaller than that of comparable standard aircraft with the same payload. The fuel consumption is said to have been 20% lower, which among other things made it possible to stay in the air for up to 36 hours.
use
The RB-2 was able to demonstrate its special transport capabilities in 1925 on a sales tour for an Essex car model by transporting two copies of this car together in the machine. Due to the size of the cargo hold, the aircraft could also be used as a showroom (flying showroom). At that time the RB-2 was probably equipped with two Rolls-Royce-Condor engines, each with an output of 650 hp . The machine was later sold to the Aerial Transport Company and flew eight more years before it was scrapped.
Advantages of the lifting hull concept
The advantages of the lift fuselage concept compared to the standard aircraft of the time are summarized below:
- The propellers were close to one another, which meant that the aircraft could still be adequately controlled in the event of an engine failure.
- The bulk of the loads from the engine and chassis took up the front bulkhead in the fuselage and could thus also contribute to increased passenger protection.
- Access to the engines and the (possibly retractable) landing gear was possible during the flight.
- Fifty percent of the lift in cruise was generated by the fuselage. The passenger cabin was very well protected by the surrounding fuselage structure.
- Because of the smaller span, the bending moments at the wing roots have been reduced by up to 40%.
- The fuel tanks were further away from the passenger cabin.
- The large cross-section of the fuselage allowed the transport of bulky loads. In the event of a splash, the voluminous hull was buoyant for longer.
Technical specifications
| model | RB-1 | RB-1 No.2 or RB-2 (if data differ) |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 2 | 2-3 |
| Passengers | 32 | 25th |
| length | 12.80 m (42 ft) | |
| span | 22.57 m (74 ft) | |
| height | 5.64 m (18 ft 6 in) | |
| Wing area | 123 m² (1323 ft²) | |
| Hull lift surface | 47 m² (504 ft²) | |
| payload | - | 2700 kg (6000 lb) |
| Empty mass | 3690 kg (8121 lb) | |
| Takeoff mass | 6640 kg (14,621 lb) | |
| Minimum speed | 72 km / h (45 mph) | |
| Top speed | 169 km / h (105 mph) | |
| Rate of climb to 1525 m (5000 ft) |
10 min | |
| Range | 1220 km (760 mi) | |
| Engines | 2 × Galloway Atlantic with 550 hp each |
initially 2 × Liberty XII with 420 hp each |
See also
literature
- H. Levy, R. Riding: Burnelli's Lifting Fuselages. In: Airplane Monthly , March 1980.
