Design Exercise: 1919 Type I Water Cooled Pursuit Aircraft

Some fighters that had headrests were removed during WWI due to poor visibility (eg SE-5). The rollover problem for later open cockpits was a metal post with a foot positioned at the top. We’ll make it a longer fairing with shorter height than the model.
 
I'm currently drawing an armaments drawing of the aircraft with two .30 cal 1919 Brownings and an A-3 rack with two 100 lb MK 1s. I found a couple of interesting videos that show the interworking's of the Browning 1919. (One is for the Ground and the other a Tank with a different bolt than the aircraft version, however the bolts are similar and the action is the same). The last video is how synchronization works (example M1918M).

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5q2w1PyhSg

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub4LMiM7ZOk

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Oh1pLl1--Y
 
Here is the center and forward sections of the fuselage (working on tail section). Changed the gun synchronization system to the Nelson Gun Control. The drawings meet the McCook Engineering Division specifications for system layout. I'll post the Browning and Nelson system handbooks. (I repositioned the .30 cal three inches higher in the front drawing. I'll create a composite of the whole aircraft when the profile is complete).
 

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Here are the Nelson Gun Synchronization System Manual and the .30 Cal Browning Manual
 

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Foo Fighter, Thank you! I am finishing up the front view and should have additional drawings this weekend. I'm trying to stay in the era's technology (circa 1923). The tunnel radiator is sized for non-Prestone (invented 1927) related engine coolants and the oil coolant system was routed through an oil temperature regulator that was essentially an oil coolant line (located in the radiator tunnel) connected to the D-12 water pump and coiled in a water filled cylinder (I'll post it along with some 'standard' era COTS aircraft systems that went into the design).

The design is slightly evolutionary for its time as it is a monoplane design with a steel tube fuselage and wings with fabric covering. Corrugated duralumin begins at the wing root and extends to the landing gear attachment points for greater strength and covers the engine, fuel, and machine gun sections.

The spars are designed based on the Engineering Divisions test of fifteen foot spar sections, which are spliced together in the aircrafts fuselage. Its flight controls and surfaces are standardized to match its contemporaries using push rods, cables-pullies, and bell cranks.

Its been a fun design process. Exploring old technology makes one feel like an aviation archeologist. I just wish I had more time to dedicate to it.
 
Top View of the PW-10 design.
 

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It is not clear if your engine is direct drive.
If it turns more than 3,000 rpm, then you will need a propeller speed reduction unit. If you install a PSRU, you might as well install one that raises the thrust line. Raising the thrust line will allow for shorter - and lighter - landing gear. A higher thrust line will also allow you to install a 20 mm motor-kanon. A large-caliber motor-kanon may not be needed in the immediately post-WW1 ear, but will prove valuable come WW2.
 
Riggerrob, its a Curtiss D-12 ("D" indicating direct drive in Curtiss' nomenclature), also known as the V-1150. Reduction gears were replaced by Artur Nutt with a direct-drive design due to its better reliability. The D-12 turns at 2,200 rpm, generating 443 hp. It was a popular engine in the early 1920s and was the first engine that powered an aircraft over 200 mph, winning the Pulitzer Trophy and going on to power the USAAF's PW-8. Later some aircraft with D-12s were retro-fitted with the Curtiss Conqueror. The D-12 was the most popular engine between 1920-1925 until the Pratt and Whitney air-cooled Wasp arrived.

Raising the thrust line is possible. Some inverted-V engines were developed. I'm not sure why they weren't used more, however, I think oil control was one of the issues. For this design I used a typical V-cylinder arrangement as it was popularly used during the time period.

I do like the design options that an inverted-V type engine design provides, for example a narrower cowling for better pilot visibility and the before mentioned reasons you provided. I'll look into modifying the design for an inverted-V and see what it looks like.
 
Okay Dynoman,
I will quit bugging you about PSRUs and motor-kannons.
Inverted V engines are rarer than upright V engines.

The most popular inverted V, liquid-cooled engine was the Daimler-Benz DB600 series of inverted V12 engines used in WW2 vintage German airplanes like Messerschmitt 109, 110, etc. But since the first DB600 only ran in 1932, it is too late for your project. DB600s routed motor-kannon BELOW the crankshaft, in the valley of the V cylinder banks, which resulted in a far lower thrust line (propeller shaft) than Allied fighters powered by upright-V Allisons, Hispano-Suizas, Klimovs, Rolls-Royces, etc.

Air-cooled, inverted Vs are more relevant in terms of power, but again developed later. They developed from the upright, straight in-line, air-cooled, engines that powered light sporting airplanes during the 1920s (e.g. deHavilland Moth). During the 1930s, they flopped cylinders to inverted, then added up to a total of 6 cylinders. A few manufacturers even tried combining two 6 cylinder banks to make inverted V-12s. Power was limited to 200 to 900 horsepower and they struggled to route enough cooling air to the rear cylinders. This is where your liquid-cooled specification has the advantage of even cooling.
Argus, deHavilland, Issota-Fraschini, Ranger, etc. all developed air-cooled inverted V engines.

Argus As.10 was an air-cooled, displacement 12.7 liters, inverted V8 that produced 200 to 240 horsepower. It first ran in 1932 and powered a variety of light WW2 Nazi airplanes (e.g. Storch). Production ran to 28,000 engines.

deHavilland only ran their first Gypsy 12 engine in 1937. It was an (18.3 liters) air-cooled, inverted V12 producing 425 horsepower, but only 95 Gypsy 12 and (similar Gypsy King) engines were built for the RAF.

Isotta-Fraschini Delta inverted V12 (26.7 liters) first ran in 1927. Production versions produced 700 to 900 horsepower.

Ranger built small numbers of V-770 (12.7 liters) , air-cooled, inverted, V-12 engines during WW2. The first V-770 ran in 1931 and production versions produced 420 horsepower. One proposed variant (Bell XP-77) had a 20 mm auto-cannon mounted ON TOP of the crankcase and firing through a PSRU that RAISED the propeller thrust-line above the crankshaft creating the pyramidal cowling shape (e.g. Messerschmitt 262) that you desire.
 
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Nice example of a US inverted V-12. The engine began development in 1923 with different variations including gear, direct drive and inverted. This Packard 2A-1500 is a direct drive inverted type of 600 hp at 2300 rpm.
 

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I'd concentrate as much weight as close to the center of mass as possible by going engine behind the pilot. Main wing above the engine and behind the pilot. The engine block would offer the pilot a bit of protection from rear attacks. The radiator would be coils running inside the leading edge of the main wing.

The nose would contain the guns, preferably rigged to fire separately. Rationing bullets was important in that era. A nose-mounted spotlight in-line with the guns would help the pilot judge nose aim. This could be helpful in dusk and dawn attacks. While maybe not as useful in air-to-air, it would give the pilot a sense of aim during strafe runs. Having a diffuser that can get flipped in and out of the light would aid in wide-angle vision.

There would be a stiff, all-moving canard plane in the front of the cose section, and a stub wing in the back, much smaller than the main wing. The stub wing would have small trailing counter-flaps. The combination of the two would act similar to a conventional tail. Pitch of the canard and trailing stub wing flaps would be controlled by the pilot's feet and a small wheel in front of pilot, one for each side, to dial in trim. The pedals that control the canard would be far apart, leaving space for a second pedal for each foot in between for rudder controls. The rudders would be on the main wings and linked to rudder vanes that are washed by the prop, like on an airboat.

Instead of a single stick, I want one for each hand and located on each side of the cockpit. Triggers linked to the same-side gun would be attached to each stick handle. I would control the main wing flaps with the sticks. Pulling back or pushing forward would move the flap up and down on the wing. However, the control arms would be linked by a torsion spring, allowing one stick to control both flaps, which would be helpful in an emergency such as a control stick link breaking. The torsion spring would allow the flaps to be twisted away from each other for roll, but would (from tension in the spring) try to realign as the twisting forces were relaxed. The sticks would also allow limited movement side to side that would help impart twist on the spring to help in rolling manuevers. The sticks would also be linked to a trailing set of horizontal vanes washed by the prop. At maximum prop rotation the pilot would enjoy substantial feedback in his controls. All of this would make possible basic maneuvers performed with one-arm, which I believe would be important.

And I almost forgot, all my marketing would be concentrated on European partners. No way in hell would the army actually use this backwards ass design. I think the Swedes, British, French, and Spanish might be interested in them.
 
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I'd concentrate as much weight as close to the center of mass as possible by going engine behind the pilot. Main wing above the engine and behind the pilot. The engine block would offer the pilot a bit of protection from rear attacks. The radiator would be coils running inside the leading edge of the main wing.

The nose would contain the guns, preferably rigged to fire separately. Rationing bullets was important in that era. A nose-mounted spotlight in-line with the guns would help the pilot judge nose aim. This could be helpful in dusk and dawn attacks. While maybe not as useful in air-to-air, it would give the pilot a sense of aim during strafe runs. Having a diffuser that can get flipped in and out of the light would aid in wide-angle vision.

There would be a stiff, all-moving canard plane in the front of the cose section, and a stub wing in the back, much smaller than the main wing. The stub wing would have small trailing counter-flaps. The combination of the two would act similar to a conventional tail. Pitch of the canard and trailing stub wing flaps would be controlled by the pilot's feet and a small wheel in front of pilot, one for each side, to dial in trim. The pedals that control the canard would be far apart, leaving space for a second pedal for each foot in between for rudder controls. The rudders would be on the main wings and linked to rudder vanes that are washed by the prop, like on an airboat.

Вместо одной палки я хочу по одной для каждой руки и расположенной по бокам кокпита. К каждой рукоятке рукояти будут прикреплены спусковые крючки, связанные с пистолетом с той же стороны. Я бы управлял закрылками с помощью стиков. Потянув назад или толкнув вперед, закрылок будет перемещаться вверх и вниз по крылу. Однако рычаги управления будут связаны торсионной пружиной, что позволит одной ручке управлять обоими закрылками, что может быть полезно в аварийной ситуации, например, при разрыве тяги ручки управления. Пружина кручения позволяла скручивать закрылки друг от друга для крена, но (из-за напряжения пружины) пыталась выровняться по мере ослабления скручивающих сил. Палки также позволяли бы ограниченное движение из стороны в сторону, что помогло бы придать пружине скручивание, чтобы облегчить маневры с перекатыванием. Палки также будут связаны с задним набором горизонтальных лопастей, омываемых винтом. При максимальном вращении винта пилот получит значительную обратную связь в своих органах управления. Все это сделало бы возможным базовые маневры, выполняемые одной рукой, что, я считаю, было бы важно.

И чуть не забыл, весь мой маркетинг будет сосредоточен на европейских партнерах. Ни за что, черт возьми, армия на самом деле не использовала бы эту конструкцию с обратной задницей. Думаю, ими могут заинтересоваться шведы, британцы, французы и испанцы.
Приветствую всех!

А я знаю такой самолет)
Де Брюйер C 1
Франция, 1917 год. Конструктор Марсель де Брюйер. C 1 - единственный и неповторимый самолет Маэстро.
Двигатель: Hispano-Suiza 8a, 150 л.с. Вооружение: 37мм пушка Hotchkiss M1902.
Самолет затерялся в своем первом и последнем полете, оторвавшись от земли на пару метров и перевернувшись "на спину". Пилоту повезло, пилот выжил.
 

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Conceptual design effort:
To understand and respond to the Type I mission requirements
To use state-of-the-art technologies for the 1919-1923 time period as practical as possible
To find creative ways to integrate the technologies to make it a formidable and sustainable design
To consider the materials, manufacturing processes and design tools used in the same period

From this preliminary design effort the hope is to generate:
Configuration
Weight estimation
Airfoil selection
Wing loading and thrust loading
Wing design
Fuselage, landing gear, and control surface design
System and armament placement
CG Calculations
Performance estimates
Preliminary stability data

For fun, the aircraft company name is SPEEDCO for Secret Projects-Forum Engineering Evaluation and Design Company and it's designation is PW-10.

Well, assuming I have access to aircraft confiscated at the end of the Great War... the Fokker D.VII was viewed as a very highly in terms of its performance and overall innovations. Meanwhile the Fokker D.VIII/E.V showed unusually high performance for the amount of engine-power available (and the Siemens-Schuckert D.VI was a further development of that new-aerofoil parasol concept). So I'd probably be looking at something like the Fokker V.27 and V.29.

To be conservative I'd build two prototypes with different centre fuselage sections - one with a parasol wing, and the other a sesquiplane. Both would be built as fighters.

Furthermore, I'd create the design with the ability to add sections to lengthen the fuselage (both in front of and behind the wing). This would allow the creation of a two-seater, or a high-speed single seater with additional range from a fuel-tank or a small bombload in front of the pilot (S.V.A.5/S.V.A.10 style). That way, if I didn't win the fighter competition, I might still get buyers.

So that is my competitor.

References:
V.27/V.29: http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft30238.htm
SSW D.VI http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft30300.htm
Ansaldo: https://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft25547.htm & https://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft32953.htm
 
I don't understand Russian but the aircraft is very interesting. The front wheel choice looks like nose strikes were an issue.
De_Bruy%C3%A8re_C_1_crash_view_2.png
 
Well, assuming I have access to aircraft confiscated at the end of the Great War... the Fokker D.VII was viewed as a very highly in terms of its performance and overall innovations.
That is very true, in fact the Treaty of Versailles specifically mandated that the Germans surrender all D,VIIs to the Allies.

The parasol winged fighter was something that I considered, however I was focusing on cantilevered monoplanes and looked at various spar types that were under development in 1923-1925 era. The parasol wing was definitely an early interwar era design whose technology was well understood by the end of WWI, which was made more feasible by external bracing (i.e. wing and cabane struts, and flying wires).

At Madrat, rollovers and ground looping are two issues that continue to plague conventional landing geared aircraft. Early aircraft designs incorporated skids that extended in front of the aircraft to prevent roll overs while trying to balance the aircraft on its main wheels on takeoff and landing (e.g. Vickers Vimy).
 

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Very interesting design process and detailed drawings! Hope you don't mind me taking a shot at converting it into 3d ;)
 

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I've always liked the 17th Pursuit Squadron. They have had an illustrious history in training fighter pilots. They are today connected to the Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB. However, there are a lot of cool paint schemes in the mid-1920s.
 

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I've always liked the 17th Pursuit Squadron. They have had an illustrious history in training fighter pilots. They are today connected to the Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB. However, there are a lot of cool paint schemes in the mid-1920s.
Here we go, hope you like it!
 

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Absolutely incredible!! It's now my new screen saver! I last worked on Coefficients of Lift and Drag estimates and a full weight and balance based on the component installation (i.e. radios, armament, structural groups, etc.). I'll take another look at getting that data together. Great job! CiTrus90 your modelling skills are brilliant!
 

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