Travel Air with a Steam Engine

[AviaS199]

Maybe you've seen this before, but if not, check this out. Yeah, it really flew.

Granted, at five hundred pounds/150 horsepower, the power to weight ratio wasn't that great. But still - can't help but wonder ...

With modern alloys and other improvements, who knows? Run it on biodiesel, and you could have one Lean Mean Green Flyin' Machine.

[wacoykc]

Apparently it flew and ran just fine. Just seems odd....a steam-powered airplane...although coal is pretty cheap!

[stumac]

Forget the coal think about using nuclear power to heat that water. It has been attempted but the nuclear programs were never carried thru to perfection. Forget all that stuff I still have fun burning up dead dinosaurs (I am doing a lot of it sitting always behind round engines)

[RyanShort1]

Now frankly I'd like to have the design plans for that - just in case it'd be useful in 40 years or so...

Ryan

[AviaS199]

IIRC, the original shop drawings are in the Smithsonian.

[Baldeagle]

The engine itself is:
http://picasaweb.google.com/travelerpai ... 3499529314




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[AviaS199]

Thanks for the photo. Next time I'm in DC, I'll have to check that out.


Something I found on YouTube: Newsreel footage of the Besler Steam Car and Airplane. Love it when he throws the Travel Air into reverse!