Return of the big, old, Invincible wheel saga...

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Jul 24, 2008 5:31 pm

Apologies for reviving an old thread, found here

Here's an update...

airnutz wrote:

JDK wrote:

A really hard question is what's the biggest, oldest surviving tyre? The Science Museum in London has one from that era.

dhfan wrote:

I have feeling it was either the Tarrant Tabor or the Beardmore Inflexible that had an 8 foot diameter tyre.

I believe the XB-36 has that topped at 9feet 2inches,(110 inches)...

The wheel I was thinking of is still on show at the Science Museum, London. Here's a photo of it with me, at about 6'4" to give it scale. It was fitted to the Beardmore Inflexible, and while clearly trumped in size by the XB-36, as a 1928 type, it's a lot older, which was part of my question.

Trying to read off the tyre info, it appears to be something over 88 inches total diameter. The other tyreless wheel on my right was also intended for the Inflexible.

And the whole thing:

Details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beardmore_Inflexible

There's film of the Inflexible here.

Not to detract from the XB-36, or to over-rate the Inflexible (which was a dud) but I'm still impressed at the size of the thing for its day...

So, again, anyone know of a bigger, older aircraft wheel, ideally surviving somewhere?

Cheers,

airnutz · **Posted:** Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:28 pm

Touche' Mr. Tweed! :oops:

I hope you didn't burn a plane ticket to the old country for a photo to prove the point? :lol:

(Exits with flounce!!! :evil:

)

Robbie Roberts · **Posted:** Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:09 am

There was that huge Russian aircraft of the 30s', what was it called? Maxim? something unusual- everything but a swimming pool... Of course, the Russian flying tank was kinda neat...

Robbie

Oscar Duck · **Posted:** Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:51 am

ah - the design to the Pilatus Porter..

The Inspector · **Posted:** Fri Jul 25, 2008 2:25 am

The name says 'Inflexible' but the sheetmetal reminds me of the fuselage skin on a BUFF-and the aircraft looks like the box a HORSA glider was shipped in-and the wheel you are standing next to is boiler stout. :shock:

Still, a valiant attempt when next to nothing was really understood about the dynamics of really large airframes, and I'll bet it was way, way overbuilt!

Another formerly dark corner of aviation brought to light! Thanx so much JDK!

airnutz · **Posted:** Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:23 am

The Inspector wrote:

...is boiler stout. :shock:

Boiler stout??

He11, the aluminium wheel looks like a bridgework shop was involved! :shock:

James D · **Posted:** Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:33 am

Robbie Roberts wrote:

There was that huge Russian aircraft of the 30s', what was it called? Maxim? something unusual- everything but a swimming pool... Of course, the Russian flying tank was kinda neat...

Robbie

Maxim Gorky

Could be a contender.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_ANT-20

Swiss Mustangs · **Posted:** Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:40 am

Oscar Duck wrote:

ah - the design to the Pilatus Porter..

ROTFLMAO !

Martin

airnutz · **Posted:** Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:19 am

Ahhhh..saw the video, a shipworks..of course! Did you see during the liftoff the dihedral increase in the wings?
I almost expected them to flap!! :shock:

Brings new meaning to the 'ancient' term, "stessed skin"!! :lol:

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:26 pm

Glad it amused... Good one Oscar. I'll just get Beardmore to sue Pilatus. :lol:

Airnutz, no, I just was reminded of the topic when I saw the wheel, while just 'passing through'!

As to light into obscure corners, here's another contender. A wheel from the first 'Amerika Bomber' circa 1918 - yup, 1918.

Sorry there's no scale, but Skysport, who refurbished it place it at about 8 foot diameter.

If anyone can provide drawings or photos of the part completed and unflown beastie, I'd be appreciative, as I've not found anything myself. The wheel, despite various references placing it in all sorts of UK museums was at the IWM Duxford in June, at least!

From other forums:

Quote:

A quote of a quote of a quote from this archive:

http://www.wwi-models.org/mail-archive/archive.1998/849

">From the Bowers and McDowell book, "Triplanes":

Mannesmann (Poll) Triplane

This giant triplane seems to have been a dying gasp of the
German Air Force. It was meant to carry leaflets across
the Atlantic Ocean to drop on New York City. While the
designer's name seems to be a bit of a mystery, it is believed
that it was the work of Villehad Forssman who had worked
previously for Siemens-Schuckert. The unfinished aircraft
was discovered in a hanger after the Armistance by the
Allied Control Commissions inspection team.

A section of the plane and a wheel 8 feet in diameter where
sent back to England for study. The span of the center wing
was 165 ft (50.3 m); the top and bottom wing were of equal
span but quite a bit smaller. It was to have tandem mounted
engines - eight on the center wing and a pair on the lower
wing. The fuselage was long and slender, mounted between the
center wing directly above the engines on the lower wing.
The fuselage was 150 ft (45.7 m) long.

An eighty-hour flight endurance was planned (editorial
comment: Wow!), and provision was made to carry such a load
of fuel. The overall structure was heavy but extremely
weak. No interal bracing cable was installed, and while it
was covered with two layers of three-ply wood which made it
as heavy as a boat, these did little to add strength. In
addition, the ailerons were too small, the center of gravity
way aft, and the elevators would have been ineffective. So,
it is doubtful it would have flown if it had been completed.

That's all they wrote:

Cheers and all,

Bill Shatzer"

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircr ... plane.html

So just when you've seen it all, there's something even more amazing out there. (Oh, and Mustangs, too.)

DarenC1 · **Joined:** Sun May 07, 2006 8:10 am **Posts:** 235

That sounds like the scariest flying machine imaginable...!

:shock:

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:25 pm

Oscar Duck wrote:

ah - the design to the Pilatus Porter..

that's what i was thinking!!

Warbird Information Exchange

Return of the big, old, Invincible wheel saga...

Who is online