Steam aircraft

Steam aircraft are aircraft that are propelled by steam engines. They were unusual devices because of the difficulty in producing a powerplant with a high enough power to weight ratio to be practical. They are distinct from airships that use steam as their lifting gas which are known as thermal airships.

History

*1842: The Aerial Steam Carriage of William Samuel Henson and John Stringfellow was patented, but was never successful, although a steam-powered model was flown in 1848.
*1852: Henri Giffard flies a 3 horsepower (2 kW) steam-powered dirigible over Paris; it was the first powered aircraft.
*1874: Félix du Temple flies a steam powered aluminium Monoplane off a downhill run. While it did not achieve level flight, it was the first manned heavier-than-air powered flight.
*1894: Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim (inventor of the Maxim Gun) built and tested a large steam powered aircraft. The machine generated sufficient lift and thrust to break free of the test track and fly but was never operated as a piloted aircraft.
*1902: Louis Gagnon flew a steam helicopter in Rossland, British Columbia, called the "Flying Steam Shovel". Control problems caused a crash.
*1930s: George D. Besler and William J. Besler's prototype steam biplane, based on a Travel Air 2000, flew several times at Oakland airport. It was powered by a two-cylinder, 150 hp reciprocating engine designed by the Doble Steam Motors Company and Besler weighing about 500 lbs [Citation | last = | first = | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | author2-link = | title = Flight by Steam | newspaper = TIME | pages = | year = | date = April 24 1933 | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,769820,00.html] and was capable of STOL operation due to the ease of reversing the thrust. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Besler Steam-Driven Aeroplane | work = | publisher = flyingkettle.com | date = | url = http://www.flyingkettle.com/besler6.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-05-06]
*1944: A steam-powered version of the Messerschmitt Me 264a was mooted but never constructed. This was to have been powered by a steam turbine developing over 6,000 horsepower and driving a 5.3 meter (17' 6") diameter propeller. The fuel would have been a mixture of powdered coal and petroleum. The main advantages to this powerplant were considered to be constant power at all altitudes and simple maintenance. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Messerschmitt Me 264 | work = | publisher = luft46.com | date = | url = http://www.luft46.com/prototyp/me264.html | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-05-06]
*1960s: Some work was done by Don Johnson of Thermodynamic Systems Inc. Newport Beach, CA on creating a steam-powered helicopter using a steam engine of 150 horsepower installed in a Hughes 300 helicopter. The steam engine was a compact cylindrical double-acting uniflow [similar in layout to the Dyna-Cam Aero engine] built by Controlled Steam Dynamics, Inc.

External links

* [http://www.flyingkettle.com/ Site dedicated to steam-powered dirigibles]
* [http://www.stanleysteamers.com/papers/Besler-aviation.pdf Report on the Besler aircraft]
* [http://www.airbornegrafix.com/HistoricAircraft/ThingsWings/Besler.htm The Besler Steam Plane ]
* [http://www.flyingkettle.com/besler1.htm Flying By Steam, by David Sarlin]
* [http://www.flyingkettle.com/besler2.htm article published in "Light Steam Power"]
* [http://www.archive.org/details/BeslerCo1932 Besler Corporation Promo Film: Steam-Driven Vehicles]

Notes

References

* "The Lore of Flight," 1986, The First Powered Hops, Historical Section, pg 38. Taylor, John William Ransom [Ed.] , Crescent Books, New York ISBN 0-517-18348-X
* "Air Progress" magazine, July 1969; Aeronews, p. 20 "Steamed Up Over Chopper Power"
* "Daily Pilot," Thursday October 9, 1969 pg. 3 "Speedy Steam Engine" by Arthur R. Vinsel