Just been reading about the Tupolev TU114, the fastest prop driven plane ever built. Designed in the 50's and first in service in 1961, it was
phased out in the early 70's, but still is faster than anything else with propellers!!!
Not a small aircraft like you might expect, but a big passenger plane!!!
Get this though, it uses 4 engines to power 4 sets of twin-4-bladed contrarotating props, each engine having 15,000hp, a total of 60,000hp going into
the props 
Giving that it weighs around 91 tonnes, that is actually nearly 660hp per tonne!!!
I bet it fairly shifts on unladen takeoff!!!!!!!
Whats your interest in this? Have you bought one as a donor?
and as a useless fact it had one of the longest front nose landing gears too!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-116
It's basically a Bear bomber with seat and windows isn't it
Tupolev TU114
Tupolev TU95 'Bear'
yeah think so!
sadly I don't have one, and spares are too tricky to find in this country to make it a practical engine donor.
15,000hp each engine, still can't believe it!!
There is 60,000hp strapped to that tin can.....its just incredible when that is shaft hp.
I know jets have more, but it just doesn't seem the same when it is thrust!!!
i always thought the TU95 was faster.
@ 575mph as opposed to 545mph of the TU114.
oooo.....an anorak moment there...lol
Great aircraft for the 50s
I always liked the story of the american fighters that used to follow it over the North Atlantic and take photos. They couldn't work out what
they were looking at when that approahed the plane from the rear , the photo appeared to change depending on the agle the american aircrat approached
from, it was only after a number of photos were taken they discovered they were looking right down the barrels of a twin barreled high speed radar
guided 40mm cannon!!
Ooops, cheque please
Any of em go down?
Alex
The props on these aircraft operate in the supersonic range --- gives very unpleasant shock waves that were felt by the pilots of the Lightnings and Phantoms that intercepted them over the north sea.
quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
Get this though, it uses 4 engines to power 4 sets of twin-4-bladed contrarotating props, each engine having 15,000hp, a total of 60,000hp going into the props
Giving that it weighs around 91 tonnes, that is actually nearly 660hp per tonne!!!
