Flight, July 1938
Consolidated's 100-passenger Project
NUMBER of interesting and unusual features appear in the design which Consolidated Aircraft have put forward following Pan-American Airways' request for tenders for 100-passenger flying ДальшеMore>>>
boats. It may be remembered that the essential requirements for this machine involve a payload of 25,000 lb., a range of 5,000 miles, and the use of a pressure cabin.
The Consolidated project depends on the development of engines giving more than 2,000 h.p. so that the required number of power units can be reduced from six to four, and thus leave space in the wing for additional passenger accommodation. The engines which are envisaged will be of the liquid-cooled type, and will be located between the spars and drive the airscrews by means of extension shafts. The difficulty of arranging reasonably unrestricted passenger accommodation in the wing was overcome by placing the main bulkheads at the sides of each compartment and using auxiliary arched ribs between them, these being designed so that they do not reduce the effective head room in the compartments. Altogether, thirty-six of the hundred passengers will be accommodated in the wing.
According to the preliminary specifications, the Consolidated boat will have a gross weight of 168,000 lb., a span of 194ft., a maximum speed at 20,000ft. of 276 m.p.h., and a range at this operating altitude of 5.000 miles in still air. The stalling speed at sea level with half the fuel load, with the flaps down and with power on - interesting and significant qualifications - is given as 78 m.p h.
An artist's impression of the Consolidated flying boat, which had only four engines of 2,300 hp each, giving a power loading of 18-5 Ib/hp (8,23 kg/cv).
This projected Consolidated machine has four liquid-cooled engines of over 2,000 h.p. each, buried in the wing. They drive airscrews through extension shafts and may be attended in flight.
Data for the projected U.S. Consolidated oceanic flying boat are: top speed 226 m.p.h. at 10,000 ft.; range with 10,000 lb. payload, 6,000 miles; take-off time in still air 1 min. 7 sec.; gross weight 110,000 lb.; span 18s ft.; passengers, 54; crew, 10.
THE YEAR AFTER NEXT: Consolidated Aircraft are interesting themselves more in the civil market. Here are drawings of their 100-passenger design for Pan-American Airways. It is intended to have a maximum speed of 276 m.p.h. at 20,000 ft. - the operating height with specially supercharged engines apd pressure cabin.
A three-view of the Consolidated flying boat.
