Beechcraft Model 27 "Task Force Freighter"

[jcf]

According to a partially incomplete description in The Staggerwing Story it was a design
for a very large staggered wing biplane and was conceived in 1941 to Army Air Corps Spec.
R-1800-D. No illustration in book.

Wingspan: 108' 9"
Wing area: 3,410 in sq
Length: not listed
Fuselage width/depth: 16' X 19', description states (16' diameter, oval cross-section?)

Structure: all metal, upper wing in three sections, stainless steel covering from leading edge
to main spar, fabric from spar to trailing edge, lower wing panels hinged at landing gear truss
extensions
Landing gear: conventional, retracted inward into lower fuselage (taildragger?)

Engines: four V-1710 (1,150hp at 3,000 rpm), 4,600hp total, mounted in an engine room
turning a single 23' diameter 4-blade propeller, distance from propeller tip to ground was 7'
(think Linke-Hoffman RII).
Engine room to be fitted with CO2 fire suppression system designed to flood compartment
which then allowed a mask equipped mechanic to enter to effect repairs

Fuel: 3,250 gallons - 1,400 in wing, remainder in fuselage tanks fwd. of main gear
Max range: 4,000 miles
Design gross weight: 61,264 lbs
Max speed: 230 mph (13,000')
Cruise speed: 165 mph (65% power)
Takeoff/anding over 50' obstacle: 1,800'
Ceiling: 22,000' (10,000' on two engines)

Crew: 3
Cargo: 70 fully equipped soldiers, mix of personnel and equipment, or equipment only
Built in power-operated for loading vehicles etc. through a 10' X 15' hatch
Example load: 75mm cannon (1), 75mm ammo (174 rounds), 'reconnaissance cars' (2),
soldiers (4), .30 MGs (2), fuel and oil for vehicles

Has anyone ever seen a drawing or come across more details?

Cheers, Jon

pp. 117 - 118 The Staggerwing Story, Edward H. Phillips, Flying Books International 1996

 

[Stargazer]

Very interesting, jcf, thanks a lot. I'd never heard of it before... I'd love to see what it looked like!

 

[sienar]

Quite an unusual design given the description. This would be the highest horsepower biplane ever designed, no?

NARA has some documents about it; https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40538091

 

[Arjen]

Highest horsepower biplane ever designed - that depends on what subtype of V-1710 was to be used. The P-38's turbocharged V-1710 could reach 1400hp+ in service, upwards of 1800hp in some recce-Lightnings, but he P-39's mechanically supercharged V-1710 delivered somewhere between 1000hp and 1200hp.

The Short Sarafand had six 825hp RR Buzzard engines, giving 4950hp in total.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Which is fine but the p-38 and p-39 were monoplanes.

 

[Arjen]

To stray even further off topic: the P-38 and P-39 both used Allison V-1710 but of different subtypes, with rather different power output. The Beechcraft 27 biplane design was to have four V-1710s, but which subtype? If they had been the same subtype as used on the P-39, the Short Sarafand biplane would have been more powerful than the Type 27 - with the V-1710s as used on the P-38, the Type 27 would have been the most powerful biplane ever. Sienar asked about that possibility.

 

[cluttonfred]

Neat, thanks jcf for sharing this (and for the reference to the Linke-Hofmann R.II, also new to me). I, too, would love to see a drawing of the Model 27.

 

[jcf]

I forgot to include the hp rating on the V-1710 in the original post, I've modified the
post to include that info.