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Beach landing for airbus A400M
Huge Airbus A400M Atlas makes spectacular beach landing (www.youtube.com) Más...Counter rotating, meaning each pair of props turns in opposite directions. However, the engines all turn in the same direction, and two of the props are switched by a gear mechanism. This means that AB doesn't have to produce two different engines.
Part of that about the actual engine portion itself being the same, and a gear, is correct. However there are 2 different complete engine assemblies made. Both use a gearbox but when ordering up a replacement assembly, specify baseline/prop clock or handed/prop counterclock. Handed uses an extra gear, in the gearbox, to achieve counterclock rotation.
Still makes us a a tad angry thou. European protectionism opted for the troubled Europrop TP400 unit over the P&WC PW180 unit, even thou the later was cheaper, weighted less and proven to actually work.
Still makes us a a tad angry thou. European protectionism opted for the troubled Europrop TP400 unit over the P&WC PW180 unit, even thou the later was cheaper, weighted less and proven to actually work.
Thanks for the details.
No Mike. Similar idea using a turbine engine to drive the gearbox. But in this case it's single prop driven 1 direction only, either clockwise (baseline) or counterclockwise (handed)
With contra-rotation, that gearbox actually has two portions to it with the rear portion (baseline) driving the front portion (handed)
With contra-rotation, that gearbox actually has two portions to it with the rear portion (baseline) driving the front portion (handed)
The contra-rotating propellers do not need to be driven by a turbine engine, it could be a piston engine. One example is the Rolls Royce Griffon engine as used on the Avro Shackleton that used contra-rotating propellers.
Not the only article by any means but a good place to start is a potted history here http://www.aeroresource.co.uk/operational-reports/pembrey-sands-air-weapons-range/