Three-engined Postwar Traffic/Transport

[Romantic Technofreak]

Could have been or even real.

Dewoitine D.342:

http://www.aviafrance.com/images/2312.jpg


Fiat G.212:

http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/CPA/Images/galVelSto4978-2.jpg


Junkers Ju 252:

http://www.luftwaffepics.com/LCBW/Ju252-1.jpg


Northrop C-125:

http://www.stinsonflyer.com/prop/c125-1.jpg


Only question is: what is the purpose of this post? Probably to fill the gap between Ju 52 and Boeing 727!?:D[8)]

[simon]

I've seen a colour plate of a trimotor C-47 as well! :D

Does anyone know why the designers went for three engines?

Was it to get better performance / reliability out of essentially twin engine designs, so that they could design aircraft with lower powered engines, or as an economy measure (ie cheaper to build a trimotor than a quad)?

Just curious.... :)

[Romantic Technofreak]

It is said that it is more safe to use more engines, but it is always cheaper to use less engines. Sometimes it might also have been difficult to get the adequate power by two or four engines, so three would have been the best solution. I remember having read about the discussion of the engine-design of the Boeing 727, when it was said the airplane should get "something between two and four engines!":)[8D];)

[robert]

quote:Originally posted by Romantic Technofreak

Only question is: what is the purpose of this post? Probably to fill the gap between Ju 52 and Boeing 727!?:D[8)]


Shouldn't that be "the gap between Ju 52 and de Havilland (later Hawker Siddeley) Trident?"

http://www.hs121.org.uk/

[B-24WillowRun]

In the early 1930s when the aircraft industry was looking to put people into the planes with the mail, the engines were not as reliable and for safty and marketing the three engines were used. The Ford Trimoter and the Ju-52 had similar development. The Northrup trimoter is just a classy bird. Over all it was for safty, and in the casr of the SM.79 program engine power. Latter some SM.79s were fitted with only two engines. ;)

[robert]

quote:Originally posted by B-24WillowRun

Over all it was for safty, and in the casr of the SM.79 program engine power. Latter some SM.79s were fitted with only two engines. ;)


All SM.79s built for Italy had three motors. The twin-engined SM.79B was actually one of the earliest variants of the aircraft, not a later one, first flying on August 8, 1936.

Although rejected by Italian authorities, the twin-engined version was continued as a private venture with the goal of export sales, but in the end only Iraq and Romania (the latter of which used the aircraft in large numbers) bought it.

[B-24WillowRun]

Robert, thanks for the corection. I remembered reading that Romania used it in numbers during the war, but not that it was an earlier version, and not latter as I thought. That goes to show I should keep reading, more sights :)