Around the era of 1950 some single engine fighter planes were fitted with two contra-rotating coaxial propellers in order to compensate the serious troubles caused by the assymetrical forces of their extremely powerful piston engines, normally swinging just one huge propeller. Mostly the late production Spitfires, determined to operate from aircraft carriers, were powered that way and are a nice example for this development.

Forgotten completely

Although the concept could really resolve the problems it was aimed to in quite a few projects, success was limited to the insufficient rigidy of the complex gearboxes, while the tremendous forces caused by the two propellers plus the destructive vibrations from the piston engine just loved to shake such drives apart.

Download the full content of the latest CIAM Flyer (01-2014) - To compensate the assymetrical forces   in PDF format !

• Current and past issues of the CIAM Flyer can be downloaded on the CIAM Flyer web page