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Little known / experimental aircraft

The Junkers JU-86R, a high altitude reconnaissance airplane. Able to reach 47,000+ feet, it was powered by a pair of Junkers Jumo 6 cylinder turbo diesels.

The story of WW2’s highest altitude engagement:



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While looking at high altitude records for manned propeller airplanes, I came across the German Grob Strato 2C which achieved 60,000 in 1995.

It featured 2 pusher Teledyne Continental 6 cylinder piston engines that were combined with the gas generators of 2 P&W PW127’s. Very odd combination- Ike? Sevenhelmet? Can y’all explain the benefits of this engine setup?

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They used the gas generator from the PW127s to provide a constant supply of pressurized air to the piston engine at high altitude.
German innovation at it's finest.
If they had the access to raw materials like manganese to provide the metallurgy it could have been a very different war. That isolated industrial capacity was probably the single biggest overwhelming advantage we had over them.

Probably a lesson to apply to current events in there….
 
The distinctive Grumman XF5F Skyrocket. A twin engined (9 cylinder Wright Cyclone 1820’s pushing 1,200 HP each) naval fighter proposed before WW2 with its first flight in April 1940. It performed very well in tests but was passed over in favor of cheaper and simpler fighters.

It reminds of the Cord 810/812 automobiles…

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Grumman XF5F-1 Skyrocket c. 1940

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The distinctive Grumman XF5F Skyrocket. A twin engined (9 cylinder Wright Cyclone 1820’s pushing 1,200 HP each) naval fighter proposed before WW2 with its first flight in April 1940. It performed very well in tests but was passed over in favor of cheaper and simpler fighters.

It reminds of the Cord 810/812 automobiles…

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Grumman XF5F-1 Skyrocket c. 1940

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Would have made for an impressive gunship with four .50’s in the nose!
 
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