4
,
On the right is
shown a mockup of the pilots'
compartment.
The
eight
throttU :. are the
only engine
controls in this
compartment,
but even so they
m u s t be a
"h andful."
They are operated by the
Pneudyne
system.
'' X
i«/
i span of 320ft. and is of wood construction.
the eight engine nacelles
So are
|20/t., Loaded Weight 400,000 lb.
fen the Hercules was first planned, in 1942, the conivas made with the Kaiser-Hughes Corporation, but
as dissolved in 1944, and the work is now handled
by the Hughes Aircraft Company. In designing
•ill shape the N.A.C.A. engineers at Langley Field
|onsulted, and their vast experience . - •
in a hull which, when tested in
form in the tank, was found to
good water performance. On the
>namic side also the N.A.C.A. was
i suggest extrapolation of available.
the high Reynolds Number inm such a large aircraft.
iy problems were encountered in
Instruction, owing t o ' t h e need for
|accuracy in the thickness of the
fnes. Three different types of resin
I have been used: the plywood
are bonded with a pheiiol|dehyde resin ; laminated members ,
spars, stringers and longerons
nented with a urea-formaldehyde
I and joints in the hull skin are
with resorcinol-formaldehyde resin.
An eyeful for
the flight engineers. Mockup of the instru. merit panels and
various engine
controls which
relieve the
pilots of all
but the throttie
controls.
The following figures give some idea of the task undertaken by the designers. The wing span is 320ft., and the
root thickness 13ft. The hull has a length of 220ft. and
a depth of 30ft. Eight engines of 3,000 h.p. each provide
the power and drive four-bladed airscrews of 17ft. 2in.
diameter. The fuel capacity is 14,000 American gallons.
: t J",'
iti*
Initially designed to carry
military equipment or
troops, the Hercules can
have a variety of internal
layouts. The one shown
diagrammatically above
represents 400 troops who,
with their ammunition,
weigh no,ooolb. Benches
and other furnishings
account for another
10,000 lb.
a-
Si
• • '
On the left, assembling
hull frames. They, aremade entirely of birch,
while the stringers are of
:oniposite birch and spruce
construction.
/
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W
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