If only the French were better inspired in warfare, as they produced (and even to this day) some of the finest military technology. Excellent-looking, impressive 'plane.
Norm Harding, e-mail, 16.03.2012 11:36
Interestng concept, the rear engine may well have been built to go the other rotation, Allison made contra rotating engines for the P-38, Continental and lycoming have been diong it for (mostly Piper) GA aircraft for 40 years .
steve, e-mail, 13.05.2011 00:27
Another interesting French aircraft done in by bad timing. Like the P-38 and Do-335, an attempt to get around the limitations of a twin-engined fighter by means of an unorthodox configuration. I've thought of it a a possible carrier fighter/recon, although the long fuselage would be a little hard to fit on an elevator. The Hispano-Suiza engines would lend themselves very well to this arrangement. Designed for a hub gun, they had a clear space between the cylinder banks, with the intake manifolds and carburetors on the outboard sides. The forward engine's hollow cannon shaft would take the after engine's extended shaft very conveniently. About the only criticism I can come up with is that having the radiators for both engines together in the single duct would be vulnerable to one hit damaging both radiators.
Cannonball, e-mail, 17.11.2009 02:54
The engine being V type probably had reduction gearboxes at the front which would raise the propeller shaft high enough to enable the rear prop shaft to run down the V of the front engine. The front engine's prop. shaft was probably hollow and the rear shaft fit through it. Of course, the rear engine's reduction gear would be different from the fronts. it would have to turn in the opposite direction . Just a guess .
leo rudnicki, e-mail, 28.04.2009 02:41
The propellors were driven by single engines as on kawasaki Ki 64 and Macchi-Castoldi Mc-72. Contra-prop gearboxes weren't that easy. I can only guess that the .5 MG's must have been in trays under the wing since the wing seems pretty well used up by the cannons. And it is considered a twin engine airplane.
Ian, e-mail, 24.04.2009 16:26
Where were the 0.5" machine guns mounted? Would have been a full wing!! Hell of an armament though.
David Tuttle, e-mail, 04.06.2008 17:50
More than likely the two engines were tied together and the counter rotating prop gear box was mounted between the first engine and the props themselves.
Jeffery Richards, e-mail, 30.04.2007 20:43
Greetings: Very nice looking airplane however I have a quesion concerning the prop shaft from the aft mounted engine, did it run thru the foward engine and if so how. I would think this aiplane is concidered a twin engine rather than a single engine. Thanks.