I have always been fascinated by aircraft with contra-rotating propellers since my father worked on the Fairey Gannet in the 1950s. At the time many of the latest propeller-driven prototypes, from many nations, sported the sexy dual-disc propulsor. This was done for a variety of reasons. The last generation of piston-engined fighters, such as the Sea Fury and Bearcat, had major problems with swing on take-off. This was due to the massive torque of the huge propellers on the relatively small, light airframes. The large propeller diameter needed to absorb over 2,000 hp also caused problems with ground clearance and the Bearcat had to have a complicated double-folding undercartto solve the problem. The f ive-bladed prop used on the Sea Fury was one solution but it didn't solve the torque problem.
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