Radials. And I don't mean tires

[Dean in Ct.]

We all have some eccentricities, and this is (one of ) mine!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYAxMMEPNBk
Note the flame? I'd love to wind 'er up at dusk.

[Wimperdink]

That is slick!

[Dean in Ct.]

That's me Biziedizie, and I don't have a prop so there is barely enough wind to blow the exhaust away! Also, since it is air cooled and I don't have a prop/fan I really can't run her for more than a few minutes at a time.The oil system absorbs a lot of the heat so I may create a larger oil tank system.

[Greg M]

Wow Dean! I'd love to see you build a tow vehicle around that

[Shadow Catcher]

The original Stuart tank engines were radial. That was back when the army was still thinking of tanks as horses, it was too little armor and not enough gun but fast. one example of the engine running https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr0ke_lQ8YM and as for a tow vehicle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_CnvRufT7c and finally an M18 tank destroyer, same engine as in the Sherman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-TEVE2d6HU

[Dean in Ct.]

That one is the same model as the Stuart tanks had but I believe this one was from an LVT or tracked landing vehicle. Very much like a floating tank. The tracks were the propulsion force on the beach and in the water. 680 cu/in.

[Corwin C]

In college I had the opportunity to work on a WWI Gnome engine out of a Sopwith Camel. I couldn't find the video of us starting it (probably long gone), but here's a youtube of one.



Notice that the cylinders are attached to the propeller and rotate rather than the crankshaft. If you were to start one of these without the propeller it would overspeed and destroy itself.

[asianflava]

That's cool and all, but this is more impressive. The guy made it himself out of Honda motorcycle jugs.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/30/russ ... ine-lives/

[Corwin C]

Here's another example of what can be done if you have plenty of time and know how ... all from scratch.



This man has some serious machining skills. Do you think it was built on "radial" time? I suspect that it was.

[asianflava]

Watched that video and thought that place looked familiar. Then I saw the B-17 in the background and realized I've been there.

[GerryS]

Love the sound of these things! There's a renewed interest in the kit aircraft business. The EAA magazine ran a story last year (or year before) about a kit fox option to use a Rotec rotary (http://www.rotecradialengines.com/index.htm)

I'm not sure how financially viable they are....the web site hasn't been updated in a while, but I'd love to it one of these in the air!

[webbaldo]

Radial engines are awesome

Speaking of kit planes etc, have you seen the 3/4 size spitfire?

http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/

[GerryS]

That's cool. I looked at the Titan T51. I just wish I had the time, money, and ambition all at the same time.

[Corwin C]

Love the sound of these things!

I agree ...



the only engine that beats a radial (as far as sound goes) is a Merlin...



the Merlin gives me goosebumps.

[asianflava]

I'll never forget in one my first couple of days at ERAU, my FAR teacher actually stopped the class and said, "Do ya'll hear that? Ya know what it is?"
I was thinking, "what the hell is he talking about"
When it got closer, he says, "it's one of those round motors!"

We started to catch on, later we were in the turbines lab when we heard something scream by. I said, "That wasn't a 172" and everyone left the lab. There was a formation of 4 P-51s. They did a couple fly-bys, that was the coolest sound, thinking about it makes the hair stand up on my neck.

Posted this pic before (it's several years old), but this was one of the other times when I geeked out. They had demo races at the Vegas Airshow one year. We just happened to be there and I convinced my wife into skipping the tables for a day and going to the airshow.