Warbird Information Exchange

Hi everyone,

A few recent posts have brought up good discussions on the continuing forward movement of restorations of all types we are seeing each year, despite the economy and the general thought that as we get farther away from WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam, the availability of restoration candidates and parts would start to significantly dry up. Obviously a significant part of any restoration is the powerplant and it seems like many restorations outsource engine overhauls... so that begs the question, who are the specialists out there in the industry for particular powerplants -- from the fairly common Rolls Royce/Packard Merlin's, Allison V-1710's, R-985's, R-1820's, R-1830's, R-2800's through the rarer engines like DB601's or Bristol Mercuries and one-off rebuilds or overly complex powerplants. And since the jet warbird community is growing, where does one take a J33, J52, J79 or the odd J34? How about the engines for Eastern Bloc jets like the M701, Ivchenko AI-25TL or Klimov VK-1?

I'd like to make this thread the start of an ongoing list so I will add some of the overhaulers that I personally know of, but I'd really like to hear from the WIX community on the others out there to continue building the list.

WARBIRD & ANTIQUE AIRCRAFT ENGINE OVERHAUL / REBUILDERS
(Alphabetic Order)

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WWI Era Aircraft Engines
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Need Additional Listings

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Golden Era Aircraft Engines
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Antique Aero Engines
20 Curtiss Taxi - Santa Paula, CA 93060
Contact: Al Ball - 805-525-9464 phone
Specialties: Kinner Engines
Website: N/A

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WWII & Postwar Era - Radial Piston Engines
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Aero-Engines, Inc.
3033 North Coolidge Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039 USA
Contact: 323-663-3961 phone - 323-664-5189 fax
Specialties: R-985, R-1340, Continental W-670
Website: http://www.aero-enginesinc.com

Aero Recip (Canada) Ltd.
540 Marjorie Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3H 0S9 CANADA
Contact: 204-788-4765 phone - 204-786-2775 fax
Specialties: Pratt & Whitney
Website: http://www.aerorecip.com

Aero Trader
7000 Merrill Avenue, Box 19, Hangar P300 - Chino Airport, Chino, CA 91710 USA
Contact: Carl Scholl / Tony Ritzman - 909-597-4020 phone
Specialties: R-2600
Website: http://www.aerotrader.net

Airmotive Inc.
PO Box 540 - 290 Airport Road, Clinton, AR 72031 USA
Contact: Roger Pickett - 501-745-4437 phone - 501-745-5688 fax
Specialties: Radial Engines
Website: N/A

Air Response Inc.
4949 E Falcon Drive, Mesa, AZ 85215 USA
Contact: Billy Packard - 480-844-0800 phone
Specialties: R-1820, R-2600
Website: N/A

Anderson Aeromotive, Inc.
P.O. Box 49 - 824 North D Street, Grangeville ID 83530 USA
Contact: Bob Nielsen, Vice President - 208-983-3435 phone - 208-983-1076 fax
Specialties: Pratt & Whitney, Curtiss-Wright Radial Engines
Website: http://www.andersonaeromotive.net

Cascade Engine Service
19203 59th Drive NE, Arlington, WA 98223 USA
Contact: Bill Moja or Rick Allen - 360-474-8224 phone - 360-474-9942 fax
Specialties: Curtiss-Wright, Pratt & Whitney
Website: http://www.cascadeengineservice.com

Covington Aircraft Engines
P.O. Box 1344 - 12900 Smith Road - Okmulgee, OK 74447 USA
Contact: 918-756-8320 phone, 918-756-0923 fax
Specialties: R-985, R-1340, R-1340 Geared
Website: http://www.covingtonaircraft.com

Precision Engines, LLC
3220 100th Street SW, Everett, WA 98204 USA
Contact: Dave Cort - 425-347-2800 phone - 425-353-9431 fax
Specialties: Pratt & Whitney, Curtiss-Wright
Website: http://www.precisionengines.com

Vintage Radials, Inc.
1582 Goodrick Drive, Unit 8A - Tehachapi, CA 93581 USA
Contact: Mike Nixon - 661-822-1503 phone
Specialties: Pratt & Whitney, Curtiss-Wright
Website: http://www.vintageradials.com

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WWII & Postwar Era - Inline Piston Engines
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ACE Allisons
PO Box 995 - 4686 Route 982, Latrobe, PA 15650 USA
Contact: Bud Wheeler - 724-539-0241 phone - 724-539-2644 fax
Specialties: Allison V-1710
Website: http://www.aceallisons.com

Air Sparrow Merlin Services
90 Skylane Drive Hangar 4, Hollister, CA 95023 USA
Contact: Mike Barrow - 831-902-5978 phone
Specialties: Rolls Royce Merlin / Packard V-1650, Race Performance
Website: N/A

Eye Tech Engineering Ltd.
2 Airfield Industrial Estate, Langton Green, Eye, Suffolk IP23 7HL ENGLAND
Contact: Maurice Hammond - +44 (0) 01379 870004 phone - +44 (0) 1379 871030
Specialties: Merlin
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eye-Tech-Engineering-Ltd/164276256973542

Fighter Enterprises
13325 Southwest Citrus Boulevard, Indiantown, FL 34956 USA
Contact: Glenn Wegman - 772-597-5151 phone
Specialties: Rolls Royce Merlin / Packard V-1650
Website: http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=16&groupid=277698&ck

Frontier Aviation Associates
10050 N. American Way, McKinney, TX 75071 USA
Contact: Rick Shanholtzer - 972-347-2630 phone
Specialties: Rolls Royce / Packard Merlin
Website: N/A

Hovey Machine
17220 Lambert Rd, Ione, CA 95640 USA
Contact: Jack Hovey - 209-274-4422 phone
Specialties: Rolls Royce Merlin / Packard V-1650, Race Performance
Website: N/A

Retro Track & Air (U.K.) Ltd.
Upthorpe, Cam, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 5HR ENGLAND
Contact: +44 (0) 1453 545360 phone - +44 (0) 1453 544617 fax
Specialties: Merlin, Griffon (also historic auto racing engines)
Website: http://www.retrotrackandair.com

Roush Aviation
12448 Levan, Livonia, MI 48150 USA
Contact: Paul Draper, Manager - 734-779-7006 phone - 734-779-7906 fax
Specialties: Rolls Royce Merlin / Packard V-1650
Website: http://www.roushaviation.com

Vintage Engine Technology Ltd. (Vintech)
Fullers Hill, Little Gransden Airfield, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 3BP ENGLAND
Contact: Michael Vaisey - +44 (0) 1767 651794 phone
Specialties: Gypsy, Inline
Website: N/A

Vintage V-12's, Inc.
P.O. Box 639 - 1582 Goodrick Drive - Tehachapi, California 93581
Contact: Mike Nixon - 661-822-3112 phone
Specialties: Merlin, Allison, Griffon
Website: http://www.vintagev12s.com

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Turbine / Turbojet Engines
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Need Additional Listings

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Rare / Specialty Engines
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Vintage Radials, Inc. / Vintage V-12's, Inc.
1582 Goodrick Drive, Unit 8A - Tehachapi, CA 93581 USA
Contact: Mike Nixon - 661-822-1503 phone
Specialties: BMW-801, Centarus, Sakae, DB601
Website: http://www.vintageradials.com or http://www.vintagev12s.com

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Please post a reply with additional listings to be added with as much of the information as included in the listings above as you can provide and I will add it to the master list here.

UPDATED: August 28, 2011 - 11:30 am Pacific Time. Still looking for contact details for Jeff Blakey as listed by T-28mike in the post below. Added all companies through post by Billy Packard.

Thanks,
Ryan

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

Ryan,

Mike Nixon AKA Vintage engines also owns Vintage radials, Vintage carburetors as well as Vintage V-12's. He does overhauls on odd and rare engines like the BMW-801, Centarus, Sakae, DB601, etc... and is a great guy.

There are many shops out there that specialize in particular types... Just a few I can remember off top of my head

V's
Mike Nixon
Bud Wheeler ( A.C.E.)
Mike Barrow
Rick Shernholtz (sp?)
Jack Hovey
Rousch
Glenn Wegman

Big Radials
Mike Nixon Vintage radials (formerly aircraft cylinder and turbine)
Aero Trader (R-2600's)
Anderson
Cascade engines
Precision (not really)
Pickett
Blakey (Jeff)

R-985 and 1340 radials
Covington
Tulsa



All I can think of now...

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Expert:
Ex: Former.
Spurt: A drip under pressure.

Anderson Aeromotive, they are GREAT guys and build a spectacular engine...just ask the Flying Bulls and Lufthansa! Id have to say Ray and guys are the top Curtiss and Pratt builders in the world.

Aero Engines in LA Calif are in for R-1340 and R-985.

In the UK you have-
Retro Track & Air (uk) Ltd for Merlin and Griffons
I have yet to deal with them but I believe BBMF and Rolls Royce Heritage uses them.

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Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
#64- Stay Strong and Keep the Faith

BOOM BOOM, ROUND ROUND, PROPELLER GO

Don't Be A Dilbert!

Aero Recip in Winnipeg works on R-985's, R-1340's, and R-1830's.

Also in the UK are Eye Tech Engineering (Maurice Hammond) for Merlins and Vintech for the smaller stuff (Gipsy specialists, but do other engine types as well)

Great thread idea Ryan! I wish I had more to add to it, but Mike already mentioned everyone I can think of off the top of my head.

One question, will the results of this thread be added to the WRG website somewhere? It would be a shame to have this valuable information get lost in the thread archives.

By the way, don't forget engines such as the Kinner, Ranger, Gypsies, Warner, and Franklin's.

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Bill Gorin
Vintage Flying Museum
http://www.vintageflyingmuseum.org
https://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=57513906106

Don't forget the Packard Boy's in Arizona. Air Response still does R-1820s and R-2600s.

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Billy Packard

Anderson Aeromotive
Pratt & Whitney and Wright engine Overhaul and service
Warbird maintenance

Thanks! Once there is a pretty good list pulled together, I will put it into a permanent home on the Warbirds Resource Group... perhaps as a list like here or perhaps as a searchable directory. We shall see how it goes.

Thanks,
Ryan

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

Thank you everyone for your responses so far... I've found most of the contact information for the rebuilders originally listed by the folks replying above. For those of you who know some of these folks, please review their contact information and let me know via a reply to this post of any changes or additions.

Still looking for engine specialists for the WWI Era and Golden Era (like Kinner, Franklin, Early Continental, Ranger, Warner, Liberty, Hisso, etc.) and we need some entries for jet engine rebuilder recommendations as well.

I am also considering the addition of a few other sections... one for components and accessories (like carburetors, turbos, generators, fuel pumps, etc) and one for propellers and prop components. So please add any contacts for those companies as well.

And please, if you have company names, addresses, phone numbers, contact people, and websites, PLEASE pass as much of that information along as you can... some of the research on the companies above was a challenge.

Thanks,
Ryan

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

The http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/ have done some truly remarkable things in resurrecting WWI engines, though they mainly do their own engines.

Al Holloway at Quincy, Ca for Pre-war radials

Two specialists in Germany for German aero engines:

http://www.ltb-dirkbende.de (apparently also does WWI engines)
http://www.dachsel.de

I will search my records for the Argus experts in Munich. Great bunch to work with. May take a while as I have quit working on planes and sold all my related junk (I mean good stuff)

Fred Murrin in Greenville, PA specialises in WW1 rotary engines and has probably overhauled 15 or 20 of them.
http://www.gwaero.com/Officers_and_Staff_9OPY.html




.

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http://www.biplanerides1.com/