Warbird Information Exchange

#3 engine was the one that blew and took out #4.

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Pic looks like #3 engine on inboard side. #4 is further outboard on L/H side of photo. Any photo of #4 then.
Rich

Does it look like the inner gear bay door is mushroomed on the leading edge like something struck it when the gear were already down?

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The late C-119s had PRT-equipped R3350s, but I doubt they'd be used on Fifi as the additional power would not be worth the increased maintenance demands. Most aircraft still flying with Turbocompound R3350s have had the PRTs removed in fact.

God, am I that stupid. Thinking about a different photo and trying to respond to another that I can't even see

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No, FIFI will not have PRTs. Gary is going to keep it simple, just a basic engine with a carburetor. No fuel injection, no PRTs. That's whats nice about aircraft engines, you can mix and match parts to some extent.

Do you really want us to answer that Jack?

CAPFlyer,as far as I know,the only airplanes running around with Turbo-Compund R-3350's these days have the PRT's installed.I suppose that,technically,to qualify as Turbo-Compund engines they'd have to.We use them on our DC-7's and all of the P-2 tankers run PRT's.The last C-119 that I flew in (admittedly 27 years ago) was an F model with R-3350-89's with PRT's and operating water injection,not to mention 115/145 avgas.From the pictures that I've seen of the 1049 Connies that are still flying,they still have PRT's.I already have in a request for first dibs on any surplus PRT's that Gary might end up with.

At the power settings that we use with 100LL fuel and no longer using 10% lean,we don't have a lot of trouble with the PRT's themselves other than occasional cracks,but with them installed,the exhaust system is very complex and you end up with 6 cylinders interconnected,which can cause a lot of collateral damage if a valve seat comes loose.We keep a close watch on our BMEP gauges and jump on the ignition analyzer at the first signs of fluctuations.A double shorted secondary is almost cause for shutting down an engine as it means that both spark plugs have quit firing in a cylinder.This could be caused by the side electrodes being peaned over by something bad rattling around in the cylinder which might find it's way to other cylinders via the exhaust system or even via the siamesed intake pipes.The only thing that keeps a double shorted secondary from being an automatic shutdown is that fouled plugs can also give the same indications.Two cylinders with double shorts pretty much gets at least a precautionary shutdown.If parts do end up coming out through the exhaust,you will have a PRT to change as well as a cylinder due to damage to the turbine wheel.

I stand corrected then Larry. The information I had was the 2 flying Super Connies had them removed as did all of the Furies that are running 3350s, so I figured that if they weren't running them, that the few DC-7s and P2Vs still operating would have them removed too.

I believe he also stated the PRT deletion would also reduce modifications to the cowlings
maintaining the original outward appearance...tho so simplified, he'd also have power at hand
previously unavailable.

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Sorry for the late reply to this, y'all....

NO! As mentioned by others, we will NOT be running the PRT's on FIFI's new engines (Larry, zap me an e-mail and we'll talk about the spare ones we have). airnutz and b29flteng are both right in the fact that simplicity and reliability are one of the reasons for that decision......that, and the fact that they simply wouldn't fit in the B-29 engine cowlings.

CAPFlyer, none of the 3350 powered Sea Furies had the PRT's "removed," since the engines they run never had them to begin with. Those are all -26's, which is a Skyraider engine, which of course, never had the PRT set up.

So, to review...
The basic explanation of the engines we're making for FIFI is that we're going to utilize the -26 "block," if you will, the power section, accessory section, and the blower section. The rotating assemblies (crank, rods, cams, etc.), the nose case, and the cylinders, will all be from the -95W engine. This will be (in theory) an engine that is built for roughly 3500 horsepower, that will only have roughly 2400 horsepower put to it. That alone should make for some "built in" reliability, not to mention that it also allows for more horsepower, should we need it in an emergency.

Does that help explain it better?

And Jack...do you think that perhaps the picture that started this thread may have been from a run away prop that may have "removed itself?" Just a thought.

Gary

One more thing that needs to be considered is not to over-torque the engine mounts on FIFI. Since the original mounts were stressed for 2,200 hp., putting 3,000 hp. in them may over-stress them.

Yup. That's why we're going to limit them to 44" and 2400 rpm, which the number crunchers tell me is going to be roughly 2400 horsepower...which the B-29 engine mounts should easily absorb. The higher available horsepower is ONLY for emergency use.

Gary

Hi Gary,
It's the inboard side of the inboard engine. Not that I can see anything If it was a runaway prop it would have to go through the whole a/c to get to #3 correct?
Stupid question of the day. what's a PRT?? If it's not on a B-25 it's off my radar screen

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PRT = Power Recovery Turbine. If I recall correctly from my readings about Constellations (:heart:), the R-3350 Turbo-Compund engine has three exhaust-driven turbines that directly drive the crankshaft, as opposed to the traditional turbosupercharger which compresses the air or air/fuel mixture going into the engine. Gary? Am I right on this?

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida