Have you experienced the destruction of a Radial Engine

[GARY HILTON]

Thought Dave would have posted about his experience with Attu Warrior's melt down last June! ....anybody witness the L-18 engine failure on T.O. after the last Reno Air Race last Sept?

[51fixer]

Does watching the Super Corsair come apart during the Phx 500 count ? Never saw the engine afterwards, but I did see the Corsair in the back of a pickup.

Heard they used a towtruck to lift the engine out of the hole. Basically IIRC it was the supercharger, then row #4, row#3, row #2 ect came out in sections and then the nose case with prop blades bent back against the engine but broken out of the hub.
I still have a small chunk of skin framed with a letter around here somewhere.
I wasn't at PHX but have seen several over the years that I crewed at Reno. Both Radials and inlines.
Most dramatic for me was I was along the runway that the Bear bellied in on back in 75, I think, at Mojave. I was a 15 yo having a great time. I followed Lyle down through the lens of my camera but he got so close I couldn't stay on him and didn't get a photo as he touched down without the gear locked and a blown engine about 100' right in front of me it seemed. Something about an oil line separating in flight.
Worse that I witnessed was when Rick was lost in the Pond Racer, although not a radial.
Worse for an aircraft I was responsible for was when Ed Shipley landed his Corsair after it started grenade. He slowed and stopped just past the 1st intersection and did a 180 on the runway as the firetruck was parked there. As soon as he made the U-turn the engine seized and locked up.
Rich

[engguy]

So far it looks like these things keep running no matter what.
Cylinders comming off are the most prevalent problem.
How about anyone that was around the propliners of the 50's?

[hercules130]

jamesintucson may be able to get the real story,

But PASM vols. were flying this bird to the museum when her motor blew. FE was in his 70s and cranked the gear down, I believe no one on the bird was much younger. It's a great story wish I could remember all the details. James?

http://www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=169

[gary1954]

This has been a fun thread to read guys, thank you all for your participation. As we enter into the new year, I wish each and everyone of you, meck-in-necks, tin binders, A-Vee-ators, and aerial Photographers, a mishap and accident free year. Aviation is a fun and and be a very dangerous world....hope I get to see some of you-in-sis at the next airshow or in a *coughs* statis museum.

[PeterA]

John Hawke invited me to fly the RH seat for a formation take off for the film 'Hanover Street', here in the UK.

'My' engine seemed to be popping and banging quite a bit but Hawke was unconcerned.

Apparently at take off power we had flames streaming well behind the trailing edge with each pop/bang.

By good fortune the third in line B-25 ahead off us called an abort half way down the runway and we had to follow suit.

The fire brigade quickly doused the flames but I noted substantial pieces of the induction system had exited through the cowlings.

PeterA

[bdk]

I had a bearing go out in the 220 Continental on my Stearman if that counts. The Continental has three crankshaft ball bearings, two around the crank journal and a thrust bearing in front. The cage popped apart on the front main bearing allowing the balls to go to one side of the race, causing the crankshaft to flex which set up a vibration.

I spent a bunch of time trying to diagnose the problem (ignition, carb, etc.?) until I had someone else run up the plane as I watched from outside. I could see the prop nut orbiting (rather than being concentric) which led me to look internally rather than at the accessories.

The crank turned out to be cracked in the journal radius from all the flexing. I bought another core engine, reused the pistons and accessories, and got some some new cylinders (it was cheaper to get new cylinders than to grind the old ones and buy oversize pistons). Once I got it flying again I traded it for my current T-6 project.

[RyanShort1]

A-26 # 2 engine.

The a rod broke out of a piston on the back row. When it hammered itself through the cylinder wall it took out the master rod, thereby killing the back row. Impact started a small post crash fire in the accessory section which was extinguished immediately.

When the aircraft hit the ground #1 prop dug in and jerked the propellor, reduction gears and nose cone off of the engine ! Propellor and gear box proceeded over the nose, took out the right windscreen, right canopy clamshell, prop hit the armorplating which deflected all between the fuselage and nacelle as everything kept sliding forward ! The propellor gearbox combo was found about 50 ft behind the aircraft.

This all happened on takeoff.

Was this the same as in this video (Warning - not for the weak of stomach)? I just noticed the video the other day while looking for something happier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13LPBImLcxo

Were the crewmembers OK?

Ryan

[Lynn Allen]

When I picked up my C-140A at Mike Browns hangar, his Sea Fury 232 was there and I took some pictures of was left of the front 9 of a 3350..

Lynn

[Michel C-GNCJ]

This Martin blown cylinder engine sure looks like this one, doesn't it ?


It is now displayed at Pima...

Impressive, to say the least !

[ZRX61]

1340/T6

[ZRX61]

[Oscar Duck]

two engine failures in B-25 - both on takeoff. 1st one dropped a valve that created havoc. Wound up with smoke in the cockpit and a trashed engine. Second event was a supercharger drive shaft failure just before lift-off in a stream take-off at an airshow. We were #1 and had to abort. I'm told it looked exciting re the other rolling behind us. We had an in-flight shutdown with loss of oil pressure due to loss of oil - engine saved; cause was that sump plug decided to leave the engine. Naughty engineer for not lockwiring it etc...

Rough running engine in my TBM immediately after takeoff got my attention too. Plugs..

[ZRX61]

Naughty engineer for not lockwiring it etc...

How does he like his new career at McDonalds?

[Obergrafeter]

Well we destroyed #2 on the first flight of the Spirit of Hondo so its' back to the drawing boards. Good while it lasted, it's amazing how much damage a radial can take and keep on tickin.