Engine crashed ...... Literally
03-19-2005, 02:40 PM
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Engine crashed ...... Literally
While my Dad and I were testing his new supertigre .46 engine on his home made engine test stand (a piece of 2x6 with a hole cut out for an engine clamed on to a workmate) the engine along with the 2x6 vibrated loose and shot forward in our garage. The prop and spinner got busted into many pieces and the prop nut and washer flew off. Luckily we were standing outside of the garage and no one got hurt. Only half of the backplate was left on and the engine was still going. Oh yeah also the screw right next to the carberator flew off to. we managed to find every thing after a bit of looking. pics were taken after we found every thing.
03-19-2005, 10:29 PM
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RE: Engine crashed ...... Literally
We never quite realize just how powerful these engines are until we see something like this.
My first experiance was with a 60 sized engine in the back yard attached to my workmate ... darned near pulled the thing over and totally freaked out the neighbours!
Be careful, play safe. . .
My first experiance was with a 60 sized engine in the back yard attached to my workmate ... darned near pulled the thing over and totally freaked out the neighbours!
Be careful, play safe. . .
03-20-2005, 08:36 PM
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RE: Engine crashed ...... Literally
The exact same thing happened to us with an old Mcoy .35 red head. It was attached to a board in the same manner and clamped to a picnic table. It took off and hit an air compressor leaving a hudge dent. Very close call. Lesson learned !
03-21-2005, 12:12 AM
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RE: Engine crashed ...... Literally
ORIGINAL: byop
The exact same thing happened to us with an old Mcoy .35 red head. It was attached to a board in the same manner and clamped to a picnic table. It took off and hit an air compressor leaving a hudge dent. Very close call. Lesson learned !
The exact same thing happened to us with an old Mcoy .35 red head. It was attached to a board in the same manner and clamped to a picnic table. It took off and hit an air compressor leaving a hudge dent. Very close call. Lesson learned !
I'd running big time. That had to be scarey.
03-21-2005, 12:50 AM
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RE: Engine crashed ...... Literally
In order to qualify for the Darwin Awards you have to either
a: loose your ability to reproduce or
b: render himself deceased
Maybe next time you could try harder!
a: loose your ability to reproduce or
b: render himself deceased
Maybe next time you could try harder!
03-21-2005, 02:27 PM
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RE: Engine crashed ...... Literally
That reminds me of an anecdote in [link=http://www.enginehistory.org/NoShortDays/Development%20of%20the%20R-2800%20Crankshaft.pdf]No Short Days[/link], a book on the development of the wasp r-2800.
Dana Waring, one of the test engineers who made a
career at Pratt & Whitney, remembers a spectacular
crankshaft failure. Waring was observing an engine
running at full power in the test cell. It was outfitted
with a metal flight propeller that, in conjunction with
the short exhaust stacks, was making a huge amount
of noise. In the blink of an eye, and with a loud bang,
the engine rotated 180 degrees in its test stand
fixture, tore loose from its mounts and came to rest
on the test cell floor, leaking oil and smoking. In the
mean time, the propeller had sheared off and flown
forward to the front of the test cell, knocking a dent in
the concrete wall. The propeller hovered there for a
few revolutions until it lost some momentum, and
then slid to the floor, still rotating. When the propeller
blades began hitting the floor, the entire propeller
began walking around the forward end of the test cell
until it used up its remaining momentum and came to
rest. Dana Waring was thereafter very reluctant to
enter the test cell while an engine was running.
career at Pratt & Whitney, remembers a spectacular
crankshaft failure. Waring was observing an engine
running at full power in the test cell. It was outfitted
with a metal flight propeller that, in conjunction with
the short exhaust stacks, was making a huge amount
of noise. In the blink of an eye, and with a loud bang,
the engine rotated 180 degrees in its test stand
fixture, tore loose from its mounts and came to rest
on the test cell floor, leaking oil and smoking. In the
mean time, the propeller had sheared off and flown
forward to the front of the test cell, knocking a dent in
the concrete wall. The propeller hovered there for a
few revolutions until it lost some momentum, and
then slid to the floor, still rotating. When the propeller
blades began hitting the floor, the entire propeller
began walking around the forward end of the test cell
until it used up its remaining momentum and came to
rest. Dana Waring was thereafter very reluctant to
enter the test cell while an engine was running.
