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Wright R-2600
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rwahlgren



Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Posts: 321

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 15:10    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wonder if a high hour engine would fair better as far as internal rusting?
The parts would have more caked on goo.
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jwilcox



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Fredericton NB Canada

PostPosted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 16:35    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do think an engine that has some time on it is less prone to corrosion or perhaps the corrosion will take longer to set in. Downside would be the possibility of more wear on the high timer. I have built several homebuilt/experimental aircraft and have seen freshly overhauled engines with lots of corrosion in cylinders from sitting while the airplane project gets finished. It seems nothing will corrode quicker than a freshly honed cylinder while one with some hours on it will take much longer. Engine shops will tell you it's been inhibited and you do not need to do anything more. I might believe that for a couple of months but after that it's time to turn it and re lube. I was afraid of what I might find cylinder wise in the 2600 after sitting for 14 years especially with the history of cylinder troubles in the early engines. This engine had 218 hrs on it and only had one cylinder changed since overhaul, there were two that were corroded badly and a couple more that cleaned up easily, pretty good I'd say.
Working on the trailer and associated parts, will post some photos soon.
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rwahlgren



Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Posts: 321

PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 12:49    Post subject: Reply with quote

How did the crank and rods look corrosion wise?
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jwilcox



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Fredericton NB Canada

PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2014 20:42    Post subject: Reply with quote

It seems strange but I do not have a good photo of the crank rod area, have hundreds but guess I just never stuck the camera inside and shot. I'll post a couple that show some of the condition, the rods were in good general condition the masters not having much if any corrosion. Some of the link rods had corrosion here and there but it cleaned up quite easily, not deep seated and pitted. The crank had surface corrosion on the large exposed parts but it also was not into the surface and almost just wiped off. One of the counter weights looked good as new the other had mild corrosion on the surface. The front of the engine was the worst because it had been left with the prop governor pad removed which meant it was open to the air.
Trailer work is continuing, I'll post some photos tomorrow.

http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1080146.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1080571.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1080618.jpg
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jwilcox



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Fredericton NB Canada

PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 05:25    Post subject: update Reply with quote

Finished painting the exhaust yesterday, unknown how this will stand up to the running but it sure made an old exhaust system look good for now. Trailer building has taken much of the time lately, my son and I are working at it three nights a week about three hrs each night and have at least four weeks in now. Hoping to have it ready to move from his garage by month's end. I am not a big fan of computers, probably an age thing, but the way Chris has designed and drawn the whole project and can print off patterns for joints and hole placement has been a great asset to the build and means almost no wasted material, very impressive.
Have also done a little more on the air intake, would prefer it to have a bit more shape, maybe some English wheel curves or bulges but for now it's being kept simple.
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090132.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090147.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090148.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090149.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090152.jpg
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rwahlgren



Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Posts: 321

PostPosted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 13:28    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its nice of you to keep the photos coming. Those internals actually look real nice. Was it left outside with the gov pad off so rain or snow could get in?
The exhaust shouldn't need paint, they are stainless, the paint looks nice though.
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jwilcox



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Fredericton NB Canada

PostPosted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 06:27    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for your note, the engine was in a can but poorly sealed and sat outside for many of the 14 years. There was about 3 inches of water topped with an inch of oil in the bottom of the can when I got it. Later I'll post some pics of a few magnesium bits that were in the bottom of the can, not good. We have decided to manufacture our own fuel and oil tanks, 20 gallons of oil and about 14 fuel, no real reason on the size just was the most efficient use of metal and sounded about right. Trailer is at the wiring stage and soon will be able to tow it home.
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090155.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090158.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090160.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090161.jpg
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rwahlgren



Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Posts: 321

PostPosted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 16:28    Post subject: Reply with quote

Real nice work on that trailer. Keep the pictures coming.
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jwilcox



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Fredericton NB Canada

PostPosted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 18:17    Post subject: trailer Reply with quote

Well it's been a very exciting weekend with hurricane Arthur passing through. Hundreds of trees down and our power went out Saturday AM and back on today Tuesday. Friday evening I brought the engine trailer home and will add a few photos. Hope to have the engine mounted on it within a week, so far so good.
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/trailer006.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/trailer007.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/trailer008.jpg
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rwahlgren



Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Posts: 321

PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 14:27    Post subject: Reply with quote

It looked like the floor was welded in on the previous posts. Must have just been the underside braces? Looks real nice, and a license too. What color will it be when done?
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jwilcox



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Fredericton NB Canada

PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 14:34    Post subject: trailer Reply with quote

Thanks, we do have 1" square tubing as floor supports but the floor will be 070 aluminum checker plate. I decided to take advantage of a good day yesterday and got the trailer mostly painted and the engine mounted. The color is not quite what I had planned but I picked it, thought the paint guy must have mixed it wrong. Anyway a bit of mixing on my own with stuff in the shop made it so I'm ok with it. The gantry crane worked fine but the trolley at the top was at its limit. A whole list of things to do now.
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090442.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090445.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090451.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090462.jpg
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rwahlgren



Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Posts: 321

PostPosted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 16:54    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice work. Are you planning on something to cover openings under the fenders? I was thinking dust rocks and rain may mess things up if not. You sure got that trailer done fast.
Did you get any sag or flex on that upright that the mount connects to?
The neighbors must see it coming, (that for sale sign on the street) the smoke and noise when it starts up.
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jwilcox



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Fredericton NB Canada

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 07:52    Post subject: update Reply with quote

First runs are still a few weeks away, although I probably don't dare do it in my yard I could and just consider it payback for the 6AM dog barking and the near by straight pipe motorcycles. The trailer has about 120 hrs of hands on work with design and finish on top of that. It will have inner fenders just haven't got there yet. I didn't notice any deflection in the upright with the weight, my assembly mount had considerable flex/bounce as we added weight during the build but the trailer has none of this. A road trip will be the test and I may try to take it to Houlton ME on the 26th for an airport day, will be static only but should be a good outing.
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090480.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/BBimages/WilcoxJ/P1090484.jpg
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jgreen



Joined: 23 Sep 2011
Posts: 14
Location: Central New York

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 13:41    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's some beautiful work Jerry. Thanks for all the photos, details and history. That engine would be a smash hit at the local hot-rod hang out. Really put some perspective in front of that crowd. Jim
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jwilcox



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
Posts: 87
Location: Fredericton NB Canada

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 05:45    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Jim, part of my reason for doing this was to let people see how amazing this stuff really was/is. I sent articles to COPA Canadian Owners and Pilots Assn as we went the following was the first one and sort of sums up the whole thing. We referred to it as the Radial Project.

When I was a kid I used to watch the Avengers. Now some of you are thinking, if your old enough, about the British TV spy series but that’s not what I mean.
Try Grumman Avengers!
I used to watch them each spring in the early morning or just after the wind settled down in the evening. They had 54ft wings, a gross weight of over 18,000lbs and a huge Curtiss Wright radial engine up front swinging a prop just over 13ft. in diameter. They were here in New Brunswick, flown in from all over the US and Canada to battle the Spruce Budworm. You would hear them long before you could see them, and the sound was sheer music to any gearhead. Each three litre cylinder was pumping out more horsepower than most small cars boast these days, and the 14 cylinders probably making it a somewhat different sound than most other engines. To this day I don’t think there is an engine that sounds as good as an R-2600 at speed and making power. The Avenger sound remained New Brunswick music until just a couple of years ago, now replaced with modern turbine powered water bombers. Better airplanes I’m sure, but just not the same.
The Avenger was never the prom queen, some actually calling it an ugly airplane. But while the Queen’s were doing air show appearance, being polished and pampered, the Avenger worked on year after year earning it’s keep, carrying loads heavier than the gross weight of some of the show planes and using every bit of power available departing rough forest airstrips like Sevogle, Blackville and Boston Brook. (Sometimes, as one pilot told me, depending on the curvature of the earth to gain altitude!). Almost 70 years of working service from one design !, - that must be some sort of record.
Now just so no one gets upset, I am impressed with all the Warbirds, and if had it been in the cards I probably would have owned a warbird, the Spitfire being the absolute most appealing with the P-51 not far behind. Great airplanes as they were/are, if you want real dependable power a big radial is my choice.
That brings us to what this is about. I recently acquired a complete CW R-2600-20 from the very helpful folks at Forest Protection Ltd here in Fredericton. With the help of the local COPA Flt2 group we are going to try to rebuild this into a ground running display engine. This is not a small task as the engine alone weighs 2000lbs, (luckily one of our members has heavy lifting equipment !). There will be hundreds of hours of taking apart, cleaning, checking, measuring and reassembly. A fully dedicated trailer will be built to carry it and if it all works out people will hear it run and hopefully appreciate it for what it is, a masterpiece of manufacturing and New Brunswick Aviation History from long ago.
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