Runners

First Run (2.9M WMV)

First Run of Bill Bishop's
Newly Restored
Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah

At long last the Cheetah was started last Saturday for its first run in 50 years. The Avro Ansons they powered were all grounded in 1962 due to wing spar delamination.

It was a good start accompanied by lots of smoke and noise --- just what I wanted. A few minor snags showed up but most have already been corrected.

The next runs will be with the prop on, it was left of for a safer first run but the engine is totally predictable so I am happy to install it.

First Run of AEHS Member's
Newly Restored Bristol Hercules

First run in the recently completed R-3350 test cell at Neptune Aviation Services in Missoula, Montana.
NAS overhauls engines for use on the P2V Neptune.
Photo submitted by shop manager Tracy Brendal.

Thursday, 21 April 2005:
My Allison V-1710 ran for the first time today! - Dan Whitney

Tulsa Technology Center

Click to Enlarge

1) 39,000 sq ft Powerplant Hangar with perfectly flyable Boeing 727 inside.
2) 39,000 sq ft Airframe Hangar currently occupied by CAF LB-30 (B-24).
3) Oil stain on ramp from running R-4360.

Super-nice facility with four dynamometers for reciprocating engines. We use a Lycoming GSO-480 for reciprocating overhaul and run. There is a turbine engine test cell with a TF41 engine installed.

Runners from the Collection of the Tulsa Technology Center

Pratt & Whitney
R-985

Curtiss-Wright R-3350 TC
Fast shutter speed makes test club appear stopped.

Curtiss-Wright R-3350 TC
981TC18EA1 at 36 inHg & 2,900 rpm<

Curtiss-Wright R-3350 TC
Too bad pictures can't transmit sound!

Pratt & Whitney R-4360-59B
Assembly. Engine is from KC-97.

Pratt & Whitney -4360-59B
It runs!

Pratt & Whitney R-4360-59B
... and runs!

Pratt & Whitney R-4360-59B
Runs great after top overhaul.

We run each of these engines about every 39 days, which is the length of the reciprocating engine course at Tulsa Technology Center. We are a state and federally funded A&P school. They run fine -- make lots of smoke and noise. The test club is a C-130 Hercules prop cut down to nine feet, with manually adjustable pitch.

Union Blimp Engine

Readers of Torque Meter Vol. 1 No. 1 may recall a letter from Mr. "Sal" Salomon describing his restoration of a Union Blimp engine
belonging to the New England Air Museum.

Union Blimp Engine

All that hard work has its rewards. Below is Sal's account of the first run of his project:

"Saturday 11 May 2002. A beautiful sunny day. I pushed the engine out of the garage and prepared for the first run. When my friend Bob (an outstanding machinist) came up from NJ we started. After priming the oil system we hooked up the oil line to the engine driven pump. Turning on the fuel valve allowing the fuel to fill the carburetor float chamber, the engine was rotated. As the fuel started to run out of the carburetor we figured it was enough! Throttle open 1/2 inch, the left mag in the 'ON' position, Bob took the starting handle. At the third snap of the impulse coupling the engine roared to life. What a thrill! Mag switch 'Both' Sounding more like an old Caterpillar tractor then an aircraft engine. We ran the engine 3 more times to work out the bugs. WOW what a beautiful day!"