Aero engines in boats

I’m getting good at “adjusting” threads.
Couple of little bits of useless information.

The Mighty Antar tank transporter had a Meteor as well.
Wonder what that did to the gallon, a few yards presumably.

On holiday on the Isle of Wight a few years ago saw what appeared to be a wartime vintage MTB just clinging to the surface.
Good home for those 3 crated Meteors?

Anybody remember John Dodds with the supposedly Merlin-powered road car and Rolls-Royce grille and bumpers?
That was a Meteor as well. I did actually see that once, on the road. Full anecdote lasts about 5 minutes so I’ll skip it. Think the engine only did about 200 revs from stationary to out-of-sight.

To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never seen a Merlin and Meteor in fairly close proximity, more likely miles and also quite possibly years apart.
It does sound ****** obvious if you can see them both!

BTW, just to be pedantic, I believe in theory they’re Rover Meteors. It was part of the deal with Rover for the Barnoldswick jet factory.

Originally posted by ageorge
Geedee , if your thinking of sticking a big engine in a wee hull there’s a chap in Selkirk selling 4 Rolls-Royce Meteor engines(tank version of the Merlin ) , one is used £800 , three others in crates £3000 each . Keith at JEM Engines in Maddiston in Falkirk builds marine engines too and he also has a Merlin and various other big engines which he run’s up on special occasions

If only I was in the UK !!! hate to think what the postage would be to get it out here ! I’ll just have to wait till I come back around October.

Thanks for all the info guys

Originally posted by dhfan
I’m fairly sure it was Aviation Jersey that got the blame for Charles Church, whether rightly or wrongly I wouldn’t know.

At the risk of seeming flippant (g) to the best of my knowledge, neither tanks or MTBs generally cruise around at 20,000 feet, thus making superchargers superfluous.

I believe that’s the only major difference between a Meteor and Merlin but I’m quite prepared to be told I’m wrong.
Think the power output of a Meteor’s quoted at 600hp, come to think of it.
My Dad would have been a good one to ask, Tank Regiment just post-war, but unfortunately he’s no longer available for questioning.

Your absolutely bang on , the Merlin has a big supercharger bolted on the back of it , the Meteor doesn’t – I never noticed that before !! , the Meteor looks much more compact and neat .

I’m fairly sure it was Aviation Jersey that got the blame for Charles Church, whether rightly or wrongly I wouldn’t know.

At the risk of seeming flippant (g) to the best of my knowledge, neither tanks or MTBs generally cruise around at 20,000 feet, thus making superchargers superfluous.

I believe that’s the only major difference between a Meteor and Merlin but I’m quite prepared to be told I’m wrong.
Think the power output of a Meteor’s quoted at 600hp, come to think of it.
My Dad would have been a good one to ask, Tank Regiment just post-war, but unfortunately he’s no longer available for questioning.

Re: Re: Meteors

Originally posted by ageorge
It was’nt them who built the engine which threw a rod leading to the engine seizure which resulted in the sad loss of Charles Church ?? was it .

Charles Church that’s the chap , yes I believe that they had something to do with it and were taken to court though I don’t know the outcome.

They were also caught breaking sanctions to either Zimbarwe or South Africa by shipping tank parts to the country as tractor parts, during the 70/80’s.

The guy in Falkirk , Keith , has a Merlin on a test stand he runs it up a few times a year and he has a Meteor on a rig which sits in his service area , it has been run up occasionally too . Both are immaculate , his whole collection is superb.

Lucky S*D

Re: Meteors

Originally posted by EN830
Wasn’t there a case where Aviation Jersey were refurbishing Meteors as aero engines and fitting the to Spits etc…..

I seem to remember the company being sued for the death of a well known pilot. Who’s name escapes me.

It was’nt them who built the engine which threw a rod leading to the engine seizure which resulted in the sad loss of Charles Church ?? was it .
The guy in Falkirk , Keith , has a Merlin on a test stand he runs it up a few times a year and he has a Meteor on a rig which sits in his service area , it has been run up occasionally too . Both are immaculate , his whole collection is superb.

Re: Re: Whirlwind

Originally posted by ageorge
wonder if the gentleman who has the remains of the one from Scotland has any plans for it ??

I agree, next time my our paths cross I’ll ask him, maybe in July.

Re: Whirlwind

Originally posted by EN830
There was a idea being bandied around 12 months ago of building one from scratch, (In 3 years) it seems to have died a death, though the website is still live.

I could try to contact the diver again to see if he would be interested in surveying the crash site, it could be a bit sensitive as the two pilots were lost with their aircraft. However I am in first hand contact with the family of one of them, and his daughter was quite keen to discover if he was still with his mount.

I can understand that being a sensitive subject , maybe best left alone .
Be nice to see one scratch built , along the same lines of the recently unveiled Boulton Paul Defiant , using some original components maybe ?? , wonder if the gentleman who has the remains of the one from Scotland has any plans for it ??

Meteors

Wasn’t there a case where Aviation Jersey were refurbishing Meteors as aero engines and fitting the to Spits etc…..

I seem to remember the company being sued for the death of a well known pilot. Who’s name escapes me.

Geedee , if your thinking of sticking a big engine in a wee hull there’s a chap in Selkirk selling 4 Rolls-Royce Meteor engines(tank version of the Merlin ) , one is used £800 , three others in crates £3000 each . Keith at JEM Engines in Maddiston in Falkirk builds marine engines too and he also has a Merlin and various other big engines which he run’s up on special occasions

Whirlwind

There was a idea being bandied around 12 months ago of building one from scratch, (In 3 years) it seems to have died a death, though the website is still live.

I could try to contact the diver again to see if he would be interested in surveying the crash site, it could be a bit sensitive as the two pilots were lost with their aircraft. However I am in first hand contact with the family of one of them, and his daughter was quite keen to discover if he was still with his mount.

You could always hope that some of the airframe is protected by silt , but that’s probably wishful thinking . Wonder if there was enough of the Whirlwind left to use to build as a static airframe ?? , another gap filled in a list of extinct aeroplanes !!

Whirlwind

I believe the fuselage was made of a magnesium alloy that wouldn’t stand up to being submerged in salt water too well, though I have seen part of the prop from one of the aircraft.

I do have it on good authority that the remains of a Whirlwind that crashed in Scotland are held by a certain restorer who has a workshop in Westerfield.

Chap sounds like my brother-in-law ,Paul , he’s a BSAC Instructor and he never shuts up about diving , handy for borrowing videos and books etc though !! . Will there be much left of a Whirlwind after all these years ?? , it would be superb to see one .

Must have been a powerful beastie with 3 Packard Merlin’s !! , imagine the racket in the engine room !. [/B][/QUOTE]

I know it’s no comparison but you’ve only have to listen to the Condor Ferries Seacat Wave Piercer to get an idea of what it must have been like, I live about 1 1/2 miles inland and can hear it going past at night.

I’ve spoke to one of the divers who made the PT509 video about the possibility of recovering one of two Whirlwinds that were lost off of Jersey in 1942, though there would not be much left of them now. He was a very knowledgeable chap and could talk on the subject of diving for England.

GeeDee , the book I mentioned is called ” Boats In The Blue” by W.D Pereira ASIN No is 0907036228 , it’s still in print , hardback is approx £20 .The boats are powered by three Packard Merlins , it goes into quite a bit of detail regarding the engines , starting procedure etc ….. good book.

Sorry Ian , my mistake , on the back cover it say’s that the three engines and some metalwork are all that’s left of PT509 and all was to be left on the seabed as a memorial to the lost crew , a surviving PT Crewman Shelton Bosley was flown out to the Channel Isles , he was’nt on 509 but knew the men who crewed her , he was taken out on a dive to see the remains .
I’ve not actually watched it yet , I only got it from a workmate at the start of my shift .
Must have been a powerful beastie with 3 Packard Merlins !! , imagine the racket in the engine room !.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ageorge
[B]GeeDee , she was found and they recovered the THREE Packard Merlins , all through the eyes of a surviving crew member.

I pretty sure they didn’t recover the Engines, as far as I am aware they are still lying on the seabed as a memorial to the crews members who didn’t return.

How ever I may be wrong but can easily check.

GeeDee , you want to get hold of a video called PT509 The Last Patrol by John Ovenden + Paul Haslam of Underwater Video Services 01534-484599 VHS 57min £9.99 , it’s the true story of a PT boat which ran out of torpedoes while attacking German Destroyers near the Channel Isles – she went in close to get some shots off with her 20mm cannon , collided with the destroyer and sank , it’s the true story of how she was found and they recovered the THREE Packard Merlins , all through the eyes of a surviving crew member.

Good ****

Ive heard the main problem with starting the engines on PT boats was the transmission system. I believe that had something to do with JFK getting rammed by a jap destroyer as his boat wasnt in gear when he saw the destroyer approaching.