Oil or Fuel

I do not recall Varsities being turned over by hand.Only so many blade turns on the starter then ign on and wait for the big Blue cloud!!Average days flying took @15 gallons of oil to replenish!!

From a wartime publication for Bristol aero-engines:

The guys that ( ground ) run the local B170 Bristol Freighter pull the props through ” 8 blades ” by hand . If it goes through ok then its fine to use the starter .

Lincoln 7 check your pm’s mate and thank you.

Hi Lincoln 7- last week we were at Old Warden (great forum members pics under the photographic section) our next event will be Kemble June 18/19th all events listed here- www.an2club.info cheers.

Many thanks for the info. can you send me a P.M. regarding what the fee is for being just supporting/donating,member, to keep this good looker flying.
Cheers.

Lincoln .7

What are pedestrians doing walking through the prop arc anyway????.

Very few people are trained about the dangers of props today.

Having pulled a few props through over the years having checked the mags are off and throttle closed i have always been aware that the engine could catch anyway! NEVER walk within striking distance of the prop walk round it by a good margin..

Amen to that! The rare times I deal with turbo props I give them a wide berth too, old habits thankfully die hard.
Keep safe

Rgds Cking

Hi Lincoln 7- last week we were at Old Warden (great forum members pics under the photographic section) our next event will be Kemble June 18/19th all events listed here- www.an2club.info cheers.

Just to clarify yes An2 is four blade.With the prop in a x configuration when static we attach a “top hat” to the oil drain (just visible in pic in front of oil cooler) which stops accumalation in the bottom cylinders.Before EACH start we then pull blades through to check that there is not a hydraulic lock before closing the oil drain valve.Great as a parking marker because any oil that misses the top hat kills the grass below!When people see us prop pushing the stock answer when asked what we are doing is… “winding up the elastic band!”

What a fantastic looking aircraft, where will/can it be seen this year?.

Lincoln .7

Hmm, an M1 tank has track centres of 112″ and a track width of 25″ giving a between track dimension of 87″. HUMVEE is only 85″ overall so it would not fit in the track path at all.

Thats DEFINATLY the last time I Google anything 😀 but thanks for the input.
Jim.

Lincoln. 7

Just to clarify yes An2 is four blade.With the prop in a x configuration when static we attach a “top hat” to the oil drain (just visible in pic in front of oil cooler) which stops accumalation in the bottom cylinders.Before EACH start we then pull blades through to check that there is not a hydraulic lock before closing the oil drain valve.Great as a parking marker because any oil that misses the top hat kills the grass below!When people see us prop pushing the stock answer when asked what we are doing is… “winding up the elastic band!”

Hi tankbarrell, on about tanks, and “Bouncing Betty” mines, I didn’t know until recently, that the HUMVEE was designed with the same width between wheels as the same as on their tanks. It appears that the tanks would set the mines off, and the Humvees would travel in the tracks of the tanks.safely.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Hmm, an M1 tank has track centres of 112″ and a track width of 25″ giving a between track dimension of 87″. HUMVEE is only 85″ overall so it would not fit in the track path at all.

Re post 14 by AN2grahame:
Like this? AN2 YL-LEI at Prangins June 2009

Laurence

Tankbarrel, 30 cyls must mean you’ve got one of those chrysler multibanks fitted?
Is it a Firefly?

Bomberboy

Just a standard 75mm Sherman V.

What are pedestrians doing walking through the prop arc anyway????
Having pulled a few props through over the years having checked the mags are off and throttle closed i have always been aware that the engine could catch anyway! NEVER walk within striking distance of the prop walk round it by a good margin.
Happy landings.

Also note that the AN-2 has a 4 bladed prop (I think) so leaving 1 blade vertical- which is probably safer for pedestrians- leaves the top blade in a position that will accumulate water. Not an issue with 3 blades, which can be left in a Y position- safer for pedestrians and allows for water run off.

However having said that- an aircraft type I fly is however left in the vertical position (safer for ground handling- as tugs, trolleys, gpu, etc can be pushed under the aircraft wing, access to cargo compartment etc) – but where we were origionally required to position the blades in the same place after each flight (there was a painted mark to line up) we are now just required to rotate the blades to the nearest vertical- so that the same blade is not always at the top- that blade was getting more corrosion on all the blades/hubs on all the aircraft across the fleet.

From a wartime publication for Bristol aero-engines:

Procedure for inspecting an engine which has been newly installed, overhauled, or out of use for a long time:

(5) Remove all the sparking plugs, rotate the engine, and watch for signs of oil flooding in the lower cylinders. If oil is observed, continue to turn the engine until all surplus oil is drained out.

Funny that, I was always told to leave one blade pointing straight down so that any liquid (oil or water) would drain down the blade and not collect in the hub or spinner. Also if you walk into a blade when it’s straight down it doesn’t hurt as much as smashing your face into a blade tip.
Different instructors, different advice but as I don’t work on props now I would bow to you’re superior knowledge.

Rgds Cking

In a way you’re all correct with different reasons.
As the above from Cking states, the real main reason as i’ve always understood is to not actually have a blade pointing straight up so that if it rains or other etc, water or other fluid does not gather and sit at the root of the blade where it goes into the prop hub.
Otherwise and for obvious reasons, this could start a process of corrosion.

With regards to starters and oil in the lower inverted cyls, some starters, (direct drive particularly I believe), are actually fitted with a clutch arrangement so that excessive ‘resistance’ from the engine will see the starter ‘slip’ and so not damage the engine.
Inertia starters are a little bit different and when started tend, if allowed to build up to full speed, tend to turn the engine over much faster initially.

Tankbarrel, 30 cyls must mean you’ve got one of those chrysler multibanks fitted?
Is it a Firefly?

Bomberboy

Was there a proceedure on the likes of the Whirlwind or it’s Sikorsky forbear?

Roger Smith

we always pull through 36 blades better to be safe than sorry! Also the blades are numbered and must always be left with no1 visible at 45 degrees from the captains window therefore the a/c is always left with the prop in a x position NOT with a blade pointing vertically down.

Funny that, I was always told to leave one blade pointing straight down so that any liquid (oil or water) would drain down the blade and not collect in the hub or spinner. Also if you walk into a blade when it’s straight down it doesn’t hurt as much as smashing your face into a blade tip.
Different instructors, different advice but as I don’t work on props now I would bow to you’re superior knowledge.

Rgds Cking

we always pull through 36 blades better to be safe than sorry! Also the blades are numbered and must always be left with no1 visible at 45 degrees from the captains window therefore the a/c is always left with the prop in a x position NOT with a blade pointing vertically down.

Hi tankbarrell, on about tanks, and “Bouncing Betty” mines, I didn’t know until recently, that the HUMVEE was designed with the same width between wheels as the same as on their tanks. It appears that the tanks would set the mines off, and the Humvees would travel in the tracks of the tanks.safely.
Jim.
Lincoln .7