Vickers Virginia

Were these radiators used on any other aircraft types ?

They can be found on some of the other Vickers derivitives commercial and military and were sometimes hung under the top wing.

John

Were these radiators used on any other aircraft types ?

Hi John, the Lumsden book is very good isn’t it.

I am sorry to ask so many questions but this place seems to be an amazing centre of knowledge,

The prop hub I have on the engine has machine gun interupter gear cams set in a 4 blade prop sequence, does this narrow down the plane fitment ?

Does anyone have any idea if any Lion engined planes are still in existance anywhere ?

Thanks again.

Andy

Assuming that the hub is the correct one for that engine it does raise problems as none of the likely candidates for forwards firing armament used a four blade prop. The Avro Bison 1 used a four blade prop but had a Lion II.
The forwards firers for the VA are the IIIF Mk.1 and III D which had two blades as did the HP Harrow (biplane).

John

Hi John, the Lumsden book is very good isn’t it.

I am sorry to ask so many questions but this place seems to be an amazing centre of knowledge,

The prop hub I have on the engine has machine gun interupter gear cams set in a 4 blade prop sequence, does this narrow down the plane fitment ?

Does anyone have any idea if any Lion engined planes are still in existance anywhere ?

Thanks again.

Andy

Hi Wieesso,

Thanks for your idea and link, you could be right, everything adds up.

The reason I asked about the Blackburn manual is that this engine many years ago was nicknamed “the Blackburn engine”, did that come from a “Blackburn aircraft” or was it from a “Blackburn Blackburn” plane ?

V’s were used on Blackburns but not the VA according to Lumsden. It was used on Southhampton II, Virginia VII, Fairey IIID and IIIF Mk.1 and some exotics like the Gloster II racing Seaplane.

John

Well didn’t that turn up some interesting stuff , thanks guys .

Hi Wieesso,

Thanks for your idea and link, you could be right, everything adds up.

The reason I asked about the Blackburn manual is that this engine many years ago was nicknamed “the Blackburn engine”, did that come from a “Blackburn aircraft” or was it from a “Blackburn Blackburn” plane ?

Hi Ross, thanks for your interest,

I am rebuilding a Lion VA from about 1926, unfortunately I have no history but really would like to know the aircraft it was fitted too.

Maybe an Avro 571/572 Buffalo
http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/avro_buffalo.php

Hi Ross, thanks for your interest,

I am rebuilding a Lion VA from about 1926, unfortunately I have no history but really would like to know the aircraft it was fitted too.

I have an AP1342 for the Lion XIA, an AP1267 for the Lion V and VA and also a Napier manual for the Lion V.

I would very much like to aquire an AP1363 which I think would be very useful to me, do you know of anybody dealing in these ?

I am sorry I don’t know that much about these type’s of publication, would a similar manual have existed for a Blackburn aircraft with this type of engine ?

I am looking for a set of Claudel-Hobson updraught carbs to give complete originality, anybody out there have any ?

Andy

Hi Andy,

They came from the Vickers Virginia X AP1363 (Lion Series V fitted).

What version of Lion are you working on?

I have an original Lion Series XIa AP1342, 1st Ed, Nov 1928. It incorporates AL No.1, June29, AL No.2 Sept31 and AL No.3 Jan34.

Glad to help with any info

Regards
Ross

Hi Ross, the photo’s and diagram’s you posted are very useful, can I ask where they are from ?
The reason I ask is that I am currently rebuilding a Lion engine very similar to the Virginia unit and the sort of information you have would be invaluable to my project.

Andy

Thank you Ross also. This is particularly useful as I am working on a pattern for a kit of this “lovely” aircraft.

John

Found them..

Hi,

Found a frontal piccy of the rad & shutters in the u/c section (nice detail of leather covered strap that holds it in place).

Also attached is the cockpit for general interest.

Think that there is a GA drawing of the cooling system that will help with dimensions and panel lines but need to add this later.

Regards
Ross

Thanks for that , that is really helpfull , particularly about the front of these units , I might have to do a guess on the rear .

No photographs but the following is from AP1363, Ist Ed nov 1928 for the Virginia X

Radiators and mounting.
215. The radiators are hung below the bottom centre plane between the legs of the undercarriage units, and are cowled at front and rear. The two halves of each have a common passage at the bottom of the vertical partition, the drain plug being fitted at the rear of this passage. The distant-reading thermometer connection is fitted at the top of the rear face on the outlet (starboard) side of each radiator. Access to the water pipe connections and radiator mounting is given by inspection panels fitted in the top surface of the bottom centre planes.

216. The radiators are each held by two leather-lined steel straps to the two transverse detachable bearers which are fitted within the plane framework. Rubber rings insulate the radiators from vibration, the bearers being held in position by four bolts which slide into bushes within the rubber rings; the bolts are secured in position by split pins.

Radiator Shutters
217. The shutters are of the conical type having 10 slats which are pivoted longitudinally, the rear piviots being fitted to the leading edge of the radiator front cowling, whilst the front pivots are carried by a semi-circular bracket which is housed in a recess formed in the underside of the plane immediately to the rear of a nose portion. Rotation of the slats is obtained by fitting a pinion to the front pivotal spindle of each slat, the 10 pinions being in engagement with a toothed quadrant which is moved about a pivot on the bracket by an arm which is coupled by the link system detailed in para. 175 to the shutter control lever in the pilot’s cockpit.

..Get your teeth into that description..
Regards
Ross