PowerandPassion;

Wish I had one.

Tom.

How’s your welding skills?

Usually a result of pilots losing control in IMC flying.
The type got a bad “hangar flying” reputation from those who couldn’t afford the type…and that many of those who could buy them had reputations for not staying current…hense the nickname “doctor killer”.
Back on the 80s, the FAA did a review of the type (spurred on my some hysterical media coverage) and found no problem.

I spent a while flying around SoCal looking for the correct airport in one of those (Ramona). Then it turned out the runway was closed for work so we landed on the taxiway… as did the hotrodded Navion that came to pick us up after we delivered the V tail.

Next time I’m up at Mike Nixons I’ll get some pics of what he uses for V12s & radials. The radial stands look like something you’d expert to find in a locomotive factory.

ZRX61, Pictures speak a thousand words, so if you can show me what you mean, that would be great. Although I think I get it. By hanging the cylinder head and block on the inside edge, by a strap, the whole thing just happens to hang at about 30 degrees rolled outward?? I have done something like this, but it still is a case of “walking” the assembly off the long hold down studs, typically achieved by hammer taps at the front and back of the head as I hoist it up off the long studs. I really think it’d be easier if I were lifting purely vertically, as Anon mentioned.

I broke a stud off the front coolant outlet face doing this once. I think the assembly swung a bit then rested on one of the studs. DOH ! Now I have to dig the little broken stud piece out of the cylinder head.

Tom.

Don’t think I have any pics (I’ll look), but you pretty much got the gist of it. Can’t roll the Merlin over when it has a P51 attached to it.

PowerandPassion

You probably know this, but there is a different type of stand that is used for Merlins, and probably other engines. This is a frame that pivots around the center at each end, and the crankcase mounting feet bolt to the frame. It’s simpler because you don’t have to build the rings that roll around on a track or set of bearings. I wish I had either type, since it would make rolling my Merlin crankcase 30 degrees left or right much easier, which would then make hoisting the cylinder blocks straight up much easier. Hoisting upward on an angle is a problem, I’ve found.

I assume you’re likely familiar with this type, but let me know if pictures would help.

Tom.

We remove the cam etc & then bolt a spare center cam mount in place. With a strap around the inboard end of that mount it will hang the head/bang assembley at the correct angle to lift off or drop back in place.

You should see the the stands used for R2800’s & the like…. They make that Merlin stand look like Meccano.

I’ve given up following Vulcan To The Skip/Shed/Sewer on FB….

They were a regular feature when the High Rollers ANG outfit was flying them instead of the C130’s they have now…