Why do people with surplus plane and engine parts always want so much money for them? Ive just had a chap on that auction site with a starter tell me to get lost and not to politely because I offered him a sum that I thought was fair for it and its been relisted about 5 times. I know it is specialist but how many people want an ex raf starter motor I just cannot understand it. Any way thats my moan over. The cheetah is singing along all the induction pipes and push rod tubes are blasted primed and painted The next plan of attack is the cylinders they need honing then a light sand blast and either powder coated or a coat of heat proof paint. Then I will be back on with the crankcase. Does any one have a crank nut for a mark 9 surplus to requirements and the oil sheild that goes behind it??????

The starters were actually quite rare on the Cheetah engines as they were all hand started as far as I know, they only appeared in greater numbers on the Airspeed Consuls being civil aircraft.
I must have about 15 of the non motorized ones and only 3 motorized units,
but it looks like they can be converted if you can find the electric motor.
I managed to pick up two more engines, one badly seized MK9 which looks like those Peak District examples and a partially
seized MK10 which was very complete , so that seems the way to go to get parts at my end of the world.
My carb adaptors have corrosion on the sides on some of them but the manifold always seems to escape unscathed, a couple of thick alloy plates will do the trick for your one Wildside.

I made a puller exactly the same as the one depicted in the overhaul manual to remove the front cover ( after removing the front bearing lock nut ), the first ones I made just bent until I used 3/4 inch plate steel and decent rods!
It’s tempting to try to prize off the cover at the mating point but that will only do damage to the surfaces.

Hi Mike,

Can you give us an idea of the location where you found it? Perhaps if local it might be from a civil type, as it does not appear on the RAAF instrument parts listing tables, and that covers a lot of aircraft.

I would leave it unpainted, it’s lasted this long without too much corrosion and if you get it running it will cover itself with oil ( oil stays on the outside of British engines more than the inside ). They look more original, painted ones look like they have been doctored up.:rolleyes:

Oxford Bits

The list for my Airspeed Oxford project is miles long like most projects but at least there are still bits out there and they aren’t as popular. I’m open to any offers as at least that gives more chance of finding something. Armstrong Cheetah engines / parts also welcomed.
I do have some P40 , P51 and Harvard parts that I could swap if need be.:)

When I look at the state of some of my parts I reckon they should be chucked in the rubbish but its all I have to get on with so restoration and repair is the main option and it seems mark 9 cheetah spares are quite hard to find a lot of my bits came off the crashed mark 8 that I bought so its a mix match but at least it will be another runner saved from the crushers jaws.

You are very right as that is exactly how most things become rare / unobtainable. I would however suggest that you do try to keep the internal parts as best as you can as any failure say gear tooth detaching due to corrosion would cause a lot of damage and radials do tend to shred themselves! If you keep all the bad parts you might be able to build up a non runner as it won’t need pistons or decent cylinders which would be prefect for a local museum.

There are processes which can resurrect parts like alloy welding etc which I have had done but this is very expensive.

Stu.

Thanks Wildside, I would only be able to pay for the freight and packing over to here in NZ as I don’t have anyone over your way who could go to the trouble. I’ll have a look to see if I have a spare front castle nut for the 9 but I suspect their all 10 ones and potentially airworthy ones. I also don’t mind buying the stuff as long as it is not rubbish, I have got plenty of that.

Stu.

Hi Bruce,

Any Cheetah ancillary would be of great help, if you have time send me the details: [email]stu.atkinson@clear.net.nz[/email].

Stu.