New oil tank, new oil cooler, all new hoses, fabricated a new water spray bar tank and fitted a new leading edge on the starboard side (looks like a proper Sea Fury now, well except for missing the 5th prop blade), sealed the firewall from air leaks, complete disassembly and inspection of the landing gear…and lots of little stuff. New radios are on the list for this Winter, but basically I’m very happy.
It’s interesting the differences between the Bristol Centaurus and the Wright 3350. I’ve not flown the Centaurus, but with the 3350 cylinder head temperatures are never a problem. In fact, the hottest the cyl temp ever get is the bottom of the green arch. However, oil temps start to rise the minute you put the gear down in the pattern. As I understand it the landing gear creates turbulent air that disrupts the airflow through the cooler. Turning on the spraybar and leaving it on during landing and taxi gets the oil temp to around 80c. Without it temps will go over 100c.
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