Warbird Information Exchange

from another forum:
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=92251




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http://www.biplanerides1.com/

Not only a waste of a Merlin, he also managed to c rap up a nice car.

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All I did was press this red button here...

Yeah, and it's one of those ultra-rare 3,000 horsepower Merlins to boot. I wonder why the reporter didn't just say one million horsepower to make it reeeeealy impressive?

Gary

I'm going against the grain here. I kinda like it. Anyone that has that much passion for building something like that needs a pat on the back. I like all the aircraft type features on it as well. Perhaps Mr. Diemert should have contacted this guy instead of the tank commander. The defender may have actualy flown

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The more I learn about aircraft, the more I realize I still have to learn.

I think there's a place for that kind of stuff.....in moderation. I've got two Griffon engines here I've been tossed around similar ideas with.

However, my biggest beef with the story is the "3,000 horsepower" comment. I mean, it's a pretty cool project on its own...it really doesn't need fluffing up.

Gary

Nothing really new, there used to be a guy running around So Cal with a 65 Chevelle with an Allison in it.

I would have at least used a Mustang! Or then again, not even built the thing!

I think that's pretty cool.
I've got no problem with it especially if they can use parts that are not airworthy but are still run worthy for car use.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Kinda reminds me of the guy that came by the museum not too long ago with an F-86 drop tank all polished up and shiny that he had welded fins to so that it looked like a shark. The fist thing that that Scott and I thought was, "What a waste of a perfectly good drop tank". The guy sure was proud of it and he did a nice job on it for what it was. But I still would rather see it slung under an F-86 as it flys by. Just like I'd rather see that Merlin flying in a Mustang or a Spitfire. With that said, the Merlin powered car is cool and the guy deserves a pat on the back for all of his hard work. I just hope he doesn't waste any more Merlins or classic cars.

I'm a purist when it comes to restorations of classic and vintage aircraft and vehicles. But I guess when I can afford to buy my own Merlin, or airplane or classic car, I can do with it as I darn well please as well.

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Bill Gorin
Vintage Flying Museum
http://www.vintageflyingmuseum.org
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So did he really have to cut up a decent '55 to do this car? I mean by the looks of it there isn't much left of the original shell, surely some repro sheetmetal or a fibreglass body would have doen the trick. Or at least a rustbucket beyong-redemption parts car. And the chassis is all new, so what did he need a donor for?

Anyways, I wonder if he used a Merlin or a Meteor. The latter would have worked fine I'm sure, and not many would know the difference. I mean they both say Rolls Royce on the cam covers.

Wonder what it does in the quarter?

greg v.

I wonder how many Merlin powered cars there have been all together. Besides this, I can think of two others. There was one built on a custom sports car base in the 1960s, quite well engineered, was said to do over 200mph and allegedly was in the Guinness BoWR as the fastest road-legal car for a while. There was also a Merlin stuffed in a prewar Rolls sedan, I have seen this one and have pics of it somewhere. It was a pretty crude job and said to be pretty much undriveable because of drive train issues.

August

Doesn't Jay Leno have a car with a RR aircraft engine in it?




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http://www.biplanerides1.com/

Here is what Leno built, powered by a tank engine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQHRNeY9zUU

Yeah, the drop tank guy not only welded fins to that nice F-86 tank, he cut a big mouth in the nose of it to seal the deal. His polish job turned out nice.

Scott

I've never seen that Tank Car of Jay's before.

Totally cool!

1936, RR introduced the Phantom III with a V-12 that was derived from their aircraft engine. Got to be pictures out there somewhere.

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

I was thinking of his 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom that has a Merlin in it, but I can't find any pictures of it online.




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