Dave~What's the plan for FIFI?

[Randy Wilson]

James - I learned early in my time as a warbird pilot - especially a warbird fighter pilot - always do whatever the crew chief or other good folks who keep your and other birds in the air wants! When it is cold, make sure the heater is pointed at the mech - when it's hot, which is mostly here in TX, make sure the fan or swamp cooler is pointed...you get the picture. And always be available to get tools and pick up nuts, bolts and washers dropped by the airplane fixers, as we are only airplane breakers and need to atone for our breaking of the crew chief's aircraft! Oh, and buy lunch as needed. And I'm not joking as many here know.

Randy

[Randy Wilson]

Gary - I wondered if I heard that one right - obviously not! Thanks for the correction. Randy

[Randy Wilson]

Even seem to be a mind reader now

[retroaviation]

One small correction...it's a 60 spline prop. Other than that, good report Randy.

[b29flteng]

Just something I thought of (dangerous for me). What about putting a couple of electric fans off of a car to help draw air through the coolers?

[B29B24crewchief]

Not just yet, send me the changes I sent today and we should have it pretty well set by tomorrow. Then you can post it!
Dave

[mustanglover]

Okay. I'll finish up what I've got and get you the diagram in the next day or two.

I'll probably have to send the full-res vector image on a CD to you. I'll let you know.

General question to the board - anyone know anything about CAD programs and whether you can take a vector image and import it directly to a CAD program to create a CNC or Waterjet plan?

Check PM please.

[B29B24crewchief]

Just something I thought of (dangerous for me). What about putting a couple of electric fans off of a car to help draw air through the coolers?

That would be a great idea and it is used buy some of the other engine builders stands that I have seen. Here's why we won't need too. It's true that the engine we have on the stand now will run hot. -57's always do! Remember this engine is only a test engine for the test stands functionality. We really don't care too much if it gets hot and we are likely to be running it here in the not too distant future. Today the high was 45! The new engine will not have the over heating troubles because they improved the cylinder design so much they just don't get hot. We can always add that later, if I'm wrong. I just said that cause I know how much Gary likes to here that!!
Dave

[retroaviation]

Typically, oil temps were never really an issue on these engines (unless they were starting to eat themselves alive, that is), if I remember correctly. It was the cylinder temps on the old engines that was scary. As Dave mentioned, the new engines shouldn't have either problem, but that's why we're testing them, right?

Gary

[Dan K]

Today the high was 45!
Dave

Sniff... That's really sad.

Please Dave. Around here "cold" is measured in how long it takes ice cubes to form outdoors. 10 minutes. 5 minutes. And I live in the tropical part of Cheeseland.

Texas might get snow, but Texas doesn't get cold.

[Randy Wilson]

I once saw 80 below ambient on a very cold and still morning about 20 miles east of Fairbanks, AK - and that was on my front porch! That said, West Texas and the Texas panhandle can feel very cold with a mix of moderately cold temps and high winds some days.

Old joke in the area concerns a farmer back in the days of mule-powered plows. Seems late one fall the farmer was plowing and one mule dropped dead from the excessive heat, and before the farmer could get the mule unharnessed, a "blue norther" hit, freezing the second mule in its tracks. I wont' even repeat some stories from a friend in Amarillo, Tx but it has to do with standing knee deep in almost frozen mud and being blinded by the blowing dirt

I'm sure there are similar jokes and stories in the upper reaches of the lower 48. Y'all keep warm up there and have a happy holidays!

Randy

[PJ]

I felt for you, too Dave. 45 is a heat wave here in Indiana!

[B29B24crewchief]

I felt for you, too Dave. 45 is a heat wave here in Indiana!

Well I would love to have you come down and enjoy the West Texas weather this time of year. Remember I am from the north coast and know too well what winter up there is all about. I think you need some FIFI time! There's plenty to do and you may even get to run a 3350 on testiclese.

Dave

[B29B24crewchief]

The following are some pics of our progress with the Giant Propellers off FIFI. These bad boys are 16 feet 7 inches, tip to tip. They weigh in at 865 pounds of solid aluminium. Except of course, what steel is in the hub and the bearings. My plan is to use our 24" gooseneck trailer to load them on and take them to San Antonio Propeller later this week. In order to do that, we decided to avoid any clearance problems with overpases and take them apart here. What we are doing is separating the hub and removing two of the blades, then putting the hub back together with two blades on. That way we can get them all on in one load.

The first step was to find a way to support the blades when we separate the hub. We used the B-4 stands for that task.



Next was to remove the 12 hub bolts and put the dome back on.



These bolts are numbered and marked for there location on the hub. The reason is, they are somewhat hollow and filled with lead for balancing purposes.



After getting the dome back on, You hold upward pressure on the hub with the crane and use the weight of the blades to help separate the halfs. This involves the use of very large soft faced mallets. It eventually starts to separate and the dome with the upper hub half is lifted off and set aside for now.



After the two blades are removed, Hugh, my newest crew member awaits the arrival of the dome and hub for reassembly.


Put the hub halves back together with a few bolts to hold it. Then pick up two blades and hub and set it on the trailer!



Hugh is having a blast!!


I'll be posting more of the pics on our website if you haven't checked it out, please do!
cafb29b24.org

Dave

[CAPFlyer]

Great to see more progress!

Check your HQ e-mail, I finally got the freakin' image to go through... (ugh)