Warbird Information Exchange

Inspired by the 'Fifi's engines' thread, I was wondering if anyone knows the number of P&W and Wright radials - from 'worth re-building' to active - that is left in the world?

Does a formalized/in-formalized collaboration exists among museums and private individuals to keep track of the world wide 'stock' of radials? (And other warbird pistons and stuff, for that matter?)

Are engines still found/uncovered? (Like in the back of an old barn, somewhere way out in the country side?)

Are new replacement parts produced in a organised ('industrialized') way? (I guess that companies like P&W are not 'active' in this area anymore?)

Is tractor pulling a 'competitor' to the warbird community needs? (A radial simply looks completely and utterly misplaced on a tractor )

Some years ago - in another thread, on another site, dealing with a slightly different subject - I read that a guy had seen quite a few, zero hour, B-29 engines 'in the back of a hangar' somewhere. If my fading memory serves me right, he claimed that radials would not be in short supply in a very near future.

How does it look today?

(That was many questions, sorry about that)

Take care

J

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There are probably alot that have been scrapped in the past. And now anyone that would do such a thing would have to be crazy.
I think that there are quite a few radial engines left, there are many that are still being used commercially, mostly the smaller 9 cylinder ones, then I would think R-1830's and R-2800's are prevailent. There are many that are sitting outside collecting rain and dirt, and there are some collectors and enthusiasts that have some of them. Then there are the few large radial engine overhaul shops that have many NOS parts, and there are a few outfits that have PMA, Parts Manufacture Approval. And yes they make some of the wear parts that have run out or that can benifit from the latest technology in metallury. I know there are places that manufacture such things as cylinders, carburetor parts etc.
Alot of the radial engines were sold at government auctions in the past, and I suppose most of the rebuild shops bought alot of them and parts supplys. As with FiFi's engines, the dash number is important when it comes to aircraft engines. Why? mostly the improvements that have been made on the newer ones, yeah just like the early B29 R-3350 as compaired to the newer made in the 1950's R-3350 Turbo compound.
I think the R-2800 was made into the 1960's.

Hi,

hard to say probably.
For the R-2800, P&W built 125 000 engine during WW2 and many years after. Some civil aircraft receive this engine like Canadair CL-215.

Cheers
SPang

It depends on the size of the engines you are asking about. Are you counting Wrights like the J-4, J-5, J6-5, J6-7, J6-9, R760, R975, etc?

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My guess is that they ARE getting to be in short supply. The A & P program I am attending fields a fairly steady stream of folks calling to beg them to sell the radials used in our program to them so they may rebuild them or use parts from them...

...the last big flush of unknown engines around Southern California was when some place in Arizona removed a number of radials from poles where they had been used to move air through orange groves to help prevent freezing...

Finally, I have read a number of interveiws with Radial Engines Ltd in Oklahoma detailing how they have scoured much of thr world and are progressivly having a harder times finding any engines that aren't spoken for.

Don't forget all the small radials like Warner, Kinner, Ken-Royce, LeBlond, Szeakley, Jacobs, Lycoming, just to name a few of the more "popular" ones...

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President National Waco Club
Curator for the Waco Historical Society Air Museum
Writer for VINTAGE AIRPLANE, SKYWAYS, BARNSTORMERS.COM EFLYER

How about adding to the thread....................How many radials in the WIX world?????


Got 1 Beautiful NAVY built Wright R-760-8 and a parts to another!!!!!! Anyone got a powersection case????:)

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What became of all the radials that were pulled off the S2 Trackers when the were converted over to Turbos for the Forest Service ?

So you are saying overhaul outfits are asking to purchase the schools engines? Why? If they have been through a school overhaul I would think most parts would be red tag by now. And what size engines are you talking about?

Or the Eastern European radials. Aren't many of those still in production?

N3NJEFF.....hard to believe your wasting that good Wright on an N3N...go get yourself a R985 and leave the Wrights to the Waco guys!!!!

_________________
President National Waco Club
Curator for the Waco Historical Society Air Museum
Writer for VINTAGE AIRPLANE, SKYWAYS, BARNSTORMERS.COM EFLYER