Art & Inspiration Aero-Engined Vintage Racers

Just found this thread. Rolf, your craftsmanship and detailing are incredible! I'm thinking you must have served your apprenticeship at a Swiss watch manufacturer!

Question -- it appears that the upright that the front spring attaches to is clamped to the axle. Does this depend on friction alone to prevent axle rotation, or is there a dowel between the axle and upright, to preclude rotation? Is there a provision to adjust castor?

 

Aero-engined, but maybe not racers, so maybe OT.

 

I manufactured it with theoretical 0.00 mm end play, I was not able to calculate the preload because there are to many open questions regarding length of the housing (It’s actually to short but I had not more place) inclination of the propeller shaft and stiffness of the subframe.So it’s the easiest to start with something and modify it when you see there are some problems.I will use some steel shim rings for bearings if the preload isn’t enough .After assembling the bearing,shaft and housing I was feeling a small preload when I turned by hand .For me is it all ways a big challenge when you have to solve problems like that,because nobody can really help you and when you ask 5 experts you will get 5 different solutions.As I wrote already in posts before I underestimated this project, I was thinking with my background as a mechanic working for 20 years on Motorcycles and building a Riley Big Four Special and a Salmson S4c Special with blower ,I can do that with any big problems but I was completely wrong!

 

Bob,there are caps on each end to allow installation of the parts. The bearings are installed on the shaft first.Once the shaft is in the box ,the cups are added.The end cap that does not have provisions for the shims is put on first. Then the other cap,in conjunction with the shims , is installed to obtain the proper bearing load or end play.

 

Your efforts will give you a great reward when you are done.

 

Check this post

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/my-gn-jap-tribute-build.1131795/page-2#post-12889592

 

One from New Zealand built by the late Bill Grant about 1968. Motor is a P-40 V-1710 V12. JW

 

https://store.rotecaerosport.com/

 

Interesting angle iron chassis. I'm thinking it may have had a bit of flex built in it.

 

^^Drag racing hadn't really hit by NZ then and here they used whatever they had, in saying that there were "some" proper built cars too. JW

 

Rolfzoller
Your car is exceptional in so many ways. As for the Pandora, I don'think Steven should have pushed it over a cliff.

 

Well it isn´t strictly speaking an aero engine, or a vintage racer, but this is an early Land Rover (pre 48 design, thank you very much) with a twin turbocharged Rover Meteorite engine, from a Thorneycroft Mighty Antar tank transporter. These motors are the shortened V8 version of the Rover Meteor, which was basically a Rolls Merlin for armoured tank use, The Antar was about the size of a house and would pull 100 tonnes. And that was without turbocharging. I´m just astounded how neatly it fits and actually that it fits at all.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/89759996@N04/albums/72157652815693018/page1

 

QUIZ -- Slightly off topic -- I had a chance recently to buy a new "surplus" nine-cylinder an air-cooled radial engine for very short money. (Now having non-buyers remorse.)

• What do you think its application was? (Clue: not an aircraft.)
• Why do radial engines have an odd number of cylinders in each row?

Use of Google or equivalent is disallowed!

 

Desmodromic, was it a tank engine?

 

The silver bike was at EAA Oshkosh a few years ago and would fire it up on a regular schedule all during the weekend......great sound.....great vibration......great smoke......great smell.

 

Ok, you got part 1! (Also in tank recovery vehicles, whatever they are!)

 

Is odd number of cylinders because of balance.

 

No kidding? Care to explain the Bristol "Hydra" 16 cyl. radial?

 

Odd cylinders were not for reasons of balance.
.
Hydra was a two row, eight cylinders per row; only built two, failed to make it into production due to extreme vibration (not due to even cylinder count).

 

Correct.

 

An impeccable build. I once had this company build some inter-cooler tubes back in the day for my 85 Dodge Shelby Charger. Lol.

https://www.manortoollimited.com
cable

 

Odd number of cylinders ie: 3, 5, 7, 9 has to do with firing order. On a 7 cylinder for instance, #1 is usually the top and the engine rotates counter clockwise as viewed from the front. The firing order is 1 3 5 7 2 4 6 and back to #1. It’s difficult to understand but if you spend some time on the net and read carefully, it’s explained.

 

I just installed the starter magnet and the button for the choke

 

Bingo! At least it's easy to remember the firing order.

(You didn't resort to the 'Net for that answer, did you? That was disallowed by the rules of the quiz.)

 

Through my young years, I always thought it had something to do with the master rod needing the odd number. Then the subject came up and I was called out for being in error. Studied up on it and learned the reason.U

 

Just found this picture...is it the same car? in post 729

Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Don't think so, the first car was from New Zealand and this one is from Ohio and the engines are mounted in opposite directions. The blower is on the front in the first one and on the back in the second.

 

Hello, Rolf!​

Excellent idea, design and realisation, in general, and in details.
You shall have the real automobile, not just simple English special as some of them are...
I think that I would hear it here in Bern when you drive it for the first time near Luzern...
--- ---
Attached is a photo of ancient aero-engine special. As I know, from the start of motorisation, people like to install aero-engines in cars and boats, and sometimes the opposite way... Well, sometimes engines from tanks were good too (were sometimes modified aero-engines), or in a one case - an engine built for airship...

Regards, take care,
Zoran​

P.S.: What could be on the front side of the rear tyre: brake pad, or device for removing horse-shoe nails?

​

 

Thank you Zoran,that could be a nail catcher,they are supposed to remove the horse shoe nail before it comes around a second time and gets pushed into the tire further, so you hopefully avoided a puncture.
Great pic,so coooool!

 

Could be a tank, or other tracked vehicle. If not a vehicle they were used with generators and pumps.

I'd be curious to know what brand and model it was, and some pictures maybe.