I also am a BIG fan of Aero Engines
with a bias towards (not surprisingly) the V12
I try to make it a point to visit the local Air Museums
when I am in a given area
(I try to bring my Dad, too, as he flew in WWII)
I am a BIG fan of the V12 Merlin Engine -
what with 4 valves per cylinder
and Fuel injection (from the '30s mind you)
it always gives me a chuckle when these features
are touted as 'modern' innovations
recently I toured the Air Museum in Tilamook OR
(a MUST if you are in the area)
the Blimp Hangar alone is worth the trip
the 'moment' for me was when I spied the Engine Display in the back
and I found the V12 Packard Merlin on a stand
this particular Engine was modified to run on Nitro
and made something like 2500 HP
as I circled the display
I noticed that it had thrown a Rod
and there was a gaping hole in the crankcase
I was able to reach into the engine and touch the offending rod
(actually, it looked like one of the connecting rod bolts had let go)
one thing I noticed was the piston had a Rubber Skirt (?!)
at any rate, this was the coolest thing I have seen in a long time
(although the 100 yr old 'one lunger' I discovered yesterday was pretty neat too)
I really dug the chance to be 'up close and personal'
with an engineering masterpiece such as this
it was just so cool to check it all out and figure out how it works
I was really digging it and was just completely mesmerized
working on parts for Jet Aero Engines as a full time job (like I do)
I have to admit can be pretty interesting as well
AKB
nothin yet
