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Author Topic: I love an Air Show, like most people.  (Read 3955 times)

RocketMan

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #25 on: August 02, 2010, 02:28:42 PM »
It's good that Fifi's back in the air.  Funny thing is, in all the times that I crewed warbirds at airshows around the western part of the country, and attended others as a spectator, I never saw Fifi at one.  It's something to look forward to.
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kgbsquirrel

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #26 on: August 02, 2010, 05:51:00 PM »
Fifi just returned to the air in June. I'm kinda at a loss though, they used the old radial engines, but to increase life expectancy and reduce the chance of failures they left out the superchargers. If you were already not gonna keep her stock in order to reduce the chance of engine failure why not just use the new radial engines they started introducing to those planes at the end of WW2?

*looks*

The engine they used.

The improved engine.
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RocketMan

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #27 on: August 02, 2010, 07:21:27 PM »
They did not use the R-4360 because it was not originally used in the B-29. The R-4360 is a very different engine.
The R-3350 is the stock engine, and it will be easier to maintain without the supercharger.  Besides, Fifi is flown lightly loaded, and I doubt they fly her over about 12K ASL, so there is no real need for supercharging.
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If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

kgbsquirrel

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #28 on: August 02, 2010, 09:45:44 PM »
Quote from: RocketMan on August 02, 2010, 07:21:27 PM
...so there is no real need for supercharging.

Bollocks! You have to show a need to NOT supercharge.  :lol:

And yes I'm aware that the other engine was used in a "different" aircraft, the B-50, aka, an updated B-29. Oh well, maybe when the next one is restored.
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RocketMan

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #29 on: August 03, 2010, 12:21:29 AM »
Quote from: kgbsquirrel on August 02, 2010, 09:45:44 PM
Bollocks! You have to show a need to NOT supercharge.  :lol:

Sounds like you want Moar Power!  =D

Quote from: kgbsquirrel on August 02, 2010, 09:45:44 PM
And yes I'm aware that the other engine was used in a "different" aircraft, the B-50, aka, an updated B-29. Oh well, maybe when the next one is restored.

Actually, there is a fair bit of difference between a B-29 and a B-50 when you dig around inside.  Heck, look at the changes to the engine nacells alone that would be necessary to re-engine a B-29 with R-4360.  Not a trivial thing, and it wouldn't be a B-29 anymore.
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If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

Tim L

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #30 on: August 03, 2010, 01:25:27 AM »
Quote from: RocketMan on August 02, 2010, 07:21:27 PM
They did not use the R-4360 because it was not originally used in the B-29. The R-4360 is a very different engine.
The R-3350 is the stock engine, and it will be easier to maintain without the supercharger.  Besides, Fifi is flown lightly loaded, and I doubt they fly her over about 12K ASL, so there is no real need for supercharging.
The B29 specific engines were (are) apparently hard to get and had a few problems.  Different model variants of an engine were made for a specific airplane, ie; an engine for a B29 won't work in a Skyraider, even though they were both R-3350s.  The guys who rebuilt Fifi created a new R-3350 which has a little more power and runs a little cooler than the original.  If you've got the time for a good read check out http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=24935&sid=58f6ceddcdc7a2ee3c62322bdde2cd67  Sorry for the thread jack.
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Boomhauer

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #31 on: August 03, 2010, 01:51:51 AM »
Quote
runs a little cooler than the original

Which is good because when the original B-29 engines caught on fire and couldn't be extinguished with the fire bottles...they tended to ignite magnesium components which would then quickly torch through the wing spars...


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Tim L

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #32 on: August 03, 2010, 01:56:48 AM »
Quote from: Avenger29 on August 03, 2010, 01:51:51 AM
Which is good because when the original B-29 engines caught on fire and couldn't be extinguished with the fire bottles...they tended to ignite magnesium components which would then quickly torch through the wing spars...




Yeah, I'm not sure if it's in the link I posted or not, but there was mention made of the fact that on a hot day in Texas the temp alarms were going off before they were airborne, even with the light load that they carry.  
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seeker_two

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Re: I love an Air Show, like most people.
« Reply #33 on: August 03, 2010, 08:48:53 AM »
Quote from: Tim L on August 03, 2010, 01:56:48 AM
Yeah, I'm not sure if it's in the link I posted or not, but there was mention made of the fact that on a hot day in Texas the temp alarms were going off before they were airborne, even with the light load that they carry.  

Sounds normal for a Texas summer....  =D
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