forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com

The WW1 modelers' reference library => Engines => Topic started by: RLWP on October 06, 2019, 08:22:22 AM

Title: Engine change in the field
Post by: RLWP on October 06, 2019, 08:22:22 AM

Has anyone come across any pictures of engines being changed at airfields? I'm pretty sure it must have happened - how else would you move the 'plane?

There was a thread on The Aerodrome, it seems to have lost it's images http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53285

Anyone got anything?

Richard

Title: Re: Engine change in the field
Post by: macsporran on October 06, 2019, 10:12:57 AM

Hey Richard, I think in the RFC most engine changes took place at the ARDs (Aeroplane Repair Depots) - certainly the Camel File records Clerget upgrades to Le Rhones at ARDs. With the rigging released, the component bits of the airframe were fairly light and easily handled onto transport to send back to the depots.
Not sure if the baddies did the same but you'd surmise that things like Jacobs famous penchant for British engines would be handled by his local mechanics wouldn't you?
S

Title: Re: Engine change in the field
Post by: Jamo on October 06, 2019, 01:12:07 PM

I saved this picture a while back, don't know anything about it though

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Oddments/i-gGfCV3G/0/0a982b19/X2/The_Royal_Flying_Corps_on_the_Western_Front%2C_1914-1918_Q12072-X2.jpg)

Title: Re: Engine change in the field
Post by: Jamo on October 06, 2019, 01:21:58 PM

Albatros D.III at a Marine Feldjager
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Oddments/i-DFkkWvS/0/60878d60/X2/Engine%20change_b-X2.jpg)

Title: Re: Engine change in the field
Post by: RLWP on October 06, 2019, 08:01:52 PM

Brilliant!

MacS - I suspect it depends on when in the war such work happened. I have no drawings, I bet the Oberusel, Clerget and Gnome of the early part of the war used exactly the same mountings, so swapping would be easy

Swapping a Mercedes for a Beardmore would be significantly different!

Jamo - That first picture looks rather like a Mercedes engine, the rest of the materiel appears to be RFC/RAF so I'm guessing this an ARD.

Looks like the scrapyards I used to visit when I first owned a car, right down to the quantity of mud

The second one is the missing image from The Aerodrome - thank you! And it shows the sort of details I am interested in: the gantry, the trolley to move the engine around, the transport crate on the right. Wonderful

Richard

Title: Re: Engine change in the field
Post by: Jamo on October 07, 2019, 12:25:48 PM

You're welcome Richard. I reckon the first engine could be a Siddeley Puma from a DH9
Cheers
James

Title: Re: Engine change in the field
Post by: RLWP on October 07, 2019, 06:01:41 PM

Quote from: Jamo on October 07, 2019, 12:25:48 PM

You're welcome Richard. I reckon the first engine could be a Siddeley Puma from a DH9
Cheers
James

I'll get my Jane's out at some point  ;D

I did wonder, the cambox doesn't look very Mercedes

Richard

Title: Re: Engine change in the field
Post by: Gene K on October 08, 2019, 07:26:58 AM

Quote from: Jamo on October 07, 2019, 12:25:48 PM

I reckon the first engine could be a Siddeley Puma from a DH9

James,
 Have you made any further ID of the "components" in the picture (engine and plane)? Looks to me like a DH.9 as you reckoned.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Oddments/i-gGfCV3G/0/0a982b19/X2/The_Royal_Flying_Corps_on_the_Western_Front%2C_1914-1918_Q12072-X2.jpg)

(https://tinyurl.com/y6hgwu3t)

Gene K