Did This Bristol Hercules 14 Cylinder Sleeve Valve Radial Engine Suffer A Major Failure ? Part One.

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Ай бұрын

On display at RAF Snaith museum is a Bristol Hercules engine, one of two engines that were fitted to the Halifax bombers that flew from RAF Snaith airfield, the other being the Rolls Royce Merlin V12.
This example is not from a Halifax but a post war Hastings and although they are the same basic engine there are differences, one being the exhaust setup.... So to make it look a little more Halifax and less Hastings the exhausts are coming off and this engine reveals some interesting secrets....

Пікірлер: 32

@raykaufman7156 29 күн бұрын

Its so hot here in western Pennsylvania that even watching this entire video didn't get me back to sleep...😅 It's obvious this is a labor of love. Good luck with it

@kiwijonowilson 28 күн бұрын

Excellent multi-story mouse apartment block. Its made a lot of rodents happy over the years!

@colinmartin2921 28 күн бұрын

That is serious corrosion; I imagine that the pistons are welded to the bores. What a job the mechanics had working on these on air stations during the war.

@johnlathwell7667 28 күн бұрын

Just found your channel, an interesting collection of projects and great to see Snaith being brought back to life. The Hercules sure is a beast, I'm with the Stirling Aircraft Project and we had one off a Varsity for a short while. Now subscribed

@BLOWN8CYLINDER 26 күн бұрын

The Stirling Aircraft Project? Are you building one ? The Stirling being more forgotten than the Halifax! The Bristol Hercules engine really is an amazing piece of engineering and a great addition to RAF Snaith Museum and what will be in a growing collection of engines that won the war. Thank you for subscribing 👍

@richardsweet5068 28 күн бұрын

Nuts with neat holes in the end is the work of a woodmouse. Not big enough to crack them so it nibbles away at the end.

@BLOWN8CYLINDER 26 күн бұрын

This engine really has been a rodent motel !

@richardsweet5068 28 күн бұрын

Still signs of the old Solaramic coating on the exhausts, as an apprentice at Bristol Siddeley I managed to get stainless exhaust pipe made for my old MG PA, and had it Solaramic coated as well. It probably is still good even if the car has long gone.

@iancarr8682 29 күн бұрын

For all the mice, an amazing piece of engineering.

@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm 28 күн бұрын

strip it clean it - fix it put it back togrther = your a smart chap and will do a great job = just watching is enough for me !

@turboslag 25 күн бұрын

Always been a fan of the Herc engine so this was super interesting. Does anyone know where I could find a pair of exhaust pipes for one? I have a brand new cylinder as a display item, and a pair of pipes would set it off nicely!

@NotYou9311 23 күн бұрын

I've always loved engines. But, I must say, just looking at this thing makes my head ache. I am well aware that, in those days, it was necessary to build such complicated machines, in order to make serious horsepower. But....my gosh ! This makes me NOT wonder why I have pretty much always been devoted to the concept of simplicity and low mass, so that high power is not needed.

@zambotv8150 24 күн бұрын

That looked like a pig man, well done for getting it apart... Great upload

@robertpeters9438 27 күн бұрын

Im fearing the white powder was once the piston.

@BLOWN8CYLINDER 26 күн бұрын

I'm not sure on the white powder, the exhaust port is closed and in the exhaust pipe was a mouse nest... wondering if mouse pee has done something with the aluminium part of the port?

@davidelliott5843 24 күн бұрын

Sleeve valves did make more power in a smaller overall diameter engine. But I’m not sure the complexity outweighs any benefits.

@paulnewman851 24 күн бұрын

My understanding is that sleeve valves allow higher compression ratios than is possible with red hot "poppet" exhaust valves.

@mikewilson631 29 күн бұрын

Looks like the remains of an edible dormouse, Glis glis. Not common.

@tekanova7480 28 күн бұрын

What is the powder that was in those pipes and exhaust ports?

@BLOWN8CYLINDER 26 күн бұрын

I'm not 100% sure but the port with the most powder had a mouse nest in it.... wondering if mouse pee reacted with the aluminium?

@natew.5511 22 күн бұрын

It's lead oxide from the tetraethyl lead added to the avgas to increase octane. It's quite toxic!

@johnbender5356 29 күн бұрын

what is the purpose of the stainless steel covers on the exhaust?

@macswad 29 күн бұрын

Stop Jerry from seeing the exhaust flames in the night sky? Stainless to avoid corrosion?

@BLOWN8CYLINDER 29 күн бұрын

I'm not exactly sure, this being a post war engine part of the reasons could be looks, keep the heat in and elements out....? Hopefully somebody might have the right answer.

@robertpeters9438 27 күн бұрын

Most likely heat retention into turbo or for rapid startup.

@nigel900 23 күн бұрын

Is that a 2 stroke engine? Didn’t see a valve train…

@BLOWN8CYLINDER 23 күн бұрын

It's a sleeve valve engine which has a moving cylinder sleeve that as it moves uncovers inlet and exhaust ports. It is a 4 stroke despite what appears to be a two stroke exhaust port.

@mongolike513 24 күн бұрын

Wow a marvellous engine of three million parts of dissimilar metals ends up producing powder cocaine in every cylinder! We’re going to be rich. No, I am sad that ultimately all these ww2 ( and maybe all military engines) are made to be used up very quickly either lost in action or omechanically destroyed by their own complexity. So many parts, so much production, so many people needed at the front.

@zambotv8150 24 күн бұрын

Bristol Micecules