vintage Bellanca

yup.. when I first learned about the Packard Diesel, when I was learning to fly in the 70's
I thought " well maybe someday I will see one of those engines"

No such luck.

I don't know if the Smithsonian has one
and I have never been to the big museum in Tacoma.

I live in hope that one will surface someday.

---

At Pima Air and Space Museum last week, I saw a prototype 3 cyl mc Culloch Turbo Diesel Radial,
just the right physical size for the 14-9 ( maybe).
 
There is a diesel radial at the San Martin air museum that is about 20 miles south of San Jose Calif. It is just a static display, and I dont know what manufacture it is. Germans used a number of diesel aircraft engines in WW2, but I dont know if they were inline, or radial. The one in San Martin doesnt look much different than a gas powered radial(if my memory is correct). Just my foggy memories worth. _____Grant.
 
From what I have found online, the Packard engine was a marriage between a German inventor named Hermann I. A. Dorner, and Alvan Macauley of the Packard motor company.

The design had been rushed, and the engine had growing some growing pains. It seems like there were a lot of contributing factors, mainly, the death of the designer in a plane crash, and the depression a few years later.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31023/31023-h/31023-h.htm A lot of bellanca photos here, as well as others.

http://home.earthlink.net/~ralphcooper/pimage24.htm
 
I had not noticed more traffic on this thread, but I thought that I would add that in a book I read about the war, the German pilots liked the diesel powered transports, not because they were better, but because when they crashed, they were less likely to explode. It sounds like a good reason to me. ____Just another 2 cents worth. ____Grant.
 
Grant,
That is probably true, just as gasoline powered boats are more likely to blow up and burn compared to diesel power. I also think the range per gallon is generally greater with diesel.
Dan
 
Both Packard and Guiberson produced aircooled radial diesel engines. Packard didn't produce many, though one installed in a Bellanca set an unrefueled endurance record that stood, I believe, until the Voyager did the round the world effort a few years ago. Most Guibersons were used in ground vehicles. The most successful WW2 German diesel aero engine was the Junkers Jumo. This engine employed two crankshafts on top of each other and two sets of pistons, opposing each other in the same cylinder. My understanding is that it was a good but heavy engine.
Larry, I believe 100LL has 2gms/gal, not 8. 80/87 normally had .5gms/gal. Interestingly enough, the lower
grade of avgas had NO lead until the early '50s and one reason Franklin wanted owners to use unleaded
fuel.
I wonder if the EPA will mandate a smog device on these "new" aircraft diesel engines...in a few years, after they become popular.........at the cost of $????K?
Dan
 
Saw Miss Veedol at WAAM this year, and asked them about coming down to Columbia next year. Sent the contact info to Robert, so hope it can be worked out so that they can come.
PS - Dan, I missed you there, though I thought I saw your Cruismaster...or was I hallucinating...again?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top