On Sunday, November 7, 1999 at 7:00:00 PM UTC+11, Jim Beasley Jr. wrote:
Why don't you buy the engine manuals? They will provide the best source of
information.
Many motors are direct drive from the starter, and some use an inertial
starter. That is interchangeable (R1340). The old P-36 used a shotgun
shell to get it going.
Phillip Hopkins wrote in message
...
I originally posted this on rec.aviation.military, with surprisingly no
takers.
Among my colleagues, we have had much discussion about the methods used in
starting large radial engines - though none of us have any real knowledge
on the
subject. We have guessed that some very large engines use a flywheel
energy
storage mechanism which is somehow coupled to the engine crankshaft at
start
time. The suggestion was also made of the use of gas cartridges which are
used
to operate an air motor which turns over the crankshaft, a la the movie
"The
Phoenix" with Jimmy Stewart.

******
******

I wonder if someone, who is knowledgeable on the subject, could describe
the
methods used is cranking over large radial engines during starting, such
as
those on B-17s, B-29s, B-36s, even DC-3s. A brief history of radial
engine
starting techniques from the 1920s to the 1950s would also be very
interesting.
Thanks in advance.

Phillip Hopkins