A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Soaring
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

DG1000/2



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old December 12th 08, 06:14 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Martin Gregorie[_4_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 165
Default DG1000/2

On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:27:10 -0800, vontresc wrote:

A running 1/5th scale Merlin. Be sure to check out the video on this
page as well.
http://www.enginehistory.org/merlin_xx.htm

I assume that there's only ever been one of these. I remember seeing it
at the Model Engineer Exhibition the year it won the Gold Cup (1983 as
near as I can work out), and again the next year when it was run.
I'm told that Barry Hare had previously won a Gold Cup for the three
blade constant speed propeller that was fitted to the engine for static
display.

It ran beautifully, though afterwards we were told that it had three
problems:
- the scale cooling channels were too small for effective cooling,
so it could only run for short periods.
- the supercharger didn't work though it spun up because the clearances
were too big for the 1/5 scale blower to generate useful pressure.
- the starter didn't have enough power for a start.
The engine was hand-started when I saw it run.

I have to say that, at that scale it ran at a lot more than scale rpm and
so sounded more like a multi-cylinder motorbike than a full size Merlin.

That period was the high water mark for the ME Exhibition - the year
before the Merlin won, Lew Blackmore had won the Duke of Edinburgh's Cup
(the prize for the best of the previous year's Gold Cup projects) with a
1/5 scale Bentley BR2 rotary engine. The next year it was there again and
being run. That was impressive: it swung a big prop at more or less full
size revs, producing a lot of slipstream and having the characteristic
hissy exhaust note of a full scale rotary.

Nonetheless, I still think that Merlin is the most impressive piece of
model engineering I've ever seen or hope to see.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Video or the DG1000 spin in Mal Soaring 5 September 12th 04 07:41 AM
Duo Discus vs. DG1000 in a stall? Gldcomp Soaring 2 September 2nd 04 09:24 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:25 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.