Reno Air Races 2018

[FlyTexas]

Those dang Sea Fury's beating our Mustangs! What's the world coming to?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdOrLzpF0jE

Brian

[Swanoir]

It's a crazy mixed-up world out there

[simondix]

British designed engines on the Mustangs as well.

[Tako_Kichi]

They were originally built for the Brits too, before the US was even in the war.

[FlyTexas]

New competition for the Mustangs.







Brian

[Airspeed]

Thanks Brian.
I don't usually watch these races, but I made an exception today.
Somehow, they don't have the same appeal as bikes and cars for me.

[Dev One]

British designed engines on the Mustangs as well.

Got to be careful with Sea Fury engines in the US - if its got a 5 blade prop then its got a Centaurus, if its got only 4 blades then its a Yank corncob.
Interesting that the Sea Furys were two seaters.
Keith

[Airspeed]

Yes, I heard the lady commentator mention an R- something, so I looked up:
At a race weight of 6.25 tons, the trick Pratt & Whitney R-4360-63 powered T.20 Sea Fury “Dreadnought” is truly the big kid on the air racing ...

[SkippyBing]

British designed engines on the Mustangs as well.

Got to be careful with Sea Fury engines in the US - if its got a 5 blade prop then its got a Centaurus, if its got only 4 blades then its a Yank corncob.
Interesting that the Sea Furys were two seaters.
Keith

I believe the change for racing is because it's easier to modify the poppet valve engines for greater boost levels, e.g. you can change the timing and valve overlap with a different camshaft. Doing that on a sleeve valve engine is a lot more complicated, I think the drive train for the sleeve valves also has a bit more inertia which isn't ideal in a race engine.

[Dev One]

Sleeve valve engines also suffer badly with lubrication & cooling - if cooled too quickly the sleeves get pinched. They also use a special oil - Shell U - IIRC.
My father worked with Bristols way back in the 50's on extending life of Hercs & 'Big Hercs' on Airworks Vikings & Hermes - he was also an X rated engineer working with Mike Stow when he owned a T20 Sea Fury.
Keith