Unusual Uses For Engines

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,652

The Russians still use the RD-45 (RR Nene) as a snow blower - I took this at Moscow's Bykovo airport in 2006......

http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/moscow_2006_files/day_01_014.jpg

Another at Myachkovo in 2004.....

http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/moscow_2004_files/day03_43.jpg

IIRC, the US Railroad tried fitting twin J-47 turbojets from a B-47 to a train....

http://jalopnik.com/assets/resources/2008/02/m497.jpg

The Soviets also did it with jets from a Yak-40.......

http://pixdaus.com/pics/6V8uZVzI824hIMFm68.jpg

More info here :- http://science.gallery.youngester.com/2008/07/jet-train.html

Ken

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 1,528

Here's a photo of a nose section on test in the Boscombe blower tunnel I'd bet Rocketeer would dearly love to have in his collection:diablo:[ATTACH]167086[/ATTACH]

Boscombe's Trials Officers were tough in them days.

Member for

17 years 8 months

Posts: 2,766

SR 53?
John

Member for

16 years

Posts: 30

I held a spare pair of Derwent 9s from WD630 for my then Meteor WD592.
On sale of the a/c to the USA circa 1976 and the purchaser not requiring them, I sold both to Santa-Pod drag strip.
I am sure they did mount one on a bus or lorry type chassis for use as a track dryer and use it. ( Must have been expensive to run though??)

Mervyn

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 1,578

Although its not a full Merlin, this might qualify as unusual:

http://thekneeslider.com/images/merlinvtwin2.jpg

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 941

The first one looks like the Turdis at RAF Stanley in 1982!! Who got which idea, when, and from whom??
HTH
Resmoroh

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 388

There's some great stuff in this post. I particularly liked the jet trains and, most of all, the twin jet scooter - you could probably fly over traffic jams with that one!

Another one for you. When we first got our Hercs in the RAAF, we also received some American GPUs (Ground Power Units) with a flat-six, air-cooled, Lycoming inside. They were well silenced, and could be moved around the tarmac using an integral electric drive system.

Bri :)

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 462

A large building company located near me has (had?) a Griffon which it used to generate wind for 'proving' building structures. I have seen it once, from a distance, and iirc it was mounted on a 4 wheel trailer. it must sound mighty impressive when its fired up!

Aye, I've seen that one too, also on TV for testing one of the structures in Dubai (The Burj something or other, supposed to be tallest building in Dubai I think). Placed in front of a glass window, and let rip!!!!

Pity they said it was from a WWII Lancaster.....

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,024

Jet Engines mounted on a rail wagon were tried for clearing snow from the Brecon and Merthyr Railway line in 1947, apparently they were too successful in that they also blew the ballast away .....

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 9,739

Not sure it is such an unusual use for aero-engines but many have been used to power tanks and other armoured vehicles.

The US M4 Sherman, M3 Lee/Grant, M3 Stuart (Honey) all carried Continental R-975 9-cylinder radial engines at some point (amongst other engines).

The British Cruiser III, Cruiser IV, Crusader, Centuar and Cavalier all used modified Liberty V-12 engines as did the World War One Mark VIII (Liberty) tank.

British Cromwell, Comet, Conqueror and Centurion tanks carried the Meteor V-12 engine based on some obscure aero-engine known as the Merlin (:diablo:). Centurion AVRE tanks fitted with the Meteor were certainly used during the first Gulf War in 1990-1991!

Even the horribly troublesome L60 engine used in the British Chieftain tank was a multi-fuel opposed-piston engine that bears a striking similarity to the Junkers Jumo 205 diesel aero-engine.

The Swedish S-Tank carried a gas-turbine in addition to a diesel engine and the current American M-1 Abrams tank has a gas-turbine as its only power source. The first tank to be powered by a gas-turbine though was probably a prototype British Conqueror but the engine selected for production was the well-tried Meteor.

Member for

18 years 4 months

Posts: 241

A slight correction to your list, the M3 Stuart used the Continental W670 radial, a seven cylinder also used in LVTs.

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 9,739

Yep, I knew I’d screw up somewhere.....you haven’t got an M3 Stuart have you? :)

Member for

18 years 4 months

Posts: 241

No but I do have some engines! And some Meteors.....:D

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 9,739

Does anybody know anything about the German landing-craft powered by aero-engines complete with aircraft propellers?

(Apart from the fact there is a mock-up of one in a scene from the Battle of Britain film!)

Profile picture for user battle_damaged

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 178

I believe Creaking Door may be referring to the Tupolev TU-A, a pretty little sledge-type machine with contra-rotating propellers at the back. It was put to use in polar regions, and Interflug had one, if not two. I noted one in 1992 at the BSF (Berliner Spezialflug) base in Schoenefeld (photo to be unearthed yet!). I tried to get it to a museum (successful with a KA-26 and Mi-2) but someone with bigger bucks came along. Believe it's still in Germany somewhere. A landing craft as such with a non-submerged propeller I am unaware of.

I can add to the strange uses column and corroborate VX927's comments. A Hungarian firm was touting a fireblower at ILA Berlin in, I guess, 1992, with a Tumansky mounted on a tank. Bit late though, the Kuwaiti fires were all out by then.

Here she blows:

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 59

Courtesy of Ray Deacon.....A Meteor snowblower at Kemble in the 1960's!

Attachments

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,029

The late Honourable Patrick Lindsay was reported to have a pencil sharpener powered by a Merlin Engine.

A good story. Can anybody confirm?

...and the Boremwood film studio wind machines. Ex Mosquito Merlins.

Mark

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/Mark12/Album%204/BoremwoodStudio-01009.jpg

Profile picture for user battle_damaged

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 178

Courtesy of Ray Deacon.....A Meteor snowblower at Kemble in the 1960's!

According to a list I have dated 3 Oct 1966 it could have been T7 WF826
rgds
Alan