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Posted

Well, don't for get the Tucker--which was powered by a water-cooled version of the Franklin flat-6 aircraft engine, which itself powered many light aircraft, and was the engine in those "bubble-topped" MASH helicopters used in the TV sitcom by the same name.

Art

Posted (edited)

I remember a Scooby-Doo episode "The Spooky case of the grand prix race" that had a race car powered by an airplane engine.

Edited by randx0
Posted

If you have an interest in airplane engines powering cars, keep a lookout for the January issue of Model Cars... Jairus has a very interesting "Sketchpad" feature... ;)

Posted (edited)

There have been quite a few cars built around aero engines. One of the notables was the "Babs" land-speed-record car. In 1926, running a 27-liter Liberty aircraft engine, she set a world LSR record of 171 mph. There's a fascinating story that goes with this car.

1920px-Parry_Thomas_and_Babs%2C_Pendine%

Arfons "Green Monster" cars were powered by a variety of aircraft engines, from Allison V-12s to jets.

monster8.jpg

This crazy thing from Blastolene runs a 12.7 liter Ranger V12 aero engine as well.

the-blown-ranger-tri-inline-photo-496683

There's been no shortage of radial-engined contrivances either.

2416970_99.jpg

18yi5bwptm49wjpg.jpg

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
Posted

Speaking of vice-versa, while searching the web for Corvair engine details, I was surprised to see that they are a hot commodity for small aircraft and home built planes!

Cheers Misha

Posted

The Ranger inline 4-cylinder aircooled engine (which powered such trainers as the Fairchild PT-19 and the Ryan STA/PT-22) was a formidible sprint car engine in IMCA for a lot of years, converted from an inverted mouting (aircraft) to upright mounting in race cars.

Automobile engines in aircraft, you say? Well, the Pietenpol Aircamper of circa 1930 was a homebuilt kit plane powered by the Model A Ford 4-cylinder, and there were at least a couple of later kit/homebuilt light planes designed around the 21-stud Ford flathead V8--one even used a mofified '34 Ford grille in front of it's radiator.

Art

Posted

The Ranger inline 4-cylinder aircooled engine (which powered such trainers as the Fairchild PT-19 and the Ryan STA/PT-22) was a formidible sprint car engine in IMCA for a lot of years, converted from an inverted mouting (aircraft) to upright mounting in race cars.

Automobile engines in aircraft, you say? Well, the Pietenpol Aircamper of circa 1930 was a homebuilt kit plane powered by the Model A Ford 4-cylinder, and there were at least a couple of later kit/homebuilt light planes designed around the 21-stud Ford flathead V8--one even used a mofified '34 Ford grille in front of it's radiator.

Art

The smaller Ranger engine as used in the PT-19 was an inline 6, the L440. 300px-Ranger_L-440.jpg

Far as car engines in planes, I worked on a project putting a Chevy LS6 in a carbon-fiber Lancair Legacy. The plan was eventually to race it at Reno with an LS9, but a slicker aircraft design, the Nemesis, came out that could run the same class, and there was no reasonable hope of beating it. Project halted and sold.

Legacy_speedmod_lrg.jpg

0112.jpg

Posted (edited)

Is it me, or does that Merlin powered thing look like it was inspired by the worst Detroit auto styling that arose after the 1974 Gas Crunch?!

Edited by Joe Handley
Posted (edited)

It looks a bit....special ;)

I think that it was a bit cooler in the first version.

beast5.jpg

If you google John Dodd The Beast you will find a lot of pictures and more info. There is also some videos of it on youtube.

Edited by Atmobil
Posted

The smaller Ranger engine as used in the PT-19 was an inline 6, the L440. 300px-Ranger_L-440.jpg

Far as car engines in planes, I worked on a project putting a Chevy LS6 in a carbon-fiber Lancair Legacy. The plan was eventually to race it at Reno with an LS9, but a slicker aircraft design, the Nemesis, came out that could run the same class, and there was no reasonable hope of beating it. Project halted and sold.

Legacy_speedmod_lrg.jpg

0112.jpg

I should have known that about the inline Ranger! After all, when I was a HS Freshman, taking metal shop--there was a Ranger 6 on an engine stand right there in the shop at West Lafayette High School--brain fade, I think!

Art

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