WWII 1943 Fairchild V-twin, what to build....

[newinertia]

Hey Fellers, I recently purchased an auxiliary power unit from a B-29 Superfortress, it is the small engine that starts the big engines via 24vdc generator., anyway, this was in a bomber that actually dropped bombs on Japan, early in 1944, this is a Ranger V-32 (32c.i.) that runs at 3200 rpm, and puts out in the neighborhood of 15 hp. Heres a pic as well as a link, the reason for this posting is to 1) brag...2) ask for help deciding what to build, 3) build the coolest thing possible for an engine like this, and call it a group effort. If you got the golden idea, you can even ride it!

Lets hear your ideas, check my thread on pusher trailers- you little pushy! thread. ok, so listen to it run, it sounds like a little Harley...
I really like the idea of sticking to the WWII look- it is out of a Superfort!
The guys at the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, KS are restoring DOC to her former Glory, its a full b-29 named after Doc of the seven dwarves...
look them up, the story about its history is yery worthwile... they had an original service and overhaul manual on hand, so my engine is being gone thru and zero timed thanks to John Newman" <max-engineering@att.net> at www.maximum-engineering.com he is good! check site for cool engines,
you know I like everything to be made out of aluminum, so for this build, feel free to think outside the box- I can build it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr-l2hGo11I
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVS26nATK-s&feature=fvw

 

[Barbie's hubbie]

I think you should build a replica 3 wheeled Morgan!

 

[HoughMade]

That's not a bad idea, but build a 7/8ths version, maybe a 1 seater.

 

[newinertia]

Ok-

I always loved the Morgan, that design would be well suited to my engine, due to the massive cooling effect of the jugs in the wind... I think you may be talkin a reverse trike, and I've always wanted to build a belly tank car, (droptank) that would definately fit the WWII era design influence goal.
maybe the nose could have the jugs sticking out, transversely like the morgan.

 

[Egor]

Go to "wheels through time" and pick out something and see if that engine could be used to make kind of time machine. Strip the engine down and see what it will look like bare bones. Some of the guys are using the V twin engines from Honda Kohler, B&S and the like. the problem is that they don't look well with the junk stripped off, that engine on the other hand looks like it will strip down well. Keep us posted. Have fun, Dave

http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com/component/option,com_seyret/Itemid,201/task,videodirectlink/id,201/

 

[Irish John]

I'd like to see what the cylinders look like under all that other stuff. I take it it would be an opposed V twin like a Moto Guzzi and not an in line V. I'd like to see it on a bike of some sort and I'm wondering what frame it might fit in.
It the sort of engine Spitball needs for his hand built boardtracker.
Whatever you put it in you'll need bomb doors and a rear gun turret for authenticity! I loved those websites BTW.

 

[newinertia]

Teardown began this morning, I will post pics as i get them, I have seen the jugs in the manual, they looked heavenly! I myself cant wait to see them in person completely naked....the engine I mean.

 

[Clotho]

I always loved the Morgan, that design would be well suited to my engine, due to the massive cooling effect of the jugs in the wind... I think you may be talkin a reverse trike, and I've always wanted to build a belly tank car, (droptank) that would definately fit the WWII era design influence goal.
maybe the nose could have the jugs sticking out, transversely like the morgan.

I really like the belly tank idea.

On the ducted fan style motors the valves tend to burn rather quickly if you take the shrouds off. Isn't this a ducted fan type as well?

 

[newinertia]

ducting...

Well, although the engine is intended to be shroud cooled, there will be great care given and practiced to keep the valves from burning, this engine in 100% restored and working order is probably worth $5k- it is to be a work of art, not a daily driver. but dont get me wrong, it will get used. Also adding an oil cooler.

 

[newinertia]

drop tank-

cant find one. found a fiberglass shell, but dont want fiberglass, maybe this is the project i should employ my explosive forming ideas on. I could build a submerged concrete form and use fertilizer to form the two halves, the explosive shockwave energy gets transfered thru the water and a 3-d shape gets stretched into aluminum sheet- make two of the same, and weld together, then polish to a hi luster. if you are interested in this form of metalworking, just google it!
it is common in aerospace technology, where there is no other way to form certain shapes, and for small runs of parts, there is nothing as economical.