Not exactly airplanes

[Hobbes]

but plane engines, anyway  

the Judge: 3,5t; 2x Griffon on aviation fuel.


3,5t, 4x Isotov TV-2 or TV-3:


Vampire: 950 kg (max.) class, the Griffon weighs 900 kg dry so they modified it extensively, removing the supercharger, carbon fibre intakes and cam covers, etc. They even use the engine as a load-bearing part (normally these tractors have a chassis):  


Hind, Isotov TV-3 from a Mi-24, 950 kg, 2300 shp


Landy, 950 kg, Turbomeca turbine:


Vampire:


Backdraft, 950 kg, Rover Meteor with 1 turbo


Reny Mission Impossible, 950 kg, Allison V1710


Green Spirit VI, 4,5t, 2x Griffon on methanol, 4000 shp each

[Hobbes]

This one didn't have an aircraft engine, but a diesel with sky-high levels of boost. It's a good thing the wind was in the right direction, because otherwise the track would have been invisible after a few runs.



I've had vague plans to build a tractor puller in scale. The biggest obstacle is the engines: where do you get 1:24 scale Griffons? There are a few 1:24 kits that include Merlins, but no Griffons as far as I'm aware.
Now IIRC the engine block size isn't that different between the Merlin and Griffon, but there's lots of detail differences (ancillaries in different places, etc.)

[MiB]

GULP!!!!
I love this: it's a big models inspiration!

[Rheged]

Most curious!  Devices for converting hydrocarbon into noise.  Does the THRUST motor vehicle fit in this category?

[Hobbes]

The prize for 'noisiest of the day' went to the Green Spirit VI (as seen in one of the photos), which uses two Griffons converted to methanol, at ca. 4000 shp each. Properly groundshaking racket.


Thrust has a different goal, but it's in the same lovable and fascinating vein of vehicles with weird engines.

[rallymodeller]

This one didn't have an aircraft engine, but a diesel with sky-high levels of boost. It's a good thing the wind was in the right direction, because otherwise the track would have been invisible after a few runs.



I've had vague plans to build a tractor puller in scale. The biggest obstacle is the engines: where do you get 1:24 scale Griffons? There are a few 1:24 kits that include Merlins, but no Griffons as far as I'm aware.
Now IIRC the engine block size isn't that different between the Merlin and Griffon, but there's lots of detail differences (ancillaries in different places, etc.)

My uncle used to build high-powered turbo-diesels for pulling tractors, and the first thing he would have said upon seeing that picture is "it's not working right". When the really powerful ones get going, i.e. by the time the front wheels get off the ground, the black smoke disappears, replaced by a faint grey (or completely clear but heat-distorted) jet-like exhaust plume going straight up out of the stacks. In a diesel, black smoke is incomplete combustion.

Cool enough pics, though! I remember when we used to frequent the Unlimited Hydroplane boat races down in Detroit and all the boats were powered by Merlins or V-1710s. Then along came Miss Budweiser with her T56 and everything changed...

[Hobbes]

Interesting. The diesels that I saw all smoked heavily; the light gray clouds in the background are from machines that are warming up (ie no load), when they go to full power the smoke turns black. They are using water injection, which increases the amount of smoke.
Also, fuel mixtures tend to be rich in this sport; too much fuel will act as a coolant, too little fuel can result in a busted engine.

[rallymodeller]

What you get in a well-tuned engine is a plume of black smoke that turns paler and eventually disappears. The soot is the byproduct of incomplete combustion of the diesel fuel. Water injection will belay the clean-burning (cf. B-52 takeoffs) but eventually when it gets hotter the soot should go away. Now mind you, this is for the really powerful engines such as seen in Unlimited pullers, that are tuned like drag-racing motors in that they are pulled apart after each run...

[Hobbes]

The photo is of a Pro-stock machine, ie single turbo on an engine block that's sourced from a normal tractor (usually a straight-6 of about 8 litres). Power is around 1500 shp at 6000 rpm.

Typical runs look like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQGJW0Iy37Q

[rickshaw]

I've always understood that plumes of black smoke indicate dirty injectors in diesels.

[PR19_Kit]

I've always understood that plumes of black smoke indicate dirty injectors in diesels.

That applies to about 70% of the diesel cars in the UK then.......