F4U Corsair starts up

[jsgg]

My Grandfather (ex-RNZAF) flew these in the Solomon Islands late in the war, flying from Henderson Field. Always called it his favourite aircraft.

[InsideDope]

@jsgg He had to be a very interesting man. What an experience that had to be.

[ohcanadaffw]

My grandmother worked at NYU ,during the war, drafting the plans for the characteristic wings. I am very proud of her contributions.

[InsideDope]

@ohcanadaffw As well you should be. How cool would it be to have some of the original blueprints. 

[ohcanadaffw]

@InsideDope Original blue prints would be interesting for sure. However, I can assure you that she doesn't have them as her work was highly classified. I'm not even sure if my grandfather, who was with her in NY (his deploying point to France) at the time, knew precisely what she was up to!

[rokkotheearthshifter]

That plane is gorgeous :D

[barmtrail]

Is a radial really better than an in-line V? Or are they both just as good?

[FiveCentsPlease]

@barmtrail

There are advantages to both. The inline V offered better streamlining for less air resistance and better visibility for the pilot, but it relied on liquid cooling which could be damaged easily. The radials were rugged but with a large frontal area. The radials could take more punishment. The R-2800 brought many pilots home after being damaged.

[MrJp990]

hmmmm i never seen a corsair painted like that... ive seen them only in blue... my old friend has one in blue

[InsideDope]

@MrJp990 It was an overcast day, and perhaps the color doesn't show up very well, but it is indeed the traditional very dark blue Corsairs were painted.

[MrJp990]

@InsideDope Ok. Thank you. but 1 more question.. did they everr paint corsairs in dark blue on top and light/sky blue on the bottom ?

[InsideDope]

@MrJp990 Yes, they did. I've seen them painted with a sky blue tail and underbelly, the underside of wings and faded up on the lower part of cowling

[MrJp990]

@InsideDope thank you... my pap flew a corsair in ww2 he became a double ace in 2 days

[blueflame53]

@MrJp990 many thanks and much apprciation to your grandfather.

[agcatdriver]

@MrJp990 This particular Corsair appears to be an F4U-5N... they were one of the last and most updated and powerful variants of the Corsair.  They were used quite a bit in a night fighter role, hence the reason for the darker blue, almost black paint scheme. The -5N can be recognized by the longer nose from canopy to cowling, and by the dual air intake scoops on each side of the lower cowling.

[whitey5238]

hey do u still have to put a charging cap in to start the plane or did they do away with that feature

\

[InsideDope]

@whitey5238 That's a good question. I didn't notice them doing that in seeing several WWII era planes starting, but that just means I didn't notice. Maybe someone will have the answer.

[azkiid]

@whitey5238 Are you speaking of the Coffman Starter. I'm not sure if the cartridges are even available anymore. It would probably be easier and cheaper to convert these old warbirds to electric start.

[Jakestg]

Are these engines reliable? They dont really sound like it

[FiveCentsPlease]

@Jakestg

It sounds just like a big radial engine SHOULD sound.

[chrisjeffsmusic]

@Jakestg radial engines are awesome.  If you look after them properly and know what you're doing they're just as reliable as any other kind.

[able34bravo]

I think I just came in my shorts.

[kolbpilot]

The 'Hose Nose' was swinging the biggest propeller of the time. Hence the bent wings.

[InsideDope]

Anyone know what the two short puffs of smoke that come out at the bottom of the fuselage just forward of the wings is at about 1:06 or what causes it? I know the pilot is likely adjusting mixture, but wonder what causes those little puffs. They don't come out of the exhaust.

[kolbpilot]

@InsideDope I'm no expert, (but I played one on TV). No really, I think that is an exhaust stack, just one that ran clean for most the start up.

[Chargerdaytona69]

@InsideDope probably oil build up

[ksandom40]

@InsideDope I'm wondering if it's another exhaust outlet. It also does it a few times around 0:46.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@InsideDope Actually the little puffs did come out of the exhaust ,there are exhaust ports/stacks on the lower portion of the engine cowling as well as the ones you see on the side. hope this helps you out.

[InsideDope]

@TBM3EAvenger Thanks.... sounds logical to me.

[Kotty11]

This is beautiful veteran fighter. I've seen it live :)

[TerminatorFRA]

Would love to fly such a monster, it's totally different from jet fighters, you know you have cubic inches in front of you ;)

[MegaHungrybear]

one of these things shot down a jet engine mig 15 in korea

[mikelopez101]

and at first,when they landed on a carrier they had to come from the left side and yaw to land that awesome machine

[F14ace]

Beautiful warbird.

[euphoria0311]

Love that sound of a radial. Beautiful aircraft! Thanks for the video.

[SgtGrant23]

how come some F4U's have 3 props and some like this one has 4?

[weirdguy7]

@SgtGrant23 They are different versions of the Corsair, different engines. The original F4U-1 has 3 blade prop, then they get a bigger engine with the F4U-4 model and put a 4th blade on the prop to use that power.

[agentiki]

shameful start up

[TBM3EAvenger]

@agentiki Another critic...seems like there's one in every crowd, if you don't have anything nice to say then keep your opinions to yourself "Mr Negativity"

[pinkinchpepper]

the gull wing was made to accomodate the massive prop that was made possible by the massive engine,, yes you need short gear, they could get it short enough already, but not short enough to accomodate the massive prop

[kolbpilot]

Gotta love a 'hose nose'.

[justforever96]

Is that a cartridge starter? It seems like all the warbirds have electric starters these days, and it sucks. I'm pretty sure that most WWII fighters has cartridge starters in them.

[galactica5]

Those wings were shaped like that due to the larger prop diameter.

[InsideDope]

@galactica5 Yes, as has been noted, it was to allow shorter, sturdier landing gear for carrier landings while providing clearance for the prop.

[Tabby266]

@InsideDope and to reduce drag. The Stuka dive bomber had gull wings too, but not as noticable.

[noacronym]

And to think that the "gull wings" had nothing to do with flight or beauty. They were made for the reason of having short landing gear because shorter ones were less likely to break or bend, landing on aircraft carriers (rough landings). When you look at the wings where they first come out of the fuselage, that part of the wing is more destructive to flight than helpful.

[InsideDope]

@noacronym The gull wing shape was not only for the reasons you mention, but to be able to lower the center of gravity while still having clearance for the prop.

I'm glad they did it, as it looks beautiful. Of course, not sure if the Germans didn't come up with the idea with the Stuka first.

[justforever96]

@noacronym- Actually, the gull-wing on the Corsair was found to decrease drag, although they hadn't planned it that way.

[Icarus716]

@noacronym also, that was done to increase wing dihedral to keep positive dynamic stability in tight turns and fast dives

[InsideDope]

This aircraft was restored using both an F4U-5P and an F4U-5N (for nightfighter) It has an interesting history. It was aquired from the Honduran air force where it was flown during the 1969 "Football War", between Honduras and El Salvador where both countries used F4U's. It was the last time propeller driven planes faced each other in combat. The plane is now based at the Indiana Aviation Museum in Valparaiso, IN

[blahblah642]

what variant is it? sounds soooo good!!

[vellieux]

that is actually an Goodyear FG-1 model, by the looks of the dual chin intakes, i could be wrong

[deweypug]

Note to attendant, don't wear work boots with shorts...

[bebajoro77]

If it doesn't bang, rattle, cought, fart and belch smoke it's not a good radial! Thanks for posting this, lovely to see and hear.

[InsideDope]

And of course, those things were pre-computerized modules. The pilot had to adjust everything, throttle, lean or rich, etc. So depending on the weather conditions and other factors, I would guess they had to just try to get it turning on it's own and then make small adjustments to "dial it in" once it was started.

[popsflying]

What a beautiful plane......imagine standing next to an entire squadron of those bad boys idling....goose bumps for sure.

[xfastV8]

running a bit lean, or is just my impression?

[keefer2111]

Would you guys like to what they did to the planes after the war??

go to Bomberguy

[Santoslhelpa]

beautiful

squaresmakeherhot

[silverbird58]

dont leave out that the prop is also the flywheel

[VecihiH]

is a perfect melody! keep listening to this same song :)

[taisdhoi]

Beautiful Corsair F4U5

Thanks

[Papacarl]

Who's the doofus off the right wing? If you're going to give a "thumbs up" hold it up for a while so the flight crew can at least see it! Safety hazards are usually marked with bright colors....hence forth the bright t-shirt.... ;)

[eljuguetonpr]

I love the Corsair also i like all the diferents war palnes i have in Radio control one of each war in Big scale

starting from the first war with the Fokker VIII - Second war P 51 Mustang and a F4U Corsair - Korea conflict F - 86 Sabre jet and A 7 Corsair - the lastest conflict of IRAK (2) A 10 Warthog and a Afghanistan (2) F - 16 all in Radio Control Big Scale planes the last ones ducted fan unit and one Turbine.

[Rip1969]

I dont know much about planes. Could someone answer me this one question?

Whay do some planes have 2 bladed propellers, some 3 blades, and some 4?

Pros and cons I guess my questions is.

[CoolasIce2]

I guess it has to do with the power of the engine, and the kind of performance they want.

This bad boy Corsair with the Huge Pratt & Whitney engine can swing a 4 blade prop with authority.

[InsideDope]

There is a trade off as far as how many blades a prop has.

Obviously the more blades, the more air is moved and thus power it can generate in fewer revolutions.

Each blade creates it's own drag, and so as the number of blades increases, so does the energy required to spin it. and the entire prop becomes less efficient.

Thus a two bladed prop is the most efficient, but produces the least thrust, etc.

But if you have enough power, then three or even four make sense.

[Rip1969]

Ahhh thanks.

[InsideDope]

I guess you could liken it to shovelling snow. With a narrow shovel you can move the snow without too much effort, but not as much snow. With a shovel four feet wide, you could move a lot more snow, a lot faster, but it would take a LOT of power to do it.

As the number of blades in a prop increase, the power required to get them through the air increases more steeply than the amount of air moved, so the efficiency decreases.

[DelenorFoxfyre]

There's also the drag that is created to help control the speed of the plane. When the motor slows, the prop can actually act like an air brake (great for dive bombing...better reaction time.) So, the more blades, the more braking. Another trade off is engine speed. Most 2 blades will swing faster with a lighter engine, so thus highly maneuverable and quick off the turn vs powering through. Pros and cons they are indeed.

[wheelingdude12]

so basically 2, is not enough power, 3 is more but still not enough, and 4 is the max power?

[InsideDope]

Not sure I'd put it that way. It simply depends on the application. for most light planes with less horsepower, 2 bladed props are fine.

But it is true that 2 bladed props produce the least thrust per revolution, obviously, with more blades producing progressively more thrust, but also requiring increasing horsepower.

[InsideDope]

For example. Say a 2 bladed prop develops 100lbs of thrust from a 10 horsepower engine.

If you doubled the props to 4, you might think it would take twice the hp to produce twice the thrust, but it actually would take perhaps 3 times the hp to produce twice the thrust of the 2 bladed prop, due to the increase in drag required for the two additional blades. If the number of blades doubles, the thrust doubles but the hp required goes up more than that.

[travscorsair]

such a sweet sound from the best aircraft

ever made,she just belches power!

[ipsilon160]

yes from that awesome radial engine. this is my favourite aircraft of all time. everything about it is awesome from engine to capablity. i would love to own this sexy aircraft

[Klattu]

Beautiful

[michelmix]

This really cool sound.

Must be nice to have one of these aircraft to possess?

[dww459]

The Corsair flown by Naval aviators was,is always will be. FLY NAVY!!!!!!!!

[HalcyonSkies]

You forget, the Corsair was flown more effectively by the Marines. Its long nose made it hard for pilots to see the wire on the carrier deck. It wasn't called the Ensign Eliminator for nothing. Still a damn good airplane, and my favorite of WW2.

[itsallaroundus]

it also had a non-steerable tailwheel, which would further complicate it's carrier operations.

[Xx69roadrunnerxX]

This is probably a stupid question, but whatever. Do the Marines fly from carrier's(sometimes? Ever?) or are they a strickly land-based force? Thanks.

[realminiatures1869]

As A Retired Marine Pilot I can tell you That Yes Marines do Fly from Carriers

[GerbilEssences]

Yeah it must have been a goose to land with that wingspan.

[Swiftwivel]

Corsiar still stands as the pinnacle of Piston Engine aircraft in the Pacific Conflict

[Xx69roadrunnerxX]

Awesome aircraft! Do radial engines use spark plugs?

[skyhawk5265]

Yes they have spark plugs. Like most aircraft they have two spark plugs per cylinder. So this corsair has 36 spark plugs.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@skyhawk5265 actually it has 28 plugs, being a 14 cyl radial.

[4thstooge]

@TBM3EAvenger It has a Pratt & Whitney R 2800 18 cyl .engine not a 14.

[SgtGrant23]

@Xx69roadrunnerxX yes a corsair has 6 spark plugs on top and 6 on bottom, every cylinder has one spark plug.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@SgtGrant23 might want to check your numbers a radial engine has an odd number of cylinders per bank, I think you'll find that this particular engine is comprised of 2 rows of 7 cylinders=14 cylinders= 28 plugs (2 plugs/Cylinder) just an FYI

[chrisjeffsmusic]

@TBM3EAvenger fwiw

radial engines must have an odd number of cylinders, per bank in this case, or it wouldn't be able to work. They fire by every second piston, so in a 9 cyl bank it would fire in order 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 2, 4, 6, 8 etc

[4thstooge]

@TBM3EAvenger Corsair has a Pratt & Whitney R 2800 18 cyl. engine not a 14.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@SgtGrant23 might want to check your numbers a radial engine has an odd number of cylinders per bank, I think you'll find that this particular engine is comprised of 2 rows of 9 cylinders=18 cylinders= 36 plugs (2 plugs/Cylinder) just an FYI

[able34bravo]

@Xx69roadrunnerxX of course radial engines use spark plugs. all reciprocating engines do.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@able34bravo Not entirely true, ever check out a Cummins Diesel engine ?, no plugs of any kind, relies solely on the explosive nature of diesel fuel when compressed,

[TBM3EAvenger]

@Xx69roadrunnerxX Yes they do 2 per cylinder.

[ralliartfanevoix]

@Xx69roadrunnerxX any engine that burns Avgas/petrol uses spark plugs.

[SgtGrant23]

@Xx69roadrunnerxX yup 2 per cylinder for 18 cylinders that's what magnetos are for

[richardhavens]

Baa baa

[whb1965]

ok someone tell me which was better.. the corsair or the mustang???? i know the mustang was faster but didnt the corsair have alot more kills...???? which was the best??

[N746ZX]

The Corsair was mainly a carrier based airplane on the USS ENTERPRISE and the Mustang was a land based airplane. I would have to say that one isn't better than the other. I mean, sure they both escorted our bombers deep into enemy territory and back home, you can't really campare the two, at all!!

[GregDucati]

i,ll tell ya whats better the messerschmitt bf 109 way better

[Ayinger]

The ME-109 was pretty much a dead tie with the British Spitfire, but a P-51 outclassed the Messerschmitt overall. The Mustang is probably the better plane over the Corsair for long range bomber escort but with its liquid cooled engine, it couldn't take as much damage as the Corsair. The Corsair and P-47 are very similar, big heavy air cooled planes. The Mustang is actually more similar to the German Focke-Wulfs and Messerschmitts.

[MeadowGreen69]

To the last point: Better said, the Mustang was similar to the Me 109 and the Corsair to FW 190. The FW190 (highest numbers produced as A8-Series) even had air cooled two-row radial engines.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@Ayinger Earlier model spitfires maybe but not the later marks.

[agcatdriver]

Very nice example of a later version of the Corsair. This one is a dash 5 version, identified by the longer nose, and the chin air scoops on the front of the cowling. ALot of them had a big radar pod on one wing, but this one does not.

[InsideDope]

That's interesting information. Thanks.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@agcatdriver You're correct the ones with the Radar pods were F4U-5N the "N" signifying Night fighter

[macshootzuup]

nothing like old school

[Booda35]

What a bad-ass bird. Good ole American Muscle. Gives me chills.

[Pitumisio]

Well said pal, that's a badass bird.

[Danno57]

The most beautiful sound in the world.

[L324RT12]

God bless the radial engine! Reminds me of an old muscle car...

[InsideDope]

...only with a lot more muscle. ha! Imagine putting the horsepower of that radial into a car. You wouldn't have any tires left. ha!

[gasflame62]

the f4u is bueatifull!

[Concordski101]

i love that thwoking sound made by the prop (noticeable 00:38 - 00:56)........I love the Corsair altogether - such a graceful beast: especially when it's inverted......................­.........

[Redux626]

Kinda sounded like it was camming

[Speeddemon3]

Please try and keep laughter to a minimum, lol. I'm totally "green" when it comes to aircraft mechanical knowledge, but addicted and learning quick!

What made these engines notoriously hard to start? Lets face it, if a car sounded like these do when cold, we'd walk to the store lol. It sounds almost like they have "decompressors" on each cylinder that shut after it starts and gains compression. Also, not to slight anybody but someone B-4 me said these were rotary engines, aren't they radial?

[amateis1991]

Rotary engines use a triangular "piston" if you will. Radials use the conventional piston and cylinder arrangement.

To my understanding the reason for a hard time to start a radial, is due to the fact of gravity pulls the oil down into a few cylinders, and it takes a few rotations to clear it.

[bobo9929]

Sorry about that. I meant to say radial. I'm not laughing. There's no such thing as a stupid question.

These engines had a tendency for oil to pool in the lower cylinders if the plane sat for very long without running the engine. The prop had to be turned by hand or by the pilot without the ignition on to expel the oil. Otherwise, severe damage to the engine could occur. Even so, there was always enough oil left to cause the engine to sput and smoke when it started.

[bobo9929]

Sorry, that was me. I meant to say radial. I won't laugh if you won't!

Radials were known for the oil pooling in the lower cylinders if the plane sat for very long without starting the engine. The prop has to be rotated with the ignition off to expel that oil. Even so, there is always enough oil left to cause it to smoke and sputter. I'm guessing it often caused some fouling of the plugs as well.

[gregwddriver]

The percussion when standing next to one of these mills will ruffle your shirt.

[bobo9929]

Rotary engines were notorious for rough cold start-ups. Once they get warm they purr like a kitten.

[MySetDancer1]

Can not capture the awesome experience on video . . . .

[PupuTheClown]

what was the intake on the wings for ?,,was this a Pratt & Whitney engine ?

[Concordski101]

They are for the radiators. It's powered by a 2,000hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial.

The design team came up with what it considered to be the smallest airframe to fit the most powerful engine avaliable

[amateis1991]

The wing intakes were for the intercoolers.

[bdrws6]

Radiators? Radials are air cooled, they don't have raditors. The intake on each wing was the intake for the supercharger as well as oil coolers.

[gdfsob]

"The plane 'Pappy' made famous" ;)

[viperBSG]

F4U-5. A Korean war Hero.

[theUnholySquire]

ahh, music to my ears. lol. the WW2 Corsairs are awesome. and probably the best fighter plane of ww2 other than the P51.

[Detoyato]

What about the P47 Thunderbolt or the w190, Typhoon and Spitfire, P38 Game hero anyone?

[ValiRossi]

Gorgeous sound! Sounds really cammy!

[barryhulio]

this engine is in severe need of a tune up- it sounds like it is only running on 1 cylinder. luckily these planes never entered service or the japanese would have massacred them. What DEATH TRAP.

[InsideDope]

Uhhhhh.... these aren't 4 cylinder Hyundai engines. The 18 huge cylinders need a bit to warm up, and until they do, they lope a little.

Contrary to your ignorant comment about the Zero's, Navy F4-U's had an 11 to 1 kill ratio against the Japanese.

It is also had the longest production run of any piston powered fighter in history, being produced from 1940 to 1953.

Really, shouldn't you at least have a clue about what you're talking about before leaving comments? Just askin'.

[MTFDarkEagle]

nice ;) thanx for teachen the ignorant people a lesson

[Fritztoons]

Hi InsideDope. Agree with one exeption. ME 109 was built from 1937 and latest as licence "Buchon" in Spain and in former Yugoslavia until 1952. Even the Israelis fought the Egyptians in these Licence 109. Anyway the F4U was/is a powerfull and leathal beast ;-))

[InsideDope]

Thanks fritztoons. I got my info from the Wikipedia entry on the F4U. I love the ME 109 as well. What a beautiful and powerful plane.

[N746ZX]

AGREED!!!!! In fact, they did enter the service, and they wooped butt to the Japenese. Why do you think they (Japenese) names the Corsair, the "Whistling Death???"

[Redmanfms]

Spoken like a guy who has never seen or heard a radial engine start-up.

[Coolbeansman11]

are you kidding me? that's the ffu corsair. The sweetheart of Okinawa, The whistling death. Get you facts straight. The corsair had an 11:1 kill ratio and was the first fighter to be able to reach 400 mph in level flight. noob

[Halofan11]

let me guess you got this information from wikipedia as well?

[Coolbeansman11]

Are you kidding? that's the F4U corsair. The sweetheart of Okinawa, the whistling death. get you facts straight. The corsair had an 11:1 kill ratio and was the first fighter able to atain 400 mph in level flight. The next time you make a comment about one of the best fighters of WWII get your facts straight.

[jjtopp99]

barryhulio, you are one CLUELESS dude !!! Not only did the Corsair perform spectacularly well in combat against ALL Japanese fighters, it managed to shoot down one or two Russian fighter jets (Mig 15s, etc) in the Korean War as well while performing in its primary role there as a ground support fighter/bomber.

[rwp16db]

your joking right?...

[Darntoons]

This has to be in one of my top ten "must Stupid Comments". These planes did enter service and was one of the best fighters of WW2.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@barryhulio LMAO of course went into service against the Japanese, and they kicked the Zero's butt all the way back to Japan

[70bonnie]

Thats a nice WW2 HOTROD !!! Would'nt have wanted to be a Jap Zero facing the business end of this F4U back then.

[brtshstel]

It's always nice to find fellow Davenport resident. I was there too. I have been the the least three Quad City Airshows. I love it all!

[brtshstel]

I was there watching that same event. I'm from Davenport and I have attended the last three Quad City Airshows (It sucks that it rained this pst year). It's nice to find somebody here from my hometown!

[wheelingdude12]

Davenport Iowa?, man I haven't heard of that town since I last lived there many years ago

[brtshstel]

I was there watching that same event. I'm from Davenport and I have attended the last three Quad City Airshows (It sucks that it rained this pst year). It's nice to find somebody here from my hometown!

[irish89055]

I made a kit model of the corsair like this one with the checkered cowling. What squadron was that and what do the letters mean in front of the Marine Squadron?

[AceWalkerAstronaut]

VMF? V=Heavier-than-air Fixed Wing, M=Marine, F=Fighter squadron

[AceWalkerAstronaut]

VMF you mean? V=heavier-than-air fixed-wing, M=Marine, F=Fighter squadron.

[Nilanthos]

Only just saw your post, probably a bit late to reply, but the red and white checkered cowling means it was from the 2nd Marine Division, not a specific squadron. For 100% accuracy, the rudder should have the red and white checkers too. As to the letters, I have no idea :)

[SemperMO]

That is VMF-312. Identified by the checkerboarding on the cowl. I am in the squadron right now, except we are VMFA-312, flying the F/A-18C Hornet.

[soulkitchen1979]

what a beautiful aircraft. one of my favorites.

[NikitasGuitars]

me too... one day I'll restore and fly one... one day lol

[TBM3EAvenger]

@NikitasGuitars you and me both LOL, never know when you're going to win the lottery LOL

[InsideDope]

These engines were designed and built for sheer power before there were environmental concerns. Though I'm just guessing, I assume the smoke is from the incredible amount of gasoline flooding the cylinders when the pilot primes them for starting. These engines also require GALLONS of oil, which had a habit of getting all over everything.

So yes, I guess the smoke is necessary.

[djrhogan]

Mostly oil that drains down into the lower cylinders. That is why you usually see them hand rotate the props to insure no cylinders were hydrolocked. Sweet vid!!! I actually have this bird as my pc backdrop. The owner of this Bird really flys this plane low to the ground. It is great to see how these planes can actually handle.

[AceWalkerAstronaut]

That's oil making that smoke. Radials tend to do that-it collects in the bottom cylinders as it sits, and even when you pull the props through to clear it there is still some left that burns on start, hence the smoke. If it were fuel it would be black smoke, not light-colored smoke.

[NikitasGuitars]

yeah, its definitely oil, ill never forget standing behind fifi the b29 when she started up and realizing a few minutes later that I was completely coated with a mist of motor oil lol. One commentary on the emissions thing... its a WARPLANE... emissions are never a concern for military applications.

[InsideDope]

True about the military. They've consumed and continue to consume, a vast portion of the nations oil and gas and are likely far and away one of the biggest polluters on the planet. I doubt anything could come even close.

[zinnington]

Yea, they just consume and consume just to save your worthless littlel ass. Why don't you go fornicate yourself scumbag.

[InsideDope]

Save me from what, Skippy? Gas for under a dollar? Clean air and water?

Or from those handful of radicals that you think are going to come to your jerkwater town and tell you you can't go to the monster truck show... you know, the ones that you piss your pants in fear and talk like some tough guy while you let others do the fighting?

[rwp16db]

well i was one of those guys doing the fighting, very recently actually. and until your there you dont have much right to talk either. you would be amazed the things people back here dont know.

[Cameroon123]

Sure. Per unit, military equipment lets out more pollution than commercial vehicles and whatnot, but the sheer quantity of commercial things; cars, trains, commercial planes, and especially power plants, etc. end up being the source of way more pollutants.

Can you really blame the military? It's common sense to have something consume more resources and have less chance of being destroyed, because building more costs way more resources.

[TBM3EAvenger]

@InsideDope rule of thumb with a radial engine if there isn't a puddle of oil under the engine, it's out of oil so you better fill it up before you start it...an old joke told to me by an Avenger pilot.

[InsideDope]

@TBM3EAvenger Ha! In this day and age it's hard to imagine the amount of oil radials would both hold and consume. I was lucky enough to work on the ramp at my local airport when there was still a DC-3 freighter that would come in . There had to be at least a couple gallons just sprayed on the cowlings and wings alone, and of course the ever-present puddles under the engines on the ramp.

A Wright powered DC-3 had an oil capacity of 58 gallons! And in normal operations burn 2 gallons per hour!

[gslice2120]

is all the smoke necessary

[dougbcoll]

nice video luv those wasp jugged engines