Random Shot Of The Day - Part 2

[knot4u]

I've been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, yes I have seen that before.

I've been reading the comments but don't want to add not thought out answers. Neal's picture in the other thread especially on the oil cooler outlets added quite a bit of thoughts.

Your comments on the cowling misalignment are thought provoking as well.

I'm not asking for a dissertation about any current or past modifications on the Bearcat. But I wonder if they added the additional lord mounts to the engine mount to keep the engine from twisting so an over the nose carb intake was possible. I know you weren't involved, I'm just curious of your opinion.

[BellCobraIV]

I'm not asking for a dissertation about any current or past modifications on the Bearcat. But I wonder if they added the additional lord mounts to the engine mount to keep the engine from twisting so an over the nose carb intake was possible. I know you weren't involved, I'm just curious of your opinion.

I don't know why they added the additional Lord Dyna-focal mounts to the engine mount. However I found it ironic that when I attempted to comment on the additional Lord Dyna-focal mounts I was shut down by the person who told me and I quote "C'mon Johnny, this isn't a bunch of cowboys doing stuff without engineering, Stu and Nelson engineered that addition. Unlike when you guys built the first mount." Ironic because of the fact that the Lord Dyna-focal mount engineering representative to Lockheed was the guy that did the calculations based on a theoretical 4,500 horsepower. At the time we were told additional mounts would make the system too rigid and could lead to stress cracks. So much for who were the cowboys and who had the engineering.

In addition while the over the nose scoop may look cool, Bill Hickle told me in his opinion it was not the best design, in addition to that there is a thought line that the inlet scoops at the base of the wing tricked the airflow into thinking the wing root was thinner by processing the carburetor inlet air. I was told that someone has pictures that show this effect based on the Bear having followed another airplane around the course that was losing a good amount of oil. That part I can understand from pictures that we took after the Super Corsair oiled it down one year. We had very interesting pictures of the real life airflow around the airplane.

[knot4u]

I don't know why they added the additional Lord Dyna-focal mounts to the engine mount. However I found it ironic that when I attempted to comment on the additional Lord Dyna-focal mounts I was shut down by the person who told me and I quote "C'mon Johnny, this isn't a bunch of cowboys doing stuff without engineering, Stu and Nelson engineered that addition. Unlike when you guys built the first mount." Ironic because of the fact that the Lord Dyna-focal mount engineering representative to Lockheed was the guy that did the calculations based on a theoretical 4,500 horsepower. At the time we were told additional mounts would make the system too rigid and could lead to stress cracks. So much for who were the cowboys and who had the engineering.

In addition while the over the nose scoop may look cool, Bill Hickle told me in his opinion it was not the best design, in addition to that there is a thought line that the inlet scoops at the base of the wing tricked the airflow into thinking the wing root was thinner by processing the carburetor inlet air. I was told that someone has pictures that show this effect based on the Bear having followed another airplane around the course that was losing a good amount of oil. That part I can understand from pictures that we took after the Super Corsair oiled it down one year. We had very interesting pictures of the real life airflow around the airplane.

You were there and I was not, but anyone referring to Bill Hickle as some sort of a "cowboy" obviously hasn't met him or spent much time with him. He's a lot of things, but I wouldn't ever consider him as a "cowboy". Mel might've actually been a cowboy, I think his dad was riding fences into his 80s and that's how he grew up. I'd offer to help but I suppose I don't know much about it anymore and my input would likely not be welcome anyways. The airplane is ugly and slow now, all I can do is wish them the best and hope they know where it came from.
Edit: It also seems odd for people from Texas to use the term "cowboy" as derogatory. I'm considering moving to Texas, but that seems odd.

[Lon Moer]

These are mine from I think 1991....

[knot4u]

More cowl talk. The cowling on the Bearcat I was familiar with was not the sort of thing that might be removed with a screw gun (although those were also needed). The cowl was mounted to the engine and other than the slip ring at its aft end it was independent from the fuselage. It was a three piece deal and no one was going to try remove one of them without help. It was a pressure cowl so getting it as air tight as possible was pretty important. To help seal the junction between the cowl and the airframe the mating surface had micarta strips to help seal the thing up as is it vibrated and would move around. It would take at least two fit people to mount the pieces, and because it was supposed to be sealed there were three holes at the bottom of the cowl that accessed the latches to tighten up the whole thing. We had three separate wrenches each specific to each hole to close it up and it normally took three people. It was sort of a spectacle, but that was just another Bearcat kind of deal. Forgot to add, the three holes on the bottom and the the two on each side up towards the top cowl all had custom little covers that only fit in their respective hole. It certainly wasn't built for convenience or mass production.