The sound is very distinctive. When I'm out in the yard and hear a plane, I immediately can tell when it's a radial. Yankee Air Museum is a few miles south of me in Ypsilanti (Mich). They have a B-17 they fly occasionally, and the sound is truly glorious.
The Pratt and Whitney reminds me of a story from former mechanic of Dutch Navy testing these radial engines in same kind of tunnel. One day when testing one on full throttle they saw a baseball cap flying by the dyno control room windows. They shut down throttle and looked to the fence on the left side....there they saw another mechanic hanging horizontal barely able holding on to the fence . He was at the point losing his grip...and being sucked into the propellor...... Good reaction of dyno crew shutting down when seeing cap flying by........
My grandfather worked at Buick during WW2 and brought home a set of the engine manuals and rebuild manuals for the P&W R1830 engines. They are beautiful leather bound books with gold embossed lettering and a gold relief of a B-24 on the cover. Truly quality manufacturing from the days when books were made as well as the engines. Inside they are still stamped "secret" on every page and inside is the "special pass" that let my grandfather take them home after the war. I still have them in brand new mint condition. I tried to donate them to a museum once but they wanted to actually use them to rebuild a B-24a that they museum owned. I thought it would be a waste to mess up those pristine books so I decided not to. Someday Ill find a museum that just wants to display them.
You should take photos of the manuals and upload them somewhere. I'd pay money just to see a few pages. That information is probably almost lost by now
@@privateassman8839 I actually tried but to scan them in I would have to stress the spine of the book and I really don't want to take the risk of breaking the spine. They are quite old now and I am not sure how stron that spine is.
My uncle had a BT13 with a Pratt- Whitney R985, I went flying with him alot. Best part was the engine start and the takeoff. My uncle called the engine a Pratt-Shitney.
Lovely noise!!! (Retired aircraft mechanic from Ontario Canada. Worked on DC3s, Otters, Beavers, and other aircraft with round engines!) Thanks for the video!
I’ve worked on most everything mechanical except planes and I absolutely love the sound of the radials. My neighbor a mile down the street crop dusts with biplanes and they sound wonderful flying over
Now, Someone has a radial engine In a late 30's American pick up, which is cool, but if I correctly recall, has one forward gear. That would be a worthy challenge. Something like that with 3 or 4 forward gears.
I understand why an italian V8 sounds different than an american and I understand most of the secrets of other engine sounds. But what is it, that makes a radial engine sound different, but similar to a big crossplane V8? It’s not „round“, but rough and so pleasing to the ears (from a distance😉). Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪🤝 near Ramstein Airbase. I hear them nearly every day, but unfortunately they don‘t use radials any more for spreading democracy in our neighbourhood 🙈🤯
I am not entirely certain, but I believe it's essentially for the same reason the cross plane V8 has its distinctive rumble - the exhaust pulses are not evenly distributed over time, and the effect is most notable in small radials with 5 or 7 cylinders. Each cylinder takes 720 degrees of rotation to complete a full intake, compression, expansion and exhaust cycle; and if we have an odd number, that means we can't split the power pulses evenly during a single revolution of the engine. A 7 cylinder radial, for example, alternates between 4 and 3 pulses per turn, so we get a "lumpy" exhaust note. The 3-2-3-2 alternation of a 5 cylinder radial is even more juddering, which I suspect is the reason why that configuration was never popular. The "lumpiness" eases as you add more cylinders, but never entirely goes away even in monsters like the R4360. Another factor is how spread out the cylinders are in radials vs. inline or V-block engines. That means that the sources of the combustion noise in a radial vary over a distance of up to several feet from an observer, which at close distances can be discerned by ear - which is another source of the "graininess" of the radial engine sound.
The sound is very distinctive. When I'm out in the yard and hear a plane, I immediately can tell when it's a radial. Yankee Air Museum is a few miles south of me in Ypsilanti (Mich). They have a B-17 they fly occasionally, and the sound is truly glorious.
You lucky so and so! I'm from Muskegon and I love that sound.
Multiple engines is like music to the ears! More distinctive when they all run in harmony together!👍
Rand49er, two years ago I went up in Yankee Lady of what you speak. She is one of only 8 out of 12,000 made that are still flying around the world.
Do you like these RADIALs ? :)
Yes
Ya
All 18 cylinders and 2000 horsepower of it .
Ja 😍
I do like radials very much. What I don't like is you standing on the prop line and filming them.... 😳
The Pratt and Whitney reminds me of a story from former mechanic of Dutch Navy testing these radial engines in same kind of tunnel. One day when testing one on full throttle they saw a baseball cap flying by the dyno control room windows. They shut down throttle and looked to the fence on the left side....there they saw another mechanic hanging horizontal barely able holding on to the fence . He was at the point losing his grip...and being sucked into the propellor...... Good reaction of dyno crew shutting down when seeing cap flying by........
I work on and played with round engines all my life! They are the best when finding problems. They talk to you!
My grandfather worked at Buick during WW2 and brought home a set of the engine manuals and rebuild manuals for the P&W R1830 engines. They are beautiful leather bound books with gold embossed lettering and a gold relief of a B-24 on the cover. Truly quality manufacturing from the days when books were made as well as the engines. Inside they are still stamped "secret" on every page and inside is the "special pass" that let my grandfather take them home after the war. I still have them in brand new mint condition. I tried to donate them to a museum once but they wanted to actually use them to rebuild a B-24a that they museum owned. I thought it would be a waste to mess up those pristine books so I decided not to. Someday Ill find a museum that just wants to display them.
That’s incredible dude. Lives up the saying “if yer going to make it, make it beautiful”
You should take photos of the manuals and upload them somewhere. I'd pay money just to see a few pages. That information is probably almost lost by now
@@privateassman8839 I actually tried but to scan them in I would have to stress the spine of the book and I really don't want to take the risk of breaking the spine. They are quite old now and I am not sure how stron that spine is.
They were made to be used, and let’s face it…being used to actually rebuild a b-24? Nothing better than that!
this stuff never gets old.
NOTHING sounds as sweet as an old radial engine, especially when you hear them live.
Don't you just love that sound
My uncle had a BT13 with a Pratt- Whitney R985, I went flying with him alot. Best part was the engine start and the takeoff.
My uncle called the engine a Pratt-Shitney.
Great examples of wonderful design, engineering, and manufacturing.
In the mid 80's there were still WW2 bomber engine testing stands and instrument shacks at Sebring Airport in Florida.
They look and sound like they're powerful.
Fantastic ! I can almost smell all that smoke. Send a copy to grumpy Thunberg?
How dare you 🚬
Old school engines music to my old ear's .
Lovely noise!!! (Retired aircraft mechanic from Ontario Canada. Worked on DC3s, Otters, Beavers, and other aircraft with round engines!) Thanks for the video!
this is NOT noise, IT IS FINE MUSIC
AND THE EXHAUSt must SMELL LIKE FINE PERFUME
You didn’t happen to work at Millardair, by chance?
I’ve worked on most everything mechanical except planes and I absolutely love the sound of the radials. My neighbor a mile down the street crop dusts with biplanes and they sound wonderful flying over
@@klausswartz3369 No, Austin Airways in Timmins. Then I got smart and worked at deHavilland in Downsview.
Enjoyed the video,thx.for posting.
Dang, the click pic, that looks like a Beechcraft Staggerwing!!!! Ohhh I love that design.
Nope it’s a Cessna 195.
@@justincase1575 YES! Thank you! One of my top five aircraft. Thank you again.
With the pwr engine in that tunnel I just kept thinking one inch forward ur mincemeat pal why stand that close to the prop blades on a prop that big 😳
De Havilland Otter, . . .the BEST !
Love em!
Love the sounds ❤❤
I've don't heard about Guilberson's radial diesel aircraft engines... What plane used it - or they were excusively made for use in military tanks ?
RADIALs ENGINE IDENTIC is HALEY DAVIDSON MOTORCICLE ENGINE 🤓👍
Totally cool 😊
the dude at 1:58 with the camera has a death wish
Reminds me of when I loaded fire bombers (with retardant ) .
Now, Someone has a radial engine In a late 30's American pick up, which is cool, but if I correctly recall, has one forward gear.
That would be a worthy challenge.
Something like that with 3 or 4 forward gears.
Running without a prop? No engine will forgive this !
Dude at 1:50 has a deathwish...
0:41 & 2:41 for that classic "lope" sound.
There's something about a big radial.
I’ll take this sound over a Merlin any day.
That’s a toughy, like choosing which child you love more.
Where are you from guys ?
Im goooooooooood
The great state of Tennessee, USA
Northern Straya 🏝🦘🐊
From Germany🇩🇪🤝
Russia
20 like its ME LIKE
The Russian engine sounds Ballistic ! 0:09
Dude filming the R2800 has a death wish, you NEVER EVER stand inline of the prop, if it decides to come apart your dead.
I understand why an italian V8 sounds different than an american and I understand most of the secrets of other engine sounds. But what is it, that makes a radial engine sound different, but similar to a big crossplane V8? It’s not „round“, but rough and so pleasing to the ears (from a distance😉).
Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪🤝 near Ramstein Airbase. I hear them nearly every day, but unfortunately they don‘t use radials any more for spreading democracy in our neighbourhood 🙈🤯
I am not entirely certain, but I believe it's essentially for the same reason the cross plane V8 has its distinctive rumble - the exhaust pulses are not evenly distributed over time, and the effect is most notable in small radials with 5 or 7 cylinders. Each cylinder takes 720 degrees of rotation to complete a full intake, compression, expansion and exhaust cycle; and if we have an odd number, that means we can't split the power pulses evenly during a single revolution of the engine. A 7 cylinder radial, for example, alternates between 4 and 3 pulses per turn, so we get a "lumpy" exhaust note. The 3-2-3-2 alternation of a 5 cylinder radial is even more juddering, which I suspect is the reason why that configuration was never popular. The "lumpiness" eases as you add more cylinders, but never entirely goes away even in monsters like the R4360.
Another factor is how spread out the cylinders are in radials vs. inline or V-block engines. That means that the sources of the combustion noise in a radial vary over a distance of up to several feet from an observer, which at close distances can be discerned by ear - which is another source of the "graininess" of the radial engine sound.
1:55 littttle too close there pal
Win Diesel ⛽
All Diesel cars
I start my car cold every day
As a person that works on aircraft, it gives me extreme anxiety when I see the camera person filming directly in the propeller’s plane of rotation….🫣