I saw a Nomad in the Smithsonian's Udvar Hazy Center. The last word in piston engine efficiency, complexity and cost, it arrived too late and was overtaken by the jet age. Napier always seemed to think outside the box when designing engines: the Lion was a great success, as was the Deltic, which has to be the most unusual designed piston engine ever.
@@MarsFKA Not the Deltic, a lot of its design can traced to packaging, it had to fit in patrol vessel hulls, think about its triangular shape and the shape of a hull. Anyhow, the final word on opposed piston diesel aircraft engines was from the originators of the type, Junkers with the Jumo 223 and 224, it was an elegant design, although if I remember correctly, they had some problem with crankshaft vibrations - who didn't? Over the years, I have seen a trickle of Information turn up on these engines, each time I again marvel at their design. Then again I have always liked Napier, like a number of their engines, the company had its flaws, and those flaws are what make for fascinating reading and conjecture. As for our friend the Nomad, any maintenance engineer who looked at that engine would run away in horror. The diesel is okay (although, the fine detail of that part of the engine is highly unusual with some astonishing ideas), the turbine is also fairly easy to take, although it has different characteristics to its progenitor. Where the problem is most acute (IMHO) is the load-sharing Beiers variable ratio fluid coupling. To explain, it is load sharing as there is a parallel geared coupling that takes a reasonable proportion of the power transmitted with the rest going through the Beiers fluid coupling, essentially, they are trading the range of the variable ratio for more power transfer capability. The coupling itself transmits all its power, in shear, through a very thin oil film which in itself is created by hydro-dynamic force, much like a journal bearing of Michell tilting pad thrust bearing. If you haven't seen it then you will probably be confused, if you have seen it, well, shaking your head is just the start. No, it is just too different to explain, and unfortunately, the old Flight magazine archive with a very detailed review of this engine is no longer available. It all worked, BUT, and this is a big but, it required very careful and precise maintenance, something that may have been elusive in the real world. It is much like that with a lot of pommie cars (I am Australian), some strange thinking led their designers to believe that all maintenance would be carried out exactly as specified. Even the great Walter Hassan and Harry Mundy, when they designed the Jaguar V12 road engine made a fatal flaw and only fed oil from the oil pump overflow to the oil cooler. So as the engine aged, or the oil got poorer , less oil went through the pump overflow, the whole of the engine oil was cooled less, and the cycle of overheating the oil began.
Even in a cutaway form that Sabre engine is a wonder to behold. Imagine the designers and drawing office personnel upon its birth, first on paper then into metal. Just what British industry could do, no longer I’m afraid.
@@tommytar222 There are still plenty of Merlins out there, but how many Sabres? Besides, the Merlin is going to a good home. I will look forward to seeing it running at air shows.
GREAT News Chris!! I too had erroneously concluded that the Merlin may have been a fund raiser but to see your ultimate intention I'm STOKED for you & TyphoonLegacy!!!
Saw a Napier Sabre at the Rockliff Av museum, Ottawa, back in the day. Forget how many cylinders, but remember the two gear-combined crankshafts layout. Also saw a sweet Merlin cutaway at the museum off St.Laurent Blvd down by Elmvale Acres, the place with the tilted room and the big locomotives and the rocket out front. And the space capsule and the F-86 (CF-86?). My dad flew those Sabres out of France and England, some years after piloting Mitchells for Ferry Command. Love your project.
I love the Sabre and hope to live long enough to hear one run. I've dreamed of one day hearing one when I first read about in some French magazine when I was a teenager in the 70s.
Excellent work Ian as the project continues to move forward. Looking forward to see how you rebuild the Napier given how successful you have been rebuilding an aircraft from crashed parts. 👏👍
Thank you very much for your contribution to the project, if you are able to get up Island please let us know and we can make arrangements for you to come and see the project ~Ian
All has now been revealed and my confusion has been "put to bed". Great new Ian and every best wish for a speedy return to JP843's rebuild from an avid follower down in Cape Town, South Africa.
I'm pretty sure the RNZAF Museum at Wigram here in Christchurch also has a sectioned Sabre. Don't know which model though. Love the channel, Ian. Keep up the great work!
It's gone from there as it was on loan. It went to the Wearable Arts Museum in Nelson but that was closed in 2020 due to the effects of Covid shutdowns. Not sure if the engine is still in the facility that took its place which is the Nelson Classic Car Collection. The owner at the time was a Richard Shuttleworth who passed away in 2008 (no not the UK Shuttleworth ha ha)
I had wondered about the apparent diversion into Merlin country. It seemingly having nothing to do with the Typhoon rebuild. Your explanation answers a lot of questions that I had about that. I hope this acquisition will be the start of a renewed focus on the main event.
Although it is a cutaway engine which does hurt, there are a lot of good parts on there and there's a wealth of reference on it too. Those gears look lovely
This is a great trade and opportunity for you . The Sabre engine looks to be in excellent condition , overlooking the obverse holes. Once you get position of it, a list of part s can be made now you know which type you have. Very excised for you as this will be a grate step forward.
When I worked for Napier on production of the Deltic engine, I remember using scrap casings to make up a dummy engine for the Deltic loco being readied for the Science Museum in London. This was not a cutaway just a boxed up hollow engine which was then painted to look new. The Sabre was before my time so this has no bearing on your Sabre. I am sure you will be able to re manufacture this cut away Sabre and get it running. Best of luck.
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd I can only hope that you can fully 3d scan it with high accuracy. Also, full metallurgical testing would be nice, I think the crankcases were high-content magnesium alloy. As far as I know, there is not a single set of engineering or production drawings for any mark of the engine in existence, I have only seen a few isolated drawings. With scans and careful disassembly, this could be remedied, the cutaway sections could be easily "replaced" in 3d modeling form. Determining torque settings during disassembly would be an interesting problem, although they could be calculated, getting authoritative reading from a physical source would be better. I doubt that they used torquing up into the yield zone of bolts and studs in those days, although the crankcase through-bolts are pretty long. Most of the engine could be reproduced in this day and age (CNCed to a much higher standard and strength), except, perhaps, for the sleeves, I am not sure if the exact process for producing the sleeves is known, more details have been found and collated in recent years, but how would you know if something had been left out? The final machining used by Bristol was one of those lucky found-by-accident moments, not obvious and sounds like BS, but Bristol eventually patented it, despite disbelief at some patent offices. I don't know if Snecma manufactured the sleeve for their license-built Hercules or whether these were obtained from Bristol. I remember seeing a photo of stacks of centrifugal cast sleeves still with their cores sitting out in the weather (snow?) curing before machining, I wonder how long that took. So a two-cylinder test engine, just like Halford and Napier used, would need to be run for some time to test manufacturing. And after that, I don't know, just whack together an RR Crecy for fun while curing its tendency to melt various parts of the engine such as the pistons, piece of cake.🤔 This looks a lot like the engine that is displayed at CASM, it is a VII cutaway as well, how come Canada ended up with two of these incredibly rare engines?
I wonder if this Sabre cutaway is the same one we discovered at RAF Henlow in 1987. I was part of a small team sorting through the accessions at the RAF Museum reserve collection there prior to the building being demolished and the artefacts moving on. I remember a cutaway Napier Sable amongst the many engines held there and this looks very familiar. My records show it as Accession number 71/E/1945 and that its next destination was back to the RAF museum at Hendon. There can't be too many of them around!
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Thanks for the reply. That's Interesting. Might be worth a follow up to the RAF Museum to chase that accession number - if they still have it, it could be another helpful source of spares or patterns for you.
A couple of years ago I noticed that there was an apparently complete Sabre in the British science museums reserve collection at Wroughton. I wonder if they'd be willing to swap for a cut away.
Hi Ian. This engine wouldn't be the one that used to be on display here in New Zealand? Just looked at a photo of it on display in the early 2000s and the colours look identical! Although probably not in a 485 NZTyphoon it would be pretty cool to have a New Zealand connection to the engine and the airframe as well!
This is indeed the same engine, we are very fortunate that the owner was willing to make this trade, and as you point out it increases our NZ connections to the rebuild! ~Ian
Hey, thank the Lord and stoke the fire.... You've made my day as sad as that sounds. You can use the engine for rough weight to balance the aircraft, the gears inside will save so much money! As long as they are not sectioned. You have small things like bolts washers, guides, an endless list. Plus when you rebuild the air worthy engine you will have a great reference as to how it all goes back together, that isn't a slight against you, I've rebuilt many many car engines being a car mechanic and once stripped waiting for parts you're memory can fail you, but you have a perfect reference. I get it now. Thank you, you go back on my good list and right to the top 👍😉😁
We are looking at that as an option but there is quite a bit to consider. 3D printed aluminum (common alloys) are stronger than the cast alloy used in the cylinder blocks, but a key consideration is thermal expansion rates if the alloys are different. With the very tight tolerances on the Sabre, repaired sections containing dissimilar metals could go very wrong. ~Ian
Most of the internals of this sectioned Sabre are the gems of this trade. The other Sabre they have in store will most likely provide all the engine block and castings, sans the Sabre 7 injection system et al. Welding up the sectioned castings is definitely a no-no for an airworthy engine. Even the already stored Sabre will require some superficial re-machining corrosion weld build up work, but nothing that is likely to completely distort and stress the aluminium and magnesium of the castings. My comment has not taken into account that the Sabre 7 may be in no way interchangeable to earlier types.
I would think mix and match is very unlikely, perhaps dangerous. The Sabre underwent two internal structural changes, the major one for the Mark IV (maybe V - bloody memeory) and a smaller one for the Mark VII (I think). Most of the design documentation on the Sabre was destroyed over the years, you don't know why things were done, what will work with something else. Again, if it was me, it would be the complete Mark VII design minus the ADI system, and definitely get rid of the Coffman starter, they stressed the engine, big time. Modern electric starter motors could easily do the task now. Again, If it was me and I had the money, I would use the VII for a template and just build a new engine. Castings are much easier these days with scanning, CAD, CAM, 3D printing of patterns, etc. For many parts, assuming the metallurgy is correct, milling from billet would be best, gotta watch the coefficients of expansion. From a modern manufacturing/machining basis, sleeves aside, the engine is not that difficult. To the sleeves, I do not know if Napier used Bristol-designed sleeves after the war or whether they reverted to their own materials/manufacturing process. Bristol had patented part of the manufacturing process. I am not even sure there is full documentation of the method Bristol used to manufacture the sleeves, the materials, the centrifugal casting process, ageing, machining, heat treatment, and finishing. SNECMA manufactured the Bristol Hercules under licence, I do not know whether they manufactured their own sleeves or got them from Bristol. Let us say you now have all the parts made. Torque settings anyone? A manual with these? Tolerances, lubrication. Now all of these could probably be calculated, but WOW! I do not know how big Franks Halford's consultancy team was in the initial design, and although, they designed and built this very different engine in two years less than R-R took to design just another V12 *, just working out all the torque settings would be a big job, computers and all. Even worse, there is probably no one left from whom you can get first-hand knowledge. There were never that many of them anyhow. And the critical part is that the engine MUST keep running! And it must be good enough that you can convince a pilot, gifted enough to fly the plane, that it is worth the risk to do so. And for that, the risk must be reduced as far as the Gods will allow. The Sabre's reputation will always lurk at the back of the pilot's mind, no matter how logical that pilot is. I am sure Ian and the team have a hugely detailed plan to get a Sabre running. If I had a gazillion dollars, I would just be happy to have a ground-running one that I could take to full throttle. Are there any 24 cylinder aircraft engines running today? Unlike the Dagger, the Sabre runs a 60-degree regular firing angle which means it fires two cylinders at once and obviously the order of firing is also same, two flat 12s chasing each other. Move aside, boring old V12s and radials. *not much more than a big Kestrel, it probably would have been better as a small Buzzard, or a small 1931/1933 Griffon -Treselian had been heavily involved in that one, converting the R down to something that could be mass-produced, IMHO the man was a genius, and I am in good company with that opinion. Of course, I do not know the fine detail, so perhaps elements of those engines are in the Merlin. The Mark III that the team just restored is pretty representative of those early Merlins.
Now that's my kind of response !! Thank you for taking the time with a wide ranging response. I agree with the sentiment that only a ground running complete Sabre should be attempted. I think that would impress as much as it flying within the Typhoon itself. I came across a potential modern starting point for a Sabre replacement, that of the Chelyabinsk 12N360. The engine is 1K lb's heavier with half the cylinders, but produces nearly the horsepower. The engine could be built lighter as a petrol ignition type, and with some hope tandemed to become a 24 cylinder. A flight of fancy but so is the likelyhood of ever seeing an airworthy Sabre again. I have lived just long enough to see that the future of machines will slowly loose the visceral testosterone pumping experience of big ICE's and eventually people will be greatly disturbed by a mere glow plug engine firing to life. By then I think that sexual dimorphism in humans will also have disappeared. This all appears to be happening very quickly. Glad I lived at the end of the 20th century and won't see it to the middle of the 21st. @@robertnicholson7733
Wow ! In the interest of the "reveal" for the Napier, they positively butchered it ! It's so extensively cut, one wonders what parts if any can be salvaged. Most definitely interested in seeing how you move forward.
I thought this was why you were building the Merlin. Makes sense , the cut away is great becouse it's probably has no run time on it. Most of the items that need replacement are caps, covers , cases . All the internals may be new.
I saw this Sabre at the Nelson Classic Car Museum in New Zealand a few years ago. The first time I saw it was in the early '90s at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch. It wasn't on display at later visits and a staff member told me that it had gone back to its owners in Nelson. Up close and personal, it's an amazing engine and if the Typhoon Legacy can use it to build a running engine it will have gone to the best possible home. However, a few years ago, I read a comment on a chatline about one of the British Typhoon restorations that said Sabre engines might not get a Certificate of Airworthiness in Britain because of a lack of parts. I wonder how that might apply in Canada? On the subject of the Merlin on a trailer; there are two Allisons on trailers that go around the air shows in NZ and get very loud and impressive. A Merlin set up the same way will add to the mix very nicely. Actually, there are already two very special static-run Merlins in NZ, mounted in the Mosquito at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. The aircraft is towed outside from time to time and the engines given a run. This always attracts a crowd. The next Classic Fighters Omaka air show is coming up at Easter and the organisers have promised that the Mosquito will come out to play.
I can't comment on how the CAA in the UK would deal with a Sabre, but there are provisions in Canada to operate this engine. I hope you get a chance to see the Merlin when she arrives! ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Update: I was at the Wings and Wheels open day at Omaka last Sunday (4 Feb, 2024) and the Merlin on the trailer was there. You guys did a great job on it.
Truly a thing of beauty is the Sabre engine! 💜 Such a pity that so few survive to this day and many of those have been sectioned and are unusable. What is the main hurdle to reproducing more? Is it the casting? If so do engineering drawings exist of the main block allowing new units to be made? PS great to see the project back on track. PPS The Merlin is a thing of beauty too, can't not mention that 😉
@@russelleames5970 The cylinder liners, the sleeve valves were extremely hard to manufacture in period. It took compulsory technology disclosure by Bristol before Napiers could make good cylinder sleeves. It would probably be hard to make them today.
You didn’t address the most important detail. The Sabre you showed is a cutaway, so it cannot ever run. You may be able to use it as the basis for laser scanning and CAD to enable you to machine new casings. I don’t think so. Someone else has commented that you may have a different Sabre? If not, why not mention it?
+Benders Older videos in the channel discuss the other Sabre. About half of it is usable and some water damage, so the cutaway will provide a lot of parts that don't have to be manufactured. This is great progress for the project.
@@radiationking9875 The other Sabre isn't a cutaway, it is a crash recovery and I think it was in mud. Starting with the cutaway and working backwards is a good solution.
I can't let everyone know our plans ahead just yet, we need to complete this trade and get some additional work done. I will announce the next step as soon as possible. ~Ian
I dig it, the typhy was a stunning beast but early development was catastrophic, your variant will fix structure, exhaust fumes, and stuctural issues for sure.
My ex's dad used to fly around in a Lancaster powered by one flat out Sabre and three idling Merlins. He started with Napier around the time the Sabre was being designed and his job was to record the engine instruments during test flights. He ended in charge of three British Aerospace sites and in retirement he consulted to the company I worked for. Brian.C.Smith . He died around 2000, long after I was off the scene.
In a perfect world how many Napier Sabre engines in running condition would you need in order to keep your Typhoon in consistent flight worthy condition? Just one?
I had some idea that the Merlin was a sale item or something else for your goal. That sabre engine was a surprise though. How much do you loose on the cut aways?
I think for that engine the answer is too bloody much by far! I am struggling to see what good that engine is going to be ( apart from structural instruction of the latest variant) and unless they have a Sabre 7 engine in bits I can't see as to what good it will be. So Ian please tell us!
They certainly did extensive work on the cutaways. Our next steps cannot be explained until we have finished up with the Merlin trade and a few other details. ~Ian
Years ago, when visiting the Hendon RAF museum I first saw this monster fighter, after viewing types like the hurricane, spitfire and Messerschmitt the Typhoon stood out by its immense size…it’s a real shame that considering their contribution in 1944/5 they all disappeared, scrapped with just a few left in museums…
If I was worried about you mishandling the main project I would build my own. Thanks for the fill in but I had assumed you were going to use the Merlin to fly your new airplane around the patch to work the bugs out of the airframe to avoid having a Sabre engine problem pop up during the first flight of the new airplane. Continue on, Thanks
A merlin powered tiffy would very strange due to the size difference and making reliable adapted engine mounts would be a trick. Also it would rotate the opposite direction and it might not be powerful enough to fly it
Good move,is the other engine you have viable to make one out of the two ? Would imagine all the sprare nuts and bolts etc will be a blessing. Regards Chris
Always wondered why the Sabre and V-12 aero engines resorted to forked connecting rods on opposite cylinder banks; rather than slightly staggering the cylinder banks, like a modern V-8, so identical rods could be used throughout the engine.
@@CharlieHorse221 if they have another engine that is "all but new" then why waste so much time rebuilding a trailered merlin to trade for a destroyed sabre? the "big reveal" creates more questions than answers.
@@Araye There will likely be parts in the cutaway that may be useable as spares (crank/rods/pistons/gears etc). Engine spares will likely be the most difficult part of this whole project as the rest of it is mainly sheet metalwork.
@@Araye I am no expert I am sorry but I do believe that this excellent cutaway traded for the Merlin will help so much in the runup to getting an engine operating with absolute perfection, it all takes time and this is an extremely rare piece of aviation history which the whole world awaits with excitment..It is no waste of time I believe !!
thats a bit sad for me.I live in NZ. My mother was English.My father was a NZ air force officer involvd in Radar. Theyy married after he was eletrocuted, and came back to NZ. My uncle was killed in france August 1944. Was a bit sad to see that the typhoon pilot also died about that time.Its very sobering to look at the lists of csualties at that time. Will be very excitig though to see the rebirth of that amazing Napier Sabre
Id bet that the Napier sabre engineering people would be the only ones that don't think German designs weren't overly complicated thats a lot of engineering there so cool
I was just watching a film about the restoration of Black 6 ( Messerschmitt 109) from back in the ‘90’s and it was mentioned that in exchange for parts, the RAF museum donated a Sabre to the Swiss airforce! Are you guys aware of this? Does it still exist? 🤔
I don't know if this is of any help at all but I was watching an old programme from the 90's about the restoration of the BF109 Black 6 recently and they mentioned the RAF museum at Hendon swapping a Sabre with the Swiss airforce for a bunch of parts. I realise that this was a long time ago so i don't know what happened to that engine or if they still have it... Here's the video, the bit about the Sabre is at about 28mins 30 th-cam.com/video/tBY92XY7HrI/w-d-xo.html
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Ah Ha! I figured there was very little chance you wouldn't already be aware of it! Fantastic news about the swap, you guys must be over the moon. I am SO intrigued to know how you will get the cutaway to work for you. This is such an exciting project, the Typhoon has been one of my favourite aircraft since I was a kid and I love watching all your build videos. By the way Ian, I am a composer and if you guys are ever in need of original music for your videos or presentations I would be really happy to help you out. Good luck with everything man.
I think as alloy sintering becomes more affordable one could remake these castings - funds permitting. I know Merlin heads are being CNC machined in the UK for some time now. Sectioned engines don't bother me - you're more likely to see this come apart than the hangar queens out there. CAD the heck out of it and do lots of videos.
+ Jonathan Edwards Those new Merlin cylinder heads were castings. RR still holds the license on the Merlin, and they gave permission to Retro Track and Air to make a few new heads and I think they were exclusively made to support the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight aircraft. Roush Aerospace makes some Merlin parts, and they approached RR and said they would like to produce a production run of new Merlins for flying aircraft, but RR told them no.
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd I could think of nothing better than to be involved in a rebuild project on a Sabre engine. The Tempest and the Sabre engine became my favorite when I first read The Big Show about 1960, and I still read those stories today.
What I've always liked about the Napier company was they never let simplicity get in the way of vast complexity. Magnificent engines.
we need power :-) at all cost
I'd love to see someone find a Rolls Royce Peregrine to get running.
I saw a Nomad in the Smithsonian's Udvar Hazy Center. The last word in piston engine efficiency, complexity and cost, it arrived too late and was overtaken by the jet age. Napier always seemed to think outside the box when designing engines: the Lion was a great success, as was the Deltic, which has to be the most unusual designed piston engine ever.
@@MarsFKA Not the Deltic, a lot of its design can traced to packaging, it had to fit in patrol vessel hulls, think about its triangular shape and the shape of a hull. Anyhow, the final word on opposed piston diesel aircraft engines was from the originators of the type, Junkers with the Jumo 223 and 224, it was an elegant design, although if I remember correctly, they had some problem with crankshaft vibrations - who didn't? Over the years, I have seen a trickle of Information turn up on these engines, each time I again marvel at their design. Then again I have always liked Napier, like a number of their engines, the company had its flaws, and those flaws are what make for fascinating reading and conjecture.
As for our friend the Nomad, any maintenance engineer who looked at that engine would run away in horror. The diesel is okay (although, the fine detail of that part of the engine is highly unusual with some astonishing ideas), the turbine is also fairly easy to take, although it has different characteristics to its progenitor. Where the problem is most acute (IMHO) is the load-sharing Beiers variable ratio fluid coupling. To explain, it is load sharing as there is a parallel geared coupling that takes a reasonable proportion of the power transmitted with the rest going through the Beiers fluid coupling, essentially, they are trading the range of the variable ratio for more power transfer capability. The coupling itself transmits all its power, in shear, through a very thin oil film which in itself is created by hydro-dynamic force, much like a journal bearing of Michell tilting pad thrust bearing. If you haven't seen it then you will probably be confused, if you have seen it, well, shaking your head is just the start. No, it is just too different to explain, and unfortunately, the old Flight magazine archive with a very detailed review of this engine is no longer available.
It all worked, BUT, and this is a big but, it required very careful and precise maintenance, something that may have been elusive in the real world. It is much like that with a lot of pommie cars (I am Australian), some strange thinking led their designers to believe that all maintenance would be carried out exactly as specified.
Even the great Walter Hassan and Harry Mundy, when they designed the Jaguar V12 road engine made a fatal flaw and only fed oil from the oil pump overflow to the oil cooler. So as the engine aged, or the oil got poorer , less oil went through the pump overflow, the whole of the engine oil was cooled less, and the cycle of overheating the oil began.
Looking forward to seeing the sabre work. An absolute masterpiece of engineering 🇬🇧
Agreed! ~Ian
The intricacies of the engineering on these engines is amazing . A great and difficult undertaking is being manifested . Thankyou . 😊
That cutaway really shows the amazing complexity--can't wait to see what you have in store for it
Even in a cutaway form that Sabre engine is a wonder to behold. Imagine the designers and drawing office personnel upon its birth, first on paper then into metal. Just what British industry could do, no longer I’m afraid.
Look up the Tempest being developed now now and also the Sabre Engine now being developed by reaction engines, still groundbreaking.
@@anthonywilson4873 Different kind of Sabre. You had me going there, for a moment...
Ironic . Rolls Royce tried hard to block the Napier development. And now we are getting rid of the Merlin engine
@@tommytar222 There are still plenty of Merlins out there, but how many Sabres? Besides, the Merlin is going to a good home. I will look forward to seeing it running at air shows.
Oh wow, the Napier cutaway is just gorgeous. Whoever rebuild it for display did a phenomenal job with the cleaning, polishing and painting. Nice work.
My understanding is that this was re-done in the early 1980's by a very talented gent in NZ. ~Ian
Wow, genuinely awesome. Another Sabre, utter beast of an engine to go with the utter monster of a WW2 fighter that was the Typhoon
different plane, but wasn`t tempest better
@@hotdog9262 yes, the Tempest was a better (but later) plane, it was an even bigger monster.
GREAT News Chris!!
I too had erroneously concluded that the Merlin may have been a fund raiser but to see your ultimate intention I'm STOKED for you & TyphoonLegacy!!!
That Dabre is pure unobtainium! I can't wait to hear it's song !!
These engines were a masterpiece.
Absolutely beautiful, agreed! ~Ian
Mmmm, Napier; my favourite engine maker!
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd but only after the improvings with Bristol technology...
@@leneanderthalienexactly
Thank you for explaining the reason for the additional project, I think we all knew that there would be a good reason. All the best with the Merlin.
Only caught up on this update, what a great update, fantastic news. A huge leap forward.
Saw a Napier Sabre at the Rockliff Av museum, Ottawa, back in the day. Forget how many cylinders, but remember the two gear-combined crankshafts layout. Also saw a sweet Merlin cutaway at the museum off St.Laurent Blvd down by Elmvale Acres, the place with the tilted room and the big locomotives and the rocket out front. And the space capsule and the F-86 (CF-86?). My dad flew those Sabres out of France and England, some years after piloting Mitchells for Ferry Command.
Love your project.
Thank you Johnny, the Sabre is a 24 cylinder; quite a beast! ~Ian
They has a second one, was traded years so yo Kermit Weeks, for a German diesel engine
Cracking video,thanks for keeping us up dated,we maybe "across the pond" but its lovely to see what you guys are doing over their.
Thanks for the update. Looks like a good deal.
I love the Sabre and hope to live long enough to hear one run. I've dreamed of one day hearing one when I first read about in some French magazine when I was a teenager in the 70s.
Excellent work Ian as the project continues to move forward. Looking forward to see how you rebuild the Napier given how successful you have been rebuilding an aircraft from crashed parts. 👏👍
Thank you Wayne! ~Ian
Great news. How many Sabre 7s are left? Wish they hadn't done such a comprehensive section job on that one!
There are only a few left, many sectioned by Napier for use as display engines. ~Ian
@Typhoon Legacy Co. Ltd. that's what I was guessing. There was a lot of time and previous knowledge
Thanks! Currently hanging out near YYJ, it's just awesome knowing a Typhoon is in the forecast!
Thank you very much for your contribution to the project, if you are able to get up Island please let us know and we can make arrangements for you to come and see the project ~Ian
What a beautiful engine. Keep up the great work!
Well done. What an engine. All the best from New Zealand.
Thanks Karl! ~Ian
Fascinating project, really enjoying the videos.
Thank you Jeff! ~Ian
All has now been revealed and my confusion has been "put to bed". Great new Ian and every best wish for a speedy return to JP843's rebuild from an avid follower down in Cape Town, South Africa.
Thank you John, will be back at the airframe soon. ~Ian
I'm pretty sure the RNZAF Museum at Wigram here in Christchurch also has a sectioned Sabre. Don't know which model though. Love the channel, Ian. Keep up the great work!
It's gone from there as it was on loan. It went to the Wearable Arts Museum in Nelson but that was closed in 2020 due to the effects of Covid shutdowns. Not sure if the engine is still in the facility that took its place which is the Nelson Classic Car Collection. The owner at the time was a Richard Shuttleworth who passed away in 2008 (no not the UK Shuttleworth ha ha)
Just looking at photos of the engine when the RNZAF Museum had it I think its the same engine!
@@bazwabat1 Good spotting. It is.
This is so awesome. I can't wait to see it running!
I had wondered about the apparent diversion into Merlin country. It seemingly having nothing to do with the Typhoon rebuild. Your explanation answers a lot of questions that I had about that. I hope this acquisition will be the start of a renewed focus on the main event.
Fantastic news and another step forward for this great project! 👏👏👍
One at a time, thank you Peter! ~Ian
Although it is a cutaway engine which does hurt, there are a lot of good parts on there and there's a wealth of reference on it too. Those gears look lovely
Wonderful news and a brilliant solution.
Thank you Joseph! ~Ian
Wow! A veritable wealth of valuable physical data and possibley some usable components!. Nice one!. Nuff said!. 👍
Congratulations on the acquisition in progress
This is a great trade and opportunity for you . The Sabre engine looks to be in excellent condition , overlooking the obverse holes. Once you get position of it, a list of part s can be made now you know which type you have. Very excised for you as this will be a grate step forward.
It will be great fun! ~Ian
When I worked for Napier on production of the Deltic engine, I remember using scrap casings to make up a dummy engine for the Deltic loco
being readied for the Science Museum in London.
This was not a cutaway just a boxed up hollow engine which was then painted to look new.
The Sabre was before my time so this has no bearing on your Sabre.
I am sure you will be able to re manufacture this cut away Sabre and get it running.
Best of luck.
It will be interesting to start to disassemble this one for sure! ~Ian
Thanks !!
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd I can only hope that you can fully 3d scan it with high accuracy. Also, full metallurgical testing would be nice, I think the crankcases were high-content magnesium alloy. As far as I know, there is not a single set of engineering or production drawings for any mark of the engine in existence, I have only seen a few isolated drawings. With scans and careful disassembly, this could be remedied, the cutaway sections could be easily "replaced" in 3d modeling form. Determining torque settings during disassembly would be an interesting problem, although they could be calculated, getting authoritative reading from a physical source would be better. I doubt that they used torquing up into the yield zone of bolts and studs in those days, although the crankcase through-bolts are pretty long.
Most of the engine could be reproduced in this day and age (CNCed to a much higher standard and strength), except, perhaps, for the sleeves, I am not sure if the exact process for producing the sleeves is known, more details have been found and collated in recent years, but how would you know if something had been left out? The final machining used by Bristol was one of those lucky found-by-accident moments, not obvious and sounds like BS, but Bristol eventually patented it, despite disbelief at some patent offices. I don't know if Snecma manufactured the sleeve for their license-built Hercules or whether these were obtained from Bristol. I remember seeing a photo of stacks of centrifugal cast sleeves still with their cores sitting out in the weather (snow?) curing before machining, I wonder how long that took. So a two-cylinder test engine, just like Halford and Napier used, would need to be run for some time to test manufacturing. And after that, I don't know, just whack together an RR Crecy for fun while curing its tendency to melt various parts of the engine such as the pistons, piece of cake.🤔
This looks a lot like the engine that is displayed at CASM, it is a VII cutaway as well, how come Canada ended up with two of these incredibly rare engines?
I wonder if this Sabre cutaway is the same one we discovered at RAF Henlow in 1987. I was part of a small team sorting through the accessions at the RAF Museum reserve collection there prior to the building being demolished and the artefacts moving on. I remember a cutaway Napier Sable amongst the many engines held there and this looks very familiar. My records show it as Accession number 71/E/1945 and that its next destination was back to the RAF museum at Hendon. There can't be too many of them around!
I don't think so, if I understand correctly, this one was redone in the early 1980's for display in NZ. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Thanks for the reply. That's Interesting. Might be worth a follow up to the RAF Museum to chase that accession number - if they still have it, it could be another helpful source of spares or patterns for you.
There’s a Sabre cutaway, at the Science Museum, London.
Nicely done Ian. A major step.👍
Thanks Andy! ~Ian
Always wanted to hear a Sabre running since I saw a cutaway one in the Cambridge university engineering department workshops, way back in 1973.
Very good news, thank you for sharing it.
A couple of years ago I noticed that there was an apparently complete Sabre in the British science museums reserve collection at Wroughton. I wonder if they'd be willing to swap for a cut away.
That's interesting, I do know that they have a cutaway example Mk VII, could this be the same engine? ~Ian
Hi Ian. This engine wouldn't be the one that used to be on display here in New Zealand? Just looked at a photo of it on display in the early 2000s and the colours look identical! Although probably not in a 485 NZTyphoon it would be pretty cool to have a New Zealand connection to the engine and the airframe as well!
This is indeed the same engine, we are very fortunate that the owner was willing to make this trade, and as you point out it increases our NZ connections to the rebuild! ~Ian
Hey, thank the Lord and stoke the fire.... You've made my day as sad as that sounds. You can use the engine for rough weight to balance the aircraft, the gears inside will save so much money! As long as they are not sectioned. You have small things like bolts washers, guides, an endless list. Plus when you rebuild the air worthy engine you will have a great reference as to how it all goes back together, that isn't a slight against you, I've rebuilt many many car engines being a car mechanic and once stripped waiting for parts you're memory can fail you, but you have a perfect reference. I get it now. Thank you, you go back on my good list and right to the top 👍😉😁
Thanks Terry. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Who's Terry? But you're welcome
Thanks from England.
Have you guys thought about 3D printing parts? Meaning that, how shall I say, re-create the cutaway parts, then perhaps re-casting or machining them?
We are looking at that as an option but there is quite a bit to consider. 3D printed aluminum (common alloys) are stronger than the cast alloy used in the cylinder blocks, but a key consideration is thermal expansion rates if the alloys are different. With the very tight tolerances on the Sabre, repaired sections containing dissimilar metals could go very wrong. ~Ian
Most of the internals of this sectioned Sabre are the gems of this trade. The other Sabre they have in store will most likely provide all the engine block and castings, sans the Sabre 7 injection system et al. Welding up the sectioned castings is definitely a no-no for an airworthy engine. Even the already stored Sabre will require some superficial re-machining corrosion weld build up work, but nothing that is likely to completely distort and stress the aluminium and magnesium of the castings. My comment has not taken into account that the Sabre 7 may be in no way interchangeable to earlier types.
I would think mix and match is very unlikely, perhaps dangerous. The Sabre underwent two internal structural changes, the major one for the Mark IV (maybe V - bloody memeory) and a smaller one for the Mark VII (I think). Most of the design documentation on the Sabre was destroyed over the years, you don't know why things were done, what will work with something else. Again, if it was me, it would be the complete Mark VII design minus the ADI system, and definitely get rid of the Coffman starter, they stressed the engine, big time. Modern electric starter motors could easily do the task now.
Again, If it was me and I had the money, I would use the VII for a template and just build a new engine. Castings are much easier these days with scanning, CAD, CAM, 3D printing of patterns, etc. For many parts, assuming the metallurgy is correct, milling from billet would be best, gotta watch the coefficients of expansion.
From a modern manufacturing/machining basis, sleeves aside, the engine is not that difficult. To the sleeves, I do not know if Napier used Bristol-designed sleeves after the war or whether they reverted to their own materials/manufacturing process. Bristol had patented part of the manufacturing process. I am not even sure there is full documentation of the method Bristol used to manufacture the sleeves, the materials, the centrifugal casting process, ageing, machining, heat treatment, and finishing. SNECMA manufactured the Bristol Hercules under licence, I do not know whether they manufactured their own sleeves or got them from Bristol.
Let us say you now have all the parts made. Torque settings anyone? A manual with these? Tolerances, lubrication. Now all of these could probably be calculated, but WOW! I do not know how big Franks Halford's consultancy team was in the initial design, and although, they designed and built this very different engine in two years less than R-R took to design just another V12 *, just working out all the torque settings would be a big job, computers and all.
Even worse, there is probably no one left from whom you can get first-hand knowledge. There were never that many of them anyhow.
And the critical part is that the engine MUST keep running! And it must be good enough that you can convince a pilot, gifted enough to fly the plane, that it is worth the risk to do so. And for that, the risk must be reduced as far as the Gods will allow. The Sabre's reputation will always lurk at the back of the pilot's mind, no matter how logical that pilot is.
I am sure Ian and the team have a hugely detailed plan to get a Sabre running. If I had a gazillion dollars, I would just be happy to have a ground-running one that I could take to full throttle. Are there any 24 cylinder aircraft engines running today? Unlike the Dagger, the Sabre runs a 60-degree regular firing angle which means it fires two cylinders at once and obviously the order of firing is also same, two flat 12s chasing each other. Move aside, boring old V12s and radials.
*not much more than a big Kestrel, it probably would have been better as a small Buzzard, or a small 1931/1933 Griffon -Treselian had been heavily involved in that one, converting the R down to something that could be mass-produced, IMHO the man was a genius, and I am in good company with that opinion. Of course, I do not know the fine detail, so perhaps elements of those engines are in the Merlin. The Mark III that the team just restored is pretty representative of those early Merlins.
Now that's my kind of response !! Thank you for taking the time with a wide ranging response. I agree with the sentiment that only a ground running complete Sabre should be attempted. I think that would impress as much as it flying within the Typhoon itself.
I came across a potential modern starting point for a Sabre replacement, that of the Chelyabinsk 12N360. The engine is 1K lb's heavier with half the cylinders, but produces nearly the horsepower. The engine could be built lighter as a petrol ignition type, and with some hope tandemed to become a 24 cylinder. A flight of fancy but so is the likelyhood of ever seeing an airworthy Sabre again.
I have lived just long enough to see that the future of machines will slowly loose the visceral testosterone pumping experience of big ICE's and eventually people will be greatly disturbed by a mere glow plug engine firing to life. By then I think that sexual dimorphism in humans will also have disappeared. This all appears to be happening very quickly. Glad I lived at the end of the 20th century and won't see it to the middle of the 21st.
@@robertnicholson7733
Keep up the great work chap 👍
Ooooh another post! With tea and breakfast lol good on ya ian
Thank you! ~Ian
Those cutaway engines are incredible, how do they make the ‘cuts’ so precise?
Sleeve valve engines are marvellous, but I am not sure how you will get on with the lack of spares and replacements for the worn parts.
Now I can stop hating on that Merlin (actually, I never did, but I WAS confused about the Merlin significance). Admire your dedication--and honesty.
Awesome news! Get a huge 3D scanner into operation, along with a metal 3D printer! :)
This is good news to get hold of another sabre thats a fare exchange
for the Merlin keep up the good work cheers Ian 👍
Thank you Terry! ~Ian
Wow ! In the interest of the "reveal" for the Napier, they positively butchered it ! It's so extensively cut, one wonders what parts if any can be salvaged. Most definitely interested in seeing how you move forward.
Its going to be fun, stay tuned! ~Ian
I thought this was why you were building the Merlin. Makes sense , the cut away is great becouse it's probably has no run time on it.
Most of the items that need replacement are caps, covers , cases . All the internals may be new.
It will be the engine to watch for sure! ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd interested in hearing the history of the the Saber display . Question now is will the other Saber you have work as a donor ?
Keep up the great work.
Fantastic news!
‘Buttoned back up’ love it
Wowzers! That is awesome news!
Certainly a big step in the program! ~Ian
I saw this Sabre at the Nelson Classic Car Museum in New Zealand a few years ago. The first time I saw it was in the early '90s at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch. It wasn't on display at later visits and a staff member told me that it had gone back to its owners in Nelson.
Up close and personal, it's an amazing engine and if the Typhoon Legacy can use it to build a running engine it will have gone to the best possible home. However, a few years ago, I read a comment on a chatline about one of the British Typhoon restorations that said Sabre engines might not get a Certificate of Airworthiness in Britain because of a lack of parts. I wonder how that might apply in Canada?
On the subject of the Merlin on a trailer; there are two Allisons on trailers that go around the air shows in NZ and get very loud and impressive. A Merlin set up the same way will add to the mix very nicely. Actually, there are already two very special static-run Merlins in NZ, mounted in the Mosquito at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. The aircraft is towed outside from time to time and the engines given a run. This always attracts a crowd. The next Classic Fighters Omaka air show is coming up at Easter and the organisers have promised that the Mosquito will come out to play.
I can't comment on how the CAA in the UK would deal with a Sabre, but there are provisions in Canada to operate this engine. I hope you get a chance to see the Merlin when she arrives! ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Thanks. I'm hanging out for the sound of a real live Sabre.
Ditto saw the same and wondwred just how the sleeves were actuated.
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Update: I was at the Wings and Wheels open day at Omaka last Sunday (4 Feb, 2024) and the Merlin on the trailer was there. You guys did a great job on it.
I knew you were working on the Merlin to sell or trade, but I had no idea you already had a deal in the works!
Sounds like a great plan!
Thank you! ~Ian
Truly a thing of beauty is the Sabre engine! 💜
Such a pity that so few survive to this day and many of those have been sectioned and are unusable.
What is the main hurdle to reproducing more? Is it the casting? If so do engineering drawings exist of the main block allowing new units to be made?
PS great to see the project back on track.
PPS The Merlin is a thing of beauty too, can't not mention that 😉
Sabre spares and components in general are hard to find, even harder to find in usable condition. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd But what if the drawings still exist of the block casting? Is it possible to reproduce? 🤔
@@russelleames5970 The cylinder liners, the sleeve valves were extremely hard to manufacture in period. It took compulsory technology disclosure by Bristol before Napiers could make good cylinder sleeves. It would probably be hard to make them today.
You didn’t address the most important detail. The Sabre you showed is a cutaway, so it cannot ever run. You may be able to use it as the basis for laser scanning and CAD to enable you to machine new casings. I don’t think so. Someone else has commented that you may have a different Sabre? If not, why not mention it?
+Benders Older videos in the channel discuss the other Sabre. About half of it is usable and some water damage, so the cutaway will provide a lot of parts that don't have to be manufactured. This is great progress for the project.
He did mention it was a cutaway, albeit quickly 2:55
@@radiationking9875 The other Sabre isn't a cutaway, it is a crash recovery and I think it was in mud. Starting with the cutaway and working backwards is a good solution.
@@FiveCentsPlease yeah read it wrong lol
I can't let everyone know our plans ahead just yet, we need to complete this trade and get some additional work done. I will announce the next step as soon as possible. ~Ian
I dig it, the typhy was a stunning beast but early development was catastrophic, your variant will fix structure, exhaust fumes, and stuctural issues for sure.
There were certainly early issues by pressing the airframe and engine into service. We will make sure that all fixes are incorporated into JP843. ~Ian
Considering those issues were fixed when in service, I'm sure that both Typhoon projects will not have those problems when it comes to theor Sabres
My ex's dad used to fly around in a Lancaster powered by one flat out Sabre and three idling Merlins. He started with Napier around the time the Sabre was being designed and his job was to record the engine instruments during test flights. He ended in charge of three British Aerospace sites and in retirement he consulted to the company I worked for. Brian.C.Smith . He died around 2000, long after I was off the scene.
He must have had some amazing stories! ~Ian
I have watched every video thank you, Jason Melbourne Aust
Thank you Jason! ~Ian
Its amazing what was engineered during war time.
In a perfect world how many Napier Sabre engines in running condition would you need in order to keep your Typhoon in consistent flight worthy condition? Just one?
Ultimately it would be nice to have two or three engines, however one with spares would be enough to get the aircraft flying. ~Ian
That engine is monstrous!
One ton monster! ~Ian
I had some idea that the Merlin was a sale item or something else for your goal. That sabre engine was a surprise though. How much do you loose on the cut aways?
I think for that engine the answer is too bloody much by far! I am struggling to see what good that engine is going to be ( apart from structural instruction of the latest variant) and unless they have a Sabre 7 engine in bits I can't see as to what good it will be. So Ian please tell us!
They certainly did extensive work on the cutaways. Our next steps cannot be explained until we have finished up with the Merlin trade and a few other details. ~Ian
I assume you are going to repair the Sarb are going to have the cutaway parts recasted or stich up the holes with new metal .?
We will provide information on our intentions as soon as we can, first, we need to get the Merlin complete to the satisfaction of the new owner. ~Ian
Years ago, when visiting the Hendon RAF museum I first saw this monster fighter, after viewing types like the hurricane, spitfire and Messerschmitt the Typhoon stood out by its immense size…it’s a real shame that considering their contribution in 1944/5 they all disappeared, scrapped with just a few left in museums…
Just one complete example unfortunately, MN235, and she only survived by chance! ~Ian
Its even more a crying shame thats ita replacement the Tempest V didnt survive either.. hope Kermit gets back on that mk v build soon.
You should arrange a trip to visit Kermit Weeks Ian... will help drive people to your channel
What a beastie! Who in their right mind would take an angle grinder to so many parts of such a rare power plant???
Probably a teaching tool for apprentices.
@@briancavanagh7048 maybe, but use a P&W, there are thousands of them!!!
@@billbonnington7916 Not much use if said apprentices are going to be working on Napier Sabres.
@@18robsmith keep on missing the point...
Napier Apprentices did the cutaway work on these engines. ~Ian
Do you know the history of this mk7 engine?
That will be discussed when the engine trade is complete and the Sabre is in our shop. ~Ian
How are you going to fix the cut away saber engine?
We will be putting our plan together when we have it in the shop, details will be shared. ~Ian
If I was worried about you mishandling the main project I would build my own. Thanks for the fill in but I had assumed you were going to use the Merlin to fly your new airplane around the patch to work the bugs out of the airframe to avoid having a Sabre engine problem pop up during the first flight of the new airplane. Continue on, Thanks
A merlin powered tiffy would very strange due to the size difference and making reliable adapted engine mounts would be a trick. Also it would rotate the opposite direction and it might not be powerful enough to fly it
Fantastic.
Napier finally made progress with the Sabre V & VIII.
I hope you have a couple more engines.
If the cutaway was a new engine all the moving parts are new then the casings cutaway either need repair or swapping out for good casings.
mmm, how many parts make one working engine???
Gaffer tape the holes, it will be fine. Just a thought you could build it up with old unairworthyparts and sell it.
Good move,is the other engine you have viable to make one out of the two ? Would imagine all the sprare nuts and bolts etc will be a blessing. Regards Chris
The Sabre IIA that we have will not be used, between condition and differences in the two engines, it is not viable. ~Ian
Good news!!!
Were is this?
British Columbia ~Ian
Always wondered why the Sabre and V-12 aero engines resorted to forked connecting rods on opposite cylinder banks; rather than slightly staggering the cylinder banks, like a modern V-8, so identical rods could be used throughout the engine.
+ mtacoustic Weight and compact size were important in WW2 engine design.
Overall engine length would be my best guess. ~Ian
See that Rolls Royce spitfire engine crated since 1963 in Vancouver on fb marketplace kinda interesting although $25000 Can.
Thank you Gord, we've seen that one, unfortunately not something we are looking for at this time. ~Ian
If the Napier engine is a cutaway ,are you not going to need another engine?
I believe they have an engine Dave I believe its all but new :)
@@CharlieHorse221 if they have another engine that is "all but new" then why waste so much time rebuilding a trailered merlin to trade for a destroyed sabre? the "big reveal" creates more questions than answers.
@@Araye There will likely be parts in the cutaway that may be useable as spares (crank/rods/pistons/gears etc). Engine spares will likely be the most difficult part of this whole project as the rest of it is mainly sheet metalwork.
You will need to follow along to find out what the plans are, these things take time.
@@Araye I am no expert I am sorry but I do believe that this excellent cutaway traded for the Merlin will help so much in the runup to getting an engine operating with absolute perfection, it all takes time and this is an extremely rare piece of aviation history which the whole world awaits with excitment..It is no waste of time I believe !!
thats a bit sad for me.I live in NZ. My mother was English.My father was a NZ air force officer involvd in Radar. Theyy married after he was eletrocuted, and came back to NZ. My uncle was killed in france August 1944. Was a bit sad to see that the typhoon pilot also died about that time.Its very sobering to look at the lists of csualties at that time.
Will be very excitig though to see the rebirth of that amazing Napier Sabre
Id bet that the Napier sabre engineering people would be the only ones that don't think German designs weren't overly complicated thats a lot of engineering there so cool
The sabre is a beast, have been reading about the rolls royce crecy, that would have been a true masterpiece too
Da chiar pasul la elice variabil este foarte bine echilibrat.
How on earth do you begin to rebuild something as complex as a Sabre?
It starts with an understanding of the importance of metallurgy ~ Ian
I was just watching a film about the restoration of Black 6 ( Messerschmitt 109) from back in the ‘90’s and it was mentioned that in exchange for parts, the RAF museum donated a Sabre to the Swiss airforce! Are you guys aware of this? Does it still exist? 🤔
Yessir, there is a Sabre IIA cutaway in Switzerland, a beauty! ~Ian
Sleeve Valve Engines had to breathe deep....How could they not?
While it's great to get a Sabre, losing a Merlin III hurts, especially if there is a Spitfire Mk1 or Hurricane Mk1 restoration in the future.
The Merlin is a nice engine for sure, we're dedicated to the Typhoon so there will never be another type here. ~Ian
I don't know if this is of any help at all but I was watching an old programme from the 90's about the restoration of the BF109 Black 6 recently and they mentioned the RAF museum at Hendon swapping a Sabre with the Swiss airforce for a bunch of parts. I realise that this was a long time ago so i don't know what happened to that engine or if they still have it...
Here's the video, the bit about the Sabre is at about 28mins 30
th-cam.com/video/tBY92XY7HrI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for sharing Jon, I was wondering how the engine ended up there! That is a sectioned Sabre IIA. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Ah Ha! I figured there was very little chance you wouldn't already be aware of it! Fantastic news about the swap, you guys must be over the moon. I am SO intrigued to know how you will get the cutaway to work for you. This is such an exciting project, the Typhoon has been one of my favourite aircraft since I was a kid and I love watching all your build videos. By the way Ian, I am a composer and if you guys are ever in need of original music for your videos or presentations I would be really happy to help you out. Good luck with everything man.
I think as alloy sintering becomes more affordable one could remake these castings - funds permitting. I know Merlin heads are being CNC machined in the UK for some time now.
Sectioned engines don't bother me - you're more likely to see this come apart than the hangar queens out there. CAD the heck out of it and do lots of videos.
The next steps will be very interesting, stay tuned! ~Ian
+ Jonathan Edwards Those new Merlin cylinder heads were castings. RR still holds the license on the Merlin, and they gave permission to Retro Track and Air to make a few new heads and I think they were exclusively made to support the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight aircraft. Roush Aerospace makes some Merlin parts, and they approached RR and said they would like to produce a production run of new Merlins for flying aircraft, but RR told them no.
If I read properly the Napier engine is hard to find. What a great engine the Merlin Rolls-Royce is a good engine
There are very few left in the world, less than 40 is my best guess; mostly crash recovered like our IIA. A handful non-crash recovered ~Ian
So much has been cut away I don’t see how much of its pieces could be used. Of course I’m not an expert.
Stay tuned! ~Ian
Don't worry, some duct tape will fix those holes ;-D
WOW! THAT SABRE IS ONE HUGE MILL!
It is amazing just to stand beside it. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd I could think of nothing better than to be involved in a rebuild project on a Sabre engine. The Tempest and the Sabre engine became my favorite when I first read The Big Show about 1960, and I still read those stories today.