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Hawker Tempest V - Part 2 - Napier Sabre Engine / Fuselage - Restoration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.พ. 2024
- OK, Gang, here’s Part 2 of 3 of when Richard Grace came over recently from England to discuss what it would take to move the Tempest V project forward. There is a lot of great information about the Napier Sabre engine, so pour yourself a drink, sit back, and enjoy!
Kermit Weeks
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Kermit Weeks
I always wished that somehow one day we could all see and hear a restored Napier Sabre engine roar into life again. 🙏 Hopefully it will happen.
What an absolute privilege and pleasure to see and hear Richard Grace delivering his wealth of knowledge and experience!
I'd love to hear that engine run. They are so rare and it's amazing to see them restore it. I hope I can see it fly sometime.
Mate I would settle for a VIDEO of it running and taking off. I'm pushing 70 and the MkV Tempest has always been one of my all time favourite aircraft.
@@potrzebieneuman4702 bro I hear you
@@potrzebieneuman4702 On TH-cam there's a video titled "Hawker Tempest" (uploaded by Enamigos) which has a few snippets of audio in-between the narration. The engine sounds glorious. Unfortunately that's the only audio I've ever found of these running. Cant wait to hear one of these run once they've been recommissioned.
You can tell this man is proud to carry on the legacy of British aviation.
It would be poetic for Richard to finish his dad’s old Tempest V. I really hope you give them the project, Kermit!
This is THE most exciting thing going on in aviation right now. Got goosebumps imagining that Sabre cranking over and coughing back in to life.....
After the spin and "smokin" comment, I have a new found love for Kermit! haha! Absolutely hope we hear this engine run again!
Richard Grace is very much a chip off the old block, a very well spoken and knowledgable gentleman when it comes to aircraft. l met his late father Nick Grace once at Duxford after he had flown his Two Seat Spitfire Mk9 ML407 in for an airshow there. I see the same steely eyed look of determination that Nick had in Richard to see this project through to a return to flight conclusion, l believe his father once owned this particular Tempest V when Richard was just a young boy thus bringing the story full circle for him.
Wishing both Kermit and Richard every success with the project.
The world needs to hear that Sabre Kermit.
Indeed
I think it would be enough for most of us to just see the Tempest restored to flying condition, and then to see that magnificent engine started up and revved! I for one would not trust it with someone's life actually flying especially when I don't think it would add that much to the spectacle, and would be irreplaceable if crashed.
What a place you have! That infrastructure alone is impressive and the content in the buildings is pure history! Wow!
Richard is such a knowledgeable guy, he's got a detailed answer for everything. I could listen to him all day long.
Can't wait for the new Warbird Workshop documentary with him and the Tempest on Discovery
The value of a true expert in providing the best path restoring the Tempest.
Sure one HUGE GREEN DIAMOND there! Please make the announcement
on all media possible when it will be run so many can witness it - perhaps live...
Just to say the Typhoon Legacy project in Canada intends to use a Sabre VII not an early IIa like the UK project.
The Napier Sabre is roughly akin to Alexander the Great. When he at last ruled the known world, he wept. He wept for there were no worlds left to conquer. That engine is the last of its kind. To have it in the air and hear its voice once again.....there are no words. The English language is not an adequate tool of description for that event. We shall all await that day your tempest flies again. Keep up the great work 👍
Blackburn Beverly crews used to say they navigated to their destination then followed the oil slick back home.
It was powered by 4 Centaurus engines.
Interesting that 'total loss' oil systems didn't go out with the rotary engine (obviously 2 strokes work that way).
Very exciting... the Sabre II A/B used SU suction carbs whereas the Sabre VA and later variants used Hobson r.a.e. injector carbs.
Definitely makes sense to use the power unit in the highest mod state. From the look of it, the green engine is a VA, because the VII had a different supercharger housing.
Absolutely fascinating. You definitely found the right guy for the project. It was great hearing Andy’s name and credit for the work he did on it. Miss seeing your old crew. You always seem to find amazing people to care for your stable.
Thank God for people like Kermit! That engine is a plumber's nightmare.
What a fantastic and informative video, many thanks for sharing. I volunteer on an old WW2 base in Norfolk UK which had Typhoons for a short while, loved both Tempest and Typhoon since a boy building kits and I long to hear and see your Tempest going along with Typhoon restoration 👍
This one was fascinating! It felt like I was learning right along with you. I've been going down rabbit holes recently about Typhoons, Tempests, Napier Sabres and other sleeve-valve engines. It was very cool to hear about their nuances from a practical airplane-owner standpoint. Same applies for the fuselage components. I can't wait to hear a Napier Sabre engine run again. Another good "cliff-hangar"!
It’s just so bloody massive !
Great project and important historical restoration Kermit. My father who served in the RAF during WW2 was on forward airfield construction flight in Normandy ,Holland where these aircraft flew from. Only wish he was here to see your marvelous aircraft and when it takes to the air. Thank you for sharing.
A truly fascinating video. My uncle, an engineer, worked for Napiers on the sabre engine during its protracted development
Can’t wait to hear that monster run
As an Englishman who loves both engineering and aviation this could be just about the best thing Kermit ever does. Thanking you in advance!
I absolutely love Hawkers Massive Typhoon and Tempest Fighters. Other then the P-51 they are my favorite Warbird. We also have a guy here in Canada restoring Typhoon and It will be amazing too see them fly one day. They are so rare!!!
'The guy' is Ian Slater. Typhoon Legacy Co Ltd.
What an Excellent opportunity to configure a Superior example, 👍
This episode was a joy to watch. I'm a neardy Napier Saber fan, so wow!
In his book ‘Tempest Pilot’ squadron leader ‘Jimmy’ Sheddan describes many engine failures. In fact he was one of the few pilots to ditch in both the Typhoon and Tempest proving that it was the Typhoon’s thick wing (and not the beard radiator) that caused the Typhoons poor ditching qualities. He crashed into a dense wood in Sussex but was saved by the massive lump of metal in front of him which smashed the trees to pieces! A brave man indeed going to war in an aircraft powered by an experimental engine.
Fascinating video, as ever, Kermit...so glad to hear that Andy is still alive and well!
I recall once seeing a panel discussion about the importance of specialists within the scientific community. One of the people on the panel said something to the effect of "The scientific community needs one or two people on the planet who know everything that is known about cockroaches.", as an example.
I think Kermit found the guy on the planet who knows everything there is to know about Hawker Tempests.
The most EXCITING restoration in the world.
The only thing that could compare ( IMO ) is the Westland Whirlwind Project, but that will be static
Richard and Kermit, there is audio of the Tempset. It's on the LP The Sound of the Aeroplane at War, you can often find copies knocking around. It sounds like a total beast! A very exciting project guys, a dream come true for so many of us if it comes off.
With regard to sleeve seal rings, the Bristol Hercules had a pair of rings inside the cylinders top and bottom for oil management against the sleeves. There were also a number of scalloped grooves that encouraged oil to get to where it was needed.
It’s very exciting to see these engines being considered for an airworthy restoration. All the best!
Richard sure does know his stuff.....Thanks Kermit and Richard.....
Old Shoe🇺🇸
Really ambitious Kermie ! I'm so excited about a napier sabre running in a Tempest 5. Your an Aviation super star and I'm a massive fan of your crazy passionate love of extinct air planes
Really enjoyed this ,so good learning about the Sabre engine and seeing one of our own British lads be so knowledgeable about the best engine for the job and Kermit to you too for having the forsight to save all these incredible machines ,you are a legend sir!!
Thanks so much for sharing. One of my closest friends was Flt Lt Jack Stafford DFC who flew the Tempest V with No 486 (NZ) Sun RAF. One of his closest friends during the war was Bev Hall who flew this particular aeroplane quite a few times before being KIA.
I can listen to this guy for hours.... He is very interesting and bright...
I have heard that it is only heavy lobbying by Rolls Royce that meant that Napier Engines which at the time were more sophisticated than the Merlin from being used in more aircraft.
The early Sabre engine had liner and build problems causing unreliability. Taking off from dirt airfields in France after D Day also caused unreliability due to dust injection until air filters where installed. Engine was kept warm with blankets and started a few times at night to keep it warm for starting reliability. Some engineers also messed with the constant speed governor meaning they where in battle power all the time, some said sabotage others ignorance.
From 30's into 40's, from Cub to Deltic, only the best stuff used by the Napier piston engine team ;) Those guys were simply both mechanical geniuses as much as they were imaginative!
Great video Kermit! So cool seeing that Sabre and like so many others….will be awesome to hear it run. Too bad they are so rare. A real struggle for the projects that need them. Hopefully more will be found over time.
Wow how fascinating!!! In so much as I was amazed to hear the progress re the engine etc I was fascinated to see what else was in Kermit's 'shed' where the Napier Sabre engine was stored. There were many fascinating engines in store (I saw a DB 605 I think?) and much more. Perhaps Kermit you should give us a tour of your parts store etc... we'd all find it fascinating I'm sure.
I'm 77,waited a long time to see and hear a Sabre running. There's a video about Tempest V on TH-cam!
That was fascinating. You can't beat proper knowledge about the engineering and what a privilege to follow through on that voyage of discovery in pursuit of the preservation of a plane that almost diappeared despite its pivotal role in Allies war effort.
That guy is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge
There are actually rings that seal the the sleeves, they're in lands in the cylinder heads (called "junk heads" and "junk rings"). Various methods were employed on some sleeve valve engines to control oil consumption, Willys-Knight came up with machining fine channels in the outside of the sleeves that lined up with holes in the cylinder block that were continuously under vacuum. The oil that was recovered was returned to the crankcase.
In the case of the Sabre I suspect that they ended up with an oil consumption figure that was tolerable and they simply said "It is what it is. People go on about sleeve valve engine oil consumption but can't seem to recall that 2 stroke motorbikes and cars used to hoover down oil 1 quart for 5 gallons of petrol.
One thing that is quite remarkable about sleeve valve engines is their mechanical silence, the loudest thing heard on sleeve valve cars is usually the cooling fan.
The exhaust noise on a Bristol Hercules would wake the dead!
@@waynebeasley8700 I did say "mechanical silence"!
There is also some form of seal/ring on the inside of the cylinder head acting against the lower part of the sleeve. It can be seen in the Sabre section in Ricardo's "High Speed Internal Combustion Engine, 4th Ed.
The Bristol sleeve valves also had a seal in this area to reduce oil consumption. They found that without a seal, the sleeve was getting too much oil.
I think the Canadian Typhoon Project has a Sabre VII cutaway, not an earlier one like in the UK
12:52 Apologies if I missed it in the video but another point about this engine is that the piston's are horizontally opposed which is what allows it to get more power from a smaller volume, making the engine more compact.
12:00 there are some Sabre audio clips here on TH-cam, the IWM archive and the BBC archive!
This project is SO exciting
1:53 ..🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸...My God !!! What an awesome project and what an amazing person Mr. Kermit is , restoring this fascinating airplanes...At this point I want to believe that maybe he is considering after the plane is put together a paint job in the colours displaying Pierre Clostermann 's aircraft " Le Grand Charles " ....🍺🍺🍺👍
Napier I suspect used green because of their very early car racing history with S.F.Edge and others. All the early Napier cars I have seen were painted green ,which was the internationally recognised racing "colours" for British racing cars, like Blue for France and white for Germany.
Kermit there is a clip on TH-cam with genuine sound of a tempest slotted in. Quite a different sound to other engines very high revving.
That guy has been dreaming of this since he was a kid hasn't he? Whatever the case, he seems very passionate.
Speaking of the oil tank, the oil had a circulation rate of 3000 gallons per hour according to Roland Beaumont’s book “Typhoon and Tempest at War”
The Tempest Mk.III had a RR Griffon a-la Avro Lincon nacelle style tested up front as a substitute for the troublesome (at the time) Sabre. I wonder if this re-engineered solution would be the safest and most realistic option for both the Canadian Typhoon restoration project and for Kermit Weeks Tempest. Keeping any future prescious running Sabres on fancy transportable test cells for everyone to appreciate in an equally fantastic way, not risking rare engine/aircraft/pilot combo for the airworthy restorations.
Fantastic insight into the Tempest and very cool to hear Richard discussing so candidly the first flight of the Tempest II and that slightly iffy looking retract sequence that followed the take off!
That was a great Spitfire/Mustang comparison.
PS Yes; there are rings around the outside of the sleeve, near the top, the part of the sleeve that goes up in to the junkhead (the rings constrained by grooves in the junkhead). The outside of the sleeve has to be lubricated as well as the interior (cylinder-bore) surface of the sleeve.
Crazy watching Kermit and his restorations he’s using top people best parts nothing but quality. Then watched them unlock that door walk into that warehouse and see that wainscot stucco wall that sticks not flashed right causing water to penetrate the top and cause everything underneath to fall apart as a Custom home builder that drives me nuts.
Kermit will the only one
To run one first at this rate awesome
Engine and plane
Kermit is the Jay Leno of AVIATION, 😊
Maybe he is the Kermit Weeks of automotive!
@@KermitWeeks444 we love you kermit
wonderful that Richard has accumulated so much knowledge and from his fathers past history too and definitely the right man to listen to, the technical details on the tubing is fascinating, i guess the technology along with its difficulties in production have been superseded with moor modern and reliable materials - i knew a little about the engine, knowing it was a pig to run (understatement), but wasn't aware how much it had advanced, the non-valve circular tube fuel feed sounds very alien too
i became interested in the Typhoon project here in East Sussex some years back, and i have to say, i'm not completely sure of its technical ability although i am sure it will be pretty high, i do know of at least one ex or current RAF pilot engineer who is reverse engineering components to rebuild to higher modern specs - but to be honest it will take many many years to complete, and i am sure as with Richard, these these may even take many generations to fully fathom out as so much is lost - i kind of lost interest because the project is so much in its infancy that i doubt very much the aircraft would fly in my lifetime
it would be magical if Richard can assist in getting Kermit's engine to run, perhaps get it set into the 'test rig' and run her up - as for an actual flying aircraft, well that is a whole other chapter, and Kermit, not as young as he was, will he see it through, i really hope so, time is against us all sadly, but who continues these projects for future generations
Great comment with some very valid points and considerations going forwards. I firmly believe that this collaboration between Kermit and Richard will now continue to 'Grace' our video screens over the various stages as it has real momentum and the hopes of so many to finally hear and see a Sabre engine running, as even with its obvious and well documented operating issues these two gentlemen will be paving the way regarding the pros and cons, the do's and don'ts for the other Tempest/Typhoon rebuild projects to learn and benefit from which has to be a good thing regardless of which camp your in and follow.
@@timeslip9 some great expectations there - when you consider the cost and time it used to take to build Spitfires for example, the issues faced and the pressure of war - and now at Biggen hill we have the Spitfires being built, fantastic projects of old being brought to the modern day, keep them coming
i wonder how far away we could be before we are rebuilding Typhoon and Tempests, so much i imagine might rely on donors as does the Spitfire projects
i did some projects at Brooklands some years back, i remember looking over the Wellington Bomber, and sat in Barns Wallace's office wondering what he must be thinking with his geodetic construction, things were somehow so complex and yet completed in record time and now its all lost through complexity, money and lost knowledge, sad
it will be epic if Kermit and Richard can move things on a pace, at least before some of get too long in the tooth and dribble into our beards haha
if the future videos end up anything like the rebuilds of armour such as seen with the Austalian Armour Museum, a must see if you like that sort of thing
I cannot wait to hear it run. Hope to see some TH-cam vids as it is in progress.
If you ever need another videographer to follow conversations around … let me know. I’d love to be the fly … I mean the video guy.
The knowledge from you too is amazing, thank you both.
Merci a vous ..des passionnés de ces incroyables machines ..avec des moteurs non moins incroyables .
Je connais le tempest par mr CLOSTERMAN et j aimerai en voir un de près dans ma vie
The whole concept of a "sleeve-valve" engine is pretty wild. I only first heard of them a few years ago and I thought I pretty much heard of it all.🙂
'I am charmed by the original compressed-air rotary engine of Hargrave, as by the dainty Gnome and other rotaries that took the air up to 1918. I am captivated by the 1966 five-cylinder 125cc racing Honda, safe to 24,000rpm and knock-proof on 85 RON petrol. I feel profound respect for the utterly simple solid-fuel rocket engine, blasting into space with a rapidly lightening load of solid rubber and aluminum dust. Yet nothing that I know can unseat the overwhelming fascination inspired by the prodigious Napier Sabre, surely the most brilliant, most maligned, most iconoclastic, and most ferociously competent piston engine of all' LJK Setright.
My late Father flew the one in the Hendon museum at Pembrey, Wales Target Towing.
If it has Bristol sleeves it will run longer than Napier sleeves, I’m sure all Sabres would have been retrofitted pretty early in the war. Incredible engine, being run sympathetically without wartime demands and modern tech and oils it should be pretty reliable .
So STOKED for that, finally a Tempest with a Sabre! I just cant wait to hear it, and see it take off. But its going to take a while still.
A true expert… encyclopaedia of knowledge
I love it
There's video of that Engine, in a Locomotive, floating around on TH-cam. The Start up is AWESOME sounding
Please, if you can find it, could you post a link, I have tried to find that video but failed. If it is the test-rig that I'm thinking of it is the black-painted engine because the story that was always told to us at Booker by the Napier enthusiasts was that it was used to run the test train up to speed before letting the prototype Deltic take-over, I'd love to see a photo of that after so many years of imagining it!
i would love to see that video
The Tempest V and late Sabre is a hugely underrated aircraft and engine combination! It has that bulldog look sense of purpose. Heavily used for D-Day ground attack and pretty much unmatched at lower altitudes.
I think you are getting the Tempest confused with the Typhoon which became a ground-attack aircraft. When the Tiffies were beating the hell out of the German land forces during and after the Invasion the Tempests were one of the few aircraft fast enough to intercept the V1s that were being aimed at London and the South-East. Therefore they were all used in the defence of England against the V1 threat. This machine was built just in time for Operation Market-Garden when she flew escort missions for the transport aircraft dropping paratroopers or towing gliders before moving to Eindhoven shortly after where she suffered an engine failure on approach to land which was traced to water being found in the fuel which is understandable considering the journey it had to make to get to Holland and the weather they were experiencing at that time.
Hey Mr Weeks, you’re the best!
Great video hermit very interesting and informative looking forward to next part 👍
I would do just about anything to be left to explore in that "Main Engine Bay" for the week. Wow!
Thank you for sharing your experience. This is the kind of stuff I dream about regularly.
Amazing. Really terrific!
Amazing ,your fore site to buy this stuff,
Legend Kermit
Can’t wait
The sleeve valve (as I understand it) was developed by Bristol in England to remove the need for the normal valve assembly in radial engines, to lower the engine profile for aerodynamics. The Bristol Hercules series used on the "Only the Pom's could build a plane like this" Bristol B-170 freighter and later refined to the Sentaurus fitted to the " I want one..coz you can FEEL the sound as it goes past 😄" Sea Fury. Although mechanically complex, a huge step forward at the time. And a 'Round' engine will NEVER be beaten for audio 😉
I seen you had the water plane in the back of your garage cool.👍👍 Nice looking engines in an airplane.👍👍👍👍👍🎹🙏
Very interesting video. It's so good to know there are people with a wealth of knowledge on these airframes and engines. Lets hope ever increasing limitations and regulations don't completely kill the ability to fly and display these historic aircraft. Thanks to Richard and Kermit for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm so freely.
That was very educational Kermit, thank you. Also, the Sea Fury is an awesome machine aswell!
All I know is that those Typhoon projects will take an eternity to build without even the enormous problems of getting one of those Sabre engines to airworthiness standard sadly. Kermit’s Tempest might be the first to get into the air. Good luck to all these people.
Richard Grace is a genius!!! Amazing details of this engine!!! Looking forward to this flying someday!!!
Man how awesome is that! You think you have a spare for parts and come to find out it’s gold
I saw this video on facebook. Normally I watch you on TH-cam but happened to catch this one on facebook. My comments are on facebook please. Love this English gentleman for his knowledge on this engine and aircraft.
Great video Kermit.
Retired Air Force veteran.
check out the back story to the Grace family and Supermarine Spitfire ML407
So, so interesting...thank you!
It's close to the Griffin's cubic inches. Because of the relatively small pistons/rods and stroke, it tolerates a higher RPM whithout excessive piston speed. More pistons and higher revs will not sound like anything else. For me, the sound will be incongruous, but I still love the compact symmetry. It's such an inspired design that I wish its teething had never been witnessed.
Wonderful.😎😎
Dear Kermit,
The Napier Sabre was the unwanted solution for delivery problem.
The Tempest Mk II was RAF's first choice, but the Bristol Centaurus, for which the Tempest was designed, was in short supply.
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Napier had big problems with the sleeve valve system in their Sabre engines..
Bristol had the solution from their Hercules and later models.
It required a direct order from the government for Bristol to help Napier to solve the problems.
Even though, the Sabre engine never became more than a gap filler due to their low life span.
All Typhoons and Tempests in RAF service were scrapped shortly after the conclusion of WWII.
A few Hawker Tempests survived in auxiliary service like in India..
/oakey
PS:
We all need Paul Stecewycz back.
He is the best to explain everything we like to know.
25:30 look at the fish plates to the right of the LA607 markings.
1Hp / cubic inch absolute screamer of an engine!
Can believe how heavyweight & strong that fuselage looks in comparison to a sopwith camel haha madness!!!
10:00 The V12 Merlin was 27-litre (1,650 cu in) so the Sabre is not much larger in capacity (as a percentage) but with twice as many pistons.
The Sabre was 36.7L (2240 cu in), so a similar capacity to the Griffon.