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Posted By Discussion Topic: Ford Aluminum V8 aircraft engine -- page: 1 2     JM 05-12-2017 @ 9:33 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 822 Joined: Oct 2009 Details of aluminum block Flathead engine John JM 05-12-2017 @ 9:31 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 822 Joined: Oct 2009 Picture of one of the surviving Ford Flathead aluminum block aircraft engines that was on display at Ford Headquarters in 2007 during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Ford Flathead V-8 Engine and the 1932 Ford. I don't consider myself to be an "expert" on this forum nor on this subject, just happened to be at the celebration held in Dearborn, Michigan and remembered taking these pictures. John This message was edited by JM on 5-13-17 @ 4:30 AM Bob-93021 05-11-2017 @ 11:24 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 47 Joined: Jan 2011 This thread is very interesting! I am not an expert on aviation motors but found Ford Model B engines used in aircraft great. That basic engine was Model A ford and early Ford tractor engine use. Probably the most reliable thing on earth - but heavy. I really like the Old Rhinebeck collection of engines that I did not know about. Tom o Thanks for posting. If Daryl M could post a pix of the Ford radial 8 I would love to see that. I always thought the radial engines had to have an odd number of cylinders to operate. I am still impressed on how they came up radial engines so long ago. Thank you - Bob This message was edited by Bob-93021 on 5-11-17 @ 11:33 PM Stroker 05-11-2017 @ 5:02 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 VERY INTERESTING Daryl: As an "ancient aviator" I would love to hear more about this engine. Please PM me. Thanks. In the meantime; I'll "check out" the Curtiss Museum website. www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org Dan Daryl Middlebrook 05-11-2017 @ 2:11 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 1 Joined: Aug 2015 For those interested-----I have a Ford aircraft engine. The cylinders are arranged in an "X" pattern around the crankshaft when looking from the front. There are 4 cylinders in the front row that form the "X" pattern. Then there are 4 more cylinders directly behind the front 4. Best described as an 8 cylinder twin row radial engine. Overhead camshafts on all cylinders. Dual ignition. Ford data plate on the engine. This experimental engine was built by Ford to power the Tri-Motor. According to a old gentleman that I met years ago, he test-flew the Tri-Motor with this engine. He said that it ran hot. Shook badly. And was WAAAY under-powered. This engine can be seen at the CURTISS museum in Hammondsport NY. 4dFordSC 05-11-2017 @ 1:12 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 266 Joined: Oct 2009 Don't know if it was an Arrow or not, but my father told of flying a Ford flathead powered aircraft once early in his career and recalled that it was disturbingly underpowered. He and an acquaintance took off from the Oakland airport toward San Francisco one morning and skimmed the waves most of the way across the bay as they struggled to gain altitude with the SF skyline looming ever larger. They finally got high enough that he could turn around, and they immediately headed back to Oakland and landed without further ado. Having survived the experience, Dad went on to a 30+ year career as an airline pilot with United and Northwest. TomO 05-11-2017 @ 6:57 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7252 Joined: Oct 2009 Your are welcome. I remembered seeing that engine at the Aerodrome and Google helped me out. If you are ever in the NY eastern half in the summer months, stop and visit the Aerodrome. They put on interesting dog fights as well as having a great display of aviation history, mostly before WWII. I used to visit regularly in the last century, but don't get to that part of the country much since I retired. Tom This message was edited by TomO on 5-11-17 @ 6:58 AM Stroker 05-10-2017 @ 7:29 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 It turns out that they built 103 Arrow Sport Model F's, with CAST IRON Ford V8's. So..my original "premise" was faulty. TomO got me "straightened out" though, as only he could. Stroker 05-10-2017 @ 7:24 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 TomO. Sir, you NAILED it. Thank You for the information and link. A group of fellow aviators and I were "debating" this oddball engine, and I figured if I asked one of my fellow EV8'ers, they would know. Thank's again. TomO 05-10-2017 @ 7:08 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7252 Joined: Oct 2009 The engine pictured appears to be the one at the Rhinbeck Aerodrome. That engine has a cast iron block, aluminum heads and an aluminum oil pan according to articles about the Arrow Sport F. http://oldrhinebeck.org/aircraft-engines/ https://generalaviationnews.com/2015/07/13/in-search-of-the-700-airplane/ Tom

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