I am flattered by all the comments, you are all too kind! It was a true joy to design and build, I have always had a love for Radial engines--- excited to build the next one.....
+Ian Jimmerson What's the next engine? Are you going to make models of real engines, like a Wasp or something? Great work man! I bet a lot of pilots or aviation enthusiasts would be willing to buy one of those off of you.
+Ian Jimmerson Brilliant! Your construction of the model and explanation of its function are absolutely spot on for understanding the theory! Great work! A R-3350 or R-4360 would be a challenge, no?
+George Loutas you mean a wankel engine, they are really quite boring to watch, no valve train, not moving pistons, nothing but a big puffy triangle moving around in a figure 8 pattern while rotating
I have to agree 100%. Excellent explanations, no unnecessary chatter, terrific training aid, and great craftsmanship building that mock-up. The drill “starter” on full charge was the icing on the cake...the wooden radial took her punishment without a hitch. Thank you for posting this video. Kudos.
@Enteraname ⚠️ God has said in the Quran: 🔵 { O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous - ( 2:21 ) 🔴 [He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him]. ( 2:22 ) 🔵 And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful. ( 2:23 ) 🔴 But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.( 2:24 ) 🔵 And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before." And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally. ( 2:25 ) ⚠️ Quran
As I said in part one Ian - a truly superb model, which must have taken a huge number of hours to build. Then too you have given what has to be the best ever demo and explanation of these wonderful engines. Thank you.
I'm an RF engineer and I have never really studied how engines work, just the basics from my father and the odd video here and there. In all honesty I learned more about the hows and whys of engines in the last 20 minutes than I did in the last 39 years. Thank you!
Dude, same here. All of the countless videos and training and this taught me more and gave me an understanding as to what all of my the different parts that I used to replace were actually for as opposed to what is taught in an automotive technicians shop. I worked on stuff like this for a year and within the last 20 minutes I've finally been able to articulate in my mind what I was fixing. Truly amazing how that just changing the teacher makes it so much easier for someone.
This work truly deserves to be on show at an aviation museum or college for others to see. Incredible. Maybe you could add some red lights to show the firing and blue lights for exhaust. BUT pls dont leave in your workshop, it would be such a waste.
Ian, incredible model and a truly excellent narrative. You worked so hard at this presentation and it shows in how professional it is! Thank you for your work.
It's impressive, how smooth everything moves. Wood rubbing against wood creates a lot of friction (enough to start a fire with) and yet the small hand drill can turn it easily. He also explained it very well.
Nice Job Ian. I'm an ex RAF engine fitter and it took me back to 1968 during my apprenticeship. We were taught on the 9 cylinder Alvis Leonides. poppet valve engine which was very similar to your demo engine and on the Bristol Hercules twin row sleeve valve engine. What a tremendous job you have made of it.
I spend anywhere between 20 and 60hrs per week, watching you tube videos from all walks of life and every subject one could think of.......... This might be the best video I have ever seen! You sir, are a fricken genius, and you manner of speaking, teaching and video editing is FIRST RATE! SO awsome- One thing, I have a question about- How does your model of a 9cyll radial do the ignition timing? and was it battery and coil ignition or Magneto? do radials use regular looking park plugs? Dual plugs per Cyl? ect ect ect- Thx again- you are a You-Tube GOD!
Usually the ignition is a dual magneto setup on the rear of the engine case, and is geared to the crankshaft. Aircraft engines are ALWAYS dual plug (for reliability), so there would be 18 spark plugs on his engine. They use magnetos for reliability, size, and the fact that they don't need a battery to start, just rotation, so they can (theoretically) be hand-started, or re-started just by the rotation of the prop. Some engines even use an "Inertial" starter - basically a big, heavy, handcranked flywheel with a clutch to rotate the engine. North American Harvards (AT6 Texan in the US) has this type of starter. Internally, the plugs are very similar to a car plug, but have a metal casing around them, and braided steel casing on the leads, to prevent damage due to touching something, and it also provides a grounding shield to minimize electrical interference between plugs and aircraft systems, such as the radios and navigation aids.
I'm impressed! I understand 4 cycle, 2 cycle, and rotary engines and how they work. I've always wanted to see how a radial engine works...now I know! You are a great instructor and I appreciate you showing people, like me, how these amazing engines work. If you hand-built that model...you are a master craftsman. Very impressive!!
Ian your craziness to build such an elaborate model is only outdone by your genius That was fantastic to see! I have always wondered how the internals were on a radial engine. Know I know. Thank you very much!
Ian, THANK YOU very much for these two videos. There is a gentleman who built a RV-8 with a Rotec 3600 nine cylinder, and Rotec themselves have shown some of the assembly process, but for most GA pilots, heck, most engine enthusiasts, we don't deal with radial engines that much, and I would assume that most of us couldn't tell how one works. I know I certainly didn't. Your demonstrations were awesome, as well as your partial disassembly to show us the inside. The one thing I wish you had added was how the gearing attaches to the crankshaft to drive the cam ring. Finally, running the model up to however fast you got it with your drill sounded just like what a radial engine might have sounded like. I was waiting to see the fuel and spark in the cyclinders and see the smoke and exhaust and her start up! You did a REALLY fantastic job on this, and thank you for the education on just how a radial engine works.
I attended college in an Automotive Tech program over 50 years ago. We were really not interested in a radial engine; it didn’t fit the motif of automobiles. But we did spend part of ONE lecture on the radial engine. I didn’t pay a lot of attention at that time and was anxious to see what you had to offer with regards to the inner workings of this engine type. You did a GREAT job explaining this engine. All I remember from that short lecture was the engine had one master rod but never understood how the others were attached. You put it all together for me. Again great job! Thank you.
It took a few seconds for me to even recognize what a radial engine was (not an avionics enthusiast). But after watching both videos, I almost feel I could take one apart and put it back together. You did a wonderful job explaining it, and it opened my eyes to this area of internal combustion technology that I'd never really thought that much about.
You've done some really amazing woodwork here! Truly amazing. For my part, I can barely sharpen a pencil. But what you've done here is easy for anyone to admire. Great work!
Absolutely the clearest explanation ever for something so confusing for us inline types. I have loved airplanes and radials (and had more than a few rides) but never grasped the relationship of the stuff being flung around in circles. Thank you sir!
I am amazed at not only your woodworking skills but your ability to make it all so clear. All of my military flight time was powered by round engines and I loved them but never understood them like I do now. Well Done!
This is so exciting for me. I went to Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa 30 years ago as they were one of 3 schools who taught radial engine repair. I never finished my A&P course, and all these years later, still miss it. This video is SO incredible, and informative. I should have learned this years ago, but didn't. However, I still, literally, get goose bumps listening to the radials, especially on start up. My passion has not lessened, and thus this is so fun, informative and really helps me understand why they take so long to start up, and the sound they make. I can never get enough. I cannot thank Ian enough for making this video; this means so, so very much to me. My career turned to medical, but my passion is aviation, it cannot get out of my blood. Thank you Ian!
I have been amazed by radial engines all my life and until you explained it to me I never knew how the valve train worked. I have several radial engines in my rc planes and can never get enough of the radial sound. You are truly a craftsman to be able to build a scale engine with a cut away like that and your explanation was spot on and very easy to understand. I am truly blown away by your engine model. I have to say today I really learned something interesting. Thank you so much.
Wow ! You sir are a gentleman and a scholar! I have ridden motorcycles and know car engines a bit . But now I really get it and understand radials!! Thank you again. :)
My son is an ag pilot and I have asked him to explain to me the theory of the radial engine. He can’t but you sure did. Thank you for letting me sit in on your class. I am a visual learner and it was a pleasure to learn from you. I have shared your videos with him so he can learn too. Many thanks
Ian, great stuff! I have a small air museum and operate 9 cylinder radials on a daily basis. Have you considered selling a kit of this model? I'd be interested in having one on display.
I live very close to Brooklands Museum in the UK it has many radial engine's there and I have often wondered how the hell does it all work now I know thanks to this fantastic working model that you have made
Next time you bring one of your birds anywhere in Massachusetts or Connecticut, let me know. I'd love to get an under-cowling look at one of those beastly engines. I'm about a month away from getting my full A&P. Cheers!
I just saw this, what a fantastic job you have done!! I've worked on American car engines all my life but never knew how radial engines worked. My father was an airplane mechanic in end of WW11 and Korean War and I have some of his special tools needed to work on radial engines. This is great to see your demo. thanks so much for all your work.
That is very impressive. I am not much of a woodworker, so my choice would have to build in in metal and make it functional. I have been around racing engines my whole life. The science of the radial engine is the same as any other four stroke engine. The parts are just in different position and shapes. Very well done. Great for teaching the basics to students. The amount of time you spent on building was time well spent and is a great visual for for every one.
I can't believe Ian went through all of this to explain radial engines. This is by far the best video on the subject and ONE of the BEST ever videos I watched on RUclips. Truly amazing work Ian!!!
In all my years I've ridden in DC-3's, Twin Beeches, and a few other radials. But never fully understood the engineering of the engines. It would have been nice to have seen your demonstrated engine 50 years ago. From the bottom of my heart Sir, thanks for your hard work preparing it. Now I fully understand the mechanicals of a radial engine.So sad not many are flying anymore. Love the old Hellcats and Bearcats working out.
I'm just about speechless. I hope you are a master machinist or a professor of mechanical engineering. And to think someone thought up this design way back in the day. Your patient and clear explanations are a model for other RUclipsrs. Well done, well done!!
I used to overhaul these things 40 years ago and also taught power plant theory to FAA A&P students. Having a model like this would have been an awesome teaching aid. Not only do you have great woodworking skills, but you also know your way around a radial engine. Do you teach? I think you have a gift. Well done.
You, sir, are an Artist, an Engineer, and an Educator all rolled up into one. I have built many model planes with radials, never really understanding what was going on in there, other than the fact that they worked, and worked well, often churning out double the horsepower of their inline contemporaries. Your craftsmanship and explanations are a great way for an aviation enthusiast like myself to understand, and "connect" better with aviation history, Now, while I understand radials better, I'm even more impressed that they ever got something like the corncob to function properly- 42 cylinders of turbosupercharged symphony and mayhem. I'm going to have my friends check out your video, hopefully they will be as impressed as I am. Thanks!
Outstanding! I have had two nagging questions about radials that I just haven't had answered satisfactorily over the years, and I suspect those to whom I have posed the questions really didn't know either! Why does each row of a radial have an odd number of cylinders? How does a cam plate with four bumps run a nine-cylinder engine? Well, an investment of twenty minutes on my part and I am clear as a bell. The amount of time this man has invested building this model and explaining so thoroughly is mind-boggling, and has resulted in the most productive twenty minutes I have spent on the internet.
DUDE!! incredibly awesome model, and absolutely "idiot friendly" explanation of the inner black magic and gremlins that make those mechanical question marks hum! kudos on craftsmanship, both counts! now, bizarre question about multi row versions: crank pin layout... would a 2 row have a "360" crank (with actual "master" pins aligned ), a "180" (with pins 180 degrees from each other), or some variable whackiness based on the number of cylinders per bank?
Great question. And, I think I've seen 3 rows too, back in the day. I was stationed at Pensacola Florida Naval Base. Home of the Blue Angels. The NAVY Aviation Museum is there with all the cool aircraft in naval history. If I'm not mistaken, I believe I saw a 3 row of cylinders on a large radial engine. It must have been a design they mothballed for some uncertain reason. But it was there to marvel at...lol.
@@dagann1 I vaguely recall speaking with one of the A&P guys (years ago when I worked in aircraft maintenance), and he was talking about helping out maintaining a DC-3. He indicated there were 54 spark plugs per engine - aircraft engines have two plugs per cylinder (for reliability), which suggests 27 cylinders, hence three banks of 9-cylinders. Imagine doing both engines ... 108 plugs! And I suspect there would be two magnetos per bank, so six magnetos per engine.
So...that just might be the best tutorial I have ever seen on RUclips. I'm no engineer, just a veterinarian, so gears and valves and pistons elude my brain, but if I watch this series of two videos, say, 10 or 12 times, I just might have a chance at understanding the basics of radial engines, something I have wanted to do for the last 40 years. Next step, understanding the Pratt and Whitney Major Wasp !! Thank you for an amazing model and video.
Your cranking up the engine at the end was one of the most satisfying moments ever. I have a suggestion: Make a 10 minute video of your engine slowly turning, like in the first video, but with something other than the whine of your drill as the background sound. The organic nature of the undulating pistons with relaxing background sound would be truly mesmerizing. Maybe throw in some nice colored lights too.
I've been trying o figure out the specifics of radial piston engines for quite some time, your incredible model and eloquent explanations were just what I needed - you're an incredible mechanic and at the same time an amazing finish carpenter! Thanks so much for your efforts.
This is brilliant....I’m a college history professor and teach history of AirPower courses. I’ve been looking for something that clearly explains how a radial engine works so that students can see the difference between it and rotary or inline engines. Great work!
Thank you. Very educational. My father was an airplane mechanic during WWII and he always would talk fondly of radials. I never quite understood until now the mechanics behind them. Good stuff!
Thank you so much for this analysis. The firing order of an odd number of cylinders has given me a revelation. When I complete the prototype you'll be the first person I share it with.
i found this site by accident. this is probably the best show and tell about radial engines i have ever seen. you did a wonderful job building that wooden model.congrats.
As a licensed auto technician I had no idea how a radial engine works. These 2 videos explained it perfectly. Great job and thanks for making me a bit smarter today haha.
I just understood your demonstration/lesson of a radial engine better than I understood any of my first demonstrations/lessons on inline engines. Outstanding!
Beautiful model Ian and a very clear explanation. I have a suggestion, in case you have not already thought of it. You could add a red LED to each cylinder that would illuminate through acrylic tubing to show when the ignition occurs and it could remain lit during the entire power stroke. You could carry this idea out further by using a different color for each stroke.
I never really understood radial engines until I saw these two videos. I must say this was among the most thorough and well-presented informational video series I've ever watched. Fascinating stuff, and an impressive build. Extremely well done sir.
This is probably THE BEST explanatory video of anything I have ever seen! You are so right. Animation is great, but this model you have built and can show the details of FAR exceeds any animation. You are obviously a MASTER craftsman in wood working as well as engine mechanics. I rate your video A++ at a minimum. Thanks ever so much. I am an amateur student of WWII aviation and particularly love the old radial engines. Nothing like the authoritative growl of a radial. In the increasingly rare instances when I hear one, I immediately stop what I'm doing, look up toward the sound and exclaim "Round Engine!" Their sound absolutely can't be confused with any other.
Ian, you are the man! Firstly, what a great model you have built. I had a plastic model as a boy many years ago and it was, to say the least, rudimentary. Your model is absolutely awesome. Secondly, your "classroom" explanation is top notch. As a previous military instructor, I can say that this kind of exhibit goes a long way. If only we had RUclips in my day. I want you to know that I had a tear in my eye once you went full throttle, or there of. I immediately sent these videos to my two sons who are both A&P licensed and loving everything aviation maintenance. BRAVO ZULU to you and your videos. Too bad too many young people either don't know or don't care to know these basic things. Again, thank you for such an incredibly beautifully laid out demonstration!!!!
You have captured ALL the qualities of a perfect educational presentation: superb craftsmanship, thorough understanding of the subject along with a smooth professional delivery. If there was an equivalent award to the Emmy for excellence in RUclips, you would be VERY deserving. Maybe the RUclips world needs this kind of award and I recommend it be named after you, "The Ian Award".
I've always known how the cylinders fired inside the engine but never knew how the valve system worked. This was a very informative video series. You explained this much better than anything else I've ever seen!
I ride in an old DHC-2 Beaver sometimes and I've never known just how the heck the engine worked. Thanks for your meticulous and patient explanation. I learned a lot!
this is the best visual explanation of the operation of a radial engine I have seen since I was in A&P school in 1967.............well done young man..............JRW
Not only was this (and the first) video an outstanding job of teaching, your model is a thing of beauty. You are a truly skilled craftsperson and engineer. I really enjoyed this series.
I just watched this video again in 2023 and forgot I had watched it six years ago. Still fascinated watching it again. I don't know how many hours it took you to make that model but I know you could sell them no problem. I would be the first in line to buy one. What a great video!!!
Easy to understand, easy to visualize, very good demonstrations and very well explained. It feels like watching the chevy documentaries from the 1930s on how cars work.
This one of the best videos I've watched on RUclips. I learned a ton watching these two videos. From the model making to the verbal explanation to the cardboard reference pieces, it's fantastic, it's excellent!
Absolutely brilliant! I just learned more about radial engines in your two 10 minute videos than I have over the course of my life. Well done and even better explained. Kudos!!
I'm a 30 year A&P but all working on turbofan and turboshaft engine powered aircraft from helicopters to large commercial airliners like the B767s. So radials have always been a bit mysterious for me on details of operation. This video has to be the most clear and simple explanation and demonstration of general design and operation of a radial engine I've ever seen. And great job on the very cool model build too. That it didn't fly apart when you spun it up was truly impressive for the tolerances and materials used. Great video.
Your model is beyond INCREDIBLE! I can't imagine the hours, days and weeks that it took to build it. WOW! And I'm nearly blown away by your courage in running it as fast as you did. And I'm sitting here laughing and gasping with incredulity at your statement of how you chose to build the "simpler" version of the engine! Although it may be the "simpler" version, I do believe it is also the most commonly used design. Thanks again for a terrific video! Crystal clear, easy to understand - superb in every way. You are definitely a TOUGH act to follow!
This is an excellent example of being the top of your craft: Top of woodworking, top of teaching, etc..I am impressed with your working model. I was looking at the German Fock-Wulf Fw 190s airplane, and it's radial engine, wondering how the pistons transmitted up and down motion to the crankshaft. This is a most excellent mock-up and teaching aid. Great job.
Created an account just to tell you as someone who is starting to really get into engines from ww2 planes, dude I really appreciate this. Most informative thing I've seen on engines and a hell of a model.
Outstanding build and follow-on explanations. Learned more about radials from you than I did in A&P school since we never got to work on one. Wish we'd had your model back then!
Absolutely awesome model. Way better than the plastic "Invisible V8" model that I built as a teen or the "invisible Wankel rotary" engine. Very well done. I have always been fascinated by WWII aircraft and often wondered just how they got all those connecting rods attached to the crank. Now I know! Thanks Ian for a beautifully done model. You should make the plans available so other woodworking hobbiest can build their own.
Ian, you have 3 gifts: 1-seems You know a lot of engines (specially radials), 2-You’re a really Master carpenter and model maker, 3- You are excellent explaining how this thing works! What a wonderful video serie. I tip my hat to you Sir! Thanks for the lesson and you wonderful work.
This is one of the best videos I've ever watched! It really does help you to grasp the knowledge of how these engines work and what they look like as they work. And much praise to you on taking the time and having the skills to craft this out of wood with all of the working components. That takes a lot of talent! Awesome job!
Thanks for these videos -always loved radial engines and the planes they powered but never understood the complexity of the mechanisms . Really great job simplifying it and breaking it down
I must say this is one of the coolest & best explained ways to introduce the inner workings Of a engine I’ve ever seen in my 54yrs with 40 of building.racing & finally teaching to my students..great job & thank you I really enjoyed it
Thank you. That was educational!!! I've always tried to figure out, how a radial engine, operated!! Now I realize, I've been incorrect on my theories, of the firing procedure's. Whoever thought of the design for the radial engine, and actually fabricate it for the first time, was a GENIUS 😲!!!!
Incredible build Ian. Thank you very much for sharing. I've never sat down and taken the time to fully understand how an engine works with the valves and cam shaft side of things, so this is so insightful for me. You explain in a great way and make it very simple to understand. Look forward to future videos. Great job mate 👍🏼😉
This is excellent. Ian presents this schematic as clear as a bell. Very engaging. I wish he might follow it up with a discussion of cooling and lubrication system integrated with what he's given us so far, but an excellent presentation in any case.
Very impressed with this video explanation. I flew Super DC-3's with Wright Cyclone 1820-92 9 cylinder engines for 4 years. Also taught trainees how to fly them but it was always difficult to explain the engine. We did have QEC's on the bench for quick engine replacement and observation to learn from but nothing like what you have here. Every student of a radial engine should watch this. Kudos...
Good lord man! I’ve always wondered how it worked with the pistons in the same ‘plane’. These two vids were OUTSTANDING! Well done. Your effort was as admirable as the amount of engineering that went into the conception of an incredible engine. Thank you!!
Ian, I highly recommend you get ahold of 'Round Sounds' volume 1 and 2. You can find it online. My wife got them for me a few Christmas back since she knows I love radial engines. If you like big displacement piston radial engines you need those two cds. Crank up the stereo to LOUD like being at Reno.. I GUARANTEE listening to the exhaust as Rare Bear flies by will make your skin crawl and your junk tingle. You'll be pumping your fist in the air listening to old school U.S.A. muscle. Thanks again for the videos.
Absolutely the best explanation of radial engine operation I've seen. You should take that thing on the road to teach at A&P schools and IA symposiums. Thank you.
Wow. The radial engine was always a mystery to me, and yet you’ve just shown me exactly how it works in a way I understand, beautiful work with the model as well
I am flattered by all the comments, you are all too kind! It was a true joy to design and build, I have always had a love for Radial engines--- excited to build the next one.....
+Ian Jimmerson What's the next engine? Are you going to make models of real engines, like a Wasp or something? Great work man! I bet a lot of pilots or aviation enthusiasts would be willing to buy one of those off of you.
+Ian Jimmerson Brilliant! Your construction of the model and explanation of its function are absolutely spot on for understanding the theory! Great work! A R-3350 or R-4360 would be a challenge, no?
+Ian Jimmerson Awesome job. Perhaps the next one can be a Rotary engine. It's kind of neat having the cylinders spin around.
+Larry Grimes Sure Larry! we are Eager to buy one of these "Didactical Gems"
+George Loutas you mean a wankel engine, they are really quite boring to watch, no valve train, not moving pistons, nothing but a big puffy triangle moving around in a figure 8 pattern while rotating
That model should be in a museum so more people can see and appreciate it.
It's own work of art.
For sure.
Or simply sold as a Work or Art. I am sure many places would love to have it on display in their entrance foyer.
2 of the greatest videos ever on RUclips.
Thanks mister
I have to agree 100%. Excellent explanations, no unnecessary chatter, terrific training aid, and great craftsmanship building that mock-up. The drill “starter” on full charge was the icing on the cake...the wooden radial took her punishment without a hitch. Thank you for posting this video. Kudos.
Sure seems like it!
@Enteraname ⚠️ God has said in the Quran:
🔵 { O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous - ( 2:21 )
🔴 [He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him]. ( 2:22 )
🔵 And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful. ( 2:23 )
🔴 But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.( 2:24 )
🔵 And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before." And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally. ( 2:25 )
⚠️ Quran
As I said in part one Ian - a truly superb model, which must have taken a huge number of hours to build. Then too you have given what has to be the best ever demo and explanation of these wonderful engines. Thank you.
I totally agree. A work of true genius and obviously also a labour of love.
I'm an RF engineer and I have never really studied how engines work, just the basics from my father and the odd video here and there. In all honesty I learned more about the hows and whys of engines in the last 20 minutes than I did in the last 39 years. Thank you!
Dude, same here. All of the countless videos and training and this taught me more and gave me an understanding as to what all of my the different parts that I used to replace were actually for as opposed to what is taught in an automotive technicians shop. I worked on stuff like this for a year and within the last 20 minutes I've finally been able to articulate in my mind what I was fixing. Truly amazing how that just changing the teacher makes it so much easier for someone.
This work truly deserves to be on show at an aviation museum or college for others to see. Incredible. Maybe you could add some red lights to show the firing and blue lights for exhaust. BUT pls dont leave in your workshop, it would be such a waste.
I agree
Agree!!!
That high speed run was pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing your build. Awesome craftsmanship.
Ian, incredible model and a truly excellent narrative. You worked so hard at this presentation and it shows in how professional it is! Thank you for your work.
That model is seriously an incredible work of art. I can’t imagine the amount of care and hours you put into it. Well done sir!
It's impressive, how smooth everything moves. Wood rubbing against wood creates a lot of friction (enough to start a fire with) and yet the small hand drill can turn it easily. He also explained it very well.
Nice Job Ian. I'm an ex RAF engine fitter and it took me back to 1968 during my apprenticeship. We were taught on the 9 cylinder Alvis Leonides. poppet valve engine which was very similar to your demo engine and on the Bristol Hercules twin row sleeve valve engine. What a tremendous job you have made of it.
I spend anywhere between 20 and 60hrs per week, watching you tube videos from all walks of life and every subject one could think of.......... This might be the best video I have ever seen! You sir, are a fricken genius, and you manner of speaking, teaching and video editing is FIRST RATE! SO awsome- One thing, I have a question about- How does your model of a 9cyll radial do the ignition timing? and was it battery and coil ignition or Magneto? do radials use regular looking park plugs? Dual plugs per Cyl? ect ect ect- Thx again- you are a You-Tube GOD!
That's an excellent question. How and where does the distributor shaft gear into it?
Usually the ignition is a dual magneto setup on the rear of the engine case, and is geared to the crankshaft. Aircraft engines are ALWAYS dual plug (for reliability), so there would be 18 spark plugs on his engine. They use magnetos for reliability, size, and the fact that they don't need a battery to start, just rotation, so they can (theoretically) be hand-started, or re-started just by the rotation of the prop. Some engines even use an "Inertial" starter - basically a big, heavy, handcranked flywheel with a clutch to rotate the engine. North American Harvards (AT6 Texan in the US) has this type of starter.
Internally, the plugs are very similar to a car plug, but have a metal casing around them, and braided steel casing on the leads, to prevent damage due to touching something, and it also provides a grounding shield to minimize electrical interference between plugs and aircraft systems, such as the radios and navigation aids.
I'm impressed! I understand 4 cycle, 2 cycle, and rotary engines and how they work. I've always wanted to see how a radial engine works...now I know! You are a great instructor and I appreciate you showing people, like me, how these amazing engines work. If you hand-built that model...you are a master craftsman. Very impressive!!
I am a carpenter, a mechanic, a woodworker and I build my own computers... Sir I take my hat off to you.
I am also a carpenter, mechanic, logger, chemist, used to run a lab and I make my own elements. I take my hat off to this man as well. Bravo! 👏
Genius bro. Loved it!
DAMMIT!!! Now I'm going to spend the next 2 hours watching radial engine videos on RUclips. It took so long to beat this addiction the last time....
Ian your craziness to build such an elaborate model is only outdone by your genius That was fantastic to see! I have always wondered how the internals were on a radial engine. Know I know. Thank you very much!
Ian, THANK YOU very much for these two videos. There is a gentleman who built a RV-8 with a Rotec 3600 nine cylinder, and Rotec themselves have shown some of the assembly process, but for most GA pilots, heck, most engine enthusiasts, we don't deal with radial engines that much, and I would assume that most of us couldn't tell how one works. I know I certainly didn't. Your demonstrations were awesome, as well as your partial disassembly to show us the inside.
The one thing I wish you had added was how the gearing attaches to the crankshaft to drive the cam ring.
Finally, running the model up to however fast you got it with your drill sounded just like what a radial engine might have sounded like. I was waiting to see the fuel and spark in the cyclinders and see the smoke and exhaust and her start up! You did a REALLY fantastic job on this, and thank you for the education on just how a radial engine works.
It sounds like the real thing when you get it up to speed.
+userunavailable3095 I was thinking the same thing -- sounds a bit like the old Lycoming R680 on Stearmans! Great job Ian!
@@lj9911 reminds me of a Jacobs R755 9cyl on a Cessna 195.
I attended college in an Automotive Tech program over 50 years ago. We were really not interested in a radial engine; it didn’t fit the motif of automobiles. But we did spend part of ONE lecture on the radial engine. I didn’t pay a lot of attention at that time and was anxious to see what you had to offer with regards to the inner workings of this engine type. You did a GREAT job explaining this engine. All I remember from that short lecture was the engine had one master rod but never understood how the others were attached. You put it all together for me. Again great job! Thank you.
This is why the internet is so awesome.
Thank you for you time!
It took a few seconds for me to even recognize what a radial engine was (not an avionics enthusiast). But after watching both videos, I almost feel I could take one apart and put it back together. You did a wonderful job explaining it, and it opened my eyes to this area of internal combustion technology that I'd never really thought that much about.
You've done some really amazing woodwork here! Truly amazing. For my part, I can barely sharpen a pencil. But what you've done here is easy for anyone to admire. Great work!
Absolutely the clearest explanation ever for something so confusing for us inline types. I have loved airplanes and radials (and had more than a few rides) but never grasped the relationship of the stuff being flung around in circles. Thank you sir!
I am amazed at not only your woodworking skills but your ability to make it all so clear. All of my military flight time was powered by round engines and I loved them but never understood them like I do now. Well Done!
This is so exciting for me. I went to Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa 30 years ago as they were one of 3 schools who taught radial engine repair. I never finished my A&P course, and all these years later, still miss it. This video is SO incredible, and informative. I should have learned this years ago, but didn't. However, I still, literally, get goose bumps listening to the radials, especially on start up. My passion has not lessened, and thus this is so fun, informative and really helps me understand why they take so long to start up, and the sound they make. I can never get enough. I cannot thank Ian enough for making this video; this means so, so very much to me. My career turned to medical, but my passion is aviation, it cannot get out of my blood. Thank you Ian!
This is just about the coolest thing I've ever seen!
Wow! Not only is your model spectacular, but you explain the mechanics of the radial engine like a pro. Thank you.
Really cool build and explanation. It must have taken hours to construct and I'm seriously impressed with it's accuracy. Good job!
I suspect weeks, if not months.
I have been amazed by radial engines all my life and until you explained it to me I never knew how the valve train worked. I have several radial engines in my rc planes and can never get enough of the radial sound. You are truly a craftsman to be able to build a scale engine with a cut away like that and your explanation was spot on and very easy to understand. I am truly blown away by your engine model. I have to say today I really learned something interesting. Thank you so much.
Wow ! You sir are a gentleman and a scholar! I have ridden motorcycles and know car engines a bit . But now I really get it and understand radials!! Thank you again. :)
I read once that Harleys are actually two cylinder radial engines.
This is a food Guy, the radial motor is fantastisk
My son is an ag pilot and I have asked him to explain to me the theory of the radial engine. He can’t but you sure did. Thank you for letting me sit in on your class. I am a visual learner and it was a pleasure to learn from you. I have shared your videos with him so he can learn too. Many thanks
thank you for explaining this engine. great design, great video
Even the cardboard cutouts are amazing quality! How has it taken 7 yrs to get this on my screen. Absolutely fantastic model and explanation
Ian, great stuff!
I have a small air museum and operate 9 cylinder radials on a daily basis. Have you considered selling a kit of this model? I'd be interested in having one on display.
I live very close to Brooklands Museum in the UK it has many radial engine's there and I have often wondered how the hell does it all work now I know thanks to this fantastic working model that you have made
Next time you bring one of your birds anywhere in Massachusetts or Connecticut, let me know. I'd love to get an under-cowling look at one of those beastly engines. I'm about a month away from getting my full A&P. Cheers!
I just saw this, what a fantastic job you have done!! I've worked on American car engines all my life but never knew how radial engines worked. My father was an airplane mechanic in end of WW11 and Korean War and I have some of his special tools needed to work on radial engines. This is great to see your demo. thanks so much for all your work.
That is very impressive. I am not much of a woodworker, so my choice would have to build in in metal and make it functional. I have been around racing engines my whole life. The science of the radial engine is the same as any other four stroke engine. The parts are just in different position and shapes. Very well done. Great for teaching the basics to students. The amount of time you spent on building was time well spent and is a great visual for for every one.
I totally agree. What's amazing is to see this type of engine used on a motorcycle. Google it. It exists!...lol
I can't believe Ian went through all of this to explain radial engines. This is by far the best video on the subject and ONE of the BEST ever videos I watched on RUclips. Truly amazing work Ian!!!
You should have been asked to visit to the White House! Amazing job and teacher, I am even more amazed you don't have a million views.
+reefseeker
Didn't build a clock.
+drkjk He didn't build one anyway, took a radio shack clock apart.. LOL
In all my years I've ridden in DC-3's, Twin Beeches, and a few other radials. But never fully understood the engineering of the engines. It would have been nice to have seen your demonstrated engine 50 years ago. From the bottom of my heart Sir, thanks for your hard work preparing it. Now I fully understand the mechanicals of a radial engine.So sad not many are flying anymore. Love the old Hellcats and Bearcats working out.
Legendary, Ian. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into this.
I'm just about speechless. I hope you are a master machinist or a professor of mechanical engineering. And to think someone thought up this design way back in the day. Your patient and clear explanations are a model for other RUclipsrs.
Well done, well done!!
Outstanding model and video presentation of the black art of the radial engine
I used to overhaul these things 40 years ago and also taught power plant theory to FAA A&P students. Having a model like this would have been an awesome teaching aid. Not only do you have great woodworking skills, but you also know your way around a radial engine. Do you teach? I think you have a gift. Well done.
What a fun project! Thanks for posting and thanks for teaching. I learned a lot.
You, sir, are an Artist, an Engineer, and an Educator all rolled up into one. I have built many model planes with radials, never really understanding what was going on in there, other than the fact that they worked, and worked well, often churning out double the horsepower of their inline contemporaries. Your craftsmanship and explanations are a great way for an aviation enthusiast like myself to understand, and "connect" better with aviation history, Now, while I understand radials better, I'm even more impressed that they ever got something like the corncob to function properly- 42 cylinders of turbosupercharged symphony and mayhem. I'm going to have my friends check out your video, hopefully they will be as impressed as I am. Thanks!
Bloody brilliant - my hat off to you!
Outstanding! I have had two nagging questions about radials that I just haven't had answered satisfactorily over the years, and I suspect those to whom I have posed the questions really didn't know either! Why does each row of a radial have an odd number of cylinders? How does a cam plate with four bumps run a nine-cylinder engine? Well, an investment of twenty minutes on my part and I am clear as a bell. The amount of time this man has invested building this model and explaining so thoroughly is mind-boggling, and has resulted in the most productive twenty minutes I have spent on the internet.
DUDE!! incredibly awesome model, and absolutely "idiot friendly" explanation of the inner black magic and gremlins that make those mechanical question marks hum! kudos on craftsmanship, both counts! now, bizarre question about multi row versions: crank pin layout... would a 2 row have a "360" crank (with actual "master" pins aligned ), a "180" (with pins 180 degrees from each other), or some variable whackiness based on the number of cylinders per bank?
Great question. And, I think I've seen 3 rows too, back in the day. I was stationed at Pensacola Florida Naval Base. Home of the Blue Angels. The NAVY Aviation Museum is there with all the cool aircraft in naval history. If I'm not mistaken, I believe I saw a 3 row of cylinders on a large radial engine. It must have been a design they mothballed for some uncertain reason. But it was there to marvel at...lol.
@@dagann1 I vaguely recall speaking with one of the A&P guys (years ago when I worked in aircraft maintenance), and he was talking about helping out maintaining a DC-3. He indicated there were 54 spark plugs per engine - aircraft engines have two plugs per cylinder (for reliability), which suggests 27 cylinders, hence three banks of 9-cylinders.
Imagine doing both engines ... 108 plugs! And I suspect there would be two magnetos per bank, so six magnetos per engine.
So...that just might be the best tutorial I have ever seen on RUclips. I'm no engineer, just a veterinarian, so gears and valves and pistons elude my brain, but if I watch this series of two videos, say, 10 or 12 times, I just might have a chance at understanding the basics of radial engines, something I have wanted to do for the last 40 years. Next step, understanding the Pratt and Whitney Major Wasp !!
Thank you for an amazing model and video.
Great job and you built the model as well?
Your cranking up the engine at the end was one of the most satisfying moments ever.
I have a suggestion: Make a 10 minute video of your engine slowly turning, like in the first video, but with something other than the whine of your drill as the background sound. The organic nature of the undulating pistons with relaxing background sound would be truly mesmerizing. Maybe throw in some nice colored lights too.
No wonder those things take so much oil. Theres a TON of moving parts on it.
I've been trying o figure out the specifics of radial piston engines for quite some time, your incredible model and eloquent explanations were just what I needed - you're an incredible mechanic and at the same time an amazing finish carpenter! Thanks so much for your efforts.
The DeHavilland Mosquito had wooden engines, spruce -- but they wooden go as fast as mahogany.
This is brilliant....I’m a college history professor and teach history of AirPower courses. I’ve been looking for something that clearly explains how a radial engine works so that students can see the difference between it and rotary or inline engines. Great work!
Thank you. Very educational. My father was an airplane mechanic during WWII and he always would talk fondly of radials. I never quite understood until now the mechanics behind them. Good stuff!
INSANE Craftsmanship ! Easily the BEST Instructional videos on RUclips about ANYTHING, PERIOD !! WELL DONE MAN !!
Thank you so much for this analysis. The firing order of an odd number of cylinders has given me a revelation. When I complete the prototype you'll be the first person I share it with.
In 20 minutes, I have learned more about how a radial engine works than I have learned the past 60 years. Thank you!
i found this site by accident. this is probably the best show and tell about radial engines i have ever seen. you did a wonderful job building that wooden model.congrats.
As a licensed auto technician I had no idea how a radial engine works. These 2 videos explained it perfectly. Great job and thanks for making me a bit smarter today haha.
I just understood your demonstration/lesson of a radial engine better than I understood any of my first demonstrations/lessons on inline engines. Outstanding!
Beautiful model Ian and a very clear explanation. I have a suggestion, in case you have not already thought of it. You could add a red LED to each cylinder that would illuminate through acrylic tubing to show when the ignition occurs and it could remain lit during the entire power stroke. You could carry this idea out further by using a different color for each stroke.
I never really understood radial engines until I saw these two videos. I must say this was among the most thorough and well-presented informational video series I've ever watched. Fascinating stuff, and an impressive build. Extremely well done sir.
This is probably THE BEST explanatory video of anything I have ever seen! You are so right. Animation is great, but this model you have built and can show the details of FAR exceeds any animation. You are obviously a MASTER craftsman in wood working as well as engine mechanics. I rate your video A++ at a minimum. Thanks ever so much. I am an amateur student of WWII aviation and particularly love the old radial engines. Nothing like the authoritative growl of a radial. In the increasingly rare instances when I hear one, I immediately stop what I'm doing, look up toward the sound and exclaim "Round Engine!" Their sound absolutely can't be confused with any other.
Ian, you are the man! Firstly, what a great model you have built. I had a plastic model as a boy many years ago and it was, to say the least, rudimentary. Your model is absolutely awesome. Secondly, your "classroom" explanation is top notch. As a previous military instructor, I can say that this kind of exhibit goes a long way. If only we had RUclips in my day. I want you to know that I had a tear in my eye once you went full throttle, or there of. I immediately sent these videos to my two sons who are both A&P licensed and loving everything aviation maintenance. BRAVO ZULU to you and your videos. Too bad too many young people either don't know or don't care to know these basic things. Again, thank you for such an incredibly beautifully laid out demonstration!!!!
You have captured ALL the qualities of a perfect educational presentation: superb craftsmanship, thorough understanding of the subject along with a smooth professional delivery. If there was an equivalent award to the Emmy for excellence in RUclips, you would be VERY deserving. Maybe the RUclips world needs this kind of award and I recommend it be named after you, "The Ian Award".
Every museum should have a copy of your two videos. Word of mouth would draw people to see it and the many other wonders museums have.
I've always known how the cylinders fired inside the engine but never knew how the valve system worked. This was a very informative video series. You explained this much better than anything else I've ever seen!
I'm glad you finished with the higher speed demonstration. I imagine most of us were hoping for it.
I ride in an old DHC-2 Beaver sometimes and I've never known just how the heck the engine worked. Thanks for your meticulous and patient explanation. I learned a lot!
this is the best visual explanation of the operation of a radial engine I have seen since I was in A&P school in 1967.............well done young man..............JRW
Not only was this (and the first) video an outstanding job of teaching, your model is a thing of beauty. You are a truly skilled craftsperson and engineer. I really enjoyed this series.
I just watched this video again in 2023 and forgot I had watched it six years ago. Still fascinated watching it again. I don't know how many hours it took you to make that model but I know you could sell them no problem. I would be the first in line to buy one. What a great video!!!
Easy to understand, easy to visualize, very good demonstrations and very well explained. It feels like watching the chevy documentaries from the 1930s on how cars work.
This one of the best videos I've watched on RUclips. I learned a ton watching these two videos. From the model making to the verbal explanation to the cardboard reference pieces, it's fantastic, it's excellent!
Absolutely brilliant! I just learned more about radial engines in your two 10 minute videos than I have over the course of my life. Well done and even better explained. Kudos!!
I'm a 30 year A&P but all working on turbofan and turboshaft engine powered aircraft from helicopters to large commercial airliners like the B767s. So radials have always been a bit mysterious for me on details of operation. This video has to be the most clear and simple explanation and demonstration of general design and operation of a radial engine I've ever seen. And great job on the very cool model build too. That it didn't fly apart when you spun it up was truly impressive for the tolerances and materials used. Great video.
Your model is beyond INCREDIBLE! I can't imagine the hours, days and weeks that it took to build it. WOW! And I'm nearly blown away by your courage in running it as fast as you did. And I'm sitting here laughing and gasping with incredulity at your statement of how you chose to build the "simpler" version of the engine! Although it may be the "simpler" version, I do believe it is also the most commonly used design. Thanks again for a terrific video! Crystal clear, easy to understand - superb in every way. You are definitely a TOUGH act to follow!
This is an excellent example of being the top of your craft: Top of woodworking, top of teaching, etc..I am impressed with your working model. I was looking at the German Fock-Wulf Fw 190s airplane, and it's radial engine, wondering how the pistons transmitted up and down motion to the crankshaft. This is a most excellent mock-up and teaching aid. Great job.
Created an account just to tell you as someone who is starting to really get into engines from ww2 planes, dude I really appreciate this. Most informative thing I've seen on engines and a hell of a model.
Outstanding build and follow-on explanations. Learned more about radials from you than I did in A&P school since we never got to work on one. Wish we'd had your model back then!
Absolutely awesome model. Way better than the plastic "Invisible V8" model that I built as a teen or the "invisible Wankel rotary" engine. Very well done. I have always been fascinated by WWII aircraft and often wondered just how they got all those connecting rods attached to the crank. Now I know! Thanks Ian for a beautifully done model. You should make the plans available so other woodworking hobbiest can build their own.
Ian, you have 3 gifts: 1-seems You know a lot of engines (specially radials), 2-You’re a really Master carpenter and model maker, 3- You are excellent explaining how this thing works! What a wonderful video serie. I tip my hat to you Sir! Thanks for the lesson and you wonderful work.
This is one of the best videos I've ever watched! It really does help you to grasp the knowledge of how these engines work and what they look like as they work. And much praise to you on taking the time and having the skills to craft this out of wood with all of the working components. That takes a lot of talent! Awesome job!
Thanks for these videos -always loved radial engines and the planes they powered but never understood the complexity of the mechanisms . Really great job simplifying it and breaking it down
I must say this is one of the coolest & best explained ways to introduce the inner workings Of a engine I’ve ever seen in my 54yrs with 40 of building.racing & finally teaching to my students..great job & thank you I really enjoyed it
I have always wondered about exactly how the inner workings of a radial engine operate and your video explaining all of this was spot on perfect.
Thank you. That was educational!!! I've always tried to figure out, how a radial engine, operated!! Now I realize, I've been incorrect on my theories, of the firing procedure's. Whoever thought of the design for the radial engine, and actually fabricate it for the first time, was a GENIUS 😲!!!!
Incredible build Ian. Thank you very much for sharing. I've never sat down and taken the time to fully understand how an engine works with the valves and cam shaft side of things, so this is so insightful for me. You explain in a great way and make it very simple to understand. Look forward to future videos. Great job mate 👍🏼😉
This is excellent. Ian presents this schematic as clear as a bell. Very engaging. I wish he might follow it up with a discussion of cooling and lubrication system integrated with what he's given us so far, but an excellent presentation in any case.
Very good and clear explanation. I am an automotive mechanic and I fully understood how the Radial engine works. Excellent work. Success.
I must admit, those two videos most simple explanation of "How to radial engine works" video ever. Great work....:)
That should be in an aircraft museum along with the videos. Incredible workmanship and instruction of the engine.
Very impressed with this video explanation. I flew Super DC-3's with Wright Cyclone 1820-92 9 cylinder engines for 4 years. Also taught trainees how to fly them but it was always difficult to explain the engine. We did have QEC's on the bench for quick engine replacement and observation to learn from but nothing like what you have here. Every student of a radial engine should watch this. Kudos...
I can't believe that you built that whole thing out of wood. It is positively amazing !!! You are a very talented person and a great teacher.
Good lord man! I’ve always wondered how it worked with the pistons in the same ‘plane’. These two vids were OUTSTANDING! Well done. Your effort was as admirable as the amount of engineering that went into the conception of an incredible engine. Thank you!!
Ian, I highly recommend you get ahold of 'Round Sounds' volume 1 and 2. You can find it online. My wife got them for me a few Christmas back since she knows I love radial engines. If you like big displacement piston radial engines you need those two cds. Crank up the stereo to LOUD like being at Reno.. I GUARANTEE listening to the exhaust as Rare Bear flies by will make your skin crawl and your junk tingle. You'll be pumping your fist in the air listening to old school U.S.A. muscle. Thanks again for the videos.
One of the best descriptions of radial engines I have ever seen... Would have been great to have in A&P school!
Absolutely the best explanation of radial engine operation I've seen. You should take that thing on the road to teach at A&P schools and IA symposiums. Thank you.
Wow. The radial engine was always a mystery to me, and yet you’ve just shown me exactly how it works in a way I understand, beautiful work with the model as well