As you mentioned in the beginning of your video, there are plenty computer generated 3D radial engine animations available on the internet, but they don't quite go into depth like you have with this project. I am amazed at your craftsmanship. I believe I speak for the majority of RUclipsrs who have watched this video when I say that all of your hard work, time, and energy is greatly appreciated
Mike Majoris Easy to to see how out of the 915 comments to date... How your'es has maintained the Top one. During the AutoCad courses from Versions 10-14 i'd taken back in the 90's... One statement rings true in Ian Jimmerson working model... ''If a picture is worth a thousand words; What then, is the worth of a solid working model? -1719
Don't get why there would be 4 dislikes or even one, watched this a couple of times. Awesome model and well made. Your explanation and prompts to follow the combustion and exhaust cycles are great. Thank you for an excellent video.
I graduated from college (40 years ago) with an aviation degree and went on to become an accomplished aviator. This is by far the best video I’ve seen on radial engines.
Wow! That's a thing of beauty: firstly in the engineering of how each component works with and on the others, secondly, it's such a beautiful, well made model. It's a wonderful teaching aid: thank you so much for making and sharing it and for your very clear, step by step explanation. I love it!
Excellent. After 35 years in aviation, I have finally understood how a radial engine works. I must mention that I have never worked on a radial engine. Thanks !
True brilliance. If you're not in front of a classroom of youngsters, inspiring them with your passion and total clarity then there is no sense in this world. Thank you.
It gives you a small idea how our grandparents were brilliant in a time when CAD systems did not exist. All manual calculations and manually created drawings.
I worked on those radial engines as a student at Aviation High School in NYC. I remember being awed by the size of the pistons and dwarfed by the dimensions of the powerful engines as a 14-15 year old. Thank you for explaining the workings of this workhorse of WWII.
Absolutely the finest and most easily followed instructive video of a radial engine, or any engine for that matter, that I have ever seen. Fantastic work on the model and equally so on the explanation of its internal workings!!!
Wow!!! I've always 'known' about radial engines (not really on radial engines, but I do know how I.C.E.s work, so I've always been a bit confused on how radials work)...this video and how the knowledge was transfered was AMAZING!!! I can now confidently explain this to a lay-person! Thank you Ian!!!
Ian, this is THE most thorough explanation of the radial engine that I've ever seen. Now I'm totally understand the inner workings of the cam gear ring. It must have given you immense satisfaction in this labor of love project. Keep up the good work my fellow human and God bless you.
Can I just say this is a brilliant explanation. I have aimlessly watched engine videos but never truly understood what goes into the design of these things. I just accepted they worked ( mostly!) and enjoyed the noise. Thank you very much.
Hi Ian, Excellent job of explaining this engine. Years ago my father and I would always stop by at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton. This is where i saw my first cut away view of a real radial engine on display. I remember distinctly as the light bulb went off in my head about the single giant conrod and all the others that attached to it via a wrist pin. I never had time to figure out the valve cam timing but you have done an excellent job of showing that concept. My background is retired tooling and die engineering. I have a great spacial orientation thing for design and this is one video that has burned into my brain. Great Great job! If you ever get to WPAFB the cutaway engine is still on display!
I'm a fan of vintage WWII fighters like P47 and P51. I've always wondered how their engines fired and how the rods were fixed to the crank. This is a great video!
I worked on radial engines in the A.F. way back when and know their operation, and have seen cut outs in museums and on film, but this is the most incredible thing so far.. You are to be acknowledged as a true artist and one heck of an engineer for doing such a feat.. Congrats to you..
Wow! This is just an awesome demonstration of how a radial engine works! Your level of detail and craftsmanship are to be highly commended! Thank you for taking the time to do this for us gearhead's that love engines, all engines!
Two things in my life I have always loved, the sound of a radial engine and the smell of home-made bread. Thank you Ian! We always enjoy flying the AT-6 Texans. Oh...the third thing would be my wife of 44 years...
What a beautiful thing to watch... kinda mesmorizing to me. Your model was SO well done, and your explanation SO straight forward and clear. Thanks for a great job. No wonder these engines had such a power to weight ratio. I'll be looking into who did the original design work which was genius relative to the crankshaft design and camshaft layering. Truly a thing of beauty. Well done!!
I read the recent article in Air & Space magazine of how the Pratt & Whitney R1340 Wasp engine received recognition as a Historic Engineering Landmark and immediately went looking for an animation online to explain the engine's operation. Your model exceeded my expectations. Thank you so much for taking the time to make the model and the videos. You rock!
Hello Ian, You rig is a masterpiece. :) The radial engine is pure mechanical engineering genius. I have some physical intuition also called mechanical aptitude but I have have nothing like the intelligence needed to design the radial engine. All the best, Peter Nolan.(Ph.D., experimental physics). Dublin. Ireland.
Great Job, Sir. 3800+ likes and 24 dislikes (24 haters) just goes to show that there will always be haters! As for why they took the time to actually dislike this video is beyond me. Probably just mad cause they couldn't do it or still didn't understand a radial after watching...therefore they will never understand. Good job, Ian J!
i hold an A&P license. (post radial engine era) I didn’t really know how these engines worked until i watched this video. I have since become a machinist and welder and am super appreciative of the manufacture of these engines pre-cnc as well as the high level of skill you’ve showcased at making your model. kudos ian!
You are one Heck of an "instructor" on this, as well as a craftsman. I fly RC airplanes, and one has a radial Saito on a Boeing PT-17 Super Stearman. I've always loved the radials my dad flew back in WWII.
I agree with John McDonald, it has ALWAYS puzzled me how the radial worked. I could never visualise the operation. This explanation has taken all the mystery out of it.
I've struggled for years to understand and visualise how a radial engine works - this is the best thing I've ever seen on the subject and the way you dismantle the engine and explain it all is just amazing. Thanks for an awesome video.
Someone has really taught this guy the intricacies of education, this is a tough skill that generally comes from hours and hours of learning from a parent figure willing to painstakingly explain things. This is what a world class professor sounds like, I only wish I was still in the position to help him. I've always give more credit to my high school wrestling coach for my academic success than any other teacher I've had. Just the point by point logical progression of building fact upon fact to a reasoned outcome is priceless, no mater what profession you choose.
I hope you're a teacher because you sure have the heart of one and the patience to describe what was a revolutionary engineering feat in history. Your craftsmanship and grasp of subject is exemplary! I hope to see more examples of your work in the future . I'm subscribing. Your content has value for curious minds. Thank you!
Ian - Absolutely fantastic job on the construction & presentation of the radial engine. My father was an USAF radial engine mechanic (R-3350), instructor & training equipment specialist for the AF. I can only imagine how much he would have appreciated this video!
Absolutely outstanding! As was suggested in an earlier comment, it would be great if you would donate your outstanding model to the Air and Space museum. Or, at least donate this video to the museum for visitors to watch.
Great job building that wooden cut-away radial engine. Now I know how radials work. You did raise a new question for me. And that's 'How did you hob those wooden gears?' Beautiful work!
as impressive as this is, and it is very impressive, how impressive is the first guy that figured this out way back when. This style engine was patented by 1894! Good job.
wow what a great model! ...and an equally great way to explain how a "complicated looking" engine works. It also makes you appreciate the many great minds and years of experience that combined to develop this engine.
You are an outstanding teacher. You should be getting really, really, really paid for your skill. Plenty of people have the knowledge, but very few have the talent to convey their teachings. I have very little prior knowledge of engines, like just enough know that camshafts, intake and outlet valves, and pistons are engine parts, but not how they all function together. I was the guy who'd up until a few months ago would curse the "dumb motor makers" for not making the firing order in my truck 12345678. I've learned more from you in 9 minutes than I have in the 20+ years of tinkering with my own cars. I'm definitely subscribing after just seeing just this one video. Thanks. I know you put a lot of hours into this.
I hope every aviation tech school buys one of these fantastic engine demo mock-up. I could have used this back in the early 70's when I went to Spartan School of Aviation. They did a great job of teaching us about the round engines, but I thought that not many of us would ever see a radial after getting out of school. Then for the next several years that's all I worked on was 985's and 1830's. Amazing engines.
The best radial engine explanation video. I’m apprentice AME and having difficulty to understand basic system. Your 10 minutes video much worth than 2 months of BCIT AME course I took. Thank you so much for your effort and if it’s possible, please keep making great videos.
This was incredible. It turns so smoothly for being made of wood. Thanks for teaching us how it all works. The part about the cam ring was the most interesting. It's the part 3d models don't show well.
As a retired pilot (mostly turbine but a few hours in radials), I just have to say very well done; the craftsmanship, the explanation, both first rate!
Thank you for the time you spent working on this engine model and video.You have done an excellent job with the explanations and demonstrations. I too find the old radial engines absolutely amazing. Did you utilize a CNC router for cutting your cam ring and gears? Do you offer a set of plans for your engine model?
That is a fascinating model. A very interesting video as well. I would like to hear a discussion concerning some advantages and disadvantages of radial engines v. block types. You don't have to build a replica Packard 12.
Block engines were (typically) FAR lighter weight leading to less weight in total, but also typically didn't put out as many horses. They also were far more vulnerable than radial engines due to them requiring a liquid cooling system whereas the radial engine is air cooled. Simple explanation.
Like how they are not naturally balanced because of the odd number of cylinders, though I get the firing order and the logic behind it I don't see how it's balanced, at least not like the boxer engine where the Pistons are horizontally opposed.
Advantages of a radial - easier to design and maintain a cooling system, lighter, one design can be stacked to create bigger engines, easy parts replacement (hang new jugs vs sleeve a block)... Disadvantage - generally much larger diameter than an inline which means more drag, less overall power potential since cylinder head temperature is dependent on air cooling "Like how they are not naturally balanced because of the odd number of cylinders" Odd number of cylinders is actually to make it balanced. Note that in the video, it skips firing one cylinder every time. If you had an even number of cylinders, you'd have to have two cylinders fire sequentially at some point. A fair example of that effect is how Harleys are shaky pieces of shit - their engines use the same common journal setup as a radial, but with only two cylinders, and the angle between the two cylinders doesn't help matters. Bad design... "Radial engines also rely on OIL COOLING and have plumbing and a radial for that also !!!" Wrong. Lower-powered radials didn't need an oil cooler setup. It was the turbo and supercharged radials running very high outputs in WWII that had to be oil cooled. The water-cooled engines of the same era also usually had an oil cooler, too. NACA cowls and the Germans installing fans in the cowling helped reduce the size of heat exchangers needed. Radials were known to be harder to damage. Even with an oil cooler, their cylinders and cylinder heads were still air-cooled, which reduced the amount of surface area they needed for the cooling system. In an inline, the cylinders are surrounded by the case or block and the head(s) were a solid piece, neither allow for any real air cooling. In the end, the oil cooler and associated plumbing was much smaller than the radiator of a water-cooled plane.
That's a rotary engine, viz the Gnome Rotary fitted to most Sopwith a/c, Camel, Pup etc; or the Oberusel (sp?) fitted to the Fokker triplane. Le Rhone was another French manufacturer of rotary engines.
I'm currently doing research for a SolidWorks project proposal on a F4U-1 Corsair for one of my classes. It is a little more simplified, but it is something I am passionate about building and creating part by part, and I've been doing a deep dive into how radial engines work (the R-2800 Double Wasp is amazing) and how I can implement that into my model with little understanding, and your videos have made it so much more easier for me to comprehend! Thank you!!!
Very much appreciated from a retired toolmaker Down Under in Australia . Great instructions and details loved the wooden model excellent work from a real craft man
Thank you so much for explaining cam rings. I have decades of experience as an automobile mechanic and I knew an automobile style camshaft would not easily fit in a radial engine. I am amazed at how elegant the the cam ring system and lifters are.
I was a Marine Engine Mecahic and I was trained on these engines. Worked on all the Radias except the R-4360. You explained this the best way I ever saw. I guess you built that?
5.5 years later found this and still deserves credit for your ability to not only build a functioning model but the explanation of it principles. Question is in that time have you finished the rest of the aircraft, guess I'll just have watch the rest of your channel's content. Bravo sir.👏👏👏
That is an amazing model!! I always wondered how a radial engine worked. Thank you for the excellent step by step explanation and demonstration of your beautiful masterpiece!!!
You know what, I am an auto mechanic by trade and I worked with some 2 cycles engine as well but I never knew how radial engine works, thank you so much for making this video you went through lots troubles and you have made so easy for the ordinary people to understand the concept of the radial engine.
Man, if someone like you arrived at my high school with that model and your explanation back in the day It would have given me a big career direction. Forget X box, give me engines,,,
cool, I finally got it after all these years. Great job breaking it down and cool, cool piece of woodworking skill. Now, I need to see the innards of a rotating radial.
Tommy Petraglia Flip it around? Instead of attaching the propeller to the main shaft, attach the main shaft to the airplane. I don't know but I imagine that was done to balance oil distribution, and maybe wear (but that is even a bigger guess).
Ni999 I somewhere got the impression when I was a kid building balsa-wood airplanes, all World War 1 models, that rotating the engine was an attempt to spin opposite the propeller to counteract the rotational forces they are experiencing early propellers and Wing designs without trim tabs.. but I'm such a novice Maybe I'm Wrong
Tommy Petraglia Check out any of the RUclips videos searching for "sopwith camel starting" - the prop is fixed with respect to the cylinders. I think you'd have a bit of power loss contra-spinning the prop and cylinders, I haven't seen that (nor everything).
Ni999 Right. Stupid assumption. Just because it's an airplane doesn't mean it's not still an engine an all logic still applies.... but that is one huge mass to be rotating and hang your life on. Must have made great advancement in bearings design to have this possible
Absolutely amazing. I have an excavation business..work with machines all the time...this was extremely informative to guys like me who wonder about these things...Does a working display like this get bought by an aviation enthusiast or tech school? Great Learning display. Wow! I can make dirt look good. ha ha ha.
When I was in A&P school, My recip instructor said the same thing about odd number of cylinders on radial engines. However, There was a 4 cylinder radial engine in an antique aircraft at an air show in Wisconsin.
Jim Holmes - perhaps it could have been a two-stroke? Or a crankshaftless design? These things are wild!airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/fairchild-caminez-447-c-radial-4-engine
An excellent explanation of how a radial engine works. Till now I've never understood how so many conrods are connected to the crankshaft and how the valves are opened and closed. Very good.
What a great tutorial video, I knew the principle of the rotary engine but now I know exactly how it works. I’m 71 on Saturday but still lots to learn, thanks a million
I was "into it" and understanding for the first time how this engine design works, on the edge of my seat. ... and then it was over. Good job. I cant remember being that engrossed in a video. Thanks!
I greatly appreciate this video, I was kind of laughing because he had so much information in his mind as he was explaining that he had limit the amount of information so it wasn't too complex, but it was obvious the amount of labor and testing that went into the design and building of these engines staggaring....thanks so much !
I often wondered how these amazing marvels worked Had a good idea seen drawings but ur work explained it best, That model u built is just amazing If it was a metal cut away u would need a a 5 foot pry bar to turn that motor, Thanx for the info,
An absolutely brilliant video, one the best I've seen. Extremely well explained without talking down to your watchers. Also good steady photography, not shaky hand phone stuff. The craftsmanship of the mock up puts many others too shame. A really great piece of work in all directions. All you tube videos should be like this
As you mentioned in the beginning of your video, there are plenty computer generated 3D radial engine animations available on the internet, but they don't quite go into depth like you have with this project. I am amazed at your craftsmanship. I believe I speak for the majority of RUclipsrs who have watched this video when I say that all of your hard work, time, and energy is greatly appreciated
Mike Majoris.
thanks. very well Said.
Ditto!
double ditto. I liked the craftsmanship as well as the presentation
Mike Majoris
Easy to to see how out of the 915 comments to date... How your'es has maintained the Top one. During the AutoCad courses from Versions 10-14 i'd taken back in the 90's...
One statement rings true in Ian Jimmerson working model... ''If a picture is worth a thousand words; What then, is the worth of a solid working model? -1719
Don't get why there would be 4 dislikes or even one, watched this a couple of times. Awesome model and well made. Your explanation and prompts to follow the combustion and exhaust cycles are great. Thank you for an excellent video.
I graduated from college (40 years ago) with an aviation degree and went on to become an accomplished aviator. This is by far the best video I’ve seen on radial engines.
The best video i've seen on radial engine .terimakasih
This guy is dedicated in both his craftsmanship as well as his instruction. Extremely well done. Best video on the subject.
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the effort which went into this video? Massive thumbs up.
The best illustration of a radial engine operation that I've seen, Thumbs up to you thank you.
Very well done and very informative! Thank you!
Ou
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@@hectorceccon62 Hector ...you are
@@hectorceccon62 ....really , really funny.
This was the best explanation of the mechanical interaction of the parts inside a radial engine, the best !
like you said one of the best explanations of the mechanical interaction of a radial engine.
Wow! That's a thing of beauty: firstly in the engineering of how each component works with and on the others, secondly, it's such a beautiful, well made model. It's a wonderful teaching aid: thank you so much for making and sharing it and for your very clear, step by step explanation. I love it!
Excellent. After 35 years in aviation, I have finally understood how a radial engine works. I must mention that I have never worked on a radial engine. Thanks !
True brilliance. If you're not in front of a classroom of youngsters, inspiring them with your passion and total clarity then there is no sense in this world. Thank you.
I learned something new today. The model is a piece of art.
It gives you a small idea how our grandparents were brilliant in a time when CAD systems did not exist. All manual calculations and manually created drawings.
There must be a CAD system in your grandpa's brain. Amazing...
Thnks for this greatjob,bro...👍👍👍👌👌👌😍😍😍
I worked on those radial engines as a student at Aviation High School in NYC. I remember being awed by the size of the pistons and dwarfed by the dimensions of the powerful engines as a 14-15 year old. Thank you for explaining the workings of this workhorse of WWII.
Absolutely the finest and most easily followed instructive video of a radial engine, or any engine for that matter, that I have ever seen. Fantastic work on the model and equally so on the explanation of its internal workings!!!
This is brilliant. Not only are you an engineering genius but one hell of a teacher also. Thank you. Now I am off to watch part 2.
Yes - Excellent instruction!
Wow!!! I've always 'known' about radial engines (not really on radial engines, but I do know how I.C.E.s work, so I've always been a bit confused on how radials work)...this video and how the knowledge was transfered was AMAZING!!!
I can now confidently explain this to a lay-person!
Thank you Ian!!!
Ian, this is THE most thorough explanation of the radial engine that I've ever seen. Now I'm totally understand the inner workings of the cam gear ring. It must have given you immense satisfaction in this labor of love project. Keep up the good work my fellow human and God bless you.
Can I just say this is a brilliant explanation. I have aimlessly watched engine videos but never truly understood what goes into the design of these things. I just accepted they worked ( mostly!) and enjoyed the noise. Thank you very much.
Kudos to you, sir, this is one of the most awesome things I've seen on youtube and a great explanation of how radial engines work
Hi Ian, Excellent job of explaining this engine. Years ago my father and I would always stop by at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton. This is where i saw my first cut away view of a real radial engine on display. I remember distinctly as the light bulb went off in my head about the single giant conrod and all the others that attached to it via a wrist pin. I never had time to figure out the valve cam timing but you have done an excellent job of showing that concept. My background is retired tooling and die engineering. I have a great spacial orientation thing for design and this is one video that has burned into my brain. Great Great job! If you ever get to WPAFB the cutaway engine is still on display!
This is pretty cool. I never understood how radials controlled the valve timing and couldn't quite work it out from watching cutaway views. Thank you!
I could never understand how the con rods didn' crash into each other....maybe I'm dumb..
This is so cool. You're extremely adept at explaining concepts like this to people with only a rudimentary understanding. Thanks! 😁👍🏻
I'm a fan of vintage WWII fighters like P47 and P51. I've always wondered how their engines fired and how the rods were fixed to the crank. This is a great video!
The Thunderbolt had a radial but the Mustang didn't!
I worked on radial engines in the A.F. way back when and know their operation, and have seen cut outs in museums and on film, but this is the most incredible thing so far.. You are to be acknowledged as a true artist and one heck of an engineer for doing such a feat.. Congrats to you..
Wow! This is just an awesome demonstration of how a radial engine works! Your level of detail and craftsmanship are to be highly commended! Thank you for taking the time to do this for us gearhead's that love engines, all engines!
Where RUclips shines :-) Great project!
Very well said.
My hat is so far off my head to you Ian that you could drive a truck under it. Beautiful work and elegantly explained.
Ozzie...you need a hat with springs on it.
Two things in my life I have always loved, the sound of a radial engine and the smell of home-made bread. Thank you Ian! We always enjoy flying the AT-6 Texans. Oh...the third thing would be my wife of 44 years...
Good save at the end!
That wooden mock up is just about the coolest thing I've seen on RUclips to date. You did a really good job on it.
Very good, cleared up some mystery I had on the workings of radial engines. Thank you for a superb video :)
What a beautiful thing to watch... kinda mesmorizing to me. Your model was SO well done, and your explanation SO straight forward and clear. Thanks for a great job. No wonder these engines had such a power to weight ratio. I'll be looking into who did the original design work which was genius relative to the crankshaft design and camshaft layering. Truly a thing of beauty. Well done!!
I read the recent article in Air & Space magazine of how the Pratt & Whitney R1340 Wasp engine received recognition as a Historic Engineering Landmark and immediately went looking for an animation online to explain the engine's operation. Your model exceeded my expectations. Thank you so much for taking the time to make the model and the videos. You rock!
This explanation answered every question I had when 10 minutes ago, I didn’t know what a radial engine was. Friggin awesome!
Hello Ian,
You rig is a masterpiece. :) The radial engine is pure mechanical engineering genius. I have some physical intuition also called mechanical aptitude but I have have nothing like the intelligence needed to design the radial engine.
All the best,
Peter Nolan.(Ph.D., experimental physics). Dublin. Ireland.
Great Job, Sir. 3800+ likes and 24 dislikes (24 haters) just goes to show that there will always be haters! As for why they took the time to actually dislike this video is beyond me. Probably just mad cause they couldn't do it or still didn't understand a radial after watching...therefore they will never understand. Good job, Ian J!
Scott S. The haters are probably low IQ trolls or jealous teachers 🙄
Dislike hate
i hold an A&P license. (post radial engine era) I didn’t really know how these engines worked until i watched this video. I have since become a machinist and welder and am super appreciative of the manufacture of these engines pre-cnc as well as the high level of skill you’ve showcased at making your model. kudos ian!
I've been a professional mechanic for over 30 yrs. And today I learned something new. Thanks for your excellent explanation.
That is a work of art! Take a bow, Mr. Jimmerson.
You are one Heck of an "instructor" on this, as well as a craftsman. I fly RC airplanes, and one has a radial Saito on a Boeing PT-17 Super Stearman. I've always loved the radials my dad flew back in WWII.
Keith Lucas if only they put fart cans on them XD
You have no idea how incredible your demonstration is!!!! Amazing craftsmanship my friend!
Great display pete dooley
This model should be in a museum like Smithsonian. Copies of it ought to be part of every engineering class at our technical schools and Universities!
I agree with John McDonald, it has ALWAYS puzzled me how the radial worked. I could never visualise the operation. This explanation has taken all the mystery out of it.
I've always wanted to know how the camshaft was setup on one of those. Thank you for the best explanation ever!
Absolutely great video! As a automotive technician I’ve always wondered how radial engines worked. Ingenious design. Thanks for the video.
I've struggled for years to understand and visualise how a radial engine works - this is the best thing I've ever seen on the subject and the way you dismantle the engine and explain it all is just amazing.
Thanks for an awesome video.
The engineering in this is so amazing to me...so simple and yet such a unique operation compared to inline OHV engines, especially cam/valvetrain wise
Someone has really taught this guy the intricacies of education, this is a tough skill that generally comes from hours and hours of learning from a parent figure willing to painstakingly explain things. This is what a world class professor sounds like, I only wish I was still in the position to help him.
I've always give more credit to my high school wrestling coach for my academic success than any other teacher I've had. Just the point by point logical progression of building fact upon fact to a reasoned outcome is priceless, no mater what profession you choose.
I hope you're a teacher because you sure have the heart of one and the patience to describe what was a revolutionary engineering feat in history. Your craftsmanship and grasp of subject is exemplary! I hope to see more examples of your work in the future .
I'm subscribing. Your content has value for curious minds.
Thank you!
Stumbled across a radial steam engine, which caused me to stumble across your explanation of a radial gas engine. Very good stuff.
This is one of the best presentations of anything I've ever seen. Very well done!!
Excellent presentation. I always wondered how that work. You explained it beautifully. Thank you for taking the time.
Your video just popped up in my RUclips main page. It is just cool and your explanation is very easy for outsiders like me to understand. Thanks.
Ian - Absolutely fantastic job on the construction & presentation of the radial engine. My father was an USAF radial engine mechanic (R-3350), instructor & training equipment specialist for the AF. I can only imagine how much he would have appreciated this video!
GREAT VIDEO!! GREAT PRESENTATION!! GREAT EXPLANATION!! I could never figure out (in my mind) how It works... thank you! thumbs up and I shared..
Absolutely outstanding! As was suggested in an earlier comment, it would be great if you would donate your outstanding model to the Air and Space museum. Or, at least donate this video to the museum for visitors to watch.
Or in schools.
Best example of how a radial engine works I've seen. Beautiful workmanship. 🇬🇧
Great job building that wooden cut-away radial engine. Now I know how radials work. You did raise a new question for me. And that's 'How did you hob those wooden gears?' Beautiful work!
as impressive as this is, and it is very impressive, how impressive is the first guy that figured this out way back when. This style engine was patented by 1894!
Good job.
wow what a great model! ...and an equally great way to explain how a "complicated looking" engine works. It also makes you appreciate the many great minds and years of experience that combined to develop this engine.
You are an outstanding teacher. You should be getting really, really, really paid for your skill. Plenty of people have the knowledge, but very few have the talent to convey their teachings. I have very little prior knowledge of engines, like just enough know that camshafts, intake and outlet valves, and pistons are engine parts, but not how they all function together. I was the guy who'd up until a few months ago would curse the "dumb motor makers" for not making the firing order in my truck 12345678. I've learned more from you in 9 minutes than I have in the 20+ years of tinkering with my own cars. I'm definitely subscribing after just seeing just this one video.
Thanks. I know you put a lot of hours into this.
I hope every aviation tech school buys one of these fantastic engine demo mock-up. I could have used this back in the early 70's when I went to Spartan School of Aviation. They did a great job of teaching us about the round engines, but I thought that not many of us would ever see a radial after getting out of school. Then for the next several years that's all I worked on was 985's and 1830's. Amazing engines.
Now I finally get it after many years of head scratching. Nice job!!!!!
I'm impressed with your work and explanation .
I learned more about radial engines in the last 10 minutes than in the past 72 years. Thanks.
The best radial engine explanation video. I’m apprentice AME and having difficulty to understand basic system. Your 10 minutes video much worth than 2 months of BCIT AME course I took. Thank you so much for your effort and if it’s possible, please keep making great videos.
This was incredible. It turns so smoothly for being made of wood. Thanks for teaching us how it all works. The part about the cam ring was the most interesting. It's the part 3d models don't show well.
This would be a great display at the Wright-Patterson or Smithsonian Air&Space museums.
I was thinking exactly that. Varnished and colour coded painting to explain parts/function and motor driven. Outstanding model as is.
As a retired pilot (mostly turbine but a few hours in radials), I just have to say very well done; the craftsmanship, the explanation, both first rate!
I worked on radials in the 1960s. I can't wait to see you build a 4 row radial.
Thank you for the time you spent working on this engine model and video.You have done an excellent job with the explanations and demonstrations. I too find the old radial engines absolutely amazing. Did you utilize a CNC router for cutting your cam ring and gears? Do you offer a set of plans for your engine model?
That is a fascinating model. A very interesting video as well. I would like to hear a discussion concerning some advantages and disadvantages of radial engines v. block types. You don't have to build a replica Packard 12.
Block engines were (typically) FAR lighter weight leading to less weight in total, but also typically didn't put out as many horses. They also were far more vulnerable than radial engines due to them requiring a liquid cooling system whereas the radial engine is air cooled. Simple explanation.
Like how they are not naturally balanced because of the odd number of cylinders, though I get the firing order and the logic behind it I don't see how it's balanced, at least not like the boxer engine where the Pistons are horizontally opposed.
Advantages of a radial - easier to design and maintain a cooling system, lighter, one design can be stacked to create bigger engines, easy parts replacement (hang new jugs vs sleeve a block)...
Disadvantage - generally much larger diameter than an inline which means more drag, less overall power potential since cylinder head temperature is dependent on air cooling
"Like how they are not naturally balanced because of the odd number of cylinders"
Odd number of cylinders is actually to make it balanced. Note that in the video, it skips firing one cylinder every time. If you had an even number of cylinders, you'd have to have two cylinders fire sequentially at some point.
A fair example of that effect is how Harleys are shaky pieces of shit - their engines use the same common journal setup as a radial, but with only two cylinders, and the angle between the two cylinders doesn't help matters. Bad design...
"Radial engines also rely on OIL COOLING and have plumbing and a radial for that also !!!"
Wrong. Lower-powered radials didn't need an oil cooler setup. It was the turbo and supercharged radials running very high outputs in WWII that had to be oil cooled. The water-cooled engines of the same era also usually had an oil cooler, too. NACA cowls and the Germans installing fans in the cowling helped reduce the size of heat exchangers needed.
Radials were known to be harder to damage. Even with an oil cooler, their cylinders and cylinder heads were still air-cooled, which reduced the amount of surface area they needed for the cooling system. In an inline, the cylinders are surrounded by the case or block and the head(s) were a solid piece, neither allow for any real air cooling. In the end, the oil cooler and associated plumbing was much smaller than the radiator of a water-cooled plane.
@kevin paul halliday - that's a rotary you've got there. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_engine . Very old technology.
That's a rotary engine, viz the Gnome Rotary fitted to most Sopwith a/c, Camel, Pup etc; or the Oberusel (sp?) fitted to the Fokker triplane. Le Rhone was another French manufacturer of rotary engines.
I'm currently doing research for a SolidWorks project proposal on a F4U-1 Corsair for one of my classes. It is a little more simplified, but it is something I am passionate about building and creating part by part, and I've been doing a deep dive into how radial engines work (the R-2800 Double Wasp is amazing) and how I can implement that into my model with little understanding, and your videos have made it so much more easier for me to comprehend! Thank you!!!
Very much appreciated from a retired toolmaker Down Under in Australia . Great instructions and details loved the wooden model excellent work from a real craft man
Excellent!! A true labor of love and magnificent teaching tool! Well done!!
What a cool model! And now I finally know how all the con rods hook on to the crankshaft: could never picture how it looked.
Thank you so much for explaining cam rings. I have decades of experience as an automobile mechanic and I knew an automobile style camshaft would not easily fit in a radial engine. I am amazed at how elegant the the cam ring system and lifters are.
I was a Marine Engine Mecahic and I was trained on these engines. Worked on all the Radias except the R-4360. You explained this the best way I ever saw. I guess you built that?
Wow. Very impressive project. Well done.
Absolutely brilliant! The engine itself and the expert explanation.
5.5 years later found this and still deserves credit for your ability to not only build a functioning model but the explanation of it principles.
Question is in that time have you finished the rest of the aircraft, guess I'll just have watch the rest of your channel's content. Bravo sir.👏👏👏
Going for my A&P, I'm a jet guy and I've never touched a radial! This helped a ton! Thanks!!!!
That is an amazing model!! I always wondered how a radial engine worked. Thank you for the excellent step by step explanation and demonstration of your beautiful masterpiece!!!
Stunning craftsmanship and great explanation!!!!
Great job... Been a pilot for 35 years and this explained everything on the motion and how.
You know what, I am an auto mechanic by trade and I worked with some 2 cycles engine as well but I never knew how radial engine works, thank you so much for making this video you went through lots troubles and you have made so easy for the ordinary people to understand the concept of the radial engine.
Thanks for the best explanation of why there are an odd number of cylinders per row I have ever seen.
this is a beautiful model. really appreciate the amount of work put in and the in depth explanation. people like you are why I love this website :)
Excellent demonstration of a radial engine's operation. I never knew how the cam system worked until now. Thanks!
Man, if someone like you arrived at my high school with that model and your explanation back in the day It would have given me a big career direction. Forget X box, give me engines,,,
cool, I finally got it after all these years. Great job breaking it down and cool, cool piece of woodworking skill.
Now, I need to see the innards of a rotating radial.
Tommy Petraglia Flip it around? Instead of attaching the propeller to the main shaft, attach the main shaft to the airplane. I don't know but I imagine that was done to balance oil distribution, and maybe wear (but that is even a bigger guess).
Ni999
I somewhere got the impression when I was a kid building balsa-wood airplanes, all World War 1 models, that rotating the engine was an attempt to spin opposite the propeller to counteract the rotational forces they are experiencing early propellers and Wing designs without trim tabs.. but I'm such a novice Maybe I'm Wrong
Tommy Petraglia Check out any of the RUclips videos searching for "sopwith camel starting" - the prop is fixed with respect to the cylinders. I think you'd have a bit of power loss contra-spinning the prop and cylinders, I haven't seen that (nor everything).
Ni999
Right. Stupid assumption. Just because it's an airplane doesn't mean it's not still an engine an all logic still applies.... but that is one huge mass to be rotating and hang your life on. Must have made great advancement in bearings design to have this possible
Tommy Petraglia Indeed, the bearings must have been something. One hell of a shaft too I should imagine! :D
Absolutely amazing. I have an excavation business..work with machines all the time...this was extremely informative to guys like me who wonder about these things...Does a working display like this get bought by an aviation enthusiast or tech school? Great Learning display. Wow! I can make dirt look good. ha ha ha.
When I was in A&P school, My recip instructor said the same thing about odd number of cylinders on radial engines. However, There was a 4 cylinder radial engine in an antique aircraft at an air show in Wisconsin.
Jim Holmes - perhaps it could have been a two-stroke? Or a crankshaftless design? These things are wild!airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/fairchild-caminez-447-c-radial-4-engine
Ian Jimmerson You mean a Rotary not a Radial. Hmm. Maybe it was. It's was a long time ago. (In our Galaxy). Ha ha.
An excellent explanation of how a radial engine works. Till now I've never understood how so many conrods are connected to the crankshaft and how the valves are opened and closed. Very good.
Your a great teacher. Thanks so much for this.
Ian......that thing should be in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
What a great tutorial video, I knew the principle of the rotary engine but now I know exactly how it works. I’m 71 on Saturday but still lots to learn, thanks a million
I was "into it" and understanding for the first time how this engine design works, on the edge of my seat. ... and then it was over. Good job. I cant remember being that engrossed in a video. Thanks!
I greatly appreciate this video, I was kind of laughing because he had so much information in his mind as he was explaining that he had limit the amount of information so it wasn't too complex, but it was obvious the amount of labor and testing that went into the design and building of these engines staggaring....thanks so much !
I often wondered how these amazing marvels worked
Had a good idea seen drawings but ur work explained it best,
That model u built is just amazing
If it was a metal cut away u would need a a 5 foot pry bar to turn that motor, Thanx for the info,
I love how you made all these props just to clarify your explanation. Really good!
An absolutely brilliant video, one the best I've seen. Extremely well explained without talking down to your watchers. Also good steady photography, not shaky hand phone stuff. The craftsmanship of the mock up puts many others too shame. A really great piece of work in all directions. All you tube videos should be like this