Pratt & Whitney R-4360-20 first start

[bobbysocks]

got this in an email and thought i would share...

Below, you will find a great test stand video of the Pratt & Whitney 4360 Wasp engine introduced in 1944. Basically, the engine was 28-cylinderfour-row air cooled radial engine. Each row of pistons was slightly offset from the previous, forming a semi-helical arrangement to facilitate efficient airflow cooling of the successive rows of cylinders, with the spiraled cylinder setup inspiring the engine ' s "corncob" nickname. A mechanical supercharger geared at 6.374:1 ratio to engine speed provided forced induction, while the propeller was geared at 0.375:1 so that the tips did not reach inefficient supersonic speeds. Initially, it developed 3,000 horsepower, later models gave 3,500 horsepower.
The 4360 powered the B-50, successor to the B-29 and later the B-36, to name a few. And although reliable in flight, the Wasp Major was maintenance-intensive. Improper starting technique could foul all 56 spark plugs, which would require hours to clean or replace. As with most piston aircraft engines of the era, the time between overhauls of the Wasp Major was about 600 hours when used in commercial service.
Why am I sending this to you? Because it looks and sounds neat. That ' s all. Just a test stand video of a newly restored engine. But turn the speakers all the way up. Bask in the roar of twenty-eight cylinders belching the sound raw power. Also, the sound will most likely clear out the cat, your wife and any other extemporaneous people not accustomed to aircraft sounds and the glorious roar of a Pratt & Whitney "round" engine. As the Warbird people say, "Jets are for kids."

Pratt & Whitney R-4360-20 first start on Vimeo

[Muskrat]

Whoaa! that is awesome.

Did any of these 4 row 28 pot lumps end up in Fighters or too later.

Wasn't there some late Corsairs that had 4 row jobs (but too late for service) I think 4 originals before the plan aborted and one made from a normal Corsir a few doing reno races?

[Muskrat]

Ah I see it says it will go in a Corsair - christ that will be bonkers!