Ranger Aircraft Engines (1 Viewer)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

GrauGeist

Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Ranger Engines Division was a division of Fairchild Aircraft Corporation. After WWII, the division was renamed to "Fairchild Engine Division".

While thier engines weren't as popular as the more common types of the war, they did produce engines used in trainers and a production U.S. Navy type. One unique feature of these engines, is that they are an inverted air-cooled inline 6 (L-440) or inverted air-cooled V-12 (V-770).

I should still have information about the Ranger Auxilery Power Unit that was used on various aircraft (JRM-1, B-29, etc.) and will provide that as well.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 

Attachments

  • Technical Order 02-50AA-1 Operating Instructions L-440-1,-3 (Ranger) Aircraft Engines, October 1.pdf
    8 MB · Views: 657
  • Technical Order 02-50AA-2 Handbook of Service Instructions L-440-1, -3 and -5 (Ranger) Aircraft .pdf
    16 MB · Views: 1,406
Last edited:
yep, but then some of the projected figures might be a bit suspect for the XP-77. Seamew had cooling problems among others.

The other major user of the 12cylinder engine was:

at21-6.jpg


But it's story was not a happy one.

Fairchild AT-21 Gunner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 6 cylinder engines seemed to be a lot "happier", perhaps because they weren't supercharged and turning as many RPM.
 
.
.
.
Greetings GrauGeist ;



That would be great.................


..... You never know when someone would like to find information
on the Ranger Engine. I would guess, because they are rather
unknown, Referencing them would be rather hard also.


Have a good one,


Mike
.
.
.
 
.
.
.
Greetings Shortround6;



Thanks You, for the Manual listing, and Web site Reference URL.............



Have a good day,


Mike
.
.
.
 
Wasn't it the under performance of that very engine that helped doom the Bell XP-77 and the Curtiss Seamew?

The engine certainly helped the Seamew, but it was not unassisted by the aircraft's flying qualities. I think the XP-77 was doomed before ink was dry on the drawings. The light-weight fighter concept was fashionable for a while, and I think the USAAF came to the party late and abandoned it quickly.
 
The link below is from the Aircraft Engine Historical Society regarding Fairchild/Ranger engines. I think it has been posted somewhere in this section before.

Fairchild (Ranger)

As a side note, there are a few hot rodders out there that are using V-770 engines to power their creations. Not that the V-770 makes awesome power, but it certainly is unique.
 
As a side note, there are a few hot rodders out there that are using V-770 engines to power their creations. Not that the V-770 makes awesome power, but it certainly is unique.

I don't recall any V-770 powered cars but I do recall Hot Rod magazine featuring a couple of L-440 6 cylinder Ranger powered dragsters and oval track roadsters in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This was back when Ranger engines from PT-19 / PT-26 trainers that had been scrapped were available for pennies on the dollar. As you said, not a lot of power, but like any aircraft engine, very light weight for the power.
 
I don't recall any V-770 powered cars but I do recall Hot Rod magazine featuring a couple of L-440 6 cylinder Ranger powered dragsters and oval track roadsters in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This was back when Ranger engines from PT-19 / PT-26 trainers that had been scrapped were available for pennies on the dollar. As you said, not a lot of power, but like any aircraft engine, very light weight for the power.


"Cars" may be a bit of a misnomer. Here is an un-inverted V-770 build from Blastolene: BLOWN RANGER BUILD

More V-770 use from the same site as above: RANGER HISTORY

This is the description of one of the youtube videos from the above link: "Radical Ranger Is a inverted Fairchild V-770, V12 aircraft engine. Used Primarily in trainers, observation transport aircraft during WWII. Dan Dechant has developed a unique lubrication system making it possible to run these engines in a way more suitable for the high performance needs of tractor pulling, as He has been using them for 3decades now. He also has developed many new innovative upgrades to the internal workings of these engines.He has built this one especially for a high end hot rod project."

I recall another project, but I can not find it. It may have been the project mentioned above.

I thought about buying a Ranger SGV-770 a while back, but then the practical side of may brain told me I was an idiot. I have no use for such an engine and probably no facilities to rebuild it. I still wanted it though, even if I would just stare at it as it sat in a corner.
 
You are right and I was wrong. I was completely unaware of the cars and pulling tractors recently built around an upright Ranger V-12.
 
The engine certainly helped the Seamew, but it was not unassisted by the aircraft's flying qualities. I think the XP-77 was doomed before ink was dry on the drawings. The light-weight fighter concept was fashionable for a while, and I think the USAAF came to the party late and abandoned it quickly.

When you look at the history of lightweight fighters across the board, British, French, German or American, not a single one could be called a success.
 
Ranger Engines Division was a division of Fairchild Aircraft Corporation. After WWII, the division was renamed to "Fairchild Engine Division".

A couple of Ranger engine manuals I was sure I originally found on this site.
Two may be duplicates
 

Attachments

  • 02-50AA-1 = AP 2358A Op Inst L-440-1,-3 (43-10-01 r44-01-05).pdf
    7.4 MB · Views: 340
  • 02-50AA-2 Serv Inst L-440-1, -3 and -5 (43-01-01 r43-04-20).pdf
    14.2 MB · Views: 827
  • 02-50AA-4 Parts L-440-1, -3, -5 and -7 (43-02-10).pdf
    2.8 MB · Views: 258
  • Overhaul Manual SGV-770 C (Ranger) (Navy V-770-6, -8) Part No. 8290 (no date).pdf
    99.7 MB · Views: 426
  • Parts Catalog SGV 770 C-2 (Ranger) Part No. 12040 (43-10).pdf
    7.7 MB · Views: 299
And here is a full colour Ranger publication on the SVG-770C-1 engine. Not my manual unfortunately but I wish it was. There is a colour transparency between pages 14/15 so both pages are included twice.

1688536378899.png
 

Attachments

  • Ranger SVG-770C-1 Instruction book (05-42) OCR ww2.pdf
    5.6 MB · Views: 30

Users who are viewing this thread

Back