Seen on the street in Kyiv.

Words of Advice:

"If Something Seems To Be Too Good To Be True, It's Best To Shoot It, Just In Case." -- Fiona Glenanne

“The Mob takes the Fifth. If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” -- The TOFF *

"Foreign Relations Boil Down to Two Things: Talking With People or Killing Them." -- Unknown

“Speed is a poor substitute for accuracy.” -- Real, no-shit, fortune from a fortune cookie

"If you believe that you are talking to G-d, you can justify anything.” — my Dad

"Colt .45s; putting bad guys in the ground since 1873." -- Unknown

"Stay Strapped or Get Clapped." -- probably not Mr. Rogers

"The Dildo of Karma rarely comes lubed." -- Unknown

"Eck!" -- George the Cat

* "TOFF" = Treasonous Orange Fat Fuck, A/K/A Dolt-45,
A/K/A Commandante (or Cadet) Bone Spurs,
A/K/A El Caudillo de Mar-a-Lago, A/K/A the Asset., A/K/A P01135809

Sunday, March 27, 2022

Your Sunday Morning Prop Noise

A Sopwith Camel:



How engine speed was controlled is a fascinating topic.

2 comments:

Tod Germanica said...

Fuel/ air mixture came through the hollow crankshaft and was not very controllable. A blip switch cut out cylinders to slow it down. The unburned mixture then often ignited into flames in the open cowlings when switched on, where the fuel and lubricating castor oil would pool. Needless to say, the fabric dope paint was highly flammable too.
The rotation of the entire engine and propeller, combined with massing the plane's weighty items- engine, fuel and pilot- near the center of gravity meant the camel (never a RAS or RAF official name) could not be out turned. But only in right turns. It downed more enemy aircraft than any other in WWI but, sadly, was so difficult to train in and fight in that it killed many a young allied pilot as well. Used throughout the last stages of the war alongside the also deadly, but more stable, SE5A fighter. After the armistice the SE5A soldiered on in US and British service but the Camels were all junked, replaced by the Sopwith Snipe.

Stewart Dean said...

Nice links on rotary engines. Tx.