Ok I'll check my 1800s. Don't think I ever got on XV250. I was involved with the MRA4 though for 10 years. Started off on build and ground test and had the pleasure of being one of the flight test engineers for about 6 years. Did all sorts of flight testing on them. And even better was I ended up being a cleared engine runner....which was an amazing honour!
Now then! That's brilliant, there's footage of PA01 etc on YouTube, was you part of John Turners team, that must have been amazing putting them through the paces! We (the company I work for, nCode International at the time) carried out fatigue tests on the wing skin, wing spar and I think landing gear materials for BAE Warton & Brough, in the late 90's. We also got asked to test the AAR probe but we couldn't do it, we didn't have the kit! One of our family flew the original MR2s and the R1's for 20 odd years, he loved them!
Yeah I knew john. He was director of flight ops at the time and chief test pilot on the MRA4, later to be replaced by Bill Ovel. I got about 250 hrs flying by the end, and did some trials that I'll never forget!
Had another good week cleaning parts up, checking newly sourced parts fit the block, baring in mind it had little in the way of parts with it. The oil cooler had a damn good flush out and the little bracket on the end painted up. Surprisingly, it flushed clean relatively quickly! We sourced a breather box off ebay, one of @3901micks from memory as we didn't have one of them. this is in excellent condition!
The oil filler tube was sourced from Parts emporium, again this cleaned up well and looks good The cylinder head tins look well rough at the moment, these had never been fitted to this engine case, here they are mocked up, just to ensure they fit as they should Aside of a couple of nicks around one spark plug hole, which will be welded up, these can be cleaned up and repainted.
I don't think so, it looks same as an image in Tom Wilsons book..that said, anything could be possible, Ill check this one out!
The fan housing, one of Paul's spare parts stash, cheers fella was next in line for mocking up - it is however in need of further degreasing, which will be done over time. This has never been fitted to this case either, looked okay to me! Ive got more tinware to clean and paint, parts to degrease then, once we have got Gusbus pretty much sorted for the MOT and Major serviced, Ill get the crank cleaned ready to mock up
Looking good mate. Mines all stripped and the crank has gone for grinding now. So I'm about to start cleaning everything up too....in my newly acquired parts washer
Bigrich at Coolair sorted our regrind out along with the bearings. We bought ourselves a little Machine Mart parts washer - Ill do the crank on it soon!
I agree the oil cooler mount bracket should be straight. Can't find a PIC of mine but the part that screw's on to the fan housing? should be in line with the part that fits around the cooler
Ahh so as it stands, the bend shouldn't be there, it should be straight up? If you could find an image that'd be great, if not it s no biggie for me to pop the fan housing on along with the oil cooler and see how it should be!
Thanks for the image, appreciated! I understand now the image of the bracket in Wilsons book has a similar bend to mine..I can sort that easily!
Looking at the PIC of yours it does look like it is meant to be that shape. Maybe it attaches to a different place?
