Aircraft Radial Engines Used In Tanks Manuals

[superkeith1872]

Some tanks during WW2 actually had radial aircraft engines. There are a couple technical repair manuals for the R-975 and this engine was built on the same line as the engine used for aircraft, in fact it's identical enough, I read an article a while back showing the FAA considers these engines legal for aircraft since they were aircraft built engines, even though they were installed in Sherman tanks. The RD-1820 engine was an R-1820 of B-17 fame but converted to diesel by Caterpillar and used in M6 tanks and i believe some M4 Shermans. There is also a Breeze starter cartridge manual which is the same system used on some aircraft during the war. Enjoy! Keith

 

[stonecold]

Thanks

 

[NVSMITH]

-Note the comment in TM 9-1731 that the manual is for the cartridge starting system of the Guiberson diesel which was evidently more successful in armor vehicles than it was in aircraft. "The breeze cartridge starter G-1154R is used on the Diesel engined light tanks M2A4, M3, M3A1, and the Diesel engined medium tanks M3, M3A1, and M3A2."

 

[gina]

Many thanks Keith.

those manuals are fantastic .

I am reasonably certain that the 1820 was never converted to a diesel engine...I suspect you mean it was modified so it was low enough compression to run on diesel. the continental engine had the disadvantage of needing 90 octane ...then avgas...to run on and was un-liked in the field for this reason . The W-670 ran on 80 octane which was bad enough when standard fuel in the field was 70.

Many M3 grant/lees ran twin 6 cyl 370 hp Diesel engines . The wright /continental 975 was a bit under powered for such a heavy vehicle.

Some tanks during WW2 actually had radial aircraft engines. There are a couple technical repair manuals for the R-975 and this engine was built on the same line as the engine used for aircraft, in fact it's identical enough, I read an article a while back showing the FAA considers these engines legal for aircraft since they were aircraft built engines, even though they were installed in Sherman tanks. The RD-1820 engine was an R-1820 of B-17 fame but converted to diesel by Caterpillar and used in M6 tanks and i believe some M4 Shermans. There is also a Breeze starter cartridge manual which is the same system used on some aircraft during the war. Enjoy! Keith

 

[bobm4360]

RTFM! 15.5:1 compression plus supercharger, fuel injection, no spark plugs. Sounds like a diesel to me.......
Regards,
Bob

 

[davebender]

That wasn't the worst problem.

Per Belton Cooper U.S. radial tank engines fouled spark plugs far too quickly. He describes rushing a crate of spark plugs to a Sherman tank battalion at night so they would be combat capable by dawn.

Some vehicles such as M18 tank destroyer drew cooling air through the crew compartment. A great idea in July as it helped cool the space. A disaster in January as it was impossible to heat the crew compartment.

 

[camman]

Actually, all gasoline-powered american vehicles used 80 octane gasoline whether they needed it or not. If you look at pages 22-24 of this army document, you can see what these engines required.View attachment Vol-II-Part_3.pdf