Polikarpov I-16 Cowl vents (3 Viewers)

[SirFrancis]

Hey guys, I'm trying to establish if the front cowling vent internal cover was open or closed when the aircraft is parked. AI said closed which kinda makes sense to keep dirt / dust etc out. However the pics of parked aircraft I see online, the vents are open. So was it just a wartime protocol or AI is wrong.

cheers

 

[Wurger]

Actually I doubt there was any protocol for leaving of the frontal shutters open or closed when parked on the ground. These were for regulating of the cooling air inflow. When the engine was going to be started the pilot closed these vents in order to allow the engine getting the temperature quicker. All that depened on the air temperature though. In many pics of the I-16 it can be noticed that these could be either open/closed fully or open/closed partially . So no rule there rather. The control of the shutters was manual using the cables and the lever on the right side of the cockpit. For the protection of the engine against the dirt / dust while parked was the canvas cover mostly.

 

[SirFrancis]

Actually I doubt there was any protocol for leaving of the frontal shutters open or closed when parked on the ground. These were for regulating of the cooling air inflow. When the engine was going to be started the pilot closed these vents in order to allow the engine getting the temperature quicker. All that depened on the air temperature though. In many pics of the I-16 it can be noticed that these could be either open/closed fully or open/closed partially . So no rule there rather. The control of the shutters was manual using the cables and the lever on the right side of the cockpit. For the protection of the engine against the dirt / dust while parked was the canvas cover mostly.

View attachment 901747

Ok that makes it easy then. Open, closed or partially open....anything goes! ....cool thanks