Ranger Aircraft Engines

[GrauGeist]

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.

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[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Inverted? This will be interesting. Post away sir!

 

[Capt. Vick]

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

 

[Shortround6]

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:

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.

 

[mikec1]

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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
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[Shortround6]

There is some information in the FAA files.

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_G...l.nsf/ViewList!OpenForm&Seq=1&BaseTarget=Main

For the V-12s there is;

ATC 84
ATC 184
ATC 185
TC 207
TC 232

6 cylinders can be found in:

ATC 57
ATC 146
ATC 187
E 216

These are only the engines that passed a type certificate test or were approved. Some planned or prototype engines do not show up here.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Love the look of the Gunner. Would love to have that kitting by a major label.

 

[mikec1]

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Greetings Shortround6;



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



Have a good day,


Mike
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[swampyankee]

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.

 

[WJPearce]

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.

 

[Piper106]

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.

 

[WJPearce]

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.

 

[Piper106]

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.

 

[ohogain]

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.

 

[MiTasol]

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

 

[MiTasol]

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.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Took this picture when Macel and I visited the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport.

 

[GrauGeist]

The Air Corps Library has quite a few Ranger manuals available (not to mention just about everything else under the sun):

Ranger Aircraft Engines

aircorpslibrary.com