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Hi all, I am new to here and I would like to get help to sort out what engine is this.
Friend of mine living in Japan who has small grape field has dug out a rusted WW2-era aircraft engine 5 months ago, with several other metal fragments from same era.
Engine's condition is not so good, rusted and many parts are lost. There are no factory mark on the engine itself.
The engine is suspected to be a Radial engine, and the field where engine has been dug out was used to be one of the biggest IJA's airfield in Osaka.
My friend and I really would like to know what is this engine, and hope that anyone can help to sort this out.
P.S. In the same time, B-29's AN/M2 from tail gun turret has been dug out in the same place.
I am note an engine expert, but what I see is the output shaft with the splines where the propeller would mount, and then the piston connecting rods, if it was a B-29 engine there would be a gear reduction box in between these two parts, so it appears to be a direct drive engine. Also if it was from a crash, then there would be a propeller hub still on the shaft, which is not there. Also if you look at the connecting rods, there are no piston pins in the holes from what I could see. In my opinion this was a partial disassembled engine that was discarded at some time.Hi all, I am new to here and I would like to get help to sort out what engine is this.
Friend of mine living in Japan who has small grape field has dug out a rusted WW2-era aircraft engine 5 months ago, with several other metal fragments from same era.
Engine's condition is not so good, rusted and many parts are lost. There are no factory mark on the engine itself.
The engine is suspected to be a Radial engine, and the field where engine has been dug out was used to be one of the biggest IJA's airfield in Osaka.
My friend and I really would like to know what is this engine, and hope that anyone can help to sort this out.
P.S. In the same time, B-29's AN/M2 from tail gun turret has been dug out in the same place.
This looks like an accessory drive pad, if this was a P&W engine this is where you could mount a propeller governor, vacuum pump, or gun synchronizer.Moreover, I would like to know what is this. (Suspected engine parts)
You are right that it is a radial and I can add that it is a two row radial but I cannot see anything distinctive that suggests a maker or model.
Moreover, I would like to know what is this. (Suspected engine parts)
You are right that it is a radial and I can add that it is a two row radial but I cannot see anything distinctive that suggests a maker or model.
I am note an engine expert, but what I see is the output shaft with the splines where the propeller would mount, and then the piston connecting rods, if it was a B-29 engine there would be a gear reduction box in between these two parts, so it appears to be a direct drive engine. Also if it was from a crash, then there would be a propeller hub still on the shaft, which is not there. Also if you look at the connecting rods, there are no piston pins in the holes from what I could see. In my opinion this was a partial disassembled engine that was discarded at some time.
Hi, yes definitely a radial engine, definitely a double row and although it is not easy to see, probably a fourteen cylinder engine but you can check that by counting the con' rods. It is badly corroded but it looks very American in style to me but that doesn't mean too much because Russian radials are essentially American-based so look like them too! And other countries could easily have based their engines on American ones too. I would think also this was probably a scrap engine, it did not end up like this due to a crash or anything, it is a part stripped down engine and not worth repairing so dumped.
As for the aluminium casting, I would say yes, an engine part, probably a mounting boss broken off a main casting. It looks like a fairly beefy mounting boss with a very smal central hole which could easily have located a drive shaft so could be the mounting for a generator or something like that.
Nice find though!
JB
The fragment is an intake pipe flange, Looks like Nakajima's Ha-115(Sakae) if the number of connection rods is 14 or Ha-45(Homare) if with 18 rods.
I am note an engine expert, but what I see is the output shaft with the splines where the propeller would mount, and then the piston connecting rods, if it was a B-29 engine there would be a gear reduction box in between these two parts, so it appears to be a direct drive engine. Also if it was from a crash, then there would be a propeller hub still on the shaft, which is not there. Also if you look at the connecting rods, there are no piston pins in the holes from what I could see. In my opinion this was a partial disassembled engine that was discarded at some time.
The fragment is an intake pipe flange, Looks like Nakajima's Ha-115(Sakae) if the number of connection rods is 14 or Ha-45(Homare) if with 18 rods.