What's the Name of This Aircraft?

[Romantic Technofreak]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/heitwie.jpg

Really?

If YOU say it...:)

(Picture from flickr.com)

Regards, RT

[Red Admiral]

Hawker Hurricane?

[Ricky]

:D Nice to see a plane living up to its name!

[lizzie01]

From my point of view, it must have been a gorgeous aircraft. But why is it almost covered by flames? I wish you luck for the answer. :)

[Kutscha]

From my point of view, it must have been a gorgeous aircraft. But why is it almost covered by flames? I wish you luck for the answer. :)

Because Lizzie the Merlin engine is being started. The flame is un-burnt fuel from the combustion process.

[livingwarbirds]

I've seen engine starts with a ton of smoke coming out, but this nice! A real engine starting up!

[Lightning]

Hi Ricky,

:D Nice to see a plane living up to its name!

I'm afraid to guess what to expect from a "Lightning" or a "Thunderbolt." And what comes out of a "Mustang"? :D

Regards,
Lightning

[Romantic Technofreak]

And what comes out of a "Mustang"? :D

A horse, of course!:D

Regards, RT

[Ricky]

I'm more worried about the Lancaster!!!:p

[Kutscha]

Hi Ricky,
I'm afraid to guess what to expect from a "Lightning" or a "Thunderbolt."
Lightning

Lots of static 'flash in the pan' discharges.

[Lightning]

Hi RT,

A horse, of course!:D

Regards, RT

Or those round, soft objects that one sees in the street after a Royal Canadian Mounted Police parade. :D

Regards,
Lightning

[GregP]

Does a Fieseler Strch belch out children?

Is a Mitsubishi Zero really all that pointless?

Great pic of a Spit, RT! Of course, this site started as The Great Planes, so we EXPECTED that!

[Uyraell]

I'm more worried about the Lancaster!!!:p

Hello, :)

Please forgive the late post, but this is My first day on this forum, and I could not resist posting a reply.

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, The Museum of Transport and Technology in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand, kept its' Lancaster (XM838 from memory - I'd have to dig out my brochure on it) in the main yard at Western Springs, before it was shifted to Meola Road "airfield".

On a Sunday afternoon, it was the custom to start the Merlins on the Lancaster.

I happened to be there one Sunday when this took place.

The Aircraft was chocked ahead of the main wheels, and the chocks were 18 inches high, angle on the face at 60 degrees. With good reason.

Starting sequence was port inner, starboard inner, port outer, starboard outer.
Then each engine was brought to about 35% throttle in turn, then (and this is the stage it gets interesting) all four engines were brought to about 35%: at which point the aircraft began to climb the chock-faces!! It did so for about 20 seconds, and poised for another 20, with the mainwheels a clear 8 inches off the ground.
I know this is so because I dropped myself to groundlevel to be certain, and I was exactly beneath the port wingtip.

That moment will remain in my memory lifelong.

Each engines belches smoke and flames from the exhausts about 1/4 second after ignition, and may make a second belch as idle is reached.
Consequently, the *is* a brief moment wherein one see all four engines with flame at the exhausts.
Ignition is noisier than idle, and the 35% throttle moment less noisy than the 40% which is briefly reached, for magneto test, which is never longer than about 8 seconds.

Even so, the noise is considerable, as might be expected, though I'd say only equal-to, not greater than say a Spitfire or Mustang at full-boost in a low-altidude pass in an airdisplay, which events I have also seen.

The Lancaster was shifted to Meola Road Annex in the early 1980's, and I was aboard it in 1984, sitting in the pilot's seat, and various other crew postitions.

The Lancaster is now housed in a hangar at Meola Road, where it has been fully restored over several years, by volunteers. It is probably airworthy, though will never fly again.

Sadly, the four Merlins are no-longer fired-up, though they remain capable thereof.

The day I saw the Lancaster startup, I could not get pictures. At least: I don't recall my dad taking any.

Hope this goes some way to answering what happens when a Lancaster starts up. :)

Kind Regards, Uyraell.

[Siccmade]

Anyone know where i can get more pictures like this one? With flames coming out of pipes

[Edgar Brooks]

That is a Spitfire I, AR213, in the days that she was painted as PR-D, of 609 Squadron, and the location is Booker Airfield, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, probably in the late 1960s/early 70s. There's a similar fire-belching photo, of a Mk.Vb being started, in the RAF Museum's collection of Charles E. Brown's photos.