Am curious about this engine

[maxmwill]

This was the Napier Nomad, a two stroke opposed piston diesel engine with an integral turbine in the back.

Looking a bit more, the Nomad II was intended for the Shackleton V, but was dropped.

I'm wondering if, instead of dropping it in 1955, what might it have been used on, and, would other countries have been interested in using it, and in which possible aircraft?

I mean, looking at a cutaway of this beast, as a mechanic, I'd have to be something of a major masochist, it appears that complex, much more than Pratt and Whitney's corncob radial, or even the 3350 with the power recovery turbines(that little addition was not the greatest, because when it was working right, it did indeed add at least 150 hp to the engine output, and there were 3 PRT wheels, but the turbine wheel tended to fly apart at the least opportune moments, which were a lot).

But as a mixed powerplant(turbine and piston), it is fascinating to contemplate.

[kitnut617]

That would have been the Shackleton MR.4

see here (scroll down a bit)

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,38770.0/highlight,shackleton+mr+4.html

[maxmwill]

You're right.
I had gotten the rest of my information from the wiki page on the Nomad, and mis-saw the Shackleton IV as a V.

[PR19_Kit]

I've always found the Nomad a fascinating device too. I mean it has an infinately variable speed drive right in the middle of the whole thing for goodness sake! As you say it would have been an engineer's nightmare and trouble shooting  any problems would have taken forever.

The higher power turbo-props rather upstaged it though and it only flew in testbeds, in the real world anyway..... 

[maxmwill]

Well, the first time I saw a picture of it was a cutaway, and it looked like a monster.

And then I found pics of it in Google, and knew that it was a monster.

And it is a shame that it was supplanted by turboprops, because it might've  found a niche, somewhere, which is why I asked what I did, as in, what other aircraft of other countries which might've been interested in it could have used it?

And yes, I'd be one of those masochistic mechanics willing to work on it.

I know off one guy who collects old aero engines, and was able to purchase a Continental XI-1430, and has since gotten it to run, and that's something of a monster.

Here's a video of one running I found on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jksv4k9n_VU

Now, while you listen to it sing, think about the Moonbat and dream.....................

[PR19_Kit]

I know off one guy who collects old aero engines, and was able to purchase a Continental XI-1430, and has since gotten it to run, and that's something of a monster.

Here's a video of one running I found on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jksv4k9n_VU

Now, while you listen to it sing, think about the Moonbat and dream.....................

Blimey, it's a good thing he kept the prop feathered or the trailer, engine, and probably him, too would have jumped the kerb and hammered into the freeway embankment! 

[maxmwill]

No, that little trailer looked fine, and was probably anchored well enough, and that cut down prop was what is known as a test club, which is commonly used in repair stations that specialize in overhauling radial engines and other large piston engines. I used to work for such a repair station, although the boss was kind of a funny guy, because he refused to allow any two row radials through the door, which was a shame, because there were a lot of R2000s that needed overhauling at the time.

No, if you want to see something "exciting", get a load of this, and watch the guy on the throttle, especially since he doesn't have a pair of mouse ears on:

And yes, that really is a Rolls Royce  Viper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9J91Iq52Bk

[rickshaw]

Looks like only half the combusters were working properly.

[maxmwill]

Well, I think the bigger concern would be the security of the mount.
And, I don't think that these "good ol' boys" got themselves an airworthy engine.
The first time I saw that, my reaction was "GAWD!"
And I also wonder how much beer was involved, because something like this is usually preceded by, "Y'all watch this"

[pyro-manic]

Good grief. Lucky they left the forklift there......

Surely the point where there's burning fuel dripping out the exhaust, and the engine is smoking, is the point where you'd go "I'm going to stop now"...?


This one worried me when I saw it a couple of years ago: http://youtu.be/qM7ksfRVF70

Bloke running an RB-211 in his back garden....

[jcf]

The 'good ol'boy' at the controls is Peter Grieve of Flight Engineering:
http://www.flightengineering.co.uk

They have more videos on their Youtube channel:
https://m.youtube.com/user/FlightEngineering1

[maxmwill]

About the video with the RB211. Why did the cameraman concentrate on the huffer starter for so long? I'll admit that even when they are running, turbine engines aren't half as exciting as a piston engine like a radial(and at night, watching the tongue of blue flame coming out of the collector ring is kind of exciting and beautiful on its own), and then, as the Rolls started going, as I watched, I kind of cringed a bit, because it didn't seem like he was using a telephoto lense(so he can shoot the video from a safe distance), it looked like he was getting too close to the intake, and, having seen the results of someone seemingly ignoring his surroundings(I was stationed on the Kittyhawk, and was assigned to the line, so I spent a bit of time on the flight deck, and saw just about everything you might imagine with things turning and burning, and everything else), and to me, he seemed to be skirting a bit close, within the suck radius.

And then he was in back, and just about staring straight up the efflux, another position I am very happy not being in, unless I have to connect aux power to a Kingair, with the receptacle to plug aux power in is situated in such a way that you catch the full force of what comes out of the efflux pipe, but then, seeing as the PT6 has a lot more turbine stages, each of which takes heat from the exhaust, by the time it hits you, all it feels is a bit warmer than the Summer sun in the desert.

As to the Whittle video, I really hope they didn't do that any more, or if they did, they put some "ears" on(Mickey Mouse ears, what the ear protectors are called, because they resemble a set of Mickey Mouse ears you get as a souvenir from Disneyland), because even a little engine like the Whittle will turn your eardrums into little better than tincan lids in real short order.

I'm not criticizing either video, they were interesting to watch, and I wish I were there, but as an A&P, and even before that when I was in the Navy telling pilots where to go(ok, I was a brown shirt, a plane captain, which in any squadron is considered the lowest of the low, but the plane captain is the last person the pilot sees before he launches, and the first person he sees when he finishes the trap and taxis to the parking spot for the bird to be tied down and secured), but the bottom line is safety first, not only for me, but those around me(although in that case, I tell someone not to do something like walk through a prop because I don't want to get stuck with the paperwork, with the inspection of the engine and prop, and I don't want to get stuck with the cleanup, as at the FBO I work at, one of the younger mechanics I help supervise nearly did that, and he didn't like my reaction, which was to make almost wish he did walk through that prop), and that's why I said the preceding.

That said, I wasn't aware that there were any working Whittle engines around anymore, outside of a few museums.

[jcf]

More on that Welland:
http://www.aeroenginescarlisle.org.uk/Home/rolls-royce-welland