Will it fit?

[Doug Rodrigues]

You'll have to relocate your wing forward about 5 feet and cut the prop tips back a bit. Add 50 gallon wingtip tanks and you're good to go.

[jmartinez443]

Originally Posted by rrnixonjr

Any guesses what this is?

It's a Pratt and Whitney WASP 4360. See description from Wikipedia below.

Pratt & Whitney R-4360
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Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major (sectioned)
Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp MajorThe Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major was a large radial piston aircraft engine designed and built during World War II. It was the last of the Pratt & Whitney Wasp family and the culmination of its maker's piston engine technology, but the war was over before it could power airplanes into combat. It did, however, power the last generation of large piston-engined planes before the jet engine and turboprop took over.

It was a 28 cylinder four-row radial engine with each row slightly offset from the previous, forming a semi-helical arrangement (as can be seen in the photograph), to facilitate cooling of the successive rows of cylinders. A mechanical supercharger geared at 6.374:1 ratio to engine speed provided forced induction, while the propeller was geared at 0.375:1 so that the tips did not reach inefficient supersonic speeds.

Although reliable in flight, the Wasp Major was maintenance intensive. Improper starting technique could foul all 56 spark plugs, which would require hours to clean or replace. As with most piston aircraft engines of the era, the time between overhauls of the Wasp Major was about 600 hours when used in commercial service.

Engine displacement was 4,362.50 in? (71.5 L), hence the model designation. Initial models developed 3,000 hp (2240 kW), but the final models delivered 4,300 hp (3200 kW) using two large turbochargers in addition to the supercharger. Engines weighed 3,482 to 3,870 lb (1,579 to 1,755 kg), heavy but giving a power to weight ratio of 1.11 hp/lb (1.83 kW/kg), matched by very few engines.

[Doug Rodrigues]

This may be the same "corncob" engine used on the old B-36? One of my old Air Force buddies told me that it usually took two days just to change the spark plugs on one engine. That include the time to set up the maintenance stands and crane, pull the cowl, R & R the plugs, re-install the cowl, and move all the stands away from the plane. I believe that the engines on a B-36 stood about 30 feet off the ramp? The photo doesn't give a true representation of the actual size of this engine. Four banks of 9 cylinders is a lot of engine.

[Doug Rodrigues]

??? Was it 4 rows of 7 cylinders or was it 9 cylinders? I thought it was 9?

[osxuser]

4 rows of 7, 28 cylinders total. 28 cylinders =56 spark plugs, 7 mags I believe (4 cylinders per...) and 3600 HP?

[Webb]

if the spark plugs are usable, the massive ones are 16 and the fine wire are 36.

If you pulled the plugs and sold the engine for scrap, you're already ahead on just the plugs.

Are they fine wire??

[rrnixonjr]

I kinda liked Webb's idea. Instead of relocating my wing I will redo my structure to something like this. Wonder if Van will approve of it.

[Webb]

Just strap that puppy on your back and let-r-rip.

[Mr. Mikey]

Just use the front cylinders.

Then use the others to hold oil, fuel, luggage, tools, spare parts, life raft, survival kit, lunch, passengers......

[RV7Factory]

Originally Posted by Webb

Hmmmmm.... I wonder where my OSH camping gear would go?

I am really getting tired of my 1+ hour commute to work... I think you may have just solved the problem.