Unknown Cylinder Head Recovered from Freeman Field

[harrison987]

Hey guys...

Trying to ID this...

Any thoughts?

[Tony Kambic]

I'm sure this is from a P&W R-2800. I've just broke down, cleaned, applied preservatives, and re-assembled over 20 of the 36 from Flak Bait's two R-2800 engines and it looks the same.

P&W had different manufacturers like Ford and GM make the engines so the stampings are from a manufacturer. Ford's is a clearly scrolled 'F' and I don't see that here.

Tony

[harrison987]

Hey Tony!

All the stuff from Freeman that has been recovered were all from captured aircraft (German, Japanese, Italian).

There were "some" US aircraft there that took the R-2800...those being the A-26, C-82, P-61, and P-47....but...this cylinder head was perfectly serviceable...so there was no need to dump in in the pile of captured axis aircraft parts in 1946/1947...especially when the engines and aircraft were still being used.

Is it "possible" that this is a foreign variant? or are the serial/part numbers 100% conclusive of being US?

Mike

[Tony Kambic]

I am out of town now and can check when I returned to NASM later this week concerning the numeric stampings. I know that BMW began building radials under license using the P&W Hornet.

I do not know of any other foreign license builds of radials.

One thing I noticed about the large radials the US produced, R-2800, R-3350, and the R-4360, is the asymmetrical cooling fins with the exhaust side larger than the intake. It seems earlier radial cylinders for the most part were symmetrical. I also do not see that in any German or Japanese engines.

[harrison987]

Thanks Tony!

For sure the Japanese had asymmetrical as well, as I have some here...but you are right about the German engines.

I am 100% sure this is not German, as the stamps and part numbers do not match anything German...same with Japanese.

I guess I was hoping it was something foreign...but I think you are right on this one...

Any chance to get a pic of the serial/part numbers from one of the radials you are working on for comparison?

mike

[Tony Kambic]

Sure thing. When I get back later this week.

[harrison987]

Hey Tony,

I think you are right on the money...found an image online with stamps in the same areas...also found these stamps...do these mean anything to you?

[Tony Kambic]

In the last image I came across that inking on every cylinder but we didn't identify what it was. When I return I will see what the number was on Flak Bait's engine. It was 4 digits but I don't recall what it was.

Since GM and Nash-Kelvinator also built the engine under P&W license, I suspect it is one of theirs, unless you find a nicely scrolled 'F' which would be the Ford built. The 'F' for Ford was somewhere on the rocker arm/push rod housing.

That first image has a circular stamping, with what WT 1M, I cannot tell exactly what that is.

[Tony Kambic]

Mike,

Here you go. In the one image you will the scrolled 'F' for a Ford made R-2800. Note that your cylinder is like the one I posted, from the rear bank of 9, where the push rods and intake/exhaust ports are on the same side. A forward bank cylinder has the push rods on the opposite side as the ports.

Tony