"Bulletproof" R-2800?

[split-s]

The caption suggested that R-2800s had a tendency to do this.

Trying to recall where I got this; can't identify the a/c type, so I'm not posi it's a P&W.

$

[acehome]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Not positive but, looks like a Martin 404 to me especially the shape of cowling leading edge.

[Jason S.]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

The plane is at the Pima Air and Space museum in Tucson AZ. The story I got while there was that when they were flying the plane to AZ it had an oil pressure issue and then the cylinder blew out as you see it. They landed, drove out a donor engine and cowl and flew it the rest of the way. I’m not sure how true it is, but it sounds like a cool story. Here are some pics I took a few years ago, and yes I believe it is a Martin 404





Jason

[Stevo]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

No wonder it blew out, look at all that RUST!

[Bob]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

No wonder it blew out, look at all that RUST!

I thought the same, looks to me like it sat for many years with that jug sticking out. In a desert setting I wonder how long is would need to sit for that much rust to build up?

[2101]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

interesting.The cylinder lloks to be a Wright,note fins and rocker covers.The engine is P&w.

[split-s]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Thanks for all that. Forgot Pima's stamp was on the file.

A Martin 4-0-4? Wasn't sure, looking at the intakes, but Pima's site confirms it.

Guess who that is posing with his 4-0-4 ...

$

[stuntflyr]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Reverend Junior?

The cylinder looks like it's from a different engine, with those Wright multiple matrix cylinder fins. Maybe it was for a movie?

[split-s]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Yup, ol' Burch at the once-Flying Tigers Air Museum, west of Paris, Texas. He once sent me some materials for a social studies fair project I built. Think I still have his business card in a scrapbook.

$

[bruce lockwood]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Reverend Junior?

The cylinder looks like it's from a different engine, with those Wright multiple matrix cylinder fins. Maybe it was for a movie?

You know I've looked at this post/picture a bunch trying to figure out what happened but I think you hit the nail on the head.

Not a normal "running" failure. No intake/exhaust pipe ripped out, no studs pulled or bent cylinder flange failure, and no catastrophic rod/piston failure to lift the cylinder. no indication of burn/fire damage. Bruce

[Skyracer]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Couldn't quite figure out where the piston went and why the connecting rod just doesn't look quite right. Looks like the "rod" is a piece of square tubing. Could this have been some kind of Hollywood movie setup?

[FENCELINER]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Looks like the "rod" is T or channel, welded to inside cylinder bottom.
How nice all 20+ studs let go so uniform.
Sure glad someone took the time to replace the storage plugs.

[steve D]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Hello all, I am good friends with the museum curator for Pima. I e-mailed him about it and here is what he told me:

"Basically what happened was when the airplane was on its way to the museum from Montana one cylinder on that engine failed and it was thrown out through the cowling and vanished somewhere in the desert of northern Arizona. The plane made an emergency landing and sat up there while we figured out what to do. Eventually we decided to take an engine from another aircraft make it serviceable and trucked it up to the plane. We swapped the engine out and finished the flight down. Once the plane was here we moved the replacement engine back to its original plane and decided to display the 404 with the bad engine on it and a cylinder poking out through the hole. We have an undamaged cowling and when the plane comes up for restoration we’ll put the good cowl on."

The airplane was donated to Pima in 2000 by her owner Marvin Janzen and had been converted to aerial spraying but never used.

[FENCELINER]

Re: "Bulletproof" R-2800?

Thanks Steve