STREGA

[R/C Voodoo]

Can some body shed some light on what happened to Strega?

Jody

[MRussell]

Re: STREGA

Can some body shed some light on what happened to Strega?

Jody

All they would say thus far is "Burned a piston, see you in 2008."

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: STREGA

Can some body shed some light on what happened to Strega?

In the words of the one and only "Junior Johnson" when asked a similar question in a land far away and a time long ago...

"It Blowed Up"

[440_Magnum]

Re: STREGA

In the words of the one and only "Junior Johnson" when asked a similar question in a land far away and a time long ago...

"It Blowed Up"

But at least Tiger didn't sound like Bill Elliott after he blew a tire on the last lap (while leading) of the last race of the year a few years ago (2001, I think). When a reporter asked him what he was thinking as he stood looking at the car, he said "How much I wished I had a match and a can of gasoline.

[Hawkeye]

Re: STREGA

A burned piston was the suspect.

[RRMERLIN7]

Re: STREGA

Is it me or do they always seem to be faster than what they were when they are about to blow up..

[Jim58]

Re: STREGA

Is it me or do they always seem to be faster than what they were when they are about to blow up..

And thats the nature of a recip.

WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....BOOOOOO M !!

[voodoo]

Re: STREGA

Thanks for the info I hope Tiger will be back next year. Those Seafuries need to be put in check. Jody

[shadow]

Re: STREGA

And thats the nature of a recip.

WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....BOOOOOO M !!

Interestingly enough, in the automotive hi-po world, it's the same story. Everyone talks about how their engine was running at it's best right before it let go....

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: STREGA

Interestingly enough, in the automotive hi-po world, it's the same story. Everyone talks about how their engine was running at it's best right before it let go....

One of my very best friends who is a racer (T-6) once told me that their engines run at their best power, just before melt down and that the calculations needed are to get to that point and get the airplane down on the runway after the race with enough power for a safe landing..

Not easy I'd wager

[Strega Fan]

Re: STREGA

Strega arrived back in Shafter Wednesday afternoon after changing to the stock engine.

[oldfox364]

Re: STREGA

Heres one of my pre '06 Strega picture If you would like the remainder of my P51 pixs email me at oldfox364@sbcglobal.net subj P51 and I will zip and email it to you

[Ron101502]

Re: STREGA

Anybody know if the burned piston was due to the ADI problem someone else on this forum mentioned last week? Seems to me a water cooled engine (if the cooling system operates properly) with the right mixture and spark advance for their race power setting would stand less of a chance of burning a piston than the radials as long as the ADI and cooling system was functioning properly. Or maybe I'm totally off base having no experience with WW2 warbird engines of any type.

Ron Henning

[Hawkeye]

Re: STREGA

Hopefully, Sparrow will jump in and explain it from an expert's point of view.

[440_Magnum]

Re: STREGA

Anybody know if the burned piston was due to the ADI problem someone else on this forum mentioned last week? Seems to me a water cooled engine (if the cooling system operates properly) with the right mixture and spark advance for their race power setting would stand less of a chance of burning a piston than the radials as long as the ADI and cooling system was functioning properly. Or maybe I'm totally off base having no experience with WW2 warbird engines of any type.

Ron Henning

I've never torqued a bolt on a warbird engine, but I don't know that I'd agree that water-cooled engines are inherently less susceptible to a burned piston. In fact since they usually operate at a higher power density (power per cubic inch, BMEP, however you want to measure it) they might be mroe vulnerable. In either case, the critical crown of the piston is primarily cooled by oil spray anyway.

But yeah, in general when I hear "burned piston" the first thing that comes to mind is either an ADI glitch, uneven distribution of ADI fluid or fuel, or something peculiar to that one cylinder that made it more susceptible. For example lubricating oil tends to cause detonation because its octane equivalent is really really low, so if one cylinder is pulling in more oil than the others it might detonate first.

Or it could have been a mechanical failure, like a cracked piston instead of a burned one. We can guess all day and might never get it right, hopefully someone inside the Strega camp will make an announcement.