Can anyone identify this engine?

[newbieprospector]

Hello...my daughter located this in the jungle in Guam and I was wondering if anyone might be able to tell me what it's from...auto, plane, something else? It's at the bottom of a small trench but could have started as a crater from impact if a plane...no other wreckage was found...some trash though...from the ground to the top is approximately 3.5 to 4 feet...thanks!

 

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[Gypsy Heart]

How far in the jungle away from any roads was she? What is she doing in a jungle in Guam....Will show it to an old aviator who works in my office building later today.

 

[newbieprospector]

She's about 5 miles inland from the beach where the Marines landed to take Guam back from the Japanese...and a few hundred yards from any road...and the nearest road was built after WWII which is the only reason I was thinking possibly a plane.

 

[Batch]

This is a "radial" type engine...very common on WWII aircraft. From the photos, I cannot make out the number of cylinders though. An aviation buff will probably ID it quickly.

HH!

Batch

 

[newbieprospector]

Gypsy just realized you might have been talking about my daughter instead of the engine...lol...my daughter is 11 and loves the outdoors and exploring...we do alot of exploring together...she always tells us where she's going and is pretty good about checking in every so often...we also did alot of research on plant and animal life on Guam before she was allowed to venture into the jungles around the house without me

 

[MSgtUSAF]

Newbie, It does look like a radial type engine, what part of the Island did you find it?


MSgt

 

[dg39]

Looks like probably a fighter plane crash site to me. I would scout around the whole area for more debris.. There may be more on top ground. Looks like a very interesting site. Please keep us up to date. Be careful for unexploded ammunition or bombs though.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Hola, where is the prop?

Tropical Tramp

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Hola, from lack of ancillary parts and aircraft, I have to assume that it is a descarded engine in a small junk pile. How far from a former military field is it?

When I left they were taking our nice new A-26's, topping off their fuel tanks, installing all aux gear, guns, radios, etc., then running tractors from one wing tip to the other - just squishing them.

snifff.

Tropical Tramp

 

[ryanc11]

What a cool find...

Found this pic... B-29's flew out of Guam on raids against Tokyo...

This pic intrigued me since the front where the propeller attached is almost identical (notice bolts, and the doohicky where the propeller was attached.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_R-3350

(or i would imagine most radial engine of the period where similar in design).

Ryan

 

[danger831]

Definitely looks like a radial engine .Radial engines where not only used in airplanes but were also heavily used in boats of all kinds by the military including Higgins landing craft that were made out of wood that would be long gone (didn't you say it was close to the beach)I also believe they used them in tanks.

 

[newbieprospector]

The nearest airfield is about 8 miles away...Orote, no longer used....and the beach is Agat about 5 miles away...I don't think they would drag an engine of this size off base to discard it! Maybe with all the bombing it could have been clear enough for landing craft to get out there. The site definitely needs more attention but the crater or ditch it's in has turned into drainage during heavy rains and the mosquitos swarm you after about 10 minutes!

 

[dg39]

Probably a crash site that was not cleared after the war...Are there any records you could check. See if you can find a ID plate of any kind on or around the engine...They were normally stamped brass with enamel paint.. Should still be readable if you can find one.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

[diving doc ]
Look like you could hang a variable pitch prop on that??
Doc
********
Without it, would be similar to driving an automobile with only one gear.

Incidentally, that is a throw away engine. It has been stripped of useable parts.

El Tropical Tramp

p.s. My credentials on this.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Incidentally Newbie, you rate ***** for corectly id'ng it as an Engine, not a motor hehheeh.

Tropical Tramp

 

[nhbenz]

I agree it looks like it was stripped and junked, but how long ago? The parts could be worth good money today. (chanting to myself) "Dig-It-Out, Dig-It-Out, Dig-It-Out". I'll bet it would be worth it... if its from a Wildcat or Corsair someone out there would LOVE to have those parts.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

NH, you are sooo right.

Tropical Tramp

 

[Monty]

Whatever it is it looks like it has one heck of a large ring gear that would normally be attached to the outside edge of a flywheel. I don't know much about radial engines, but on the early ones the cylinders turned along with the prop and the purpose was for cooling the cylinders. I suppose that would need to have a large flywheel and ring gear to turn all that weight? Just a guess and more of a question than an answer. Monty

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

=Monty ]
Whatever it is it looks like it has one heck of a large ring gear that would normally be attached to the outside edge of a flywheel. I don't know much about radial engines, but on the early ones the cylinders turned along with the prop and the purpose was for cooling the cylinders. I suppose that would need to have a large flywheel and ring gear to turn all that weight? Just a guess and more of a question than an answer. Monty
************

HI MONTE MY FRIEND
The engine that rotated the cylinders was the Rhone rotary. The cylinders rotated as a unit, and the propeller was rigidly attached to the cylinders. It was used on the French Neuport. Impossible to idle so it used a blip conrtol, i.e. cutting the ignition off and on to control rpm.

It used Castor oil as the lubricant and due to the construction blew this oil all over the pilot. Err, as a result the Gentleman's lounge was in great demand.

Side thingie, due to this mass's gyroscopic action, it had a fantastic rate of turn in one direction which made it very effective in aerial combat.


Tropical Tramp

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

[
=diving doc ]
Point I was making, that it was for an plane not a tank.
Why not strip the tubes for the push rods?
Doc
*********
The cylinders have already been removed, so the push rod assemblies would have been removed first. What we have here is the basic block with the crank shaft.

Tropical Tramp