New pictures

Hi Scott,

Interesting pictures. I was especially taken with the Fairbanks Vee twin - right dead on the money for me! If anyone knows of one in the UK, I'd be even more interested.

The "Power unit" in your album is a Homelite generator. They were used as APU's in B17's and others and are a "clean sheet of paper" engine designed specifically for that task. I see yours has a contemporary (but conventional) Tillitson carb with a float and I suspect that it is a modification. The carb on mine is a suction affair, but it is a LONG way above the tank and appears to have only one reliable throttle setting - flat out! I've had it to bits, but cannot for the life of me see that it is in anything other than working order, so perhaps it is meant to be like that. I'd welcome informed opinion.

I've replied separately to you and attached a pic or two - please feel free to add these to your Webshots, suitably ascribed.

regards,

Kim Siddorn.

"Scott McAfee"

At the back of my memory I seem to remember that Jeff Connor had a relatively rare Fairbanks-Morse V engine that only a few were made of.

I have picture on one of my desks, I'll try and find it and compare. ISTR that it was made for refrigeration power packs or the like.

I have one manual here, and two complete gennys in the New York state area somewhere, which are going to gradually get across the Atlantic one of these days. They were an ebay buy, they didn't sell and I approached the vendor to sell the pair of them privately.

They have been collected from him and are with Steve Williams in NY on pallets. When he gets time he is going to make up a better single pallet and get them shipped over by surface freight to Tilbury.

The tank is pressurised by the exhust IIRC, it's a strange system, and the speed regulation is pretty much non-existent as you mention. I think they were made to run that way. My two are combined 110/24V (I think, they certainly have dual output sockets of different pin types)

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Luton, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Interesting pics - thanks

How did the Guiberson come about ? Was it built as a stationary, or was it a recycled tank engine ?

Guiberson produced these engines exparimentally for aviation use but they never became widely used infact I dont think they were used in full service at all. A few of them did find their way into combat vehicles. Regards Scott

By the looks of it it's a tank engine, the T1020, rather than the A1020 aero engine. There's a cooling fan and an electric starter, rather than the Coffman starter.

Guiberson originally made oilfield equipment, rather than engines. i was wondering if they'd built this originally as a stationary engine, rather than it being mil-surplus from a tank and then re-mounted by a civilian owner.

Andy, I dont really know. When I have the opportunity to talk to the owner I will ask for some specific information about the engines. He has two. One does not have the takeoff shaft. I suspect that the frame and shaft were a civilian modification. I will post a message when I get more info. Regards Scott

Andy and group, I have been in contact with the owner of the Guiberson radial. It is indeed a tank engine. There was an outfit in Woodland, CA. that converted these engines for stationary use and many were used by the local farmers and orchardsman for pumping water or as blowers to prevent frost in the orchards. He recently ran the engine for the first time in 30 or 40 years and said that it didn't take much to get it to run. The two bottom cylinders have stuck valves and he suspects that they have had water in them. The engine sat in a field for decades with no covers on the exhaust. He has no plans at this time to make repairs as the bottom cylinders are going to be absolutely awful to access. Kim, This same gentleman has two of the Homelite APUs and one is in working order and is occasionally used. He notes the same running characteristics that you described. The Fairchild ground power unit is in working order. He uses it to start the R-4360 and to run the pre oiler on the P-51 before a cold start. He sais that there are loads of them around and It shouldn't be hard to find one if you are in the market. Regards Scott