Oil and Canvas/DRI

Shredward · 11 June 2003, 04:42 AM

Here's a good photo of a war-weary Fokker D2 with the spent oil eating or leaching the dope.
cheers,
shredward

wolfenbill · 11 June 2003, 06:13 AM

The castor oil system was a total loss system on rotaries. That's why castor oil was chosen. It was mixed with the fuel (not premixed)as it entered the engine and passed through the cylinders whether the fuel burned or not....then out the exhaust, which meant that it was sprayed everywhere. It does not burn at the temperatures of combustion. Depending on how thick it is it can be light brown, dark brown, even almost black. It coats everything nearby, inside of cowling, nearby landing gear struts, etc. and then dirt sticks to it like glue so it takes on the color of the local ground as well. When our Thomas Morse Scout was flying the other day, it landed about 200 yards away from me. I was upwind. The castor oil smell from that distance was intoxicating (not literally - I just enjoyed it).

Dan_San_Abbott · 11 June 2003, 08:06 AM

Gentlemen:
Rotary engines consumed oil at 10% of the consumption of fuel. *A good amout of the castor oil (Allies) or Voltol (Germans) an ersatz castor oil would exit the exhaust valves and coat the inside and outside of the cowling and the outside of the forward fuselage. Castor oil was used in rotary engines, because the the castor oil diluted by the fuel. Every time the coupé was used, raw fuel went out the exhaust valves and everthing was also coated with raw fuel, it was the paint remover!
* * * * * * * * * * *blue skies,
* * * * * * * * * * * * Dan-San

wingstrutdotcom · 11 June 2003, 04:53 PM

Quote:

The castor oil smell from that distance was intoxicating (not literally - I just enjoyed it).

I here ya. I get that way from oil from any rotary or piston aircraft engine. Now coal smoke from old steam engines, that really puts me over the top. Maybe there is a 10 step therapy program for detox from this sort of stuff. LOL.

wingstrutdotcom · 11 June 2003, 04:58 PM

Great info guys. Great photos as well. Perhaps a few of our author friends can include more discussions on aircraft maintenence and conditions in their works. The area is not often covered. But the details some have found make fascinating reading and really shead more light on what it takes to get these birds in the air and keep them flying.

I found some references to warping wood and wieght distribution on Pfalz aircraft in that FMP Pfalz aircraft book quite revealing.

wingstrutdotcom · 11 June 2003, 05:04 PM

I had forgot I did this plane some time ago showing similar exhaust and oil effect. Not sure what the Japanese were using on their KO 3 (N24 copy). A lot of soaking on the canvas at the base of fuselage on a lot of photos of these planes. It seems as if the French planes were in better condition ?