French engine-starting procedure

[tede]

Hello chaps

I am familiar with the procedure for starting a rotary engine, and with the commands used in English ("Switches off", "Contact" and so on).

Can anyone tell me what the equivalent commands were in French? I can get translations of the words used in English, but of course that isn't necessarily the same as what French ground crews and pilots said.

Many thanks

Tede

[tede]

After further research I can suggest the following, in case anyoine ever finds it useful:

To start the engine is "démarrer", and the starting procedure is "démarrage du moteur".

Instead of asking "Switches off?", the mechanic (or "mécano") says either "Contact coupé?" or just "Coupé?" I suspect the latter may have been more common in practice because otherwise there is an obvious danger of confusing the two sets of commands.

Once he is ready to throw the prop (lancer l'hélice), the mécano says: "Contact?" - just as in English but no doubt with a different pronunciation!

Tede

[Froggy]

Bonjour

Just listen at the very begining of this video
You will hear 'contact' in French
Spad and Se5 - YouTube!

Cordialement
Bruno

[tede]

So you do! Thanks Bruno - nice video.

Tede

[Froggy]

Here several other interesting videos(21)

(first engine test of the sop 1/ strutter at memorial flight)

Sopwith Strutter very first engine test - YouTube

[nils d]

Originally Posted by Froggy

Here several other interesting videos(21)

(first engine test of the sop 1/ strutter at memorial flight)

Sopwith Strutter very first engine test - YouTube

Good link Froggyl can smell the castor oil here!
Why did the cameraman do a close up of the center
-section struts? was something happening that l missed?

[Froggy]

Originally Posted by nils d

Good link Froggyl can smell the castor oil here!
Why did the cameraman do a close up of the center
-section struts? was something happening that l missed?

Don't know why ?
May be the cameraman wanted to show the gun sight in detail ?


(don't fail to look at the twenty others videos on the same link with Fokker DVII,DR1,Morane AI,Spad XIII...of Memorial flight)

Cordialement
Bruno

[John McKenzie]

Hello Bruno , & nils d
These Light Blue pieces at the Top , Left of the photo ...are the "S-shaped T -Handle " that the pilot uses to "Engage" the interrupter / synchroniser gear .

This handle is connected via the ball-jointed blue rod , to the Black sync' linkage parts which are fitted in a box on the Top Front Cover of the Vickers MG .

Push Forward on the "T" handle , out towards the Left of the Strut . This in turn pulls Back the Blue Linkage Rod to engage the mechanism .

The linkages from the motor , through the MG cooling jacket of the French Early mechanical type rod Sync' system* , operate on the trigger bar , which is locater horizontally just inside and under the rear top cover plate .
( * note rods return-spring housing , located directly above the Vickers Muzzle Booster , at the front of the gun )

I believe that this "Bowden" cable goes down to connect to the "triggers" at the top of the control column .

I assume that this photo is of the Sopwith machine .


The standard vickers type rear sight is seen at the bottom of the photo , on the left side in the " layed down" position .

Photo nicely shows the " Chicken wire " inside the ? laminated ? windscreen glass to prevent it from shattering when/if hit by a bullet .

[John McKenzie]

Duplicate post .

[Froggy]

Thanks a lot John for your explanations
Was not evident to understand the utility of that system
(no indications given on the memorial flight site)

bon WE
(I hope not so rainy as,here in north of France!)

Cordialement
Bruno