marc wrote:

Paul and others,
Have you heard of this? It might be useful to cool the rotary on a

pusher?

Since
I don't have any B-36s handy to look at, I don't know the

applicability to

much
smaller engines than the R-4360 @ 3500 hp output. This is from Wright

Pat

records.
"The method used to keep the engines at the desired operating

temperature

was
one controlling a movable round shield that surrounded the engine at

the

back
side of the wing. Extending this "sleeve" further toward the prop

would

decrease
the size of this opening which would reduce the airflow and cause the
engine
to
either maintain or increase temperature. By retracting this sleeve,

more

airflow
would be permitted, thus cooling the engine. The degree of closure was
determined by checking on how many "diamonds" one could see from the

back

of
the
aircraft. Diamond shapes were painted on this sleeve on the inboard

side

so
that
observers in the back could readily tell how many shapes were
showing.....with
rear crew members reporting how many diamonds were showing to the

flight

engineers."

Seems it has all been done before!
[Marc Wiese]

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