Hercules Engine Serial Numbers
While going back thru the Key archives I found a 2008 post asking a similar question about how many of the 57,000+ Hercules engines still survive, but no one seems to have ever been able to determine that figure. Has anyone got even a rough guesstimate? I've been curious as during some of my rummaging in the Australian National Archives I found reference to over 150 leftover power eggs after the war that resided at DAP in Melbourne (where the Australian Beaufighter amongst others were built), and was able to trace them as far as 1947 when they were moved into storage further north. Have not ever found any indication they were then struck off and disposed of.
About 4,800 Model B engines were produced falling in serial numbers around 1200 to 6000.Advertisement- About 2,000 Model C engines were produced in 1910 with changes to the head, igniter trip bracket and fuel tank filler. In 1953 the serial numbers changed from the Avery system to the MM system and after the merger until 1952 the tractors shared the MM Avery badge. With the model BG, the Avery name disappeared from the BG and BF tractors. MM BG: 1953-1955 Also using the Hercules engine, this time the 1X3SL with 133-ci. The typical oval Jaeger tag added at the Hercules factory can be seen on the engine base in Photo #3. Mixer data such as size, configuration and mixer serial number was attached at the Jaeger factory. Quite often, a Hercules decal was added to the front of the water hopper, and a Jaeger decal appeared on one side of the hopper.
Now don't get excited thinking there are buried Hercules engines about I highly doubt it indeed (be great though!) as I suspect they ended up probably at Tocuwmal and went to RH Grant who were the main scrappers, along with Hughes. Just curious more than anything. The Moorabbin Air Museum has four or five for memory (two in the Beau) but not been down to look at them and see which variant. Pse forgive a 'sideways' answer to your #1. Those of us who have done a dozen (or more) flights up/down the S Atlantic on the Airbridge always got slightly twitchy sphincter muscles when the Flt Eng on 'Fat Albert' came back into the Roach Coach from the Front Office and, repeatedly, shone his torch out of one of the windows onto one of the donks!!
Hercules 1 1/2 E Engine Serial Numbers
If we had to go into the Oggin, were we far enough south not to worry about sharks? But, on the other hand, would hypothermia get us in the end? HTH Resmoroh. That's a question I'd like to see some sort of sensible answer to as well. The Hercules had the longest overhaul life of any production piston engine (3,000 hrs, if I recall correctly) yet there are none flying.
You would have thought that at least a few would have found their way to the States for use in projects of one sort or another. Bags of power and great reliability as well as greater tolerance of exhaust back-pressure if turbocharged. May be it's the sheer mass-availability and spares for their US home-grown stuff that stymied that one? Great answers from everyone, thanks a bunch! I would like to know the answer on the post above too re UK radials I suppose the issue with there being a lack of engines being used in flying aircraft would come down to availability of spares. I've certainly got a few parts for the Hercules, some in decent quantities, others maybe one or two and know of another person who has some great parts in his collection, though neither of us own an engine. Much of the spare parts that were around seem to have been junked at some point.
Cheetah spares are hard to come by over here as another example, the only things I have found along the way have all been from dismantled or scrapped engines. Maybe Anon's suggestion is right that the US produced things in far greater numbers - the P+W 1830 being a great example with over 173,000 units made, some 30,000 more than even the Merlin. I'm sure there must be some that could get powered up again with a bit of TLC. The Moorabbin Beaufighter engines still drip oil onto the wheels even now, though the last ground run was many many years ago.stopped by powers that be and public liability insurance no doubt.a shame, really.
That's a question I'd like to see some sort of sensible answer to as well. The Hercules had the longest overhaul life of any production piston engine (3,000 hrs, if I recall correctly) yet there are none flying.Is the French Noratlas grounded then?
Hercules Engine Serial Numbers
-Updated -The Bristol Hercules.the greatest engine never to be flown in a single-engined aircraft! My guess would be that fact is part of the problem; there are more problems flying a historic twin-engined aircraft. There are quite a few Bristol Centaurus engines flying in Hawker Sea Fury both in the United Kingdom and in the United States (although too many have had these replaced with an American radial). A couple running on the taxiable Kiwi Bristol Freighter and the chap who got those going has a trailer-mounted example that goes too. If several were flying there would certainly be a small industry of new/rebuilt components to support them. The lack of flying/flyable airframes hamstrings the Hercules. We'd all love to see Varsitys, Freighters and Noratlas' etc flying but perhaps our only chance is a Beaufighter.
Pontiac Engine Serial Numbers
And that might be the only 'popular' Hercules-powered type that returns to the air. The Bristol Hercules.the greatest engine never to be flown in a single-engined aircraft! I asked about this a while ago and was quickly disabused! Strictly speaking the Hercules never saw a production single-engined application, but there were the two Northrop test beds used by Bristol (a Gamma and an A-17) and also the Folland Fo108 all-purpose test beds which used a single Hercules to get them from A to B with a minimum of fuss when they didn't have something exotic at the front end.Updated -.