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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 2327.PDF
NOVEMBER JTH, 1942 FLIGHT 503 THE HERCULES POWER PLANT airframe pick-up points, which are only four in number, are also spaced to a standard design. It will thus be appre ciated that these power plants are completely interchange able ; and it is intended that the entire power plant, com plete with engine, shall be removed whenever complete engine overhaul and/or repair become necessary, and to substitute -a complete replacement power plant in order to return the aircraft to service within the shortest pos sible time. The Engine Cowling In addition to the basic requirements of the power plant already given, the units are also provided with cowling as far aft as the engine mounting ring, and with the Bristol system of controllable cowling gills, the fairing aft of the gill-ring being an airframe supply, a shoulder cowling is provided for the airframe constructor to attach his fairing panels. So that the power plant may be adapted to suit any par ticular airframe, provision is made for the fitting of various additional components, including the Bristol accessory- drive gear box and its accompanying accessories, and one of various types of airscrews. All necessary connections «jj?tween this equipment and the airframe are made at stan dardised locations on an "accessories connection panel," which is situated on the power plant bulkhead. The following is a list of standard components which are com mon to Bristol Hercules basic power plants: Hercules two-row radial engine. Air intake. Exhaust manifold and tail pipe unit. Engine cowl. ControUable-gill-ring. Engine mounting. Engine controls. Bulkhead. Hand-turning gear. Oil and fuel systems. Fire-extinguisher equipment. Gill-operation motor. Shoulder cowling. The engine mounting ring consists of two mild-steel The Bristol accessory gear box. The latest type of Hercules power plant unit. Rear view of power unit, showing bulkhead with its four pick-up points. pressings which are welded to gether to form a hollow girder of rectangular section. Seven equally spaced lobes on the inner circumference are bored to take the seven extended crankcase bolts by means of which the engine is secured to the ring. Distance pieces are welded in the interior of the ring at these points to prevent any possibility of crushing, and facing washers are welded at the points of contact to pro vide a true surface against which the engine can bed. Uniform spacing of the engine from the ring is attained by the use of detachable distance pieces on the crankcase bolts. At five points on the after face of the ring are welded support.facing pieces, and distance tubes are welded inside the ring. Through these tubes pass the bolts securing the brackets for the engine mounting tube structure. Mounting tube brackets are of two types: the two upper most and the lowest consist of plates on which lugs are forged for the attachment of the mounting tubes; the remaining two brackets, fitted just above the horizontal centre-line of the ring, have also lugs for lifting purposes. Each bracket is secured to the mounting ring by means of six -j%in. stainless-steel bolts and nuts, which are peened over after assembly. Triangulation The mounting tubes are eight in number, and are welded together to form, with the mounting ring to which they are bolted, an approximately triangulated structure. Finger plates are welded into the forward ends of each of the two uppermost tubes to embrace the lugs on the upper mounting brackets, whilst the lower tubes are welded in pairs to similar finger-plates which pick up the side and lower brackets on the mounting ring. At every joint the welding metal is suitably built up to form
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