Originally Posted by
Mach E Avelli
Thanks for that! It was a similar sketch that I referred to in the last thread that seems to have gone walkabout.
I am still sceptical that it would always work. My recollection of starting those buggers involved a fair amount of cranking, hitting spark boosters and tickling primer switches. I suppose enough persistance and a bit of luck could eventually crack it. Never tried it or witnessed it.
An alternative method suggested of wrapping a rope around the prop dome then pulling with a vehicle would impose enormous stresses, so that sounds like something you’d only do to in desperation to escape someone shooting at you.
Some of the Pommy Dakotas retained their original wartime inertia starters. These were either electrically or hand cranked to spin up a flywheel then a clutch was engaged, though I only ever used the electric system.
I can just imagine some fellas pulling the rope when the hydraulic lock happens.
Unless you have had to use three switches, starter, vibrator and prime to start an engine you have missed all the fun. Now was that 15 blades or 8? : )