Regle...far from being humbled,you should be proud that you have such an extensive and eclectic knowledge that has survived all these years.
You forget, perhaps, that I earned a living as a motor-mechanic (i liked to think I was a proper engineer, as opposed to a parts-changer
)...I'd venture to suggest that your knowledge of things mechanical ,is vastly superior to mine ,on Aviation, met. nav. etc.
I find it quite amazing , just how much you had to absorb, in a very short space of time and then got slung in at the deep end....Indeed, I always said i would never volunteer for war-service an any sort of front-line role.
I have always abhored violence and always told those intent on joining the military, "remember, you are being employed to KILL...OR BE KILLED.
Sorry, I couldn't put my life in the hands of the incompetent people who were in charge.......it says a lot for your courage that you did and in spite of them you survived.
Andy, I think that several American motor-manufacturers made RHD versions for export, I have a full set of 1930's "Newnes" Motor-repair manuals, several USA and Continental makes were listed, together with the special procedures for each vehicles' non-standard design parameters......I astounded one vintage owner with , I think, a Buick, which ahd a starter that reverted to a generator...he didn't expect I'd have heard of such a device and was floored when I produced the book........the blighter still has it, 20-odd years later!
I really love the tales of India, their laid-back attitude to life and their (by western standards) eccentric behaviour.. the thought of a rat being an ancestor!...but what about chickens,fish ,goats and other meat that they'd happily eat?...
Cliff- Thanks for that explanation....It was the same in the motor-job,re-Strombergs and SU's....the constant-velocity SU was a very simple and elegant design, though the later ones had a biased needle which, being spring-loaded to one side of the jet, rapidly wore itself and the jet oval, lousing-up the mixture strength(but it was consistently rich
-unintended consequence of trying to cure mixture-variation due to needle-flutter. the Stromberg diaphragm used to get sloppy with damper-oil and wear through,causing air-leaks and no acceleration. easy job, once you knew the symptoms and cure.
I daresay your Merlin carbs would dwarf them in size and complexity.