SNS3Guppy
Baffling is intricate in any installation, in that minor changes in the baffles can result in hot spots, insufficient cooling and can shorten engine life or even lead to cylinder cracking.
At the penalty of sounding mildly retarded, I'm wondering if anybody ever thought of blow-in doors similar to the kind used on gas turbines? It wouldn't be used for thrust; it would be used to allow cooling air in but the arrangement would be similar overall as I understand it.
Baffling on any piston engine, not just radial engines, is crucial, particular to the individual installation. That is to say, an engine in one installation isn't necessarily baffled like the same engine in a different aircraft. In twin radial aircraft, the baffle arrangement isn't that complex, but it was especially critical in the 4360, for cooling to the aft cylinders.
So the baffles had to be arranged differently in each aircraft it was fitted to? How much harder was the baffling arrangement in a four-row radial versus a three-row radial? And how much harder was the baffling in a three-row radial versus a two-row radial?