Helicopter engine in a what?? (Page 1/2)
Spoon JUN 03, 10:13 PM
I've heard about and read about lots of different engine swaps in our Fiero's but these old boys really had an imagination. Does this look familiar and notice the curiosity of the 2 guys in the lower left. The actual swap would occur when your engine needed service. The dealer would swap in a spare engine and send you on your way. Around 50 cars were built and were named the Tucker48 and they were real helicopter engines.

Wonder if anyone ever stood in the empty engine bay....


Spoon

------------------
"Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut

sourmash JUN 03, 10:23 PM
There's a movie, maybe made by Ron Howard about Preston Tucker and his car. One of the Bridges boys played him. Jeff I think. I'm too lazy to search.
EDIT; It was Coppola. Didn't remember Clint Howard being in the film and Ron always casts his brother in his films. Often anyway.

[This message has been edited by sourmash (edited 06-03-2019).]

IMSA GT JUN 04, 12:32 AM
Unlike a standard automotive engine that has to be rebuilt after so many miles, turbine engines have to be rebuilt after so many HOURS of use. If those were used as daily drivers, the owners went broke trying to maintain the engines.
cvxjet JUN 04, 12:32 AM
The big three basically shut Tucker down because his car was so innovative......watch the movie- it is well done.
johnt671 JUN 04, 07:53 AM
The AACA museum in Hershey PA has a nice display of Tuckers. They also had a Fiero on display over the winter, but the last time I went it was gone.
fierofool JUN 04, 08:27 AM

quote
Originally posted by IMSA GT:

Unlike a standard automotive engine that has to be rebuilt after so many miles, turbine engines have to be rebuilt after so many HOURS of use. If those were used as daily drivers, the owners went broke trying to maintain the engines.



An aircraft engine used on the ground probably wouldn't need the same maintenance as one used in an aircraft. Simply because you can't park on the side of a flight path to address any issues. Lycomings and Continentals used in airboats and hovercraft require less mandatory service than an aircraft engine. And on the note of automobile engines, a Porsche 911 or 912 engine has been used to power aircraft, as well as a VW engine for a light aircraft. In that application, the engine requires more maintenance than when used in a car. FAA regulations.

[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 06-04-2019).]

hnthomps JUN 04, 09:55 AM

quote
Originally posted by IMSA GT:

Unlike a standard automotive engine that has to be rebuilt after so many miles, turbine engines have to be rebuilt after so many HOURS of use. If those were used as daily drivers, the owners went broke trying to maintain the engines.



In most aircraft, time between overhaul is longer for a turbine engine (in terms of operational hours) than a standard gasoline reciprocating engine. There have been exceptions to this general rule but most were due to materials issues in early jet engines. As an example of this, the ME 262 engine needed to be replaced after either 10 or 50 hours of operations (i do not remember which number is correct), Modern turbine engines get many thousands of hours of use prior to being replaced. Standard numbers for Time Before Overhaul (TBO) for piston engines are normally in the 1800 to 2000 hour range. There are also some diesel aircraft engines but I do not know enough about them to comment on operational hours prior to overhaul.

Nelson
darbysan JUN 04, 10:23 AM

quote
Originally posted by IMSA GT:

Unlike a standard automotive engine that has to be rebuilt after so many miles, turbine engines have to be rebuilt after so many HOURS of use. If those were used as daily drivers, the owners went broke trying to maintain the engines.



The Tucker used a Gasoline Powered helicopter engine, not turbine.
theogre JUN 04, 12:09 PM
Many old Helicopter and airplane engines are "simple" gas engine. I believe including the "MASH" Bell 47 Helicopter.
Tucker basically used a gas engine available and not made by Ford et al.
Unlike AMC that used a mix of Ford/Chevy engines w/ mods to work w/ different trans etc ending w/ a Frankenstein power train that didn't share most parts w/ original motor/trans often causing problems to fix them.
I think old AMC Jeep had Hack up Chevy engine, don't know who made the trans, Chrysler Transfer Box for 4FD made in Syracuse NY at Process Gear plant.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

damittron JUN 04, 11:00 PM
I had a friend my whole childhood, who's dad was a mad scientist...in the absolute coolest way possible. He belonged to the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association). He built his own inverted wing airframe and put a Mazda rotary engine in it. That thing was waaaaay cool, and fast as hell too. He used to get teased a lot about blowing seals and using it as a smoke screen generator. Anyway - the rotary engine came out every 120 hours and was re-worked. He actually had 3 of them that he rotated through.