Engine test stand

[NAMBA860]

Anybody ever build an engine run/test stand and put like an airplane prop on the engine for a load? Pics of it would be great if anyone has ever done this.

 

[Mark Anderson]

No pictures, but years ago I did some testing of .21 engines with airplane props. If you search here you will find pics of Terry Keeley's ducted fan test stand and dyno. normal airplane props are not engineered for the RPM that we turn. There are pylon racing props but the selection is limited.

 

[John Beardslee]

Marty Davis or John Ackerman built and used one. I think Norm Doerr has it now. If I remember it used boat engines with the collet in place and cable bent to 90 degrees so there was room for the pipes. The load props were a Kavan product I think.

 

[Terry Keeley]

Since you asked.

https://www.intlwaters.com/threads/run-in-stand-dyno-build.78248/

There's a photo in there somewhere of one Jim Allen made with an airplane prop.

 

[NAMBA860]

Since you asked.

https://www.intlwaters.com/threads/run-in-stand-dyno-build.78248/

There's a photo in there somewhere of one Jim Allen made with an airplane prop.

Wow that’s really cool a lot of working parts. Was that a flow meter attached to it when it was running?

 

[LohringMiller]

Be very careful with airplane props. We had one let go through Mike's shop drywall. The imbalance wrecked the engine. A ducted fan is a much safer solution. A Zenoah test stand is easy to build. Look at the one on Mark's dyno. Quite a few people have built inertial dynos. They are safe when carefully built. The Zenoah mount might give you some ideas. Jim Allen used a water brake. A simple version of his design would make a safe load.

Lohring Miller

 

[Terry Keeley]

Wow that’s really cool a lot of working parts. Was that a flow meter attached to it when it was running?

Yup, gaming computer reservoir, pump and radiator with a flowmeter and temperature.

It keeps up pretty good, on a 5 minute break in run the water gets to 35C (95F) but comes right back to OAT after a few minutes.

 

[Terry Keeley]

I used to run airplane props thirty years ago when we had two piece cases so you could turn the exhaust around, had a prop come apart once and put a 1" gouge in the pavement. After that I got the biggest "Master Airscrew" I could find (probably 15"), and cut it down, no more issues.

David Spitzer came up with a great idea for our modern one piece motors, apparently Zip Kits sells a valve to use on a garden hose. He said it works great.





View attachment Dave's test stand.mp4

 

[RaceMechaniX]

Jim's water brake dyno and his ducted fan dyno.

 

[LohringMiller]

Jim was one of the last great nitro engine builders in the pattern of Dick McCoy, Duke Fox, the Dooling brothers, and Bill Wisniewski. I miss him.

Lohring Miller