Talk:Aircraft engine starting

This article is within the scope of the Aviation WikiProject. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see lists of open tasks and task forces. To use this banner, please see the full instructions.AviationWikipedia:WikiProject AviationTemplate:WikiProject Aviationaviation articles

This article has been checked against the following criteria for B-class status:
Referencing and citation: criterion met Coverage and accuracy: criterion met Structure: criterion met Grammar and style: criterion not met Supporting materials: criterion met

This article is supported by the aircraft engine task force.

Hand starting with canvas sock?

I'm dubious about this claim that "canvas socks" were used to allow multi-person hand-starting. How does one remove the sock once the engine starts, short of allowing centrifugal force to fling it off god knows where? I think very few aircraft required more than two people to hand start, due to the danger involved. After 1925 or so, larger engines had starters equipped. When you see a photo of three or four men on a prop blade, I think that's most often the ground crew turning the engine over to release pooled oil from the lower cylinders, not starting the engine. How often do you see a WWII era photo of crew (supposedly) "hand-starting" an inline engine? You see plenty of photos of men on the blades of B-17's, B-24's, B-29's, etc, because they were all radials, and needed to be turned over. Starting was done electrically, or by other means, but not by hand. I think this "canvas sock" is just a device to help make turning the prop easier, because turning a B-29 prop by hand is difficult. But no-one ever started a B-29 by hand, to my knowledge..45Colt 01:28, 23 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The fact is cited with a reliable source. The sock slides off as the blade lines up with the team of propeller swingers. A photograph might help you believe it but to easily upload one would be against copyright. A non-free photo might be possible but will take some work which I'm not enthused to do at the moment. Nimbus (Cumulus nimbus floats by) 23:07, 23 August 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The Bristol F.2 Fighter's Rolls-Royce Falcon required three men with linked hands to start it. It was due to hand swinging becoming impracticable that the Hucks starter was devised. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.150.11.216 (talk) 12:38, 9 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

What is this "FAA 1976" in the references?

Is there no link whatsoever to these documents? I think some of the claims citing this resource (like air-starters are 75% lighter than an equivalent electrical starter, ref. 15) should be verifiable by the public. A Google search does not help either. Willcmc (talk) 17:53, 6 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

It is the second book (hard copy) listed in the bibliography, I have added the ISBN which, if you click on it, will link to suppliers. Nimbus (Cumulus nimbus floats by) 19:40, 6 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I can confirm the citation, the text in the book is the typical air turbine starter weighs from one-fourth to one-half as much as an electric starter capable of starting the same engine. Nimbus (Cumulus nimbus floats by) 19:55, 6 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]