"After landing, the crew pulled the oil screens and found slivers of metal likely indicating the master rod bearing failed. The damage was such that the crew didn’t even bother opening the cowlings" Source: Plane & Pilot Magazine.
One thing I've always been curious about...when most if not all of the unlimiteds land and park before shutting down the engine they run-up the engine...what is the purpose? I always thought it was to run the fuel out of the lines because normally you hear the engine sputter right beforee cutting ignition. Am I right or wrong? I thought Joel taking the time to show off Dreadnought was fantastic a peek inside the workings of a great air racer and thanks for posting Erik
my father was a aircraft engineer in the Royal Navy, servicing Seafires and Seafuries on the HMS Warrior from 1948 to 1952... two tours of SE Asia. They worked under incredibly difficult conditions and had many aircraft crash on deck upon landings. He did say that Seafuries were far more rugged than the SeaFire, ut maintenance was a buggerr due to the double row radial engine. The only other thing I can truly remember was SeaFires consumed 65 gph with the Merlin engines..
