I worked in a power station that had two pairs of Avons, each pair driving an alternator via their exhausts to provide emergency supplies to enable a 'dark start' in order to get the main station back on line. They were inside acoustic enclosures with fire protection within. They were still bloody loud and ear defenders were mandatory! Most impressive hearing them starting up.
I was an aircraft electrician, when I was an apprentice I worked on Hunter refurbishments. The Hunter was fitted with the Avon engine, when ever we did an engine run that cartridge start always made me jump, no matter how ready and prepared I was I’d always jump. The torque put through that starter output shaft into the engine must be phenomenal, the engine goes from standstill to idle speed in about 2 seconds. Just for interest, Dunsfold the Hawker Siddeley airfield where I worked had a snowplough made from a truck chassis driven by a small donkey engine, mounted on the back was an Avon engine with the exhaust facing forwards and sloping down, it exited via a ducting that diverted the exhaust out the sides. It was very effective blowing the snow off the entire width of the runway in two passes and the taxiways in one pass. Great video, it brought back those memories from 50 years ago of me jumping whenever the engines started.
Excellent work restoring the old girl to working order! My granddad used to test these as an apprentice engineer at Rolls-Royce, then later got to fly them as a navigator on RAF Canberra bombers when he did his national service in the 50's. He would've absolutely loved this video!
Memories of working on Avons on Canberras flooding back, especially inhibiting runs when you’d end up covered in soot from the starter exhaust. Great fun, especially spraying inhibiting fluid in to the inlet.
Well done on bringing this fine Rolls-Royce gas turbine back to life. The Canberra was an awesome jet! Cheers from Montreal where we ran Nene’s, Dart’s and just about every other RR civil aero and industrial engines.
A year ago you said you were going to start this engine “in a couple of weeks.” I hope the delay wasn’t due to a serious mishap. The wait was worth it! You are a natural in front of the camera. 👍🏻 Great video.
Hi well it was running a year ago as I expected but it took a while to get the video clip done .Well its done now,bit of a shame it doesnt sound as loud as it does when youre next to it.Hopefully you get the idea .
Very nice work you've done on the engine, and the running stand. The Avon 100 is so different from the 1533 industrial version, that they almost seem to be two totally different machines. Greetings from Canada!
Thankyou I owe a lot of my understanding of how certain parts function and what they do to what I learnt from watching your videos knowing how they work before tackling the overhaul thankyou and nice to hear from you have you looked at my radial restoration clips ?
I love this start up and run of this, RR Avon, new find for me, that's some starter can, so similar to the Orenda, big fan, you worked the Avon B4 enjoyed this video, he has the understanding for the gas turbo he is correct sound at HIFI your AB always please could do high power run video plz beautiful immaculate Avon sir
Jet engines of any year are one my absolute favorite marvels of engineering. Materials, design and even some of the resonance of fairly exotic metals fascinate the head sponge. Having one like yours that is right up there with museum quality AND it runs? That's the stuff of dreams! Well done on the labor of love.
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk I hadn't watched this in awhile but forgot it was cartridge start at the time. Electric start will be a Very nice process for you by comparison! Air start would be the next best alternative, but for a rather healthy engine size like you have, a start cart would cost at least as much as the correct starter (plus the fuel!!), you might as well go electric. 👌 Add: Just watched the update, and for you, a raucous YAAAAY! is in order. In the event I missed it, a simple electro-magnet can be added to your starter engagement for hands-free operation. That's basically how modern PTOs work. They're pretty robust for durability, and if they fail to work, real easy to swap out. I've made a few for smaller engines out of industrial security door locks that can be wired up to engage with power to the starter that automatically disengage when the starter is released (part of the electrical circuit, naturally). Not sure if it's an option for you or if you'd get enough amps, but a decently powerful AC genie with a DC converter might be an option if you end up bringing this to demos and the batteries decide to conk out at the worst possible time. I tend to run one out of necessity for my outdoor 'experiment stand location' as our home only has one 50 amp box that's inside the house and occupied.
Ah that brings back memories. First jet engine I stripped down was a mk2 Avon for a compressor check. Old school compressor halves where they split horizontally.
Thank you John. I don't know what I expected when I clicked, but not this. This is awesome! And mind bending. I was never a static engine fan, before now!
Thank you John. You got there a real piece of history. If you hook that up to a an alternator you could be producing enough electricity to power a small town! Wow.
Such things were made. A mobile power station on the back of an articulated lorry. Powered by a jet engine. They had a scale model of one at the Rolls Royce museum in Coventry.
Great vlog. Worked on Avon 101’s in the eighties whilst on Canberra T4 and B2’s. Fond memories carrying out accel checks every two weeks as no temperature compensation, 50 Shot servicing’s on the single breech starters, and turco blasts…
Ah that’s an AJ6.5, it was the first Brayton cycle engine designed by RR if I remember correctly (I’m probably wrong it’s been a long time) I used to service those in the 1960s. Fantastic engine was used in a load of airframes from many manufactures and gas turbine power plants and still in use in some places but this engine was a work horse very reliable and well regarded engine. It wasn’t very powerful by todays standards but for RR first attempt and an axial flow engine it was an excellent engine another thing to note is this engine wasn’t designed on a computer it was designed by pure math and engineering with a slide rule by hand. Those engineers (most of them) were from the WW2 generation and had moved from piston IC engines (I say Piston internal combustion engines because Jet engines are also internal combustion) to as we all know the name jet engines and or gas turbine engines. Truly amazing what these guys knew. If I’m wrong some one will have to correct me but if memory recalls AJ6.5 = Axial jet 6,500 Ib. That’s what it stands for I think. Anyway it’s good to see one and I’m grateful for showing us it.
Very nice indeed. I didn't realise the aircraft versions had cartridge starters. At the power station at Didcot, UK where I worked in the early '70s, we had electric starters on the engines with batteries on continuous trickle charge. It was a 2000MW coal fired station which also had four 25MW gas turbine generators, each with a pair of Avons acting .as gas generators into a power turbine driving an alternator. These could be used for feeding the grid, or directly powering the auxiliaries on the main turbo-alternators in the event of a black start-up. You have done a great job on restoring a classic engine.
The Avon was a very successful ground engine. I heard of ones on crude oil pipelines which had been running for years with no attention. I think the alloy bits were replaced with cast iron but I have never seen one myself.
Thank you for the walk through and explanation. Beautiful engine, amazing engineering by Rolls Royce, and an excellent restoration. I always love seeing the static Merlin engines that we in the UK often see at shows, everyone just stands and enjoys the sound and reflects on their place in history.
The English airline Dan Air operated a sizeable fleet of Comets(49) in the 1960's to 1980's and the sound of RR Avons could be heard at many UK airports every day.
Wow that's just unbelievably awesome John! What a beautiful engine. How awesome it would be to be a neighbor and hear this coming through the trees! Lol thanks for sharing this with the world!
I owned of of these in my 20s...candor college in North Bay Ontario just gave it to me it had a cut out in the compressor section for demonstration purposes
Great video! My family while clearing out my late grans bungalow found a large empty cartridge used to store pens. I remember seeing this brass coloured thing but never took any notice of it. On googling the numbers on the bottom revealed it to be a jet engine starter cartridge, hence watching your video clearly demonstrating how it's used. Would have loved to be near that engine during a run up. Thank you
I remember coming across one of these at a scrap metal dealer's yard, about 35 years ago. I did wonder even then, would it be saved? That makes the notion of the cartridge starter in the film "Flight Of The Phoenix" look a bit puny. I assume that's a [relatively] slow burn, rather than an explosive release of energy from the starter? Fantastic stuff, thank you!
I remember working next to DRA Farnborough just before the NGTI Pyestock was finally closed. They were still wind-tunnel testing (but you never knew what)
I loved watching your video. Thank you for uploading it. Using a charge to take the engine from stationary to starting speed must have placed quite a stress on the components. But my, doesn’t that starting unit alone look to be an impressive piece of engineering! My father was in the RAF in the early 1950’s just as jet-engined fighter aircraft were being introduced, but I guess the engines were not as sophisticated at this early stage as the one you have shown us. Thank you again and kindest regards from the UK.
Very nice. I flew many hours on them. A few failures inc a double flame out due icing. Had to set 6000 RPM exact in icing cond. till certain of landing (no flap above 100 ft! - bomb doors used for drag).
I really enjoyed watching this. My dad served with Treble One Sqn - The Black Arrows display team - in the 50s. He loved the Hunter, which (I believe) used an Avon and he did say that they were cartridge start (Avpin, I think). I'd not actually seen one of these start from a cartridge until I saw your video. If he was still with us, he'd have loved to have watched this. Great job on the restoration - the engine looks like new and sounds great.
In 1958 I was at RAF Chivenor working on the airfield, when all 22 aircraft of Treble One formation team zoomed in over the estuary. After a thrilling display, they landed and we got them serviced for the next display. I talked with many of these pilots..( one your dad perhaps?)....I was struck by their unassuming approach to what was a dangerous 22 aircraft grouping. One pilot said to me..." It's like playing the piano; put the same practise and effort into formation flying as you would a piano, and you're there" The 22 didn't last long; Service exigencies etc. The Hunter was Mk.6 with an Avon 200 Series engine.
I worked on Hunter FGA9s with the Avon 200 engine and the AVPIN starter (it used Iso-Propyl-Nitrate - a 'monofuel' which made its own oxygen). Changing a starter with that stuff dripping into your eyes was not fun!. We also had Hunter T7s which had a triple cartridge starter - quite a job to change the cartridges. I later worked on Avon 300s in the EE Lightning aircraft in Saudi Arabia. I used to do all the starter changes as that was easy if you were thin enough to get down the intake. Running them in reheat on the ground was great fun. I used to stand on the tailplane when they went into reheat so I could spot fuel leaks at the rear. Having the diamond shock wave pattern within reach was something else! I think H&S would not allow this now. Apparently the AVPIN fuel is not obtainable any more so the Avons have to use electric start. I also trained on the early Avons as here in the Canberra B2s. The engines were easy to maintain as with any problems they were sent back to RR.
There was a third engine after the 106 in pR7, E15. The Avon 206 in the Shorts PR9. Same as in the Hunter F9 series and I believe the Lightning with reheat added. 106 had the triple cart. Starter and the 206 in the PR9 , Hunter etc the scary Avpin Isopropyl Nitrate 3 shot liquid starter sys.
Great video! Loved the explanation and music free background with the birds. Would love to have one of these engines to fire up every time the neighbors have a loud party. 😀
Wow, man, it's so great! I have fascination for jet engines since my youth. I really appreciate the sound and thrust heated of this kind of thermic machine. I'd love to make a small-scaled GE J79, I mean F4 Phantom's engine for using as propellor under my bike's saddle. I'm not crazy but just an enthusiast.😊
@@robertkowalski9263 He has had to dispose of all starter cartridges by Government edict. So now he has to find an electric starter conversion... a commenter says he has one on his Avon (also in Australia)
I've no specific knowledge but they are in reality just big, slower burning, shotgun cartridges. No real high tech involved so I'm guessing you either build new ones or get the old ones recharged.
What a nice piece of history, we just decommissioned an industrial Avon 200 series, believe it was a SGT- A20, it was used to drive an 11 MW generator, was a super reliable machine and now it’s just collecting cobwebs unfortunately
Love RR engines... great sound, really smooth and then on shut down it sounds like a bag of Spanners ! The RB211 was like that on the Lockheed Tristar too......................... LOL
I cannot imagine not wearing protection while near that, I have tinnitus, be careful, tinnitus can strike anytime. Great sounding jet. cartridge start is interesting thought they would use compressed air or bleed air from a second.
I have just bought a Holbrook H20 lathe. Flipping huge toolroom lathe that weighs 5 tons! Originally purchased by Bristol Siddeley in 1962 which then became Rolls Royce aero engines. It was used for prototypes of the Pegasus and Olympus engines. British jet engines have always led the way and still do to this day. Imagine if WW2 had gone on just a bit longer. The Germans would have been up against engines like this!
I did a Pegasus course at Bristol for two weeks in 1970 and worked on Harriers until I left the RAF in 1973. I always insisted the the Pegasus was a Bristol engine not an RR motor. Notably Bristol engines used Dowty Rotol injectors and RR used Lucas injectors. They worked in a different manner.
The sound of the starter takes me back to the 1980's when I worked on the flight line at RAF Kinloss. We were a Nimrod base but we often hosted a detachment of 100 Sqn. Canberras from RAF Wyton. Out of interest, do have any trouble sourcing new cartridges? Are you able to get the used cartridges re-packed?
I worked in a power station that had two pairs of Avons, each pair driving an alternator via their exhausts to provide emergency supplies to enable a 'dark start' in order to get the main station back on line. They were inside acoustic enclosures with fire protection within. They were still bloody loud and ear defenders were mandatory! Most impressive hearing them starting up.
I worked at mcdonalds and made two turbines sound with my mouth.
I was an aircraft electrician, when I was an apprentice I worked on Hunter refurbishments. The Hunter was fitted with the Avon engine, when ever we did an engine run that cartridge start always made me jump, no matter how ready and prepared I was I’d always jump. The torque put through that starter output shaft into the engine must be phenomenal, the engine goes from standstill to idle speed in about 2 seconds.
Just for interest, Dunsfold the Hawker Siddeley airfield where I worked had a snowplough made from a truck chassis driven by a small donkey engine, mounted on the back was an Avon engine with the exhaust facing forwards and sloping down, it exited via a ducting that diverted the exhaust out the sides. It was very effective blowing the snow off the entire width of the runway in two passes and the taxiways in one pass.
Great video, it brought back those memories from 50 years ago of me jumping whenever the engines started.
The Russians used twin Mig engines on a tank chassis to do the same...
See the next vid on this channel when John converts the Avon to electric start....
Excellent work restoring the old girl to working order! My granddad used to test these as an apprentice engineer at Rolls-Royce, then later got to fly them as a navigator on RAF Canberra bombers when he did his national service in the 50's. He would've absolutely loved this video!
Memories of working on Avons on Canberras flooding back, especially inhibiting runs when you’d end up covered in soot from the starter exhaust. Great fun, especially spraying inhibiting fluid in to the inlet.
Love these old bits of kit being restored to running order. Love the fact there are still the skills around to do it and keep them running. Nice one!.
In the 70s on HMS Ark Royal I saw Wessex helicopter started with cartridges. Very impressive engine run.
Thank you for a very easy to understand explanation of all the bits and pieces and what they are for.
Well done on bringing this fine Rolls-Royce gas turbine back to life. The Canberra was an awesome jet! Cheers from Montreal where we ran Nene’s, Dart’s and just about every other RR civil aero and industrial engines.
A year ago you said you were going to start this engine “in a couple of weeks.” I hope the delay wasn’t due to a serious mishap.
The wait was worth it! You are a natural in front of the camera. 👍🏻 Great video.
Hi well it was running a year ago as I expected but it took a while to get the video clip done .Well its done now,bit of a shame it doesnt sound as loud as it does when youre next to it.Hopefully you get the idea .
No all good Started her on time the video took a while to organise tho
Very nice work you've done on the engine, and the running stand. The Avon 100 is so different from the 1533 industrial version, that they almost seem to be two totally different machines.
Greetings from Canada!
Thankyou I owe a lot of my understanding of how certain parts function and what they do to what I learnt from watching your videos knowing how they work before tackling the overhaul thankyou and nice to hear from you have you looked at my radial restoration clips ?
I love this start up and run of this, RR Avon,
new find for me, that's some starter can,
so similar to the Orenda, big fan, you worked the Avon B4
enjoyed this video, he has the understanding for the gas turbo he is correct
sound at HIFI your AB always
please could do high power run video plz
beautiful immaculate Avon sir
Way different
AgentJayZ commented? kudos indeed sir, he is a great guy
Jet engines of any year are one my absolute favorite marvels of engineering. Materials, design and even some of the resonance of fairly exotic metals fascinate the head sponge. Having one like yours that is right up there with museum quality AND it runs? That's the stuff of dreams! Well done on the labor of love.
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk I hadn't watched this in awhile but forgot it was cartridge start at the time. Electric start will be a Very nice process for you by comparison! Air start would be the next best alternative, but for a rather healthy engine size like you have, a start cart would cost at least as much as the correct starter (plus the fuel!!), you might as well go electric. 👌
Add: Just watched the update, and for you, a raucous YAAAAY! is in order. In the event I missed it, a simple electro-magnet can be added to your starter engagement for hands-free operation. That's basically how modern PTOs work. They're pretty robust for durability, and if they fail to work, real easy to swap out. I've made a few for smaller engines out of industrial security door locks that can be wired up to engage with power to the starter that automatically disengage when the starter is released (part of the electrical circuit, naturally).
Not sure if it's an option for you or if you'd get enough amps, but a decently powerful AC genie with a DC converter might be an option if you end up bringing this to demos and the batteries decide to conk out at the worst possible time. I tend to run one out of necessity for my outdoor 'experiment stand location' as our home only has one 50 amp box that's inside the house and occupied.
Wow… NOS ( New Old Stock ) straight out of the Factory Shipping box, very impressive, very.
Thank You for explanation and demonstration.
Ah that brings back memories. First jet engine I stripped down was a mk2 Avon for a compressor check. Old school compressor halves where they split horizontally.
Very Very Nice. Love to see the old engines cleaned up and running!
Thank you John. I don't know what I expected when I clicked, but not this. This is awesome! And mind bending. I was never a static engine fan, before now!
Fantastic video keeping yesterday alive..In such beautiful clean condition,with its stand n control board..just outstanding 👏
Such a BEAUTIFUL setup you have an amazingly beautiful turbine engine!
Thank you John. You got there a real piece of history.
If you hook that up to a an alternator you could be producing enough electricity to power a small town! Wow.
Such things were made. A mobile power station on the back of an articulated lorry. Powered by a jet engine. They had a scale model of one at the Rolls Royce museum in Coventry.
Thanks for this video. I love seeing and hearing jet engines startup and run.
Great vlog. Worked on Avon 101’s in the eighties whilst on Canberra T4 and B2’s. Fond memories carrying out accel checks every two weeks as no temperature compensation, 50 Shot servicing’s on the single breech starters, and turco blasts…
Ah that’s an AJ6.5, it was the first Brayton cycle engine designed by RR if I remember correctly (I’m probably wrong it’s been a long time) I used to service those in the 1960s. Fantastic engine was used in a load of airframes from many manufactures and gas turbine power plants and still in use in some places but this engine was a work horse very reliable and well regarded engine. It wasn’t very powerful by todays standards but for RR first attempt and an axial flow engine it was an excellent engine another thing to note is this engine wasn’t designed on a computer it was designed by pure math and engineering with a slide rule by hand. Those engineers (most of them) were from the WW2 generation and had moved from piston IC engines (I say Piston internal combustion engines because Jet engines are also internal combustion) to as we all know the name jet engines and or gas turbine engines. Truly amazing what these guys knew. If I’m wrong some one will have to correct me but if memory recalls AJ6.5 = Axial jet 6,500 Ib. That’s what it stands for I think. Anyway it’s good to see one and I’m grateful for showing us it.
I used to work on rolls, but the kind you eat. You were sharing nonsense so i thought I would join you.
@@bryannonya9769 I’m sorry but you’ll have to do better than that…what nonsense ?
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
Proper boys toys and the bonus feature of being a great leaf blower! I so want one.
Very interesting, very cool.
The Canberra was one of the best looking planes ever imo, and what a service life.
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
Very nice indeed. I didn't realise the aircraft versions had cartridge starters.
At the power station at Didcot, UK where I worked in the early '70s, we had electric starters on the engines with batteries on continuous trickle charge.
It was a 2000MW coal fired station which also had four 25MW gas turbine generators, each with a pair of Avons acting .as gas generators into a power turbine driving an alternator. These could be used for feeding the grid, or directly powering the auxiliaries on the main turbo-alternators in the event of a black start-up.
You have done a great job on restoring a classic engine.
in the 70s I was doing your mum, she asked me to not read your nonsense but i did anyway.
The Avon was a very successful ground engine. I heard of ones on crude oil pipelines which had been running for years with no attention. I think the alloy bits were replaced with cast iron but I have never seen one myself.
Thank you for the walk through and explanation.
Beautiful engine, amazing engineering by Rolls Royce, and an excellent restoration.
I always love seeing the static Merlin engines that we in the UK often see at shows, everyone just stands and enjoys the sound and reflects on their place in history.
That is one hell of a sound when the ignition of the kerosene starts, that roar is probably way better in person
The English airline Dan Air operated a sizeable fleet of Comets(49) in the 1960's to 1980's and the sound of RR Avons could be heard at many UK airports every day.
Wow that's just unbelievably awesome John! What a beautiful engine. How awesome it would be to be a neighbor and hear this coming through the trees! Lol thanks for sharing this with the world!
I really can't believe the engineering. This must be a lifetimes work
Wish i had seen this video llong ago when i had to learn about these engines for flight training.
congratulations for the state of conservation of this magnificent unit. very careful not to take the RPM beyond 4000RPM. greetings from Argentina
Very similar to the RR RA29 used on Caravelle. I remember the starter replacement located in the spinner. It was heavy for me when I was 16 years old.
Uno de los motores más fieles y estables de la aviación.
Gracias por restaurarlo.
I still have to see it to believe it, that you have Avon running. Also video, very professional.
Nice work on this engine mate, love the cartridge starter.
Nice video John and excellent work keeping this old girl alive.
Gas from the cart trun a little turbine... In theory the same way the fule pump's on the engine's on the Apollo Rocket 👍👍👍 great video 👍👍👍
Mate, I learnt more in 11 minutes than I have in years👍🇦🇺🇦🇺
I love these old engines. It's in such beautiful condition!
Beautiful turbine. Love it, and the birds are cool too.
There's something about the sound of a jet spooling up.👌
I admire a man who has a jet engine in his back yard. Interesting video, thanx.
Unreal John well done a work of art and pristine , would love to see some build pictures if you have them
Bloody marvellous, regards from the UK.
That was amazing, would have been nice if you had explained the control panel and ancillary equipment
Excellent, what a stunningly presented bit of kit, looks and sounds great
I owned of of these in my 20s...candor college in North Bay Ontario just gave it to me it had a cut out in the compressor section for demonstration purposes
Great video! My family while clearing out my late grans bungalow found a large empty cartridge used to store pens. I remember seeing this brass coloured thing but never took any notice of it. On googling the numbers on the bottom revealed it to be a jet engine starter cartridge, hence watching your video clearly demonstrating how it's used. Would have loved to be near that engine during a run up. Thank you
while clearing our the cobwebs from my brain i found this cartridge and it said stop posting stupid shit in comments
@@bryannonya9769 You need to listen to your own advice, whatever problems you have going on in your life I hope you sort them out.
WOW! You showed those loud birds who could make the most noise! lol
I remember coming across one of these at a scrap metal dealer's yard, about 35 years ago. I did wonder even then, would it be saved?
That makes the notion of the cartridge starter in the film "Flight Of The Phoenix" look a bit puny. I assume that's a [relatively] slow burn, rather than an explosive release of energy from the starter?
Fantastic stuff, thank you!
From the vid it seemed to be an instant release that spins a flywheel to very high speed, md then that, through gearing drives a starting turbine.
I remember working next to DRA Farnborough just before the NGTI Pyestock was finally closed. They were still wind-tunnel testing (but you never knew what)
This just got into my recommendations, and it is flippin' amazing
Amazing how the birds are unfazed by this screaming banshee. I love it.
What a beast, well done for keeping it in such good condition and running it. The mini turbo starter is cool as f**k too.
Just awesome, highly reliable machine with a very simple explanation makes a clear understanding to the viewers, thank you
I loved watching your video. Thank you for uploading it. Using a charge to take the engine from stationary to starting speed must have placed quite a stress on the components. But my, doesn’t that starting unit alone look to be an impressive piece of engineering!
My father was in the RAF in the early 1950’s just as jet-engined fighter aircraft were being introduced, but I guess the engines were not as sophisticated at this early stage as the one you have shown us.
Thank you again and kindest regards from the UK.
My father was not in the raf but he was a man and as such made children who had to read your drivel.
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
Great video thanks. And the working of the Avon very well explained.
You've got a VERY remarkable hobby, looking at your other videos.
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
Rolls Royce at your Service!!😎🇺🇸🇬🇧🇸🇰🇩🇪👍
Very nice. I flew many hours on them. A few failures inc a double flame out due icing. Had to set 6000 RPM exact in icing cond. till certain of landing (no flap above 100 ft! - bomb doors used for drag).
Flame out dsnt sound like fun havnt been game to crank mine past 5500 rpm They are spose to really growl
I really enjoyed watching this. My dad served with Treble One Sqn - The Black Arrows display team - in the 50s. He loved the Hunter, which (I believe) used an Avon and he did say that they were cartridge start (Avpin, I think). I'd not actually seen one of these start from a cartridge until I saw your video. If he was still with us, he'd have loved to have watched this. Great job on the restoration - the engine looks like new and sounds great.
In 1958 I was at RAF Chivenor working on the airfield, when all 22 aircraft of Treble One formation team zoomed in over the estuary. After a thrilling display, they landed and we got them serviced for the next display. I talked with many of these pilots..( one your dad perhaps?)....I was struck by their unassuming approach to what was a dangerous 22 aircraft grouping. One pilot said to me..." It's like playing the piano; put the same practise and effort into formation flying as you would a piano, and you're there" The 22 didn't last long; Service exigencies etc. The Hunter was Mk.6 with an Avon 200 Series engine.
I worked on Hunter FGA9s with the Avon 200 engine and the AVPIN starter (it used Iso-Propyl-Nitrate - a 'monofuel' which made its own oxygen). Changing a starter with that stuff dripping into your eyes was not fun!. We also had Hunter T7s which had a triple cartridge starter - quite a job to change the cartridges. I later worked on Avon 300s in the EE Lightning aircraft in Saudi Arabia. I used to do all the starter changes as that was easy if you were thin enough to get down the intake. Running them in reheat on the ground was great fun. I used to stand on the tailplane when they went into reheat so I could spot fuel leaks at the rear. Having the diamond shock wave pattern within reach was something else! I think H&S would not allow this now. Apparently the AVPIN fuel is not obtainable any more so the Avons have to use electric start. I also trained on the early Avons as here in the Canberra B2s. The engines were easy to maintain as with any problems they were sent back to RR.
There was a third engine after the 106 in pR7, E15. The Avon 206 in the Shorts PR9. Same as in the Hunter F9 series and I believe the Lightning with reheat added. 106 had the triple cart. Starter and the 206 in the PR9 , Hunter etc the scary Avpin Isopropyl Nitrate 3 shot liquid starter sys.
Great video! Loved the explanation and music free background with the birds. Would love to have one of these engines to fire up every time the neighbors have a loud party. 😀
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
That is quite some wildlife you've got there. Also a nice engine.
Excellent leaf blower I loved the Canberra Bomber
Wow, man, it's so great! I have fascination for jet engines since my youth. I really appreciate the sound and thrust heated of this kind of thermic machine. I'd love to make a small-scaled GE J79, I mean F4 Phantom's engine for using as propellor under my bike's saddle. I'm not crazy but just an enthusiast.😊
Thank you for a fascinating description of a lovely engine.
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
She is definitely Purdy! Very cool 👍
That would scare me all that old metal spinning around, what a great sound and beutiful in form.
the back sound track is sweet can hear flyers
wow.. that engine looks brand new... what an amazing job you have done sir.. all the very best to you ;)
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
How on earth do you find starter cartridges these days?
Yes, where do you obtain the starter from?
@@robertkowalski9263
He has had to dispose of all starter cartridges by Government edict.
So now he has to find an electric starter conversion...
a commenter says he has one on his Avon (also in Australia)
No idea about this turbine. But many many were simply 12 gage blanks. All I have ever heard of actually. I'm sure others exist.
I've no specific knowledge but they are in reality just big, slower burning, shotgun cartridges. No real high tech involved so I'm guessing you either build new ones or get the old ones recharged.
What a nice piece of history, we just decommissioned an industrial Avon 200 series, believe it was a SGT- A20, it was used to drive an 11 MW generator, was a super reliable machine and now it’s just collecting cobwebs unfortunately
Take it home for a leaf blower
Find a museum/collection that will take it?
I bet the neighbours love you, great video cheers.
Well done John! You’ve certainly expanded your collection :) JW
Stay tuned plenty more left to do :)
Greetings from Penacook, NH in the US. That is a great sound. Thank you for sharing
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
Now there's a noise that brings back memories:)
Also remember the apprehension of a dud cartridge ;)
This is the finest Avon I've seen. Did you restore it? Fantastic run!
no just refurbished
Omg. How new does that look. Awesome
Lovely stuff mate.... Nice birds also
Neighbours:
John is taking his jumbo for a spin again this morning.
Love RR engines... great sound, really smooth and then on shut down it sounds like a bag of Spanners !
The RB211 was like that on the Lockheed Tristar too......................... LOL
This is awesome it sounds great
I cannot imagine not wearing protection while near that, I have tinnitus, be careful, tinnitus can strike anytime. Great sounding jet. cartridge start is interesting thought they would use compressed air or bleed air from a second.
John wears earplugs under those ear defenders...but needs to keep one ear out for any bad mechanical noises.....
Two small pegs is all that's stopping this beast from breaking free😧
They are obviously doing the job well ! Along with the 2 2500 kg rated ratchet straps secured to the trees in background
I have just bought a Holbrook H20 lathe. Flipping huge toolroom lathe that weighs 5 tons!
Originally purchased by Bristol Siddeley in 1962 which then became Rolls Royce aero engines. It was used for prototypes of the Pegasus and Olympus engines.
British jet engines have always led the way and still do to this day. Imagine if WW2 had gone on just a bit longer. The Germans would have been up against engines like this!
I did a Pegasus course at Bristol for two weeks in 1970 and worked on Harriers until I left the RAF in 1973. I always insisted the the Pegasus was a Bristol engine not an RR motor. Notably Bristol engines used Dowty Rotol injectors and RR used Lucas injectors. They worked in a different manner.
The daddy of modern jet engines.
You really have big toys in Australia! Love it. (It looks like new.) Cheers!
Awesome video, I live in Victoria looks like Queensland? Your neighbours are still looking for the aircraft.
Yes queensland, my neighbors know where the noise comes from ha ha
You have done a great job with that gas turbine engine. My sister-in-law lives just outside of Brisbane. Thanks.
That was really a great and interesting demo.
Well done 👏
Both fascinating and beautiful! 👍🏻
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
Great video and great engine. What's next in the engine collection plan?
Very impressive thank you. That would have made here in Derby i would expect.
Electric starter now fabricated and fitted in the next vid...
How much fun is that.
Congrats on the awesomeness.
🤟🇦🇺☮️😎👍
Great video, beautiful engine. Gday from NZ.
The sound of the starter takes me back to the 1980's when I worked on the flight line at RAF Kinloss. We were a Nimrod base but we often hosted a detachment of 100 Sqn. Canberras from RAF Wyton. Out of interest, do have any trouble sourcing new cartridges? Are you able to get the used cartridges re-packed?
I did h as ve more than i would ever use until the government panicked and forced me to dispose of them all
The sound is Magic👏👏👏👏👏👏
when neighbors complain about your V8 HEMI XD I didn't know this engine was starting using the Coffman Cartridge
Love the serenity. What better place to test a turbine engine :)
Machine and Nature, amazing.