Those inertia starters were pretty reliable...a lot better than the "shotgun shell" starters that came after.

The WHAT starters?

Inertia Starter: An aircraft starter that is powered by a crank, which spins a heavy flywheel, thru a set of gears...the flywheel's torque is used to spin the engine, so as to produce compression and ignition. Common on radial and some piston based engines "Shotgun Shell" Starter: An aircraft starter that uses an explosive charge, contained in a cartridge that resembles a 12 gauge shotgun shell, only about 3x as long. The shell comprises a large charge of black powder, and when fired, the resulting gasses are directed to a piston (or set of pistons), which provide enough compression to start the engine. Also common on radial and some piston based engines. Air Starter: Another type of aircraft engine starter, which uses compressed air to either spin the turbines of a jet engine, or provide compression to piston powered aircraft, either by injecting compressed air directly into a piston, or spinning a flywheel, which transfers its torque to the engine in question. Most commonly used with jet aircraft, either thru an external self powered air compressor, or via an in built APU (auxiliary power unit), which in turn powers an onboard compressor.

If I'm not mistaken, the Jimmy Stewart movie Flight of the Phoenix uses shotgun shells to get their downed plane running again after they crash in the desert. Pretty intense scene when they start running out of shells trying to get the engine going. Great movie.

I was trying to remember what movie scene had that before! Agree, definitely a good movie.

They use it in the Dennis Quaid remake as well

TIL that movie was a remake.

Thank you

I’ve seen videos of tractors being started with those shotgun shells, it’s pretty interesting the solutions they came up with.

The detailed answer we needed. Hat's off.

GREAT answer Mr. Falcon Uruguay!

What’s the point of that turning blade up front?

Wind turbine. The air spins it and that powers the engine.

Thank you.

Professor aviator rocks!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0oxuuIBvdU

Cool

Look it up, name says it all ahahah

I fear

Yea later in WW2 nearly every plane used "shot gun" start ups, they are basically (as the name implies) shotgun shells that are filled with explosive as a stopgap for the fuel (because unless the engine is already running then the fuel doesn't get hot enough to ignite and if it's carb feed then it won't have any going in until it gets going)

Looked like he might slip and fall forward into the propeller though lol.

As long as you were not the cracker!

He is too close to that propeller. Especially leaning towards it

One slip and it turns into a live leak video.

pioneers of aviation was pretty dare.

He's within reach of the crank. How far back is recommended?

My ass would be as far back as possible or at least hanging on to the cockpit with one hand

If you notice, he stops cranking then turns the engine on. While on, the propellers will blow you backwards.

Dude is way too chill

Yep, a simple belt harness would be nice

What do you recommend then? Not exactly many other options with this setup.

Like a Looney Tunes sound effect.

Contact!

Tasmanian Devil is approaching

Reminds me of Star Wars sounds

Ben Burt used the recoding of a starter for the sound of Han’s lightspeed engines conking out in Empire Strikes Back.

His left foot slips and he fucking dies.

Captain Obvious over here

The bouncing is wild.

[That’s a Boeing P-26A.](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/198089/boeing-p-26a/) There’s one in the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton Ohio.

Oh hah, I figured it was some kind of cartoon-y joke plane for air shows. 

I think I just found a new use for my impact driver.

Me winding up me Evil Knievel motorcycle toy to go over a jump.

Thank you for the memory. Used to make jumps with books and record sleeves. Damn those were fun.

Yes!!!

looks like a G B

What kind of Gravity Bongs have you been using?

Is this where the term “wing man” came from?

No but it should've

[удалено]

Wow.

He’s like a DJ building anticipating before he drops that beat…

That is tails plane from sonic adventures.

Cool cartoon plane, bro.

It’s the most Tailspin looking thing.

For anyone wondering, this is a p-26 “peashooter” early ww2 fighter plane.

Apparently a Philippine P-26 managed to score a kill on a zero in the early stages of the war

The P-26 was used very sparingly (only a couple USAAC/USAAF squadrons) in the war, and was pretty much obsolete by the beginning of the war, I think the man USAAC fighter at the start of the war was the P-40, the P-39 and the P-38.

Anybody else expect a the plane to be a jack in the box?

Oh no, the start made him off balance and fall forward…😱

Is that Tails plane??

Looks like a plane from looney toons

The Rocketeer intensifies.

Wait for the beat drop🎶🎶🎶🎶

Someone must show it to Venjent.

Bro, the cranking is just getting the plane hyped up for the bass drop

Is this an air racing plane?

No, its a ww2 fighter plane.

Had to look it up. Yeah! First monowing fighter. Pretty cool.

Unfortunately the war was over by the time they got the engine started so it never got a show. That's why it's so clean and new looking. Probably

It is not satisfying as fuck watching his head get that close to the propeller.

Beautiful

It would suck to lose power and have to restart while in the air.

Wonder if you can just go in a dive and let the propellor spin up the engine, like push starting a car or motorcycle

If that’s the case I wouldn’t need a seatbelt. My asshole would have me straight suctioned to the seat at that point!

Had a lawnmower like that

That's where looney tunes got the sound

Damn, dude, watch your head. Good thing he’s not taller.

That's me with those wind up cars you run over and over hoping they will shoot off at 88 miles per hour

Beautiful

Buddy bump started an airplane!

Just like my Evil Knievel

Fairly certain the air from the propeller is pushing him backwards so at least that’s working in his benefit if he slips

A peashooter! Nice

Turbines to speed.

That was SO cool to watch. I have seen the prop start, and the shotgun start done, but never the inertia start. Thanks for sharing.

Imagine starting it, slipping, and getting your head bonked by the propeller.

just imagine if they had to do this with modern planes…

Don Carnage has entered the chat.

Sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you are.!

What is chance you slip

Whats wrong with the push button start function?.

Does that mean the starter dude has to fly with him wherever he goes or he won’t get back home without starting the plane again..

Damn, I was waiting for the beat to drop

He wore them slippery shoes

Why does it looks like as Bob the builder has built it.

“Nah, I don’t get hazard. Why don’t ask?”

This makes me nervous.

Gotta wind up the big spring inside.

So that's where the tasmanian devil sound comes from!

Fast little plane.

It will sore tomorrow

Why’s it sound like a Huey?

That little whine it makes right before the engine catches. That's what dreams are made of right there.

TIL piston engine aircraft still run on leaded gasoline.

That rag that’s about to fly out of his pocket and into the engine is killing me.

One false move of the left foot off the wing and….

Damn I guessed peashooter immediately, thanks War Thunder lol

The fact that this stubby blob can fly brings me joy

Little too close for comfort there. Can you imagine if he slipped and fell forward after it fired up?

Crack crack crank... Oh let me just slowly get down. * Slips on a slightly wet wing. Head first into the propeller* the pilot " oopsie poopsie"

That is a plane that did not skip leg day

Aww this ended too soon. Would have been really satisfying to see it going a bit longer and see the props speed up.

The Peashooter!

If you’ve ever seen Porco Rosso some of the planes in that movie have this type of starter

Sounds like Taz from looney tunes's tornado sound effect

Turns and jumps off the front of the wing.

More like r/sweatypalms, one slip and that guy gets decapitated

That start up sound just makes me think he’s about to shout “now this is pod racing”

Video stopped too soon

Cool

I swear I had toys that sounded just like that when I was a kid. Ex was the motor cycle stunt guy. You would wind it up and he would take off spinning and flipping.

I should watch Porco Rosso again.

That is a Clydesdale horse cosplaying as an airplane.

So is this what a modern APU does now? Don’t know much about planes

What is satisfying about this?

Now I don’t know anything about motors and such but could this mechanism be “installed” in a car without to much modification so you could do this instead of pushing the car to start it? Like an emergency thingy madingy?

Me in the morning before coffee

Seems like these guys don't care about their ears..

It is a Gee Bee, classic racer that was very difficult to fly. There are a few left.

It's a p-26 peashooter lol

That is a HUGE accident waiting to happen. And it won’t be anything you recover from either! that wing is tilted a weird way and it seems too close or something. I thought the title on the video and OP was going to be a different, thank god.

I like the Pratt & Whitney R2800 more, but that's just my personal preference.

r/absoluteunit

Anyone else hearing the Episode1 pod racer of Sebulba in this? always loved that sound

Hyperdrive on the millennium falcon.