Air cooled flathead

'Ol Henry actually made several true aircooled flathead engines back in the 30's. They were all experimental. I saw some of these at the Henry Ford Museum many years ago. I don't know if the museum still has them or if they sold them off. In any case, my guess is that they are still around somewhere.

Henry also built an 8 cylinder air cooled "X " engine for his Ford Tri-Motor aircraft. It did fly experimentally but shook badly and was under-powered. I have one of these engines. Four cylinders configured every 90 degrees around the crankshaft in an "X" pattern. With four more located directly behind the first four.---A twin row engine with four overhead camshafts. Each cam operating two cylinders worth of valves.
 
Daryl Middlebrook said:
'Ol Henry actually made several true aircooled flathead engines back in the 30's. They were all experimental. I saw some of these at the Henry Ford Museum many years ago. I don't know if the museum still has them or if they sold them off. In any case, my guess is that they are still around somewhere.

Henry also built an 8 cylinder air cooled "X " engine for his Ford Tri-Motor aircraft. It did fly experimentally but shook badly and was under-powered. I have one of these engines. Four cylinders configured every 90 degrees around the crankshaft in an "X" pattern. With four more located directly behind the first four.---A twin row engine with four overhead camshafts. Each cam operating two cylinders worth of valves.
Click to expand...

Sounds fascinating! Got pictures? Thanks!
 
If the car JWL was running was anything like our B/A you have to remember these engines ran for a very short period of time. We would push the altered to start it. As soon as it fired it was a short distance to the staging lanes. No burn outs like you see now days, you just staged the car. Then a run and the car was shut down. Often this whole process was a few minutes at most. And the push car followed the race car down the track! Not sure, but think I remember that Gassers had to have a starter on the engines. But still very short run times.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...BDFF1BEE656639847E0ABDFF1BEE65663&FORM=VRDGAR
 
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