Oh, there's oil EVERYWHERE!

[SgtPappy]

Would that be the first reaction of every beginner pilot flying aircraft (fighters particularly) during WWI?
I read somewhere that the rotary engines at the time leaked oil at a decent rate and so a plane's range would be limited by not only fuel, but by oil as well.

Any thoughts on this? You never really see oil on aircraft from WWI, even though you see it on WWII planes all the time. I'm thinking, if anything, that the lubrication circulation system would be worse on WWI planes.

[FLS]

Rotary engines used Castor oil. It's not so obvious in pictures.

[Saurdaukar]

I think it was in the VF-17 "squad biography" I read that, when the first Corsairs became operational, they leaked so much oil that you had to fly through clouds containing moisture every so often to clear the windshield.

[FLS]

I think it was in the VF-17 "squad biography" I read that, when the first Corsairs became operational, they leaked so much oil that you had to fly through clouds containing moisture every so often to clear the windshield.

Didn't they wire shut the upper cowl flaps for a quick fix?

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Yes, World War I planes used castor oil, and yes, it was a net loss system, meaning a lot of the oil left the engine during flight. It wasn't just a lack of fuel and oil that caused the lack of range. Think about flying along in a mist of castor oil, and the effect on your body.

[SIK1]

For those that don't know, one of castor oil's many uses is as a laxative.   

[SgtPappy]

That's... amazing?

Hah. Well then, that can be a serious problem for WWI fighters. Assuming a pilot did get through his mission and come back home, were there any records of medical problems resulting from their exposure to this caster oil?

[FLS]

At Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome they still fly a replica Camel with an original rotary engine. It's not like the pilot is covered in oil when he lands. Since you sit behind the propeller in an open cockpit you try to avoid the propwash as much as you can even without the oil issue. It's not a mist of oil, more like a hurricane. Somebody was being funny.   

Edit: My avatar is the Rhinebeck Camel.

[CAP1]

Yes, World War I planes used castor oil, and yes, it was a net loss system, meaning a lot of the oil left the engine during flight. It wasn't just a lack of fuel and oil that caused the lack of range. Think about flying along in a mist of castor oil, and the effect on your body.

this i believe is why they wore scarves around their faces.......

[CAP1]

I think it was in the VF-17 "squad biography" I read that, when the first Corsairs became operational, they leaked so much oil that you had to fly through clouds containing moisture every so often to clear the windshield.

corsairs used radial engines.

the ww1 planes used rotarys.

[Delirium]

were there any records of medical problems resulting from their exposure to this caster oil?

No, but along with the rigors/stress of war the castor oil tended to make the early dogfighters gaunt.

[Krusty]

this i believe is why they wore scarves around their faces.......

If you mean to keep it off of themselves, then no. The scarves were there to wipe the oil off their goggles constantly so they could see where they were going.

[Charge]

"Hah. Well then, that can be a serious problem for WWI fighters. Assuming a pilot did get through his mission and come back home, were there any records of medical problems resulting from their exposure to this caster oil?"

I have understood from here and there that quite many times the pilots flying those rotary engined fighters were in a hurry to toilet after landing so they would not sht in their pants due swallowing some of that oil. Besides I don't think anybody thought of any medical aspect of it, only the general effects on pilot's comfort.

Considering similar effects on WW2 fighters you can still see a peculiar strip of metal behind the spinner of some Hurricanes. I have understood that it was meant to gather oil seepage from gearbox (due to bad axle gaskets) which would otherwise gather on windscreen and hinder vision.

-C+

[VonMessa]

If you mean to keep it off of themselves, then no. The scarves were there to wipe the oil off their goggles constantly so they could see where they were going.

In addition to prevent the neck from getting chafed by the collar of the flight jacket from the constant turning of the head when scanning the sky..

[VonMessa]

"Hah. Well then, that can be a serious problem for WWI fighters. Assuming a pilot did get through his mission and come back home, were there any records of medical problems resulting from their exposure to this caster oil?"

I have understood from here and there that quite many times the pilots flying those rotary engined fighters were in a hurry to toilet after landing so they would not sht in their pants due swallowing some of that oil. Besides I don't think anybody thought of any medical aspect of it, only the general effects on pilot's comfort.

Considering similar effects on WW2 fighters you can still see a peculiar strip of metal behind the spinner of some Hurricanes. I have understood that it was meant to gather oil seepage from gearbox (due to bad axle gaskets) which would otherwise gather on windscreen and hinder vision.

-C+

There used to be an a guy from around these parts (friend of my Grandfather) that flew one of these planes (a long time ago when I was very young) in a local air show

We loved the stunts that he would do, but I recall conversations that he had with my Grandfather about remembering to hold his breath or keeping his mouth shut (especially in the inverted stunts) due to the fact that the castor oil gave him the green apple splashes if he swallowed too much