starting the mustang

[hazmatt]

You start the engine by using the five hands you immediately wish God had given you the instant you engage the starter. You hold the starter with your right hand...start counting six blades as they pass...at "six" you throw the mags to 'both' with your left hand...hit the fuel boost pump switch on the left of the starter with your right hand (this requires a finger shift while holding the starter engaged)...now hit the electric primer to the right of the starter with another finger switch of the right hand...NOW, remember not to over-prime the damned Merlin...and as it fires, reach and push the mixture up into "NORMAL."

Congratulations...you have now STARTED the Mustang!!!!

[Drano]

Or just watch all three parts of Kermit Weeks video.

https://youtu.be/4z1Z-WEZZGM

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

[guncrasher]

isn't it much simpler to press E?


semp

[hazmatt]

Very cool video.


Ya E is good.

Imagine you needed to know the correct start sequence for each plane!

[The Fugitive]

Mines a lot easier, I push the clutch pedal to the floor and turn the key. When the engine catches I shift into first gear, release the clutch pedal and hit the throttle and hold on! 

[Puma44]

Here’s my “Right of Passage” (as my instructor referred to it) stack fire when I fumbled the start just a tad.  As Hazmatt described, it’s just a bit more involved than pressing “E”.

[hazmatt]

Nice!

Is it me or do the props on those ponies appear to be spinning opposite directions?

[Puma44]

Nice!

Is it me or do the props on those ponies appear to be spinning opposite directions?

Taken with an iPhone.

[Mongoose]

Nice!

Is it me or do the props on those ponies appear to be spinning opposite directions?

Optical illusion caused by the "refresh rate" or "video frequency" or whatever you call it, of the camera. You will notice the prop on the left hand plane appears to reverse direction near the end of the video.

[Puma44]

Optical illusion caused by the "refresh rate" or "video frequency" or whatever you call it, of the camera. You will notice the prop on the left hand plane appears to reverse direction near the end of the video.

Exactly.  At the end of the video when the engine was running smoothly, I set the rpm to 1,000.

[svaalbar]

I was recently reading a book about a P51 pilot. Theres some interesting parts in it. He flew 23 missions before getting shot down and became a POW.

 The Biography of a Rabbit
by Roy Benson Jr. : https://www.gutenberg.org/files/7190/7190-h/7190-h.htm

One interesting passage was this:

> When you are starting the plane there is a knob that you push out and pull in called the primer pump and it gives extra gas to the engine for starting. On one mission Paul Maxwell was in our flight and his engine quit on the way back. He found that the only way he could keep it running well enough to stay in the air was to work the primer pump. We all slowed down enough to stay with him and prayed that he could make It across the Channel. On the east coast of England at the point closest to Europe there was a landing strip on top of the white cliffs. It was called the Masden emergency field and all the planes that were damaged or having problems would head for there. A lot of the bombers would land there if they couldn't make it back to base. The runway was wide and straight in from the Channel so they didn't have to make any turns. Paul Maxwell landed there and his fingers were covered with blood from his having to work, the primer pump constantly.

I have no idea what a primer pump is, since I've never flown. All I have done is drive automatic cars (maybe drove stick shift like 5 times in my entire life)

[Puma44]

Basically the primer is a manual way of getting fuel to the engine/cylinders to help get it started. The Stallion51 guys use 8 seconds of primer when cold and 4 seconds when warm to start the Merlin.  It works quite well, except when a newb fumbles the finger ballet in the sequence.  Hence, a stack fire.   

Crazy Horse has an electric primer.  Can’t imagine having to pump the primer continuously to keep the engine running in a combat situation.   

[Banshee7]

Here’s my “Right of Passage” (as my instructor referred to it) stack fire when I fumbled the start just a tad.  As Hazmatt described, it’s just a bit more involved than pressing “E”.

That's super cool.  I'm so jealous.

[morfiend]

Basically the primer is a manual way of getting fuel to the engine/cylinders to help get it started. The Stallion51 guys use 8 seconds of primer when cold and 4 seconds when warm to start the Merlin.  It works quite well, except when a newb fumbles the finger ballet in the sequence.  Hence, a stack fire.   

Crazy Horse has an electric primer.  Can’t imagine having to pump the primer continuously to keep the engine running in a combat situation.   

 And here I thought all you had to do was throw a saddle on it and give it the spurs!  Of course then try to hang on for 8 seconds.


   

[Puma44]

 And here I thought all you had to do was throw a saddle on it and give it the spurs!  Of course then try to hang on for 8 seconds.


   

Throwing the saddle on is the easy part.  The rest of that sortie went a bit smoother.  Here’s the RTB.