Wednesday, July 17, 2024

🇩🇪 Tiger Tank " Hand Crank Engine Start Up "

14 comments:

  1. I cannot imagine doing that under fire.

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  2. Apparently all those German tanks need to be cranked over by hand!

    https://youtu.be/tRGQJL0Amqs

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    1. Nope, they had electric start with auxiliary hand crank.

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  3. Replies
    1. Sorry, WW2 German MBT's were gasoline.

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    2. So easier to crank than a Diesel

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  4. It looks like the crank was to turn a generator to charge the electric starter. Having restored a number of classic cars, I can tell you that a hand crank start is nothing like what we see in the video.

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  5. Vorwarts, zu Stalingad! Schnell!

    Bayouwulf

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  6. I doubt you could make a crank big enough to turn that engine over even with 2-3 men cranking. Unlike a car engine
    Pretty sure, you can hear the whine, he was cranking a massive free spinning flywheel. Get it going at a pretty good clip and, engage the clutch and hope the engine catches right away. I think the flywheel can turn the engine about 1/2 of a revolution before it stops.

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    1. You got it in one. The Tiger used a Maybach V12 originally designed to power Zeppelins. It had an inertia starter that could be hand cranked to speed. I hand-cranked the inertia starter on a DC-3 once, it's a workout.
      Here's an ME109 being started in the same way.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgTw-w4k87E
      Al_in_Ottawa

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    2. That was an excellent clip, many thanks Al

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  7. Used to be a common system for starting aircraft engines.

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  8. Reminds me of starting a steam turbine-generator in the Navy. There was a manual lube oil pump. You had to crank the bejeezus out of it, especially with cold oil, to get enough pressure to raise the oil pressure trip.
    When you got it high enough, reach over and open the main steam valve. Keep cranking while doing this. Keep cranking as the turbine gets up enough speed so the internal pump can take over.
    Sit down gasping for a minute or two to catch your breath.
    Sometimes do this 2-3 times in a row before you get the turbine going, but without the sitting down between tries. Plenty of gasping, though.

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