Pt 305

Quick question on the Packard engine is this the RR Merlin built under licence by Packard the same basic engine that powered the Spitfire, Lancaster, and replaced the Allison in the Mustang to make it and the spitfire the best fighters of the war. One of the reasons I ask is i am about to do some further research into our family tree which possibly includes the Packard company and am always fastinated with this great old company. Also, somewhere in my historical collection i have an old article on the PT's including the British, American,and German versions. I will dig thru it and if successful forward the info. -- Geo.

 

I drove by the old Packard plant last summer, cannot find my photos but there is this.

http://www.detroitblog.org/index.php?s=ruins&paged=3

 

Whooo thats errie sad and scarey the bones of a nation and ones own life in general- definately the decline of a once great empire ???????? where do we go from here ????? Thanks for the time and effort to post it --Geo.

 

Packard

The Packards in the PT 305 were not the RR aircraft version. They were designed and built by Packard and if you like mechanical things, quite beautiful.

 

Yes they did produce some beautiful pieces of macinery. Not being RR could make parts harder to locate, hope thats not a problem. It's a strange world we live in the very enemy that the RR Merlin was designed to fight now owns the company. Anyhow still hunting for those old articles --Geo

 

And the plane that the Packard-Merlin was built to power was designed by a German.

Oh, and the suspension system for the German Tiger tanks was developed by an American but the US Army wouldn't use it.

I heard that the Zeros used a direct copy of an American propeller.

It goes on and on..

Love the PT project. More pix!

-jim lee

 

Good for you Jim, a man of past knowledge has a solid base of vision to look to the future. Didn't know that about the Mustang, beautiful aircraft. Have to dig up some info on that tid bit. I always been captivated by the PT's, my dad was in the merchant navy during the war and he often spoke about them, something about them coming out of the harbours to protect the merchant ships as soom as they were within fuel range. Got to find that article I have on them got myself drove nuts looking for it-- Geo.

 

Anybody know about the PT boat that was in Stamford Ct. in the sixties ?
It was at Yacht Haven west for a while . I remember one in the water , but that was a long time ago .

 

PT 305 Progress

The rib replacement phase will be completed next week. The hull will begin the next phase of planking. It has two layers of planking which is both fastened with screws and rivets.

 

We were never an empire, nor were we imperialists. Well, the Hawaiians and American Indians might rightfully agree that we were, but other than that, nah.

Where do we go from here? Let us hope it isn't a new Dark Age.

 

Hoyt not the nation but the automotive manufacturing empire although the historian in me does consider the U.S. as an empire both financially and geographically in that it grew from a small nation into a larger geographially driven by the "manifest destiny" view point and as a result grew much stronger economically taking the financial leadership of the world from the heart of the British Empire, London to New York based. This in turn allowed further geographical expansion by purchase (Alaska) and other land masses outside the continent by economic control of their populations and thru overwhelming in migration of U.S citizens. Thus obtaining actual voting ownership or voting protectoriates. The designated name of the expansion process is not really relivant as when it all comes down to it we are in historical fact children of Imperialism in that as countries we evolved from Empires, Spain, France and finally top dog the Empire British. It being the world "Protestant" superpower after defeating the two"Catholic" superpowers namely Spain and France as combined allys. I include religion here because as with most old world conflicts it was highly religious driven. In this case the Pope was constantly probing both Spain and France to punish the rebellious English Child and bring it back into the fold. As to "where we go from here" The United States is still and will be for many more years the world driving force of freedom and economy(in that precise order). While I feel as an outsider looking in it's government has to an extent dissapointed the people it can not be said in reverse and there in lies the key to success" Freedom of the citizen to make change" Ok I apologize for my off topic chatter, I promise to be relivant next post. Blame it all on Hoyt for triggering my love of history and appreciation of my neighbour

 

There is a small manufacturing firm, of long standing, who reproduce parts for old time engines. The Packard, no exception. From the photo, the hammers, punches, and the rust penetrant , I expect that some new parts may be necessary. Pistons, rods, valves, bearings, rings, and what not. If such a source is useful to you, I will dig out the name and contact information.

That's a valiant project you have going. I salute the effort.

 

Back on subject-- just out of couriosity will any majour engine parts from the RR fit the Packard. I know Packard did make some modifications but I always understood the basic engine block and internals were built from the RR blueprints. Possibly there in lies another source for parts of which the origional quanities were much larger, being that in addition to the one engine per spitfire, there were four on every Lank.

 

if i'm well informed between the planking goes tared canvas? Always was crazy of PT boats but only after my old cal gal found me back on facebook I learned her dad was torpedoman on the ring dang do. might be worth looking up the Gougean bros book on stripplanking recently discussed here http://www.westsystem.com/ss/assets/...k 061205.pdf

edit
should have said impregnated and aint even sure that was canvas
but here some original construction movies and more i found cleaning up my favorites
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8tQP3s9DIQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e6Ei5UvLqI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN47z3n52-c
http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...1.0.100.509.5j1.6.0...0.0...1ac.1.7NKDmIeqEM8
than again it may be you guy's that put this material on the net in the first place, all the best from me!