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Thread: AERONCA/McDOWELL DRAWINGS

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2012
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    107

    AERONCA/McDOWELL DRAWINGS

    I am looking for drawings of parts of the McDOWELL STARTER to support my effort to install a system on my Chief. Please post or send me any you may have. (Starter only)

    Thanks,

    Dale

  2. #2

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    No drawing support showed up but, I have been able to pull together most of the parts needed for my installation.

  3. #3

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    Sep 2011
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    Marlow, England
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    Hi Dale
    You are probably aware of the McDowell Starter Assembly drawing on the Aeronca Museum site www.aeroncamuseum.org ?
    Christopher

  4. #4

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    Christopher,

    Yes, I am aware of that and have over time now, obtained a number of both McDowell and Aeronca drawings covering the installation of a McDowell system for my Chief. My information, while covering some parts of the requirements for other models and especially, other engine configurations is centered on the Chief with a 65 hp Continental using a tapered shaft.
    If anyone is seriously considering this project, they may contact me for specific information and I will help when possible.

    Thank You for your help.

  5. #5

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    I have a dumb question. I used to own a 7AC Champ that had a lever hanging from under the panel. It was no longer connected to anything. No one knew for sure what it was for, but a few thought it was some kind of starter. Was that a McDowell Starter? How did it work?
    Bob

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Dingley View Post
    I have a dumb question. I used to own a 7AC Champ that had a lever hanging from under the panel. It was no longer connected to anything. No one knew for sure what it was for, but a few thought it was some kind of starter. Was that a McDowell Starter? How did it work?
    Bob
    Bob, you remember the deluxe Sears lawnmower where to start the engine, didn't pull on a recoiling rope. Instead you wound a crank handle on top of the engine around and around while it made a ratcheting sound (what you were doing was winding a spring) then once you had it sufficiently wound, you stowed the handle, which pushed a button to release the energy stored in the spring and it spun the engine over 2, 3, maybe 4 times if you wound it really tight? That is essentially how a McDowell starter works. Pretty neat adapting it to an airplane with no electrics.

  7. #7

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    ​Thanks Marty,now I know. It could be that this system faded away because the crank handles were all lost over time.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Dingley View Post
    I have a dumb question. I used to own a 7AC Champ that had a lever hanging from under the panel. It was no longer connected to anything. No one knew for sure what it was for, but a few thought it was some kind of starter. Was that a McDowell Starter? How did it work?
    Bob
    I know this response is quite late but here is my thought, with out seeing it. You likely have the lever for a hand "parking brake". The model 7 did not have the McDowell starter as an option they were in the mod.11 Chief. The McDowell starters that I have seen were operated with a lever anchored to the floor at the left side. I have the parking brake on my champ and most Aeronca owners, current and former, don't know what it is so I think they were not common. My system was installed in about 1950 after a "hand propping accident" according to the records. The McDowell starter worked as a recoil starter like a lawnmower engine. A ratchet was placed behind the prop with the cable running to the lever. The lever simply gave mechanical advantage rather than pulling the cable directly, like with a small engine.

  9. #9

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    Jan 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Wilson View Post
    I know this response is quite late but here is my thought, with out seeing it. You likely have the lever for a hand "parking brake". The model 7 did not have the McDowell starter as an option they were in the mod.11 Chief. The McDowell starters that I have seen were operated with a lever anchored to the floor at the left side. I have the parking brake on my champ and most Aeronca owners, current and former, don't know what it is so I think they were not common. My system was installed in about 1950 after a "hand propping accident" according to the records. The McDowell starter worked as a recoil starter like a lawnmower engine. A ratchet was placed behind the prop with the cable running to the lever. The lever simply gave mechanical advantage rather than pulling the cable directly, like with a small engine.

    Gregs reply is essentially correct. The CRANK ( that is really the Aeronca part name) for the McDowell starter is floor mounted into weldments made to the original fuselage. It is positioned to the Pilots' left knee side and has a "REST" which is the return position after the ratchet gear is used to move the prop through one compression cycle. My Chief also has an under panel " Hand Brake" which is very similar to an emergency brake in an automobile. It works well when the Goodyear Brakes are properly adjusted. It is located under the panel center position.

    I have now installed my McDowell and it works fine.All of the necessary drawings are available from many sources. However, the most important ones about the internal parts of the starter mechanism itself were all McDowell Co. Drawings and are mostly not generally available. I am still interested in any McDowell starter components drawings if anyone has them out there.

    Dale

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by EDGEFLY View Post
    ...

    I have now installed my McDowell and it works fine...

    Dale
    Man, this sounds like something that would be REALLY cool to publish in Sport Aviation or Kitplanes.

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