W-1997-RUCN.DOC

8 Back: Don & Warren Kump, Darrell Landau, Cecilia Bobbitt, Carl Neff, Barton Bobbitt, Alan Moris, Alan Probst

Front: Jean Ann Kump, Charlotte Neff, Mary Landau, Patty Kump, Helen Bobbitt, Judy Moris, Geraldine Probst

1 Patty & Warren Kump 2 Alan & Judy Morris 3 Darrell & Mary Landau

4 Jean Ann & Don Kump 5 Barton & Helen Bobbitt 6 Ceceilia Kump & Alice Bobbitt

Alan & Geraldine Probst

Comments by Darrell

Not all recollections of this Minden NB museum are the same. I’ll share a special memory I have with you. There was an R-2800 Pratt Whitney Radial engine of WW II vintage, which I recognized as having been at the Airplane Mechanics School at Lincoln NB, which I attended as a student and was an Instructor before going into Engineering Cadets.

It was a special version which had been cut away, cutting the carburetor in half, and exposing the inside parts, yet capable of being operated by an electric motor. It had been a marvelous instruction tool, as it revealed the moving parts in action. Like how nine cylinders operated on one crack shaft throw.

When I saw it again years later, I stood marveling how well it showed the workings of the Stromberg carburetor for all to see. There was the venturi mechanism that created a vacuum in proportion to air flow, also the impact tubes that measured ram air pressure in proportion to air flow. These connected to each side of a diaphragm which paired with another diaphragm that measured dpwm stream manifold pressure, detecting if the throttle had been abruptly opened. These summed their differential forces on a rod which had a fuel metering valve at it’s end. This automatically adjusted fuel flow to match air flow – to maintain fuel-air ratio.

I walked on but in looking back I saw a fellow looking at the cutaway much as I had. I walked back and stood beside him, wondering if he was going to say anything. He didn’t so to make conversation I said “that’s a marvelous example of a mechanical analog computer, quite advanced for it’s day.” He looked at me in disbelief – looking me up and down as if I had a few screws loose. He knew what a computer looked like – this was an aircraft engine – it was definitely not a computer. Without saying a word he moved on, putting distance between himself and that nut.

He didn’t buy it – I couldn’t help but chuckle at how he’d put me in my place with that look – no sir, I was not going to fool him. This experience was a reminder of how people wandering through museums look but do not see what they are looking at. But then I often can’t see the beauty in some peoples art.