I've been asked how this works so here's a few more shots. This is the 1919 vintage Huck's Starter used at Old Warden to start some of the larger engines instead of two or three men swinging those big props. (I'll try & get some shots of that too, next time I see it done but this will have to wait until next season now.) It's a very clever idea & like most of these things is actually very simple.  The whole thing is built on a Model T chassis. The starter shaft is driven by a chain connected to the gearbox. It's adjustable for height to suit different aircraft & there's a pin fitted at right angles through the business end of the shaft.


This is the driver's/operator's seat. Note the sign saying PROP. I'm not quite sure how it's operated but this obviously connects the shaft to the gearbox. I assume there's also some sort of clutch between the gearbox & the drive.


This is the dog on the aircraft, in this case the Hawker Hind. It connects straight to the driveshaft on the engine.


I posted some photos a while ago showing it in operation. Basically the operator carefully positions the starter in front of the aircraft. Then an assistant adjusts the height of the shaft & position of the pin before the operator moves forward & connects it to the dog. When all is ready he can spin the engine to suck in, then the pilot shouts "Contact", he spins the prop once more & hopefully the engine fires, to a big cheer from the crowd. The driver then carefully backs up the starter & drives away to a safe distance.

A couple of bonus shots. Here's a standard RAF blind-flying panel as fitted to most WWII aircraft. This has the 6 main instruments in a standard pattern & can be bolted onto most panels which contain the rest of the various instruments & switches peculiar to the aircraft. Another very clever but simple idea.


Chief pilot Andy Sephton taxies the Spitfire back to dispersal after his display. He will now get ready to fly the Bleriot. The number of different types some of these pilots fly during the day is amazing.


Moving the Hurricane to make a little room.


Hope you found that interesting.

It's a very interesting piece of kit Doug, and used to really intrigue me when I was a wee bit shorter than I am now!

Wonderful information Doug

Thanks for posting them.

I wonder what that small box affair on top of the vehicles instruments panel is in shot #2?

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Aha, now I get it... thanx.
Like most very clever ideas, it's amazingly simple (but you just said that, didn't you?). At first glance, I thought: jeez, when the aircraft engine wakes up, if the starter shaft isn't lined up just right... lookout! And how in the world do they disengage the starter from the dog?
  But of course the mere shape of the dog causes the end of the starter shaft to be forced clear as the aircraft engine rpms exceed that of the starter.  You can see the little wear marks on it.
Brilliant- saves the weight of a starter and battery in the plane, and is safer than hand-propping. And I'll bet that Model T chassis comes in handy for carrying all sorts of stuff to and from the flight line.