THE HUCKS STARTER - AS DEMONSTRATED TO MEMBERS VISITING THE VINTAGE AVIATOR AT THE END OF JANUARY

from VCC MANAWATU TOURER MARCH 2023

THE TOURER

A Hucks starter is an auxiliary power unit, almost always a lorry or truck, that provides initial power to start up piston aircraft engines. Invented by Royal Flying Corps Captain Bentfield Hucks, for whom it is named, the device served as a mechanical replacement for the groundcrew members who would have otherwise needed to spin an aircraft's propeller by hand as a part of the starting process, on aircraft engines not fitted with starters. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Hucks starter was in widespread use amongst ground crews, becoming particularly useful as aircraft engines had progressively become too large to be easily started by hand. Some aircraft could only practically be started using the device. Its popularity quickly waned during the 1930s as new forms of integral starters, such as the Coffman starter, were introduced to service. While many Hucks starters were scrapped, a number have been restored and preserved for display. The power is transmitted to the aircraft via a power take-off shaft, much like those used to run winches on tow trucks, or on agricultural machinery. The shaft of the starter fits into a special protruding hub which incorporates a simple projecting claw clutch on the centre of the airplane's propeller assembly. When engaged, the power of the truck's engine is transmitted to the aircraft engine until start up, whereupon the faster speed of the nowrunning engine disengages the clutch, and then the starter truck clears the area prior to take-off. The system presented several advantages over conventional hand-starting, being considerably less hazardous to ground personnel, requiring only two personnel to operate it, and was able to start an engine from cold within the space of 30 seconds. In comparison, Hucks hand-cranking to start engines was time-consuming and often difficult outside of ideal conditions.