Actually Donald Healey was in the RFC Royal Flying Corp, a forerunner of
what was to become the RAF in April 1918.
The problem of the breathing of castor oil was because most of the aircraft
of the time were fitted with rotary engines. These had the crankshaft fixed
in the middle and both oil and fuel were fed by way of the hollow crankshaft
to the spinning cylinders. The exhaust and unburned oil escaped
centrifugally out the exhaust ports. The poor pilot sitting behind all that
both breathed and tasted the oily exhaust.
This caused most active pilots to have a rather constant case known as "the
squitters" (diarrhea).
Amazing men in an amazing time.
Rich Chrysler
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Feldman" <qualitas@millenicom.com>
To: <healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 7:28 PM
Subject: Doanls Healey's RAF Service
> Did Donald Healey write of his time in the RAF? There was a program
> several
> month ago about flying for the RAF in WWI. The folks must have been made
> of
> iron. With a 66% casualty rate, we should all be glad that he survived.
>
> Interesting that diarrhea was common among flyers. Would you believed that
> the
> engines leaked oil? Since they were using Castrol, which originally had a
> castor oil base, the oil would blow back into the pilots face and some
> would
> be swallowed resulting in the problem.
>
> It was an interesting program and I wish I had taken notes. I can only
> remember some of the hardships. I had always wondered why WWI flyers
> didn't
> use parachutes. The hour said that the pilots didn't want the added
> weight.
> Some pilots carried revolvers handy in the cockpit. If the play caught on
> fire
> or was going to crash, the program said they shot themselves in order to
> spare
> the pain.
>
> Jack
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