Dick wrote:
Was talking with some WW2 guys who remembered the use of 10 gauge shotgun
shells to start an aircraft engine. I've seen several movies showing
something but my question is how did it work? shell in seperate cylinder
from pistons and how push crank over, etc??


Its called a Kauffmann (sp?) starter. The blast turns a turbine thats
geared in to the crankshaft somehow. See the movie Flight of the
Phoenix... the original w/ Jimmy Stuart, not the gawd-aweful remake.

Harry