JobbersWorld ran a "Pop Quiz" in last week's issue. We asked a few questions about the engine shown to the right.
The questions were:
1- What is the name of the company that manufactured this engine?; 2) How many horsepower does this beast put out?, 3) What type of oil is used to service this engine? In addition, we included a bonus question asking; Where was this picture taken?
Whereas we received hundreds of responses, (some of which admittedly were meant to be humorous), JobbersWorld was shocked by the ability of some of our readers to get it right! With that said...
The Winner is - Ryan Story!
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| Ryan Story Rax Inc. |
Ryan Story of Rax Inc. nailed it! Ryan got all three questions and the bonus question right.
Whereas JobbersWorld expected a lubricant marketer or major oil company to be the first to ring in with the right answers, the winner came from one of the leading suppliers of back-office software to lubricant marketers. And there is little wonder why. In addition to his talent as a software developer for Rax Inc., Ryan Story is a graduate of Iowa State and a flight instructor in single-engine aircraft. And beyond that, like many pilots, Ryan has a passion for planes and it showed when so quickly aced the pop quiz.
Since 2012 Ryan has been employed by Rax, Inc., a software company for the petroleum industry. He has extensive experience in developing Rax's mobile application (MobileVS) for Salesman. Ryan also has enhanced the EDI interface between Visual Supplier and Exxon/Mobil, Castrol, Shell and PetroCanada, as well as other facets of VS.
JobbersWorld tips its hat to you Ryan; your knowledge of lubricant software and aircraft engines is notable... Job well done!
JobbersWorld also extends a Job Well Done to two others that submitted correct answer to the pop quiz, and they did so within an hour of Ryan's slam dunk.
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Eugene Faulk of J&J Oil Company
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The second to get it right was Eugene Faulk of J&J Oil Company, in Athens, AL. Eugene is the General Manager of J & J Oil Co. J & J Oil is a marketer of BP, Marathon, and Texaco products in North Alabama. Eugene has worked in the petroleum industry for almost 40 years.
When asked how he knew the answers to the pop quiz, Eugene responded by saying, "Google." While it was clear Eugene was making it sound simple, in speaking with him, it is also clear he is someone who works hard to find solutions to problems. As a post script, Eugene said; take a look at the YouTube video of this engine starting up. "It's an awesome sight".
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Aníbal Ruiz S.Lubricantes Internacionales de Honduras
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But the real surprise came shortly after the first two. This is when we received an email with the correct answers from Aníbal Ruiz S. Aníbal is with Lubricantes Internacionales de Honduras S.A de C.V., a Chevron distributor.
Interestingly, Aníbal said the first hint about the make and model of engine was the "wooden prop." He dated it to be around 1920. And although at first glance he thought the engine was a P-51, he said, "on closer look it was clearly a Liberty 12A." Yikes! Aníbal, did we make this pop quiz too easy for you by showing a wooden prop attached to a hunk of iron? Clearly you know your stuff and Chevron and Lubricantes Internacionales de Honduras S.A should be proud to have you selling for them!
Born and raised in Guatemala, Aníbal has a degree in mechanical engineering. He has 25+ years of experience in the lubricants business, 20+ years with Chevron/Texaco, and 2.5 years working with LUIHSA, a Chevron marketer in Honduras as sales manager. While with Chevron/Texaco, Aníbal traveled extensively through the Caribbean and Central America looking after the company's lubricants business in those countries. Anibal was the first Certified Lubrication Specialist in Latin America in 1997. While work is important, Aníbal says "I have been married for 24 years to my lovely wife with two grown children, Jose and Carol. I live halfway between Guatemala City and San Pedro Sula, going home to Guatemala on the weekends to spend time with my wife, kids, 2 cats, 3 dogs and my 2011 Mustang GT."
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JobbersWorld continues to be impressed by the experience and expertise that resides in the fine people active in our industry. It's clear that whether it's a 1918 Liberty 12A aircraft engine, hydraulic roof supports in a long wall mine, or grease used in a stern tube stuffing box of a container vessel, if you ask the right people in our industry, you will get the right answers.
Now to the answers:
1- What is the name of the company that manufactured this engine?
The engine shown is a Liberty 12A produced by Packard in the United States. It's a 12 cylinder, liquid-cooled aircraft engine that entered the market in 1918. In addition to Packard, this engine was manufactured by several other companies during and after WWI, including Buick, Ford, Cadillac, Lincoln, Marmon. In fact, as an interesting piece of history, the Liberty 12A aircraft engine is credited for driving the formation of Lincoln Motor Company. But that's another story.
2) How many horsepower does this beast put out?
It has a displacement of 1,649 cu. in, and is rated at 400 to 420 horsepower. This puppy was produced in large numbers for use in De Havilland DH-4, Douglas N-2, Curtis Falcon planes, and others.
3) What type of oil is used to service this engine?
Specific to the engine in the picture, those maintaining it at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome say, "This Liberty uses synthetic 20W-50 viscosity engine oil." This, however, is because it was rebuilt" If it was started without the total rebuild, "we would use a non-detergent type oil to prevent freed buildup within the engine from blocking oil passages."
BONUS QUESTION: Where was this picture taken?
Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, 9 Norton Rd., Red Hook, NY
CITGO Lubricants launched its Pacemaker GEO LFG LA 40 gas engine oil with the exclusive GE Jenbacher seal of approval. Designed for biogas operating conditions, Pacemaker GEO LFG LA 40 provides advanced engine protection from contaminants such as hydrogen sulfide, halogens and siloxanes. 
