Y'know, they may be way louder, way less efficient, less powerful, and less safe, but old engines just sound so much more ALIVE. Imagine being on an airfield in WW2 and hearing a fleet of RRs or Merlins start up. That had to be an amazing sound.

Hi Folks, thanks so much for these great videos AND the info with each one I have learned more in the last few minutes than years of aviation interest, great sounds and well done to the "starters" for all their hard work AND the guys who so painstakingly restored these engines to run so very well! Love this.

Amazing pieces of aviation history, love these old aircraft engines. Those wooden propellers on some of them were works of art.

I’ve been an auto mechanic for 22 years, and don’t get me wrong... I love the sound of a big block Chevy with a cam in it, but this shit is off the charts bad ass. I want to learn how to fly a plane more than just about anything right now.

Imagine trying to start one of these in the war after clearing packed snow out of the cowling from a long cold blizzard night and the enemy is closing in fast you got to get that prop spinning that cold wind blowing then you got to climb behind it rev it up and take flight with all that cold air blowing on you. Hard times.