R975 Radial engines

[Bob Phillips]

A couple of quick points about the helicopter - engine application.
In researching the helicopters two interesting ideas showed up. First, one source claims that the reason the -46 engine was used was because the US military had a surplus of these available. I am not sure what other significant application rthere was for -46 engines in the 1950s, though radial engines were used in other versions of helicopters.
There was also comments about -46 engines having problems, but little clarification as to what the problems may have been. While I am not a radial engine expert my inclination is to believe that radial engines ( like many aero engines) are high maintenance machines. I have heard many anecdotal stories about engine failure in this type of engine ( oil leaks, blown out spark plugs etc etc, but not just Continetal Wright) can anyone add more information about reliability, or problems not associated with ground machine applications?