dbp@dataio.UUCP (Dave Pellerin) (07/03/84)
<no cute message here> Radial - Rotary engines in WW1 The rotary engine (not to be confused with the Wankel) was used in many famous WW1 fighters, including the French Nieuports (models 17, 22, and 24, I think), the German Fokker E3 (Eindecker) and DR series, the Sopwith Strutter, Camel and Pup, Spad nn, and many other less famous aircraft. The engines, made by Le-Rhone, Gnome, and others (does any- one know who made the german engines?) were interesting in that the crankshaft was mounted on the firewall, with the fuel / air mixture passing through a 'block tube' in the center (carburetors were located between the pilot's knees). The propellor was mounted to the block and the whole thing spun around madly at about 1200 RPMs, spewing castor oil on everything and everyone in the vicinity. The ignition system was comprised of magnetos connected to a 'commutator ring' at the rear of the engine which functioned as a distrubuter. The exhaust was dumped into the cowling and ducted downward by the cowl's horseshoe shape. The rotary engines had a much better power to weight ratio than the inline, water cooled engines being used, but suffer- ed from dismal reliability (it is interesting to note that the British preffered the inline engines for most designs, perhaps because pilots had little desire to cross the channel repeatedly with so unreliable an engine). The Sopwith Camel was one very succesful design using a rotary, the Le-Rhone 9J. This engine produced 110 HP (when all nine cylinders were firing) on the front of an aircraft weighing in at less than a thousand pounds. Because of the tremendous torque produced by all that spinning iron, the Sopwith could turn on a dime (in one direction, anyway). The Le-Rhone engine had two speeds; on and off, so if partial throttle was required, the pilot had to use a cut-off button located on the stick and 'burp' the engine repeatedly. *** Deadstick Dave *** Yet Another Stupid Disclaimer: I couldn't care less about the views of my employer, etc.; however, no warranty is made (expressed or implied) as to the accuracy of the above rambling, and I welcome mail (not flames) to set me straight if my facts are doggy doo-doo.