Radial (Gnome) engines

[Greg Masters]

A tosser recently queried how radial engines work. This should give a clue:

Greg

 

[Tarka]

Tosser....that`s a ROTARY ENGINE...(albeit with radially arranged cylinders).

In a rotary,the crankshaft is fixed to the aeroplane fuselage bulkhead,while the cylinders/crankcase assembly revolve around it.
The propeller is fixed to the crankcase,and thus rotates with it.

This naturally created huge torque reaction...the Sopwith Camel was quicker turning 270 degrees to the right than 90 degrees to the left,for instance.

In a RADIAL ENGINE...(in normal parlance),the cylinder block/crankcase is FIXED to the fuselage,and the crankshaft rotates conventionally,with the prop attatched at one end (likely via reduction gearing).

 

[Greg Masters]

How you come across a Wankel recently?

Tosser....that`s a ROTARY ENGINE...(albeit with radially arranged cylinders).

I know it is - and deliberated carefully about how I title the thread. But when you say 'Rotary' most people think of:

This is, of course, a Wankel.



Greg

 

[MikeP]

One of these.

 

[Tarka]

As opposed to one of these,which is just pure SEX !!!


It belongs to one of my friends,and was photographed by me at the Woodvale Rally.

It`s a Rolls Royce Griffon.....36 litres of pure moto-head indulgence !!

 

[Greg Masters]

As opposed to one of these,which is just pure SEX !!!


It belongs to one of my friends,and was photographed by me at the Woodvale Rally.

It`s a Rolls Royce Griffon.....36 litres of pure moto-head indulgence !!

Feck me, 24 open headers from a V12 2,400bhp monster - is that guy deaf? If he isnt, he soon will be!



Greg

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

A tosser recently queried how radial engines work. This should give a clue:

Greg

But what stops all the plug leads getting tangled up

I can see how this one works but the one where the 'block' spins has always confused me

 

[Greg Masters]

But what stops all the plug leads getting tangled up

Before the plane takes off, they have to reverse-twist the plug-lead pretty hard - either that or the magneto is attached to the bit that goes round!

Better question - what happens to the sump oil? In fact, where is the sump??



Greg

 

[ebbo]

There was a German bike called Megola (1921-25) with a radial engine built in to the front wheel, I was on telly a few years back, an ugly bike, but the engine just sounded fantastic.
http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcmuseum/mcphotos/gug8.html

 

[P.J.]

RADIAL

...saw a motorcycle with a radial engine @ the Dublin bike show early this year.

 

[Rob Farmer]

Didn't BMW make a radial engined bike? I seem to remember a program a few years ago about BMW bikes where they had a really early one with a radial fitted to the front wheel.

When I was doing my apprenticeship with Seven Trent water they had a Rolls Royce griffon to power the standby generator at Wanlip shit farm. We used to go and see it run twice a year when the RR mechanic came to service it...great sound.
Bryn worked there at the same time as me, but he did strange things with poo in the labs so probably never got to see it

 

[Greg Masters]

There was a German bike called Megola (1921-25) with a radial engine built in to the front wheel....

If they put another engine in the back wheel, they may have a Dakar winner!



Greg

 

[Fanum]

Bryn worked there at the same time as me, but he did strange things with poo in the labs so probably never got to see it

This had me choking on me guiness.......git!!!

Ah what it is to have an 8 yr old's sense of humour

 

[Rob Farmer]

"Ah what it is to have an 8 yr old's sense of humour "

sad innit?

 

[Tarka]

The plug leads on a rotary run down to a kind of 'slip ring ' arrangement at the rear of the barrel/crankcase junction....there being an ignition contact assembly within.
The pushrods,rockers,valves,sparkplugs and HT leads all whizz round with the main cylinder block assembly. It`s quite a sight...I`ve witnessed it.
There isn`t a sump...they all ran a total loss lubrication system...which used castor oil.
Rotary engined aircraft pilots were easily distinguished by a handy cloth tucked into their collar to clean their goggles...plus the oil splattered top part of their clothing .....plus....they tended to have the shits,because of them ending up ingesting quantities of the castor oil.
The rotary engines couldn`t be throttled back...once they started,they ran flat out,so all the pilot could do was constantly flick the kill switch to try and keep the revs down...you`ll see this as constant puffs of smoke from the exhausts as the plane taxies.

 

[Tarka]

Feck me, 24 open headers from a V12 2,400bhp monster - is that guy deaf? If he isnt, he soon will be!



Greg

We all were,for a day or two.....

We had two Merlins ( 27 litre ) and the Griffon running together at times !!

 

[Keyframe]

The Aircraft sitting behind the Bristol Centaurus engine is a Hawker Sea Fury.

Do I win a prize?

 

[Wraithwrider]

I did manage to get a close look at a Sea Fury engine stripped down. It was an eighteen-cylinder (two banks of nine) 2480 hp Bristol Centaurus XV radial air-cooled engine wirh sleeve valves. An engineers dream or a mechanics nightmare!

One of my mates Dad's was the pilot for the historic flight at Yeovilton at the time and sadly he parked it at sea.

Peter

 

[sjwb]

The Centaurus was the product of Sir Roy Fedden (BS) (in 1938) a brilliant British engineer in the mould of Sir Stanley Hooker (RR). Two of my favourite books are:
Fedden - the life of Sir Roy Fedden
Not much of an Engineer an autobigraphy
If you have any interest in aviation, read either or both - you will not be disappointed.
Apropos RR, they profitted immensley from Bristol Siddley in both propeller and propulsive units.
I was at Cottesmore last week where the Sea Fury displayed and landed; what a sight and sound.

 

[Telford]

This is a pretty novel use of a radial engine. Taken at the Holcot Steam Rally on Monday. This one was pretty quiet compared to the V8s - and did a good line in smoke rings on tick over.