Topic: Animated engines website.

[toycollector10]

I still can't get my head around the Gnome Rotary         

http://www.keveney.com/Engines.html

[malcolmgb]

I still can't get my head around the Gnome Rotary         

http://www.keveney.com/Engines.html

what don't you understand?
the crankshaft is fixed to the airframe and the crankcase with the cylinders is attached to the propellor, when the engine is started the crankshaft stays stationary and the crankcase revolves, a case of the tail wagging the dog I think.

[DammitDan]

I can't imagine how heavy that engine was...

[kghost]

I can't imagine how heavy that engine was...

At the time they were lighter than the alternative for the horsepower produced....

Now the gyroscopic effect could be dramatic as evidenced by the Sopwith camel.

[Gordon]

I can't imagine how heavy that engine was...

According to the description, it was one of the lightest designs which made it ideal for airplanes.  Because of how it was made there was no need for a counterbalance weight, a flywheel, or a water-cooling system.

[kghost]

This is the design leading to blipswitch's....


Engine was either on or off....pilot control was by means of shorting out all or a number of the cylinders ignition.

[toycollector10]

Any fighter fitted with a Gnome had somewhat predictable behaviour in that it could snap turn in one direction due to the gyroscopic effect of the engine aiding in the turn but was difficult to turn against the effect in the other direction.

The engine was either on or off and controlled by a magneto switch in the cockpit. I've seen one fly at an airshow and it was very dramatic.

No doubt someone will now shoot me down in flames.

[kghost]

Any fighter fitted with a Gnome had somewhat predictable behaviour in that it could snap turn in one direction due to the gyroscopic effect of the engine aiding in the turn but was difficult to turn against the effect in the other direction.

The engine was either on or off and controlled by a magneto switch in the cockpit. I've seen one fly at an airshow and it was very dramatic.

No doubt someone will now shoot me down in flames.

Wasn't just that...gyroscopic effect contributed to control inputs which translated to aircraft movement 90 degrees out of phase.


What trips me out is the use of a monosoupape in the Megola ...mounted in the front wheel.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megola

[gerhed]

U.S. made rotary--Gnome rip-off

[kghost]

Couple from the Musee de Aire @ Le Bourget, Paris France.





And probably the most famous rotary in the world....at the Imperial War museum in London.

[Demon67]

It seems to me that the rotary is not much more difficult than generations of P&W, Wright,etc Radials, a bas ackward way to spin a prop perhaps but not that much, I'd love to take one to pieces and put it back together. I notice the sit really dosen't get into more complicate engines like H or X engines, there is infinite ways to drag more HP out of internal combustion engines.
Bill.

[Steve F]

OK, I keep wondering about the lubrication in an engine of this design.  Is there oil in a crankcase?  What effect does the centrifugal force have on this?  I'm baffled
EDIT:  If I had read the entire article on this engine I would've seen that it was a total loss system using castor oil (duh).

[troppo]

if memory serves they used castor oil for lubrication, dont know how they sumped it or the centrifugal effects though

[kghost]

OK, I keep wondering about the lubrication in an engine of this design.  Is there oil in a crankcase?  What effect does the centrifugal force have on this?  I'm baffled
EDIT:  If I had read the entire article on this engine I would've seen that it was a total loss system using castor oil (duh).

if memory serves they used castor oil for lubrication, dont know how they sumped it or the centrifugal effects though

Castor Oil...Mixed with fuel.  Total loss. Some of the rotarys used the crank itself as the fuel feed