Why rotary engines?
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I'll mak siccar
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Tir nan Og
Why rotary engines?
My own modest career in aviation began in 1952 and ended a few years later. At the time it all seemed modern, but now it seems long ago. Even then, though, I was aware of an even earlier age of rotary engines, in which the crankshaft stood still and the cylinders, air-cooled, spun with the propeller. Why so?
Was it to improve cooling, or save counterweight to the pistons?
I believe that in such technology it was not uncommon, perhaps invariable, that the engine had two speeds: (a) full-throttle and (b) over-run, and was controlled by switching the ignition on and off.
I am not an engineer and can but brood. Where was the carburettor in that system, and how did the cylinder lubrication work?
I imagine that once the engine passed a theoretically-early small swept-volume the torque must have been overwhelming.
Perhaps this all explained in the tyroes vademecum to the rotary engine, to which someone can refer me. Or perhaps the knowledgeable will be kind enough to enlighten me.
Was it to improve cooling, or save counterweight to the pistons?
I believe that in such technology it was not uncommon, perhaps invariable, that the engine had two speeds: (a) full-throttle and (b) over-run, and was controlled by switching the ignition on and off.
I am not an engineer and can but brood. Where was the carburettor in that system, and how did the cylinder lubrication work?
I imagine that once the engine passed a theoretically-early small swept-volume the torque must have been overwhelming.
Perhaps this all explained in the tyroes vademecum to the rotary engine, to which someone can refer me. Or perhaps the knowledgeable will be kind enough to enlighten me.
Last edited by Davaar; 22nd August 2012 at 21:06.
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Here's a reasonably helpful link: Rotary Engine 
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,833
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From: Sale, Australia
Wiki gives as good a summation as you can get.
Rotary engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
To sum up their reason for being - power to weight ratio.
Edited to add gnome rotary | rotary engine | gnome engine | 1910 | 1077 | Flight Archive
Rotary engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
To sum up their reason for being - power to weight ratio.
Edited to add gnome rotary | rotary engine | gnome engine | 1910 | 1077 | Flight Archive
Last edited by Brian Abraham; 24th August 2012 at 10:55.
