Good use for old radial egines?

http://www.geocities.com/viewptmd/Radial.jpg

Is it a radial or a rotary?!!!!

Look fun, thanks.

Mo-

http://thekneeslider.com/

scroll down.

wrote:
Is it a radial or a rotary?!!!!

Most definitely a radial. A rotary is the Wangle (SP?) engine as in
the Mazda cars.

Monk

Is it a radial or a rotary?!!!!

Most definitely a radial. A rotary is the Wangle (SP?) engine as in
the Mazda cars

True, however in the context of a radial engine, a rotary
is like a radial except that the crank is bolted to
the aeroplane/motorcycle and the cylinders to the
propeller/whatever. This seemed more exciting
in a motorbike and therefore surely more
desireable?

I suspect that rotary engines preceeded radials
and I am pretty sure that for example the WW1
Sopwith Camel used a rotary.


Googling has turned up what may be a rotary engined
motorbike from a while back (1920s).

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/enc.../me/megola.htm
http://www.cybermotorcycle.com/euro/brands/megola.htm

Unfortunately it appears to be safely ensconsed
within the front wheel. Not very exciting?
Well, steering may prove to be exciting?

"Flyingmonk" wrote in message
oups.com...

wrote:
Is it a radial or a rotary?!!!!

Most definitely a radial. A rotary is the Wangle (SP?) engine as in
the Mazda cars.

Monk

Wankel engine http://www.keveney.com/Wankel.html

I hate to think how much that bike weighs.

Wankel engine http://www.keveney.com/Wankel.html
I hate to think how much that bike weighs.

Various manufactures (OK maybe 2) have made Wankel engined
bikes in production.

Norton
http://www.millville.org/workshops_f...ls/norton.html
They raced them seriously too IIRC.
I suspect that the Norton engine design may still be
in production. It used a novel rotor cooling
system where (IIRC) air was drawn through the inside
of the rotor. (Induction air? - surely not)

Suzuki
http://www.suzukicycles.org/RE5/RE5-Rotary.shtml

Sorry if this is too OT.

anybody wrote:
True, however in the context of a radial engine, a rotary
is like a radial except that the crank is bolted to
the aeroplane/motorcycle and the cylinders to the
propeller/whatever. This seemed more exciting
in a motorbike and therefore surely more
desireable?

I have heard, seen and read that some radials did have the shaft bolted
to the airframe. That would be really interesting to have on a bike
huh? I wonder who'll be the first to do that.

Monk

On 15 May 2006 19:45:39 -0700, "Flyingmonk" wrote in
. com:

... I have heard, seen and read that some radials did have the shaft bolted
to the airframe. ...

They were called "rotary engines." Very different from the Mazda rotary.

I simply could not believe my eyes the first time I saw one in the Curtiss
museum. I read the sign several times. I still thought someone must
have gotten it wrong.

The were used extensively in WW I by both sides.

Here is a magnificent page with an animated gif:

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

The only detail left off the page is the effect that the castor oil from
the total-loss lubricating system had on the pilots. It is said that
some landed off-field to deal with the consequent call of nature.

Most of the rotaries had no throttle. Some were on/off only.
Others could cut a few cylinders to reduce power.

I've seen some fly at Old Rhinebeck:

http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/

If I'm not mistaken, they're still flying a few vintage WW I engines,
not reconstructions.

You can hear the pilots blipping the on/off switch as they come
in for a landing.

Marty

wrote in message
oups.com...
Wankel engine http://www.keveney.com/Wankel.html
I hate to think how much that bike weighs.

Various manufactures (OK maybe 2) have made Wankel engined
bikes in production

Which of course is not even close to the true rotary engines of the early
1900s.