WW1 1918 AVIATION ENGINE HANDBOOK HALL-SCOTT ANZANI GNOME RAF RFC RNAS AIRCRAFT

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WW1 1918 AVIATION ENGINE HANDBOOK HALL-SCOTT ANZANI GNOME RAF RFC RNAS AIRCRAFT:
$61.36

AVIATION ENGINES
Design - Construction - Operation and repairsAuthor

FIRST LIEUT. VICTOR W. PAGE, A. S. S. C., U. S. R.
Assistant Engineering Officer, Signal Corps Aviation School, Mineola, L. I.

Publisher

The Norman W. Henley Publishing Company
New York, 1918.

PhotosAbout the book

Before World War I a French engine of 1908, the \"Gnome,\" introduced air cooling as a way to eliminate the plumbing and lighten the weight. It was known as a rotary engine. The Wright and Curtiss motors had been mounted firmly in supports, with the shaft and propeller spinning. Rotary engines reversed that, with the shaft being held tightly—and the engine spinning! The propeller was mounted to the rotating engine, which stayed cool by having its cylinders whirl within the open air.

During World War I, rotaries attained tremendous popularity. They were less complex and easier to make than the water-cooled type. They powered such outstanding fighter planes as German\'s Fokker DR-1 and Britain\'s Sopwith Camel. They used castor oil for lubrication because it did not dissolve in gasoline. However, they tended to spray this oil all over, making a smelly mess. Worse, they were limited in power. The best of them reached 260 to 280 horsepower (190 to 210 kilowatts).

Thus, in 1917 a group of American engine builders returned to water cooling as they sought a 400-horsepower (300-kilowatt) engine. The engine that resulted, the Liberty was the most powerful aircraft engine of its day, with the U.S. auto industry building more than 20,000 of them. Water-cooled engines built in Europe also outperformed the air-cooled rotaries, and lasted longer. With the war continuing until late in 1918, the rotaries lost favour.

In this fashion, designers returned to water-cooled motors that again were fixed in position. They stayed cool by having water or antifreeze flow in channels through the engine to carry away the heat. A radiator cooled the heated water. In addition to offering plenty of power, such motors could be completely enclosed within a streamlined housing, to reduce drag and thus produce higher speeds in flight. Rolls Royce, Great Britain\'s leading engine-builder, built only water-cooled motors.

Air-cooled engines offered tempting advantages. They dispensed with radiators that leaked, hoses that burst, cooling jackets that corroded, and water pumps that failed. The disadvantages of the rotary engine prompted the development of the radial engine. They offered reliability along with light weight. This type of engine gained in popularity after the Great photosPlease email me if you require any further information.