Trawling the web looking for information on aircraft radial engines, I came across the link below -a very neat installation of a nine-cylinder radial, and a rather early example of front wheel drive. (Lots of leg room by the look of it!) Any ideas on the horsepower?
P.
tinyurl.com/c52a3j
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186KW.
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Would not fare very well in traffic.
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Stick a fan on the front, just make sure any wings give downforce! Nice car, not seen one like that before.
Edited by Old Navy on 24/04/2009 at 19:32
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Looks like it might be a bit nose-heavy...
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Radial engne is not very practical for auto applications. Most notable application I can think of was powering a WW II tank. The "Sherman" I think and even then it had drawbacks such as using hi test fuel that was very flammable.
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Radial engne is not very practical for auto applications
Any idea what is the reason for that?
From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radial_engine it seems they are better than inline engines!
Edited by movilogo on 26/04/2009 at 09:46
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Radial engines are good for aircraft due to their power/weight ratio. In automotive application, the weight of the master crankshaft reduces throttle response and the top RPM is less than an inline, flat opposed or "Vee" configuration can achieve.
Other issues are the high center of gravity unless mounted flat (pancake) power take off and the tendency for oil to pool in the bottom cylinders when the engine is mounted upright. That is why crew had to manually turn the prop prior to starting, to clear oil from the bottom cylinders. Still made a lot of smoke when started.
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Any ideas on the horsepower?
according to the article:
The whole shebang was good for 250 HP at 6000 rpm and powered the front wheels.
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There was a radial engined (5 cylinder) bike: the Megola. FWD also: about 2000 made in 1922 or thereabouts. Engine 640cc, 14hp. Quite futuristic in design: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megola
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Megola was a rotary engine, not radial, I now realise!
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I think it counts as a radial, five cylinders it says.
I don't know what it would've been like to ride. All that unsprung mass on the front wheel and would there have been an additional gyroscopic effect from the engine, even though it was rotating at less than wheel speed?
I think it was quite normal with aero engines to rotate the cylinders with a stationary crank. The exhaust would have to be unsilenced I suppose and lubrication total loss, at least at the top end. With early aero engines being castor oil lubricated, the pilots had more than one excuse for cacking their pants. Perhaps the same could apply to riders of this machine?
The sausage shaped inner tube was interesting. IIRC Halfords tried selling a similar item for push-bikes. I believe they don't do it any more!
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>>I think it counts as a radial, five cylinders it says.
I think it was quite normal with aero engines to rotate the cylinders with a stationary crank.
Yes, the rotary engine (fixed crankshaft, propeller attached to crankcase - not to be confused with the Wankel rotary!) was briefly popular during the First World War era. However radial (fixed engine, propeller attach to crankshaft) engines replaced rotaries in the 1920s.
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Yeah... rotary engines weren't really a great idea. They were so heavy that opening the throttle used to twist the entire aircraft in the other direction making it easy to turn one way and difficult to turn the other. They used to spray lubricant in the pilot's face too, quite wearisome when the lubricant was castor oil. WW1 aviators were heroic in more ways than one...
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The car is the Trossi, I think.
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Dragon Fire is a spectacular radial-engined tractor-pulling tractor.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxA-QyHCqLc
It has a specially built 42 cylinder radial spark-ignition engine estimated to produce 10,000 bhp. In effect, it's 7 straight six blocks arranged radially around a common crankshaft. It is also believed to be the largest and most powerful spark-ignition engine ever built - although there have been bigger and more powerful diesel - e.g. ship engines.
Being water-cooled, the rows in the engine are not staggered but in line.
Edited by Sofa Spud on 27/04/2009 at 17:08
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Hi all,
Long time no see!
What a fantastic little car!
Have you seen the 'brute' of a police car that is also on this website too though?
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