I don't know about cars with rotaries, but if you look at the mechanical details, a Harley engine is effectively a two cylinder radial. Which is why both Harleys and radial engine airplanes sound so cool.mekender wrote:Snip....blackeagle603 wrote:Interesting wiki on rotaries here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_engine
And I believe that there were some cars that had a rotary engine too...
How A Radial Engine Works
- Captain Wheelgun
- Posts: 1123
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:31 am
- Contact:
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
"What is this, the Congress Avenue Independence Day Parade?" - Capt. Karl von Stahlberg, RTN
Republic of Texas Navy Archives
Republic of Texas Navy Archives
- mekender
- Posts: 13189
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:31 pm
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
I actually saw it on a TV show a while back, older car, probably pre-WWII...Captain Wheelgun wrote:I don't know about cars with rotaries, but if you look at the mechanical details, a Harley engine is effectively a two cylinder radial. Which is why both Harleys and radial engine airplanes sound so cool.mekender wrote:Snip....blackeagle603 wrote:Interesting wiki on rotaries here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_engine
And I believe that there were some cars that had a rotary engine too...
Ayup, found one... It was an Adams:
https://youtu.be/tZmd7k33JWE
“I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.” - Norman Thomas, a six time candidate for president for the Socialist Party, 1944
- Captain Wheelgun
- Posts: 1123
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:31 am
- Contact:
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
mekender wrote:I actually saw it on a TV show a while back, older car, probably pre-WWII...Captain Wheelgun wrote:I don't know about cars with rotaries, but if you look at the mechanical details, a Harley engine is effectively a two cylinder radial. Which is why both Harleys and radial engine airplanes sound so cool.mekender wrote: Snip....
And I believe that there were some cars that had a rotary engine too...
Ayup, found one... It was an Adams:
https://youtu.be/tZmd7k33JWE
Huh, you learn something every day. Since the engine turns counter-clockwise, I wonder if it was easier to make right turns than left turns, Like BE603 mentioned with rotary engine planes?Arte Johnson wrote:Verrrry Interestink
"What is this, the Congress Avenue Independence Day Parade?" - Capt. Karl von Stahlberg, RTN
Republic of Texas Navy Archives
Republic of Texas Navy Archives
- mekender
- Posts: 13189
- Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:31 pm
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
Captain Wheelgun wrote:Huh, you learn something every day. Since the engine turns counter-clockwise, I wonder if it was easier to make right turns than left turns, Like BE603 mentioned with rotary engine planes?
I have to wonder if such a device would have meant a smoother ride than other contemporary vehicles given that they were far before modern suspensions?
The gyroscopic effect of such a large mass must have been immense.
Of course, the vibration of the engine may have offset that.
“I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.” - Norman Thomas, a six time candidate for president for the Socialist Party, 1944
- Denis
- Posts: 6570
- Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 5:29 am
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
Priceless. Be sure to read all the comments on the YT link. There are very funny parody lyrics...randy wrote:"...but the Mazda goes mmm..."mekender wrote:And I believe that there were some cars that had a rotary engine too...
My claim to fame is that I once helped carry several RO 80 Wankel engines to a dumpster. Those came apart in handy slices. Alas, it was in the days before ebay. They'd probably be worth real money now...
-
- Posts: 2645
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:00 pm
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
I always enjoyed the story about the French pilot who flew a Rotary engine fighter. An early Spad IIRC. Anyway the castor oil used for engine lube really, really got to him. So he had a hole cut into his trousers, one in his seat, and through the bottom of the fuselage. " I try to hold it till I'm over the German lines." It must of been fun for the mechanics, they had to drain the castor oil out of the engine while it was still hot, otherwise a complete tear down was necessary. Then there was probably some feces splatter on the aircraft. Ah nothing smells like a burning mechanic and hot used castor oil in the afternoon.
-
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:07 am
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
Castor oil gels after being heated and cooled, thus the need to drain while hot. Mechanics reheated the oil using various methods and dumped it back in the engines pre-mission. For a marvelous view of the internal workings of a radial engine the Mighty Eighth Air Fore Museum in in suburban Savannah( Pooler) Georgia has a stunning motorized cutaway of a P&W R 2800(IIRC) that made my eyeballs ache just trying to watch all the clockworks churning in that thing.
And the rest of the Museum is an awesome place, too!!
And the rest of the Museum is an awesome place, too!!
I'm not old--It's too early to be this late.
- Netpackrat
- Posts: 13983
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:04 pm
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
To this day, many aircraft mechanics still keep a small bottle of castor oil in their toolbox or line bag.
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati
"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
- Denis
- Posts: 6570
- Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 5:29 am
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
I wasn't aware that constipation was a professional problem for aircraft mechanics.Netpackrat wrote:To this day, many aircraft mechanics still keep a small bottle of castor oil in their toolbox or line bag.
Castor oil is a great case lube for resizing brass when reloading, BTW, much better than aalox, sprays and such. Just don't lick your fingers...
- Netpackrat
- Posts: 13983
- Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:04 pm
Re: How A Radial Engine Works
Skydrol in the eyes can be.Denis wrote: I wasn't aware that constipation was a professional problem for aircraft mechanics.
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati
"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop