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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0620.PDF
OCTOBER g, 1909. cylinder horizontal engine which was u-ed by Santos Dumont. It is a most interesting piece of design, and an example of the all steel construction previously com- mented on. As a type—horizontal opposed cylinders— it is almost unique, for only the Dutheil-Chalmers motors are also of this form. The larger Darracq engines are vertical, and have steel water-jackets, in which respect they differ from the small model, which has these members made of copper. Messrs. Panhard and Levassor are building vertical engines having steel cylinders and corrugated copper water-jackets, their lightest model being rated at 35-h.p. The De Dion motors are to all intents and purposes of the same design as those used on their cars, and while they do not give the appearance of extreme lightness, they carry that most enviable reputation for workmanship and material that has characterised De Dion practice since the beginning of automobile history. In their two larger models, the De Dion engines are of the V type, 'but one of these, that rated at 35-h.p., is also destined to grace a car chassis next year. Messrs. Clement-Bayard, in their smaller model, demonstrate the practice of making the water-jackets partially of copper, as a means of reducing the weight of cast-iron cylinders. The same method is introduced, as our readers know, on the airship engines made by the Wolseley Co., who, together with Messrs. Green, are the sole representatives of our own country, and are to be congratulated on having thus early made their public appearance in the French arena. Needless to say, they thoroughly uphold the flag, and are easily in the front rank, among all exhibits; indeed, the Green aeroplane engine is an example of thoughtful and original design which it is not easy to equal. Messrs. Mors, another of the great French automobile firms to take up flight, have adopted the V form of engine and have made their accustomed excellent job of the construction. The model shown is rated at 45-b,p., but another is being built which will develop 25-h.p. The engines have atmospheric inlet-valves, as have many others. On the Aster stand is being shown an engine of 12-h.p. which originally appeared as the Aries, and was described as such in The Auto7notor Journal of April 17th, 1909, It is a 4-cyl. engine of en <M%: construction, and is peculiar in having diagonal cylinders in a casting which appears externally to indicate the vertical type of motor. The larger Aster engines are of more orthodox appear- ance, but still original in design. Messrs. E.N.V., who make a practice of electrolytically depositing their copper water-jackets, have brought out a smaller engine of 35-h.p. which should make a special appeal to those who have very naturally been attracted by their good past work but have found the only size hitherto available too large. The new engine is built on the same lines as its prototype. Messrs. Renault, whose designs have hitherto been confined to air-cooled engines, now appear with an additional model, which is water-cooled and has steel cylinders with copper jackets. Messrs. Fiat, who are also working at the air-cooling problem, have produced a small model of their standard V type, which has a particularly neat and compact appearance. Those pioneers of the V engine in light-weight construction— Messrs. Antoinette—make an imposing display of a model having 16 cylinders. Messrs. Brouhot, whose name also dates back a long way in automobile history, show a V engine having steel castings for the cylinders and pistons, copper jackets, and mechanically operated valves, in the mechanism of which the operating-rods pull down to open the valves instead of vice versa. Messrs. Buchet make a vertical engine, of which the appearance is a little unusual owing to the water-jackets being built up in the box-form with flat sides of shtet copper. In the Gregoire-Gyp engine, the water-jackets carry a vertical tubular radiator which seems, however, to be rather small if it is intended for use without supple- mentary cooling surface. Messrs. Bariquand and Marre, who make the engines for the Wright flyers to the Wright Bros.' designs, show a motor which is already well-known, but is nevertheless still one of the most striking exhibits at the Salon. Messrs. R. E. Pelterie have altered their engine materially by the introduction of separate mechanically operated valves in place of the combined valve used on earlier models. The change is an object-lesson in the difficulties which beset the designer of such innovations. No one has worked harder or more ungrudgingly on the development of an original type of engine for use in flight than M. Pclterie, and no one better deserves the ultimate full success which we hope he will attain. In principle his engine is unchanged, apart from the detail mentioned; it is still air-cooled. Messrs. Anzani, whose engine drove the Bleriot flyer in the splendid cross-Channel flight, naturally stand in the front rank of makers of air-cooled engines, but they have now supplemented their hitherto standard type with a water-cooled model. '1 his also differs radically in design from the 3-cyl. semi-radial motor in which air-cooling is employed, since it belongs to the 4-cyl. V class, and has its cylinders cast in pairs. It is a heavier and more powerful engine. Two fly-wheels are enclosed in the crank-chamber of this engine. Among the very radical departures from all ordinary systems the Gnome rotary motor is a notable example, and it is impossible to do otherwise than admire the very thorough manner in which the makers of this engine have worked upon the many difficulties in the way of its successful operation. The effects of centrifugal force on the operation of the valves, and the lubrication of a rotating engine, are among the more important of such " trifles," which the makers have very wisely realised are only to be approached by the path of good workmanship. Another rotary engine, of very peculiar design, and suggestive of clockwork-like construction, is shown by Messrs. Breton. PARIS FLIGHT SALON.—The 1OO-h.p. Darracq engine,with its separate steel cylinders and overhead valves. 624
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