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Aviation History
1913
1913 - 0667.PDF
THE NEW BRITISH-BUILT A.B.C. ENGINE. THE importance to Britain of having British-built aviation engines can hardly be overrated. It is of the highest value, therefore, to know that for some little time such a firm as Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co. has been associated with the making of a British designed motor, the first of which has just been turned out from their works. The engine, for the construction of which they are responsible, is the already well known ABC, which has done so much good work at Brooklands, and has assisted in the making of several British records. There can be little doubt that with such an engineering View of the British-designed A.B.C. engine as built by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth. firm behind its manufacture, the impetus required to establish it in the foremost rank of efficient motors will now be forthcoming. Let us hope it is only the com mencement of Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth's association with aviation concerns. The ABC engines are, as we have already said, already known to the users of aeroplanes, and the motor in question embodies several improvements upon its predecessors. It is still of the V-type, and has eight cylinders, the bore being 5 ins. and the stroke 4J ins. The cylinders are machined out of a solid bar of steel of very high tensile strength, a flange being left at the base for the purpose of attachment to the crank-case. As the latter is circular in section, the bases of the cylinders are cut out on a radius to fit the cir cumference of the crank-case, the cylinders being held down by bolts which pass through ribs machined inside the crank-case. These bolts are locked from the outside, as shown in one of the accompanying sketches, so that there is no danger of them coming unlocked and dropping down into the crank-case. In the accompanying sketches are shown the cast-iron valve cages in which the overhead valves are held and which also form the valve seats. The inlet and exhaust valves as well as their respective cages are made inter changeable, the only difference being that the flange provided for bolting the inlet valve cage to the induction pipe has been cut off in the exhaust valve cage, as, in this particular engine, no exhaust pipes are fitted. The valve cages are held down to the top of the cylinders by four bolts and can be very easily removed for inspection. The valves, which are of the flat-faced type, are made of a special steel which has been found to retain its strength even when almost red hot, so that no trouble is to be anticipated from breakage of the valves. A pillar, bolted to the cylinder-head and silver soldered to prevent water leakage, carries a light shaft on which the rocking-arms operating the valves are pivoted. This shaft is composed of short lengths for each cylinder, suitably joined to give rigidity, and at the same time allow of the rockers of one cylinder being taken down without interfering with the rest. A special feature of this engine is the crank-case, which is very strong and at Another view of the A.B.C. engine. the same time quite light—36 lbs. It is a steel forging of high tensile strength, machined inside and out. Ribs are machined inside to take main bearings and the cylinder holding-down bolts. The main bearings for the crank-shaft are phosphor-bronze castings, ribbed for stiffness and lined with white metal for bearings. The connecting-rods are steel stampings of H section, and have an oil channel drilled from end to end down the web. The small-end bearings connecting the cast iron pistons with the connecting-rods through the gudgeon-pin are provided with phosphor-bronze bushes locked in place. Bushes of the same metal are also used for the bearings of the big ends, which are of unusual 693 D
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