I have just been trying to explain a fixed crank rotary engine to an aging relative, I can't understand what he doesn't grasp, I had a big problem explaining the con rod to start with, even got a harley pin and rod out to aid in the explaination, made matters worse...
A telly ad for something with a picture of a fokker and the prop being turned started it...
years ago I went out with a girl doing engineering, she had been leant various books and amongst them were several volumes of a between the wars book on aeronatical engineering, what a fantastic book, full of nice pics of engines in bits and stuff...
Anyone any idea where I would find books like that?
There are plenty of them on the internet, but they take a bit of ferreting out, have a look on
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That takes you to the advanced search page. Most searches for "rotary" bring up the Wankel engine, so you'll have to try various keywords such as "aero engine" or the name of an actual rotary like the Gnome, Monosoupape, Clerget etc etc.
Peter
-- Peter & Rita Forbes snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Engine pages for preservation info:
Try amending your discussion to start with the normal
4-in-line petrol engine.
Hopefully it is a simple step from there to discuss the relative motion of the crank and the block.
Demonstrate that the same effect would happen (subject to the electrical, fuel and exhaust connections!) if the block rotated around the crank.
Then it is a simple matter of distorting the engine into a circle, but by then the difficulty about fixed crank/rotating block should have been resolved.
A colleague at work has just loaned me: 'Aeronautical Engineering' edited by RA Beaumont This is by Odhams and is similar to their book on Workshop Engineering in being full of line engraving copies of photos. I would guess it is about 1942/43. The chapter on Aeroengine types is by Mr Beaumont himself and includes about 8 pages on the Merlin II, about 14 on the Bristol Pegasus single row radial and a couple on the Taurus double row, by which I think he means the Centaurus. The book includes lots of Bristol plane details.
A few radial engine sites:
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Bristol engines history is covered by:
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American radials by Pratt & Whitney are Wasp, double Wasp & Hornet:
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The list of books below is scanned from inside the cover of Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust book 12, a biography of Henry Royce
Rolls-Royce-the formative years, 1906-1939 Alec Harvey-Bailey,
The Merlin in Perspective-the combat years Alec Harvey-Bailey
Rolls-Royce-the Pursuit of Excellence
In the Beginning-the Manchester origins of Rolls-Royce Mike Evans,
Rolls-Royce-the Derby Bentleys Alec Harvey-Bailey
The Early Days of Rolls-Royce-and the Montagu family, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, published by RRHT
Rolls-Royce-Hives, the Quiet Tiger Alec Harvey-Bailey
Rolls-Royce-Twenty to Wraith Alec Harvey Bailey, published by HRMF
Rolls-Royce and the Mustang David Birch, published by RRHT
From Gipsy to Gem-with diversions Peter Stokes, published by RRHT
Armstrong Siddeley-the Parkside story, 1896-1939 Ray Cook,
Henry Royce - mechanic
Some of these may be available by inter-library loan.
Camdem Steam Minatures do a couple of books on rotaries if I recall correctly. I've got the one on making a 1/4 scale Bentley (Sopwith Camel) engine - no realistic chance of me making one - I just bought the book as a work of art in itself. I think they had a more historical book as well.
A word of warning - getting the Camden Cataloge will inevitably lead to trouble with the finance director and the domestic authorities !
Just one puff - I can handle it. I can quit anytime.
Don't want to seem pedantic but I think the Bently was actually the engine used on the Camels' successor : the Snipe. IIRC, most Camels were generally fitted with Clerget engines.
I have the Bently book as well, and as soon as I'm in a position to equip myself with a lathe and trimmings I intend to start on it. It seems more daunting than it probably is - after all a lot of it is repetition work with all those cylinders and all...
... amongst them were several volumes of a between the wars book on aeronatical engineering, what a fantastic book, full of nice pics of engines in bits and stuff...
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These were probably the 3 volumes called Aero Engineering, published in the late 30's. They also had very attractive data sheet inserts that described some 30 current aircraft. I have the pull-outs but not the books ...
They are not too rare, but not cheap. The later, wartime, Aeronautical Engineering single-volume version is plentiful, & inexpensive. Does cover engines well. Regularly on eBay, or elsewhere on the Net.
I recently bought a quite excellent US book called Aviation Engines, published by Norman Henry, authored by Page -- in 1919. Great, but scarce & probably overkill for your purposes.
Colin
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From a ' favourite books' thread on the stationary engine site:
"Not Much of an Engineer", Stanley Hooker's biography "Trustee from the Toolroom", Nevil Shute Norway "Development of Aircraft Engines & Fuels", Schlaifer & Heron "Allied Aircraft Piston Engines", Graham White Any Fred Colvin book
"Some unusual Engines" - LJK Setright "The engines were Roll-Royce" and "Rolls-Royce from the Wings" - Ronnie Harker
"I Kept No Diary" - (just reading it now after a recommendation and easily finding a copy on Amazon, but it's destined to become one of "those" books. The author was a fuel specialist and was involved in many interesting things during the development of the high speed aero engine - like the Schneider Trophy races, for instance.)
The Science Museum's "The Rotary Aero Engine" by Andrew Nahum, "Napier Powered" by Alan Vessey (Chalford Publishing).
The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust publish a number of softback books about aero engines, amongst which I thoroughly recommend "The Rolls-Royce Crecy" by Nahum, Foster-Pegg and Birch and "Fedden" by Bill Gunston .
Flywheel. by members of the Muhlberg motor club Stalag 1Vb 1944-1945 printed in facsimile form. A collection of motoring magazines produced by the prisoners of war all hand written and drawn.
W.O. The story of W.O.Bentley
Steam in the Village. By RA Whitehead
"The Last Years of Mill Engine Building" by Arnold Throp
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