To think about how every part in that engine had to weigh the same to maintain balance. They might have added weight someplace to balance them but knowing the German's they probably did it the hard and proper way. That's a lot of mass to be spinning at those rpm's!
As far as fuel, some of the old engines didn't have a throttle, they ran wide open all the time and used the ignition to start and stop the engine to control rpm.
As far as fuel, some of the old engines didn't have a throttle, they ran wide open all the time and used the ignition to start and stop the engine to control rpm.
True, and those planes were a handful for novice pilots, having to constantly be blipping the ignition off, but not so much that the engine stalls. Plays havoc with elevator and rudder inputs too, as you alternate between full and zero prop wash. No doubt this simplified carbonation, not having to have spinning throttle linkages, etc., but my question is about the fuel delivery. I would think any sort of rotating seal would be very leakage prone. Probably not the best thing around all those spinning exhaust headers. Lot's of ways to die in those old planes!
I believe the carburetor was through the firewall mounting flange into the crankcase. The intake and exhaust valves were actuated by a single push (pull) rod. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Rh%C3%B4ne
Well I guess that's better than what I was thinking with a fuel line needing a spinning seal. I would bet they were plagued with vacuum leaks though! It's pretty amazing trying to understand how they dealt with various engineering hurdles.
It's always been my guess that rotary engines were conceived because the technology for air-cooled engines wasn't mature, and spinning them would add cooling. I'm just speculating, though. Otherwise, why invent that monstrosity?? The liquid-cooled engines of the time, i.e., Mercedes, BMW, Hispano, were very advanced.
My thought would surmise that by attaching the prop to the engine, it eliminated a heavy gear train to slow it down to prop speed, and the reaction and thrust forces went through a broad flange at the firewall.
Some had fully adjustable carbs so you'd work the throttle like a modern engine, with a mixture control for choke and tuning as the air got thinner as you climbed.
The airplanes of the day had mostly poor airfoils, thin and under cambered, which increased drag rapidly at speed, and were usually tail heavy and marginally stable, if stable at all.
The Junkers company developed cantilever wings and "modern" fat airfoils, using metal wings, but the structures were heavy, and they didn't catch on right away, ( Jack Northrop of Flying Wing fame developed multi cellular lightweight aluminum stressed skin wing design later ) and The Fokker company copied the design in wood for their D.VII & D.VIII fighters. The better airfoil was the reason the D.VII became the top fighter of it's day. ( the D.VIII was too late to make much difference, but did make the last kill in WW1 )
...the reaction and thrust forces went through a broad flange at the firewall.
correct! Also spinning the engine cooled it on the ground and in flight.
However, what you point out was also the eventual downfall of the Rotary engine, as higher engine speeds and reduction gearing give more power per pound, and you can easily see that as rotaries got bigger and heavier, the forces on the crank bolted to the airplane and the gyroscopic forces would quickly get out of proportion to the advantages.
