What-if Engines

simmie

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Over the summer I found myself with some spare time and an over active imagination. So I came up with a few what-if engines, some of the dimensions might be a little off as I haven't used trig for about 25 years since college.

X-24 Merlin
• Type: X-24 supercharged liquid-cooled piston engine
• Bore: 5.4 inches
• (137 mm)
• Stroke: 6.0 inches
• (152 mm)
• Displacement:
• 3298 in³ (54 L)
• Length 88.7 in
• (2250 mm)
• Width 43.43 in
• (1103.09 mm)
• Height 43.43 in
• (1103.09 mm)

H-24 Merlin
• Type: Liquid-cooled H24 engine
• Bore: 5.4 in
• (137 mm)
• Stroke: 6.0 in
• (152 mm)
• Displacement:
• 3298 in³ (54 L)
• Length: 88.7 in
• (2250 mm)
• Width: 43 in
• (1092 mm)
• Height: 61.42 in
• (1560 mm)

W-18 Merlin
• Type: W-18 water-cooled in-line engine
• Bore: 5.4in
• (137mm)
• Stroke: 6.0 in
• (152 mm)
• Displacement:
• 2473 in3 ( 40.5 L)
• Length 88.7 in
• (2250 mm)
• Width 53.19 in
• (1350.99 mm)
• Height 44.27 in
• (1124.5 mm)

V-16 Merlin
• Type: 16-cylinder, supercharged, liquid-cooled, 60° V, piston aircraft engine.
• Bore: 5.4 in
• (137 mm)
• Stroke: 6.0 in
• (152 mm)
• Displacement:
• 2198.67 in3 ( 36 L)
• Length: 101.096 in
• (2567.84 mm)
• Width: 30.8 in
• (780 mm)
• Height: 40 in
• (1020 mm)


De Havilland Gipsy Eighteen
• Type: Inverted W-18 inline piston engine
• Bore: 4.646 in (118 mm)
• Stroke: 5.512 in (140 mm)
• Displacement:
• 1689.95 in3 (27.45 L)
• Length: 82.6 in (2,098 mm)
• Width: 54.55 in (1385.64 mm)
• Height: 33.5 in (838 mm)

De Havilland Gipsy Twenty Four
• Type: 90 degree X-24 inline piston engine
• Bore: 4.646 in (118 mm)
• Stroke: 5.512 in (140 mm)
• Displacement:
• 2242.6 in3 (36.6 L)
• Length: 82.6 in (2,098 mm)
• Width: 44.54 in ( 1131.37 mm)
• Height: 44.54 in ( 1131.37 mm)

De Havilland Gipsy Sixteen (inspired by Apophenia)
• Type: Inverted 60 degree V-16 inline piston engine
• Bore: 4.646 in (118 mm)
• Stroke: 5.512 in (140 mm)
• Displacement: 1495.067 in3
• (24.4 L)
• Length: 95.78 in ( 2432.69 mm)
• Width: 31.5 in (800 mm)
• Height: 37.4 in ( 950 mm)


De Havilland Gipsy Eight
• Type: Inverted 90 degree V-8 inline piston engine
• Bore: 4.646 in (118 mm)
• Stroke: 5.512 in (140 mm)
• Displacement: 747.53 in3
• (12.248 L)
• Length: 69.42 in (1763.31 mm)
• Width: 44.54 in ( 1131.37 mm)
• Height: 32.987 in ( 837.87 mm)

De Havilland Gipsy W Twelve
• Type: Inverted W-12 inline piston engine
• Bore: 4.646 in (118 mm)
• Stroke: 5.512 in (140 mm)
• Displacement:
• 1121.3 in3 (18.3 L)
• Length: 69.42 in (1763.31 mm)
• Width: 54.55 in (1385.64 mm)
• Height: 33.5 in ( 838 mm)

Irbitis MI-02
• Type: 36-cylinder air-cooled multi-bank piston aircraft engine
• Bore: 4.646 in (118 mm)
• Stroke: 5.512 in (140 mm)
• Displacement:
• 3363.9 in³ (54.9 L)
• Length: 82.6 in (2098 mm)
• Width: 47.244 in (1200 mm)
• Height: 43.307 in (1100 mm)

Napier Super Lion
• Type: 24-cylinder water-cooled W-block (3 banks of 8 cylinders) aircraft piston engine
• Bore: 5.5 in (139.7 mm)
• Stroke: 5.125 in (130.17 mm)
• Displacement: 2923.2 in³ ( 47.888 L)
• Length: 85.05 in (2160.33 mm)
• Width: 42.0 in (1067 mm)
• Height: 43.5 in (1105 mm)

Napier Sabre H-32
• Type: 32-cylinder supercharged liquid-cooled H-type aircraft piston engine
• Bore: 5.0 in (127 mm)
• Stroke: 4.75 in (121 mm)
• Displacement: 2,986.67 in³ (48.867 L)
• Length: 92.25 in (2,343 mm)
• Width: 40 in (1,016 mm)
• Height:46 in (1,168 mm)

Bristol Hercules ‘Major’
• Type: 21-cylinder, three-row, supercharged, air-cooled radial engine
• Bore: 5.75 in (146mm)
• Stroke: 6.5 in (165mm)
• Displacement: 3540 in³
• (58.05 L)
• Length: 60.9 in
• ( 1547 mm)
• Diameter: 55 in (1,397mm)

Bristol Hercules ‘Super Major’
• Type: 28-cylinder, four-row, supercharged, air-cooled radial engine
• Bore: 5.75 in (146mm)
• Stroke: 6.5 in (165mm)
• Displacement: 4720 in³
• (77.4 L)
• Length: 68.65 in
• ( 1744 mm)
• Diameter: 55 in (1,397mm)
 
Some of these were actually planned in real life, The RR Vulture had smaller cylinders than the Merlin but the same spacing between cylinders suggesting that it would be possible to use Merlin blocks. The RR H24 using Merlin cylinders was definitely planned, there is a model at the Derby museum. I'm pretty sure Napier planed a 32 cylinder Sabre as well.
 
All the original dimensions used as a base for all of the above were lifted from Wikipedia, with some help from my Lumsden’s (Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6).

Thus the specific marks used were:

Rolls Royce Merlin 61

I had hoped to work out the dimensions for a W Merlin along the lines of the Allison V-3420. But the trig was beyond me.

Bristol Hercules II (Diameter is given as 55in)

I used the distance between the row centres from the drawings in the RRHT book about Sir Roy Fedden ('Fedden - The Life of Sir Roy Fedden' by Bill Gunston published by the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust)

De Havilland Gipsy 12 (King I) with help from the Gipsy I (Queen I)

Napier Sabre VA

I was aware of the Merlin H-24, trying to work out the external dimensions for this engine was the initial impetus for all of the above. I was not aware that Napier looked at a Sabre H-32 let alone an H-48.
 
The French did build two differnt H-24s post-war. The Arsenal H-24 and the Hisso H-24. The Arsenal was based on Jumo components while the Hisso was based one the latest Hisso V-12. These types of engines were certainly easier to develop than some of the other engines proposed in the late '30s and early '40s such as Wrights Tornado and any of the other inline radials. Because of the construction methods used in most liquid cooled inlines were to some degree modular the arrangement of the engines into H-24s allowed the use of crankshafts, connecting rods, cylinder blocks, heads, etc. The problem is then in the design of the crankcases, gear reductions and solving any vibration issues or lubricating issues. Two issues that ultimately killed the Vulture. Next comes the issue of size. These layots for the most part were better suited to large aircraft than fighters. The exceptions in my mind would be the inline radials such as the Jumo 222 or the Tornado. But in the end the coming of the Gas Turbine did in all these wonderfully complicated symphanies of mechanical motion. These large engines can almost be thought of as the aviation equivilant steam locomotives. Not for their purpose or obselescence (sp) but their wonderfull internal mechanical motion. As i understand it one of the big issues with the X layout was the rod design.

One wonders what some of these would of sounded like.

I'm reminded of the Matra V-12s used in F-1 in the '70s. Ferrari mechanics would look wistful at the sound of the Matra remmebering Ferrari V-12s of the past.
 

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