I have come across this slow motion video of pistonless engine that is neither turbine or turboprop (commonly known as Mazda/Wankle engine)
https://news.streckenflug.at/?id=11202&task=show
Rotary/radial piston engines have been around in early aircraft, but this one is pistonless (don’t need SEP?) and by design more adapted to aircrafts: high power/weight ratio, easy to maintain, few moving parts (flip side is the whole thing may blow up)….
Have anyone come across these in certified aircrafts? Or unregulated/certfied/permit types?
The Swiss Mistral engine has flown successfully which is more than you can say for a lot of prototype and developmental aircraft engines. I don’t know the background but the Mistral website has some information.
The Norton rotary had a long and varied history starting in the ’70s, latterly including aircraft aircraft service. link
I knew a guy who built a Vans RV-4 with a Mazda rotary. It was beautifully built but like most developmental engine installations had its share of troubles. The builder was killed in a sailplane accident and I’m not sure what happened to the plane. Photos included here on an enthusiast website.
Rotaries are typically very smooth, very loud, and inefficient – in part due to having a large combustion chamber surface area from which to lose heat.
Rotaries are typically very smooth, very loud, and inefficient – in part due to having a large combustion chamber surface area from which to lose heat.
We have one at our airfield, i can confirm the points above. High pitch, microturbine like sound – not too bad inside (ANR difficult) but PITA for spectators.
Vibration mainly from prop action.
Fuel efficiency 10-15% worse than piston according to owner.
Less maintenance bit difficult to find knowledgable mechanics for a Wankel engine.
This plane is an experimental.
Pics etc on request…
Yes Mistral ones look more serious with 200/300hp, not sure what are their fuel consumption numbers but you would see +/-15% just between similar HPs pistons and hit and miss on mixture from pilots, but that woumd put away anyone who think of using them in touring (Mazda is for those who stay in the neighbour doing need for speed without much fuel thinking)
I found old Norton ones are already fitted in some heavy ASH25 gliders (never noticed but some seems too much noisy for the size)
Also, DA is on the subject with products more toward LAA/LSA to fill up future gap from Rotax, but they only have a 50hp and the 80hp is on the way, so maybe something serious is comming along the way?
Austro makes tons of wankels for drones and powered gliders. 50 hp.
Back in the 80s’s someone built a Mazda powered push pull racer. For some reason or other it always made me think of the Dornier push pull fighter.
DG1
Nice one, likeDorniers it also falls in the UFO category !
The ARV Super 2 briefly used the Mid_West rotary engine based on a design that Norton developed for police motor cycles.
I had a short passenger ride in one which seemed to perform very adequately.
Silvaire wrote:
I knew a guy who built a Vans RV-4 with a Mazda rotary. It was beautifully built but like most developmental engine installations had its share of troubles. The builder was killed in a sailplane accident and I’m not sure what happened to the plane
(Quoting myself) The plane I mentioned has recently been advertised for sale, years after I saw it fly on an experimental flight Link Not sure anybody would care but perhaps it’s of interest to see what Rotary engined experiments people have pursued. Its clear to me that the plane has never been ‘de-bugged’ and would need a unusual buyer.
