THE AIRWAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 854, 24 December 1929, Page 7

THE AIRWAY

(By TDD KOC.;

Diesel Engine Has Rival Solving An Aircraft Problem U7IIILE America may claim the distinction ot‘ having »» adapted the Diesel principle to the airplane motor, an Auckland engineer has recently designed a liotarv cii-niie considered to be suitable for aircraft and one which ‘is bound to rival the Diesel very seriously in the revolutionising of the aircraft motor industrv.

It is to be admitted that the announcement concerning tlie Diesel engine is no American myth, for already the new type of aircraft engine m an air-cooled radial motor, operating on the Diesel principle, has actually appeared in the skv in a successful 560-mile flight. Tlie’ Rotarytype invented and patented in i>7 of the leading countries in the world by the Auckland engineer. Mr. Joseph "Williams, as yet has not reached the stage of actually being tested out for aircraft purposes. But according to reports from prominent engineers, it promises to meet with outstanding success. ENGINEERING PROBLEMS The great problem which has balked so many- manufacturers and designers who have previously attempted to bring out tlie Diesel, was the extreme difficulty- of getting all the principles of the engine squeezed into one chunk of iron, small enough and light enough to make an efficient aircraft engine. But the mere construction of a rotary engine, for any purpose, has for y-ears proved a problem to engineers. It appears that problem has now been solved, and the type in itself spells a. motor of size and lightness well suited to aircraft.

1 The gas is generated and combusted iu separate chambers and is used iu | much the same manner as the steam engine uses steam, but on certainly ; more advanced lines. There is no back-firing with the steam engine, and j there is consequently none with the I Rotary engine, owing to the particn- ! lar manner in which the fuel is combusted. GREAT RANGE OF FUELS

It would take much space to give full details concerning the invention: but, in a nutshell, it is an internal combustion rey-ersible Rotary engine, which iu design and lightness per horse-power unit, economy of fuel, and durability, is revolutionary. It will work on crude oil aud water, benzine and water..coal gas and -water, an\ combustible gas, oils or spirits, or by hydraulic power, steam alone, or compressed air.

I\ hen regard is given to its lightness, its freedom from general trouble of stopping, and consequently the greater safety factor, and above all, its remarkable saving in fuel, thyre is little doubt that the type, once adapted to the airplane, will solve a great problem in aircraft engineering. The introduction of atomised water, forming so large a part of the fuel consumed, so perfectly combusted, is designed to effect a saving of from 50 per cent. Here again is auother advantage for the airplane will be favoured with a much greater flyiug range. For the purpose of placing his engine on the world's market, Mr. Williams is leaving shortly for England, where his iny-entie*. should attract much attention not <s2;ly from aircraft manufacturers, but also from many others. NEW “AIR” COMPANY PRIVATE VENTURE STARTED Another company to carry on aerial services in New Zealand. Southern Cross Airways, Rtd., was registered in Auckland yesterday. Th© purpose of the company is to operate the Black-burn-Bluebird biplane which was imported to Auckland from England early tl*is year. The machine, which has side-by-side seating, was used soon after its arrival for some weeks by Lieutenant lan Keith, who flew throughout the province. It was then stored in the hangar at the Mangere Airdrome, and has been there ever since. It has both a land undercarriage and floats and nay thus be used over either land or water. The capital of the company is £IOO. the subscribers being Rosa May Cattanach, of Auckland. 99 sharesf Lawrence Frederick Rudd. 1 share.

The Auckland inventor of the new machine has made a life-long study of the internal combustion engine, and has develof>ed his ideas along revolutionary lines. And it is perhaps with some measure of pride one mayclaim in the machine the brilliant work of a New Zealander. This coufitry has indeed lagged sadly behind all others in the utilising of the airplane and such au invention, proving successful, could only mean a fine lift to the Dominion, well sufficient to overcome and excuse for a long period of sluggish enterprise. In spite of the rapidly growing use of the airplane throughout New Zealand,, there is little doubt that the man in the street has still more than a mere slight fear of flying. The actual build and design of a plane does not appear to worry him so much as the fear of engine trouble, even though it has been proved on so many occasions, that forced landings can be made iu rough country without it meaning death to the pilot and his passengers.

The answer to this fear will be provided in the use of the rotary engine. It has no dead centre which is so often accepted as the cause of failure with the ordinary type of engine. The ignition of gas occurs *independentlv of the revolutions of the shaft, while there are two or more impulses to every revolution. Should one revolution miss, the other will carry along.