Help please with early aircraft engine possibly 1920s or earlier

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Member for

13 years 3 months

Posts: 774

Hi again
Would anyone have any ideas on this early designed radial possible rotary type aircraft engine? It is a 5 cylinder type but a part from that I haven't a clue. I was told possibly it could be 1920s.

I intend to clean this over the coming weeks so hopefully I might come across some numbers that may help with its identity, also this is extremely heavy.

So any engine specialists please help as It would be nice to identify this nice engine section with con rods, gears and main shaft.

Thank you once again in advance.

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Member for

17 years 8 months

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My first guess is it's an Armstrong Siddeley Genet. Can you tell us where it's come from?

John

Member for

13 years 3 months

Posts: 774

Hi John Aeroclub
Thank you for replying as im pretty stuck on this one, as the majority of the radials on the net do not appear to show the internals, i thought being a 5 cylinder engine it would help narrow it down.

The propeller shaft does look the same splinding as the Armstrong Siddeley Ganet

Not sure that this will help but i purchased it from an aero jumble in Peterborough.

Member for

13 years 3 months

Posts: 774

I feel John aeroclub has found its identity as these two links below show images that are pretty close to mine

//static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/5/2/7/1/8/9/a8535136-228-as_genetmajor_front_right2.JPG

//static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/5/2/7/1/8/9/a8529993-189-as_genet_1_parts.jpg

Below is a list of aircraft powered by the Siddely Armstrong Genet, one other question was the major a similar engine or completey different?
Avro 618 Ten
Avro Avian prototype
Blackburn Bluebird I
BFW M.23
Cierva autogyros. C.9 and C.10
Drzewiecki JD-2
Fleet Fawn
Junkers A50 Junior
Medwecki and Nowakowski M.N.5
Saro Cutty Sark
Southern Martlet
Westland-Hill Pterodactyl
DH.60 Genet Moth

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18 years 10 months

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A month of 15/85 molasses followed by some Kroil would have that all loosened up :)

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16 years 7 months

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Genet I, II or IIA? There are some useful photos of the I - but not the II or IIA - in Alec Lumsden's 'British Piston Aero-engines and their Aircraft'.

Member for

17 years 8 months

Posts: 2,766

I think that it's the smallest of the five cylinder Genet's. Can you confirm that the Master con rod is a one piece unit, held in by a large gudgeon/crank pin. The early Genet had the top cylinder vertical and on the later Genet Major (available as a five or seven cylinder engine) the lower cylinder was vertical. It could be that it's a five cylinder Mongoose but I think that engine had a two piece master rod like the Lynx. If your Master rod has bolts at the base to hold the lower bearing cap into place then it's a Mongoose.

The rear bearing does look a bit like that of the Mongoose. It's no good me asking for any dimensions as I don't have the manual or any internal data.

John

Member for

13 years 3 months

Posts: 774

Hi john
Thank you for coming back to the thread it appears you certainly no what your talking about, would these photos help? If not I'm taking it to work to clean the dust etc of it, I could take some better photos in day light.
Brad

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Member for

17 years 8 months

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I'm sure that someone will be popping up, who is familiar with the Armstrong engines. I'm still thinking Genet 1. The bevel gear is the Magneto drive and the other planetary gears and lobes are for the valve timing.
A photo with an object of known size would be interesting.

John

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18 years 10 months

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A photo with an object of known size would be interesting.

Most useful is the *UMD* .. Universal Measuring Device: A coke/pepsi can.

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16 years

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Youngsters=grrr. Lay a ruler in the picture!
old gitt

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18 years 10 months

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LOL! I'm 58 & a 1/3 & everyone knows the size of the coke can without having to work out if the ruler is 6in, 12in, yardstick or metric etc..

https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10614405_10203701463889887_1561202895091876315_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&_nc_eui2=AeEvOdLyp267qtbbGSPTVt9LkOBOSD4FlbBrNUfwbh7zucZBK5_yx3crxfG49u_xeKJf_QOa5ktP5AcokD5_QxVwCw7SlfHeTveXFdkcjhbQRw&_nc_pt=1&oh=e45d3c348743d4018a6a3e60cc3727ad&oe=5BD5DE0F

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13 years 3 months

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Im having trouble finding a coke can will a dr pepper do?

Joking apart im have trouble uploading photos for some reason but will post with can at the ready as soon as im able.

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13 years 3 months

Posts: 774

Hi
A few more photos as asked with a good old measuring aid,also some numbers on the weights
Hopefully this may help towards confirming its identity

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Member for

17 years 8 months

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I still think it's a Genet 1 crank and rods. The stamped words confirm that it's probably British. If you can measure the throw of the crank from the centre of the prop shaft to the centre of the Master rod gudgeon pin, then this will give us a bit more info. The Genet 1 had a 4" stroke and the Major was 4.5" and I think the Mongoose was 5.5".

John

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18 years 10 months

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Given that a 12oz/355ml Dr Pepper can is not quite 5in tall (4 7/8th or 4.875in for you decimal types, or an RCH under 124mm) I'd say the crank throw is closer to 4in than 5 :)

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17 years 6 months

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The way those brass balance-weights are bolted to the crankshaft webs looks a lot like an Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah balance-weight, but not a Cheetah, obviously!

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13 years 3 months

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Just to throw a spanner in the works the throw is 2 and a half inches
Any ideas?

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17 years 6 months

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Which would make the stroke five inches; are you sure the throw isn't 2.25 or 2.75 inches?

Member for

13 years 3 months

Posts: 774

Looking a little more accurate now I have a better measuring tool I would say it's 2 inches from the centre of the prop shaft to the centre of the master rod gudgeon, sorry for the confusion, so would that make it Genet 1?

Interesting in regards to the Cheetah but I guess they are a part of the same family.

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17 years 6 months

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Cheetah balance-weight:

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