Omega
Gnome 7 Omega on display at the Newark Air Museum
Type Rotary aero engine
Manufacturer Société des Moteurs Gnome
First run 1908
Major applications Blériot XI
Bristol Boxkite
Number built 4,000 until 1914[1]

The Gnome 7 Omega (commonly called the Gnome 50 hp) is a French seven-cylinder, air-cooled aero engine produced by Gnome et Rhône.[2] It was shown at the Paris Aero Salon held in December 1908 and was first flown in 1909. It was the world's first[1] aviation rotary engine produced in quantity. Its introduction revolutionized the aviation industry[3] and it was used by many early aircraft. It produced 37 kW (50 hp) from its 8 L (490 cu in) engine capacity.[4] A Gnome Omega engine powers the 1912 Blackburn Monoplane, owned and operated by the Shuttleworth Collection, the oldest known airworthy British-designed aeroplane worldwide.[5] A two-row version of the same engine was also produced, known as the Gnome 14 Omega-Omega or Gnome 100 hp. The prototype Omega engine still exists, and is on display at the United States' National Air and Space Museum.[2]

Like all early Gnome et Rhône engines the Omega featured a single pushrod driven exhaust valve on the cylinder head; the intake valve was located in the piston crown, opening by inertia on the downstroke and feeding the intake charge from the crankcase into the upper part of the cylinder. No throttle was provided, the pilot controlling his speed by switching off the ignition when necessary.

sectional views of the Gnome Omega

Variants

Gnome 7 Omega
Single-row 7-cyl. original version; 50 hp (37 kW).
Gnome 14 Omega-Omega
Two-row, 14-cylinder version using Omega cylinders; 100 hp (75 kW).

Applications

Gnome 7 Omega

Gnome Omega-powered airworthy Blackburn Monoplane of the Shuttleworth Collection
Gnome 14 Omega-Omega, as shown in a 1913 Gnome catalog.

Gnome 14 Omega-Omega

Engines on display

Specifications (7 Omega)

Brown staining of the Shuttleworth example caused by burnt castor oil

Data from Lumsden.[4]

General characteristics

Components

Performance

  • Power output: 37 kW (50 hp) at 1,200 rpm

See also

Comparable engines

Related lists

Footnotes

References

  • Hurley, Nick (2018). "Gnome 7 Omega". New England Air Museum. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved Aug 17, 2018.
  • Lumsden, Alec (2003). British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1853102946.
  • Murphy, Justin D. (2005). Military aircraft, origins to 1918 : an illustrated history of their impact. Santa Barbara, Calif. [u.a.]: ABC-CLIO. pp. 32–33. ISBN 1-85109-488-1.
  • Nahum, Andrew (1999). The rotary aero engine. London, UK: Science Museum. pp. 12–14. ISBN 1-900747-12-X.
  • Schiere, J (1969) [1913]. "Aeroplanes & Dirigibles: Argentine". In Jane, Fred T. (ed.). Jane's All the World's Aircraft. Vol. 1913. New York, NY: Arco Publishing Company Inc. LCCN 69-14964. Retrieved Aug 17, 2018.
  • Smithsonian Institution (2018). "Gnome Omega No. 1 Rotary Engine". National Air and Space Museum. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved Aug 17, 2018.
  • Shuttleworth (2018). "Blackburn Monoplane". Shuttleworth Collection. Archived from the original on August 19, 2018. Retrieved Aug 17, 2018.

Further reading

  • Moteurs d'Aviation Gnome (PDF) (in French). 49, Rue Lafitte, Paris: Société Des Moteurs Gnome. 1910. Retrieved 19 June 2018.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
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