http://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/Tomlinson.htm Take a look at a miniature version of a very - VERY unique engine. A Napier Deltic 18-cylinder engine. While I know a lot of us aren't amature machinist, or have an interest in models or miniatures, take a look at how the tightly bent water plumbing was made. The pipes were machined from solid brass in two halves and soldered together!
That's rad... The spark plug location confuses the hell out of me... Looks like it's located at half stroke or something... Soooo coool.
Yeah, A DELTA engine for sure. Those 18 cylinders require 36 pistons and rods and that elaborate gear system at the end of the engine merges the power of the three cranks into a single output. Sometimes when I see stuff like this I just think some old guy's just got too much time on his hands. And sometimes all I can think is WOW!
Not only is the original a diesel but it's a two-stroke at that. Totally whacked out design--even made its way into Navy patrol boats in the 'Nam. Very powerful & light but, as is obvious, hideously complex. Napier engines (not this one) powered some of the fastest planes of the 30s-40s and did wide duty in Brit bombers. The miniature is a tour-de-force of ultra-fine machining. Does it run Jason? Hard to imagine.
My grandfather was a German machinist from Pforzheim Germany. I think of him every time I see anything that perfect. Just the picture of that motor has made my day.
That is amazing! Says on the link that it will run but it isn't finished yet. Sometimes we get so use to inline and V configured engines we forget there is a whole other world out there.
I saw that at the model show a couple years ago. Should have gone last year, but didnt make it. It really is nuts.
Awesome engineering in that motor. I read a mag about high power plane engines. Showed one radial motor with a gazzillion cylinders, in four rows, that popped out a cool 5000+ hp. Must have been a hell of a job machining it, but think of the poor bastard who had to design and DRAW all them zillion little bits and pieces by hand!!!
Damn I just finished reading the whole article on it. That dude is "Bad Ass", 71 retired and builds this after teaching himself CNC. Improved the design while he was at it. "The working model is an 18-cylinder, opposed piston, 2-stroke, spark ignition engine" I hope I can do stuff that cool when I'm 70.
If the gentleman is going to RUN this engine, I wonder what it is going in? It might have said in the article, but I cant help but wonder...what would it do in one of those Junior dragsters? Bonneville, anyone? New class to run on the salt? that is ONE BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF MACHINERY!
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