enginehistory.org

wallan · Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 252 Location: UK

Apparently, the Aviation Museum of Kentucky has a Mawen rotary engine. Do any of our members have any photographs of it?

kmccutcheon · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 08:49 Post subject:

http://www.enginehistory.org/Misc/Mawen/mawen_03.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/Misc/Mawen/mawen_05.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/Misc/Mawen/mawen_07.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/Misc/Mawen/mawen_08.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/Misc/Mawen/mawen_09.jpg
http://www.enginehistory.org/Misc/Mawen/Mawen_10.jpg
_________________
Kimble D. McCutcheon

wallan · Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 252 Location: UK

Thank you. When I did a search of our website I got no hits.

Found a couple of articles on the Net about it, after I saw it in Jane's.

http://www.mmcl.org/Nov04.pdf

http://modelenginenews.org/ed.2004.10.html

kmccutcheon · Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 07:00 Post subject:

abreton · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 4

The MAWEN engine (MAthis-WENergren) engine was first built in France, where a 9-cyl. version passed succesfully its type-test in June 1937. Here is a picture with French SEV magnetos (and... automobile spark-plugs...).

This engine logged more than 500 hours of bench running in France.
Construction was made by Mathis-Aviation plant in Paris.

5-cyl. and 7-cyl. versions were also tested.

Cylinders and crankshaft ran in opposite direction, with a relation crankshaft rpm/cylinders rpm/ = N (numbers of cylinders). The number of inlet aud exhaust ports, and spark plugs, was such as (N + 1)/2.

Specifications were :

5-cyl : bore x stroke 50 x 50 mm, capacity 500 cm3 (30 c.u.), 20 hp at 4000/800 rpm.

7-cyl : 75 x 70 mm, 2160 cm3 (132 c.u.), 75 hp at 3150/450 rpm.

9-cyl : 85 x 85 mm, 4330 cm3 (264 c.u.), 150 hp at 3600/400 rpm.

In 1939, Mawen planned a 7 cylinder row with 1100 mm. diameter (43 inch) with a 350 hp output for the single-row version, and 700 hp for the two-row.

Regards

Alain

wallan · Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 252 Location: UK

Thanks for the photographs.

We have an almost complete set of Jane’s AWA, in our company library, and I have been going through each volume compiling a list of unusual aircraft, and particularly engines that I would like to know more about.

I picked up the Mawen engine in the French section, and it mentioned it had been licensed to America. A quick Google search brought up the fact that one is in Kentucky. It really looks a fascinating engine: I’ll see if I can get a look at the patents. I’d love to see how they sealed the combustion chamber/s

Quite a number of the issues have articles that would seem to be suitable for reprinting in TM: it’s just an idea I’m exploring.

As copyright on books last 75 years, this means that, theoretically, we can use anything from pre-1931 editions, without having to pay, although it would be nice to get this confirmed. (I would also check with Jane’s before I did anything)

pshort · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 19:34 Post subject:

Very interesting!

Alain, I wonder what the connection was between the Hungarian designer Sklenar (mentioned in the article above) and the Mathis company?

I would be glad to hear any more about this engine - its a bit hard to imagine the open ended cylinder idea being a good one, but must keep an open mind....

I take it this engine also had both the crankshaft and cylinders rotating in opposite directions? I haven't quite figured that out either.