So, Noah and I were talking about Radial engines and basically we got into the discussion of how the hell do they work? How are the rods layed out?
so, i did some digging through my collection of 20's - 40's aircraft manuals and found this stuff...
Here is a very basic crankshaft, very similar to most radial engines, the ones with mulitple banks just have more journals, like a car one. Most use a main rod with Link rods attached to it, this rod assembly ius one piece, well not exactly, but you get the idea.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2BTZH4FaXQOeceCrqqfbfA5eeehLzzjV5xjGq99G1EyUgAUvGbfOcRMLdRh9YdBjQQQiw7MHAl_I9IDkRM9_VK9nXUOl2sC3IYIP2Q_oh5RCq8qDfL_kVXO5L-RXtwySeDDHQ95Mbg/s320/radial1.jpg)
Here is another rod and crank assembly, the main rod beins fixed to the crank race and the other 4 attached to it radially.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-WIxMTgpuLDSXo_TDrmhAmB1My_RnJycyEjuyhGHqXWTukWlLWUZUZph5UOHwDa3l34lmTSYL8Dsd8W8ehrYNCzaBjB6qsPsvTXhPODMvyv8KjL_sqUMxVM-rCHIT62AwuLWwaLfwg/s320/Image3.jpg)
Here is the Wright Cyclone Rod assembly, 9 pistons!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiORSRAYE1IuBRYQDNWAYiKWou1aTREQRBVGSLhXzaZFeXy1vAV_cKMzNVSjiTYKEINBz88gvBzfcfcmI6SnuFG9PvI2ZVT-pE6A_GxKmRATcDixbovuAp-4J61TAWJ5uvrUTSU1brAQ/s320/Image8.jpg)
Here is the best drawing i found of a main rod.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-kLTXnpfzh5E0qj-7-Rthzu3Kc-oWrVMmwnSvKjEUU5SNfALB8-qT6gAYWmPlnmvBv4MXq8OFpDwLTSx3Sq24LceGI_7ilKtPhHDN1LFb2aQI4h7STQWqPsgc44qNn_U83tp_H27TQ/s320/Image7.jpg)
Another!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkLyYmRQJoawx5Pul3BnprZoCEH7N85brb4H7zZs6Ifrr0ZCKPvcTRQc3CtCP9qEsLpnoxNaqShTTIZgf9BSKoz1kWuntBcxch-l0eNzcuyrbdlR4XXk9r-JxfTHEYFeeCoVoh5w-8w/s320/Image6.jpg)
Ok and here is the weirdest engine design I have EVER seen!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAEVA4Aya1iTP3k9fhOvilrzgsY6nnD0c3zqgU7dkylgj5L-I94IBXsYR2WqZXQ356Lazd7Mp4DNcAAcs6R_ayl96QebTwQoo-pxoGcJKhOQoa0a-M3kdpxlZgXF2JzYtZLELBVIe0g/s320/Image5.jpg)
You wonder how the hell it works?
Well this diagram shows way better...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7YYJvKihw-b37S-NXs236E5c-Y5IvGHbftdrKtp6yrvUXd_bw27rTiG4ST546PG9S7g-RJm5Ta0M56BbPLrjh7Raq4lPABWF6zBDI4NAUWyI3ioNqnwkNQ5kCUGVvw-CtzMKD3zDtA/s320/Image4.jpg)
Thats bizarre!
More to come!