Ariel Square Four

Thus spake Grimly Curmudgeon () unto the assembled multitudes:

Another difference is that the K100 is liquid cooled, whereas this Wiking
thing is air-cooled. I'd be a bit concerned about the rear pots
overheating.

 

It was more a touring bike than a sports one with flexibility as
the main factor. Claimed output for the Mk II all alloy engine
was 42HP. Max speed was about 100. A road test I have gives 13 to
97MPH in top gear with a fastest one way speed of 107.

Ken Young

 

Another ground-breaking British almost-invention probably
isn't the Deltic engine-powered helicopter (the Delicopter).

 

Roger Hunt () gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

I'd have thought a Delticopter would make quite a good job of breaking the
ground... if it ever left it in the first place.

 

It's essential. Mind you, someone made a flat opposed piston one with 2
cranks before the deltic. And napier made some beauties, including broad
arrow and H layouts.

 

silly bugger.

 

I'm recollecting old film clips I've seen, of strange, early engine-
powered flying machines, and I wouldn't be surprised if somebody chipped
in and said it's already been tried seriously ...
(... but if not, would the Lottery Fund finance a ukrmc Delticopter
project? I'm sure they've given loads of money to much dafter ventures
before now.)

 

There was a vertical crank chopper engine... small by today's standards.

 

That seemed to be a common thing with the original longitudinal fours. I
suppose the way round it then would have been progressively bigger
finning front to rear, but I don't think that was ever tried.

 

Actually, a little voice is telling me that it was really for pulling
a chair. Does this sound right?

 

Junkers did a mean opposed-piston motor too.

 

Ride-on Flymo.

 

My old CZ Twin had bigger fins to the rear of the cylinder. My first
reaction was that the head was on back-to-front.

 

Not forgetting the magnificent Rootes TS3:

http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/technical/TS3.htm

 

That is usually only the case in H4s like the Brough Superior
Golden Dream, where one crank acts as a balance for the other.
Oh, and possibly the case in HO engines with four or more
cylinders. HO twins have always had the boxer layout as far back
as the Fee.

Ken Young

 

It was certainly popular for that. In fact they redesigned the
crank of the original version pre-war to give more flywheel
effect because of this.

Ken Young

 

Won't help that much with an iron engine. Heat conduction from
the hot surface to the fin tips is limited so there is a limit on
useful fin depth. You can use much deeper fins with alloy
engines. Of course another reason for water cooling is to reduce
engine noise. I remember a rumour that BMW considered an air
cooled H4 but rejected it as too hard to meet sound requirements.




Ken Young

 

that's the bugger I was thinking of. as used in the Commer trucks, and
possibly others too, wasn't there a 2-stroke foden? I've actually heard one
on the road once - apprently ordinary lorry making thoroughly unlikely
sound. ISTR they had a reputation of running very hot and then distorting
and going wrong when stopped and shut down without a cooling-off period.

 

It was not unknown for TS3 piston crowns to become detached. Being a
2-stroke this was more or less OK while the engine was running but once it
stopped that's the way it stayed.

Ron Robinson

 

Well, they were good for that. My dad had one with a massive Canterbury
sidecar (Carmobile?). Front seat would take two people and there was
a narrower rear seat (to leave space for the wheel). So, with a pillion
passenger too, that was a family of five catered for.