Overhead Cam Engines

The Tartar

The Tartar was an experimental engine that was designed for use in airships. Work started on the prototype in 1917, but it never went into production. The engine was a water-cooled V12, with a 110mm bore and 135mm stroke, giving a capacity of 15.4 litres. There was a single camshaft for each block, operating four valves per cylinder, two magnetos and a geared propeller. The engine delivered 300h.p.

The Kaffir

Many of the technical details of this engine have been lost. It was basically a 12 cylinder 'W' engine that was based on the Arab. The engine had a 120mm bore and 135mm stroke, giving a capacity of 18.33 litres. It had three valves per cylinder, overhead camshafts, two six-cylinder magnetos, one single carburettor, one dual carburettor, and a direct drive to the propeller. The Kaffir delivered 300h.p., but was only built in prototype form.

The Malay

The Malay, must have been one of the strangest aero engines ever designed. It had 20 cylinders, arranged in a star layout, around a central crankcase. There were 5 blocks of 4 cylinders with a bore of 120mm and a stroke of 130mm, giving a capacity of 29.42 litres. There were three valves per cylinder, which were operated by overhead cam shafts, one single and two dual carburettors, and a direct drive to the propeller. The engine could deliver 500h.p., but was never fitted to an aircraft. Only prototypes were built.


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