Siemens-Halske Sh.III
Encyclopedia
Siemens-Halske
's Sh.III was an 11-cylinder, air-cooled rotary engine
developed in Germany during World War I
, similar to the Sh.I.
The advantages of the engine were increased propeller efficiency through the reduction gearing effect of having the engine effectively running at 1,800 rpm for only 900 rpm of the airscrew, and excellent high-altitude performance due to the high compression ratio achieved. A bonus was the counter-rotating masses tended to cancel out the gyroscopic forces of the engine. This was achieved by using bevel-gears housed in the rear of the crankcase.
Production problems at the Siemens works, and poor quality lubricating oil, gave the Sh.III engines a life expectancy of only seven to ten hours before pistons began to seize. The licensed Rhemag did not have such problems, so the Siemens engines were gradually withdrawn from service.
Siemens & Halske
Siemens & Halske AG was a German electrical engineering company that later became part of Siemens AG.It was founded on 12 October 1847 as Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske by Ernst Werner von Siemens and Johann Georg Halske...
's Sh.III was an 11-cylinder, air-cooled rotary engine
Rotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
developed in Germany during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, similar to the Sh.I.
Design
It shared with its predecessor the unusual design feature of having its internal workings (crankshaft, connecting-rods, etc.) rotating in a clockwise direction as seen from "nose-on", within the engine, and the crankcase and propeller (still fastened to the crankcase, as is usual for rotary engines) rotating in the "accepted" anti-clockwise direction. Also unusual for a rotary engine was the inclusion of a true throttle control. Power was rated at 120 kW (160 hp).The advantages of the engine were increased propeller efficiency through the reduction gearing effect of having the engine effectively running at 1,800 rpm for only 900 rpm of the airscrew, and excellent high-altitude performance due to the high compression ratio achieved. A bonus was the counter-rotating masses tended to cancel out the gyroscopic forces of the engine. This was achieved by using bevel-gears housed in the rear of the crankcase.
Production problems at the Siemens works, and poor quality lubricating oil, gave the Sh.III engines a life expectancy of only seven to ten hours before pistons began to seize. The licensed Rhemag did not have such problems, so the Siemens engines were gradually withdrawn from service.
Applications
- Albatros D.XIAlbatros D.XI-References:*...
- Pfalz D.VIIIPfalz D.VIII-See also:-Bibliography:* Cowin, H. W. "German and Austrian Aviation of World War I". Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2000. ISBN 1-841-76069-2* Gray, Peter and Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London:Putnam, 1962....
- Roland D.XVI
- Siemens-Schuckert D.II
- Siemens-Schuckert D.IIISiemens-Schuckert D.III-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander Books, 1994. ISBN 0-83173-939-8....
- Siemens-Schuckert D.IVSiemens-Schuckert D.IVThe Siemens-Schuckert D.IV was a late-World War I fighter aircraft from Siemens-Schuckert . Considered by many to be the best fighter to see action during the war, it reached service too late and was produced in too few numbers to have any effect on the war effort.-Earlier designs:Siemens-Schuckert...
Specifications
- Bore: 124 mm (4.88 in)
- Stroke: 140 mm (5.51 in)
- Displacement: 18.6 L (1,134.9 cu in)
- Power: 120 kW (160 hp) (Later variants produced 200 hp)
- Dry Weight: 430 lb (195 kg)