Chapter 1

Development of the Diesel Aircraft Engine

Most people in the United States who are interested in aviation associate the gasoline engine with the airplane as its power
plant. True, the gasoline engine has made flight possible and it has been developed to a fine art. Progress does not stand
still, however, and now the Diesel or compression ignition engine has become a challenger of the gasoline engine for
aviation.
Today, the Diesel provides the motive power for fast streamlined trains and swift motorships as well as for powerful
trucks, busses and tractors. Its use in warships and tanks is growing rapidly and it is being adopted for mechanized
transport. Adoption of the Diesel for aviation has been relatively slow because of the difficulty in reducing its weight
sufficiently for use in the air. Now this problem has been solved and we are on the threshold of a new era in aviation in
which the Diesel will play an important part.
Dr. Rudolf Diesel
By common usage, the word Diesel has become synonymous for
compression ignition engine and few people remember its inventor or the
difficulties he encountered in its development. More than forty years have
elapsed since the first industrial engine operating on this principle was built.
It is nearly fifty years since the first patent was issued to Dr. Rudolf Diesel
for his invention of an internal combustion engine with compression
ignition.
Dr. Diesel, like many inventors, had quite an adventurous career (Fig. 1).
He was born in Paris of German parents on March 18, 1858, and when he
was only twelve years old, his family had to flee from the city during the
Franco-Prussian War. His parents settled in England and young Diesel was
sent to relatives in Augsburg to receive a German education. There he
completed his schooling and entered the Technical Institute at Munich to
study engineering. His mechanical talents developed rapidly and he became
particularly interested in thermodynamics, which study helped form the
basis of his career.
While Diesel was studying at Munich, his teacher, Dr. Linde-the discoverer
of liquid air-happened to mention one day that in a steam engine only 6 to 10 per cent of the heat produced was
transformed into energy. This statement made in 1878 so impressed Diesel that from then on, the idea of a new
power-saving engine remained uppermost in his mind. During the years which followed, Diesel was employed by Sulzer
Brothers in Switzerland and later he became assistant professor at the Technical Institute at Munich. In 1889, he joined
Dr, Linde in Paris as manager of his refrigeration plant and it was there that be began to make plans for the development
of his engine.
Development of the Diesel Principle
Recalling his school days, Dr. Diesel remembered a "fire tube" with which he had experimented and in which combustible
materials could be made to ignite by compressing air to a high temperature. This apparatus was like a bicycle pump but
had a glass cylinder so that the effect of sharply pushing in the
piston could be seen. This method of igniting fuel by compressing
air to a high temperature was what Dr. Diesel wanted and he
adopted the principle in his new engine. Virtually, the cylinder of
his engine became a pneumatic fire tube with the piston
compressing the air to ignite the fuel.
Abundance of coal in Germany and the idea of utilizing coal dust
for fuel undoubtedly influenced Dr. Diesel when he applied for a
patent. The first one issued to him, Patent No. 67,207 dated
February 28, 1892, specified an engine with compression ignition
using coal dust as fuel.
In 1893, at the age of 35, Dr. Diesel published a theoretical treatise
entitled: "The Theory and Construction of a Practical Heat
Engine." In the same year he began his experiments at Augsburg.
Fortunately he was not handicapped by lack of funds and he
obtained the assistance of two of the largest firms in Germany.
These firms were Friedrich Krupp of Essen which backed him
with the necessary capital, and Maschinenfabrik
AugsburgNiirnberg (M.A.N.) which placed the necessary
engineering facilities at his disposal.
The First Practical Heat Engines
After three years' work, in 1896 Dr. Diesel completed his first engine design to use coal dust for fuel and air compressed to
high pressure and temperature to ignite it. This engine exploded and nearly killed him but he persevered and built another
engine using petroleum for fuel. -His second engine built in 1897 was successful and justified his theories. It was of the
slow-speed, type with a single vertical cylinder which developed 25 h.p. at 170 r.p.m. (Fig. 2). Subsequent tests showed
that it had a thermal efficiency of 35 per cent compared with 12 per cent for the steam engine of that time 2
The First American Diesel
At the Machinery Exposition held in Munich in 1898, three engines built to Dr. Diesel's designs by Krupp, M.A.N. and
Deutz constituted the biggest attraction. So much interest was aroused that by 1901 licenses had been granted in many
countries and twenty-seven firms were building Diesel engines. Well-known firms such as Sulzer in Switzerland and
Nobel in Russia began to build them on a large scale. In the United States, the first Diesel was built by the firm of Busch-
Sulzer in St. Louis in 1898.
During the next fifteen years, Dr. Diesel received many invitations to visit other countries where he was honored and feted
and addressed engineering conventions. In 1912, his visit to the United States was in the nature of a triumphal tour. At this
time the marine Diesel. was fast being adopted for submarines and other naval vessels. After his return to Germany, Dr.
Diesel was called to England to consult with the British Admiralty about the use of his engine in submarines. Traveling
from Antwerp to Harwich on the night of September 29, 1913, he mysteriously disappeared from the ship, as did all of his
important documents. Thus passed Dr. Diesel, the inventor of countless engines which bear his name.
Developments in Germany
Development of lightweight Diesels for aviation from heavy industrial and marine engines of this type was started in
Germany in 1910. It was not until 1930, however, that the Diesel aircraft engine became really practical. Dr. Hugo Junkers
initiated this development and before be died in 1935, be bad the satisfaction of seeing his Diesels successful in the air.
Dr. Hugo Junkers
Dr. Junkers' career is interesting in that like Dr. Diesel, be was deeply interested in thermodynamics which proved to be of
great benefit to him in his work. He was born in 1859 and when he was twenty-nine years old, he began experimenting
with gas engines at Dessau. There he began manufacturing heating devices and in 1897, he was appointed to the Chair of
Thermal Studies at Achen Technical Academy.
At Dessau and Achen Dr. Junkers' thoughts began to turn to aviation and on February 1, 1910, be was granted Patent No.
253,788 for an "all wing" airplane, This invention consisted of a single hollow metal wing which housed within its
framework not only the engines and their fuel tanks, but also the passengers and crew. The engines, even at that early
date, were shown as being of the opposed-piston type. This thick section all-metal cantilever wing which at first was
ridiculed and rejected as impractical has now, thirty years later, became the accepted pattern for high-speed airplanes and
a successful all-wing" airplane has been built and flown.
Dr. Junkers' activities were not confined solely to his all-metal airplane. He was also interested in means of propulsion and
subsequent to 1910, his time was divided between experiments with his airplane and work on a Diesel engine to propel it.
He chose an opposed-piston engine design as he had achieved considerable success with this type of power plant in the
industrial field. He also chose two-cycle operation for his engine with piston-controlled ports instead of valves and
compressed air for scavenging the cylinders.
The First Junkers Diesels
The first two Junkers Diesels built for aviation were the four-cylinder MO-3 completed in 1913 and the six-cylinder
MO-8 completed in 1914. The next experimental engine was the six-cylinder FO-2 built in 1916 which was rated at 500
h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m. A 1,000 h.p. Diesel was also designed at that time which showed the extraordinary progressiveness of
Dr. Junkers.' All of these engines ran on fuel oil injected under pressure and were equipped with spark ignition.
Post World War I Development
Development after World War I was slow due to the restrictions
imposed upon Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. When the
FO-3 appeared the design had been changed to five vertical
cylinders with compression ignition. This engine was exhibited at
the International Aviation Exhibition in Berlin in 1926 and
developed 830 h.p. at 1,200 r.p.m. (Fig. 3). A smaller size was
considered more practical, however, so it was redesigned with six
smaller cylinders and reappeared as the F04 in 1928. Then it was
installed in a Junkers F-24 all-metal monoplane and in 1929, it
made its first flight from Dessau to Cologne.
In 1931, after the F04 bad passed further type tests with a rating
of 720 h.p. at 1,700 r.p.m., it was given the name of Jumo 4 and
was placed in regular service on the airlines of Deutsche Lufthansa.4 Subsequently, the engine became known as the Jumo
204 and its output was increased to 770 h.p. at 1,800 r.p.m. In 1935, its manufacture was discontinued in favor of the
Jumo 205 of similar construction but of considerably smaller size. Now the Jumo, 205 has been developed to the point
where it has an output of 700 h.p. at 2,500 r.p.m. and 880 h.p. at 3,000 r.p.m. (Fig. 4). When equipped with an
exhaust-driven super-charger it is known as the Jumo 207 and has a rating of 1,000 h.p. at 3,000 r.p.m. A slightly larger
Diesel-the Jumo 206-has a rating of 1,200 h.p. and is now reportedly used in military planes. All of these engines have six
vertical -water-cooled cylinders with two pistons in each cylinder and two crankshafts. Their specific weights range from
2.1 lb. per h.p. for the earlier models to 1.4 lb. per h.p. for the latest engines.
Another Diesel aircraft engine which has been developed in
Germany is the B.M.W.-Lanova 114 V-4 Diesel built by B.M.W.
Flugmotorenbau. G.m.b.H. (Fig. 5). Dr. Schwager has been
responsible for much of the work on this nine-cylinder radial which
is moderately supercharged and rated at 650 h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m.
This engine, like the radial gasoline engines manufactured by the
firm, functions on the four-cycle principle. It is unique in that
although it is
liquid-cooled, it is a self-
contained unit with small
radiators mounted
between its cylinders
where they do not
increase the frontal area.
This arrangement makes
it interchangeable with
air-cooled B.M.W.
gasoline engines which
are used for both civil
and military purposes in
Germany.
In addition to in-line Diesels for high-performance airplanes and radial Diesels for replacement units, there is still a third
type which is manufactured in Germany. This is the Mercedes-Benz DB 602 Diesel built by Daimler-Benz A.G. for use in
airships (Fig. 6). Sixteen individual water-cooled cylinders are used on this four-cycle engine which has a maximum
power output of 1,320 h.p. at 1,650 r.p.m. and a specific weight of 3.3 lb. per h.p. Dr. Berger, chief engineer of the firm,
designed this powerful Diesel which is unsupercharged. Four of them were used on the Zeppelin LZ-129, the Hindenburg,
and four more of them were installed on the Zeppelin LZ-130, the Graf Zeppelin.
Developments in the United States
The first public showing of the Junkers FO-3 Diesel aircraft engine in
Germany in 1926 created such world-wide interest that it was not long
before experimental work of this nature was under way in the United
States. Here most of our Diesel aircraft engine designers concentrated
on four-cycle, air-cooled radials based upon gasoline aircraft engines
with which they were familiar. This has worked out all right for
low-powered and medium-powered engines, but for larger power
plants two-cycle, liquid-cooled Diesels are needed. The Godfrey
Manufacturing Corp. has done extensive single-cylinder experimental
work with the last-mentioned type of engine and has prepared designs
for a large Diesel aircraft engine embodying two-cycle operation.
The Packard Diesel
In the United States, the first Diesel aircraft engine to appear was the
Packard. Work on this nine-cylinder, air-cooled radial was started in
1928 under the direction of Capt. Lionel Woolson, chief aeronautical
engineer of the Packard Motor Car Co., and Professor Herman
Dohner, a German engineer. Captain Woolson was considered one of
the foremost engineers of his day and designed the 600 h.p. and 800
h.p. Packard water-cooled gasoline airplane engines for the United
States Navy. He also designed the 400 h.p. Packard airship engines
used on the Shenandoah. Behind him be bad the enthusiastic backing of one of the largest and best equipped engineering
firms in the country whose experience with internal combustion engines dated back to 1900.
Development work on the Packard DR-980 Diesel was brought to a successful conclusion in 1929 when Capt. Woolson
made the first crosscountry flight with a Diesel-engined airplane in the United States. He flew from Detroit to Langley
Field covering the distance of 700 miles in 6 hours and 40 minutes. During a subsequent flight in a Stinson Detroiter from
Detroit to Miami, the new Diesel showed remarkable economy and its cost for fuel oil was less than one cent a mile.
In 1930, the Packard DR-980 Diesel passed its 50-hour government test and was granted A.T.C. No. 43 with a continuous
rating 225 h.p. at 1,950 r.p.m. (Fig. 7). At the National Aircraft Show held at Detroit that year the engine was a sensation
with six airplanes in the show equipped with it as well as several others on the flying field. Among the latter was a
tri-motored 11-passenger Ford 11-A airliner which was equipped with three Packard Diesels and could cruise at a fuel
cost of three cents a mile.
Hardly had the Packard Diesel been launched on its career than tragedy overtook its forty-two year old inventor. On April
24, 1930, Captain Woolson and his two companions took off from Detroit for New York in a Verville Air-Coach
equipped with one of the Diesels. Lost in a storm, they crashed near Attica, New York, and all were killed.
Following the death of Captain Woolson, the inventive genius and driving force behind aircraft engine production in the
Packard factory came to a standstill. Production of the Diesels in their specially built and equipped factory was
discontinued. Despite this change in policy, Packard Diesels continued to be used for a time and on May 28, 1931, Walter
E. Lees and Frederick A. Bossy established the world's nonrefueling duration record with one of them in a Bellanca
Pacemaker at Jacksonville, Florida. They took off with a load of 481 gallons of fuel oil and remained in the air for 84
hours and 32 minutes. This still constitutes the world's record for both Diesel-engined and gasoline-engined airplanes.
As an indication of the high esteem in which the Packard Diesel was held it should be mentioned that the Collier Trophy
for the most important contribution to aviation during 1931 was awarded to the Packard Motor Car Company for its work
with this type of engine.
The Guiberson Contributions
About the time that the Packard Diesel passed into oblivion, another
Diesel aircraft engine of similar design appeared to take its place.
This newcomer was a product of the Guiberson Diesel Engine
Company of Dallas, Texas, a firm which had had considerable
experience in the industrial Diesel field. Work on the first
Guiberson Diesel aircraft engine was started in 1930 to the designs
of F. A. Thaheld, a young Austrian engineer. Early in 1931, after
more than 800 hours on the test stand, the nine-cylinder, air-cooled
Guiberson A-980 Diesel was ready to take to the air. For the test
flights, the services of Col. Arthur G. Goebel, famous for his
transpacific flight between San Francisco and Honolulu, were
secured. The Diesel was installed in his Waco biplane and on a test
flight he covered the 960 miles from Dallas to Detroit on 96 gallons
of furnace oil. The cost of this fuel, at seven cents a gallon, was only
$6.72 or less than one cent a mile. Most of the return trip was made
in a downpour of rain which did not affect the engine as it had no
electrical ignition system.
Later in the same year Colonel Goebel reached an altitude of 21,686
ft. with this unsupercharged Diesel and flight tests proved that it bad
a better performance than contemporary gasoline engines of the
same power. In November, 1931, the Guiberson A-980 passed its
government tests and was awarded A.T.C. No. 79 with a rated
power output of 185 h.p. at 1,925 r.p.m. (The engine used is shown in Fig. 8.)
Despite the gloom which settled over the youthful Diesel aircraft engine industry after the Packard Diesel was abandoned,
development of the Guiberson Diesel proceeded and was kept alive by the persevering efforts of S. A. Guiberson, Jr.
Next, a slightly larger Diesel known as the Guiberson A-918 model was constructed under the supervision of C. C.
Spangenberger, chief engineer of the firm. In 1934, the United States Navy showed considerable interest in the engine and
two of the A-918 Diesels were delivered to the Bureau of Aeronautics for test These engines were rated at 253 h.p. at
2,100 r.p.m. and after improvements had
been made, two more of them were
ordered.
A later Guiberson. Diesel is the A-1020
model which is similar to its
predecessors but has up-to-date valving
(Fig. 9). This engine passed its civil
government tests in 1940 and was
awarded A.T.C. No. 220 with a rating of
310 h.p. at 2,150 r.p.m. It weighs 650
lb., or 2.1 lb. per h.p.
An identical Diesel is manufactured for
use by the War Department in light tanks
and this is known as the T-1020 model.
Arrangements have been made for both
of these engines to be manufactured by
the Buda Company, well-known in the
Diesel field, in their factory located in Illinois. Still larger and more powerful Guiberson Diesels are projected for
airplanes and tanks with power outputs up to 1,000 h.p. made possible by supercharging.
Other American Developments
Successful development of Diesel aircraft engines in the United States has been limited to Packard and Guiberson Diesels
as these are the only engines which have been flown. Other Diesels have been built and bench-tested but for one reason
and another, they have been abandoned. Mention should be made of the 75 h.p., two-cylinder, water-cooled Attendu
airship engine built for a Navy airship in 1925 which weighed 6.5 lb. per h.p.; the 400 h.p., seven-cylinder aviation Diesel
with radial, air-cooled cylinders which was completed in 1932 and weighed 3.5 lb. per h.p.; and the 1,200 h.p.,
twelve-cylinder Deschamps engine which was built in 1934 and weighed 2.0 lb. per h.p. The Deschamps V 3050 Diesel
with its two banks of inverted liquid-cooled cylinders and low frontal area was a promising engine but financial
difficulties have prevented its further development and flight testing
DEVELOPMENTS IN GREAT BRITAIN
In 1927, a year after the first public showing of the Junkers FO-3 Diesel in Germany, the Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd.,
began work on a Diesel or compression-ignition (C.I.) engine as it is called in England. Financial aid was given by the
British Air Ministry and the work was carried out under the direction of Dr. Roy Fedden, chief engineer of the engine
division of the Bristol firm. Several years were devoted to research and after bench tests totaling more than 1,500 hours
had been completed with single-cylinder Diesels it was decided that the results warranted the building of a fullsized
engine.
The Bristol Diesels
The Bristol Phoenix, as this nine-cylinder, air-cooled Diesel was called,
resembled the contemporary Bristol Jupiter VIII F gasoline engine to a great
extent (Fig. 10). It was of the same size and displacement and with its rating
of 430 h.p. at 2,000 r.p.m., it bad practically the same power output. Its first
flights were made in 1933 when it was installed in a Westland Wapiti
observation plane and took part in the annual Royal Air Force Display at
Hendon. After a supercharger of moderate capacity had been added, the
Phoenix was flown in the same airplane to an altitude of 27,453 ft. on May 11,
1934, by H. J. Penrose. This flight was made under the official observation of
the Royal Aero Club and established the world's altitude record for
Diesel-engined airplanes.
Subsequently, interesting comparisons were obtained by flying the Westland
Wapiti with the Phoenix Diesel and the Jupiter VIII F gasoline engine. It was
found that the Diesel-engined plane had the better performance as its rate of
climb was increased by 15 per cent and its speed at altitude was increased by
4 per cent (Fig. 11). Its fuel consumption was also reduced by as much as 35 per cent. These improvements were due to
the better power output characteristics of the Diesel at altitude (Fig. 12). Recently, further work has been done on the
Bristol Phoenix and its crankshaft speed and supercharger impeller speed have been increased so that it is now rated at
635 h.p. at 2,100 r.p.m.
The Beardmore Diesels
Concurrent with the Bristol development, the firm of William Beardmore & Co., Ltd., designed an airship Diesel for the
British Air Ministry which passed its tests in 1930. The Beardmore Tornado, as this engine was called, was of heavier
construction than an airplane engine and with its eight-in-line, steam-cooled cylinders had a weight of 7.8 lb. per h.p. Five
of these Diesels rated at 585 h.p. at 900 r.p.m. were installed on H. M. Airship R-101 which was destroyed in a storm
while flying in India. Beardmore also designed an interesting airplane Diesel with horizontallyopposed cylinders for
submerged installation inside the wing. This twelve-cylinder, watercooled engine was intended to develop 500 h.p. at
1,750 r.p.m. but it was never completed.
The Napier Experiments
Realizing the difficulties to be overcome in the development of a successful
Diesel aircraft engine, the British Air Ministry then decided to investigate
the Junkers Diesel which had established an excellent reputation for itself in
Germany. In 1935, after exhaustive tests of one of these engines by the air
ministry, the -firm of D. Napier & Sons, Ltd., acquired a license to build the
Junkers Jumo 4 and Jumo 5 in England. Several Napier Culverins with an
output of 720 h.p. at 1,700 r.p.m. corresponding to the Jumo 4 were built and
some of them were flight-tested in a Blackburn flying boat (Fig. 13).
Nothing came of this project, however, and the Napier Cutlass of 535 h.p.
corresponding to the Jumo 5 was never placed in production.
Other British Developments
In addition to aiding in the development of these engines, the British Air
Ministry also played a part in the conversion of two RollsRoyce Condor gasoline engines to Diesel operation. The Royal
Aircraft Establishment and Ricardo also aided in this conversion but the best that they could obtain from -these
twelve-cylinder, water-cooled engines was an output of 480 h.p. at 1,900 r.p.m. One of these converted engines weighing
2.9 lb. per h.p. was flown in a Hawker Horsley torpedo bomber in 1933.
The only other Diesel aircraft engine. built in England was the Sunbeam-Coatalen P-1 designed by Louis Coatalen, chief
engineer of the Sunbeam Motor Car Co., Ltd. Coatalen was born in France but went-to England to obtain experience in
the internal combustion engine held. In 1926, he became interested in the possibilities of the Diesel and converted a small
Benz engine to work on this principle. In 1929, he completed his first Diesel aircraft engine which was exhibibited at the
Aero Show in London. This six-cylinder, water-cooled engine was rated at 104 h.p. at 1,500 r.p.m. but it was never flown.
Developments in France and Other Countries
In 1931 Coatalen left the Sunbeam firm and returned to his native country. There he continued his Diesel research on a
six-cylinder Panhard while engaging in the manufacture of Lockheed hydraulic brakes. The Coatalen 12 Vrs 2 Diesel
aircraft engine which he subsequently built was constructed in the remarkably short time of six months. It was exhibited
in the Paris Aero Show in 1936. On the test bed, this twelve-cylinder water-cooled engine developed 600 h.p. at 2,200
r.p.m. and weighed 2.0 lb. per h.p. Coatalen later planned a two-cycle Diesel of approximately the same size as his
four-cycle Diesel which he hoped would develop 1,000 h.p.
The Clerget Diesels
Pierre Clerget has built more four-cycle Diesel aircraft engines than anyone in France and a number of them have been
test-flown. As long ago as 1930, he exhibited a nine-cylinder, air-cooled radial Diesel known as his 9-A model with a
rating of 100 h.p. at 1,800 r.p.m. Since then, several models have been built and for a time the firm of Hispano-Suiza
carried on this development work. Later, the French Air Ministry took over all Clerget developments and assisted him in
building larger fourteen-cylinder Diesels. One of these engines,, known as the Clerget 14 F-01 and rated at 940 h.p. at
2,400 r.p.m. was test-flown to an altitude of 25,114 ft. in a Potez 25 observation plane in 1937 (Fig. 14). The pilot on this
occasion was M. Detre and the Right was certified by the Aero Club of France.
The latest Clerget development was a large sixteen-cylinder,
watercooled Diesel known as the 16-H model which was
bench-tested in 1939. This engine was designed to develop more
than 2,000 h.p. and it weighed 1.9 lb. per h.p. Four
exhaust-driven (turbo) superchargers were installed on it with the
object of maintaining its rated power output to an altitude of
approximately 20,000 ft. It was exhibited at the Paris Aero Show
in 1938 with the designation "Type Transatlantique."
Another French Diesel, the Salmson SH 18 built under
Szydlowski license, is interesting in that it is a water-cooled
radial with its eighteen cylinders arranged in tandem pairs around
the crankcase. Rated at 600 h.p. at 1,700 r.p.m. and designed to
operate on the two-cycle principle, the SH 18 weighs 1.9 lb. per
h.p. This engine was exhibited at the Paris Aero Show in 1934 but
it has yet to prove itself in the air.
The C.L.M. Diesels
Not wanting to lag behind Great Britain in Diesel development,
France also acquired a license to build the Junkers Jumo 5 Diesel
in 1935. This license was taken out by the firm of Compagnie
Lilloise de Moteurs S.A., more commonly known as C.L.M.
Several engines known as the Lille 6 AS model were constructed
with a rating of 600 h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m. Some flight testing was
done with them in a Bernard 82 long-range monoplane with a view to attempting to establish a long distance record. At
the present time the firm of C.L.M ' is showing little activity with Diesels of this type for aviation but is building them as
railcar engines with power outputs of 150, 250 and 500 h.p.
The Jalbert-Loire Diesels
Jalbert-Loire Diesel aircraft engines built by Ateliers' et Chantiers de la Loire S.A., near Paris, have also received
encouragement from the French Air Ministry and three different sizes of engines have been constructed. These comprise a
fourcylinder 160 h.p. engine and a six-cylinder 235 h.p. engine with inverted in-line cylinders, and a sixteen-cylinder
engine known as the 16-H model which has its cylinders in H-formation and develops 600 h.p. at 2,400 r.p.m. All of these
engines are water-cooled and the largest one weighs 2.0 lb. per h.p.
Other French Developments
France certainly has not lacked for Diesel aircraft engine projects. Other engines worthy of mention are the nine-cylinder
air-cooled Lorraine Diesel built in 1932 which was rated at 200 h.p. at 1,500 r.p.m. and weighed 3.5 lb. per h.p.; the
eight-cylinder air-cooled Botali Diesel constructed in 1937 which developed 118 h.p. at 2,000 r.p.m. and weighed 2.2 lb.
per h.p.; and the seven-cylinder air-cooled Delafontaine Diesel designed to have a power output of 400 h.p. None of these
engines have been test flown.
Development in Other Countries
At the time that the Packard Diesel was active in the United States, a license to build this engine was acquired by the well
known engine firm of Walter in Czechoslovakia. Although no Packard Diesels were built abroad, the future of this type of
power plant appeared so promising that Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka, part of the National Alms Factory, decided to design
a Diesel of its own. Development work was started in 1930 and three years later the nine-cylinder, air-cooled ZOD 260-B
Diesel passed its 50-hour test with a rating of 260 h.p. at 1,560 r.p.m. (Fig. 15). This two-cycle engine gave excellent
results in small training planes with many hundreds of hours of flying to its
credit. Dr. Ostroil and his follow engineers were responsible for the ZOD
260-B Diesel which weighed 2.3 lb. per h.p.
Italy is the only remaining country in which results of Diesel developments
have been made public. This work is not of recent origin, however, as it
was in 1930 that the Fiat ANA Diesel was built and flown. This engine had
six in-line, water-cooled cylinders and was rated at 220 h.p. at 1,700 r.p.m.
and weighed 4.0 lb. per h.p. A still earlier Diesel of Italian origin, the
Garuff a, was exhibited at the Paris Aero Show in 1921. Considering the
tremendous advantages to be derived from Diesel aircraft engines with their
low fuel consumption, it is strange that more progress has -not been made
with them in Italy where aircraft engine fuel is at a premium.
Japan has shown great interest in Diesel aircraft engines which is
significant inasmuch as the firm of Mitsubishi has a license to build Junkers
engines and airplanes. It is possible that arrangements have been made for the Junkers Jumo 205 Diesel to be
manufactured in Japan as a number of -these engines have been used there for experimental purposes and have been
reportedly installed in bombers used against the United States.
The U.S.S.R. is also alert to the possibilities of the Diesel for longrange flight operations and undoubtedly work on
Diesels proceeded there, probably under the guidance of German engineers before Germany's attack on Russia in the
second World War.
Chapter 2
How the Diesel Aircraft Engine Functions
People who are familiar with the functioning of a gasoline aircraft engine need not have any difficulty in understanding
how a high speed Diesel aircraft engine works. In size and outward appearance the two types of engines are similar as
they both are internal combustion engines in which the fuel is burned inside the cylinder. Parts of the engines such as the
crankcase, the cylinders, the crankshaft and the connecting rods are of the same design. The chief difference between the
two types of engines is in the method used for admitting the air and the fuel into the engine cylinders and the method used
for igniting the fuel. This difference in construction is necessitated by the use of nonexplosive fuel oil in the Diesel.
Feeding Fuel
Close examination reveals that the Diesel has no carburetor in which the air and the fuel can mix before being admitted to
the cylinder. In the Diesel, the air containing the oxygen required for combustion is admitted through the inlet valve into
the cylinder on the suction stroke of the piston. When the piston reaches the bottom of this stroke, the inlet valve closes
and the air contained in the cylinder is compressed to a high pressure. The fuel, which consists of No. 2 furnace oil or its
equivalent, is compressed to a still higher pressure in a small plunger-type injection pump and is forced through an
injector into the engine cylinder. In this respect, the Diesel is similar to some of the latest gasoline aircraft engines which
are equipped with direct fuel injection instead of a carburetor.
Igniting the Fuel
The method used to ignite the fuel charge in a Diesel is entirely different from that used in a gasoline engine. The Diesel
has no magnetos, spark plugs or high-tension wires as it uses air heated by compression to a high temperature to ignite its
fuel. In order to compress the air charge to this high temperature, the compression ratio in the cylinder of a Diesel is
considerably higher than in a gasoline engine. Compression ratios in Diesel aircraft engines range from 14:1 to 17:1 which
is sufficient to raise the temperature of the air charge to "red" heat or approximately 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. When the
fuel is injected in the form of a fine spray, it ignites readily and the gases of combustion expand as in a gasoline engine
forcing the piston outward on its expansion or power stroke.
The ignition of the fuel charge in a Diesel by highly heated air is somewhat slower than the ignition of the combustible
mixture in a gasoline engine by means of an electric spark. Higher peak pressures are encountered in the cylinder of a
Diesel, however, due to the smaller size of its combustion chamber which results in more rapid pressure rise when the fuel
ignites. For a time this rapid pressure rise necessitated heavier cylinder construction and made the Diesel too heavy for
aviation. Now methods have been devised whereby the duration of the ignition delay period is reduced and this tends to
cut down the rate of pressure rise.
Four-Cycle Diesels
The four-cycle Diesel aircraft engine lends itself particularly well to air-cooled cylinders and poppet valves of
conventional design. When supercharged, its power output can be increased by as much as 40 per cent as in the case of a
gasoline aircraft engine. Refinements in design and metallurgy now permit air-cooled Diesels to be built weighing
approximately the same as air-cooled gasoline engines of the same power Output (Fig. 17).
In a Diesel aircraft engine operating
on the four-cycle principle, the
sequence of events is similar to that
in a four-cycle gasoline aircraft
engine:
1. Suction stroke-intake of air charge
through inlet valve.
2. Compression stroke-compression
of air charge to a high temperature
and injection of fuel charge just
before top dead center.
3. Expansion stroke-ignition and
combustion of fuel and expansion of
gases transmitting power to the
crankshaft,
4. Exhaust stroke-evacuation of
burnt gases through exhaust valve.
These events can be seen in Fig.
16.
The Combustion Chamber
The design of the combustion chamber
in a Diesel aircraft engine is very
important and various kinds of open
chambers, turbulence chambers and
pre-combustion chambers can be used.
The turbulence chamber used in
conjunction with the Lanova
combustion system is particularly
interesting as it is used extensively in
high-speed four-cycle automotive and
marine Diesels and also is suitable for
Diesel aircraft engines. The
combustion chamber is in the form of
a horizontal figure 8 with the inlet
valve and the exhaust valve in the
centers of the two lobes. The injector
is on one side of the narrow portion of
the chamber and injects a portion of
the fuel charge into an energy cell opposite to it. The gas blast produced by the energy cell creates strong rotational
turbulence in the two lobes of the chamber mixing the air charge with the remainder of the incoming fuel charge (Fig. 18).
Referring back to the diagram in Fig. 16, it is seen that in a four-cycle engine
the piston is productive during only one stroke out of four, or once during
two complete revolutions of the crankshaft. It has to be driven by the
crankshaft during the remainder of the period. From the viewpoint of
efficiency, a better arrangement is to have the piston productive during one
stroke out of two, or once during one complete revolution of the crankshaft.
This last-mentioned arrangement is obtainable in a two-cycle engine.
Two-Cycle Diesels
In an engine functioning on the two-cycle principle, events happen twice as
fast as in a four-cycle engine. Each up stroke of the piston is a compression
stroke and each down stroke is an expansion stroke.
Exhaust or evacuation of the burnt gases and suction or intake of the new air
charge have to take place during the brief interval when the piston is near
bottom dead center. This kind of engine requires special valving so that the
burnt gases can be evacuated rapidly and a new air charge admitted before
the valves close and compression begins.
Small gasoline engines used in motorboats and motorcycles run quite well on
the two-cycle principle. These engines are constructed so that the
gasoline-and-air mixture is compressed in the crankcase to a pressure slightly above atmospheric. A deflector on top of
the piston permits a new charge to be admitted into the cylinder through a transfer passage immediately after the exhaust
port has been uncovered by the piston. Considerable pollution of the incoming charge naturally occurs and the engine
does not function with very high efficiency. Obviously, such an arrangement is impracticable for a large multi-cylinder
gasoline aircraft engine in which high specific power output and low specific fuel consumption are of paramount
importance.
In a Diesel aircraft engine operating
on the two-cycle principle, the
following events take place:
1. Compression stroke-intake of air
charge, compression of air charge to
a high temperature and injection of
fuel charge just before top dead
center.
2. Expansion stroke-ignition and
combustion of fuel and expansion of
gases transmitting power to the
crankshaft, and evacuation of burnt
gases with the aid of scavenging air
under pressure.
These events can be seen in the
diagram (Fig. 19).
The Diesel, whether it be small or large,
functions with high efficiency on the
two-cycle principle. Only air is contained
in the cylinder prior to the injection of fuel
near top dead center and this air can be
compressed slightly by external means
before it is admitted into the cylinder. A
blower or supercharger is used on a
two-cycle Diesel aircraft engine to provide
the preliminary air pressure. The volume of
the-air forced in during each intake period
is in excess of the cylinder displacement so
that sufficient air is available for
scavenging as well as for charging the
cylinder.
While it might appear that a two-cycle
Diesel will develop twice as much power as
a four-cycle Diesel because it has twice as
many power strokes, such is not the case. Difficulty in evacuating the exhaust gases from a two-cycle Diesel necessitates
opening the exhaust valve or port sooner and more of the power generated during the expansion stroke is lost. This power
loss is not excessive and is only approximately 10 per cent more than in a four-cycle engine. A two-cycle Diesel therefore
develops approximately 80 per cent more power than a four-cycle Diesel of the same displacement.
The two-cycle Diesel aircraft engine offers an attractive
solution of the need for a high-powered, high-efficiency power
plant for aviation. Its torque is considerably smoother than that
of a four-cycle engine due to the more frequent but less violent
power impulses transmitted to the crankshaft. Due to the more
frequent generation of beat in its cylinders, the two-cycle
Diesel aircraft engine usually is water-cooled or liquid-cooled
(Fig. 20). Provided good combustion is obtained by imparting
rotational swirl to the air charge so that it mixes with the fuel
rapidly, the Diesel has a higher thermal efficiency than a
gasoline aircraft engine. The fuel consumption of the Diesel is
appreciably less than that of the gasoline engine as more of the
heat units in its fuel are converted into mechanical energy.
The Fuel Injection System
The choice of a fuel injection system for a Diesel aircraft
engine depends to a great extent upon the cycle upon which the
engine functions, the arrangement of the engine cylinders and
the injection equipment which is available on the market. The
Bosch fuel injection system which has been used on a number
of Diesel aircraft engines is typical of a high-pressure solid
injection system in which the fuel is sprayed
into the engine cylinders in the form of
minute solid particles. The equipment
required for each cylinder of the engine
consists of an injection pump, an injector
and a length of high-pressure tubing.
Bosch injection pumps are manufactured in
both the individual type containing one or
two pump units in one housing, and in the
multi-unit type containing several pump
units in one housing. On the Zbrojovka ZOD
260-B Diesel aircraft engine, nine individual
Bosch pumps are mounted around the
crankcase to supply fuel to the nine
cylinders of this air-cooled radial (Fig. 21).
A multi-unit Bosch pump containing nine
pump units, on the other hand, is
flange-mounted on the accessory section of
the nine-cylinder B.M.W.-Lanova 114 V-4
Diesel aircraft engine where it is
shaft-driven (Fig. 22). On Diesel aircraft
engines with sixteen in-line cylinders
arranged in two banks such as the
Mercedes-Benz DB 602, four multi-unit
injection pumps each containing four pump units can be mounted on brackets at the rear of the crankcase (Fig. 23).
Sixteen individual injection pumps could also be used on the last-mentioned type of Diesel aircraft engine.
Bosch injection pumps are of the
constant-stroke plunger type. The length of
the plunger stroke is constant at all times and
is not varied to control the size of the fuel
charge. Control of the quantity of fuel
injected into the engine cylinder is obtained
by turning the plunger slightly in the barrel
of the pump so as to vary the moment of
pressure release in the pressure chamber.
The plunger is cam-actuated by a cam ring
or camshaft inside the engine in the case of
an individual pump, or by a small camshaft
inside the pump housing itself in the case of
a multi-unit pump.
How the Injection Pump Functions
The functioning of a Bosch injection pump
unit is the same whether it is contained in an
individual housing or in a multiple housing
(Fig. 24). The fuel enters a sump in the
upper part of the housing and on the down
stroke of the plunger it rushes into the barrel
as soon as the top of the plunger comes below the two radially-opposed ports in the barrel. During the first part of the up
stroke of the plunger, excess fuel in the barrel is displaced back into the sump through the ports until the latter are
completely covered by the rising plunger. Then the fuel contained in the pressure chamber above the plunger is
compressed highly and the spring-loaded non-return delivery valve is lifted off its seat so that the fuel can be forced
through the highpressure or discharge tubing into the injector. Finally the fuel opens the spring-loaded non-return valve in
the injector and sprays into the engine cylinder.
When the plunger approaches the top of its stroke, delivery of fuel into the discharge tubing automatically ceases as soon
as the edge of the helix on the plunger has uncovered the right-hand or by-pass port in the barrel. The helix consists of a
recess with an edge of special contour cut in the upper part of the plunger. It is connected with the top of the plunger by
means of a vertical slot. At this moment, the pressure chamber communicates with the sump in the housing by way of the
helix and the remainder of the fuel not yet forced through the delivery valve by-passes into the sump due to the drop in
pressure. At the same time the discharge valve snaps shut.
In the Bosch injection pump, termination of fuel delivery controls the pump output and the quantity of fuel delivered by
the plunger on each stroke. For maximum fuel delivery, the plunger is turned slightly in the barrel by means of a toothed
control rod so that the helix does not uncover the by-pass port until very late in the stroke. For zero delivery, the plunger
is turned until the helix communicates with the by-pass port during all positions of plunger stroke and the fuel is not
compressed sufficiently in the pressure chamber to open the discharge valve. The plunger and its barrel are carefully
lapped and matched in pairs so that they are a very close fit.
In addition to controlling the quantity of fuel injected into the cylinders of a Diesel aircraft engine it is also necessary to
control the timing of the commencement of fuel injection which corresponds roughly to the moment of firing in a gasoline
aircraft engine. In the case of individual injection pumps actuated by a cam ring or a camshaft means are devised by the
engine manufacturer for varying the timing of the cams. When a multi-unit injection pump containing its own camshaft is
used the timing of the camshaft can be varied by interposing a special device with sliding helical splines between the
camshaft and the drive shaft from the engine.
A single-unit injection pump of suitable capacity is sufficient for each cylinder of a Diesel aircraft engine. It is sometimes
found desirable, however, to use two pump units in one housing or two individual single-unit pumps together with two or
more injectors for each cylinder in order to improve the injection characteristics. In the latter case, each pump unit is
designed to have sufficient capacity to supply the cylinder under full load. Single-unit and two-unit (duplex) injection
pumps are flange-mounted on the crankcase of the engine where they can be actuated conveniently by a cam ring or
camshaft. The cam profile has to be designed with great care in order to attain the best injection characteristics and engine
performance.
On four-cycle Diesel aircraft engines the injection pumps are driven at one-half crankshaft speed while on two-cycle
engines they are driven at crankshaft speed. Operating speeds as high as 3,000 r.p.m. are now permissible for the latest
types of injection pumps. The manufacturers of Bosch injection equipment recommend that the maximum injection
pressure should not exceed 3,500 lb. per sq. in. to insure long life of the actuating and moving parts. They also
recommend that the high pressure tubings connecting the injection pumps and the injectors should be of the same length
so that each cylinder of the engine will develop approximately the same power.
The Injectors
Bosch injectors comprise two main parts-the nozzle body and the nozzle valve. These two parts are carefully lapped and
matched in pairs and are contained in a nozzle holder made of steel or duralumin. The injector is of the closed type with a
spring-loaded nozzle valve which seats in an orifice in the bottom of the nozzle body. The movement of the nozzle valve
is controlled hydraulically by the pressure of the fuel against its tapered end when the fuel is admitted through the
discharge tubing from the injection pump.
Two basic types of nozzles are used in Bosch injectors. These are the hole-type nozzle which is suitable for Diesel aircraft
engines having open combustion chambers and the pintle nozzle which is suitable for engines constructed with
high-turbulence combustion chambers or pre-combustion chambers. (See Fig. 24.)
The hole-type nozzle injects the fuel in one or more sprays according to the number of holes in the nozzle body. The
shape and penetration of the sprays depend upon the diameter and length of the holes. The holes are arranged
symmetrically at suitable angles in the bulbous end of the nozzle body so that the sprays will penetrate in the desired
directions.
The pintle-type nozzle has a nozzle valve with a short pin or pintle on its tip which protrudes through the circular orifice
in the bottom of the nozzle body. The pintle is appreciably smaller in diameter than the orifice and when the nozzle valve
lifts from its seat the fuel strikes the pintle with considerable force as it emerges and produces a hollow cone-shaped spray
by refraction. The shape and penetration of the spray depend upon the diameter and length of the orifice and the clearance
space between the orifice and the pintle.
There is also a throttling nozzle which is a variety of the pintle nozzle with a longer pintle in the shape of an inverted
cone. It is designed to control the rate of fuel injection so that only a small quantity of fuel is sprayed into the engine
cylinder at the beginning of the injection period. The main fuel charge is injected when the lift of the nozzle valve is
increased by the pressure of the initial fuel charge as it emerges. This type of nozzle prevents excessive accumulation of
fuel in the combustion chamber prior to ignition and helps to reduce the rate of pressure rise in the engine cylinder.
The High-Pressure Tubing
The high-pressure discharge tubing used on Diesel aircraft engines is made of low carbon steel cold-drawn without seams.
Tubing such as that manufactured by Summerill is satisfactory as it can be bent and swaged cold without cracking and
will withstand pressures as high as 9,000 lb. per sq. in. The inside wall of the tubing should be perfectly smooth to prevent
undue restriction to fuel flow.
Engine Accessories
Many of the accessories required for a Diesel aircraft engine are similar to those used on a gasoline aircraft engine. The
transfer pumps used to transfer the fuel oil from the tanks in the airplane to the injection pumps on the engine usually are
of the rotary-vane or oscillating plunger type. The lubrication system is handled by a pressure-feed pump and two or more
scavenge pumps in single or multiple housings of the rotary-gear type. The lubricating oil filter is of the metal disc type
with or without a hydraulic motor to rotate the filtering element. A centrifugal pump is provided for each bank of
cylinders in the case of a water-cooled or a liquid-cooled engine.
The fuel filtering system is considerably more elaborate on a Diesel aircraft engine than on a gasoline aircraft engine
equipped with a carburetor. The fuel oil has to be filtered very carefully before it enters the injection pumps and injectors
so that it will not contain impurities in suspension which might score the closely fitted plungers and barrels, and nozzle
valves and nozzle bodies of these precision instruments. On most Diesel aircraft engines a fuel filtering system comprising
a first-stage filter of the metal-disc type followed by a final stage filter of the paper-element type in a sealed case is
sufficient for the purpose (Fig. 25).
A supercharger of the centrifugal type is highly desirable for a four-cycle
Diesel aircraft engine and an absolute necessity for one functioning on the
two-cycle principle. The supercharger may be of the gear-driven, single-speed
type which absorbs from 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the power output of the
engine for its drive, or it may have two speeds or two stages and absorb still
more power from the engine. An exhaust-driven supercharger is more
advantageous as it absorbs practically no power and has an output equivalent
to that of a two speed gear driven supercharger. The exhaust-driven
supercharger is particularly, adaptable to the Diesel as the exhaust gases
emerge from the latter at a lower temperature than from a gasoline engine and
consequently the turbine wheel and its blades are not subjected to unduly high
temperatures and stresses.
Starting a Diesel aircraft engine does not present any difficulty despite its high
compression. A hand and electric inertia starter such as the Eclipse or a
cartridge starter such as the Breeze (Coffman) can be installed as on a gasoline
aircraft engine but it may have to be the next size larger for a Diesel engine. A
compressed air starting system also can be used with a distributor driven from
the engine and air injection valves in one bank or row of cylinders.
CHAPTER 3

The Guiberson Diesel

The Guiberson A-1020 Diesel aircraft engine represents the most advanced type of four-cycle Diesel which has been
produced in the United States. It is a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial which can hardly be distinguished from an up-to-date
gasoline aircraft engine. Ten years I research work and many hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent in the
development of Guiberson Diesel aircraft engines. The A-1020 model is not supercharged but it performs well at high
altitudes (Fig. 26).

The Crankcase
The crankcase of the engine is made of aluminum alloy and consists
of a front section and a rear section held together with nine through
bolts. The nose section is integral with the front section as the
propeller drive is direct and there is no necessity for a gear housing.
The rear section contains the valve tappet guides and the mountings
for the nine individual fuel injection pumps. An accessory section
made of aluminum alloy is attached to the crankcase by the nine
through bolts and nine additional studs and nuts (Fig. 27). Provision
is made for attaching the various accessories by means of studs
screwed into the accessory section. Drives are contained in this
section to operate them.

The Cylinders
The cylinder barrels are machined from steel forgings and are
provided with shallow cooling fins. The cylinder heads are made of
aluminum alloy with deep cooling fins around the combustion
chambers and the exhaust valve rocker arm boxes and exhaust
outlets. The heads are screwed and shrunk onto the barrels and each
cylinder is attached to the power section of the crankcase by means
of a flange and twelve studs and nuts.

The Crankshaft
The crankshaft is of the single-throw type, made in two pieces and machined from solid steel forgings. It is supported in
roller bearings of large diameter in the front and rear sections of the crankcase and in a ball thrust bearing in the nose
which absorbs the propeller thrust and axial loads. The crankshaft is bored for lightness and drilled for forced-feed
lubrication. A vibration damper in the form of a spring-loaded counter-balance weight is attached to the rear cheek of the
crankshaft.

The Connecting Rods
The master connecting rod is machined from an I-section steel forging and has a steel-backed lead-bronze bushing in its
big-end. The eight articulated or link rods are of the same construction and are fitted with bronze bushings in their
big-ends. The link rods are machined all over and have bronze bushings in their small-ends. This construction is shown in
the longitudinal section view of the engine.

The Pistons
The pistons are machined from heat-treated aluminum alloy castings. The top surface of the piston is concave so that it
forms a semispherical combustion chamber in conjunction with the concave interior of the cylinder head. Each piston is
fitted with three compression rings and one oil ring above the piston pin and one oil scraper ring below it. The piston pin
is of the floating type with aluminum alloy plugs at each end to prevent it from scoring the cylinder wall.

The Valves
The valving consists of an inlet valve and an exhaust valve of the poppet type operating in valve seats of aluminum
bronze and Silcrome steel respectively shrunk in the cylinder head. The valves are actuated by means of rocker arms
enclosed in oil-tight boxes and enclosed push rods and roller tappets. The push rods are made of steel tubing and are fitted
with hardened and ground ball ends. The rocker arms are mounted on ball bearings and have adjustable sockets for the
push rod ends.
The Cams
The cam ring which actuates the valve tappets is machined from a
steel forging and has four lobes. It is supported on a duro bronze
bushing on the rear end of the crankshaft and is driven by means of
an intermediate gear wheel which rotates it in the opposite
direction to the crankshaft at one-eighth engine speed. A
four-lobed cam ring for actuating the injection pumps is attached
to the valve cam ring by bolts and nuts with slots for adjustment.

The Fuel Pumps
The nine individual Guiberson fuel injection pumps used on the
engine are flange-mounted around the rear section of the crankcase
where they connect with fuel supply passages drilled in the
castings. Tapered roller actuating arms are provided between the
stems of the plungers of the injection pumps and their cam ring.
The actuating arms are mounted eccentrically on a control plate
which can be rotated slightly so as to vary the amount of plunger
lift and the commencement of injection (Fig. 29). The injection
pumps are connected with the injectors in the cylinder heads by
equal lengths of high-pressure seamless steel tubing. The injectors
are mounted so that their axes are at an angle of 30 degrees from
the vertical axes of the cylinders.



The Lubrication System
The lubrication system functions on the dry sump principle as in a
gasoline aircraft engine. Lubricating oil is delivered under
pressure through the hollow crankshaft to the main bearings and
the cam rings. The cylinder walls, the crankshaft thrust bearings,
the piston pins and the injection pump tappets are lubricated by
splash. The oil sump is in the form of a separate unit located
between the two bottom cylinders of the engine.

The Accessories

The accessory section which is attached to the rear section of the
crankcase contains drives and mountings for the various
accessories. These accessories comprise one pressure-feed and
two scavenge pumps of the rotary-gear type, a pressure relief
valve and a Cuno metal-disc filter for the lubrication system; a
Pesco rotary-vane transfer pump and a Purolator metal-disc filter
for the fuel system; a cartridge starter contacting the end of the
crankshaft for starting the engine; and an Eclipse electric
generator for charging the batteries in the airplane.

FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
The fuel injection system used on the Guiberson A-1020 Diesel aircraft engine differs considerably from the Bosch
injection system described in a previous section. Although the Guiberson injection pump is also of the plunger type, the
length of the stroke of its plunger is variable and not constant as in the Bosch. Control of the output of the pump is
obtained by varying the quantity of fuel admitted into the pressure chamber. The design of the pump is such that constant
output at any particular throttle setting is maintained without recourse to a governor or other mechanism.

The plunger of the Guiberson injection pump has a groove cut around its stem and a hole drilled in its center connecting
its top surface with the groove. When the plunger approaches the end of its downward or inactive stroke, fuel flows
through small inlet ports into the barrel as soon as the top of the plunger sinks below the inlet port openings. The quantity
of fuel which enters the pressure chamber in the barrel above the plunger depends upon the length of plunger stroke which
in turn governs the amount of uncovering of the inlet ports.
The flow of fuel into the barrel is accelerated considerably
by the partial vacuum created by the downward movement
of the plunger (Fig. 30).

When the plunger rises on its active stroke and it reaches
its cut-off position it covers the inlet ports completely. The
fuel in the pressure chamber then is compressed to a
pressure of approximately 2,500 lb. per sq. in. and the
necessary fuel charge is forced out through a spring loaded
non-return valve into the discharge tubing leading to the
injector. The fuel remaining in the pressure chamber is
released as soon as the plunger reaches its release position
with the top surface of the plunger communicating with the
inlet ports by way of the central hole and the groove. The
remainder of the fuel in the pressure chamber then
by-passes into the inlet ports and the intake side of the
pump.

Fuel Injection Control and Operation
Control of the amount of plunger lift is obtained by the
well-known mechanical principle of the sliding wedge. In this
case the wedge takes the form of a roller actuating arm
located between the pump plunger and the cam ring. The
actuating arm is mounted eccentrically on a rotatable control
plate which can be moved so as to have the effect of
increasing or decreasing the height of the wedge. Timing of
commencement of fuel injection corresponding to advance
and retard of firing in a gasoline aircraft engine results
automatically when the cam ring is rotated (Fig. 31).

For full throttle, the control plate is moved until the amount of plunger lift is reduced to the point where the plunger
uncovers all of the inlet port at the end of its down stroke and a maximum fuel charge is admitted. Intermediate throttle
positions are obtained when the inlet port is uncovered Partially and a reduced quantity of fuel enters the pressure
chamber. Closed throttle position results when the amount of plunger lift is increased to the point where the plunger does
not uncover the inlet port at all during its down stroke and no fuel is admitted.
The output of the injection pump at any particular throttle setting is maintained constant by the compensating action of the
plunger. If the engine speed decreases, the pump plunger uncovers the inlet port or portion thereof longer and a larger
quantity of fuel is admitted increasing the engine speed to normal. If the engine speed increases unduly above normal, this
compensating action is reversed.

The injectors used on the engine are operated hydraulically by the pressure of the fuel and are of the closed type. The
spring loaded nozzle valve in the injector is opened by the differential action of the fuel against its tapered end. The fuel is
sprayed through a multi-hole nozzle having three small holes direct into the combustion chamber in the engine cylinder.
The fan-shaped spray of finely atomized fuel created mixes quite well with the air charge.

The use of individual fuel injection pumps on the Guiberson A-1020 Diesel aircraft engine is in line with similar
installations of fuel injection equipment on radial Diesels such as the Clerget 14 F-01, the Salmson SH 18 and the ZOD
260-B. It is advantageous on a radial engine because the high-pressure lines connecting the pumps and the injectors can be
relatively short, thereby eliminating any possibility of fuel surge between the injection periods. The additional drive
required for individual injection pumps consists of another cam ring which can be attached to the cam ring actuating the
valve tappets. The injection pumps can be mounted with their bodies extending into the cam ring housing so that they are
lubricated automatically by the oil spray from the crankcase.

BENCH AND FLIGHT TESTS
After the first Guiberson A-1020 Diesel aircraft engine bad been completed it was submitted to numerous bench tests at
the factory before it was installed in an airplane. The manufacturer I s tests consisted of 50 hours at full throttle in runs of 5
hours' duration, and 50 hours at 75 per cent throttle also in 5-hour periods. The Government tests to which it was
submitted consisted of 50 hours at full throttle in periods of 5 hours each conducted under the strict supervision of the
Civil Aeronautics Authority (Fig. 32).
The C.A.A. bench tests were completed
satisfactorily in January, 1940. The
maximum power output of the engine
was held to 310 h.p. which it developed
at a crankshaft speed of 2,150 r.p.m. The
maximum I power output curve was
practically a straight line peaking at 325
h.p. at 2,275 r.p.m. after which it fell off
rapidly. The fuel consumption at full
load at 2,150 r.p.m. was found to be
0.42 lb. per h.p. per hour and at cruising
speed the consumption was 0.37 lb. per
h.p. per hour. The lubricating oil
consumption at full load was 0.008 lb.
per h.p. per hour, equivalent to 2.47 lb.
or 0.33 gallons per hour (Fig. 33).

The Actual Flight Test
For the 10 hours' flight tests which are
also a prerequisite for government
approval the engine was installed in a
4-place Stinson Reliant monoplane
which previously had been powered
with a supercharged Wright Whirlwind R 760 E2 gasoline aircraft engine rated at 320 h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m. As the two
engines were of approximately the same diameter the same cowling was used for the Diesel installation. With out
propeller and fuel it was found that the Diesel installation was only 6 lb. heavier than that of the gasoline engine
installation. The engine itself weighed 650 lb., or 2.1 lb. per h.p. No difficulty was encountered in mounting the engine
and it was found that the Diesel started readily or.) ordinary furnace oil at the first impulse of the starter.
The official flight tests for the C.A.A. were completed satisfactorily and on one of the flights an altitude of 18,300 ft. was
attained with the airplane still climbing at the rate of 500 ft. per min. This altitude compares very favorably with the
ceiling of 14,500 ft. guaranteed for the gasoline-engined Stinson and indicates that a ceiling of at least 20,000 ft. could be
attained by the Diesel-engined Stinson without supercharging. A.T.C. No. 220 was issued for the Guiberson A-1020
Diesel aircraft engine in April, 1940, giving it a continuous rating of 310 h.p. at 2,150 r.p.m. at sea-level.

With regard to the excellent performance of an unsupercharged Diesel at
high altitudes, it should be mentioned that this type of engine can run
with excess air at sea-level and low altitudes as it is not fuel sensitive and
its air-to-fuel ratio is comparatively flexible. The Guiberson A-1020
Diesel runs with 18 per cent excess air at sea-level without
supercharging, with its valve timing arranged so that the volume of air
compressed in each cylinder is equivalent to 118 per cent of the
cylinder's displacement. At high altitudes it does not experience the same
air shortage and lack of oxygen for combustion as does a gasoline
engine.

The results obtained with the Guiberson A-1020 Diesel aircraft engine at
relatively high altitudes without the use of a supercharger compare very
favorably with those obtained with a gasoline aircraft engine equipped
with a supercharger of medium output. It is also found that when a
gear-driven supercharger is fitted to a Diesel the latter has a performance
superior to that of a gasoline engine equipped with the same type of
supercharger.

The superior performance of a supercharged Diesel aircraft engine was
demonstrated by M. Clerget a short time ago. He conducted a series of
comparative flight tests with his Clerget 14 F-01 Diesel equipped with a
gear-driven Gnome-Rhone 1-speed supercharger and then substituted a
gasoline aircraft engine of approximately the same power output and
equipped with a similar supercharger in the airplane. He used the same propeller on the two engines so as to ensure
accurate results.

It was found that while the two engines ran at the same crankshaft speed and developed the same power output at
sea-level and up to their rated altitude of 7,800 ft., above this altitude there was a marked difference in their crankshaft
speeds and corresponding power outputs. In the case of the Diesel its crankshaft speed increased from 1,745 r.p.m. at an
altitude of 7,800 ft. to as much as 1,880 r.p.m. at an altitude of 25,000 ft. without changing the throttle setting. In the case
of the gasoline aircraft engine its crankshaft speed decreased from 1,745 r.p.m. at 7,800 ft. to 1,650 r.p.m. at 25,000 ft.
accompanied by a considerable loss in power output.

FLIGHTS WITH THE ENGINE
After the Guiberson A-1020 Diesel had received its A.T.C., the Diesel-engined Stinson was flown from the factory to
Washington, D. C., to demonstrate it before high-ranking Army, Navy, and civil aviation officials. The flight of 1,500
miles from Dallas, via Birmingham and Charleston, was completed in 10 hours and 35 minutes flying time at an average
speed of 142 m.p.h. An altitude of approximately 3,000 ft. was maintained with the engine cruising at 220 h.p. at 1,800
r.p.m. Regular Texaco Diesel Chief fuel oil costing 6 cents a gallon such as is used in Caterpillar tractors was consumed at
the rate of 11 1/2 gallons an hour or 0.37 lb. per h.p. per hour and its total cost was only $6.90. Lubricating oil to the
extent of 3 gallons at $1.40 a gallon added $4.20 to the expenditure, making a total cost of $11.10 for fuel and oil for the
entire journey. The fuel cost of less than 12 cent a mile is an unheard-of figure for flight operations in this country.
After creating a very favorable impression at Washington the Stinson was flown to New York where the public had an
opportunity of seeing it at Roosevelt Field (Fig. 34). The engine installation was found ' to be perfectly normal and one
could not tell that a Diesel was hidden underneath the regular cowling on the airplane. Demonstrations showed that the
engine started quickly with a cartridge starter and that it idled quietly and evenly without vibration. When the throttle was
pushed open the engine accelerated just like a gasoline engine and at cruising speed there was no evidence of smoky
exhaust.
The return flight to the Guiberson factory at Dallas
was made by way of Chicago and at the latter city the
Diesel-engined Stinson also received much favorable
comment. It was obvious to those who saw the
airplane and its engine that flying would be
appreciably safer when Diesels and their
non-explosive fuel were available for private airplanes
as well as for commercial and military aircraft. Among
those who welcomed the Stinson at Chicago were
officials of the Buda Company, an outstanding firm in
the Diesel industry which has arranged to manufacture
Guiberson Diesels in its extensive factory at Harvey,
near Chicago, anticipating a considerable demand for
these engines and possibly other models for the United
States government.

FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
The arrangements which have been made between the
Guiberson Diesel Engine Company and the Buda
Company are that the-latter will manufacture
Guiberson air-cooled radial Diesels for use in both
airplanes and tanks. The tank engine is known as the T-1020 model and is identical in size and design with the A-1020
aircraft engine. For cooling purposes the T-1020 engine is equipped with a large fan in front of its cylinders which is
gear-driven from an extension of its crankshaft. .So great has been the demand for these tank engines for the United States
Army that special air-conditioned buildings have been built at the Buda factory in which the engines are manufactured by
the latest flowline production methods. These buildings are unique and anticipate air-raid "blackouts" in that they are
constructed without windows and are equipped with fluorescent lighting.

As most of the parts of the A-1020 and T-1020 Diesels are identical the production of the engines is of a very flexible
nature. If there is an urgent demand for aircraft engines few changes are required in the machine shop or the production
line to divert tank engine parts for this purpose. Not only does this arrangement facilitate production but it also helps to
reduce production costs. Present-day low production cost of gasoline engines was not obtained until the engines could be
produced in considerable quantities. The same thing applies to the Diesel aircraft engine-its production costs can only be
reduced to those of the gasoline engine by increasing its production volume, and selling considerable quantities of
engines.

As for the future of the Guiberson A-1020 Diesel, it should find a ready market for small airplanes such as the popular
Stinson Reliant. Other models also are contemplated for future development. For instance, by reducing the number of
cylinders from nine to seven an engine with a power output of approximately 240 h.p. could be obtained. Further
reduction in the number of cylinders to five would give an engine of approximately 170 h.p. It is also possible to increase
the power output of the A-1020 without adding to the number of its cylinders by equipping it with a gear-driven
supercharger. In this way its power could be boosted to approximately 400 h.p.