Gnome Omega

Omega
Gnome 7 Omega on display at the Royal Air Force Museum London
Type	Rotary aero engine
Manufacturer	Société des Moteurs Gnome
First run	1908
Major applications	Blériot XI Bristol Boxkite
Number built	4,000 until 1914[1] (more later)
Unit cost	£520 in 1909[1]

The Gnome 7 Omega (commonly called the Gnome 50 hp) is a French seven-cylinder, air-cooled aero engine.^[2] It was shown at the Paris Aero Salon held in December 1908 and was first flown in 1909. It was the world's first^[1] rotary engine produced in quantity. Its introduction revolutionized the aviation industry^[3] and it was used by many early aircraft. It produced 50 horsepower (37 kW) from its capacity of 8 litres (488 cubic inches).^[4] A Gnome Omega engine powers the 1912 Blackburn Monoplane, owned and operated by the Shuttleworth Collection, the oldest known airworthy British-designed aeroplane worldwide.^[5] A two-row version of the same engine was also produced, known as the Gnome 14 Omega-Omega or Gnome 100 hp. The prototype Omega engine still exists, and is on display at the United States' National Air and Space Museum.^[6]

sectional views of the Gnome Omega

Variants

Gnome 7 Omega

Single-row 7-cyl. original version; 50 hp (37 kW).

Gnome 14 Omega-Omega

Two-row, 14-cylinder version using Omega cylinders; 100 hp (75 kW).

Applications

Gnome 7 Omega

Gnome Omega-powered airworthy Blackburn Monoplane of the Shuttleworth Collection

Gnome 14 Omega-Omega

• Bristol-Gordon England G.E.2
• Coventry Ordnance Works Biplane 10
• Nieuport IV Monoplane
• Short S.41 Tractor Biplane
• Short S.57 Seaplane
• Short S.64 Folder Seaplane
• Short S.74 Admiralty Seaplane

Engines on display

• The very first Gnome rotary engine ever built, Gnôme Omega No. 1, is on display at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.^[2]
• A preserved production Gnome 7 Omega engine is on public display at the Royal Air Force Museum London.
• A restored Omega is on display at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, CT. ^[7]

Specifications (7 Omega)

Brown staining of the Shuttleworth example caused by burnt castor oil

Data from Lumsden.^[4]

General characteristics

• Type: 7-cylinder, single-row, rotary engine
• Bore: 110 mm (4.3 in)
• Stroke: 120 mm (4.7 in)
• Displacement: 8 L (488.5 cu in)
• Length: 79 cm (31 in)
• Diameter: 84 cm (33 in)
• Dry weight: 75 kg (165 lb)

Components

• Valvetrain: pressure-driven inlet valves were located on the pistons^[1]
• Oil system: Total loss, castor oil
• Cooling system: Air-cooled
• Reduction gear: Direct drive, right-hand tractor, left-hand pusher

Performance

• Power output: 37 kW (50 hp) at 1,200 rpm

See also

Comparable engines

• Clerget 7Z
• Le Rhône Type 7A
• Le Rhône Type 7B
• Le Rhône Type 7B2

Related lists

• List of aircraft engines

References

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

• Moteurs d'Aviation Gnome (PDF) (in French). 49, Rue Lafitte, Paris: Société Des Moteurs Gnome. 1910. Retrieved 2 October 2014. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gnome Omega.

• Smithsonian/NASM's page on Gnome Omega No.1
• Video of April 2009 ground runup of a restored Gnome Omega in the USA