Your future engine? Duke 5 Cyl 4 Stroke Axial Engine.

As if the engine debates between Rotax, Lycoming, and Continental weren’t already sufficiently confusing, another player is about to join the crowd.

Developments like this, and the continued advancements in electrical propulsion systems are just fascinating. If this propulsion system does become available for GA/experimental, I hope they will keep their prices reasonable. Some of the recent Rotax engine prices, for example, have me looking at my lawn mower’s Briggs & Stratton engine and wondering…what if I …..

Did anyone go by the Duke Engines display at OSH ? Any thoughts from the many BCP engine gurus regarding this axial design ?

http://www.dukeengines.com/

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=m ... 9eba353255

""They have 2 prototype models operational; a 103hp model and a 180hp model The former engine weighs 101 lbs with no gearbox required. The latter engine weighs 101 lbs and requires a gearbox.""

Crap, there goes your W&B!

Nimpocub wrote:

Crap, there goes your W&B!

Maybe a custom gearbox with Russian style dual counter rotating iron props would help with the W&B.
I am sure with enough engineering expertise there MUST be SOME solution for adding weight. Getting more weight can be an expensive & tough engineering challenge. Ever priced a lead or iron spinner ?

Denali wrote:Nimpocub wrote:

Crap, there goes your W&B!

Maybe a custom gearbox with Russian style dual counter rotating iron props would help with the W&B.
I am sure with enough engineering expertise there MUST be SOME solution for adding weight. Getting more weight can be an expensive & tough engineering challenge. Ever priced a lead or iron spinner ?

go to a sporting goods store and buy bag's of #8/7.5 bird shot lead.

When they bring something to market with the support and backing at least as good as Rotax then they will be a player.

Until then, they have a cool website (as do millions of other dreamers).

i'll check back in a few years. aviation engines seem to be a tough nut to crack based on the number of super-duper engine startups we see come and go.

This is about the 118th cylindrical engine proposal I've seen. They don't go anywhere. Two problems; heat transfer from the cylinders on the inner side of the axial case, and two; two stroke port cylinder loading. They emit lots of emissions.

No goodsky.

Denali wrote:Your future engine? Duke 5 Cyl 4 Stroke Axial Engine.

As if the engine debates between Rotax, Lycoming, and Continental weren’t already sufficiently confusing, another player is about to join the crowd.

Developments like this, and the continued advancements in electrical propulsion systems are just fascinating. If this propulsion system does become available for GA/experimental, I hope they will keep their prices reasonable. Some of the recent Rotax engine prices, for example, have me looking at my lawn mower’s Briggs & Stratton engine and wondering…what if I …..

Did anyone go by the Duke Engines display at OSH ? Any thoughts from the many BCP engine gurus regarding this axial design ?

http://www.dukeengines.com/

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=m ... 9eba353255

Reading through their website, I would say they have an interesting new take on some pretty mature technology. The space and weight savings over conventional 4-strokes of comparable hp is pretty impressive, but I couldn't get whether it retained that advantage with the complete water-cooling system or not. I suspect the cooling aspect will end up being one of their bigger challenges, with all of the cylinders completely encased in the barrel of the engine housing.

I'll be interested to see how their metal sliding seals do long-term. They make some favorable comparisons to Wankels, but I guess we'll see.

I just like seeing innovation of this type at all! There's always room in the world for new blood. Good on you, Kiwis!

Mister701 wrote:This is about the 118th cylindrical engine proposal I've seen. They don't go anywhere. Two problems; heat transfer from the cylinders on the inner side of the axial case, and two; two stroke port cylinder loading. They emit lots of emissions.

No goodsky.

From their website:

"Duke Engines Ltd. is also keen to make first contact with potential sources for capital/equity to finance our market drive in the US/Europe in 2012.

Make sure you are on the first delivery list"

Probably not a good sign.

They seem to still be around, though in a garage.
http://www.idealog.co.nz/magazine/48/th ... ine-future

Didn't I hear that they just got a large contract for those engines to power the Moller Air Car?

Yeah, I'd have to agree with Mister 701, where exactly is the heat path from the inside of the engine to the atmosphere, without a big exotic liquid cooling system.

EZFlap wrote:Yeah, I'd have to agree with Mister 701, where exactly is the heat path from the inside of the engine to the atmosphere, without a big exotic liquid cooling system.

I don't know how exotic it is (other than the plumbing I guess), but their website does mention that cooling is via a conventional liquid jacket on each cylinder.

This is just an internal combustion version of the hydraulic swash plate motors the navy has used for anchor windlasses since the 30s. Swash plate motors are interesting because their torque is not dependent on RPM. Getting maximum torque from a dead start is important when raising heavy anchors and presumably would be helpful turning props when fiewalling the throttle on a missed approach. The very similar Dynacam engine was actually certificated for aircraft but never went beyond prototype production. Maybe that should tell us something...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_engine

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uJSLDq7MkhQ