31 October 2022

Linkage

I've always liked this tech, but was only saw service in aircraft in the 1930s:

4 comments :

marku52 said...

Oh no, opposed pistons were very common in the locomotive diesels used in subs in WWII, Fairbanks-Morse was a famous one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairbanks_Morse_38_8-1/8_diesel_engine

Matthew Saroff said...

I should have remembered that. It powered a significant portion of the sub fleet in WWII.

I'm really wondering why it never made it into trucks or cars.

marju52 said...

Maintenance, one would think, 2X as many parts to fail. They comment on that in the wiki when they put the F-Ms in locos

Matthew Saroff said...

There are fewer parts per piston than in a conventional poppet valve engine. More per cylinder, but given that a 3 cylinder opposed piston engine is equivalent to a 6 cylinder engine, the former is apples to apples.

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