Siemens-Halske Sh.III
The German manufacturer Siemens & Halske Sh.III was an air-cooled rotary engine with 11 cylinders, which was developed in World War 1.
History
The development of rotary engines at Siemens & Halske began in 1912 with the ultimately unsuccessful Sh.I. Siemens showed the Sh.I however, that a counter- runner was practicable as rotary engine. The Sh.II showed continued success. Thus, the focus was from autumn 1916 to the designed height as motor with rated and over-compression Sh.IIIa that against the output type had more capacity and was more powerful. Project was Franz Dinslage, project target an opposing rotary engine with 160 hp at 900 rpm propeller speed.
After comparing fly in late summer of 1917, a production order of 2500 pieces issued to the companies Siemens and the licensee Rhemag. Manufacture took place in February 1918. Troops testing showed quality problems of the products manufactured by Siemens motors, especially piston damage already after 8-10 hours running time, so that the engines were subsequently withdrawn in May 1918 from the front, while the products manufactured by the Rhemag engines to claims better enough. Siemens improved the type and finally reached with the type Sh.IIIa called a short-term power output of 200 hp at the ground. In comparison flights end of the war, the Sh.IIIa was equivalent to the Oberursel UR IIIa and Goebel Goe III.
Construction
The cylinder with the propeller turned at this rotary engine with 900 rpm, while the crankshaft in the opposite direction turned at the same speed, which resulted in an effective engine speed ( crankshaft revolutions against the motor housing ) from 1800 rpm. This resulted in a very good efficiency of the propeller and one smaller for rotary engines gyroscopic effect.
Use
- Albatros D.XI
- Pfalz D.VIII
- Roland D.XVI
- Siemens -Schuckert D-II
- Siemens -Schuckert D.III
- Siemens -Schuckert D.IV