Engineering inventor Pierre Clerget and industrialist Eugene Blin established Clerget, Blin and Cie in 1913 in Levallois-Peret, a suburb of Paris, France. The company built both stationary and rotary aircraft engines. Clerget introduced into its rotary engines independently operated intake and exhaust valves. Of the French rotary manufacturers, only Clerget succeeded in bringing into service, toward the end of World War I, engines approaching 149 kW (200 hp). Gwynnes, Ltd., Hammersmith Iron Works in London controlled British manufacturing rights on Clerget engines.

The Clerget 9B powered numerous World War I aircraft types, including the Avro 504C/K/L; Avro 531/A Spider; Bristol 10 M.1.A and 11 M.1.B.; Caudron; Nieuport 12 Fr, 17, 17bis,and Triplane; Sopwith Baby, Triplane, F.1 Camel, Scooter, and LTC 1-1/2 Strutter. This artifact originally powered a British Avro, and was brought into the U.S. by Clarence Chamberlain after World War I, and flown by the donor, Don Coe, in 1927.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date Circa 1917 Country of Origin France Type PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary Manufacturer Clerget, Blin and Cie
 Physical Description Type: Rotary, 9 cylinders, air-cooled Power rating: 96.9 kW(130 hp) at 1,250 rpm Displacement: 16.3 L (992 cu in.) Bore and Stroke: 120 mm (4.7 in.) x 160 mm (6.3 in.) Weight: 173 kg (381 lb) Dimensions Length 101.6 cm (40 in.), Width 76.2 cm (30 in.), Height 101.6 m (40 in.)
 Materials Steel
Aluminum
Copper Alloy
Rubber
Paint
Paper
 Inventory Number A19490062000 Credit Line Gift of Don Coe Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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