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

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