Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer

German engineer Felix Wankel conceived his rotary engine in 1924 and patented it in 1936. It featured a triangular cam connected to the drive shaft that acted like the pistons in a four-stroke cycle engine. Wankel submitted his designs to the German automobile company NSU. Wankel and NSU built and tested the first rotary in early 1957. The engine saw its greatest success in Mazda automobiles, but has also been used in motorcycles, go-karts, air-conditioner systems, and aircraft.

Wright Aeronautical adapted three RC2-60 automobile engines for flight testing in 1970. The one displayed here was probably the first Wankel engine to power an airplane, a Cessna Cardinal. Another powered a Lockheed Q-Star to demonstrate feasibility, performance, and quiet flight. The third powered a Hughes TH-55 helicopter.

Economic considerations (e.g. fuel burn, emissions) seem to have greatly diminished interest in the Wankel concept more recently.

 Display Status

This object is on display in Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

Boeing Aviation Hangar
Object Details
Date 1970 Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary Manufacturer Wright Aeronautical
 Physical Description Type: Reciprocating, Inverted in-line, rotary, 2 rotors, liquid cooled Power rating: 134-186 kw (180-250 hp) at 5,000 rpm Displacement: 1 L (60 cu in) Bore and Stroke: Not available Weight: 108 kg (237 lb) Inventory Number A19870228000 Credit Line Gift of the Paterson Museum Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.