Le Rhône 9J
| Industry | Aircraft engine manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Le Rhône 9J rotary aircraft engine |
The Le Rhône 9J is a French-made nine-cylinder rotary aircraft engine produced by Gnome et Rhône. Often referred to as the Le Rhône 110 hp due to its rated power output, this engine was widely employed in various military aircraft during the First World War. It was also manufactured under license in the United Kingdom by W.H. Allen Son & Company located in Bedford, and in Germany by Motorenfabrik Oberursel, where it was designated as the Oberursel Ur.II.
Characteristic of the Le Rhône series, the 9J utilized distinctive copper induction pipes alongside a single push-pull rod mechanism that actuated two overhead valves. A key visual distinction from its predecessor, the 80 hp Le Rhône 9C, is found in the placement of its copper intake manifolds, which are mounted behind the cylinders instead of being fully exposed from the front.
Numerous examples of the Le Rhône 9J survive today, either exhibited publicly or maintained in flying condition within restored vintage aircraft.
Variants
- Le Rhône 9Ja
- (1916) Nine-cylinder rotary engine variant, with approximately 953 units produced by W.H. Allen Son & Co.
- Le Rhône 9Jb
- (1916) Another nine-cylinder rotary engine model.
- Le Rhône 9Jby
- (1916) A further nine-cylinder rotary version.
- Le Rhône M-2
- Manufactured post-WWI in the USSR.
Applications
- Le Rhône 9Ja
- Le Rhône 9Jb
- Morane-Saulnier AC
- Nieuport 17, including models 23 and 23bis
- Nieuport 24 and its variant 24bis
- Nieuport 27
- Le Rhône 9Jby
- Oberursel Ur.II
- Fokker D.VI (initial prototype)
- Fokker D.VIII
- Fokker Dr.I
- Fokker S.IV
- Fokker V.9, encompassing variants V.16, V.17, V.25, and V.33
Survivors
A replica of the Bristol M.1, owned by the Shuttleworth Collection, remains airworthy with a Le Rhône 9J engine installed. Additionally, the collection’s operational Avro 504 is powered by a 110 hp Le Rhône rotary engine. At the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, a reproduction Avro 504 has flown using an original Le Rhône 9J engine, as did Cole Palen’s initial reproduction of the Fokker Dr.I triplane (now retired), which was registered as N3221 and performed at Old Rhinebeck airshows during the 1960s.
A full-scale replica of the Nieuport 11, constructed by Walt and Joe Pfeifer in the early 1960s and currently operated by The Vintage Aviator Limited, continues to fly in New Zealand powered by a Le Rhône 9C.
Engines on display
Examples of preserved Le Rhône 9J engines can be viewed at:
- Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
- Shuttleworth Collection
- Museum of Hungarian Aviation
- Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina, Buenos Aires
See also
Bibliography
- Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. .
- Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England: Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989.