Gnome Omega

The Gnome 7 Omega (commonly called the Gnome 50 hp) is a French seven-cylinder, air-cooled aero engine produced by Gnome et Rhône.[2] It was shown at the Paris Aero Salon held in December 1908 and was first flown in 1909. It was the world's first[1] aviation rotary engine produced in quantity. Its introduction revolutionized the aviation industry[3] and it was used by many early aircraft. It produced 37 kW (50 hp) from its 8 L (490 cu in) engine capacity.[4] A Gnome Omega engine powers the 1912 Blackburn Monoplane, owned and operated by the Shuttleworth Collection, the oldest known airworthy British-designed aeroplane worldwide.[5] A two-row version of the same engine was also produced, known as the Gnome 14 Omega-Omega or Gnome 100 hp. The prototype Omega engine still exists, and is on display at the United States' National Air and Space Museum.[2]

sectional views of the Gnome Omega

Omega
Gnome 7 Omega on display at the Royal Air Force Museum London
Type	Rotary aero engine
Manufacturer	Société des Moteurs Gnome
First run	1908
Major applications	Blériot XI Bristol Boxkite
Number built	4,000 until 1914[1]
Unit cost	£520 in 1909[1]

Variants

Gnome 7 Omega

Single-row 7-cyl. original version; 50 hp (37 kW).

Gnome 14 Omega-Omega

Two-row, 14-cylinder version using Omega cylinders; 100 hp (75 kW).

Applications

Gnome 7 Omega

Gnome Omega-powered airworthy Blackburn Monoplane of the Shuttleworth Collection

A Vlaicu I A Vlaicu II ASL Valkyrie Avro Type 500 Avro-Burga Monoplane Blackburn Mercury Blackburn Type D Monoplane Blériot XI Breguet Type III Breguet Type IV Bristol Boxkite Bristol Racing Biplane Bristol Monoplane Bristol-Prier P.1 Bristol-Coanda School Monoplane Bristol-Coanda T.B.8 Castaibert III[6] Caudron Type B

Deperdussin 1910 monoplane François Denhaut's flying boat Fabre Hydravion Farman HF.6 Militaire Farman III FBA Type A Grahame-White Type VII Grahame-White Type XV Howard Wright 1910 Biplane Koolhoven Heidevogel Lakes Waterbird London and Provincial Fuselage Biplane Morane-Borel monoplane Nieuport II Paalson Type 1 Paulhan-Tatin Aéro-Torpille No.1 Paulhan biplane Pemberton-Billing P.B.9

Radley-England waterplanes Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.3 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.4 Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 Sommer 1910 biplane Short S.27 Short Tandem Twin Short Triple Twin Short S.47 Triple Tractor Short S.62 Sopwith Bee Sopwith Sparrow Van Meel Brikken Vickers No.6 Monoplane Vickers No.7 Monoplane Vickers Boxkite School Biplane Voisin 1907 biplane Voisin Type de Course

Gnome 14 Omega-Omega, as shown in a 1913 Gnome catalog.

Gnome 14 Omega-Omega

• Avro 501
• Blériot XIII
• Bleriot XXIII
• Bristol-Gordon England G.E.2
• Coventry Ordnance Works Biplane 10
• Deperdussin 1912 Racing Monoplane
• Nieuport IV.H floatplane
• Short S.41 Tractor Biplane
• Short S.57 Seaplane
• Short S.64 Folder Seaplane
• Short Admiralty Type 74

Engines on display

• The very first Gnome rotary engine ever built, Gnôme Omega No. 1, is on display at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C.[2]
• A preserved production Gnome 7 Omega engine is on public display at the Royal Air Force Museum London.
• A restored Omega is on display at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, CT.[7]

Specifications (7 Omega)

Brown staining of the Shuttleworth example caused by burnt castor oil

Data from Lumsden.[4]

General characteristics

• Type: 7-cylinder, single-row, rotary engine
• Bore: 110 mm (4.3 in)
• Stroke: 120 mm (4.7 in)
• Displacement: 8 L (488.5 cu in)
• Length: 79 cm (31 in)
• Diameter: 84 cm (33 in)
• Dry weight: 75 kg (165 lb)

Components

• Valvetrain: pressure-driven inlet valves were located on the pistons[1]
• Oil system: Total loss, castor oil
• Cooling system: Air-cooled
• Reduction gear: Direct drive, right-hand tractor, left-hand pusher

Performance

• Power output: 37 kW (50 hp) at 1,200 rpm

See also

Comparable engines

• Clerget 7Z
• Le Rhône Type 7A
• Le Rhône Type 7B
• Le Rhône Type 7B2

Related lists

• List of aircraft engines

Footnotes

1. Nahum 1999, pp. 12-14
2. Smithsonian Institution 2018
3. Murphy 2005
4. Lumsden 2003, p. 152
5. Shuttleworth 2018
6. Schiere 1969, pp. 15-16
7. Hurley 2018

References

• Hurley, Nick (2018). "Gnome 7 Omega". New England Air Museum. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved Aug 17, 2018.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• Lumsden, Alec (2003). British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1853102946.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• Murphy, Justin D. (2005). Military aircraft, origins to 1918 : an illustrated history of their impact. Santa Barbara, Calif. [u.a.]: ABC-CLIO. pp. 32–33. ISBN 1-85109-488-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• Nahum, Andrew (1999). The rotary aero engine. London, UK: Science Museum. pp. 12–14. ISBN 1-900747-12-X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• Schiere, J (1969) [1913]. "Aeroplanes & Dirigibles: Argentine". In Jane, Fred T. (ed.). Jane's All the World's Aircraft (html). 1913. New York, NY: Arco Publishing Company Inc. LCCN 69-14964. Retrieved Aug 17, 2018.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• Smithsonian Institution (2018). "Gnome Omega No. 1 Rotary Engine". National Air and Space Museum. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved Aug 17, 2018.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• Shuttleworth (2018). "Blackburn Monoplane". Shuttleworth Collection. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved Aug 17, 2018.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Further reading

• Moteurs d'Aviation Gnome (PDF) (in French). 49, Rue Lafitte, Paris: Société Des Moteurs Gnome. 1910. Retrieved 19 June 2018.CS1 maint: location (link)

External links

• Smithsonian/NASM's page on Gnome Omega No.1
• Video of April 2009 ground runup of a restored Gnome Omega in the USA