Lorraine 12Rcr Radium
{{Short description|1930s French aircraft piston engine}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=12Rcr Radium | image= | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft engine |type=V-12 inverted water-cooled racing piston engine |manufacturer=Lorraine-Dietrich |designer= |national origin=France |first run=March 1931 |major applications= |produced= |number built=3 complete engines with other part-completed engines used as maock-ups |program cost=11,400,000 Francs (1931) |unit cost=1,910,000 Francs (1931) |developed from= |variants with their own articles= }} |
The Lorraine 12Rcr Radium was an inverted liquid-cooled 60º V-12 piston engine, designed specifically for use by French racing seaplanes competing in the Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (commonly known as the Schneider Trophy) air races in the early 1930s.
Design and development
From the first Schneider Trophy race in 1913, France had a deep desire to fulfil the requirements of Jacques Schneider by winning the competition three times consecutively. Despite this desire, success for French aircraft was not forthcoming. To help address shortcomings, the STIAé ( service technique et industriel de l'aéronautique) issued a specification to three companies for a racing float-plane to compete in the 1932 Schneider Trophy. Power for the three aircraft was to be supplied by an engine specifically designed for the task, the Lorraine 12Rcr Radium.
The 12 Rcr was an inverted V-12 liquid-cooled engine with supercharger and reduction gearbox. Designed to deliver {{cvt|2000|-|2200|hp}} at 4,000 rpm, the 12 Rcr had a high specific power from a displacement of only {{cvt|28.7|L|cuin}} and weight of {{cvt|510|kg}}. Testing on the bench was also carried out with Rateau Turbo-chargers, but
Operational history
Six engines were ordered, but it is unclear how many were completed, as the examples supplied to Bernard and Nieuport-Delage were merely empty shells for use as mock-ups. Bench testing commenced in March 1931, two months after the intended delivery to the airframe manufacturers, progressing slowly, leading to the first delivery of a complete engine to Dewoitine in July 1931. The second engine was tested at the Lorraine plant up to 3,000 rpm, but this highlighted concerns over the airworthiness of the engine, which was rejected for flight use. Once Great Britain had permanently secured the Schneider Trophy, further development of the Schneider racers and their specialised engines was abandoned.
Applications
The 12Rcr was intended to power the following racing seaplanes:
Specifications (12Rcr)
{{pistonspecs|
|type=V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engine
|bore={{cvt|145|mm}}
|stroke={{cvt|145|mm}}
|displacement={{cvt|28.7|L|cuin}}
|length=
|diameter=
|width=
|height=
|weight={{cvt|510|kg}} dry
|valvetrain=
|supercharger=Rateau mechanical two-stage supercharger with a hydromechanical drive running at 7:1 crankshaft speed.
|turbocharger=
|fuelsystem=
|fueltype=
|oilsystem=
|coolingsystem=
|power={{cvt|2000|-|2200|hp|order=flip}} at 4,000 rpm
|specpower={{cvt|0.3487|kg/kW}}
|compression=
|fuelcon=
|specfuelcon=
|oilcon=
|power/weight=
|designer=
|reduction_gear=
|general_other=
|components_other=
|performance_other=
}}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite book |last1=Novara |first1=A.A. V.V |title=L'aviation - Grande Encyclopédie Illustrée |date=1985 |publisher=.De Agostini Institut Géographique |page=133 |language=fr}}
- {{cite book |last1=Bodemer |first1=Alfred |last2=Laugier |first2=Robert |title=DOCAVIA 25 : les Moteurs à pistons aeronautiques français (1900/1960) Tome II |date=1987 |publisher=Editions Larivière|edition=Version 1, éd. 1998 |language=fr}}
- {{cite book |last1=Liron |first1=Jean |title=Les avions Bernard: DOCAVIA 31 |date=1990 |publisher=Éd. Larivière |isbn=2-84890-065-2 |language=fr}}
- {{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931 |editor1-last=Grey |editor1-first=C.G. |year=1931 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd |location=London |page= 40d}}
{{Lorraine aeroengines}}
Category:1930s aircraft piston engines