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The de Havilland Gipsy Major or Gipsy IIIA is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inline engine used in a variety of light aircraft produced in the 1930s including the famous Tiger Moth biplane.
[edit] Design and development
The engine was a slightly modified Gipsy III which was effectively a de Havilland Gipsy engine modified to run inverted so that the cylinders pointed downwards below the crankcase. This allowed the propeller shaft to be kept in a high position without having the cylinders blocking the pilot's forward view over the nose of the aircraft.[1] One initial disadvantage of the inverted configuration was the high oil consumption (up to 4 pints per hour) requiring regular refills of the external oil tank, this problem improved over time with the use of modified piston rings. The Major was a slightly bored out (118 mm from 114 mm) Gipsy III. First built in 1932, total production of all Gipsy Major versions was 14,615 units.
[edit] Variants
- Gipsy Major I
- Gipsy Major IC - Higher compression ratio (6:1) and maximum RPM for racing use.
- Gipsy Major ID - Fuel pump added, plus screened ignition harness and priming system.
- Gipsy Major IF - Aluminium cylinder heads, 5.25:1 compression ratio.
- Gipsy Major 7 - Military version of Gipsy Major 1D, increased climb RPM.
- Gipsy Major 8 - Sodium cooled exhaust valves, cartridge starter for DHC Chipmunk.
- Gipsy Major 10 - Electric starter option.
- Gipsy Major 30 - Major redesign, bore and stroke increased. 6.5:1 compression ratio.
- Gipsy Major 50 - Supercharged. 197 hp.
- Gipsy Major 200 - Designed as a light helicopter engine. 200 hp.
- Gipsy Major 215 - Turbo-supercharged helicopter engine. 220 hp.
[edit] Applications
Application list from: Lumsden [2][3]
[edit] Engines on display
Examples of the Gipsy Major are on display at the following museums:
[edit] Specifications (Gipsy Major I)
Gipsy Major on work stand
Data from: Jane's[4]
General characteristics
- Type: 4-cylinder air-cooled inverted inline piston aircraft engine
- Bore: 4.646" (118 mm)
- Stroke: 5.512" (140 mm)
- Displacement: 373.7 in³ (6.124 L)
- Length: 48.3" (1227 mm)
- Width: 20.0" (508 mm)
- Height: 29.6" (752 mm)
- Dry weight: 300 lb (136 kg) Mk 1F to 322 lb (146 kg) Mk 1D
Components
- Valvetrain: OHV
- Fuel system: Downdraught Hobson A.I.48 H3M (Mk 1C and Mk 7) or H1M (others)
- Oil system: Dry sump, gear-type pump
- Cooling system: Air-cooled
Performance
- Power output: 122 hp at 2,100 rpm–145 hp (108 kW) at 2,550 rpm
- Specific power: 0.39 hp/in³ (17.6 kW/L)
- Compression ratio: 5.25:1 (Mk 1 and 1F) or 6.0:1 (others)
- Fuel consumption: 6.5 to 6.75 gph (28.4 to 30.7 L/ph) at 2,100 rpm
- Oil consumption: 1.75 pints (0.99 L) per hour.
- Power-to-weight ratio: 0.48 hp/lb (0.78 kW/kg)
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable engines
Related lists
[edit] References
- ^ Bransom 1991, p. 28.
- ^ Lumsden 2003, pp.139-141
- ^ Note that the Gipsy Major may not be the main powerplant for these types
- ^ Jane's 1989, p. 276-277
[edit] Bibliography
- Bransom, Alan. The Tiger Moth Story, Fourth Edition. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1991. ISBN 0-906393-19-1.
- Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7
- Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.
[edit] External links
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