Are there any X shaped engines?

[lee webster]

When I see the list of engines being built in these and other forums, V12, W18 4s, 6s radials etc. I wonder if anyone ever built an X shaped cylinder layout engine. Balance wise it seems to make sense, but maybe I am very wrong and it makes no sense!

 

[stevehuckss396]

There have been more than a few prototype engines and 2 production engines. Most proved to be very complex and had high failure rates. If you do a search in Google a few will turn up. Even henry ford had an 8 cylinder prototype that is now in the museum. Not sure I have ever seen a model. Even if you wanted to build one there aren't many out there to measure up.

 

[Jasonb]

There was a 4cylinder rotary engine in MEB

https://www.modelenginebuilder.com/store/p18/issue-15.html
Quite a nice one here too based on a full size

 

[Chris Murphy]

Rolls Royce produced the 24 cylinder X-configuration Vulture aero engine in the mid 1930s, with the intention of producing a 2000 HP production aero engine (as opposed to one off specials produced for things like Schneider racing and suchlike-eg the 2350HP 'R' engine that powered the Supermarine S6B Schneider Trophy racer) but it was not a great success-did not reach 2000hp and development was halted in 1941. I know various model engineers have produced miniatures of the RR Merlin-but I've never heard of anyone doing a Vulture....you'd have to be exceptionally dedicated....

ChrisM
'ffkiwi'

 

[lee webster]

Very interesting replies. When I get the time(?!) I will check this out. It seemed to me that X would be a good configuration.

 

[Niels Abildgaard]

Very interesting replies. When I get the time(?!) I will check this out. It seemed to me that X would be a good configuration.

A four cylinder fourstroke radial will run very uneven.
3,5,7 and 9 cylinders per row is OK
A mr Zoche in germany tried to revolutionize aircraft diesels with a radial fourcylinder, two stroke diesel.
German WW2 torpedoes were driven by a fourcylinder radial steam,combustion mixture engine

 

[lee webster]

Thanks Niels, I have read a short history of the RR Vulture engine. I think it could have been a good engine if they had the time to develope it futher. The WW 2 torpedo engine sounds interesting! I once read an article that suggested some British torpedos were powered by Austin Seven cylinder blocks bolted to a common crankcase. I could never find this info on line, and thought it might have been an April fools joke. Now I am not so sure, but still confused!
Lee