Aero Engine Collection
At Cosford you can examine more than forty different aeroplane engines. Together they tell the story of how powered flight evolved, from the Gnome rotary used in early biplanes, to the Turbo Union RB 199 - the jet engine which powers the modern Eurofighter. Aeroplane engines tend to be either piston or jet. Piston engines were the earliest systems, and remained so until the jet engine went into mass production in the 1940s.
Though the majority of our engines are housed in Hangar 1, some are displayed at other relevant points throughout the museum.
Radial
The engine cylinders are arranged in a circular (or radial) fashion, in one or two rows, around the central spinning crankshaft.
Rotary
These look very similar to radial engines, but with a rotary engine the entire crankcase and cylinders rotate around the central crankshaft, which remains stationary.
In-line
As implied by the name, these engines have the cylinders set in banks or rows along the crankcase, giving them a narrow cross-section.
Turbo jet
Very simply, jet engines use a compressor to feed air into a combustion chamber where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to create thrust.
Turbo fan
These engines have a fan at the front to pull in as much air as possible.
Turboprop
These turbine engines drive a propeller as their means of propulsion.
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