Model Airways Clerget 9B WWI Rotary Aircraft Engine Wood/Metal Kit, 1:16 Scale

Model Airways Clerget 9B WWI Rotary Aircraft Engine Wood/Metal Kit, 1:16 Scale

Clerget 9B air-cooled rotary engines powered the French Nieuport, the British Camel and many other famous WWI fighters. Rated at 130 hp during normal use, they could be pushed up to 135 hp in an emergency. An excellent weight-to-horsepower ratio created greater flexibility in locating the aircraft’s center of gravity, which improved maneuverability over the in-line engines of the time.

One drawback was a pronounced gyroscopic effect that pulled the aircraft to the right. To fly in a straight line, pilots had to compensate by applying constant left rudder. Like the earlier rotaries, the Clerget 9B spewed unburned castor oil from the exhaust. Pilots were issued small bottles of blackberry brandy to counteract the smoke’s unfortunate laxative effect.