The Alfa Romeo 135 Tornado was an Italian 18-cylinder
radial engine designed by Giustino Cattaneo in 1934–1935.
Design and development
The Alfa 135 consists of two nine-cylinder radial rows, back to back, operating a two-throw crankshaft. Cattaneo left Alfa Romeo in 1936, leaving the development of the 135 to eng. Bossi and his staff, but without success. At the time of its first running in 1938 and 1939 it was one of the most powerful radial engines in the world, generating just less than on
100 octane
An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a fuel's ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion engine without detonating. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating. ...
fuel, but the standard fuel available was
87 octane
An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a fuel's ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion engine without detonating. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating. ...
, with which the 135 developed .
Despite the obvious potential, this engine was affected by many reliability problems. Although many mechanical defects were addressed during testing, it suffered from overheating and vibrations so seriously that it was rejected from service. Up to 1944 approximately 150 were made, none of which were fitted in operational aircraft.
Further development resulted in the Alfa Romeo 136, but this remained a paper project before the
Armistice in September 1943 intervened.
Applications
*
Cant Z.1018 "Leone"
*
Savoia-Marchetti SM.87 (four planes)
*
Savoia-Marchetti SM.82
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 ''Marsupiale'' was an Italian bomber and transport aircraft of World War II. It was a Cantilever#Aircraft, cantilever, mid-wing monoplane trimotor with a retractable, Conventional landing gear, tailwheel undercarriage. ...
(central engine)
*
Savoia-Marchetti SM.90
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 ''Marsupiale'' ( Italian: marsupial) was an Italian passenger and military transport aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s. It was a low-wing, trimotor monoplane of mixed metal and wood construction with a retractable ta ...
(one prototype)
*Cant Z 1014 (five prototypes)
*
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 "Condor" (135 R.C.34 engines supplied for testing)
*
CRDA CANT Z.1018
The CRDA CANT Z.1018 ''Leone'' (Lion) was an Italian medium bomber of the 1940s.
Design and development
In 1939, the ''Regia Aeronautica'' (Italian Air Force) initiated its ''R Plan'', or ''3,000 airplanes'', a campaign to quickly increase its ...
"Leone" (136 R.C.25)
Variants
;136 R.C.25: Experimental derivative of the 135, probably not built, at sea level, at
;135 R.C.32:
;135 R.C.34:
;135 R.C.45:
;136 R.C.65: Experimental derivative of the 135, probably not built, for Take Off, at
;136 R.C.100:Rated at
Specifications (135 R.C.32)
See also
References
{{Alfa Romeo aeroengines
Alfa Romeo aircraft engines
Aircraft air-cooled radial piston engines
1930s aircraft piston engines