The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder
radial
Radial is a geometric term of location which may refer to:
Mathematics and Direction
* Vector (geometric)
In mathematics, physics, and engineering, a Euclidean vector or simply a vector (sometimes called a geometric vector or spatial vector) ...
aircraft engine
An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years many ...
, that was manufactured by the
Warner Aircraft Corporation
The Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan was the manufacturer of the Scarab family of radial engines for airplanes in 1928 through the early 1930s.
History
The original name of the company was Aeronautical Industries Incorporated. In ...
of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designated R-420.
Variants
;Scarab S-50: A 7-cyl. air-cooled radial engine introduced in 1928. With a bore and stroke of 4.25 inches and a compression ratio of 5.2:1, the Scarab developed at 2,050 rpm from with a dry weight of .
;Scarab Junior:A 5-cyl. version introduced in 1930 developing at 2,125 rpm from with a dry weight of .
;Super Scarab SS-50/50A: Increased cylinder bore to 4.625 inches to develop at 2,050 rpm from with a dry weight of .
;Super Scarab SS-165: Increased compression ratio from 5.2:1 to 6.4:1 to develop at 2,100 rpm with a dry weight of .
;Super Scarab SS-185: Increased cylinder bore to 4.875 inches, developing at 2175 rpm from , with a dry weight of .
;R-420:Military designation of the Scarab.
;R-500:Military designation of the Super Scarab 165.
;R-550:Military designation of the Super Scarab 185.
;145: Alternative designation for the Warner Super Scarab SS-50/50A .
;165: Alternative designation for the Warner Super Scarab 165 .
;185: Alternative designation for the Warner Super Scarab 185 (Primarily a helicopter application).
Applications
Among the many uses for the Scarab, the engine was fitted to the
Cessna Airmaster
The Cessna Airmaster, is a family of single-engined aircraft manufactured by the Cessna Aircraft Company. The Airmaster played an important role in the revitalization of Cessna in the 1930s after the crash of the aviation industry during the Gre ...
and the
Fairchild 24
The Fairchild Model 24, also called the Fairchild Model 24 Argus and UC-61 Forwarder, is a four-seat, single-engine monoplane light transport aircraft designed by the Fairchild Aviation Corporation in the 1930s. It was adopted by the United Sta ...
(UC-61 or Argus). Notably, in 1942, it was put into use powering the
Sikorsky R-4
The Sikorsky R-4 is a two-seat helicopter that was designed by Igor Sikorsky with a single, three-bladed main rotor and powered by a radial engine. The R-4 was the world's first large-scale mass-produced helicopter and the first helicopter used by ...
, the first helicopter to be put into production.
Many of these reliable engines soldier on today, still powering the aircraft to which they were originally mounted. The Warner 145 and 165 hp engines are the most commonly seen of the small radials for US-built pre-World War II sad - aircraft, in large part because of good parts availability due to the engines having been used on World War II Fairchild UC-61s and Meyers OTWs.
Warner engines are also in demand as realistically sized, though far more powerful, replacement powerplants for many replica or restored World War I era airplanes which were originally fitted with
rotary engines
The rotary engine is an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. The engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and its ...
.
Application list
Specifications (Scarab 50)
See also
References
External links
Oldengine.org - US Aero Engine data page
{{US military piston aeroengines
1920s aircraft piston engines
Aircraft air-cooled radial piston engines