Overview
Conceived in the 1930s, simplified and successfully tested in the 1950s, the darling of the automotive industry in the early 1970s, then all but abandoned before resurging for a brilliant run as a high-performance powerplant for Mazda, the Wankel rotary engine has long been an object of fascination and more than a little mystery. A remarkably simple design (yet understood by few), it boasts compact size, light weight and nearly vibration-free operation. In the 1960s, German engineer Felix Wankel's invention was beginning to look like a revolution in the making. Though still in need of refinement, it held much promise as a smooth and powerful engine that could fit in smaller spaces than piston engines of similar output. Auto makers lined up for licensing rights to build their own Wankels, and for a time analysts predicted that much of the industry would convert to rotary power. This complete and well-illustrated account traces the full history of the engine and its use in various cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles and other applications. It clearly explains the working of the engine and the technical challenges it presented - the difficulty of designing effective and durable seals, early emissions troubles, high fuel consumption, and others. The work done by several companies to overcome these problems is described in detail, as are the economic and political troubles that nearly killed the rotary in the 1970s, and the prospects for future rotary-powered vehicles.
Full Product Details
Author: John B. Hege
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint: McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 18.00cm
, Height: 1.20cm
, Length: 25.30cm
Weight: 0.340kg
ISBN: 9780786429059
ISBN 10: 0786429054
Pages: 182
Publication Date: 30 January 2007
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience:
Adult education
,
General/trade
,
Further / Higher Education
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Awaiting stock
The supplier is currently out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out for you.
Reviews
it stands apart from the crowd as the only history of the Wankel rotary engine that brings the story into the 21st Century --<i>SAH Journal</i>; this book continues to excel...terrific...technophiles will love this --<i>Hemmings Motor News</i>; excellent --<i>Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car</i>; definitive...readable, technically accurate, and very comprehensive...a must-read...all levels --<i>Choice</i>; Hege has thoughtfully penned a complete history...guaranteed to delight --<i>Old Cars Weekly</i>; informative --<i>SciTech Book News</i>; goes a long way to explaining everything --<i>The Automobile.</i>
Goes a long way to explaining everything -- The Automobile The Automobile
Author Information
John B. Hege is retired import auto mechanic from North Carolina who worked in gray market “conversion” shops during the peak years of 1985 and 1986. He wrote this work because he wanted to share some unique stories about a very poorly understood period of automotive history in America.
