The Walter Atlas was a nine-cylinder, air-cooled,
radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...
for aircraft use built in Czechoslovakia in the early 1930s.
Design and development
The Atlas was the largest
capacity and most powerful radial engine design developed by the Walter company. The engine was an attempt at high power output by using a much larger
bore size than company's previous range. The engine was test run in spring 1930, encountering problems with cooling and operation.
[Němeček 1983.]
The engine appeared at the
Paris Aerosalon in December of that year. The engine did not attract any customers, further development was cancelled in 1931 and the company moved to producing licensed versions of the
Bristol Mercury
The Bristol Mercury is a British nine-cylinder, air-cooled, single-row, piston radial engine. Designed by Roy Fedden of the Bristol Aeroplane Company it was used to power both civil and military aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s. Developed from ...
,
Pegasus
Pegasus (; ) is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born from Medusa's blood w ...
and
Gnome-Rhône 14M
The Gnome-Rhône 14M was a small 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine that was used on several French and German aircraft of World War II. While having the same appearance, number of pistons (14) and two-row layout typical of Gnome-Rhô ...
.
Variants
;Atlas I
:Direct drive, maximum power at 1,950 rpm.
;Atlas IR
:
Geared drive (ratio 1: 1.625), maximum power hp at 1,950 rpm. Weight increased to .
Specifications
See also
References
*Němeček, Václav. ''Československá letadla I (1918-1945) (Czechoslovak Aircraft I (1918-1945))''. Third edition, Naše vojsko, Prague. 1983.
{{Walter aeroengines
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets.
Atlases have traditio ...
1930s aircraft piston engines
Aircraft air-cooled radial piston engines