| A type of reciprocating engine in which the cylinders are arranged radially around a small crankcase. Static radial engines are different from rotary radial engines in that their cylinders do not rotate with the propeller. Static radial engines were at one time the most popular configuration of engine used in airplanes, because of their low weight-to-power ratio. But they have so much frontal area that they produce too much drag for modern high-speed aircraft. Radial engines can have three, five, seven, or nine cylinders in one row. Two or four rows of cylinders can be stacked together to make an engine with 14, 18, 28, or 36 cylinders. |
