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All true SOD, but you should also look at other engines in the same time frame. One of the best was the Mercedes 200 HP grand prix engine. It ran 2300 RPM compared to the gnome at 1300 and was twice the displacement of the gnome, about the same as the Merlin used in Spitfires and Mustangs in WW2. Low compression was a product of the fuel used.
Actually the later Rotaries used in the Sopwith Camel even had a carburetor that would work when the plane was inverted, solving a problem that even plagued the early Spitfires 20 years later.
Where were auto engines in 1913, compared to today.
The rotary is not a reciprocating engine and every refinement made over the last 100 years could be applied to the rotary today. A modern rotary configuration would be a low RPM torque monster, ideal for electrical generation or for hydraulic hybrids. Bury the engine in the front cross member for packaging and have a trunk in each end of the vehicle.
Comparing 1913 technology to today's, is like comparing the Deperdussin racing monoplane to the Space Shuttle, or maybe a F18 Hornet. Let's make sure we make relevant comparisons.
Would you want to Captain the Dreadnought against an Aegis Destroyer?
regards
Mech
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