January | 2014 | Old Machine Press

By William Pearce

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, France worked to rebuild its military. Much progress had been made in aviation during the war years, and this was now an area of special focus. The French Navy (Marine Nationale) expressed an interest in a new aircraft that could serve in fighter, interceptor, and ground attack roles. Although other navies were beginning the transition to jet aircraft, the French Navy requested this new aircraft to be piston-powered.

Side view of what is believed to be the first Sud-Ouest SO.8000 Narval, which was actually the second aircraft to fly. This image illustrates the good visibility provided to the pilot by the cockpit’s configuration. Note the radio antenna mast under the cockpit that was unique to the first aircraft.The aircraft is also lacking gear doors.

On 31 May 1946, the Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du sud-ouest (often abbreviated as SNCASO or shortened to Sud-Ouest) was selected to design this new aircraft and build two prototypes. Arsenal de l’Aéronautique (Arsenal) was selected to develop its power plant. The original plan was to build five prototype aircraft followed by 65 production aircraft. Sud-Ouest moved quickly and designed an unusual single-engine pusher aircraft with twin booms supporting its tail. The aircraft was designated SO.8000 and given the name Narval (Narwhal).

Designed by Jean Dupuy, the SO.8000 was an all-metal aircraft. The inboard leading edge of its wing was sweptback 24 degrees, while the outboard section was sweptback 13.5 degrees and incorporated a dihedral angle. The aircraft had large double slotted flaps to decrease its landing speed for carrier operations. Roll control was achieved by a combination of small ailerons at the wingtips and spoilers. The twin booms extended from the inner wing sections and each supported a fin extending above and below the boom. The horizontal stabilizer spanned between the two tails and was attached near their top. On the second aircraft, which was the first to fly, the elevator was extended beyond the vertical tail fins and incorporated a horn balance.

The first SO.8000 had its pitot tube located on an outrigger by the cockpit and not in the wing leading edge like the second aircraft. This view shows the Narval’s air inlets for its radiator and the air intake for its engine.

The pilot was enclosed in a sliding bubble-style canopy near the front of the aircraft. This configuration provided the pilot with an excellent view. Behind the cockpit and on each side of the aircraft were cooling air intakes for the radiator. After flowing through the radiator, the cooling air exited around the spinner of the eight-blade contra-rotating propellers. The air intake for the Arsenal 12H engine was located on the upper left side of the rear fuselage.

Lacking the time to design and test a completely new engine, Arsenal turned to the German Junkers Jumo 213A as a starting point. Arsenal reworked the Jumo 213 and created the 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) 12H. The 12H was an inverted V-12 with a 5.9 in (150 mm) bore, a 6.5 in (165 mm) stroke, and a displacement of 2,135 cu in (35.0 L). However, more power was desired, and Arsenal increased the 12H’s output to 2,250 hp (1,678 kW). This power increase caused some engine reliability problems. In 1948, the aircraft engine branch of Arsenal was absorbed by the Société nationale d’études et de construction de moteurs d’aviation (SNECMA), and the engine became the SNECMA Arsenal 12H.

Another view of the first Narval illustrating its wing sweep and contra-rotating propellers.

The SO.8000 Narval was to be equipped with six 20 mm cannons in its nose. Additionally, underwing hard points would accommodate 2,205 lb (1,000 kg) of bombs. However, it is unlikely that the prototypes were ever armed. The SO.8000 had a 38 ft 7 in (11.75 m) wingspan and was 38 ft 9 in (11.80 m) long. On its tricycle landing gear, the aircraft stood 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) tall. The Narval had an empty weight of 10,626 lb (4,820 kg) and a loaded weight of 15,432 lb (7,000 kg). The predicted performance of the SO.8000 was a maximum speed of 453 mph (730 km/h) at 24,606 ft (7,500 m) and a landing speed of 96 mph (155 km/h). The aircraft had an estimated 2,796 mi (4,500 km) range at 329 mph (530 km/h).

This image provides a good view of the first SO.8000’s elevator. Note how the horizontal stabilizer does not extend beyond the tail fins.

Most sources indicate that the second prototype (registered as F-WFKV) was completed and flew first, taking to the air on 1 April 1949 with Jaques Guignard at the controls. The first prototype’s first flight was on 30 December 1949 with Roger Carpentier (some sources say Jaques Guignard) as the pilot. The SO.8000 experienced numerous problems during its flight test program. The aircraft handled poorly and possessed some undesirable control characteristics, such as instability at low speed. Efforts were made to improve control and performance, including replacing the Chauvière contra-rotating propellers with a Rotol unit, but the results were still not satisfactory. In addition, the 12H engine proved to be unreliable. The flight tests revealed that the aircraft would not achieve its expected performance, and flight evaluations of the SO.8000 at the Centre d’Essais en Vol (Flight Test Center) in January 1950 were mostly unfavorable.

Given the trouble with the aircraft and the dominating performance of jet aircraft, further development of the SO.8000 was halted. A contributing factor in the Narval’s cancellation was the allocation of US Grumman F6F Hellcats and Vought F4U Corsairs to France. The second prototype took its 43rd and final flight on 8 January 1950. The first prototype was only flown twice. Proposals were submitted to convert the aircraft to jet-power as the SO.8010, but no further action was taken. Apparently, both SO.8000 aircraft were scrapped after the program was terminated.

In contrast to the image above, the elevator of the second SO.8000, which was actually the first to fly, can be seen extending past the tail fin in this view. The radio mast for the second aircraft was located on the back of the aircraft behind the cockpit, and note the pitot tube is on the far wing. In this image, the nose gear door has been attached but the main gear doors have not.

Sources:
– The Complete Book of Fighters by William Green and Gordon Swanborough (1994)
– French Secret Projects 1: Post War Fighters by Jean-Christophe Carbonel (2016)
– Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 1949-1950 by Leonard Bridgman (1949)
– Aircraft Engines of the World 1951 by Paul H. Wilkinson (1951)
– http://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/sud-ouest-so-8000-narval/

By William Pearce

In 1889, Bruno V. Nordberg founded the Nordberg Manufacturing Company (Nordberg) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to build various industrial machines. In the 1910s, the company entered the heavy-duty diesel engine market. Over the years, Nordberg expanded its stationary engine catalog to include engines from 10 hp (7.5 kW) to over 10,000 hp (7,457 kW). To further expand its market, Nordberg developed a line of stationary radial engines in the 1940s.

A 12-cylinder Nordberg diesel radial engine. This engine displaced 29,556 cu in (484.3 L) and produced around 2,000 hp (1,500 kW). Note the fuel injector in the center of the cylinder head.

The Nordberg radial offered several advantages over the stationary inline engines that were the current standard. With its cylinders horizontal, the Nordberg radial’s output shaft was in a vertical position. Although the engine was built primarily to generate power for the electrolytic reduction of aluminum, its arrangement was perfect for pumping applications. In addition, the configuration of the radial made it more compact and much lighter than a comparative inline engine. The Nordberg radial took up about half the space of an equally powerful inline engine and could be installed on a much lighter foundation.

The Nordberg radial was first introduced in 1947. The first engines were spark-ignition natural gas burning units that quickly established themselves as reliable and economical. These engines had two spark plugs located in the cylinder head. A single cam on the crankshaft actuated a gas valve for each cylinder. This gas valve allowed the natural gas into the incoming scavenging air for the cylinder.

Nordberg continued to develop the radial as its use spread to central power stations and various pumping applications, primarily for flood control and at sewage treatment plants. Nordberg soon developed a diesel version of the engine and a version that could run on a mixture of diesel and natural gas, which Nordberg dubbed Duafuel. The Duafuel engine could run on 100% diesel or as little as 5% diesel and 95% natural gas. This flexibility allowed the engine to operate with the most economical fuel mixture possible. In the diesel and Duafuel engines, the single cam now actuated a fuel pump for each cylinder, and the diesel fuel injector was in the center of the cylinder head.

Nordberg 12-cylinder radial spark ignition

A number of Nordberg 12-cylinder spark-ignition radial engines are loaded into a barge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Note the two spark plugs in the cylinder head. This image also shows the base of the engine that would extend under the operating floor.

A later development was the addition of two turbochargers and intercoolers that increased the engine’s thermal efficiency while decreasing its fuel consumption. It is not clear whether or not the turbochargers were available for all engine types or just for the spark-ignition engines.

The Nordberg radial was a two-stroke engine with a 14 in (356 mm) bore and a 16 in (406 mm) stroke. Each cylinder displaced 2,463 cu in (40.4 L). There was an 11-cylinder (RTS 1411) and a 12-cylinder (RTS 1412) version of the radial engine, displacing a total of 27,093 cu in (444.0 L) and 29,556 cu in (484.3 L) respectively. The 11-cylinder engine was 12.125 ft (3.70 m) in diameter while the 12-cylinder was 13 ft (4.96 m). The engines had an operating speed of 400 rpm. Output varied depending on the engine’s configuration. A 11-cylinder spark-ignition engine was rated at 1,340 hp (1,100 kW), an 11-cylinder diesel was rated at 1,655 hp (1,235 kW), and a 12-cylinder diesel was rated at 2,125 hp (1,585 kW).

The 11-cylinder and 12-cylinder engines both had a crankshaft cast of high tensile alloy iron. The crankshaft had upper and lower main bearings. Neither engine had a master connecting rod; all connecting rods were of the articulated type.

The crankshaft arrangement of the 11-cylinder Nordberg radial engine. All the connecting rods are attached to the master gear, which is not labeled in the image.

Each of the 11-cylinder engine’s connecting rods was attached to a large master gear via a knuckle pin. The master gear sat just above the connecting rods and was mounted on the crankshaft’s single crankpin. The master gear did not rotate, being restrained by two pinions and a stationary gear. The lower pinion rode on the master gear opposite the crankpin. The lower pinion was mounted on the same shaft as the upper pinion, which engaged a stationary gear at the top of the engine. Since the master gear was mounted on the crankpin, it moved in a circular motion with the crankshaft, and each knuckle pin subsequently moved in a circular motion. This design eliminated the need for a master connecting rod and provided good balance.

The 12-cylinder engine did not employ a master gear like the 11-cylinder engine. Instead, each connecting rod was attached to a master bearing via a knuckle pin. The master bearing was mounted on the crankshaft’s single crankpin. Two opposing connecting rods were rigidly connected to extended knuckle pins. Each of these extended knuckle pins carried a small restraining crank. The two restraining cranks were connected via a larger restraining link. This linkage prevented the master bearing from rotating but allowed it to move in a circular motion, like the master gear in the 11-cylinder engine. The 12-cylinder’s crankshaft arrangement was designed by Donald I. Bohn and awarded US patent 2,584,098 on 29 January 1952.

The crankshaft arrangement of the 12-cylinder Nordberg radial. Compare with the image of the 11-cylinder’s crankshaft.

The Nordberg radial engine had a single-piece cast iron crankcase and sub-base. Each cylinder was drawn to the crankcase by four long studs. The cylinders had intake ports positioned on the top side of the cylinder wall and exhaust ports on the lower side. The exhaust ports were closer to the head than the intake ports to allow for good cylinder scavenging. Either an electric or a geared blower pressurized the intake air and aided cylinder scavenging. The exhaust was expelled into a manifold located under the operating floor. The cylinders fired one right after another in successive order.

By the mid-1950s, the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) had 220 normally scavenged and 22 supercharged Nordberg radial engines installed in its Port Lavaca, Texas aluminum plant. Combined, these engines could produce 475,000 hp (354,207 kW). The engines were arranged in seven powerhouses, consisting of around 40 engines each. Kaiser Aluminum used 80 Nordberg radial engines in its reduction plant in Chalmette, Louisiana, accounting for 150,000 hp (111,885 kW).

Various smaller engine installations occurred in municipal power plants and pumping stations. In 1956, a 12-cylinder Nordberg radial engine was put into service at the municipal power plant in Winterset, Iowa. This engine is still in service as of 2016. In 1957, three 11-cylinder Nordberg radials were installed in the South Florida Water Management District Pump Station S-9, just west of Southwest Ranches, Florida. Each of these engines powered a pump with a 143,625 gpm (543,679 L/m) capacity. These Nordberg radials were retired in 1989 because of the scarcity of spare parts. One of the engines is currently on display at John Stretch Park in Lake Harbor, Florida. Nine 12-cylinder engines were installed in the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Deer Island (Boston), Massachusetts in 1968. Over five years, each engine had averaged 22,315 hours of operation. This equates to the engines running 12.25 hours a day, every day, for five years.

Nordberg 11-cylinder radial engines Alcoa

Forty Nordberg 11-cylinder spark-ignition radial engines in one of seven powerhouses at the Aluminum Company of America plant in Port Lavaca, Texas.

Over time, the engines did have problems. Because the cost to inspect the crankshaft was practically as much as replacing it, Alcoa adopted a policy to forgo inspections and run the engine until the crankshaft broke—and break it would. A number of other operators followed suit. Another issue was with excessive piston wear. The Deer Island installation had constant issues with various parts breaking, resulting in engines being off-line for extended periods. Since Nordberg was the sole supplier of parts and it could take some time for replacement parts to be supplied, cannibalism of engines occurred when more than one unit was down.

In 1970, the Nordberg Manufacturing Company was purchased by the Rexnord Corporation, also of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1973, Nordberg/Rexnord stopped manufacturing diesel engines and parts. This, combined with the difficulties experienced by several operators, led to the phase out of the Nordberg radial engine. In 1987, Rexnord was purchased by Banner Industries of Cleveland, Ohio, and Nordberg was renamed Nordberg Inc. In 1989, Nordberg Inc was sold to the Finish company, Rauma-Repla Oy. At his time, Nordberg Inc manufactured mining equipment, mainly rock crushers. Through mergers, Rauma-Repla Oy became the Metso conglomerate in 1999. Nordberg Inc was renamed Metso Minerals Milwaukee, and continued to manufacture equipment until the factory was shut down on 30 June 2004. The closure ended 115 years of industrial machine manufacture.

An 11-cylinder Nordberg diesel radial engine retired from pumping duties and now on display at John Stretch Park in Lake Harbor, Florida. (Image by Daniel Holth via Wikimedia Commons)

Sources:
– Diesel and High Compression Gas Engines – Fundamentals by Edgar J. Kates (1954)
– Nordberg Radial Engines (1958)
– “Radial Engine,” US patent 2,584,098 by Donald I. Bohn (awarded 29 January 1952)
– http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/Nordberg/Nordmenu.htm and sub-pages
– https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/14133737
– http://archive.org/stream/wastewaterengine10mass/wastewaterengine10mass_djvu.txt
– https://cityofwinterset.org/electric-utility-information/