Man Builds 7-Cylinder Engine in 500 Hours
January 27, 2025 3:03 PM Subscribe
"In a world dominated by automation and mass production, Rocha KRG’s handcrafted 7-cylinder radial engine stands as a thrilling victory for the raw power of human ingenuity."
"Over 500 painstaking hours, Rocha redefined craftsmanship, turning metal and passion into a symphony of precision and beauty. Every single component, meticulously machined, balanced, and polished, echoes the legacy of early aviation, where radial engines once roared to life in the skies. But this is no simple homage to history. This is art meeting engineering, where each stroke of the lathe and every bolt threaded by hand speaks of mastery and devotion.
Rocha’s engine is a celebration of the human touch, where the imperfections aren’t flaws but marks of individuality. From the perfectly aligned propellers to the finely tuned cylinders, every detail is a tribute to precision, patience, and perseverance."
"Over 500 painstaking hours, Rocha redefined craftsmanship, turning metal and passion into a symphony of precision and beauty. Every single component, meticulously machined, balanced, and polished, echoes the legacy of early aviation, where radial engines once roared to life in the skies. But this is no simple homage to history. This is art meeting engineering, where each stroke of the lathe and every bolt threaded by hand speaks of mastery and devotion.
Rocha’s engine is a celebration of the human touch, where the imperfections aren’t flaws but marks of individuality. From the perfectly aligned propellers to the finely tuned cylinders, every detail is a tribute to precision, patience, and perseverance."
This is a great project but I'm suspicious the captions are AI-generated slop. At 8:10 it says "for aviation, the ability to produce high torque at low RPMs is essential for takeoff." This is not only false, it's the exact opposite. Takeoff is typically the moment of highest propeller RPM in a flight, especially with variable-pitch propellers.
posted by scose at 5:18 PM on January 27 [4 favorites]
posted by scose at 5:18 PM on January 27 [4 favorites]
Remember that radials are typically pushing 2,800-3,000 RPM at takeoff, as opposed to 5,500 or so for a nominal inexpensive automotive 4 cylinder. I think that the main limit is a combination of propeller tip speed and reduction gearing, but it has been a few years.
posted by pdoege at 5:47 PM on January 27
posted by pdoege at 5:47 PM on January 27
Here is the original video; please link to that instead. Quantum Tech HD appears to be a channel that recycles other people's content and slaps (AI-generated?) captions over it.
posted by phooky at 5:55 PM on January 27 [14 favorites]
posted by phooky at 5:55 PM on January 27 [14 favorites]
I was surprised to see at the end that’s powered by compressed air!
posted by migurski at 9:15 AM on January 28 [1 favorite]
posted by migurski at 9:15 AM on January 28 [1 favorite]
there's also something to the throaty roar of a large, cranky old radial airplane engine. From a cough to a purr to a growl
Out local Commemorative Airforce chapter has multiple radial engined aircraft in active flying condition including a B-25. Even from the ground the rumble of a radial is unmistakable.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:43 AM on January 28
Out local Commemorative Airforce chapter has multiple radial engined aircraft in active flying condition including a B-25. Even from the ground the rumble of a radial is unmistakable.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:43 AM on January 28
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posted by Nelson at 3:14 PM on January 27 [2 favorites]