This is a group and at the same time a company dedicated to recovering the technique of old aviation engines, in faithful reproductions that work and act like the originals.

”Photo of an original RAF-1A”

-In the same order of manufacture we have the RAF-1A. This engine had the constructive forms of the time, seeing the exhaust valve, of the tulip type -instead of a mushroom- or the spring of a spiral strap.

“Valve mechanism and cylinder head”

-It was followed by the RAF-4A. Built by the association we can already see it installed on the test bench.

“RAF-4A” (TVA photo)

-Another engine built by “The Vintage Aviator Ltd” is the Beardmore in the below photo.

“Beardmore on test bench” (Photo TVA)

-As we can see, the red copper sleeves and pipes (in French “cuivre rouge”) have been preserved.

-The Mercedes IIIA has also been made by this association.

“The beautiful Mercedes IIIA” (photo TVA)

-The most interesting for their construction methods may be the radial rotary ones. Above all for the issue of distribution to open the valves.

“Gnome 9B-2” (Built in England) (TVA)

“Gnome 9B-2 engine plate” (TVA)

-TVA or “The Vintage Aviator Ltd” also restores engines at IRAN level (Inspection and Repair As New) as is the case of this Gnome 9B-2 on whose plate we can read the original manufacturer “The Gnome Engine Company”. Perhaps it is a different company like “The General Vehicle” both manufacturers of the Gnomes in England.

-The plate in the previous photo reveals that the registered office is on Victoria Street in the Westminster area.

“Gnome Rollers and Cams” (TVA Photos)

-But on the other hand, despite the beginning of this section of the rotary engines, the Gnomes maintained a somewhat classic valve distribution, since in a certain way it was like a camshaft.

-From Le Rhone the 9C and 9J models are also restored, of the latter we have the photograph from the TVA Blog.

“Le-Rhone 9J” (TVA Photo)

-But as we will see, it is a “SIMGER” engine, that is, from the “Societá Italiana Motori Gnome e Rhone”, from Turin.

“SIMGER plate, 9J”

-The distribution in the Le-Rhone can be considered “desmodromic” because the control rod is of the “Push-Pull” type,

-A double cam plate makes that while a roller of one part of the rocker arm is raised by the cam of one plate, the other part sinks following the profile of the other plate.

-For this, the rocker arm has these two displaced rollers as in the below photo.

“Offset rollers to follow each track”

-For more details see <aerospaceengines.com> chapter DCLVII, but also the previous and the two following ones.

“Observe the plates and the outer profile” (EV-AEHS)

-Here we find the curious distribution system that I referred to earlier, to act as a reducer for the plates.

-It is a fixed pinion displaced to one side that “meshes” with another outer one, which rotates with the engine although at a different ratio, depending on the cams and the number of teeth. This number of teeth also varies depending on whether it is a 7-cylinder or a 9-cylinder engine.

-In the reduction pinion you can see that it “touches” the ring gear of the plate only on one side.

-Another engine is the Oberursel, a UR-II, with 9 rotating radial cylinders. (Gnome system).

“TVA Oberursel UR-II”

-The BR2 originally from “Bentley Rotary”, was built by “Gwynnes” and rebuilt by “The Vintage Aviator Ltd” in New Zealand.

-See the plate that says “Manufactured”...

“Engine plate with the “Manufactured”...” (Photo TVA)

“Original engine plate placed on the same engine” (TVA)

“And the finished BR2” (Photo TVA)

“The Bentley has the same Clerget system” (TVA)

-We observe that the central gear of the distribution is off-center to act as a reduction gear for the cam plate gear, which rotates at a different speed from the entire engine.

“Cam plate adjustment disk”

-The remanufactured Clerget 9B is similar to the previous engine. Especially the valve distribution.

“Clerget 9B, similar to the BR2 “The Vintage Aviator Ltd” (TVA)

-In many ways The Vintage Aviator Ltd can be considered an aircraft engine builder.

It does the same with vintage aircraft (mainly WWI).

-Parts are not just remanufactured or rebuilt, but many are manufactured by casting and machining.

“Light alloy casting” (TVA)

“Deburring an RAF-1A casting” (TVA)"