(See also Balzer-Manly).

-Manly is the name by which the engine of Charles Matthews Manly, an American engineer and pioneer of aviation, is known.

“Mr. Manly”

-He started to design radial rotary engines for Balzar vehicles. In 1903 he made a 5-cylinder radial derived from the ones made for Balzar and that was destined for Samuel Pierpoint Langley's “Aerodrome”.

“Balzer engine - 1899”

-In fact on Langley's plane he used a Balzer automobile engine that Manly modified and improved remarkably.

-Therefore it is known as Balzer-Manly or Manly-Balzer.

“Manly 52 HP”

-This engine gave 52 hp at 950 rpm. He tried to fly on October 7, 1903 (before the Wrights) and later again on December 8 of the same year, but both attempts ended in a crash.

-From publications of the time we have taken a couple of photographs of the attempt on October 7, on the Potomac River, next to Washington D.C.

-The launch was done from the top of a house-boat (first photo) and it went directly into the water.

-In the second photo it appears destroyed next to the rescue tugboat.

"Photo 1, October 7, 1903"

"Photo 2, October 7, 1903"

-In the two photographs below from December 8, 1903, we see the restored device in the catapult about to be launched. By the way, without initial speed, directly into the air.

"Photo 3, December 8, 1903"

-And immediately after launch, the rear surfaces retract, rising vertically and falling into the Potomac River.

"Photo 4, December 8, 1903"

-An air-cooled 1/4 size Manly is located at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington.

“Manly 1/4, at the NASM”

-The concept of the redesign can be seen by the differences in the connecting-rod system that initially had ball joints inside the piston and that was later changed in the 540 cu. in. engine by the classic through bolt.

-Firstly, a photograph with the crankshaft assembly and the bearing with its pistons using the ball joint system.

"Connecting-rod system with ball joints"

“Manly with ball joints”

“Manly with a through bolt”

“Manly 540 cu.in. water cooled”

-There have been imitation constructions of this engine by fans and enthusiasts who presented it in Oshkosh, like the one of the Hay brothers.

From Appendix 6: Charles M. Manly along with Stephen M. Balzer designed and built the engines that powered the Langley Aerodrome aircraft.

-In 1903 they tested their ideas with a 1/4 air-cooled engine of the intended size in order to facilitate the validity of the operating principle.

“Engine reduced to a quarter and tested on a model”

-Balzer and Manly built engines of this type for land vehicles, rotary radials, such as the 8 HP shown below.

“A Balzer-Manly from the year 1900”

"Aerodrome A engine detail"

-In this second diagram the starting handle is clearly visible, which is difficult to define in the photographs shown earlier in this publication.

-Besides now we do have a photograph from the NASM in which this device can be seen very clearly. These rotary engines are liquid cooled.

“The real engine with its handle”