Weird Wednesday: Starting up a Gnome (see ‘read more’ for UPDATE)

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In 1911 James Stephens built the Steco Aerohydroplane. At the outbreak of World War I, after having flown just a few times, the plane was dismantled, packed in six crates and stacked away in a garage. The crates were rediscovered in 1990 and donated to the Minnesota Air & Space Museum. One of the crates contained the engine, a 1909 Gnome Omega 7-cylinder rotary. This engine’s main feature is that it has a non-moving crankshaft, which means the engine spins with the propeller. In 2002 the Gnome was overhauled and put on a test stand. After a single test run in 2003, this engine will now once more be started up. The Museum invites you to have a look and hear it run. See “Read More” for details. (photos courtesy Minnesota Air & Space Museum). (RB)

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