This 1/6 scale Bentley BR2 9-cylinder aircraft engine was built by Louis Chenot, recipient of the 2009 Joe Martin Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Chenot is perhaps best known for his incredible 1/6 scale 1932 Duesenberg SJ, but this Bentley 9-cylinder aircraft engine is no less impressive. It was first run in July 2003, and took about 3-1/2 years to build. Even at 1/6 scale, the engine still swings an 18-inch propeller.
The engine is built primarily from stainless steel and aluminum. The prototype crankcase pieces were steel, but being concerned with rust, Lou chose to use stainless steel everywhere except for the aluminum finned barrels, which are authentic. Mr. Chenot used the original engine manual and L.K. Blackmore’s 1/4 scale Bentley drawings.
The Bentley 1918 BR2 was built by Gwynnes, Ltd. in England for the Sopwith Snipe aircraft. It was a 235 hp, 9-cylinder rotary engine. Unlike radial engines used in modern aircraft, the rotary engine rotated with the propeller.
