This 1/4 scale Anzani 3-cylinder fan engine was designed by Alfred Eichinger, of Austria, and custom built in Ukraine in 2002. The automatic inlet valves are situated inside the head where the intake pipe connects. The exhaust valves are mechanically operated at the back of the combustion chamber. The model has spark ignition and burns gasoline mixed with oil for lubrication. The engine is 8”-long, 12”-wide, 9”-high, and weighs 3 lbs. 13 oz.
In 1910, Italian born Alessandro Anzani added a third cylinder to his twin-cylinder, air-cooled motorcycle engine to create this fan-type aircraft engine. Anzani’s fan engine carried Frenchman Louis Blériot in his monoplane over the English Channel in 1909—the world’s first flight over a large body of water in a “heavier-than-air” craft.
Anzani later revised the fan design moving the three cylinders from above the centerline into a radial design. The three cylinders were spaced 120° apart for smother operation. this is one of six Alfred Eichinger models custom built in the Ukraine in 2002.