Author: Terry

Nelson No. 4 float biplane

TerryLeave a comment

The Nels Nelson No. 4 was built in the winter of 1911-12 as a Kirkham engined landplane and fitted with the float in the summer of 1912 – first flight as a floatplane in August. It was flown in both forms but later in 1912 Nelson made further changes and converted it to a permanent wheeled configuration. It was in this form that it was sold to Prof. Charles Swartz, Mgr. of the Aeroplane Exhibition Co. Humboldt, Tenn., who promptly wrecked it.

Nelson Biplane

TerryLeave a comment

Nels J. Nelson, a 22-year-old Swedish immigrant working as an automobile mechanic in his shop on Elm Street in New Britain, began building and flying his own aircraft. On May 1, 1911, young Nelson made his first flight from the new field in Plainville, now known as Robertson Airport and the oldest in Connecticut.

That summer he flew some 40 miles to the ball field that also served as an airfield in Saybrook. Located at the end of Dudley and Coulter Streets, the area remained open fields until housing was built there in the 1940s. After arriving, he tested his biplane but it did not rise more than a few feet from the ground.

That evening a crowd of about 2,000 people gathered to see his flying machine and to watch the Saybrook and Deep River baseball game. When the time came, he took his machine to one end of the field, got good speed on the ground and, it was reported, “glided upward like a bird.”

He skillfully circled around while ascending to the magnificent height of two or three hundred feet. While circling, the engine’s radiator cap flew back and broke the wooden propeller. With the loss of thrust the aircraft came down rapidly and struck a fence as it landed. He was in the air for about five minutes.

Nelson continued to fly and build airplanes but, unable to get government contracts, ultimately lost out to other manufacturers. He died at his home in Yonkers, New York, in 1964.

Nelson H-44 / H-49

TerryLeave a comment

The H-44 was designed by Ted Nelson in the period following the Second World War and a specially designed motor glider was created by Hawley Bowlus to utilize the engine, the Bowlus/Nelson Dragonfly.

The Nelson H-44 is a single ignition, four-cylinder, horizontally opposed, direct drive, two-stroke aircraft engine. The engine was not certified. Under the CAR 5 regulations then in place in the USA for gliders, a certified auxiliary power glider could be flown with a non-certified engine and propeller. The engine is instead described on the Dragonfly type certificate.
The four-cylinder engine runs on a 12:1 mixture of 80 octane gasoline and SAE 30 oil. It is equipped with a single Carter WA1 carburetor and a recoil starter.

Employed in the Dragonfly the H-44 proved underpowered, which lead to the design of the H-49 version. The engine family was not a success and few were produced.

Variants:
H-44
Original design with a 2.25 in (57 mm) bore and 2.75 in (70 mm) stroke, producing 25 hp (19 kW) at 3900 rpm.

H-49
Upgraded design with E-225 cylinders giving a 2.375 in (60 mm) bore and 2.75 in (70 mm) stroke, producing 28 hp (21 kW) at 4000 rpm.

Applications:
Bowlus/Nelson Dragonfly

Specifications:
H-44
Type: Four-cylinder, two-stroke, single-ignition aircraft engine
Bore: 2.25 in (57 mm)
Stroke: 2.75 in (70 mm)
Displacement: 44 cubic inches
Dry weight: 40 lb (18 kg)
Designer: Ted Nelson
Fuel system: Carter WA1 carburetor
Fuel type: 80 octane gasoline
Oil system: premixed oil in fuel, SAE 30 oil mixed at 12:1 fuel to oil
Cooling system: air

Nelson H-63 / YO-65

TerryLeave a comment

The Nelson H-63, known in the US military designation system as the YO-65, is an American dual ignition, four-cylinder, horizontally opposed, two-stroke aircraft engine that was developed by the Nelson Engine Company for use in helicopters and light aircraft.

The H-63 was designed in the late 1950s specifically to power the sort of very light single-man helicopters that the US Army was investigating at the time. Application for certification was made on 15 March 1958 and the engine was certified under the CAR 13 standard on 8 February 1960.

Engines were produced for Nelson by the Franklin Engine Company of Syracuse, New York under a production certificate. Originally the type certificate was held by the Nelson Specialty Corporation of San Leandro, California, but it was transferred to Nelson Aircraft of Irwin, Pennsylvania on 15 July 1966. Ownership of the type certificate was transferred to the present owner, Charles R. Rhoades of Naples, Florida, on 14 February 1996.

The four-cylinder engine runs on a 16:1 mixture of 80/87 avgas and SAE 30 outboard motor oil. It is equipped with a single Nelson E-500 carburetor.

Variants:
H-63C
Vertically mounted version for use in helicopters, producing 43 hp (32 kW) at 4000 rpm.

H-63CP
Horizontally mounted version for use in light aircraft, producing 48 hp (36 kW) at 4400 rpm for take-off.

Applications:
H-63C
Hiller YROE

H-63CP
Lobet/Shafor Ganagobie

Specifications:
H-63C
Type: Four-cylinder, two-stroke, dual ignition, vertically mounted helicopter engine
Bore: 2.6875 in (68 mm)
Stroke: 2.75 in (70 mm)
Displacement: 63 cubic inches
Dry weight: 76 lb (34 kg) including the cooling fan, cooling shroud and clutch
Fuel system: Nelson E-500 carburetor
Fuel type: 80/87 avgas
Oil system: premixed oil in fuel, SAE 30 outboard motor oil mixed at 16:1 fuel to oil
Cooling system: fan forced air
Reduction gear: none
Power output: 43 hp (32 kW) at 4000 rpm
Compression ratio: 8:1