Clerget aircraft engines

Manufactured in France by Clerget-Blin and in Great Britain by Gwynnes Limited they were used on such aircraft as the Sopwith Camel and Vickers Gunbus.

These were located below the gudgeon or wrist pin, to block heat transfer from the combustion area to the lower part of the cylinder and overcome their subsequent distortion.

Unlike other contemporary rotaries in which the ignition system was either switched on or off to provide a rudimentary form of engine speed control, the Clerget featured a throttle.

They were fitted with a double thrust ball race, which enabled them to be used either as a pusher or as a tractor engine.

The Shuttleworth Collection based at Old Warden Aerodrome in the UK, operate an airworthy late production Sopwith Triplane (G-BOCK)[1] fitted with an original 9B as well as an airworthy late production Sopwith Camel (G-BZSC)[2] fitted with an original long-stroke 9Bf.

Preserved Clerget 9B rotary engine on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum
Cylinder head of a Clerget 9J, showing the two valve rockers and the induction pipe from the rear of the engine
A Clerget 14F diesel aircraft engine preserved at the Conservatoire de l'Air et de l'Espace d’Aquitaine