Rotary engine

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The rotary engine is a type of reciprocating internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. In most designs, the engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and its attached cylinders rotated around it as a unit. Its main application was in aviation, although it also saw use in some motorcycles and automobiles. Rotary aero engines were widely used as an alternative to conventional inline engines (straight or V) during World War I and the years immediately preceding that conflict. They have been described as "a very efficient solution to the problems of power output, weight, and reliability". By the early 1920s, rotary aero engines had largely been superseded by other engine configurations.

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