Good day Mr. Lamar,

As you may be aware, the new Norton Motorcycles  Ltd. (UK)
is back in the rotary business, taking off where the
former  Norton company left off in the mid-90's after
being effectively banned from  UK motorcycle road racing
for being too successful in winning against  reciprocating
competition. Sorta got "Mazda'd" I guess. The  current
NRV-588 twin-rotor liquid-cooled motor making 170 BHP
at 11,500  RPM according to website.

That being said, I'm curious as to whether  you've kept
up with events at the past and present Norton  organizations
and rotary development there. The past Norton  organization
manufactured until the mid-nineties very desirable  street
versions on their rotary which were unfortunately never
sent to  our shores, although I know of a couple acquired
illegally thru Canada.  Until the time the new batch of
rotaries are available here, I'm stuck with  my two '72 Norton
Commandos with their 1947 design motor. Still cool  though!

I enjoy your site, especially the Jim Hall/Chapparal  conversation.


Sincerely,

Al Koivisto

Yes I have heard  about the new Norton.

That is good news indeed. From the RPM  numbers
I assume they are running silicon nitride rotor  bearings:)

The AIXRO engine is the same size and weighs only 24  Kg
or 52.8 pounds for a remarkable power to weight ratio
of 3 pounds per  HP!!!!

Norton should start their own rotary only road racing series  :)

Mazda should do the same demonstrating to the world lap  time
advantages on the same road courses the piston engines use.

If  it were not for the artificial rev limit in Rolex GT
and the artificial and  arbitrary minimum race car weight,
Mazda rotaries would dominate any road  racing series.

Who needs piston engines :)

Paul  Lamar

To shed a little light on the Norton subject.

The Norton design was sold to Midwest engines ( England) Yes, aircraft,
which produced two engines, a 50hp single rotor, which they got certified as
an  aircraft engine in england. They also produced the two rotor 100HP
version which  they were attempting to certify. The originals used Tillotsen (I
think carbs and  an electronic ignition system. Sometime later they redesigned
the intake to  include electronic ignition and fuel injection. Shortly
before this change, the  company ran into financial problems and was bought by
Diamond aircraft.

The Norton engine, then renamed Midwest then renamed Diamond was produced
shortly and then Diamond closed their Midwest branch (moved to Austria.) The
aero engine single rotor has reemerged under the name Diamond [Austro Engines], I believe
for one  of it's {Alexander Schelecter] motor gliders. I am unaware of the two rotor.
[It is still there]

It is my understanding that one of the key figures in Midwest, Richard
Negus, a great guy, somehow got rights or whatever and is now the force between
the Norton rotary, now, in England.

Rich

Over 500 Austro Engines one rotors have been sold.
Here is a picture of Richard Negus when he was in Austria.
Austro Engines is working on a larger version of the
one rotor rated at 75 HP at only 6000 RPM or so. If fitted
with silicon nitride rotor bearings RPM could
go up to the 10,000 RPM range and HP to about 125 HP
depending on the diameter of the p-port.

Paul Lamar