Can the rotary engine be used, or modified to be used, in a vertical
position, ouput shaft end up? I have a helicopter project. I'm new to
the newletter so this may have already been answered.

Thanks, John

I don't know how long it would last. The cooling oil drain back
from the rotors would not work well. I would not take the
chance.

One of the best helicopter designs I have seen so far is the Ultra Light
Mosquito. All shafting and gearing runs at high RPM up until it
gets to the rotor head. This is the key feature that makes
this helicopter light weight  enough to qualify as an Ultra Light.

This is the lightest weight gear train possible
as high torque implies heavy shafts and gears. Helicopters,
like airplanes, fly on HP. HP is RPM times Torque divided by a constant.
It is necessary to get the HP from the engine up to the rotor head
and out to the tail rotor. The best and lightest  way to do this is keep
the RPM up and the shafts small in diameter and use small light weight
gears wherever possible. Then use final drive speed reducers or
torque increasers near the rotor head and tail rotor.


Paul Lamar

So in this case you could use a relatively light weight bevel
gear box on the output shaft of the rotary and then use a belt
reduction near the rotor head. The rotary torque is only about 200
foot pounds for a p-port.

Paul Lamar