The serial # 17 Circa Engine 1910

kicking · Jul 2, 2010

The serial # 17 Circa Engine 1910 Ok , I was always wondered if I ever machined my own engine , I was thinking 'simple'. well come to find out this engine is far more complex than I imagined . And from what I have heard there was a man who was spying on the Wright brothers and mounted an engine on a bicycle before they had made the Circa . And of course it was way smaller than the Circa . Can anybody name the engine and the man who made it?

corgi1 · Jul 2, 2010

Briggs or Stratton?

chainmaker · Jul 2, 2010

Ahhh...the early days of corporate espionage, it probably was HD. The engine I don't know.

Cheers
Chainmaker

kicking · Jul 2, 2010

corgi1 said:
Briggs or Stratton?

I’m not sure corgi1 , I found some articles about the Briggs & Stratton Flyer . had nothing to do with a plane , but it defiantly seems that Briggs and Stratton were always buying ideas and rights from each other , from my point of view. It seems to me the United States government did not care about the plane until France perfected it , the Wright brothers got an raw deal in my view. So many spies were out there back then. I will read more about Briggs and Stratton and see. But it seems like Briggs moved ahead of Stratton ( just my opinion) thanks for the reply though

corgi1 · Jul 2, 2010

befor I moved 3 yrs ago,I had a book on Wrights lives but I dont really remember much except it was hard to put down,and it was a thick book reading it was like mom and soap operas

kicking · Jul 2, 2010

chainmaker said:
Ahhh...the early days of corporate espionage, it probably was HD. The engine I don't know.

Cheers
Chainmaker

I defiantly don’t think it was Harley Davidson . May have roots to the Indian motorcycles though. Harley would come a little after I would think . The answer is there in history and someone here will know . Might take a few people who stumble on this thread , and yes espionage is an great observation and verdit .. I agree 100 and 1 percent ! ----chain ---- im thinking his name started with an S ... stanley heck I dont know , but an motor history savvy would... its why I made this thread

leftywoody · Jul 3, 2010

Was it the Belgian Arms company FN ?

Bikeguy Joe · Jul 3, 2010

kicking said:
I’m not sure corgi1 , I found some articles about the Briggs & Stratton Flyer . had nothing to do with a plane , but it defiantly seems that Briggs and Stratton were always buying ideas and rights from each other , from my point of view. It seems to me the United States government did not care about the plane until France perfected it , the Wright brothers got an raw deal in my view. So many spies were out there back then. I will read more about Briggs and Stratton and see. But it seems like Briggs moved ahead of Stratton ( just my opinion) thanks for the reply though

The French definitely DID NOT "perfect" the Wright Flyer.

Bikeguy Joe · Jul 3, 2010

What co. is named "Circa"? Or do you mean "circa 1910" which is a completely different thing.

Or are you saying the Wrights had an engine called a "Circa"?

You are very confusing...

Bikeguy Joe · Jul 3, 2010

Also, the Wrights were getting up to 20,000 dollars per plane in the early teens, hardly a "raw deal".

kicking · Jul 3, 2010

leftywoody said:
Was it the Belgian Arms company FN ?

well I know that Daimler and Maybach were fooling around with combustion engines . But I'm leaning towards Samuel P. Langley on this so far. I’m an huge book worm at heart. I am looking into Oscar Hedstrom too. I need to hit the library , I’m over due lol . Seems The Belgian Arms Company FN were involved in the making of motors and repeating firearms I did not know that one. But that will give me more studies latter . And everybody was spying back then and now seems like

kicking · Jul 3, 2010

Bikeguy Joe said:
The French definitely DID NOT "perfect" the Wright Flyer.

I Think they helped a lot with funds and every thing else , and studies of the hot air balloon helped too
The First Military Flyer

kicking · Jul 3, 2010

Bikeguy Joe said:
What co. is named "Circa"? Or do you mean "circa 1910" which is a completely different thing.

Or are you saying the Wrights had an engine called a "Circa"?

You are very confusing...

The serial # 17 Circa Engine , If you get lost on this one , It even has an serial number , Im thinking since they could not get a patent , they would at least get some credit by puting an serial number on it , but Im looking around for information , and if I were an genius I would be building an rocket in west virginia right now lol

kicking · Jul 3, 2010

Bikeguy Joe said:
Also, the Wrights were getting up to 20,000 dollars per plane in the early teens, hardly a "raw deal".

as archie bunker would say ,..just on the patent edith

leftywoody · Jul 4, 2010

Belgian Arms company supposidly was the first to use a 4 cylinder gas engine on a bike style frame . Langley was involved with a 5 cylinder engine . At least this is what I came up with .

Bikeguy Joe · Jul 4, 2010

kicking said:
as archie bunker would say ,..just on the patent edith

When you get to the library, look up how much the Wrights were getting for EACH plane supplied to the U.S. Army. I may have misquoted something....it may have been 10-15,000 dollars PER PLANE.

Bikeguy Joe · Jul 4, 2010

For the amount of money Langley was getting from the Smithsonian/U.S. govt. for his "airplane", it shouldn't have flown to the bottom of the Potomac like a handfull of wet cement like it did.

Bikeguy Joe · Jul 4, 2010

kicking said:
The serial # 17 Circa Engine 1910 Ok , I was always wondered if I ever machined my own engine , I was thinking 'simple'. well come to find out this engine is far more complex than I imagined . And from what I have heard there was a man who was spying on the Wright brothers and mounted an engine on a bicycle before they had made the Circa . And of course it was way smaller than the Circa . Can anybody name the engine and the man who made it?

You aren't talking about Glenn Curtis are you?

kicking · Jul 5, 2010

leftywoody said:
Belgian Arms company supposidly was the first to use a 4 cylinder gas engine on a bike style frame . Langley was involved with a 5 cylinder engine . At least this is what I came up with .

Where I am going wrong on these type of things ( or could be referred to history I guess ) ‘’Is I forget that the United states was still young and most Industries were still in Europe . And if you like westerns lefty then you will like some of the other things that Belgium Arms were involved in like the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle. And perhaps the Winchester rifle. But that thread would probably be best called Belgium Arm Fabrique Nationale. Most interesting

kicking · Jul 5, 2010

Bikeguy Joe said:
You aren't talking about Glenn Curtis are you?

I think as far as the Wright Brothers go. With who ever was investing in our country back then , taxes , science and growth . That they said that their machine would never fly ? But when they took their machine to France and saw it could be an strategic military device , I believe it was then , and only then , those boy’s got the recognition they deserved . Then the tax collectors really liked them . As far as the patent , I can kind of see why it would had done no good . Even though they would have had it . The plane would take many changes , and it would not had lasted . Planes like the sopwith camel ect. And by the way my build will be themed around pappy boyington . Too bad I don’t know how to machine an engine , I think crasyhorse has though , Have you made one yet Joe ? if so put some pictures up . This would be an opportunity for every body here who has made an engine . To post stories and picture's. P.S. I don’t think I will go as far as to paint zeros and iron cross kills on my tank . people on an 750 Kawasaki pulled up beside me might not like that lol
And it may have been that wascally Glenn Curtis Joe -- I would love to do somthing like this but most kits dont include rotors , and im not sure about some sites I would choose an subaru engine Innovator "Mosquito" helicopter - development history, photos, technical data

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