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{{Short description|Piston engine with two cylinders in opposing directions}}
[[File:Opposed-cylinders-500.jpg|thumb|A 1967 [[BMW R60/2|BMW R50/2]] flat-twin engine [[Longitudinal engine|mounted with its crankshaft longitudinal]]. The cylinders are offset]]
[[File:Douglas motorcycle engine, Abergavenny steam rally 2012.jpg|thumb|[[Douglas (motorcycles)|Douglas]] 80 Plus motorcycle engine (circa 1950)]]
{{redirects here|Flat Twin|Soviet radar nicknamed FLAT TWIN in the West|5N65 radar}}
{{redirects here|Flat Twin|Soviet radar nicknamed "flat twin"|5N65 radar}}
A '''flat-twin engine''', also known as a '''boxer-twin engine''', is a two-cylinder [[internal combustion engine]] with the cylinders on opposite sides of the crankshaft. It is a [[flat engine]] with two cylinders. Used in [[motorcycle]]s for more than a century, flat-twins have also been used in [[automobile]]s, light [[aircraft]], stationary powerplants, and household appliances.
A '''flat-twin engine''' is a two-cylinder [[internal combustion engine]] with the cylinders on opposite sides of the crankshaft. The most common type of flat-twin engine is the '''boxer-twin engine''', where both pistons move inwards and outwards at the same time.


The flat-twin design was patented by [[Karl Benz]] in 1896 and the first production flat-twin engine was used in the ''Lanchester 8 hp Phaeton'' car released in 1900. The flat-twin engine was used in several other cars since, however a more common usage is in motorcycles; early models oriented the cylinders in line with the frame, however later models switched to the cylinders being perpendicular to the frame to provide even cooling across both cylinders.
Early flat-twin motorcycles' engines were mounted with the cylinders in line with the frame. This caused uneven cooling of the cylinders and required the motorcycle to have a long wheelbase. Later flat-twin motorcycles' engines were mounted with their cylinders across the frame for better air cooling and a shorter wheelbase. Disadvantages of this layout include torque reaction in the motorcycle in turns and the potential to damage cylinder heads.

Flat-twin engines were also used in several aircraft up until the 1930s and in various stationary applications from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The Australian lawnmower manufacturer Victa also produced a flat-twin engine push mower from August 1975 to 1980 dubbed the ‘Twin 500’, and later the ‘Supreme’. These engines were manufactured in Canada. They are very sought after as only small numbers were produced, most likely due to ignition- and fuel-related problems in early models. In the Supreme (the later model) all these problems were fixed with a rear-domed piston, crankcase mixers and refined ignition system{{cn|date=February 2024}}.


== Typical design ==
== Typical design ==
[[File:Boxerengineanimation.gif|thumb|[[Flat_engine#Boxer_engine|Boxer]] crankshaft configuration]]
[[File:Boxerengineanimation.gif|thumb|[[Flat_engine#Boxer_engine|Boxer]] crankshaft configuration]]


Most flat-twin engines use a [[Flat_engine#Boxer_engine|boxer]] configuration for crankshaft and are therefore called "boxer-twin" engines. In a boxer-twin engine, the 180° crankshaft moves the pistons in phase with each other, therefore the forces generated by one piston is cancelled out by the other, resulting in excellent primary balance. The evenly spaced [[firing order]] also assists in reducing vibration. The equal and opposite forces in a boxer-twin engine do however generate a [[Couple (mechanics)|rocking couple]], due to the offset distance between the pistons along the crankshaft.<ref name="EncycloMotoBlueprint"/> Other less common crankshaft configurations for flat-twin engines are the use of two counter-rotating crankshafts (used by the 1897 ''Lancaster 8hp Phaeton'') or a single crank pin which is shared by both connecting rods (used in an experimental aircraft engine built before 1910).<ref>[http://www.billzilla.org/ffeng.gif Drawing of replica engine], from {{harvnb|Sherwood|1999}}</ref>
Most flat-twin engines use a [[Flat_engine#Boxer_engine|boxer]] configuration for the [[crankshaft]] and are therefore called "boxer-twin" engines. In a boxer-twin engine, the 180° crankshaft moves the pistons in phase with each other, therefore the forces generated by one piston are cancelled out by the other, resulting in excellent primary balance. The evenly spaced [[firing order]] also assists in reducing vibration. The equal and opposite forces in a boxer-twin engine do however generate a [[Couple (mechanics)|rocking couple]], due to the offset distance between the pistons along the crankshaft.<ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|page=27}}


[[File:Allumage 2cv.svg|thumb|[[Wasted spark]] ignition system]]
[[File:Allumage 2cv.svg|thumb|[[Wasted spark]] ignition system]]
A commonly used ignition system is [[wasted spark]],<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Motorcycle Engine Animation |url=http://www.animatedpiston.com/BMW.htm |website=www.animatedpiston.com |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627021204/http://www.animatedpiston.com/BMW.htm |archivedate=27 June 2017}}</ref> which is a simple ignition system using a double-ended coil firing both spark plugs on each revolution (i.e. during both the compression and exhaust strokes). This system is distributorless and requires only a single contact breaker and coil for the engine.<ref name="2CVStuff" />
A commonly used ignition system is [[wasted spark]],<ref>{{cite web |title=BMW Motorcycle Engine Animation |url=http://www.animatedpiston.com/BMW.htm |website=www.animatedpiston.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627021204/http://www.animatedpiston.com/BMW.htm |archive-date=27 June 2017}}</ref> which is a simple ignition system using a double-ended coil firing both spark plugs on each revolution (i.e. during both the compression and exhaust strokes). This system is distributorless and requires only a single contact breaker and coil for the engine.<ref name="2CVStuff">{{cite web |url =http://www.2cvstuff.com/Files/ignition.pdf |title =2CV Stuff: A Series Ignition System - Specifications |website =2CV Stuff |publisher =Oui2 |location =Grantham, Lincolnshire, UK |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120316122922/http://www.2cvstuff.com/Files/ignition.pdf |archive-date =2012-03-16 |url-status =dead |access-date =2013-05-18 }}</ref>


=== Crankcase pressure ===
=== Crankcase pressure ===
The boxer-twin configuration can cause pressuring of the [[crankcase]] during each inward piston stroke and de-pressurisation during each outward piston stroke, since both pistons are moving inwards or outwards at the same time. This crankcase pumping effect (also found on singles-cylinder engines and 360° parallel-twin engines) is usually addressed by means of a crankcase breather.{{Sfn|Cameron|1992|p=14}}
The boxer-twin configuration can cause pressuring of the [[crankcase]] during each inward piston stroke and de-pressurisation during each outward piston stroke, since both pistons are moving inwards or outwards at the same time. This crankcase pumping effect (also found on single-cylinder engines and 360° parallel-twin engines) is usually addressed by means of a crankcase breather.<ref name="Cameron">{{cite journal|last= Cameron|first= Kevin|author-link= Kevin Cameron (journalist)|title= TDC: Pumped|date= January 1992|page=14|journal= [[Cycle World]]|volume= 31|issue= 1|editor-last= Edwards|editor-first= David|publisher= Hachette Magazines|location= Newport Beach, CA US|issn= 0011-4286|url= {{Google books|eToxUA1LZbsC|TDC: Pumped|page=14|plainurl=yes}}|access-date= 17 April 2015}}</ref>


The [[Citroën 2CV]] boxer-twin engine took advantage of this pumping effect to maintain a partial vacuum inside the crankcase, in order to reduce oil leaks when an oil seal malfunctions. This was achieved by using a [[Check valve|one-way valve]] (a leather or rubber flap over a hole in the crankcase), to let air escape the crankcase but not enter it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://discourse-cdn-sjc1.com/cartalk/uploads/default/optimized/2X/0/0e996467337b68f98a6b64844e16ba92610daec2_2_1035x567.gif |title= Citroen 2CV engine operation animation |website=www.discourse.com |deadurl=yes |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20190119174443/https://discourse-cdn-sjc1.com/cartalk/uploads/default/optimized/2X/0/0e996467337b68f98a6b64844e16ba92610daec2_2_1035x567.gif |archivedate=1 January 2019}}</ref>
The [[Citroën 2CV]] boxer-twin engine took advantage of this pumping effect to maintain a partial vacuum inside the crankcase, in order to reduce oil leaks when an oil seal malfunctions. This was achieved by using a [[Check valve|one-way valve]] (a leather or rubber flap over a hole in the crankcase), to let air escape the crankcase but not enter it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://discourse-cdn-sjc1.com/cartalk/uploads/default/optimized/2X/0/0e996467337b68f98a6b64844e16ba92610daec2_2_1035x567.gif |title= Citroen 2CV engine operation animation |website=www.discourse.com |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190119174443/https://discourse-cdn-sjc1.com/cartalk/uploads/default/optimized/2X/0/0e996467337b68f98a6b64844e16ba92610daec2_2_1035x567.gif |archive-date=19 January 2019}}</ref>


==Applications==
==Applications==
===Automobiles===
[[File:Citroen A-series 2CV 602cc Engine (18770871302).jpg|thumb|[[Citroën 2CV]] engine (viewed from rear)]]


The beginnings of the flat-twin engine were in 1896, when Karl Benz obtained a patent for the design. A year later, his company [[Benz & Cie]] unveiled the first flat-twin engine, a boxer design called the "contra engine".<ref name="English">{{cite news|last= English|first= Bob|title= The engine that Benz built still survives|url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/classic-cars/the-engine-that-benz-built-still-survives/article4317376/|access-date= 2013-12-19|newspaper= The Globe and Mail|location= Toronto, Canada|date= 2010-04-29|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131220085552/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/classic-cars/the-engine-that-benz-built-still-survives/article4317376/|archive-date= 2013-12-20}}</ref>
===Motorcycles===
{{See also|Motorcycle engine}}
[[File:Opposed_cylinders_on_a_1967_BMW_motorcycle.jpg|thumb|left|Flat twin engine on a 1967 BMW]]The first flat-twin motorcycle engine was the Fée,<ref name=TMCfuture /> later renamed "Fairy", which was built by the Light Motors Company from 1905 until the company folded in 1907.{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|p=219}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|p=218}} The [[Douglas (motorcycles)|Douglas Engineering Company]], one of Light Motors' suppliers, took over the manufacturing rights and developed motorcycles based on the Fée system under their own name.{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|p=218}}{{Sfn|Partridge|1976|p=42}}


In 1900, The [[Lanchester Motor Company|Lanchester Engine Company]] began production of the ''[[Lanchester 8&nbsp;hp Phaeton]]'', which used a flat-twin engine.<ref name="Rogliatti">{{cite book| last = Rogliatti| first = Gianni| title = Period Cars| year = 1973| publisher = Hamlyn| location = Feltham, Middlesex, UK| isbn = 0-600-33401-5| page = 140}}</ref><ref name="Smith">{{cite web |url=http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-10-most-unusual-engines-of-all-time-feature |title=The 10 Most Unusual Engines of All Time |last=Smith |first=Sam |date=October 2010 |website=[[Car and Driver]] |publisher=Hearst |at= Lanchester Twin-Crank Twin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703192824/http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-10-most-unusual-engines-of-all-time-feature |archive-date=2012-07-03 |url-status=live |access-date=2013-05-17 |quote=One crank lived above the other, and each piston had three connecting rods—two light outer ones and a heavier one in the centre. The light rods went to one crank, the heavy rods to the other, and the two shafts counterrotated. }}</ref> This engine had an unusual design of two counter-rotating crankshafts, with each piston attached to its crankshaft by a thick connecting rod.<ref name="Rogliatti"/> Each piston was also connected to the other crankshaft by two thinner connecting rods, causing the two pistons to move on the same axis.<ref name="Rogliatti"/><ref name="Smith"/> It also had the torque reaction of one crankshaft cancel the torque reaction of the other, cancelling torque reaction in the engine.<ref name="Rogliatti"/> Lanchester used this engine design until 1904.<ref name="Smith"/>
[[BMW Motorrad]] manufactures a number of flat-twin engine motorcycles,<ref name=BMWMotorcycles />{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|pp=26–32}}
as do [[IMZ-Ural|Ural]] and [[Dnepr (motorcycle)|Dnepr]].


Other early uses of flat-twin engines were 1903-04 [[Ford Model A (1903–1904)|Ford Model A]], the 1904-1905 [[Ford Model C]], the 1905-1906 [[Ford Model F]].<ref name="Kimes">{{cite book|last=Kimes |first=Beverly |title=Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 |year=1996 |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=0-87341-428-4 |page=572 }}</ref><ref name="Brooke">{{cite book| last = Brooke| first = Lindsay| title = Ford Model T: The Car that Put the World on Wheels| url = {{Google books|dvZjf-4qbeAC|Ford Model T: The Car that Put the World on Wheels|page=38|plainurl=yes}}| access-date = 2013-05-18| year = 2008| publisher = Motorbooks| location = Minneapolis, MN USA| isbn = 978-0-76032-728-9|chapter = Chapter 1 Before the Model T| chapter-url = {{Google books|dvZjf-4qbeAC|Ford Model T: The Car that Put the World on Wheels|page=29|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref>{{refpage|pages=38–44}} and several [[Jowett Cars]] models from 1910 to 1937.<ref>[{{Google books|hVZWnZbUJOYC|The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895 - 1975|page=189|plainurl=yes}} Specification tables]</ref><ref name="Culshaw&Horrobin">{{cite book |last1= Culshaw|first1= David|last2= Horrobin|first2= Peter|year= 2013|orig-year= 1974|title= The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895 - 1975|edition= e-book|url= {{Google books|hVZWnZbUJOYC|The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895 - 1975|plainurl=yes}}|location= Poundbury, Dorchester, UK|publisher= Veloce Publishing |isbn= 978-1-845845-83-4}}</ref>{{refpage|pages=188–189}}
====Engine alignment: cylinders along frame====
[[File:Flat twin Douglas 1912 N 3.jpg|thumb|Flat-twin engine in a 1912 Douglas N3, with its cylinders mounted along the frame]]
The 1905 Fée bicycle engine system included a flat-twin engine, mounted with the cylinders in line with the frame, with chain drive to a primary shaft with a pulley driving the rear wheel of the bicycle.{{Sfn|Partridge|1976|p=42}} The 1907 Douglas, developed from the Fée system, had a belt drive to the rear wheel driven directly from the engine.{{Sfn|Partridge|1976|p=42}} Later developments of the Douglas motorcycle were made with the cylinders in line with the frame until the Second World War.{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|p=51}}


The [[Citroën 2CV]], produced from 1948 to 1990, was one of the first front-wheel drive cars to use a flat engine. The 2CV was powered by an air-cooled boxer-twin engine. Also in 1948, the [[Panhard Dyna X]] was released with front-wheel drive and an air-cooled boxer-twin engine. Other cars following World War II using boxer-twin engines were the 1945-1954 [[Jowett Bradford]] van,<ref name="Culshaw&Horrobin"/>{{refpage|page=373}}, the 1961-1976 [[DAF Daffodil]], the 1961-1978 [[Toyota Publica]], the 1965-1969 [[Toyota Sports 800]] sportscar and several front-wheel drive models from [[Citroën]] and [[Panhard]]. Several rear-engined cars were also produced with boxer-twin engines originally designed for motorcycles, such as the 1957-1975 [[Puch 500]], the 1957-1959 [[BMW 600]] and the 1959-1965 [[BMW 700]]. The Brazilian manufacturer [[Gurgel|Gurgel Motores]] used an in-house developed water-cooled boxer-twin engine (Enertron engine) and the Volkswagen air-cooled boxer-four in several models from 1988 to 1994.
Other early flat-twin motorcycles used a similar layout, with their cylinders aligned along the frame and therefore with the crankshaft running transverse to the frame. This position allowed the use of a conventional motorcycle drivetrain by belt or chain to the rear wheel.{{Sfn|Norbye|1984|p=15}}{{Sfn|Willoughby|1977|p=23}} Another advantage of this layout is its low centre of gravity.{{Sfn|Willoughby|1977|p=23}} However, in this layout, the front cylinder is more heavily cooled than the rear cylinder,{{Sfn|Norbye|1984|p=15}}{{Sfn|Willoughby|1977|p=23}} and the wheelbase tends to be excessive due to the length of the engine.{{Sfn|Willoughby|1977|p=23}} In 1914 the main supplier of rear-hub gearboxes, [[Sturmey-Archer]], introduced a 3-speed countershaft gearbox with integral kick-starter.<ref name="MC1914" /> The photograph at right shows the gearbox located low down behind the engine where the kick-start is convenient for operation. While this was a relatively easy modification for vertical single-cylinder or V-twin engined motorcycles, the length of the pair of cylinders along the frame made this location difficult without having a long wheelbase. Douglas, and the Fée motorcycle that preceded it, had used a countershaft below the engine;<ref>[http://www.motorcycles20thcentury.com/motors/drawing/Douglas-1911.jpg Drawing of 1911 Douglas]</ref> some later models used a gearbox above the engine,{{Sfn|Willoughby|1977|p=23}}<ref>[http://www.motorcycles20thcentury.com/motors/normal/Douglas-K32-1932.jpg Drawing of 1932 Douglas K32]</ref> though where the engine was short enough the preferred option was the conventional layout.<ref>[http://www.motorcycles20thcentury.com/motors/normal/Douglas-1926.jpg Drawing of 1926 Douglas]</ref>


The [[Toyota U engine]] was an air-cooled flat-twin engine produced from 1961 to 1976. Introduced in the [[Toyota Publica]] subcompact car, the U engine was also used in the [[Toyota MiniAce]] small commercial vehicle and the [[Toyota Sports 800]] sports car.
In a review of flat twin engines in 1916, [[The Motor Cycle (magazine)|Motor Cycle magazine]] listed the following (all except the ABC engines were fitted with cylinders in line with the frame):<ref name="MC1916" />
* [[ABC motorcycles|ABC]] 2.5&nbsp;hp (bore 60&nbsp;mm, stroke 44&nbsp;mm), 249&nbsp;cc - "the smallest flat-twin at present on the road".<ref name="MC1916"/>
* [[ABC motorcycles|ABC]] 3.5&nbsp;hp (bore 70&nbsp;mm, stroke 64&nbsp;mm), 494&nbsp;cc - designed by G.W. Bradshaw.
* [[Bradbury Motor Cycles|Bradbury]] 3.5&nbsp;hp (bore 68&nbsp;mm, stroke 68.7&nbsp;mm), 499&nbsp;cc. Introduced c1914.
* [[Brough Motorcycles|Brough]] 3.5&nbsp;hp (bore 70&nbsp;mm, stroke 64.5&nbsp;mm) 497&nbsp;cc, all Brough motorcycles used the flat-twin layout from end of 1914
* [[Brough Motorcycles|Brough]] 6&nbsp;hp (bore 70&nbsp;mm, stroke 90&nbsp;mm) 692&nbsp;cc, developed by Brough during the war and mainly intended for sidecar work after the war
* [[Douglas (motorcycles)|Douglas]] 2.75&nbsp;hp (bore 60.5&nbsp;mm, stroke 60&nbsp;mm) 345&nbsp;cc, the original Douglas, but with mechanically operated inlet valves from 1912
* [[Douglas (motorcycles)|Douglas]] 4&nbsp;hp (bore 72&nbsp;mm, stroke 68&nbsp;mm) 544&nbsp;cc, an updated design bearing little in common with the smaller engine
* [[Humber Motorcycles|Humber]] 6&nbsp;hp (bore 78&nbsp;mm, stroke 78&nbsp;mm) 746&nbsp;cc, water-cooled and with Claudel-Hobson automatic carburettor
* [[Humber Motorcycles|Humber]] 3.5&nbsp;hp (bore 68&nbsp;mm, stroke 68.75&nbsp;mm) 497&nbsp;cc, brand new in October 1916 with Longuemare-Hardy carburettor
* [[Matchless]] 6&nbsp;hp (bore 70&nbsp;mm, stroke 95&nbsp;mm) 732&nbsp;cc, expected for 1917 season
* [[Indian Model O|Indian 2.5&nbsp;hp]] (bore 50.8&nbsp;mm, stroke 63.5&nbsp;mm) 257&nbsp;cc, "The only flat-twin at present on the American market"<ref name="MC1916"/>
* [[Montgomery Motorcycles|Montgomery]] 6&nbsp;hp (bore 75&nbsp;mm, stroke 78&nbsp;mm) 688&nbsp;cc, produced essentially for sidecar work.
* [[Williamson Flat Twin|Williamson]] 8&nbsp;hp (bore 85&nbsp;mm, stroke 85&nbsp;mm) 964&nbsp;cc, made by Douglas intended originally water-cooled for cyclecars but made as water-cooled and air-cooled for Williamson motorcycles


===Motorcycles===
Other motorcycles with this layout included the [[History of BMW#Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFw)|Helios]] in Germany and the [[Indian Model O]] and [[Harley-Davidson Model W]] in the United States.<ref name=IndianAndHD />
==== Transverse mounting ====
[[File:Flat twin Douglas 1912 N 3.jpg|thumb|1912 [[Douglas (motorcycles)|Douglas N3]] engine]]


The benefits of using a flat-twin engine mounted with the crankshaft running perpendicular to the frame (therefore the cylinders being in line with the frame) are a low centre of gravity<ref name="Willoughby">{{cite book|last=Willoughby|first=Vic|title=Classic Motorcycles|edition=Third impression|orig-year=1975|year=1977|publisher=The Hamlyn Publishing Group|isbn=0-600-31870-2|page=23|chapter=Douglas}}</ref> and that a belt-drive or chain-drive system can be used to transmit drive to the rear wheel.<ref name="Willoughby"/><ref name="Norbye">{{cite book|last=Norbye|first=Jan P.|title=BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines|year=1984|publisher=Beekman House|location=New York, NY, USA|isbn=0-517-42464-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/bmwbavariasdrivi00norb/page/15 15]|chapter=The Origins of BMW: From Flying Machines to Driving Machines|chapter-url-access=registration|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/bmwbavariasdrivi00norb/page/15}}</ref> However, the downsides are uneven heat distribution (the front cylinder is more heavily cooled than the rear cylinder)<ref name="Willoughby"/><ref name="Norbye"/> and a longer wheelbase is often required due to the length of the engine.<ref name="Willoughby"/>
====Engine alignment: cylinders across frame====
[[File:Xa-engine.jpg|thumb|1942 [[Harley-Davidson XA]] flat-twin engine]]
In 1916,<ref name="MC1916" /> [[ABC motorcycles|ABC]] introduced a motorcycle with a flat-twin engine with the cylinders across the frame, and therefore with the crankshaft running longitudinally when referenced to the frame. To accommodate chain drive, the ABC used a [[bevel gear|bevel drive]] at the gearbox to change the direction of the drive through ninety degrees.{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|p=10}} The 1923 [[BMW R32]] used a similar engine position with a drive shaft using bevel gears to power the rear axle.{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|p=26}}


The first flat-twin [[motorcycle engine]] was built in 1905 by the Light Motors Company in the United Kingdom. Originally named the Fée (renamed "Fairy" soon after its introduction),<ref name=TMCfuture>{{cite journal |date= October 5, 1916|title= The engine of the future|page= 283|journal= [[The Motor Cycle (magazine)|The Motor Cycle]]|publisher= Iliffe & Sons Ltd.}}</ref> it was designed as a "bicycle engine system" which transmitted power to a pulley on the rear wheel via a chain.<ref name="Partridge">{{Citation |last= Partridge|first= Michael|year= 1976|title= Motorcycle Pioneers: The Men, the Machines, the Events 1860-1930|publisher= David & Charles (Publishers)|isbn= 0-7153-7-209-2|page= 42|chapter= 1905 2 1⁄2hp Joseph Barter motorcycle}}</ref> Manufacture of the Fairy was taken over by the [[Douglas (motorcycles)|Douglas Engineering Company]], one of Light Motors' suppliers, when the Light Motors Company folded in 1907.<ref name="Wilson">{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Hugo|title=The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle|year=1995|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=London, UK|isbn=0-7513-0206-6 |chapter=The A-Z of Motorcycles}}</ref>{{refpage|pages=218-219}} Later in 1907, Douglas changed the drivetrain from the chain and pulley design to a belt-drive system driven directly from the engine.{{Sfn|Partridge|1976|p=42}} Later developments of the Douglas motorcycle were made with the cylinders in line with the frame until the Second World War.<ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|page=51}}
This position allowed both cylinders to protrude into the airflow, providing excellent air cooling for each cylinder.{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|pp=26–27}}{{Sfn|Willoughby|1977|p=23}} The [[Harley-Davidson XA]], which used a flat-twin engine with the cylinders across the frame, maintained an oil temperature 100&nbsp;°F (56&nbsp;°C) cooler than a [[Harley-Davidson WLA]] with a V-twin with the cylinders in line with the frame.{{Sfn|Wood|1999|p=127}}


Other early flat-twin motorcycles used a similar layout, with their cylinders aligned along the frame and therefore with the crankshaft running transverse to the frame.{{cn|date=February 2024}}
Many motorcyclists appreciate the way the cylinders in this layout provide protection to the rider in the event of a collision or fall, and keeps their feet warm in cold weather.{{Sfn|Willoughby|1977|p=23}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|p=27}}


In 1914 the main supplier of rear-hub gearboxes, [[Sturmey-Archer]], introduced a 3-speed countershaft gearbox with integral kick-starter,<ref name="MC1914">{{cite journal |date= 27 August 1914|title= A Sturmey-Archer Countershaft Gear|page= 274|journal= [[The Motor Cycle (magazine)|The Motor Cycle]]|publisher= Iliffe & Sons Ltd.}}</ref> which posed a design problem for motorcycles with transversely-mounted flat-twin engines. This gearbox could be relatively easily located behind a single-cylinder or V-twin engine, however this arrangement would result in an excessively long wheelbase for flat-twin engines. Solutions to this problem included using a countershaft below the engine (as used by the Douglas Fairy),<ref>[http://www.motorcycles20thcentury.com/motors/drawing/Douglas-1911.jpg Drawing of 1911 Douglas]</ref> or a gearbox located above the engine,<ref name="Willoughby"/><ref>[http://www.motorcycles20thcentury.com/motors/normal/Douglas-K32-1932.jpg Drawing of 1932 Douglas K32]</ref> although in some cases the cylinders were short enough to use the gearbox in the traditional location behind the engine.<ref>[http://www.motorcycles20thcentury.com/motors/normal/Douglas-1926.jpg Drawing of 1926 Douglas]</ref>
A disadvantage of this layout is that it exposes the cylinders and valve covers to the danger of collision damage.{{Sfn|Willoughby|1977|p=23}}{{Sfn|Wilson|1995|p=27}} Longitudinal crankshaft mounting is also associated with a torque reaction that tends to twist the motorcycle to one side on sharp acceleration or when opening the throttle in neutral and in the opposite direction on sharp deceleration. Many modern motorcycle manufacturers correct for this effect by rotating flywheels or alternators in the opposite direction to that of the crankshaft.{{Sfn|Friedman|Trevitt|Cherney|Elvidge|2000}}{{Sfn|Battisson|1997}}


In 1916, most flat-twin motorcycles still used a transversely-mounted engine. The European models at this time included the [[Bradbury Motor Cycles|Bradbury]] {{cvt|3.5|hp|kW}}, the [[Brough Motorcycles|Brough HB]], the [[Douglas (motorcycles)|Douglas]] {{cvt|2.75|hp|kW}} and {{cvt|4|hp|kW}} models, the [[Humber motorcycles|Humber]] 3.5 hp and {{cvt|6|hp|kW}} models, the [[Matchless]] 6&nbsp;hp, the [[Montgomery Motorcycles|Montgomery]] 6&nbsp;hp, [[Williamson Flat Twin]] {{cvt|8|hp|kW}}, and the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke Helios (the predecessor to BMW's first motorcycle). Models produced in the United States included the [[Indian Model O]] and the [[Harley-Davidson Model W]].<ref name="MC1916">{{cite journal |date= November 9, 1916|title= Flat Twins|pages= 400–403|journal= [[The Motor Cycle (magazine)|The Motor Cycle]]|publisher= Iliffe & Sons Ltd.}}</ref><ref name="Norbye"/><ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|page=26}}<ref name="Indian and Harley">
Another disadvantage of this layout is that the engine has to be high enough in the frame to provide the cylinder heads with banking clearance in turns, which raises the flat-twin engine's otherwise low center of gravity.{{Sfn|Cocco|2004|p=118}}
*{{cite journal|editor-last= Wood|editor-first= Bill|title= Classics: 1917 Indian Model O|page= 71|journal= American Motorcyclist|date= October 2001b|volume= 55|issue= 10|issn= 0277-9358|publisher= [[American Motorcyclist Association]]|location = Pickerington, OH US|url= {{Google books|DfsDAAAAMBAJ|Classics: 1917 Indian Model O|page=71|plainurl=yes}}|access-date= 19 April 2015|quote= Like the early Douglases, the Model O had its engine placed in the frame with the cylinders facing fore and aft, rather than sticking out to each side...}}
*{{cite book|last= Mitchel|first= Doug|title= Harley-Davidson Chronicle|year= 1997|publisher= Publications International|location= Lincolnwood, Illinois, USA|isbn= 0-7853-2514-X|pages= [https://archive.org/details/harleydavidsonch0000mitc_u3q3/page/44 44–45]|chapter= The Early Years (1903–1928)|chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/harleydavidsonch0000mitc_u3q3/page/44}}
*{{cite journal|editor-last= Wood|editor-first= Bill|title= Classics: 1922 Harley-Davidson Sport Twin|page= 127|journal= American Motorcyclist|date= March 2001a|volume= 55|issue= 3|issn= 0277-9358|publisher= [[American Motorcyclist Association]]|location = Pickerington, OH US|url= {{Google books|HPsDAAAAMBAJ|Classics: 1922 Harley-Davidson Sport Twin|page=127|plainurl=yes}}|access-date= 19 April 2015|quote = In building the Sport Twin, Harley took Douglas' lead in orienting the cylinders in line with the frame.}}</ref>


==== Longitudinal mounting ====
===Automobiles===
{{multiple image
[[File:Blackjack Avion-engine.jpg|thumb|[[Blackjack Cars|Blackjack Avion]] displaying the cylinders of its [[Citroën 2CV]] engine]]
| align = right
The Lanchester Engine Company used their [[Flat-twin engine#Crank configurations|twin-crank flat-twin engines]] from 1897 until 1904 when they were re-incorporated as the [[Lanchester Motor Company]].{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=140}}{{Sfn|Smith|2010}} This engine, used in the 1897 ''Lanchester 8&nbsp;hp Phaeton'' had two counter-rotating crankshafts.{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=140}} Each piston was attached to one crankshaft by a thick connecting rod and to the other crankshaft by two thinner connecting rods, one on either side of the other piston's thick connecting rod.{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=140}}{{Sfn|Smith|2010}} This allowed both cylinders to have the same axis. It also had the torque reaction of one crankshaft cancel the torque reaction of the other, cancelling torque reaction in the engine.{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=140}} The pistons in the Lanchester engine moved so that one piston was on top while the other was at bottom dead center, creating an uneven firing cycle.{{Citation needed|date=July 2014}} Lanchester used this engine design until 1904.{{Sfn|Smith|2010}}
| direction = vertical
| image1 = Xa-engine.jpg
| caption1 = 1942 [[Harley-Davidson XA]] engine
| image2 = Opposed_cylinders_on_a_1967_BMW_motorcycle.jpg
| caption2 = 1967 [[BMW R60/2|BMW R 60/2]] engine
}}


The main benefit of mounting a flat-twin engine with the crankshaft in line with the frame (therefore the cylinders sitting sideways in the frame) is that an air-cooled engine receives the same amount of cooling for each cylinder.<ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|pages=26-27}}<ref name="Willoughby"/> The [[Harley-Davidson XA]], which used a flat-twin engine with the cylinders across the frame, maintained an oil temperature 100&nbsp;°F (56&nbsp;°C) cooler than a [[Harley-Davidson WLA]] with a V-twin with the cylinders in line with the frame.<ref name="Wood">{{cite journal|editor-last= Wood|editor-first= Bill|title = Classics: 1942 Harley-Davidson XA|page=127|journal= American Motorcyclist|date= March 1999|volume= 53|issue= 3|issn= 0277-9358|url = {{Google books|A_cDAAAAMBAJ|Classics: 1942 Harley-Davidson XA|page=127|plainurl=yes}}|access-date =2015-04-19|publisher = [[American Motorcyclist Association]]|location = Pickerington, OH US|quote = Mechanically, the large cooling fins stuck straight out in the breeze, reportedly keeping the XA's oil temperature 100 degrees cooler than a standard Harley 45.}}</ref> A side benefit is that the cylinders provide protection to the rider in the event of a collision or fall, and keeps their feet warm in cold weather.<ref name="Willoughby"/><ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|page=27}} The downsides are that the engine cannot be mounted as close to the ground (otherwise the cylinders can scrape the ground during cornering)<ref name="Cocco">{{cite book|last1= Cocco|first1= Gaetano|title= Motorcycle Design and Technology|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Ydk0bgq2_3YC|access-date= 2013-09-09|edition= English|year= 2004|publisher= Motorbooks International|location= St. Paul, MN USA|isbn= 0-7603-1990-1|page= 118|chapter= Chapter 11: The Engine|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Ydk0bgq2_3YC&pg=PA113|quote= However, it does create some problems for longitudinal development of the bike because the boxer cylinders have to be positioned high up from the ground in order to protect them from scraping the ground when leant over in turns.}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and that it exposes the cylinders and valve covers to the danger of collision damage.<ref name="Willoughby"/><ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|page=27}}


Longitudinal mounting also means that the torque reaction will twist the motorcycle to one side (such as on sharp acceleration/deceleration or when opening the throttle in neutral) instead of shifting the weight balance between the front and rear wheels. However, many modern motorcycles reduce this effect by rotating flywheels or alternators in the opposite direction to that of the crankshaft.<ref name="motorcyclecruiser.com">{{cite web| url = http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/sport_cruisers_comparison/index.html| title = Sport Cruisers Comparison - Seven Sport-Cruiser Motorcycles| first1 = Art| last1 = Friedman| first2 = Andrew| last2 = Trevitt| first3 = Andrew| last3 = Cherney| first4 = Jamie| last4 = Elvidge| first5 = Evans| last5 = Brasfield| date = April 2000| work = Motorcycle Cruiser| publisher = Source Interlink Media| at = "Take a Spin" section, paragraph 4| access-date = 2010-09-10| quote = Though the Valkyrie also has a longitudinal crankshaft, this torque reaction has been eliminated by making some of the components, such as the alternator, spin the opposite direction of the engine.| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100502180324/http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/sport_cruisers_comparison/index.html| archive-date = 2010-05-02| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="Battisson">{{cite web|url=http://www.breganzane.com/vm/history/v6/page3.html |title=Developing the V6 - Taming The Beast |first=Stephen |last=Battisson |year=1997 |work= The Laverda V6 |publisher=Stephen Battisson |page=3 |access-date=2010-09-10 |quote=By arranging the rest of the engine internals to rotate in the opposite direction to the crankshaft their forces are cancelled out without having to resort to the weight, complexity and friction associated with two crankshafts. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708092245/http://www.breganzane.com/vm/history/v6/page3.html |archive-date=July 8, 2011 }}</ref>
[[Benz & Cie]] showed their first boxer engine, the two-cylinder "contra engine", in 1897.{{Sfn|English|2010}}


One of the first motorcycles with a longitudinally-mounted flat-twin engine was the 1916 [[ABC motorcycles|ABC]], which was built in the United Kingdom.<ref name="MC1916" /> To accommodate chain drive, the ABC used a [[bevel gear|bevel drive]] at the gearbox to change the direction of the drive through ninety degrees.<ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|page=10}} BMW's first motorcycle, the 1923 [[BMW R32|BMW R 32]] was another early example of a longitudinally-mounted flat-twin engine, although it this case the power was transmitted to the rear wheel via a shaft drive.<ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|page=26}}
Flat-twin engines were used in some of [[Henry Ford]]'s early cars, including the [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] 1903-04 [[Ford Model A (1903–1904)|Model A]], [[Ford Model C|Model C]], and [[Ford Model F|Model F]].{{Sfn|Kimes|1996|p=572}}{{Sfn|Brooke|2008|pp=38–44}}


Over time, longitudinal mounting became more common for flat-twin engines. [[BMW Motorrad|BMW]] has a long history of flat-twin engine motorcycles,<ref name="Wilson"/>{{refpage|pages=26-32}}<ref name=BMWMotorcycles>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/bikes/index.jsp?bikeSection= |title=BMW Motorrad USA - Bikes |access-date=2008-12-22 |work=bmwmotorcycles.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822022309/http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/bikes/index.jsp?bikeSection= |archive-date=2008-08-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as do [[IMZ-Ural|Ural]] (Russia) and [[Dnepr (motorcycle)|Dnepr]] (Ukraine).
Flat-twin engines were later used in several [[economy car]]s, including [[Jowett Cars|Jowett]] cars from 1906 to 1937<ref>[{{Google books|hVZWnZbUJOYC|The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895 - 1975|page=189|plainurl=yes}} Specification tables], {{harvnb|Culshaw|Horrobin|2013|pp=188–189}}</ref> and later in the [[Jowett Bradford]] van from 1945 to 1954,{{Sfn|Culshaw|Horrobin|2013|p=373}} postwar [[Citroën]] and [[Panhard]] front wheel drive cars, rear-engined [[History of BMW|BMW]] cars, Steyr-[[Puch 500]], [[DAF Daffodil]], and the [[Toyota Publica]] and [[Toyota Sports 800]].
{{clear right}}

Brazilian manufacturer [[Gurgel]] Motores developed the water-cooled [[Gurgel Enertron|Enertron]] flat-twin engine based on the Volkswagen air-cooled boxer-four. The Enertron engine was used in Gurgel's [[Gurgel BR-800|BR-800]], [[Gurgel Supermini|Supermini]] and [[Gurgel Motomachine|Motomachine]] cars between 1988 and 1995.


===Aviation===
===Aviation===
[[File:Bristol Cherub II.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bristol Cherub]] II installed in aircraft]]
[[File:Bristol Cherub II.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bristol Cherub]] II installed in aircraft]]
Flat-twins have been used to power light aircraft from the first decade of the twentieth century,{{Sfn|Sherwood|1999}}{{Sfn|SciMedia|2012}} although most piston-engined aircraft have used more cylinders for more power. Notable flat-twin aircraft engines include that used for [[Alberto Santos-Dumont]]'s 1909 pioneering [[ultralight aircraft]], the [[Santos-Dumont Demoiselle]], which used various flat-twin engines from [[Darracq]], Dutheil et Chalmers and [[Clément-Bayard]]; they were also used in [[Richard Pearse]]'s monoplane,{{Sfn|SciMedia|2012}} with the [[Aeronca C-2#Roche Monoplane|Jean A. Roche]]-designed [[Aeronca C-2]] and [[Aeronca C-3|C-3]] aircraft, using their [[Aeronca E-107]] flathead twin and [[Aeronca E-113|E-113]] overhead valved flat-twin engine designs; two important European flat-twins from the [[Aviation between the World Wars|Golden Age of Aviation]] before World War II were the Czechoslovak [[Praga B2]], and the British [[Bristol Cherub]]. In the modern era, HKS produced the [[HKS_700E|700]] series flat twin for lightplanes and ultralights.


In 1902, the [[Pearse monoplane]] (which would later become one of the first aircraft to achieve flight) was powered by a flat-twin engine built on a farm by a hobbyist inventor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Pearse |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/richard-pearse |website=www.nzhistory.govt.nz |access-date=10 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="SciMedia">{{cite web|url= http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Flight/Sci-Media/Images/Richard-Pearse-s-monoplane|title= Richard Pearse's monoplane|publisher= University of Waikato|date= 2012-04-26|ref={{harvid|SciMedia|2012}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Pearse Designed and Built Early Flying Machine |url=https://worldhistory.us/american-history/richard-pearse-designed-and-built-early-flying-machine.php |website=www.worldhistory.us |access-date=10 August 2019 |date=1 July 2017}}</ref> This engine used the unusual design of a single shared [[crank pin]] and double acting pistons.<ref>[http://www.billzilla.org/ffeng.gif Drawing of replica engine]</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Richard Pearse : New Zealand Pioneer Aviator (1877 - 1953) |url=http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/pearse1.html |website=www.monash.edu.au |access-date=10 August 2019}}</ref> In 1908, the French company Dutheil-Chalmers began production of flat-twin aircraft engines, which used two counter-rotating crankshafts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dutheil-Chalmers Éole Opposed-Piston Aircraft Engine |url=https://oldmachinepress.com/2017/07/20/dutheil-chalmers-eole/ |website=www.oldmachinepress.com |access-date=10 August 2019 |language=en |date=20 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Principal Aero Engines of 1910: Page 141 - Horizontal Engines |url=http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/Duxford/1910.htm |website=www.oldengine.org |access-date=10 August 2019 |archive-date=3 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803093713/http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/Duxford/1910.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Dutheil-Chlamers engine was used by the 1907 [[Santos-Dumont Demoiselle]] ''No. 20'' experimental airplane, with later versions of this airplane being produced with flat-twin engines from [[Darracq]] and [[Clément-Bayard]].
In larger aircraft, flat-twin engines have been used in [[auxiliary power unit]]s (APUs). A notable example was made by [[ABC Motors]] between the World Wars.{{Sfn|Chaplin|Nixon|1939|p=358}} During World War II, the [[Norbert Riedel|Reidel]] firm in Germany designed and manufactured a two-stroke flat-twin engine to [[Aircraft engine starting#Gas turbine engines|start]] all three jet engine designs that the Luftwaffe were expecting for production-line status in 1944-45: the [[Junkers Jumo 004]] and [[BMW 003]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legendsintheirowntime.com/LiTOT/Content/1946/Av_4603_DA_BMW003.html |title=Design Analysis of BMW 003 Turbojet - "Starting the Engine" |last1=Schulte |first1=Rudolph C. |date=1946 |website=legendsintheirowntime.com |publisher=United States Army Air Force - Turbojet and Gus Turbine Developments, HQ, AAF |access-date=September 3, 2016 |quote=Starting procedure is as follows: Starting engine is primed by closing electric primer switch, then ignition of turbojet and ignition and electric starting motor of [[Norbert Riedel|Riedel engine]] are turned on (this engine can also be started manually by pulling a cable). After the Riedel unit has reached a speed of about 300 rpm, it automatically engages the compressor shaft of the turbojet. At about 800 rpm of the starting engine, starting fuel pump is turned on, and at 1,200 rpm the main (J-2) fuel is turned on. The starter engine is kept engaged until the turbojet attains 2,000 rpm, at which the starter engine and starting fuel are turned off, the turbojet rapidly accelerating to rated speed of 9,500 rpm on the J-2 fuel}}</ref> axial-flow turbojets,{{Sfn|Gunston|1997|p=141}} as well as the prototype-only, higher-thrust [[Heinkel HeS 011#Design and development|Heinkel HeS 011]] design.


Most piston-engined aircraft used more than two cylinders, however other flat-twin aircraft engines from the 1920s and 1930s include the American [[Aeronca E-107]] and [[Aeronca E-113]], the British [[Bristol Cherub]], and the Czechoslovakian [[Praga B2]]. The [[HKS 700E]] is an oil-cooled flat twin for ultralight aircraft that is currently{{when?|date=February 2024}} in production.<ref>{{cite web |title=HKS Aviation Engines |url=http://www.hksengines.com/ |website=www.hksengines.com |access-date=10 August 2019}}</ref>
===Miscellaneous===
[[Maytag]] used its Model 72 flat-twin engines to power washing machines, although they were used as proprietary engines for other purposes as well.{{Sfn|Shelton|1999}}<ref name="MaytagCitations" />
Maytag began manufacturing the Model 72 engine in 1937 and, after a break in production from May 1942 to June 1945 due to World War II, continued manufacturing them until the 1950s.{{Sfn|Shelton|1999}}<ref name="MaytagClub37" /> Production ended some time between 1952<ref name="MaytagClub37" /> and 1960.{{Sfn|Shelton|1999}}


In larger aircraft, flat-twin engines have been used in [[auxiliary power unit]]s (APUs). A notable example was made by [[ABC Motors]] in the 1920s and 1930s.<ref name="Chaplin">{{cite journal| last1 = Chaplin| first1 = R. H.| last2 = Nixon| first2 = F.| editor-last =Poulsen| editor-first =C. M. | date = 1939-04-06| title = Ancillary Power Services| journal = Flight| volume = 35| issue = 1580| pages = 357–359| location = London| access-date = 2010-12-29| url = http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939%20-%201031.html| quote = Both lecturers discussed the claims of the auxiliary engine for supplying service power. This is a well-known British example, the A.B.C. flat twin. }}</ref> During World War II, the [[Norbert Riedel|Riedel]] firm in Germany designed and manufactured a two-stroke flat-twin engine as [[Aircraft engine starting#Gas turbine engines|jet engine starter motors]] for the Junkers Jumo 004, BMW 003 and Heinkel HeS 011 jet engines<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legendsintheirowntime.com/LiTOT/Content/1946/Av_4603_DA_BMW003.html |title=Design Analysis of BMW 003 Turbojet - "Starting the Engine" |last1=Schulte |first1=Rudolph C. |date=1946 |website=legendsintheirowntime.com |publisher=United States Army Air Force - Turbojet and Gus Turbine Developments, HQ, AAF |access-date=September 3, 2016 |quote=Starting procedure is as follows: Starting engine is primed by closing electric primer switch, then ignition of turbojet and ignition and electric starting motor of [[Norbert Riedel|Riedel engine]] are turned on (this engine can also be started manually by pulling a cable). After the Riedel unit has reached a speed of about 300 rpm, it automatically engages the compressor shaft of the turbojet. At about 800 rpm of the starting engine, the starting fuel pump is turned on, and at 1,200 rpm the main (J-2) fuel is turned on. The starter engine is kept engaged until the turbojet attains 2,000 rpm, at which time the starter engine and starting fuel are turned off, the turbojet rapidly accelerating to rated speed of 9,500 rpm on the J-2 fuel |archive-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929074301/http://legendsintheirowntime.com/LiTOT/Content/1946/Av_4603_DA_BMW003.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Gunston">{{cite book |last1=Gunston |first1=Bill |author-link1=Bill Gunston|title=The Development of Jet and Turbine Aero Engines |edition=Second |year=1997 |orig-year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=1-85260-586-3 |page= 141 }}
During World War II, motorcycle manufacturer [[Douglas (motorcycles)|Douglas]] built generators powered by their flat-twin engines,{{Sfn|Brown|2007}} Norman Engineering Company produced flat twin generators from 1932 to 1968, and Enfield Industrial Engines (part of [[Royal Enfield|Enfield Cycle Company]]) produced 250&nbsp;cc and 350&nbsp;cc flat twin 2-stroke petrol stationary engines during the war which were used for generators and other military uses. After the war they built flat-twin air-cooled diesel engines, with applications ranging from farm use to marine use. [[Coventry Victor]] introduced a diesel version of their existing 688&nbsp;cc petrol flat-twin in 1932, and went on to produce flat-twin diesel and petrol engines for a variety of industrial and marine uses well into the post-war period.{{Sfn|Baldwin|1987|p=111}}
</ref>


=== Other uses ===
Two-stroke flat-twins were a popular choice for use in [[outboard motor]]s, as they were smoother than single-cylinder engines. They lost popularity in the late 1940s to straight-twin two-strokes with 180-degree crankshafts that were easier to start and had an acceptable amount of vibration.{{Sfn|Holcolmb|1964|pp=34–35}}
The [[Maytag]] 'Model 72' flat-twin engines— produced from 1937 until some time between 1952 and 1960— were used in various applications including clothes washing machines.<ref name="Shelton">{{cite journal| last1 = Shelton| first1 = Charles L.| date = March–April 1999| title = Maytag Twins or 'Look-a-Likes'?| journal = Gas Engine Magazine| location = Topeka, Kansas, United States| publisher = Ogden Publications| format = aspx| access-date = 2010-12-28| url = http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Equipment/Maytag-Twins-or-Look-a-Likes.aspx| quote = The twin, or 72 as it was commonly referred to, was used primarily as a source of power for the Maytag washing machines. Even as late as the early '30s, some brands of washers were hand operated; thus a ready power source such as the twin had a great deal of influence on Americans' work habits.| archive-date = 2011-10-06| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111006154039/http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Equipment/Maytag-Twins-or-Look-a-Likes.aspx| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="Kinney">{{Cite web| url = http://www.herculesengines.com/Maytag/Default.htm| title = Maytag Engine-Driven Wringer Washer| access-date = 2009-01-08| last = Kinney| first = Keith| date = 2007-02-27| work = Old Iron and Other Americana: The collections of the Kinney family| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100117011736/http://www.herculesengines.com/Maytag/Default.htm| archive-date = 2010-01-17| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>*{{cite web| url = http://www.oldengine.org/docs/Maytag_SM.pdf| title = Maytag Service Instructions| pages = 11–16| access-date = 2010-12-27| archive-date = 2011-01-25| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110125120854/http://www.oldengine.org/docs/Maytag_SM.pdf| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="Hunn">{{cite book| last = Hunn| first = Peter| title = The Small-Engine Handbook | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKz21Fy2_r8C&q=Maytag+two+cylinder+engine| access-date = 2012-07-05| series = Motorbooks Workshop| date = Jun 13, 2005 | publisher = MotorBooks International| isbn = 978-0-76032-049-5| page = 42| chapter = Short Profiles of Manufacturers| chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKz21Fy2_r8C&q=Maytag+two+cylinder+engine&pg=PA24| quote = Often equipped with a foot pedal kick-starter, Maytag motors were available in both single-cylinder and opposed-twin formats.}}</ref><ref name="MaytagClub37">{{Cite web| url = http://www.maytagclub.com/page-37.htm| title = Maytag Multi-Motor Engines| access-date = 2009-01-08| publisher = Maytag Collector's club| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090527131149/http://www.maytagclub.com/page-37.htm| archive-date = 2009-05-27| url-status = dead}}</ref>
{{clear}}


Electrical generators using flat-twin engines were built by Norman Engineering Company from 1932 to 1968 and by Douglas during World War II.<ref name="Brown">{{cite journal| last1 = Brown| first1 = Roland|date=November–December 2007| title = 1955 Douglas Dragonfly| journal = Motorcycle Classics| publisher = Ogden Publications| access-date = 2010-12-28| url = http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-reviews/1955-douglas-dragonfly.aspx}}</ref> ''Enfield Industrial Engines'' (part of [[Royal Enfield]]) produced flat-twin two-stroke petrol engines during World War II which were used for generators and other military uses. After 1945, Enfield produced flat-twin diesel engines, with applications including farm and marine use. [[Coventry Victor]] introduced a diesel version of its existing 688&nbsp;cc petrol flat-twin in 1932, and went on to produce flat-twin diesel and petrol engines for a variety of industrial and marine uses into the 1950s.<ref name="Baldwin">{{Cite book|last= Baldwin|first= Nick|title= The World guide to automobile manufacturers|year= 1987|publisher= Facts on File Publications|isbn= 0816018448|url= {{Google books|iJa1AAAAIAAJ|The World guide to automobile manufacturers|page=111|plainurl=yes}}|access-date= 4 March 2015}}</ref>{{refpage|page=111}}
==Notes==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=BMWMotorcycles>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/bikes/index.jsp?bikeSection= |title=BMW Motorrad USA - Bikes |accessdate=2008-12-22 |work=bmwmotorcycles.com/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822022309/http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/bikes/index.jsp?bikeSection= |archivedate=2008-08-22 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref>


Two-stroke flat-twins were often used as [[outboard motor]]s for boats,{{when|date=August 2019}} as they were smoother than single-cylinder engines. In the 1940s, they were largely replaced by straight-twin two-stroke engines, which were easier to start and no longer had excessive amounts of vibration.<ref name="Holcolmb">{{cite journal | last1 =Holcolmb | first1 =Hank | editor-last =Juettner | editor-first =Walter R. |date=October 1964 | title =Inside Today's Outboards | journal =MotorBoating | volume =114 | issue =4 | pages =34–35 | location =New York, NY USA | publisher =Hearst | issn =1531-2623 | access-date =2013-05-18 | url ={{Google books|QYSfHsX__vgC|MotorBoating October 1964|page=34|plainurl=yes}} }}
<ref name="EncycloMotoBlueprint">{{harvnb|Wilson|1995}}, "Engine blueprint" sidebar on page 27</ref>
</ref>

<ref name=IndianAndHD>Helios:
*{{harvnb|Norbye|1984|p=15}}
*{{harvnb|Wilson|1995|p=26}}
Indian:
*{{harvnb|Wood|2001b|p=71}}
Harley-Davidson:
*{{harvnb|Mitchel|1997|pp=44–45}}
*{{harvnb|Wood|2001a|p=127}}</ref>

<ref name="MaytagCitations">Citations for Maytag 72 engine:
*{{harvnb|Kinney|2007}}
*{{cite web| url = http://www.oldengine.org/docs/Maytag_SM.pdf| title = Maytag Service Instructions| pages = 11–16| doi = | separator = }}
*{{harvnb|Hunn|2005|p=42}}</ref>

<ref name="MaytagClub37">{{Cite web| url = http://www.maytagclub.com/page-37.htm| title = Maytag Multi-Motor Engines| accessdate = 2009-01-08| publisher = Maytag Collector's club}}</ref>

<ref name="2CVStuff">{{cite web |url =http://www.2cvstuff.com/Files/ignition.pdf |title =2CV Stuff: A Series Ignition System - Specifications |website =2CV Stuff |publisher =Oui2 |location =Grantham, Lincolnshire, UK |type = |doi-broken-date = |oclc = |id = |archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20120316122922/http://www.2cvstuff.com/Files/ignition.pdf |archivedate =2012-03-16 |deadurl =yes |accessdate =2013-05-18 |quote = |ref = |df = }}</ref>

<ref name=TMCfuture>{{cite journal |last= |first= |date= October 5, 1916|title= The engine of the future|page= 283|journal= [[The Motor Cycle (magazine)|The Motor Cycle]]|publisher= Iliffe & Sons Ltd.}}</ref>

<ref name="MC1914">{{cite journal |last= |first= |date= 27 August 1914|title= A Sturmey-Archer Countershaft Gear|page= 274|journal= [[The Motor Cycle (magazine)|The Motor Cycle]]|publisher= Iliffe & Sons Ltd.}}</ref>

<ref name="MC1916">{{cite journal |last= |first= |date= November 9, 1916|title= Flat Twins|pages= 400–403|journal= [[The Motor Cycle (magazine)|The Motor Cycle]]|publisher= Iliffe & Sons Ltd.}}</ref>
}}


==References==
== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}
*{{Cite book|last= Baldwin|first= Nick|title= The World guide to automobile manufacturers|page= 111|year= 1987|publisher= Facts on File Publications|isbn= 0816018448|url= {{Google books|iJa1AAAAIAAJ|The World guide to automobile manufacturers|page=111|plainurl=yes}}|accessdate= 4 March 2015|ref=harv}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.breganzane.com/vm/history/v6/page3.html |title=Developing the V6 - Taming The Beast |first=Stephen |last=Battisson |year=1997 |work= The Laverda V6 |publisher=Stephen Battisson |page=3 |doi= |accessdate=2010-09-10 |quote=By arranging the rest of the engine internals to rotate in the opposite direction to the crankshaft their forces are cancelled out without having to resort to the weight, complexity and friction associated with two crankshafts. |ref=harv |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708092245/http://www.breganzane.com/vm/history/v6/page3.html |archivedate=July 8, 2011 }}
*{{cite book| last = Brooke| first = Lindsay| title = Ford Model T: The Car that Put the World on Wheels| url = {{Google books|dvZjf-4qbeAC|Ford Model T: The Car that Put the World on Wheels|page=38|plainurl=yes}}| accessdate = 2013-05-18| type = | year = 2008| publisher = Motorbooks| location = Minneapolis, MN USA| isbn = 978-0-76032-728-9| oclc = | lccn = | pages = 38–44| chapter = Chapter 1 Before the Model T| chapterurl = {{Google books|dvZjf-4qbeAC|Ford Model T: The Car that Put the World on Wheels|page=29|plainurl=yes}}| quote = | ref = harv}}
*{{cite journal| last1 = Brown| first1 = Roland|date=November–December 2007| title = 1955 Douglas Dragonfly| journal = Motorcycle Classics| publisher = Ogden Publications| accessdate = 2010-12-28| url = http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-reviews/1955-douglas-dragonfly.aspx| separator = |ref= harv}}
*{{cite journal|last= Cameron|first= Kevin|authorlink= Kevin Cameron (journalist)|title= TDC: Pumped|date= January 1992|page=14|journal= [[Cycle World]]|volume= 31|issue= 1|editor-last= Edwards|editor-first= David|publisher= Hachette Magazines|location= Newport Beach, CA US|issn= 0011-4286|url= {{Google books|eToxUA1LZbsC|TDC: Pumped|page=14|plainurl=yes}}|accessdate= 17 April 2015|ref=harv}}
*{{cite journal| last1 = Chaplin| first1 = R. H.| last2 = Nixon| first2 = F.| editor-last =Poulsen| editor-first =C. M. | date = 1939-04-06| title = Ancillary Power Services| journal = Flight| volume = 35| issue = 1580| pages = 357–359| location = London| accessdate = 2010-12-29| url = http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939%20-%201031.html| quote = Both lecturers discussed the claims of the auxiliary engine for supplying service power. This is a well-known British example, the A.B.C. flat twin. |ref=harv}}
*{{cite book |last1= Cocco|first1= Gaetano|title= Motorcycle Design and Technology|url= https://books.google.com/?id=Ydk0bgq2_3YC|accessdate= 2013-09-09|edition= English|year= 2004|publisher= Motorbooks International|location= St. Paul, MN USA|isbn= 0-7603-1990-1|page= 118|chapter= Chapter 11: The Engine|chapterurl= https://books.google.com/books?id=Ydk0bgq2_3YC&pg=PA113&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false|quote= However, it does create some problems for longitudinal development of the bike because the boxer cylinders have to be positioned high up from the ground in order to protect them from scraping the ground when leant over in turns.|ref= harv}}
*{{cite book |last1= Culshaw|first1= David|last2= Horrobin|first2= Peter|year= 2013|origyear= 1974|title= The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895 - 1975|type= |others= |edition= e-book|url= {{Google books|hVZWnZbUJOYC|The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895 - 1975|plainurl=yes}}|location= Poundbury, Dorchester, UK|publisher= Veloce Publishing|page= 373|isbn= 978-1-845845-83-4|ref= harv}}
*{{cite news|last= English|first= Bob|title= The engine that Benz built still survives|url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/classic-cars/the-engine-that-benz-built-still-survives/article4317376/|accessdate= 2013-12-19|newspaper= The Globe and Mail|location= Toronto, Canada|date= 2010-04-29|ref= harv|deadurl= yes|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131220085552/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/classic-cars/the-engine-that-benz-built-still-survives/article4317376/|archivedate= 2013-12-20|df= }}
*{{cite web| url = http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/sport_cruisers_comparison/index.html| title = Sport Cruisers Comparison - Seven Sport-Cruiser Motorcycles| first1 = Art| last1 = Friedman| first2 = Andrew| last2 = Trevitt| first3 = Andrew| last3 = Cherney| first4 = Jamie| last4 = Elvidge| first5 = Evans| last5 = Brasfield|date= April 2000| work = Motorcycle Cruiser| publisher = Source Interlink Media| location = | at = "Take a Spin" section, paragraph 4| doi = | accessdate = 2010-09-10| quote = Though the Valkyrie also has a longitudinal crankshaft, this torque reaction has been eliminated by making some of the components, such as the alternator, spin the opposite direction of the engine.| ref = harv}}
*{{cite book |last1=Gunston |first1=Bill |authorlink1=Bill Gunston|title=The Development of Jet and Turbine Aero Engines |accessdate= |type= |edition=Second |series= |volume= |year=1997 |month= |origyear=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens |location=Cambridge, England |isbn=1-85260-586-3 |page= 141 |chapter= |quote= |ref=harv }}
*{{cite journal | last1 =Holcolmb | first1 =Hank | editor-last =Juettner | editor-first =Walter R. |date=October 1964 | title =Inside Today's Outboards | journal =MotorBoating | volume =114 | issue =4 | pages =34–35 | location =New York, NY USA | publisher =Hearst | issn =1531-2623 | accessdate =2013-05-18 | url ={{Google books|QYSfHsX__vgC|MotorBoating October 1964|page=34|plainurl=yes}} | quote = | ref = harv}}
*{{cite book| last = Hunn| first = Peter| title = The Small-Engine Handbook | url = https://books.google.com/?id=ZKz21Fy2_r8C&dq=Maytag+two+cylinder+engine| accessdate = 2012-07-05| type = | edition = | series = Motorbooks Workshop| volume = | date = Jun 13, 2005 | publisher = MotorBooks International| location = | isbn = 978-0-76032-049-5| page = 42| chapter = Short Profiles of Manufacturers| chapterurl = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKz21Fy2_r8C&pg=PA24&dq=Maytag+two+cylinder+engine&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q=Maytag%20two%20cylinder%20engine&f=false| quote = Often equipped with a foot pedal kick-starter, Maytag motors were available in both single-cylinder and opposed-twin formats.|ref= harv}}
*{{cite book|last=Kimes |first=Beverly |title=Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 |year=1996 |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=0-87341-428-4 |page=572 |ref=harv}}
*{{Cite web| url = http://www.herculesengines.com/Maytag/Default.htm| title = Maytag Engine-Driven Wringer Washer| accessdate = 2009-01-08| last = Kinney| first = Keith| date = 2007-02-27| work = Old Iron and Other Americana: The collections of the Kinney family|ref= harv}}
*{{cite book |last= Mitchel|first= Doug|title= Harley-Davidson Chronicle|year= 1997|month= |origyear= |publisher= Publications International|location= Lincolnwood, Illinois, USA|isbn= 0-7853-2514-X|pages=44–45 |chapter= The Early Years (1903–1928)|ref= harv}}
*{{cite book|last=Norbye|first=Jan P.|title=BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines|year=1984|publisher=Beekman House|location=New York, NY, USA|isbn=0-517-42464-9|pages=14–17|chapter=The Origins of BMW: From Flying Machines to Driving Machines|ref=harv}}
*{{Citation |last= Partridge|first= Michael|year= 1976|title= Motorcycle Pioneers: The Men, the Machines, the Events 1860-1930|publisher= David & Charles (Publishers)|isbn= 0-7153-7-209-2|page= 42|chapter= 1905 {{fraction|2|1|2}}&nbsp;hp Joseph Barter motorcycle}}
*{{cite book| last = Rogliatti| first = Gianni| title = Period Cars| year = 1973| publisher = Hamlyn| location = Feltham, Middlesex, UK| isbn = 0-600-33401-5| page = 140| ref = harv}}
*{{cite journal| last1 = Shelton| first1 = Charles L.| authorlink1 = | editor-last =| editor-first =| editor-link =|date=March–April 1999| title = Maytag Twins or 'Look-a-Likes'?| journal = Gas Engine Magazine| location = Topeka, Kansas, United States| publisher = Ogden Publications| format = aspx| id =| issn = | oclc = | pmid = | pmc = | bibcode = | doi = | accessdate = 2010-12-28| url = http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Equipment/Maytag-Twins-or-Look-a-Likes.aspx| quote = The twin, or 72 as it was commonly referred to, was used primarily as a source of power for the Maytag washing machines. Even as late as the early '30s, some brands of washers were hand operated; thus a ready power source such as the twin had a great deal of influence on Americans' work habits.| ref = harv}}
*{{cite web|url= http://www.billzilla.org/pearce.htm|title= A Tribute to Man's First Powered Flight By Richard Pearse, on the 31st of March, 1903|last= Sherwood|first= Bill|date= 1999-02-21|ref=harv}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-10-most-unusual-engines-of-all-time-feature |title=The 10 Most Unusual Engines of All Time |last=Smith |first=Sam |date=October 2010 |website=[[Car and Driver]] |series= |publisher=Hearst |location= |at= Lanchester Twin-Crank Twin|format= |doi= |doi-broken-date= |issn= |oclc= |id= |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703192824/http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-10-most-unusual-engines-of-all-time-feature |archivedate=2012-07-03 |deadurl=no |accessdate=2013-05-17 |quote=One crank lived above the other, and each piston had three connecting rods—two light outer ones and a heavier one in the center. The light rods went to one crank, the heavy rods to the other, and the two shafts counterrotated. |ref=harv}}
*{{cite book|last=Willoughby|first=Vic|title=Classic Motorcycles|edition=Third impression|origyear=1975|year=1977|publisher=The Hamlyn Publishing Group|isbn=0-600-31870-2|page=23|chapter=Douglas|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Hugo|title=The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle|year=1995|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=London, UK|isbn=0-7513-0206-6|pages=26–32, 51|chapter=The A-Z of Motorcycles|ref=harv}}
*{{cite journal|editor-last= Wood|editor-first= Bill|title = Classics: 1942 Harley-Davidson XA|page=127|journal= American Motorcyclist|date= March 1999|volume= 53|issue= 3|issn= 0277-9358|url = {{Google books|A_cDAAAAMBAJ|Classics: 1942 Harley-Davidson XA|page=127|plainurl=yes}}|accessdate =2015-04-19|publisher = [[American Motorcyclist Association]]|location = Pickerington, OH US|quote = Mechanically, the large cooling fins stuck straight out in the breeze, reportedly keeping the XA’s oil temperature 100 degrees cooler than a standard Harley 45.|ref=harv}}
*{{cite journal|editor-last= Wood|editor-first= Bill|title= Classics: 1922 Harley-Davidson Sport Twin|page= 127|journal= American Motorcyclist|date= March 2001a|volume= 55|issue= 3|issn= 0277-9358|publisher= [[American Motorcyclist Association]]|location = Pickerington, OH US|url= {{Google books|HPsDAAAAMBAJ|Classics: 1922 Harley-Davidson Sport Twin|page=127|plainurl=yes}}|accessdate= 19 April 2015|quote = In building the Sport Twin, Harley took Douglas’ lead in orienting the cylinders in line with the frame.|ref=harv}}
*{{cite journal|editor-last= Wood|editor-first= Bill|title= Classics: 1917 Indian Model O|page= 71|journal= American Motorcyclist|date= October 2001b|volume= 55|issue= 10|issn= 0277-9358|publisher= [[American Motorcyclist Association]]|location = Pickerington, OH US|url= {{Google books|DfsDAAAAMBAJ|Classics: 1917 Indian Model O|page=71|plainurl=yes}}|accessdate= 19 April 2015|quote= Like the early Douglases, the Model O had its engine placed in the frame with the cylinders facing fore and aft, rather than sticking out to each side...|ref=harv}}
*{{cite web|url= http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Flight/Sci-Media/Images/Richard-Pearse-s-monoplane|title= Richard Pearse's monoplane|publisher= University of Waikato|date= 2012-04-26|ref={{harvid|SciMedia|2012}} }}


{{Commons category|Flat-twin engines}}
{{Commons category|Flat-twin engines}}

Latest revision as of 06:57, 12 November 2024

Douglas 80 Plus motorcycle engine (circa 1950)

A flat-twin engine is a two-cylinder internal combustion engine with the cylinders on opposite sides of the crankshaft. The most common type of flat-twin engine is the boxer-twin engine, where both pistons move inwards and outwards at the same time.

The flat-twin design was patented by Karl Benz in 1896 and the first production flat-twin engine was used in the Lanchester 8 hp Phaeton car released in 1900. The flat-twin engine was used in several other cars since, however a more common usage is in motorcycles; early models oriented the cylinders in line with the frame, however later models switched to the cylinders being perpendicular to the frame to provide even cooling across both cylinders.

Flat-twin engines were also used in several aircraft up until the 1930s and in various stationary applications from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The Australian lawnmower manufacturer Victa also produced a flat-twin engine push mower from August 1975 to 1980 dubbed the ‘Twin 500’, and later the ‘Supreme’. These engines were manufactured in Canada. They are very sought after as only small numbers were produced, most likely due to ignition- and fuel-related problems in early models. In the Supreme (the later model) all these problems were fixed with a rear-domed piston, crankcase mixers and refined ignition system[citation needed].

Typical design

[edit]
Boxer crankshaft configuration

Most flat-twin engines use a boxer configuration for the crankshaft and are therefore called "boxer-twin" engines. In a boxer-twin engine, the 180° crankshaft moves the pistons in phase with each other, therefore the forces generated by one piston are cancelled out by the other, resulting in excellent primary balance. The evenly spaced firing order also assists in reducing vibration. The equal and opposite forces in a boxer-twin engine do however generate a rocking couple, due to the offset distance between the pistons along the crankshaft.[1]: 27 

Wasted spark ignition system

A commonly used ignition system is wasted spark,[2] which is a simple ignition system using a double-ended coil firing both spark plugs on each revolution (i.e. during both the compression and exhaust strokes). This system is distributorless and requires only a single contact breaker and coil for the engine.[3]

Crankcase pressure

[edit]

The boxer-twin configuration can cause pressuring of the crankcase during each inward piston stroke and de-pressurisation during each outward piston stroke, since both pistons are moving inwards or outwards at the same time. This crankcase pumping effect (also found on single-cylinder engines and 360° parallel-twin engines) is usually addressed by means of a crankcase breather.[4]

The Citroën 2CV boxer-twin engine took advantage of this pumping effect to maintain a partial vacuum inside the crankcase, in order to reduce oil leaks when an oil seal malfunctions. This was achieved by using a one-way valve (a leather or rubber flap over a hole in the crankcase), to let air escape the crankcase but not enter it.[5]

Applications

[edit]

Automobiles

[edit]
Citroën 2CV engine (viewed from rear)

The beginnings of the flat-twin engine were in 1896, when Karl Benz obtained a patent for the design. A year later, his company Benz & Cie unveiled the first flat-twin engine, a boxer design called the "contra engine".[6]

In 1900, The Lanchester Engine Company began production of the Lanchester 8 hp Phaeton, which used a flat-twin engine.[7][8] This engine had an unusual design of two counter-rotating crankshafts, with each piston attached to its crankshaft by a thick connecting rod.[7] Each piston was also connected to the other crankshaft by two thinner connecting rods, causing the two pistons to move on the same axis.[7][8] It also had the torque reaction of one crankshaft cancel the torque reaction of the other, cancelling torque reaction in the engine.[7] Lanchester used this engine design until 1904.[8]

Other early uses of flat-twin engines were 1903-04 Ford Model A, the 1904-1905 Ford Model C, the 1905-1906 Ford Model F.[9][10]: 38–44  and several Jowett Cars models from 1910 to 1937.[11][12]: 188–189 

The Citroën 2CV, produced from 1948 to 1990, was one of the first front-wheel drive cars to use a flat engine. The 2CV was powered by an air-cooled boxer-twin engine. Also in 1948, the Panhard Dyna X was released with front-wheel drive and an air-cooled boxer-twin engine. Other cars following World War II using boxer-twin engines were the 1945-1954 Jowett Bradford van,[12]: 373 , the 1961-1976 DAF Daffodil, the 1961-1978 Toyota Publica, the 1965-1969 Toyota Sports 800 sportscar and several front-wheel drive models from Citroën and Panhard. Several rear-engined cars were also produced with boxer-twin engines originally designed for motorcycles, such as the 1957-1975 Puch 500, the 1957-1959 BMW 600 and the 1959-1965 BMW 700. The Brazilian manufacturer Gurgel Motores used an in-house developed water-cooled boxer-twin engine (Enertron engine) and the Volkswagen air-cooled boxer-four in several models from 1988 to 1994.

The Toyota U engine was an air-cooled flat-twin engine produced from 1961 to 1976. Introduced in the Toyota Publica subcompact car, the U engine was also used in the Toyota MiniAce small commercial vehicle and the Toyota Sports 800 sports car.

Motorcycles

[edit]

Transverse mounting

[edit]
1912 Douglas N3 engine

The benefits of using a flat-twin engine mounted with the crankshaft running perpendicular to the frame (therefore the cylinders being in line with the frame) are a low centre of gravity[13] and that a belt-drive or chain-drive system can be used to transmit drive to the rear wheel.[13][14] However, the downsides are uneven heat distribution (the front cylinder is more heavily cooled than the rear cylinder)[13][14] and a longer wheelbase is often required due to the length of the engine.[13]

The first flat-twin motorcycle engine was built in 1905 by the Light Motors Company in the United Kingdom. Originally named the Fée (renamed "Fairy" soon after its introduction),[15] it was designed as a "bicycle engine system" which transmitted power to a pulley on the rear wheel via a chain.[16] Manufacture of the Fairy was taken over by the Douglas Engineering Company, one of Light Motors' suppliers, when the Light Motors Company folded in 1907.[1]: 218–219  Later in 1907, Douglas changed the drivetrain from the chain and pulley design to a belt-drive system driven directly from the engine.[17] Later developments of the Douglas motorcycle were made with the cylinders in line with the frame until the Second World War.[1]: 51 

Other early flat-twin motorcycles used a similar layout, with their cylinders aligned along the frame and therefore with the crankshaft running transverse to the frame.[citation needed]

In 1914 the main supplier of rear-hub gearboxes, Sturmey-Archer, introduced a 3-speed countershaft gearbox with integral kick-starter,[18] which posed a design problem for motorcycles with transversely-mounted flat-twin engines. This gearbox could be relatively easily located behind a single-cylinder or V-twin engine, however this arrangement would result in an excessively long wheelbase for flat-twin engines. Solutions to this problem included using a countershaft below the engine (as used by the Douglas Fairy),[19] or a gearbox located above the engine,[13][20] although in some cases the cylinders were short enough to use the gearbox in the traditional location behind the engine.[21]

In 1916, most flat-twin motorcycles still used a transversely-mounted engine. The European models at this time included the Bradbury 3.5 hp (2.6 kW), the Brough HB, the Douglas 2.75 hp (2.05 kW) and 4 hp (3.0 kW) models, the Humber 3.5 hp and 6 hp (4.5 kW) models, the Matchless 6 hp, the Montgomery 6 hp, Williamson Flat Twin 8 hp (6.0 kW), and the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke Helios (the predecessor to BMW's first motorcycle). Models produced in the United States included the Indian Model O and the Harley-Davidson Model W.[22][14][1]: 26 [23]

Longitudinal mounting

[edit]
1942 Harley-Davidson XA engine
1967 BMW R 60/2 engine

The main benefit of mounting a flat-twin engine with the crankshaft in line with the frame (therefore the cylinders sitting sideways in the frame) is that an air-cooled engine receives the same amount of cooling for each cylinder.[1]: 26–27 [13] The Harley-Davidson XA, which used a flat-twin engine with the cylinders across the frame, maintained an oil temperature 100 °F (56 °C) cooler than a Harley-Davidson WLA with a V-twin with the cylinders in line with the frame.[24] A side benefit is that the cylinders provide protection to the rider in the event of a collision or fall, and keeps their feet warm in cold weather.[13][1]: 27  The downsides are that the engine cannot be mounted as close to the ground (otherwise the cylinders can scrape the ground during cornering)[25] and that it exposes the cylinders and valve covers to the danger of collision damage.[13][1]: 27 

Longitudinal mounting also means that the torque reaction will twist the motorcycle to one side (such as on sharp acceleration/deceleration or when opening the throttle in neutral) instead of shifting the weight balance between the front and rear wheels. However, many modern motorcycles reduce this effect by rotating flywheels or alternators in the opposite direction to that of the crankshaft.[26][27]

One of the first motorcycles with a longitudinally-mounted flat-twin engine was the 1916 ABC, which was built in the United Kingdom.[22] To accommodate chain drive, the ABC used a bevel drive at the gearbox to change the direction of the drive through ninety degrees.[1]: 10  BMW's first motorcycle, the 1923 BMW R 32 was another early example of a longitudinally-mounted flat-twin engine, although it this case the power was transmitted to the rear wheel via a shaft drive.[1]: 26 

Over time, longitudinal mounting became more common for flat-twin engines. BMW has a long history of flat-twin engine motorcycles,[1]: 26–32 [28] as do Ural (Russia) and Dnepr (Ukraine).

Aviation

[edit]
Bristol Cherub II installed in aircraft

In 1902, the Pearse monoplane (which would later become one of the first aircraft to achieve flight) was powered by a flat-twin engine built on a farm by a hobbyist inventor.[29][30][31] This engine used the unusual design of a single shared crank pin and double acting pistons.[32][33] In 1908, the French company Dutheil-Chalmers began production of flat-twin aircraft engines, which used two counter-rotating crankshafts.[34][35] The Dutheil-Chlamers engine was used by the 1907 Santos-Dumont Demoiselle No. 20 experimental airplane, with later versions of this airplane being produced with flat-twin engines from Darracq and Clément-Bayard.

Most piston-engined aircraft used more than two cylinders, however other flat-twin aircraft engines from the 1920s and 1930s include the American Aeronca E-107 and Aeronca E-113, the British Bristol Cherub, and the Czechoslovakian Praga B2. The HKS 700E is an oil-cooled flat twin for ultralight aircraft that is currently[when?] in production.[36]

In larger aircraft, flat-twin engines have been used in auxiliary power units (APUs). A notable example was made by ABC Motors in the 1920s and 1930s.[37] During World War II, the Riedel firm in Germany designed and manufactured a two-stroke flat-twin engine as jet engine starter motors for the Junkers Jumo 004, BMW 003 and Heinkel HeS 011 jet engines[38][39]

Other uses

[edit]

The Maytag 'Model 72' flat-twin engines— produced from 1937 until some time between 1952 and 1960— were used in various applications including clothes washing machines.[40][41][42][43][44]

Electrical generators using flat-twin engines were built by Norman Engineering Company from 1932 to 1968 and by Douglas during World War II.[45] Enfield Industrial Engines (part of Royal Enfield) produced flat-twin two-stroke petrol engines during World War II which were used for generators and other military uses. After 1945, Enfield produced flat-twin diesel engines, with applications including farm and marine use. Coventry Victor introduced a diesel version of its existing 688 cc petrol flat-twin in 1932, and went on to produce flat-twin diesel and petrol engines for a variety of industrial and marine uses into the 1950s.[46]: 111 

Two-stroke flat-twins were often used as outboard motors for boats,[when?] as they were smoother than single-cylinder engines. In the 1940s, they were largely replaced by straight-twin two-stroke engines, which were easier to start and no longer had excessive amounts of vibration.[47]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wilson, Hugo (1995). "The A-Z of Motorcycles". The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle. London, UK: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0-7513-0206-6.
  2. ^ "BMW Motorcycle Engine Animation". www.animatedpiston.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017.
  3. ^ "2CV Stuff: A Series Ignition System - Specifications" (PDF). 2CV Stuff. Grantham, Lincolnshire, UK: Oui2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  4. ^ Cameron, Kevin (January 1992). Edwards, David (ed.). "TDC: Pumped". Cycle World. 31 (1). Newport Beach, CA US: Hachette Magazines: 14. ISSN 0011-4286. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Citroen 2CV engine operation animation". www.discourse.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019.
  6. ^ English, Bob (2010-04-29). "The engine that Benz built still survives". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Canada. Archived from the original on 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  7. ^ a b c d Rogliatti, Gianni (1973). Period Cars. Feltham, Middlesex, UK: Hamlyn. p. 140. ISBN 0-600-33401-5.
  8. ^ a b c Smith, Sam (October 2010). "The 10 Most Unusual Engines of All Time". Car and Driver. Hearst. Lanchester Twin-Crank Twin. Archived from the original on 2012-07-03. Retrieved 2013-05-17. One crank lived above the other, and each piston had three connecting rods—two light outer ones and a heavier one in the centre. The light rods went to one crank, the heavy rods to the other, and the two shafts counterrotated.
  9. ^ Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause Publications. p. 572. ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
  10. ^ Brooke, Lindsay (2008). "Chapter 1 Before the Model T". Ford Model T: The Car that Put the World on Wheels. Minneapolis, MN USA: Motorbooks. ISBN 978-0-76032-728-9. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  11. ^ Specification tables
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