Editing Rotary engine (section)

===Distinction between "rotary" and "radial" engines===
A rotary engine is essentially a standard [[Otto cycle]] engine, with cylinders arranged radially around a central crankshaft just like a conventional [[radial engine]], but instead of having a fixed [[cylinder block]] with rotating [[crankshaft]], the crankshaft remains stationary and the entire cylinder block rotates around it. In the most common form, the crankshaft was fixed solidly to the airframe, and the [[propeller]] was simply bolted to the front of the [[crankcase]].

[[File:Rotary engine - animation slower.gif|thumb|Animation of a seven-cylinder rotary engine with every-other-piston firing order.]]

This difference also has much impact on design (lubrication, ignition, fuel admission, cooling, etc.) and functioning (see below).

The [[Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace]] in Paris has on display a special, "sectioned" working model of an engine with seven radially disposed cylinders. It alternates between rotary and radial modes to demonstrate the difference between the internal motions of the two types of engine.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://vimeo.com/41546699 |title=Vimeo video of Musee de l'Air "rotary/radial" alternating aviation cross-sectional kinetic model display |access-date=2016-11-07 |archive-date=2019-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702212318/https://vimeo.com/41546699 |url-status=live }}</ref>