1923 Gérin Aérodyne re-visited

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You may remember when Reg Winstone displayed his unique 1923 Gérin Aérodyne on our stand at 2012 Retromobile and was seen again this year on Bonham's stand where it found its new owner, Olivier. He sends us some pictures of the engine after stripping it down and investigation. "...We are making progress on the Gerin and every time we take something apart we are taken back by the engineering involved with the car. For example the piston top are domed (Hemi), the valves are domed, the springs are conical (Race cars in the US just started using this concept 20 years ago), check out the gear system for the cam shafts (no backlash possible) etc.."

It was built to Gérin's design by high performance experts Janvier Sabin of Montrouge  and in their workshop they were also working on the 10 litre twin cam straight eight for the Djelmo land speed record car. Jacques Gérin received his training in Voisin's aircraft factory where he was influenced by high quality engineering and fertile minds.

Olivier has prepared a video graphic for us of the 2-litre, 4 cylinder overhead valve engine with dual ignition (probably from aviation practice of belt and braces rather than combustion efficiency). The castings are notably clean for a one-off and even the rocker shafts run in roller bearings.  The whole engine and drive unit is designed to be removable/replaceable in eight minutes flat with only three spanners.

Joris: "Do you expect to have the engine running this week?" Olivier: "No it will not we are waiting for a head gasket, the engine will run later next week. We are remaking the missing transmission gears and hopefully by the end of summer the car will drive. I will keep you updated."

Read the detailed story of this unique car in The Automobile - October 2012, and watch Reg Winstone share his expert and informed opinion in this video.

(Text Robin Batchelor, pictures courtesy Olivier Cerf and author)

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