Part two of the Quest for Power series breaks down rotary and radial engines, why circular layouts solved cooling and reliability, and why they also came with nasty tradeoffs. From WWI rotaries to ...

During World War II the radial engine was popular, and it was used in many fighter and bomber aircraft. Manufacturers in aviation used them because the engines deliver a ton of power for their size, ...

As the automotive propulsion industry shifts toward electrification, the last-of-breed combustion engines are a stultifyingly similar bunch, focused around the same CAD-optimized 500cc cylinder ...