These engines played a big part in WWI. The earlier Gnome was replaced by Le Rhone engines of similar design which employed a slightly different method of connecting rod attachment to the crank shaft. Some also employed only a single push rod for both valves.

The unique feature of all of these engines was that the crankshaft remained stationary.The crank shaft was rigidly attached to the air frame and the prop, cylinders and crank case rotated as one piece.

Fuel was fed through the hollow crank shaft into the crank case.

In early models only a spray nozzle was used, past which the air flowed on its way into the crank case. The later Le Rhone did use some induction pipes.

Gnome Valves consisted of an intake in the cylinder head and an exhaust valve in the top of the cylinder.

Later models - Le Rhone - eliminated one valve, using instead a port drilled in the cylinder skirt. It retained the head valve and was frequently referred to as the "Monosoupape".

Gnomes were built in various sizes: 7, 9, & 14 cylinder. The latter developed 180 HP.

Niether engine had a throttle and engine control was ignition "on off" controlled by a button atop the control stick called the "coupe" button.

The Museum's Gnome engine was purchased for the Weisbrod Aircraft Museum and donated by the Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society.

The engine shown was completely disassembled and restored by the PHAS team of: Ted Baer, Gerald Putnam, Joe Harman, Bob Dyleski and R. K. Darr.
It was so badly rusted that it had to be soaked for weeks in various rust removal solutions before the pistons could be forced out of the sleeves and then only by wielding of appropriately sized hammers and extreme pressure applied by various hydraulic means.