South Australian Aviation Museum
merlin run

SAAM has a large and historically significant collection of Aircraft Engines. Many are in storage but if you visit SAAM, you will be able to see some of them on display. Once or twice a year, SAAM holds an engine run and open cockpit day, where visitors could see (and especially hear) some of these engines run and also sit in some of the cockpits normally closed to the public. Check our facebook page for latest news. Also look at the videos of our 'runners' doing their thing (below).
The First Aircraft Engine Built in Australia
Wittber Engine
On 13 March 1910, Carl (Bill) Wittber was conducting taxiing trials in a paddock at Bolivar in a Bleriot X1 monoplane imported by Adelaide businessman Fred Jones, when the aircraft rose about 5 feet and travelled for about 40 yards. This was the first aircraft flight in Australia. The Bleriot, piloted by Fred Custance, crashed 4 days later. Bill Wittber bought the wreck and was planning to use the Anzani engine in a bi-plane he was building but it was not powerful enough. He built a 6 cylinder engine based on the 3 cylinder Azani design. The engine was completed in 1915, but the government stepped in and banned any further civilian attempts at flying. This so disheartened Wittber that he burnt the timber frame and covering of his aircraft and sold the engine. In his retirement, however, he did seek out the remaining parts of his engine, and reconstructed it. You can see this engine at in Hangar 1 at SAAM.
Engines at SAAM (some on display, some in storage)
Allison
Allison
Turbo Prop
ASCheetah
Armstrong Siddeley
Cheetah
ASLynx
Armstrong Siddeley
Lynx Radial
Blackburn
Blackburn
Tomtit
BSViper
Bristol Siddeley
Viper Turbojet
DHGypsy
de Havilland
Gipsy Major
DHGypsy
de Havilland
Gipsy Major 140
DHGypsyQueen
de Havilland
Gypsy Queen
Gnome
Gnome Monosoupape
Rotary c.1914
HSViper
Hawker Siddeley
Viper Turbojet
Lycoming
Lycoming
 
Lycoming
Packard
Merlin
PWJT3
Pratt & Whitney
JT-3 Turbofan
PW-R985
Pratt & Whitney
R-985
PWWasp
Pratt and Whitney
R-1340 Wasp
RRAvon
Rolls Royce
Avon Turbojet
RRDerwent
Rolls Royce Derwent
RD8 Turbojet
RRKestrel
Rolls Royce
Kestrel V-12
RRMerlin
Rolls Royce
Merlin MKIII
RRNene
Rolls Royce
Nene Turbojet
Walter
Walter
Minor 6-111
WestinghouseJ34
Westinghouse
J34 Turbojet
Witber
Wittber Aero Engine
Sth. Aust. 1914
WrightR2600
Wright
2600 Radial
Running Engines
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