Max Bentele
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Dr. Max Bentele (born Ulm, Germany January 15, 1909 - died New York, USA May 19, 2006 at age 97) was a notable pioneer in the field of jet aircraft turbines and mechanical engineering. His significant contributions to the development of the Wankel engine earned him the title of the father of the Wankel engine in the USA.
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[edit] Bentele in Germany
Bentele had been fascinated with engineering at an early age and graduated from the Technical University of Stuttgart in the Fall of 1928 with a degree in mechanical and electrical engineering. Bentele spent his life up to the war years of World War II working on turbine blade design for the Heinkel-Hirth HE078, Germany's new jet aircraft. Bentele excelled at this task, and after the war he managed one of Heinkel-Hirth's few remaining machine shops, this one virtually unscathed. He excelled at this job as well, and was approached to undertake the designing and manufacturing much needed spare parts for Allied Jeeps. It was this manufacturing and supply business that truly exemplified his talents, and its continued success for many years stood as proof to the great work of Dr. Bentele.
[edit] Bentele in the United States
Bentele left his successful business at the request of the Americans and British in order to study and repair damaged German jet aircraft. Bentele successfully built twelve new aircraft for such purposes and pleased the Americans. While it is believed he was interogated at this time, Bentele made many invaluable contacts and friendships which ultimately brought him to the United States for good. Bentele temporarily returned to Heinkel-Hirth in Germany and established a thriving moped business there. It was also during this time that Bentele hired himself out to work on turbine- and direct- fuel injection engines for such firms as Bosch, L'Orange, Daimler-Benz, and the British Ministry of Supply. Shortly thereafter he immigrated to the United States where he was to work for Curtiss-Wright, developing and improving fascinating new technologies.
[edit] Curtiss-Wright
Immediately after World War II, the Curtiss-Wright Corporation, the American aircraft manufacturing company directly descending from the famed Wright brothers and industrial Glenn Curtiss, became primarily a defense contractor supplying aircraft and aircraft engines. In 1949 the ambitious and opinionated Roy Hurley became president of the company and immediately sought to acquire Bentele at literally any price. While Curtiss-Wright had been one of the top aircraft and aircraft engine producers in the world, the company was slow do adopt the new turbojet engine which began to dominate the market. There was simply no more possible tinkering that could be done to greatly improve Curtiss's engines- a complete overhaul was necessary. Curtiss needed a new engine if it were to seriously compete for much needed government contracts which dominated the market. Bentele was the perfect man for the job.
Although Bentele did not have the proper government clearance which would seem to have hindered his ability, he worked to the fullest of his potential and brought results. In 1958, Hurley acquired Studebaker Packard, and it was soon discovered that German automobile and engine producer NSU had been working hard on a remarkable engine concept: the Wankel Rotary engine of Dr. Felix Wankel. Security surrounding this project was surprisingly lax for such a revolutionary invention, and it was even arranged for Bentele to study a model on his own, exploring the potential further development and production of such an engine at Curtiss-Wright. After a long weekend, Bentele emerged more than impressed with the project and was an admirer of fellow mechanist Dr. Wankel (whom he was familiar with during the war).
The Curtiss-Wright corporation, led by the unstoppable Roy Hurley, was determined that such technology would enable the comeback they so despereately needed. The Germans were very familiar and respectful of Dr. Bentele and Bentele was a great asset to Curtiss-Wright. As luck would have it, NSU, who held full patents and rights to the Wankel-dreived engine in many countries at the time, failed to patent their engine in the United States, due to complex patent laws and their lawyer who was unfamiliar with these laws. Eventually a deal was made that allowed Curtiss-Wright to gain a liscense on Wankel's technology, and was something that changed history. On October 21, 1958, Curtiss-Wright became the first company to purchase a liscence at the rate of $2.1 million and a 5% commission on all engines sold. Although Curtiss was forced to share major technological developments, Curtiss was the sole liscense holder of Wankel's little wonder in the United States.
In 1958 Bentele was asked by Hurley to head the R&D program on the new Wankel rotary engine. Much planning went into effect, and Bentele and his team decided that NSU just wasn't approaching their development in the right way. Bentele started from the ground up, running one of the most efficient research and development programs in the country, beginning with mathematical formulas and the solving of many problems even before physically touching the engine. Bentele determined what was needed and what was not, and was given full access to whatever accommodations he needed. Bentele's work on the engine was top secret, however word leaked to the public and it became common knowledge that Curtiss was developing a Wankel engine. The public was not familiar with the secretive engine, however rumors spread like wildfire regarding the engines immense potential. When Curtiss went public with this information, NSU got angry, claiming that Bentele and Curtiss were trying to make it as though the Wankel were the product of American ingenuity and that they were denying any German involvement. This dispute was forgotten shortly thereafter.
As development continued throughout the early 1960s, Bentele and Curtiss were accused of fraudulent activity, as investors and stocks soared however there was no real product on the market yet at the time.
[edit] Father of the Wankel Engine in the USA
Bentele and his team studied the concepts of the Wankel rotary engine and in only six months were ready to start designing a prototype. Bentele settled on a 60 cubic inch design using most of Wankel's original geometric designs in the DKM54 model. In its first dyno test in 1959, the new model, dubbed the IRC6, provided the spectacular performance of 100 bhp at 5500 rpm, which was highly impressive for such a small engine design. Bentele then proceeded to design a custom cooling system that surpassed the NSU's and increased engine performance and reliability. Extensive experimentation went on in nearly every aspect of the engine's design, per Bentele's orders, and this process took several years. Horsepower was gradually increased, as was general size of the engine and many other aspects as well. The late RC2-60 engine was tested in a 1966 Ford Mustang and performed extremely well, providing similar performance to the Mustang's original V8 with much less fuel consumption, noise and vibration, and physical size. The engine was also highly durable and only consumed one quart of oil per 100,000 miles of use.
In November 1962, Bentele developed a larger 425-horsepower aircooled four-rotor variant of the RC2-60 called the 4RC-6 designed for heavy duty use and for potential aircraft use. It was the first multi-rotor Wankel engine ever built and was a true technological masterpiece.
Throughout his fulfilling career at Curtiss-Wright, Bentele was responsible for developing Wankel engine technology in more ways than anyone, perhaps even Dr. Wankel himself. And although Curtiss-Wright amassed a large number of patented Wankel engine designs through Bentele's hard work, none of these engines were ever produced for consumption due to complex corporate issues (Deere and Co. was given the liscense for the considerably nominal fee of $14 million, hoping to utilize such technology in its manufacture of farming- and commercial- equipment and tractors); nevertheless his work lives on in every Wankel engine produced around the world, as this technology was utilized by many manufacturers both in America and worldwide.
[edit] Impact
Bentele was a true pioneer in life and his successes have shaped the world in which we live in today. His knowledge and brilliance with regard to turbine jets were largely responsible for the successful eventual development of United States jet airplanes which were to dominate the skies worldwide from nearly the instant they took to the air. His pivotal role in the Wankel rotary engine development program financially helped one of America's greatest corporations at the time, and more importantly helped the Wankel engine succeed in the world. Much of what we know today regarding these engines is imspired by him. Although the actual unique engine itself was designed by Dr. Felix Wankel, the true commercial success and worldwide applications of these truly revolutionary engines would not have been possible without the development of Bentele. In the 1950s and 1960s, such an engine was seen as truly remarkable and the way of the future. Today, the compact and efficient rotary engines have commercial applications in automobiles, notably in Mazda sports and racing cars (Mazda acquired a Wankel liscense in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spent many years refining the design), many boat and marine craft, as well as in small custom airplanes built by enthusiasts and small aircraft companies.
Dr. Max Bentele truly revolutionized the field of corporate engineering, research and development, and was chair of the SAE until his death on May 19, 2006. One of the most prestigious engineering awards given by the SAE is named for him.
[edit] References
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- Bentele, M. (1991). Engine Revolutions: The Autobiography of Max Bentele. Warrendale, PA.: SAE. (ISBN-13: 978-1-56091-081-7)
- Hege, John B. (January 2001). The Wankel Rotary Engine: A History. Jefferson, NC.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. (ISBN-10: 0786411775 ISBN-13: 978-0-78641-177-1)
- Meher-Homji, Cyrus B., Prisell, Erik, "Dr. Max Bentele-Pioneer of the Jet Age". Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power. April 2005. Volume 127, Issue 2, pp. 231-239
