Early Flight1 -- tripe1.jpg

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The rotary engines threw out a lot of oil & there was a ring of fire around the tops of the cylinders.  These planes would burn too easily in a day when self-sealing fuel tanks didn't exist.  Besides, the fabric was painted with a highly flammable paint.  The cowling would collect the oil & then the oil would run out the bottom of the cowling & down the bottom of the aircraft instead of onto the goggles of the pilots. The cowling contained the flames from the exhausts & provided streamlining.