Cyril Pullin
| Cyril Pullin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 August 1892 Wandsworth, London, England |
| Died |
23 April 1973 (aged 80) Poole, Dorset, England |
| Residence | London, England, U.K. |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Motorcycle designer, racer and aeronautical engineer |
Cyril Pullin was a British inventor, engineer and motorcycle race driver. His inventions contributed to the rotary engine and the helicopter. His son was the pilot for the first successful British helicopter flight in 1938. Cyril Pullin died in 1973 aged 80.
Cyril George Pullin was born 1892 in Wandsworth, London. He became a well known motorcycle racer and in 1914 won the Isle of Man TT race.
In 1914 Cyril Pullin won the Isle of Man TT with a record average of 49.49 mph on a Rudge Multi which had a variable belt drive gearbox giving an effective option of over 20 speeds which made a huge difference on the hills. The race, which ran for over four hours was led by Oliver Godfrey (riding an Indian) and Howard R Davies (on a Sunbeam) who dead heated for second place when Pullin overtook them both to win by only 6.4 seconds. Pullin's success on the day was sadly marred when fellow competitor in the Junior TT Frank Walker came round the final corner on his Royal Enfield to find the road blocked by people trying to see the finish. He did his best to avoid injuring spectators but was killed in the crash. Following the tragedy the organisers of the TT introduced rope barriers and crowd control.
On 23 March 1922 at Brooklands Pullin established a new record and became the first ever British motorcyclist to be timed at over 100 m.p.h. on a 3 hp Douglas 500cc motorcycle.
In the 1920s Pullin developed various helicopter engine patents and in the 1940s he developed the Powerwheel, a rotary engine in the hub of a motorcycle wheel, a rotating single-cylinder engine known as a one-lunger. This consisted of just the cylinder and a clutch which could be engaged and disengaged, with a simple drum brake. The invention never entered production but is credited as an important step in rotary engine development.
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