Charles Norvin Rinek; An Early American Pioneer in Advanced Aviation Engines

Charles Norvin Rinek (1888-1980), one of America's largely unknown aviation pioneers, built and flew some innovative engines. His principal contribution to aeronautical engineering was a series of pre-World War I engines (mainly water-cooled 4-stroke V-8s) that exhibited advanced construction materials, relatively light weight, enhanced reliability, and clever mechanical features. He also manufactured wood propellers of sophisticated design and built and flew a test-bed aircraft. He modified this 1909 pusher biplane design from a basic French 1908 Voisin, successfully using new and advanced engineering materials, such as chrome-moly alloy steel tubing. His engineering work has been displayed at a few prominent aeronautical museums, including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.