Numerous types of Gnome engines were designed and built, one of the most famous being the 165-hp 9-N "Monosoupape" (one valve). It was used during WWI primarily in the Nieuport 28. The engine had one valve per cylinder. Having no intake valves, its fuel mixture entered the cylinders through circular holes or "ports" cut in the cylinder walls. The propeller was bolted firmly to the engine and it, along with the cylinders, turned as a single unit around a stationary crankshaft rigidly mounted to the fuselage of the airplane. The rotary engine used castor oil for lubrication. .

Credits - NASA