Actually, most WW1 aircraft used water cooled engines such as the Liberty.
The Rhone rotary, which you mention, was a rather weird exception, not
having a throttle at all, merely a "blip switch". The engine ran at full
power; to land, you interrupted the ignition. It was difficult to make, and
the main problem for a fighter was the centrifugal force inherent in
rotating objects. The "gyro" action of the engine made the aircraft less
maneuverable.
Best,
Ray McCrary
"Speed is Life;
of course Luck and Altitude
are helpful, too."
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