Engine Pics Page 1

Allison

The Allison V-1710 engine is one of the most important American built engines during WWII.  It was a 1710 cubic inch V-12 engine that produced from 1,100hp to 2250hp.  An experimental turbo-compound version was rated at 2,980hp.  This engine was used by the Lockheed P-38, Bell P-39 Cobra, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, North American P-41A Mustang, Bell P-63 King Cobra, and the North American P-82 Twin Mustang.  The lack of a dual stage supercharger on early Allison engines prompted the induction of the Rolls Royce Merlin into the Mustang.  This made aircraft such as the P-51 and P-38 able to fly at the high altitudes required to escort bombers and earn their rightful place in history.  After the war these engines also found their way into unlimited hydroplane and air racing.

The Allison V-3420 was a large double-vee engine that produced 2,885hp.  It was essentially two Allison 1710 engines mounted side by side in a single crankcase.  The crankshaft was then geared into a single crankshaft.  It was used to power a variety of experimental aircraft during WWII including the Douglas XB-19, Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightening, Boeing XB-39 Superfortress, and the Fisher P-75 Eagle.

Continental

This is the Continental IO-550 rated at 300hp.  It was a horizontally opposed six cylinder engine with a displacement of 550 cubic inches.  This engine will be used in a T-34B Mentor.  It will be used as a replacement for the original Continental O-470 rated at 225hp.  These engines are more readily available and provide an increase in reliability and performance for the aircraft.  Many of the T-34's have underwent this conversion to keep these warbirds flying.

Franklin

The Franklin GO-425 powered the Stinson L-13A Liaison aircraft.  It was a horizontally-opposed 6 cylinder engine rated at 245hp.

General Electric

The General Electric J33 I-40 was developed and first flew in the XP-80 in 1944.  In 1945 development was passed on to Allison which would go on to produce over 6,600 of this type.  The engine was a single stage centrifugal compressor turbojet with a single stage turbine.  This model develops 3,825lbs of thrust at 11,500 rpm, but later models would develop up to 6,100bls of thrust.  These engines were used in the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, T-33 Shooting Star, and T1/T2 Seastar. 

Guiberson

The Guiberson is one of the more unusual engines on the site.  The Guiberson A-1020 was produced by the Guiberson Diesel Company of Dallas, Texas and was certified by the government in February of 1940.  It was a 1020 cubic inch engine that weighed 653lbs with a power output of 310hp.  It was a radial engine that was composed of a single row of 9 cylinders. This engine was one of two diesel radial engines available in the late 30's.  This engine was fitted to a Stinson Reliant.  The other engine, a Packard built engine was a nine cylinder 225hp engine that was fitted to a Waco biplane.  Due to a previous commitment to produce tank engines the Guiberson company could not regain orders for the otherwise excellent 1020.  It was a very reliable, low fuel consumption engine.

Hispano Suiza

The Hispano Suiza 12Y-31 was a rather large 2,196 cubic inch V-12 engine rated at 860hp.  Eventually a supercharger was added which brought the power up to 1,084hp.  Licensed under the Russians it was called the M-100 and rated at 1,100hp.  It powered two French fighters that entered service just prior to WWII.  The airplanes were the Dewoitine D.520 and the Moraine Saulnier MS.406.

Liberty

The Liberty V-12 was the engine that powered the de Havilland D.H.4, the only American built aircraft to see action in WWI.  It was a twelve cylinder engine with a power output of 400hp.  It was unusual in design when compared to the European engines in that it used coil ignition rather than magnetos and the cylinders were inclined at 45 degrees rather than the more conventional 60 degrees.  This was to reduce frontal area of the aircraft that the engine powered.  At 1649 cu. in. the engine is almost identical in displacement to the Rolls Royce Merlin.  This engine was also used to power various British and Russian tanks in the late 20's and early 30's.  This engine was produced by a variety of engine manufacturers including Packard, Ford, General Motors, and Lincoln.  It was used to power the first aircraft across the Atlantic and the first across the U.S.  The Lincoln Liberty was the most reliable and interestingly enough the Packard Merlin was considered to be the most unreliable.

Mercedes Benz

This engine is the Mercedes Benz D-B 605C.  It is a 12 cylinder engine with a dual stage supercharger and intercooler setup and power output of 1,475hp.  Unlike the Rolls Royce and Allison engine it was fuel injected.  Being 2,179 cu. in. engine it was more akin to the Rolls Royce Griffon engine in it's displacement than the Rolls Royce Merlin and Allison engines that it typically fought against.  One unusual characteristic was that it was an inverted V engine.  (cylinder heads facing down)  It was this series of engine powered the Messerschmitt Bf 109G, the preferred aircraft of top German aces.  The 600 series engine was used to power the pre-war Me209 to establish the world speed record of 469.22 mph on April 26, 1939.  This record would stand for over 30 years when Lockheed Test Pilot Darryl Greenamyer broke it by flying 483.041 mph in a highly modified F8F-2 Bearcat on August 16, 1969.  It also was built under license in Japan and powered the Ki-61 "Tony" and built by the Italians to power the Macchi Castoldi M.C. 205 "Veltro". 

Nakijima Sakae

The Nakajima Sakae engine was a 1,696 cubic inch 14 cylinder air cooled radial engine.  The cylinders were arranged in two rows of seven and it was an air cooled engine.  It produced from 925hp to 1,210hp.  This was the engine that powered the Mitsubishi A6M  "Zeke" or more commonly known as the Zero.  The Zero gave the Japanese fleet the air supremacy during the early years of WWII.  It also powered the Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber.  During the attack on Pearl there were 144 Kate bombers.  Kates were responsible for the sinking of the carriers Hornet, Lexington, and Yorktown.

Pratt & Whitney

The Pratt & Whitney R-1830 "Twin Wasp" was developed in 1932.  It was a 14 cylinder radial engine arranged in two banks of seven.  IThe engine produced between 775hp and 1,200hp.  In the 1930's it was one of the most reliable aircraft engines.  It was used extensively in WWII.  It powered the Douglas R4D Skytrain, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Douglas DC-3/C-47 Skytrain, Consolidated PBY Catalina, and the Grumann F4F-4 Wildcat.  The Wildcat went on to dominate in the Pacific against the Japanese Zero.  This engine also powered a variety of British aircraft including the Shorts Sunderland, Bristol Beaufort, and Maryland bombers.

This is the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp that powered many fighters of WWII such as:  the Grumman F6F Hellcat, F7F Tigercat, F8F Bearcat, the Chance Vought F4U Corsair, and the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.  It also powered many transports and bombers of WWII including the Doublas A-26 Invader, DC-6/C-188, Martin B-26 Marauder, Curtiss C-46 Commando, Fairchild C-123 Provider, and Lockheed Ventura.  It had a horsepower rating from 1,800-2,500hp.  Approximately 125,000 of these engines were eventually produced.  In 1940 this engine set a world speed record for military aircraft when the prototype XF4U Corsair hit 405mph in level flight. 

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