American Superchargers (who made 'em?)

[gjs238]

I saw a page on the internet referring to General Electric superchargers.

Does anyone know who made the superchargers on P&W, Wright, Allison, etc American engines?
Was it GE, the engine manufacturers themselves, or someone else?

Note: I'm not referring to turbochargers, which I know were often called superchargers.

 

[Shortround6]

It depends on when.

During the late 20's and early Thiirties, GE suplied superchargers and or designs to P&W, Wright and perhaps Curtiss and Packard (this well before WW II and the Packard built Merlin) although in small numbers to last two. By the late thirties P&W was unhappy with GE superchargers and was designing their own. Wright may have been designing their own also.
Allison got into the game late and if they ever used a GE supercharger it would have been in the mid Thirties on an experimental engine (actually ALL Allisons were experimental/developmental until about 1938 ). They too were unhappy with what GE could provide and soon started making/designing their own. I believe any wartime Allison used an Allison designed supercharger.

Not sure about Lycomingl or Ranger.

 

[Colin1]

Curtiss endured a forced marriage with the GE/Allison arrangement
mainly because the USAAC (or more specifically, Arnold himself) were determined to invest lots of money in the match-up. I believe Allison's incarnation showed up first in the YP-37, this would have been early 1939 when the Air Corps ordered about a dozen of the type for evaluation.

Engine would have been the V-1710-21 coupled with the GE B-2 supercharger.

 

[Shortround6]

I am not sure what you are refering to?

Curtiss engine manufacturing merged with Wright but that was in 1929-30?

Allisons were first specified for the Bell Airacuda even if it did fly after the XP-37.

GE did supply the Turbochargers for those engines but the engine driven superchargers on them may very well have been designed by Allison.

I thought that "gjs238" was asking about the engine superchargers and not the turbos?

 

[Colin1]

I thought that gjs238 was asking about superchargers and not turbos?

Yep
my mistake, I'll read the post properly next time

 

[fibus]

Has everyone forgot the turbos on the Allison's on the P 38?

 

[Shortround6]

There is no question that GE made the turbos on the P-38s.

the question is whether or not GE had anything to do with the Gear driven supercharger on the Allison engine.
They had a lot to do with the superchargers on P&W Wasps and Hornets. Maybe on the Wasp Jr. and the early Twin Wasp.
Probably had a lot to do with the superchargers on the early Wright Cyclones.