P&W R-2000, R-2180: any good info?

[tomo pauk]

The more obscure radial engines, compared with R-1830 R-2800, about which I'd like to know more. Is there a good on-line source, or a nice book about the R-2000 R-2180?

 

[Shortround6]

I have a number of old reference books. 1938, 1942 and 1946 "Jane's all the worlds aircraft". 1941, 1944, 1946 and few later Wilkinson's "Aircraft engines of the world". "Aircraft Engines" by A. W. Judge, 1940. And a few others books like "Allied aircraft piston engines of World War II" By Graham White.
What do you want to know?
The first R-2180 was described in the 1938 Jane's but disappeared from the scene shortly after. The Second R-2180 was a post war engine with almost nothing in common with the earlier engine. The R-2000 doesn't show up until the DC-4/C-54 comes out.
The description of the R-2000 on Wiki is actually close enough to other sources that you can pretty much rely on it.

Unlike wiki's description of the Early R-2180 Twin Hornet. While the bore and stroke were the same and they both used 14 cylinders there might not have been much else that was common.

 

[tomo pauk]

I'd like to know some numbers: performance, dimensions, reliability, numbers produced per year etc

 

[Shortround6]

For the R-2000 engine production numbers for 1941 are 9 engines, 1 in July and 8 in December. For 1942 406 engines are produced followed by 1449 in 1943 and 3164 in 1944. Data was restricted as of Dec 1943 so contemporary books give little information.

Perhaps this will help: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/1f78aa99851224c58525676a0067217f/$FILE/ATTB1RFZ/5E-5.pdf

Dimensions from another source are dia: 49.1 in , frontal area 13.2 sq ft, weight 1595lbs.

Information on the Twin Hornet is really sketchy. It seems to have been "announced" in 1937 but the first plane designed to use it may not have flown until June of 1938. Ratings, like many pre-war engines depend on the fuel that was planned to be used. 1400hp for take off at 2,500rpm is often mentioned. but that is with 95-100 octane fuel. 87 octane cut it to 1200hp for take off. 1150hp was available as a max continuous (rich) on 95 octane. Bore was 5.75in and stroke 6in (same as an R-2800).
It appears to never have been used in a production airplane (and the post-war one was only used in the SAAB airliner)
You may want to think of it as an R-2800 with 4 cylinders missing. Remember that early R-2800s were good for 1850hp for take off. Just over 100hp per cylinder.

 

[WJPearce]

The R-2180 is really two different engines.
R-2180A
The first was the R-2180A and design was started in 1935. P&W had too much on their plate so after a run of 30 engines from 1937-1939, the R-2180A was dropped.

Horsepower: 1200-1500
RPM: 2500-2600
Cylinders: 14
Weight: 1665-1647 lbs
Bore: 5.75in
Stroke: 6.0in
First Run: 1936
Number built: 30

R-2180E
In 1944 P&W had the idea to produce a commercial engine incorporating all they have learned over its 20 years of experience. This engine became the R-2180E. This particular engine permitted the use of reversible-pitch, full feathering hydromatic propellers. It also had some valve timing trickery to increase power. This was the last piston engine produced by P&W.

Horsepower: 1650
RPM: 2800
Cylinders: 14
Weight: 1830-1870 lbs
Bore: 5.75in
Stroke: 6.0in
Number built: 75
Diameter: 54.00in
Length: 76.00-76.20in

R-2000
The R-2000 was a further development of the R-1830 built in 1939.

Horsepower: 1300-1450
RPM: 2700
Cylinders: 14
Weight: 1570 lbs
Bore: 5.75in
Stroke: 5.5in
First run: 1939
Number built: 12,966
Diameter: 49.50in
Length: 60.70in

For books on P&W history I would recommend:
The Engines of Pratt Whitney: A Technical History by Jack Connors, 2010. Mr. Connors worked for P&W mainly in the jet age but gives a very good account of the piston engine days as well. The first 160 pages cover piston engines. Most of the info above comes from this book. You will also find a few engines that are more obscure than the ones you have listed.

The Pratt Whitney Aircraft Story, by Pratt Whitney Aircraft, 1950. This is a company published history and a great read.

I do not know of any sources that deal in detail with the R-2000 or the R-2180.

WJP

 

[tomo pauk]

Many thanks for your contribution, fellas

 

[Piper106]

I believe it is Graham White's book about the R4360 (subtitled; P&W Major Masterpiece) that has a little bit about the postwar R-2180E engine. That version of the R-2180 was more or less 1/2 of a R-4360 'corncob'. Same cylinders, valve pushrods, and same cam ring arrangement as the R-4360. As you may know, despite the same bore and stroke, R-4360 cylinders will not interchange with R-2800 cylinder due to the different pushrod orientation.

What I think I know is that there were very few (less than 100???) of thes post war R-2180E engines sold, the only user being the Saab 90 airliner.

Piper106

 

[krieghund]

Hello, I have posted info on both engines in the engine technical section. Hope that provides what you are looking for.

 

[tomo pauk]

Thanks.

Will look at your post, krieghund

 

[flyboy0890]

Anyone have any engine manuals for the 2180 ? A friend of mine bought one of the engines. I haven't layed eyes on it yet but apparently this one doesn't look like it has ever been run before.

 

[swampyankee]

Anyone have any engine manuals for the 2180 ? A friend of mine bought one of the engines. I haven't layed eyes on it yet but apparently this one doesn't look like it has ever been run before.

One place to look is the AEHS site (enginehistory.org). You can also ask Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. While I don't think they support their piston engines again, they haven't exactly forgotten them, either, and could direct you to the companies that are still providing support. You could also contact museums, such as NEAM