When did the 1300-1350 hp Wright Cyclone start production? When did they begin installing them in Wildcats?
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According to America's 100 Thousand, 310 x FM2s had been delivered by 31 Dec 1943.
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I didn't know there was such an engine. Were the higher horsepower engines installed in B-17s?
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- #6
I think they mostly went into FM2 Wildcats, the late model "wilder Wildcat" that GM built
Conslaw
Senior Airman
What did they do to get the extra 150 horsepower?
The FM2 engines were single stage two speed engines, that were optimized for low altitude performance. The B-17 used turbo-supercharged engines, IIRC, and were quite different in their implementation.
Dash119
Senior Airman
The R-1820-97 used in the B-17 utilized a Turbo-Supercharger(Turbocharger in modern parlance) which feed a mechanical Supercharger, making it a hybrid Two Stage system. This same set-up was utilized by every Turbo-Supercharged aircraft fielded by the U.S. during the war.
B-17G R-1820 engines had a war-emergency rating of 1380 HP which is in the same class as the engine installed in FM-2s, although the design was different. After the war R-1820s were produced with ratings up to 1525 HP.
Conslaw
Senior Airman
Was the 1350 HP rated on 100/130 octane? We're they ever evaluated on 150
Barrett
Senior Airman
Good thread, gents. We had one of the finest Wright artistes in the Northwest 1960s-70s when flying the N3N and SBD. He insisted that the 1820 got a bad rep ("There's only four things wrong with a B-17") because Detroit had trouble mass-producing engines to aviation specs. Oil tended to pool in four spots on the hardstand until quality control improved. Which it did.
Shortround6
Major General
The 1300-1350HP R-1820 was the "H" model. about the only things it had in common with the 1200HP "G200" in the B-17 were the bore and stroke. It was the "H" that went on to 1425 and then 1525 hp postwar.
changes include (but not limited to) new forged cylinder heads, new cylinder barrels with the rolled in sheet metal "W" fins instead of machined fins, 20 hold down bolts instead of 16 and other mechanical and material improvements.
You can't just use 115/145 fuel and or water injection in an old G200 engine and see anywhere near the same improvement without either blowing the engine up or seriously degrading the engine life.
One source says Wright started delivering the H engines in October of 1942.
changes include (but not limited to) new forged cylinder heads, new cylinder barrels with the rolled in sheet metal "W" fins instead of machined fins, 20 hold down bolts instead of 16 and other mechanical and material improvements.
You can't just use 115/145 fuel and or water injection in an old G200 engine and see anywhere near the same improvement without either blowing the engine up or seriously degrading the engine life.
One source says Wright started delivering the H engines in October of 1942.
Conslaw
Senior Airman
What about higher hp versions of the R-1820's competitor, the P&W R-1830?
Shortround6
Major General
They got it up to 1350hp in a few late versions used in P4Y-2's, C-87Cs with two speed superchargers, B-24Ks and N were supposed to get a single speed version with turbo. At least one DC-3 got them (test bed aircraft?) or refits?
Improved cooling fins, cooling muff, supercharger, crankshaft used plain bearings. engine with single speed supercharger weighed as much as much as an R-1830 with a two stage supercharger.
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
Improved cooling fins, cooling muff, supercharger, crankshaft used plain bearings. engine with single speed supercharger weighed as much as much as an R-1830 with a two stage supercharger.
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
The R-2000 was an R-1830 with the cylinder bored out from 5.5 to 5.75 in. It was built not for more power but to enable the same power level to be maintained using the lower octane fuel that was more likely to be found at some of the more remote airfields. In the late 1930's 73 octane fuel was "normal" and even postwar light aircraft engines were certified to use that.
One source of the increased HP in the later R-1820 was the supercharger. Wright found that the original GE-designed supercharger impeller was only about 60% efficient. Wright redesigned it and increased it first to 65% and then over 75% for the last of the engines built.
One source of the increased HP in the later R-1820 was the supercharger. Wright found that the original GE-designed supercharger impeller was only about 60% efficient. Wright redesigned it and increased it first to 65% and then over 75% for the last of the engines built.
