Wright R-1820

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Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclone Radial Engine
Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclone Radial Engine

The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 was an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright and widely used on 1930s through 1950s aircraft.

Contents

[edit] History

The R-1820 Cyclone 9 represented a further development of the Wright P-2 engine dating back to 1925. Featuring a greater displacement and a host of improvements, the R-1820 entered production in 1931. The engine remained in production well into the 1950s.

The R-1820 was built under license by Lycoming, Pratt & Whitney Canada and also, during World War II, by the Studebaker Corporation. The Soviet Union had purchased a license for the design, designated M-25, and the Shvetsov OKB was formed to further develop the engine.

The R-1820 was at the heart of many famous aircraft including the early Douglas airliners (prototype DC-1, the DC-2, earliest civilian versions of the DC-3, and the limited-production DC-5), B-17 Flying Fortress and SBD Dauntless bombers, the early versions of the Polikarpov I-16 fighter (as M-25), and the Piasecki H-21 helicopter.

The R-1820 also found limited use in armored vehicles in two forms. The G-200 was a 9-cylinder gas-burning radial that developed 900 hp @ 2,300 rpm and powered the M6 Heavy Tank. The Wright RD-1820 was converted to a diesel by Caterpillar Inc. as the D-200 and produced 450 hp @ 2,000 rpm in the M4A6 Sherman.

[edit] Models/Variants

Unit numbers ending in/with 'W' indicate engines fitted with water-methanol emergency power boost system.

  • R-1820-1 - 575 hp (429 kW)
  • R-1820-80 - 700 hp (522 kW)
  • R-1820-78 - 700 hp (522 kW)
  • R-1820-4 - 770 hp (574 kW)
  • R-1820-F53 -770 hp (574 kW)
  • R-1820-33 - 775 hp (578 kW)
  • R-1820-G102 - 775 hp (578 kW) , 1,200 hp (895 kW)
  • R-1820-F56 - 790 hp (589 kW)
  • R-1820-50 - 850 hp (634 kW)
  • R-1820-45 - 930 hp (694 kW)
  • R-1820-22 - 950 hp (708 kW)
  • R-1820-34 - 950 hp (708 kW)
  • R-1820-53 - 1,000 hp (750 kW)
  • R-1820-G5 - 1,000 hp (750 kW)
  • R-1820-G105 - 1,000 hp (750 kW)
  • R-1820-G101 - 1,100 hp (820 kW)
  • GR-1820-G102A - 1,100 hp (895 kW)
  • R-1820-40 - 1,200 hp (895 kW)
  • R-1820-60 - 1,200 hp (895 kW)
  • R-1820-97 - 1,200 hp (895 kW), Fitted with turbosupercharger
  • R-1820-G205A - 1,200 hp (895 kW)
  • R-1820-62 - 1,350 hp (1,007 kW)
  • R-1820-72W - 1,350 hp (1,007 kW) , 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
  • R-1820-86 - 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
  • R-1820-103 - 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
  • R-1820-74W - 1,500 hp (1,118 kW)
  • R-1820-82WA - 1,525 hp (1,137 kW)
Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclone with some labeled components. Click image for a larger version.
Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclone with some labeled components.
Click image for a larger version.

[edit] Specifications

[edit] R-1820-C9HC

General characteristics

  • Type: 9-cylinder supercharged air-cooled radial engine
  • Bore: 6.125 in (155.6 mm)
  • Stroke: 6.875 in (174 mm)
  • Displacement: 1,823 in³ (29.88 L)
  • Length: 47.29 in (1,200 mm)
  • Diameter: 55.12 in (1,400 mm)
  • Height: 55.12 in (1,400 mm)
  • Dry weight: 1,333 lb (605 kg)

Components

  • Valvetrain: Two pushrod-actuated valves per cylinder with sodium-cooled exhaust valve
  • Supercharger: Single-stage two-speed centrifugal type supercharger, blower ratio 7.134:1 at low speed and 10.04:1 at high speed
  • Fuel system: Stromberg PD12K10 downdraft carburetor with automatic mixture control
  • Fuel type: 90 octane
  • Oil system: Dry sump with one pressure and one scavenging pump
  • Cooling system: Air-cooled

Performance

  • Power output:
    • 1,300 hp (970 kW) at 2,600 rpm at 4,000 ft (1,220 m) military power
    • 1,000 hp (745 kW) at 2,600 rpm at 17,500 ft (5,330 m) military power
  • Specific power: 0.71 hp/in³ (32.5 kW/L)
  • Compression ratio: 6.55:1
  • Power-to-weight ratio: 0.98 hp/lb (1.60 kW/kg)

[edit] G-200-781C9GC1

General characteristics

  • Type: 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engine
  • Bore: 6.125 in (155.6 mm)
  • Stroke: 6.875 in (174 mm)
  • Displacement: 1,823 in³ (29.88 L)
  • Length: 47.29 in (1,200 mm)
  • Diameter: 55.12 in (1,400 mm)
  • Height: 55.12 in (1,400 mm)
  • Dry weight: 1,350 lb (612 kg)

Components

  • Valvetrain: Two pushrod-actuated valves per cylinder with sodium-cooled exhaust valve
  • Supercharger: Magneto
  • Fuel system: Stromberg carburetor
  • Fuel type: 80 octane
  • Oil system: Dry sump with one pressure and one scavenging pump
  • Cooling system: Air-cooled

Performance

  • Power output:
    • 825 hp net at 2,300 rpm
    • 1830 pound-feet at 2100 rpm
  • Compression ratio: 4.92:1

[edit] Applications

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[edit] Vehicles

[edit] References

[edit] Related contents

Related developments

Comparable engines