Liberty L-8

Liberty L-8
Liberty L-8 aircraft engine on display at the National Air and Space Museum; the first one built
Type	Piston aero engine
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Packard
Designed by	Jesse G. Vincent and Elbert J. Hall
First run	about 1917
Variants	Liberty L-4, Liberty L-6, Liberty L-12

The Liberty L-8, (also known as the Packard 1A-1100) engine was a prototype of the Liberty L-12 engine. Although it did not see mass production several were built. The pictured example is the first of them built. Manufactured by Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit, Michigan around 1917, it now resides in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Specifications (Liberty L-8)

Data from National Air and Space Museum,

General characteristics

• Type: 8-cylinder, liquid-cooled Vee aircraft piston engine
• Bore: 5 in (127 mm)
• Stroke: 7 in (178 mm)
• Displacement: 1,099.6 cubic inches (18.0 l)
• Length: 57 inches (1,448 mm)
• Dry weight: 575 pounds (260.8 kg)

Components

• Valvetrain: One intake and one exhaust valves per cylinder actuated via a single overhead camshaft per cylinder bank.
• Cooling system: Liquid-cooled

Performance

• Power output: 290 hp (216 kW) at 1,700 rpm
• Specific power: 0.26 hp/in³ (11.9 kW/L)
• Power-to-weight ratio: 0.45 hp/lb (0.74 kW/kg)

See also

Related lists

• List of aircraft engines

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liberty L-8.

• "Liberty L-8 (Packard) V-8 Engine". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 1 January 2011.