Duesenberg 16-valve straight-4 aero engine

Duesenberg 16-valve straight-4 aero engine
1917 newspaper advertisement for the aero engine
Type	Water-cooled, straight-4 piston engine
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Duesenberg
Designer	Fred Duesenberg
First run	1916
Developed from	Duesenberg 16-valve straight-4 racing engine

The Duesenberg 16-valve straight-4 aero engine was based on the company's earlier engine of a similar configuration used for automotive racing. Completed in 1916, the first two engines were delivered to the Gallaudet Aircraft Company for use in their D-1 maritime patrol aircraft later that year.

Data fromDuesenberg Aircraft Engines: A Technical Description ^[1]

General characteristics

• Type: Liquid-cooled, straight-4 piston engine
• Bore: 4.75 in (121 mm)
• Stroke: 7 in (178 mm)
• Displacement: 496 cu in (8,130 cm³)
• Length: 43.375 in (1,101.7 mm)
• Width: 15.5 in (390 mm)
• Height: 37.5 in (950 mm)
• Dry weight: 509 lb (231 kg) (geared version)
• Designer: Fred Duesenberg

Components

• Valvetrain: Two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder actuated by rocker arms
• Fuel system: 1 × Miller updraft carburetor
• Oil system: Wet sump, one pressure pump
• Cooling system: Pressurized water
• Reduction gear: 0.579:1

Performance

• Power output: 140 hp (100 kW)
• Specific power: 0.25 lb/cuin (2.2 kg/kW) (geared)
• Power-to-weight ratio: 3.64 lb/hp (2.31 kg/kW) (geared)

Citations

1. Pearce, pp. 30–33

Bibliography

• Gordon, Robert (August 2004). "The Gallaudet Story: Part 8A: The D-1 Hydroplane for the Navy". WWI Aero: The Journal of the Early Aeroplane (185): 30–45. ISSN   0736-198X.
• Gordon, Robert (November 2004). "The Gallaudet Story: Part 8B: The D-1 Hydroplane for the Navy". WWI Aero: The Journal of the Early Aeroplane (186): 12–21. ISSN   0736-198X.
• Pearce, William (2012). Duesenberg Aircraft Engines: A Technical Description. Los Osos, California: Old Machines Press. ISBN   978-0-9850353-0-3.