Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone

Last updated

R-2600
Wright R-2600 1.jpg
Wright R-2600 Cyclone radial engine
Type Radial engine
National origin United States
Manufacturer Wright Aeronautical
First run1935
Major applications
Number built85347 [1]
Developed from Wright R-1820

The Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14 (also called Twin Cyclone) is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright and widely used in aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s.

Contents

History

In 1935, Curtiss-Wright began work on a more powerful version of their successful R-1820 Cyclone 9. The result was the R-2600 Twin Cyclone, with 14 cylinders arranged in two rows. The 1,600  hp (1,200  kW ; 1,600  PS ) R-2600-3 was originally intended for the C-46 Commando (being fitted to the prototype CW-20A). It was also the original engine choice for the F6F Hellcat; a running change (one which would not stop production) for the CW-20A, and one in late April 1942 for the second XF6F-1, led to the adoption of the 2,000 hp (1,500 kW; 2,000 PS) Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp in the R-2600's place for both designs.

The Twin Cyclone went on to power several important American World War II aircraft, including the A-20 Havoc, B-25 Mitchell, TBF Avenger, SB2C Helldiver, and the PBM Mariner.

Over 50,000 R-2600s were built at plants in Paterson, New Jersey, and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Variants

Applications

Wright R-2600-3 on a B-23 Dragon B-23 Dragon Wright R-2600-3 engine.jpg
Wright R-2600-3 on a B-23 Dragon
Wright R-2600 Cyclone being fitted to a North American B-25 Mitchell, at North American Aviation, Inglewood, California Mounting motor on a Fairfax B-25 bomber, at North American Aviation, Inc., plant in Inglewood, Calif.jpg
Wright R-2600 Cyclone being fitted to a North American B-25 Mitchell, at North American Aviation, Inglewood, California
R-2600 on display at Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB 20-09-105-R 2600.jpg
R-2600 on display at Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB

Specifications (GR-2600-C14BB)

Data fromJane's. [10]

General characteristics

Components

Performance

See also

Related development

Comparable engines

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone</span> 1937 18-cylinder radial piston engine family by Wright

The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone is an American twin-row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine with 18 cylinders displacing nearly 3,350 cubic inches (54.9 L). Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp, depending on the model. Developed before World War II, the R-3350's design required a long time to mature before finally being used to power the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. After the war, the engine had matured sufficiently to become a major civilian airliner design, notably in its turbo-compound forms, and was used in the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation airliners into the 1950s. The engine is commonly used on Hawker Sea Fury and Grumman F8F Bearcat Unlimited Class Racers at the Reno Air Races. Its main rival was the 4,360 in3 (71.4 L), 4,300 hp (3,200 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, first run some seven years after the Duplex-Cyclone's beginnings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grumman TBF Avenger</span> American naval torpedo bomber

The Grumman TBF Avenger is an American World War II-era torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval aviation services around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grumman F6F Hellcat</span> United States Navy fighter airplane

The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United States Navy's dominant fighter in the second half of the Pacific War. In gaining that role, it prevailed over its faster competitor, the Vought F4U Corsair, which initially had problems with visibility and carrier landings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp</span> American WWII-era aircraft engine

The Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp is an American twin-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial aircraft engine with a displacement of 2,800 cu in (46 L), and is part of the long-lived Wasp family of engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grumman XTB2F</span> Type of aircraft

The Grumman TB2F was a cancelled twin-engined torpedo bomber project, intended as Grumman's successor to the successful TBF Avenger. However, only a mockup was ever constructed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin PBM Mariner</span> American patrol bomber flying boat

The Martin PBM Mariner was a twin-engine American patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War era. It was designed to complement the Consolidated PBY Catalina and PB2Y Coronado in service. A total of 1,366 PBMs were built, with the first example flying on 18 February 1939 and the type entering service in September 1940, with the last of the type being retired in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright R-1820 Cyclone</span> R-9 piston aircraft engine family

The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Union as the Shvetsov M-25.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright Cyclone series</span>

Wright Cyclone was the name given to a family of air-cooled radial piston engines designed by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation and used in numerous American aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior</span>

The Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior was an engine used in American aircraft in the 1930s. The engine was introduced in 1932 as a 14-cylinder version of the 9-cylinder R-985. It was a two-row, air-cooled radial design. Displacement was 1,535 cu in (25.2 L); bore and stroke were both 5+316 in (132 mm).

The Martin XB-33 Super Marauder was a proposed World War II American bomber aircraft. It was designed by the Glenn L. Martin Company as the Martin Model 190 and was a high-altitude derivative of the company's B-26 Marauder. Two different designs were developed, first as a twin-engined aircraft and then as a four-engined aircraft. The four-engined version was ordered by the United States Army Air Forces, but the program was cancelled before any aircraft were built.

The BMW 802 was a large air-cooled radial aircraft engine, built using two rows of nine cylinders to produce what was essentially an 18-cylinder version of the 14-cylinder BMW 801. Although promising at first, development dragged on and the project was eventually cancelled to concentrate on jet engines instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shvetsov ASh-82</span>

The Shvetsov ASh-82 (M-82) is a Soviet 14-cylinder, two-row, air-cooled radial aircraft engine developed from the Shvetsov M-62. The M-62 was the result of development of the M-25, which was a licensed version of the Wright R-1820 Cyclone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consolidated PB2Y Coronado</span> Type of aircraft

The PB2Y Coronado is a large flying boat patrol bomber designed by Consolidated Aircraft, and used by the US Navy during World War II in bombing, antisubmarine, and transport roles. Obsolete by the end of the war, Coronados were quickly taken out of service. Only one known example remains, at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright R-1300 Cyclone 7</span>

The Wright R-1300 Cyclone 7 is an American air-cooled seven-cylinder supercharged radial aircraft engine produced by Curtiss-Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brewster XA-32</span> Type of aircraft

The Brewster XA-32 was an American attack aircraft, a mid-wing type with an internal bomb bay. The prototype had the R-2800 engine, but it could take the intended R-4360 powerplant. After a dismal set of test results, the XA-32 did not enter production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shvetsov ASh-21</span> Soviet radial piston aircraft engine

The Shvetsov ASh-21 is a seven-cylinder single-row air-cooled radial aero engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfa Romeo 135</span> Motor Engine

The Alfa Romeo 135 Tornado was an Italian 18-cylinder radial engine designed by Giustino Cattaneo in 1934–1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright Whirlwind series</span> Family of radial aircraft engines

The Wright Whirlwind was a family of air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical. The family began with nine-cylinder engines, and later expanded to include five-cylinder and seven-cylinder varieties. Fourteen-cylinder twin-row versions were also developed, but these were not commercially produced.

The Wright R-4090 Cyclone 22 was an American experimental radial piston engine designed and built in prototype form by Wright Aeronautical during the 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakajima Mamoru</span> 1940s Japanese piston aircraft engine

The Nakajima Mamoru engine was a 14-cylinder, air-cooled, two-row radial engine of 1870 hp. At some 44.9 litres displacement, it was one of the largest-displacement 14-cylinder radial engines in the world, rivalling the similar configuration Allies' American Wright Twin Cyclone engine of 42.7 litre and Soviet Shvetsov ASh-82 engine of 41.2 litre displacement levels, and was meant to compete with early 18-cyl engines. The Nakajima model designation for this engine was NAK while it was an experimental project, in service it was known as the NK7, and known as the Ha-103 by the Army and "Mamori" or "Mamoru" by the Navy. According to unified designation code it was Ha-36. The meanings of these two Japanese words are very similar, Mamori translates as protection and Mamoru, translates as to guard, protect, defend and obey.

References

Notes

  1. "SUMMARY OF WRIGHT ENGINE SHIPMENTS 1920 – 1930" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-10-10. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  2. Friedman, Norman (30 October 2016). Fighters Over the Fleet Naval Air Defence from Biplanes to the Cold War (1 ed.). Pen & Sword Books. p. 61. ISBN   9781848324060. The prototype R-2600-2, rated at 1,500hp for take-off ...
  3. "Teesside Aviation News" (PDF) (Press release). Teesside, UK: Teesside Aviation Society. 1982-11-01. Retrieved 2021-04-06. ... for the RAF, 19 were experimentally fitted with R-2600-4-53 Cyclones ... engines of 1650 hp.
  4. Francillon, Renè (1989). Grumman Aircraft Since 1929. Putnam Aeronautical. p. 196. ISBN   9780851778358 . Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  5. Grossnick, Roy (1995). "Appendix 1: Aircraft Data—Technical Information and Drawings" (PDF). TBF/TBM Avenger. Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons. Vol. I: The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP, and VFA Squadrons. Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. p. 512. ISBN   0-945274-29-7 . Retrieved 2021-04-03 via Naval History and Heritage Command.
  6. United States Civil Aeronautics Administration Aircraft Listing. United States Civil Aeronautics Administration. 1949. p. 68. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  7. Thomas, Cleaver (19 Oct 2017). "The Pacific Theater". Pacific Thunder The US Navy's Central Pacific Campaign, August 1943–October 1944 (1 ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 45. ISBN   9781472821867. The XF6F-1 was powered by the Wright R-2600 14- cylinder Twin Cyclone radial engine. After meeting O'Hare, Grumman suggested a power increase which ... put the super new Pratt & Whitney R-2800 ... in the second prototype.
  8. Andrade 1979, p 51
  9. Thruelsen 1976, p 193
  10. Jane's 1998, p. 317.
  11. Liss, Witold (1967). The Lavochkin La 5 & 7. Aircraft Profiles. Vol. Number 149. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications. p. 3.

Bibliography

  • Andrade, John (1979). U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. ISBN   0-904597-22-9.
  • Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1998). Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio Editions Ltd. ISBN   0-517-67964-7.
  • Gunston, Bill (2006). World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines: From the Pioneers to the Present Day (5th ed.). Stroud, UK: Sutton. ISBN   0-7509-4479-X.
  • Thruelsen, Richard (1976). The Grumman Story. New York: Praeger Publishers. ISBN   0-275-54260-2.
  • White, Graham (1995). Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II: History and Development of Frontline Aircraft Piston Engines Produced by Great Britain and the United States During World War II. Warrendale, Pennsylvania: SAE International. ISBN   1-56091-655-9.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Wright R-2600 at Wikimedia Commons