ENGINE ROOM
Aircraft Engines on Display
Herring-Curtiss Engine
1908 or 1909 Herring-Curtiss 4-stroke, 4-cylinder water-cooled aircraft engine designed by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss. It has a Berling magneto and internal Ford Model-T car parts, including the crankshaft. There’s a 1912 stamp in the front timing cover and “Herring-Curtiss” stamped on the oil pan/crankshaft cover. Parts were probably switched from other engines because there is evidence of damage, such as a thrown rod or a broken crank.
This is one of the earliest aircraft engines ever made. It was used by Curtiss in his Golden Flyer biplane, also known as the Curtiss No. 1 (the first aircraft both designed and built by Curtiss). Curtiss flew the Golden Flyer to win the Scientific American trophy in 1909. Later that year, the Golden Flyer crashed and was badly damaged. The Museum’s engine arrived at OAM as a box of parts with the comment “I think it may be an airplane engine.” The engine was restored and identified in 2010 by the Aviation Club at Los Altos (Ca) High School, under the guidance of Greg Ely, OAM Crew Chief and Museum Trustee.
Pratt and Whitney R-2800
An 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine (2 rows of 9) developing 2,535hp. This engine is/has been used world wide since its development in 1939. It powered many aircraft including, but not limited to: F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, F7F Tigercat, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-61 Black Widow, B-26 Marauder, A-26 Invader, C-46 Commando, AF-2 Guardian, Douglas DC-6 airliner
General Electric J47 Jet Engine
Date: c. 1948-1956
The General Electric J47 turbojet (GE Company designation TG-190) was developed by General Electric from the earlier J35 engine and first flew in May 1948. The J47 was the first axial-flow turbojet approved for commercial use in the United States. It was used in the Boeing B-47, Stratojet, KB-50J Superfortress, KC-97L Stratotanker, Convair B-36, Martin XB-51, North American FJ-2 Fury. More than 30,000 were manufactured before production ceased in 1956. It was continued service in the US Military until 1978
Additional information: Serial#: GE-008-574"
Wright R-3359 Cut-Away Engine
Date: Undated
Wright R-3350 Engine (Cut-away) 18 Cylinder, Air Cooled Twin-Row Radial.
Up to 200 HP per cylinder
Made by the Wight Aeronautical Corp., Paterson, New Jersey. It was used in Lockheed Constellation, DC-6, DC-7, and in C119-G Model Aircraft. It is supercharger fuel injected and generated up to 3600 HP.
This engine is on loan from John O'Connell High School and is presented by Bob Jevarian in memory of Hank Sherman, Aeronautics Instructor, John O'Connell High School, San Francisco.
