Piston Engines   

NASW's collection of WWII vintage piston engines.

Pratt & Whitney

R-2800

Double Wasp

A two-row, 18 cylinder radial design providing up to 2,500 horsepower. An important factor of Allied air supremacy in World War II, the Double Wasp was in production until 1960.

Displacement: 2,904 cubic inches Revolutions per minute: 2,250-2,800 Weight: 2,360 pounds Production years: 1939-1960 Number of engines produced: 125,334

Used on: Curtis Wright SB2C-6 Helldiver Douglas DC-6 / C-118 / R6D Liftmaster Goodyear FG-1, 3, 4 Corsair Grumman F6F Hellcat Lockheed C-69E Constellation

Pratt and Whitney

R-4360 Wasp Major

A four-row, 28 cylinder radial with the cylinders in a spiral arrangement, providing 3,000 horsepower initially, and up to 4,300 horsepower in later models.

The exhaust was so powerful that the exhaust pipe was tuned and provided additional thrust equal to between two and three hundred horsepower.

Displacement: 4,360 cubic inches Revolutions per minute: 3,99-4,300 Weight: 3,482-3,870 pounds

Used in: B-36 XB-44 Super Fortress, C-97 / Boeing 377 Stratocruiser

Wright

Cyclone

GR-1820-97-G205

Radial 9 cylinders 1200 hp

Used In: Lockheed A-29, Twin Engine Transport Curtiss Hawk, "Mohawk" Fighter Boeing B-17 G "Flying Fortress" four engine bomber Also used in Search and Rescue (SAR), and metereological fligths