The year 1925 marked a major turning point in the
development of aircraft engines for two reasons. First, it was the year that
Wright Aeronautical Corporation introduced the J-5 "Whirlwind". Second, it was
the year that the Pratt & Whitney "Wasp" first ran. These two engines were the
start of a string of successful air-cooled engines that revolutionized the
delivery of air mail, air transportation, Navy fighters, and air racing.
Before 1925, most successful engines had been liquid-cooled. They had also been heavy, temperamental, and not very reliable.
Nevertheless, these anachronistic engines powered aircraft through the early years of aviation, through the First World War, and through much of the barnstorming era of the 1920s and 1930s.
The 120 HP Argyll -
Pioneer Sleeve Valve Aero-Engine
by Jerry Wells
The Curtiss OX-5 has the distinction of being the first mass-produced aircraft engine in the United States. First available in 1915, it served in trainers through World War I, continued to be produced by Curtiss as well as other licensees until 1918 or 1919, and then powered a veritable explosion in general aviation after the end of the war and for a decade to follow.
V-24 Antoinette
Philippe Gervais of Rouen, France, researches aircraft and marine engines
built prior to World War I. He has contributed the following Antoinette images.
V8 for Levavasseur 1903 aeroplane for Pegase, an
illustration for an upcoming article by Mr. Gervais in the French journal
"Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace"
