R-2800 Aircraft Engine

U.S. Air Force. Via Wikipedia Commons.

The Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp was an air-cooled radial aircraft engine with 18 cylinders arranged in two rows. Bore was 5.75 inches (146mm) and stroke 6 inches (152mm) for a total displacement of 2804 cubic inches (4595 cc).  The engine weighed about 2450 lbs (1111 kg) and operated at 1300 to 2700 rpm.

A prototype F4U powered by  an early R-2800 achieved a level flight speed of 405 miles per hour (652 km/h) in 1940, a new world record, and "Hap" Arnold asked Pratt & Whitney to drop its work on liquid-cooled engines in favor of further development of the R-2800. It was a remarkably powerful engine for its day and was used in the majority of high-performance American military aircraft. It gained a reputation for toughness, sometimes continuing to function after having an entire cylinder shot away or suffering massive loss of lubricating oil from a torn oil line.

The Double Wasp also proved capable of continuing improvement. The -8W and -10W were equipped with water injection power boost, which increased engine power to 2250 hp (1680 kW) for short periods. Most versions used a two-stage two-speed supercharger for high-altitude performance.

Aircraft using this engine included the A-26 Invader, B-26 Marauder, C-46 Commando, F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-61 Black Widow, PBM-5 Mariner, PV-1 Ventura, PV-2 Harpoon, TBF-3 Avenger.

References

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2008-2009, 2012 by Kent G. Budge. Index

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