Charles B. Kirkham of Savona, N.Y., one of the earliest and best known airplane engine designers and builders, originally built motorcycle engines, and did casting and machining for Glenn Curtiss, whose Hammondsport factory was nearby. Between 1910 and 1912, Kirkham designed and built his own engines. From 1915 to 1919, he was Chief Engineer for the Curtiss Airplane and Motor Corporation; later founding his own company.
Kirkham designed, tooled up, and built this engine in 1929. It is believed to be the first vertically-opposed air-cooled engine. It was an experimental design and was equipped with a supercharger. Although it may have been a good engine, there apparently were no suitable airplanes for its unconventional shape.
- Type: Reciprocating, 6 cylinders, Vertically-opposed, supercharged, air cooled
- Power rating: Unknown
- Displacement: Unknown
- Bore and Stroke: Unknown
- Weight: 272 kg (600 lb)
| Date | 1929 |
| Manufacturer | Kirkham |
| Country of Origin | United States of America |
| Materials | Aluminum, Steel, Paint, Ceramic, Copper, Phenolic, Rubber |
| Dimensions | Overall: 46 x 15 x 54 in. (116.8 x 38.1 x 137.2cm) |
| Dimensions | Approximate (Weighed with stand): 370.1kg (816lb.) |
| Dimensions | Height 116.8 cm (46 in.), Width 38.1 cm (15 in.), Depth 137.2 cm (54 in.) |
| Credit Line | Gift of Charles B. Kirkham |
| Inventory Number | A19640001000 |
Where this page came from
This page was imported from Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Released by the Smithsonian Institution under CC0 through Smithsonian Open Access.
Nobody has written it yet — it is the source material at a new address, which is why search engines are asked to skip it and why no one earns from it. It is up for grabs: take it on, and it is yours to rewrite and to earn from.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from n2t.net
1
0
0
0
Comments
