Aircraft & Engine Development, Inc.
1938- Heraclio Alfaro, Boston, MA
Alfaro Barrel Engine: 4 cylinder barrel type engine built in co-operation with Indian Motocycle Company, Springfield, MA assisted at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge by Professors C.F. and E. S. Taylor.
1938- 155hp.; four liquid cooled cylinders with double opposed pistons utilizing fuel injection and spark ignition;—a crankless two stroke engine with 2.8125 bore and 3.375 stroke; dry weight: 240lbs.
(Information needed)
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Avis Engine Company
Avis Engine Company, Allston, Boston MA
hp. 2cyl. 2 cycle; air cooled; opposed engine; compression 75lbs.; Schreiber carburetor; Bosch ignition; weight: 98lbs.
1911- 50hp., 7 cylinder; barrel type rotary engine; 7” bore, 4,.25” stroke with cylinder axis parallel to the central shaft, air cooled 4 cycle; horizontal, Bosch ignition; weight: 230 / 240lbs. Unique among its class was that the length of stroke and compression ratio could be varied with engine idle or running. This engine was marketed by the Macomber Rotary Engine Company of Los Angeles, CA
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B. F. Sturtevant Company
B.F. Sturtevant Manufacturing Company, Hyde Park, Boston, MA Noble Foss, President
1911- Model D-4: 48 hp. 4 L-head type cylinders, vertical type with 4.5” bore and stroke, Mea magnetos for ignition; and Zenith carburetor; total displacement of 286.28 cu. in. weight dry: 220lbs.; total weight: 270lbs.
1912- Model D-6: 73 hp. 6 L-head type cylinders, vertical type with 4.5” bore and stroke, total displacement of 429.42 cu. in. weight dry: 320lbs.; total weight: 400lbs.
1913- Model E-4: 100 hp. 4 T-head type cylinders, vertical type with 4.5” bore, 6”stroke, Zenith carburetor; Bosch magneto; total displacement of 381.7cu. in.; weight dry: 420lbs.
1914- Model 5:140 hp. 8 L-head type cylinders, 90 degree Vee type with 4.5” bore and 5.5” stroke, total displacement of 552.88 cu. in. weight dry: 580lbs.;.
1914- Model 5-A: 140 hp. 8 L-head, 90 degree Vee type -head type cylinders, vertical type with 4.5” bore and 5.5” stroke, total displacement of 552.88 cu. in. Duplex Zenith carburetors; Dixie or Bosch dual ignition weight dry: 514lbs.
1914- Model 5A-41/2: 210 hp. 8 L-head type cylinders, vertical type with 4.5” bore and stroke, Duplex Zenith carburetors and two eight – cylinder Dixie magnetos; total displacement of 539.76 cu. in. weight dry: 480lbs.;
1914- Model 7- 12 cylinder; 60 degree Vee type rated at 300hp. (Design work, no known production)
Note: The Sturtevant Model 5 water cooled engines in aviation use developed chronic cooling problems that were apparently not evident in their use in other engine applications. Aircraft engines were typically run at maximum speed for longer periods of time in flight which resulted in higher operating temperatures under load. These problems were apparently not detected in the engine prototype stage or in the factory post production bench testing. They were however real issues in flight and reflected a need for more robust coolant pumps and an improved coolant system design for use in aircraft. This problem was a factor in the limiting Sturtevant own aircraft sales and the use of their engines in other manufacturer’s aircraft.
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Burgess-White Company
- W. Starling Burgess, Rollin H. White, co- designers,
and William Morris Davis, Burgess Company project manager in Cleveland.
- Burgess-White X-16; This engine was the objective of the joint venture between Burgess Company of Marblehead, MA and White Company of Cleveland, OH to develop a 16 cylinder X type 500 hp. aircraft engine for use in Burgess Company production aircraft. Development problems resulting from delays in producing design drawings and obtaining custom prototype parts from suppliers resulted in the cancellation the project in early 1915.
(The White Company was a leading manufacturer of sewing machines, automobiles and trucks.)
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General Electric Company
1 General Electric Aircraft Engines, Lynn, MA / Evendale, OH
1941- October 1941- General Electric was awarded a U.S. Government contract to produce America’s first jet engine based on the gas turbine engine for aircraft propulsion designed England’s Frank Whittle.
1942- I-A The United States’ first jet engine was designed, assembled and successfully tested only six months after the initial work began. Two I-A engines powered the first American jet aircraft, the Bell XP-59 in October, 1942 at Muroc Lake Army Air Force’s test site in CA.
1943- I-16 /J-31
1944- I-40 / J-33- engine for the P-80 Shooting Star the AAF first operational jet fighter.
1944- TG-100, the World’s first turbo prop
1946- J-35
1947- J-47
- J-73, CJ805, T58, T64, J85, LM1500, LM100
- CJ610, CF700, J63, TF39, GE4
- CF-6, F103, LM2500, TF34, F404, J85-21, T700, F101, CFM56, QCSEE, T-58, J-79;
Note: This brief outline is the first step in completing a comprehensive review of General Electric’s gas turbine product line which will be in place on the site in the second quarter of 2011, This will reflect the fact that the company was Massachusetts’ most successful aircraft engine company.
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Harriman Aeromobile Company
Harriman Brothers, Engineers, 53 State St. Boston, MA Mr. J. Emery Harriman Jr. Boston, MA
- Company developed two general purpose engines and displayed them at the Boston Aerial Exposition of February 1910
as potential aeronautical engines:
Harriman Rotary Internal Combustion engine
Harriman Rotary Steam engine
(Information needed)
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Hendee Manufacturing Company
- George M. Hendee, President; Carl Oscar Hedstrom, Vice President and Director; 814 State St. Factory at Winchester Square, Springfield, MA –incorporated October 10, 1898; Capital: $5,000.
In 1901 Hendee, a bicycle manufacturer, joined with Carl Oscar Hedstrom from Brooklyn, NY, a designer of motorcycles and the Hedstrom motor, to manufacture powered bicycles and motorcycles. Hendee entered the aviation business in 1909 with Indian engines designed by Hendee’s James H. Jones.
(The Hendee Company later changed its name to Indian Motocycle Company in the 1920s to reflect its success in building and marketing the popular Indian motorcycles.)
1909- Indian Rotary- 50 hp. 7 cylinder; 4 cycle; radial air cooled engine; Bosch ignition; weight: 185 lbs.
List Price: $2,000.
1910- Indian Aeromotor- V-8- 60 hp. 8 cylinder; 4 cycle; water cooled engine; Indian carburetor; Bosch ignition; weight: 275 lbs.
Note 1: The Indian rotary was installed in a number of early aeroplanes including the Albree monoplane. In time and with use, it gained a reputation as a problem engine among aviators due to ignition timing issues and for generating less than the rated horsepower i.e. 35hp. vs. the rated 50 hp. The engine was off the market by 1916.
Note: 2: One of the first Indian Aeromotor V-8 engines was used by the Herring-Burgess Model A #3 of the Arrowplane Company which flew low and slow at the Harvard Boston Aero Meet of 1910. Glenn Curtiss borrowed this engine from the H-B #3 to compete against Grahame - White in the Aero Meet’s speed race to Boston Lighthouse and return. The engine had serious ignition problems and could not produce the power needed to propel Glenn and his Curtiss Flyer to victory. This V-8 may have had success later on in other applications but it apparently had little success as an aircraft powerplant.
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Knox Motors Company
Knox Motors Company, Springfield, MA ; automobile engine manufacturer.
- Aeronautical engine—300hp. 12 cylinder; V-type; water cooled engine bore: 4.75” stroke: 7”, weight: 1400lbs.
Note: Earlier, in 1909, Springfield area aviation experimenters used the Knox 4 cyl. automobile engine for a powerplant which reportedly weighed 1600lbs.No known successful flights were made with that engine.
(Information needed)
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Metz Company
Offices at Gore and Main St. Waltham, MA
Charles H. Metz, President; John C. Robbins, General Superintendent, Charles J. Spiegelberg, Treasurer; Edwin H. Metz Sr., Branch Sales Manager;
Metz Company, an early and successful automobile and engine manufacturer, planned in late 1910 to enter the aviation business. Metz started immediately designing four Metz engines for aeronautical use.
They also built and advertised two prototype aeroplanes: the Air-Car a 1- place, tractor Bleriot type monoplane with a Metz 35hp. rotary engine and a Curtiss type- 2- place pusher biplane equipped with the Metz inline 30hp. engine.
Results: The Air-Car monoplane powered by the 35hp. Metz rotary did make an appearance taxiing back and forth on the flying field at the successful Metz Aero Meet at Waltham in June 1911. However Metz did not apparently fly or sell the two aircraft they built; but the craft were advertised in national magazines and made the static display circuit of automobile shows around the United States. The 35 hp. rotary and the inline 30hp. engine were built and displayed but it is not known if the other two engines the 58 hp. and 120 hp. rotary engines were built. There is no definitive information on whether any of the aircraft or engines were sold or how or where they were used.
1910- Inline- 30hp. 4 cylinder; 4 cycle; water cooled; with a Metz carburetor; Bosch ignition;
Bore: 4” Stroke: 4”; weight: 155lbs.
1910- Rotary- 35 hp.;7 cylinder; 4 cycle, air-cooled; Metz carburetor; Bosch ignition; weight: 120 lbs.
1911- Rotary- 58 hp.;7 cylinder; 4 cycle, air-cooled; Metz carburetor; Bosch ignition; weight: 180lbs.
1911- Rotary- 120 hp.;7 cylinder; 4 cycle, air-cooled; Metz carburetor; Bosch ignition; weight: 375 lbs.
(Information needed)
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Palmer Engine Company
Harry Palmer, Boston MA
1929- Radial engine- 4 cylinder, two cycle, cam operated and air cooled
(Information needed)
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