Wright R-1820 Cyclone

The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Union as the Shvetsov M-25.

Design and development

The R-1820 Cyclone 9 represented a further development of the Wright P-2 engine dating back to 1925. Featuring a greater displacement and a host of improvements, the R-1820 entered production in 1931. The engine remained in production well into the 1950s.

The R-1820 was built under license by Lycoming, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and also, during World War II, by the Studebaker Corporation. The Soviet Union had purchased a license for the design, and the Shvetsov OKB was formed to metricate the American specification powerplant for Soviet government-factory production as the M-25, with the R-1820's general design features used by the Shvetsov design bureau for many of their future radials for the Soviet air forces through the 1940s and onwards. In Spain the R-1820 was license-built as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V.<ref>Lage(2004) pp. 157-162</ref>

The R-1820 was at the heart of many famous aircraft including early Douglas airliners (the prototype DC-1, the DC-2, the first civil versions of the DC-3, and the limited-production DC-5), every wartime example of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Douglas SBD Dauntless bombers, the early versions of the Polikarpov I-16 fighter (as the M-25), and the Piasecki H-21 helicopter.

The R-1820 also found limited use in armored vehicles. The G-200 variant developed Template:Convert at 2,300 rpm and powered the strictly experimental M6 Heavy Tank.

D-200 Diesel

The Wright R-1820 was converted to a diesel during World War II by Caterpillar Inc. as the D-200 and produced Template:Convert at 2,000 rpm in the M4A6 Sherman.Template:Sfn

Variants

Template:Columns-list Notes: Unit numbers ending with W indicate engine variants fitted with water-methanol emergency power boost systems.

Hispano-Suiza 9V

The Hispano-Suiza 9V is a licence-built version of the R-1820.<ref name="Hartmann Hispano">Template:Cite book</ref>

Hispano-Suiza 9Vr

9V with reduction gear

Hispano-Suiza 9Vb

Hispano-Suiza 9Vbr

variant of the 9Vb with reduction gear<ref name="Hartmann Hispano"/>

Hispano-Suiza 9Vbrs

variant of the 9Vb with reduction gear and supercharger

Hispano-Suiza 9Vbs

variant of the 9Vb with supercharger<ref name="Hartmann Hispano"/>

Hispano-Suiza 9Vd

variant of the 9V<ref name="Hartmann Hispano"/>

Hispano-Suiza 9V-10

Template:Convert driving fixed-pitch propeller

Hispano-Suiza 9V-11

as -10 but RH rotation

Hispano-Suiza 9V-16

Template:Convert driving variable-pitch propeller, LH rotation

Hispano-Suiza 9V-17

as -16 but RH rotation

Applications

Vehicles

• M4A6 tank
• M6 heavy tank

Engines on display

Preserved Wright R-1820 engines are on display at the following museums:

• American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Fleet Air Arm MuseumTemplate:Citation needed
• Delta Flight MuseumTemplate:Citation needed
• National Air and Space MuseumTemplate:Citation needed
• National Museum of the U.S. Air ForceTemplate:Citation needed
• San Diego Air & Space Museum
• Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 engine of restored Douglas DC-3 "Flagship Knoxville" at American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum
  Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 engine of restored Douglas DC-3 "Flagship Knoxville" at American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum
• Wright R-1820 cutaway at the Museum of Aviation
  Wright R-1820 cutaway at the Museum of Aviation
• Wright R-1820 at the Museum of Aviation
  Wright R-1820 at the Museum of Aviation
• Wright R-1820-82 Cyclone Radial Engine at Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, Horsham, Pennsylvania
  Wright R-1820-82 Cyclone Radial Engine at Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, Horsham, Pennsylvania
• Curtiss Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine on display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum
  Curtiss Wright R-1820 Cyclone engine on display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum

Bibliography

• Bridgman, L, (ed.) (1998) Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. Crescent. Template:ISBN.
• Template:Cite web
• Eden, Paul & Soph Moeng, The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, Template:ISBN.
• Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines: From the Pioneers to the Present Day. 5th edition, Stroud, UK: Sutton, 2006.Template:ISBN
• White, Graham. Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II: History and Development of Frontline Aircraft Piston Engines Produced by Great Britain and the United States During World War II. Warrendale, Pennsylvania: SAE International, 1995. Template:ISBN
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite web