Wright R-1820 Cyclone
| R-1820 Cyclone | |
|---|---|
 Curtiss-Wright R-1820 Cyclone Radial Engine | |
| Type | Radial engine |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Wright Aeronautical |
| First run | 1930s |
| Major applications | |
| Manufactured | June 1932–December 1963 |
| Number built | 119,975 |
| Developed into | |
| Variants | Shvetsov M-25 |
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.
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 900 hp (670 kW) at 2,300 rpm and powered the strictly experimental M6 Heavy Tank.
The R-1820-E was issued an approved type certificate in September 1930.
The R-1820-97 was the most produced variant, with 64,093 built.
D-200 Diesel
The Wright R-1820 was converted to multi-fuel during World War II by Caterpillar Inc. as the D-200 and produced 450 hp (340 kW) at 2,000 rpm in the M4A6 Sherman.
Variants
- R-1820-04
- 700 hp (520 kW)
- R-1820-1
- 575 hp (429 kW)
- R-1820-4
- 770 hp (570 kW)[page needed]
- R-1820-19
- 675 hp (503 kW)
- R-1820-21
- 690 hp (510 kW)
- R-1820-22
- 950 hp (710 kW)
- R-1820-25
- 675 hp (503 kW), 750 hp (560 kW), 775 hp (578 kW)
- R-1820-32
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- XR-1820-32
- 800 hp (600 kW)
- R-1820-33
- 775 hp (578 kW)
- R-1820-34
- 940 hp (700 kW), 950 hp (710 kW)
- R-1820-34A
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-40/42
- 1,100 hp (820 kW), 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-41
- 850 hp (630 kW)
- R-1820-45
- 800 hp (600 kW), 930 hp (690 kW)
- R-1820-49
- 975 hp (727 kW)
- R-1820-50
- 850 hp (630 kW)
- R-1820-52
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-53
- 930 hp (690 kW), 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-56
- 1,200 hp (890 kW), 1,350 hp (1,010 kW)
- R-1820-57
- 1,060 hp (790 kW)
- R-1820-60
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-62
- 1,350 hp (1,010 kW)
- R-1820-66
- 1,200 hp (895 kW), 1,350 hp (1,007 kW)
- R-1820-67/69
- 1,200 hp (890 kW), fitted with turbosupercharger
- R-1820-72W
- 1,350 hp (1,010 kW), 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
- R-1820-74W
- 1,500 hp (1,100 kW)
- R-1820-76A,B,C,D
- 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
- R-1820-77
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-78
- 700 hp (522 kW), 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-80
- 700 hp (520 kW)[page needed], 1,535 hp (1,145 kW)
- R-1820-82WA
- 1,525 hp (1,137 kW)
- R-1820-84
- 1,525 hp (1,137 kW)
- R-1820-86
- 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
- R-1820-97
- 1,200 hp (890 kW), fitted with turbosupercharger
- R-1820-103
- 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
- SGR-1820-F3
- 710 hp (530 kW), 720 hp (540 kW)
- SGR-1820-F2
- 720 hp (540 kW)
- R-1820-F53
- 770 hp (570 kW)
- R-1820-F56
- 790 hp (590 kW)
- GR-1820-G2
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-G3
- 840 hp (630 kW)
- R-1820-G5
- 950 hp (710 kW)
- R-1820-G101
- 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-G102
- 775 hp (578 kW)
- GR-1820-G102A
- 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-G102A
- 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-G102A
- 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-G202A
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-G103
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-G105
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-G205A
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
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.
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vr
- 9V with reduction gear
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vb
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vbr
- variant of the 9Vb with reduction gear
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vbrs
- variant of the 9Vb with reduction gear and supercharger
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vbs
- variant of the 9Vb with supercharger
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vd
- variant of the 9V
- Hispano-Suiza 9V-10
- 429 kW (575 hp) driving fixed-pitch propeller
- Hispano-Suiza 9V-11
- as -10 but RH rotation
- Hispano-Suiza 9V-16
- 480 kW (650 hp) driving variable-pitch propeller, LH rotation
- Hispano-Suiza 9V-17
- as -16 but RH rotation
Applications
- Bloch MB.221
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
- Boeing 307 Stratoliner
- Brewster F2A Buffalo
- Curtiss AT-32-A Condor
- Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver
- Curtiss P-36 Hawk
- Curtiss SC Seahawk
- Curtiss-Wright CW-21
- Douglas A-33
- Douglas B-18 Bolo
- Douglas DC-2
- Douglas DC-3 (DST, G-102 and G-202)
- Douglas R4D-8/C-117D
- Douglas DC-5
- Douglas DF Wright SGR-1820G-2
- Douglas SBD Dauntless
- FMA AeMB.2 Bombi
- General Motors FM-2 Wildcat
- Grumman TF-1 / C-1 Trader
- Grumman E-1 Tracer
- Grumman FF
- Grumman F3F
- Grumman XF5F Skyrocket
- Grumman XP-50
- Grumman HU-16 Albatross
- Grumman J2F Duck
- Grumman S-2 Tracker
- Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra
- Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar
- Lockheed Hudson
- Martin B-10
- North American A-27
- North American O-47
- North American P-64
- North American T-28B/C/D Trojan
- Northrop N-3PB
- Northrop YC-125 Raider
- Piasecki H-21
- Polikarpov I-16
- PZL.44 Wicher
- Ryan FR Fireball
- Sikorsky S-58/HUS/HSS/H-34
- Vultee V-1
Vehicles
Engines on display
Preserved Wright R-1820 engines are on display at the following museums:
- American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum
- Fleet Air Arm Museum[citation needed]
- Delta Flight Museum[citation needed]
- National Air and Space Museum
- National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
- San Diego Air & Space Museum
- Wings of Freedom Aviation 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 at the Museum of Aviation
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
Specifications (GR-1820-G2)
Data from Jane's.
General characteristics
- Type: Nine-cylinder single-row supercharged air-cooled radial engine
- Bore: 6.125 in (155.6 mm)
- Stroke: 6.875 in (174.6 mm)
- Displacement: 1,823 cu in (29.87 L)
- Length: 47.76 in (1,213 mm)
- Diameter: 54.25 in (1,378 mm)
- Dry weight: 1,184 lb (537 kg)
Components
- Valvetrain: Two overhead valves per cylinder with sodium-filled exhaust valve
- Supercharger: Single-speed General Electric centrifugal type supercharger, blower ratio 7.134:1
- Fuel system: Stromberg PD12K10 downdraft carburetor with automatic mixture control
- Fuel type: 87 octane rating gasoline
- Oil system: Dry sump with one pressure and one scavenging pump
- Cooling system: Air-cooled
Performance
- Power output: 1,000 hp (746 kW) at 2,200 rpm for takeoff
- Specific power: 0.46 hp/in³ (20.88 kW/L)
- Compression ratio: 6.45:1
- Specific fuel consumption: 0.6 lb/(hp•h) (362 g/(kW•h))
- Oil consumption: 0.35-0.39 oz/(hp•h) (13-15 g/(kW•h))
- Power-to-weight ratio: 0.84 hp/lb (1.39 kW/kg)
See also
Related development
- Wright Cyclone series
- Wright R-1300 Cyclone 7
- Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14 (Twin Cyclone)
- Wright R-3350 Cyclone 18 (Duplex Cyclone)
- Shvetsov M-25
- Shvetsov ASh-62
Comparable engines
Related lists
References
Notes
- 1 2 Summary: Engines Shipped (on an Invoice Basis) by Wright Aeronautical Division and Licensees from 1920 to January 1, 1964 (PDF), Order & Contract Department, Curtiss-Wright, June 1964, pp. 4–5, retrieved 25 August 2026
- ↑ Lage, Manual (2004). Hispano Suiza in Aeronautics. Warrendale, USA: SAE International. pp. 157–162. ISBN 0-7680-0997-9.
- ↑ "Aircraft Engines in Armored Vehicles". Aircraft Engine Historical Society. Archived from the original on 7 October 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "New Approvals Cover Plane, Engine, and Chutes". The Aviation News. Vol. 1, no. 11. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 20 September 1930. p. 5. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 (Studebaker), Radial 9 Engine". National Air and Space Museum. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Conners, Chris (2013). "Medium Tank M4 Sherman". American Fighting Vehicle Database. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- 1 2 Eden, Paul; Moeng, Soph (2002). The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.
- 1 2 3 4 Hartmann, Gustave. Hispano-Suiza, Les moteurs de tous les Records.pdf (in French).
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 White, Graham (1995). Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II. Warrendale, Pennsylvania: Society of Automotive Engineers. pp. 327–331. ISBN 1-56091-655-9.
- ↑ May, Joseph (8 January 2013). "Flagship Knoxville — an American Airlines Douglas DC-3". Hearst Seattle Media. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ↑ "Wright R-1820 Cyclone". National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Exhibit & Collection". Wings of Freedom. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
- ↑ Bridgman, L., ed. (1998). Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. Crescent. p. 314. ISBN 0-517-67964-7.
Bibliography
- Gunston, Bill (2006). World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines: From the Pioneers to the Present Day (5th ed.). Stroud: Sutton. ISBN 0-7509-4479-X.
- White, Graham (1995). 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. ISBN 1-56091-655-9. Retrieved 8 October 2026.