Aircraft Piston Engines: Books - History (2/3)

Vee's for Victory! - The Story of the Allison V-1710 Aircraft Engine, 1929-1948

Over 60 percent of U.S. Army fighters during World War II were powered by the Allison V-1710 engine, including the P-38, P-39, the lightweight fighters XP-46A and XP-47, as well as the early P-51 Mustangs.
It was a strong and reliable power plant that powered the pre-war generation of 400 mph Army pursuits, and the majority of Army combat fighters on through World War II. Even so, the V-1710 was controversial and often maligned, considered by some to have been a "second-rate" engine. Author Whitney's objective was to find, and tell, the true story of the 70,000 V-1710's and the people who built them.

The Curtis D-12 Aero Engine

A Technical and Operational History of the Liberty Engine - Tanks, Ships and Aircraft 1917-1960

The aim of the Liberty was to standardize aircraft engine design. The theory was to have an engine design that could be built in several sizes and thus power airplanes for any purpose, from training to bombing. The differences in sizes would be obtained by using different numbers of cylinders in the same design. A large number of other parts would also be used in common by all resulting sizes of the engine series.

The initial concept called for four-, six-, eight-, and 12-cylinder models. An X-24 version was built experimentally, and one- and two-cylinder models were built for testing purposes.
The engine design eventually saw use on land, sea, and in the air, and its active military career spanned the years 1917 to 1960. In addition, it provided noble service in a multitude of civilian uses, and still does even today, some 90 years after the first engine ran.

This book covers the complete history of the Liberty's design, production, and use in amazing detail and includes appendixes covering contracts, testing, specifications, and much more.

The Liberty Engine 1918-1942