Wright Aeronautical
The Wright Aeronautical Corporation was a 1919 product derived from the Wright -Martin Aircraft Company U.S. company.
During the First World War, the predecessor company had the French 6- cylinder V-engine Hispano- Suiza HS 41 and HS 42 built under license.
The aircraft was the early 20s set after you could not see himself in the position to develop competitive models. The company produced first on the two Hispano- Suiza engines. However, they were converted to inch dimensions, developed and marketed under the names E2 Wright and Wright H3. From this engine is also a 12 -cylinder V-engine with the label Wright T3 tornado was derived, which struck its time for outstanding performance of 675 hp ( 497 kW). More products had a 6-cylinder for use in ships of the U.S. Navy and further developments of the Liberty engine. 1923 gave the U.S. authorities announced its intention to incorporate in future only air-cooled engines in their aircraft to avoid the delicate, sensitive and expensive water cooling system.
Wright himself had indeed since 1919 developed its own air-cooled radial engine, the Wright R- 1 but was too heavy and not enough performance data. Samuel D. Heron revised 1922 cylinder heads, but did not let the engine produced economically and therefore was not sold
Wright Aeronautical acquired on 15 May 1923, the Lawrance Aero Engine Corporation, whose founder, Charles Lanier Lawrance, now became chief engineer at Wright Aeronautical. He had brought the designs for two air-cooled radial engines, the types Lawrance Lawrance -J and -L. From the ordered by the U.S. Navy, but unreliable nine-cylinder radial engine Lawrance J-1 was initially after a few changes to the Wright J- third Despite all the progress, the engine did not satisfy more fully and as the Wright J-4 was developed, which was modified cylinder heads and was introduced in 1924. This engine, which was called the Whirlwind for the first time, was a great success.
1925 left the former head of engine development Frederick Brant Rentschler, together with his associates George J. Mead, Andy Willgoos, Charles Marks and John Borrup the company and began at Pratt & Whitney, still continuing aircraft engine development. Lawrance was then CEO of the company.
Samuel D. Heron filled the gap and created 1925 new cylinder heads for the J- fourth The resulting Wright J -5 now met all requirements and was one of the most reliable engines of its time. Charles Lindbergh's plane was the first Atlantic crossing a Wright J -5 engine. Companies in many countries, such as Canada, France, Poland and Japan acquired the manufacturing rights and put the engine in large numbers here. The company has built himself in 1928 no less than 1597 Whirlwinds.
As early as 1925 had been presented in a hole opposite the J -5 enlarged Wright J-6 as a 7- cylinder. , 7 -, -, and 9- cylinder Wright and subsequently built by the successor company Curtiss- Wright, with the names of Wright R -540, R -760 Wright and Wright R -975 until the mid- 40s with three variants were 5. The R -975 has even been initially used in a version produced at Continental with forced cooling as a drive for the American M4 Sherman tank.
With the 1929 merger, with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Incorporated ended the history of the company. She went on in the new company Curtiss -Wright Corporation
- Former aircraft manufacturer
- Former company (United States)
- Former engine manufacturer