The Washington times., 1917-09-13
INVENTORS HERE
EVOLVE WORLDS
BEST AERO ENGINE

American inventive genius has
evolved and the United States Govern
4 ment has begun the manufacture of
the best aircraft engine produced in
any country"
The quoted words are Secretary
Bakers, in a statement divulging
how two OF Americas foremost in
ventIve geniuses. nguratively locked
in a suite OF rooms in a Washington
hotel for nve days. perfected the
marvellous Liberty motor" which will
drive thousands OF hiEh-powered
American airplanes over the German
lines.
Wars Greatest Achievement.
"The war has produced no greater
single achievement" Secretary Baker
said with enthusiasm, in announcing
perfection OF the new aero motor
which is confidently expected to give
the United States and her allies over
whelming supremacy In the air.
Facing the necessity either OF en-
couraging manufacturers to evolve
their own type of motor, or 20 bring
the best OF all types together and
develop a standard. Secretary Baker
last spring called engineer experts
together to discuss a plan.
There was unanimous agreement
that there should be q standard mo-
tor. How this standard motor was
perfected 10 q thrilling chapter OF
Secretary Bakers announcement of
the successful achievement. Here Is
Mr.. Bakers story:
Two OF the best engineers in the
country. who had never before seen
each other, were brought together
! here and the problem Of producing an
all-American engine at the earliest
4 possible moment was preesntsd to
them. Their frst conference, on June
,. lasted from afternoon until 2;9o
o'clock in the morning.
Go Into RstIrement.
These two engineers were ngur-
atively locked in q room in q Wash
! ington hotel and charged with the
development OF an airplane motor for
use by American AEiators over the
battle fields of Europe. For five days
| neither man left the suite of rooms
! engaged for them. Consulting en-
! gineers and draftAmeni from various
| sections OF the country were brought
! to Washington to assist them. The
/ work in the drafting room pro-
! ceeded continuously day and night.
| Each OF the two engineers In imme-
diate charge OF motor development
alternately worked at twenty-fOur-
hour shift.
"a remarkable American engine
was actually produced three weeks
before any model could have been
/ brought from Europe. 1t was prom
| ised that this engine would be deveI-
oped before the Fourth OF July
| Twenty-eight days after the drawings
were started the new engine was set
up This was on July 3 ~
In order to have the engine in
/ Washington and in actual running
/ order at the Nations Capital Inde-
pendence Day the perfected engine
was sent from a Western city In .
special express car. The journey was
made in twenty-one hours. and four
young men guarded the engine en-
route to Washington and personally
attended to Its transfer from one rail-
road to another.
II Factories Cooperate.
Parts OF the first engine were turn.
ed out at twelve different factories.
located all the way from Connecticut
to California When the parts were
assembled the adjustment was perfect
and the performance OF the engine
was wonderfully gratifying.
Thirty days after the assembling
of the nrst engine preliminary tests
justified the Government in formally
accepting the engine as the best air
craft engine produced in any country.
The hnal tests confirmed our faith in
the new motor in every degree"
Both flying and altitude tests Of the
new motor demonstrated Its superiority.
The speed attained in flying tests Is
held IN secrecy. But II is announced
that the engine already has broken the
American altitude record.
The new engine amounts practically
to an international model. Secretary
Baker said, because Il embodies the
best there is in American engineering
and the best features OF European
models.
Production Starts.
Manufacturing plants all over the
country will be put at work at once
manufacturing the engines. while at the