Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-25
Liberty Motor Gross
of All That Is Best in
Engines Proven Good

| hand investigation, declares itself IN a
position to tell the American public
First, that the Liberty motor, as il
| stands today, is distinct success: sec
ondly, that its production in quantity
J has commenced and is proceeding at ar
| accelerating rate; thirdly, that these
motors are standing up to the govern
ment tests, which, by the way. are
more severe than those to which the
| best type of foreign motors are sub
| jected; and lastly, that not only VIII
| our aviation service possess the light
est motor for its power but more
powerful motor than any other in eX-
| istence today"
A British aeronautical expert recent
! ~ announced in Detroit that his coun-
| try would soon order 5000 Liberty
! motors, to be placed in British ma
chimes of the battle type now used on
the western front
There have been so many conflicting
stories about the nature and origin Of
the Liberty motor that it may be we'll
to summarize here the war depart
ment's first authorized statement re-
garding the details of its construction.
The cylinders designed follow the
l'l9Clitt usii III St''ihi io''it>ii ~
gines The method of surrounding the
cylinders with pressed steel water
jackets was developed by the Packard
Motor Car Company. The method of
manufacture of the cylinders was
evolved by the Ford company. The de-
sign for the cam shaft and valve
mechanism above the cylinder heads IS
based on the Mercedes, but with i'm
Il. cd
by the Packard company. The cam
shaft drive, pistons, and propeller hub
are copied from the HallScott motor;
a new feature of the Liberty motor is
that the angle between the cylinders is
forty five degrees instead of sixty, as
in other twelve cylinder engines: TINS
adds strength. 4 Delco ignition system
is used. The connecting rods are of the
forked or straddle type used on the DE
Dion and Cadillac cars. Crank-case
and crank shaft are of the standard
twelve cylinder design
The fabrication system is an adapta-
ton of the German practice and is very
economical in the use of oil, but is too
technical to describe here. The water
pump is an adapta ton OF the Packard
type and the carhurctor was developed
by the Zenith company. The bore and
stroke OF the engine is 5 by I inches as
in the Hall Scott.
The idea of the Liberty engine was
developed about June ]. and the first
twelve cylinder experimental engine
passed a fifty-h hour test on Aug. %. 1917.
Leading engine builders made sugges-
tons for improvements while expert
production men were set to work on
their end of the program. The engine
committee to whom the final develop
ment of the Liberty engine is due was
made up OF technical experts from the
Packard. Ford. Cadillac, Lincoln, Mar
mon. and Trsgo companies.
The Literary Digest remarks that
any fear that the publication of these
details may be of use to our enemy is
dismissed by Frederick Upham Adams,
who tells Us in the New York Times
that the Germans already know all
about il. In fact. he says, German
planes have been brought down behind
our lines in which improved details Of
Liberty motor construction were moor
porated in their. engines.
This writer sees better days ahead
under the new aircraft regime. Mr.
Ryan's policy will be ito take aviation
motors where ne can find them and
10 ''stimulate by ali fair means the
quantity production in the United
States or elsewhere" Of any useful do
nestle or foreign type Of motor. More
over. there is the highest authority
for the statement that the United
states government is now receiving six
types of aviation motors exclusive OF
the Liberty"
A correspondent OF the New York
Evening Post notes how the house CONF
rlittee has learned from the heads of
aircraft production that the $40, 900. 600
originally voted for aircraft work has
not been spent, and that out OF this
sum the United States has erected all
of its aviation training plants in this
country and France; all Of the aircraft
production in this country and in Eng
land and France. TO the credit OF 1his
government. has been paid for out OF
this fund: all the salaries Of the many
thousands Of men. both officers and prf-
Yates. is met on. of IL, and the immense
amounts Of motors, material, accessories
and supplies bought and contracted for.
to say nothing OF transportation, VIII
come out Of this fund. No small pOr-
ton of the fund was appropriated for
expenditure under the direction Of the
army abroad. 1t Is not possible for
military reasons to name these figures
specifically. but the book record mere
in Washington shows What has been
done"