The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-15


TINS far been given the public. The
Packard Motor Car Company OF Detroit
Mich. has prepared the following state
ment for THE sun: +.
when the history OF the world war Is
S ,,esssa 1t ,S m DECISIVE &c rUs factor IN the
she Liberty Motor. THIS engine wss , me-
only hshy t efficient .isa,n bun of iSe ruSe No
i fsss5 Motors ss H @9alSy Had the son
M s,sd haunt Sn,' reached du aScc monthly BY o.
iober, 1919. there would have oeen w sn,si
Liberty Motors od N .i eSass In actual opera
Non at any ono time ON the Western front
WIS only baout $500 and Germany pro ~,
WV months ahead American air forces
cana\le OF overwhelming destruction. 1t 10
belle, I'd that this was one OF the great lac
~ il populaIly thought that the Liberty berry
Motor Vas created In a lew aay .nd s shat
n was x composite production OF many
mahufactu Nnt plants 49,, ,.u ,rdsr do.
yeIopmen, " the Packard MOTOR Car Com,
Gsny nearly two years before its adopuon
IN ANAL fornt by our Government; ii chit. 10
,c THIS soysqnDe, for f The period Of the
me United s,t ties Of America became ., a
licensee of the ompany ,, T,sr ,n and use
,nnnnt,ans Gwen d by Packard patents
granted and pend ng covering de,o one by the
motors al" rrtis 4 cense was granted abso-
S,,a,y iree OF re, Saty or other payment
T. : save the s "a e. close Of the war when
nil the rights retrrn to the Packard Mo'or
az Uo ina ny a. We, ,derful development of
aitnlanes by the Anies beginning early IN
\ 1915. The United STA ,es was lar oeninn VI
srpsns making maxi sta Tses BEHIND s the Allies in
designing aircraft eng mes, but led at the
ciS Hs,,v Ui in the spring ,of 1915 the Packard
engineering department saw inc nee" rn IJl
war aircraft engine 'n nSru mry' ,sls, the
Sr.t engine was complete and tested. II
was a IL cylinder v tyH motor desiS SIisS
Sy Jesse G. yncent chic .e snsqeeT ~, Ge
S.loninS power at a horse power per =.
pounds weight. There vera mo t lSsan new
then in this c s;Inag. iOr So was placed
IS in racing automobile. with Nn M t,,an, ~
De Palma won every track re S 100 mile,
10 600 miles, running better tnaA -''
per hour in all classes. , - ,u,. 9,
This first engine was small for alrcrn sn'
uurnoses because kept down 10 She ~
ineR racing limit established by the ANA r
lean Automobile Association but a "a
engine, Model No with nm, Snfee fnc T wa
comnleted in December, 1916. ftted win
airpiane propeller, and mouHed on NJ
tor truck This truck was driven arSVe
Detroit by the air propeller only, ana !
one test pushed over snow Govern s aSsei
BY the propeller .S with LIVING ins nv ma indicstio,
~ n. enormous power Ii developed q
horee power or horse pow ossrg auto
mobile it broke every record from qua az
tire Of q mile to ten miles. more thah W.. W..
mile and %i ,Sose records have not yet beer
equalled. The first made model no. . ma q,
the conventional cast iron cyhh hsT worke,
ont the practical details invoked in maSini
them Of the more desirable steel purI nm,
the course OF years development %or,
thc desru and manufacture OF the stee
cylinders was developed. and for the Hs
time installed in Model No. D.. ,o..r, i'm
mediateiy upon our entrance into the wa
IN April. 1917. and completed one m, NOM =
steel cylinder and Jacket instssi OF ca =,
iron, greatly reducing its welgNr ana al u,
Is mspnsn m eoTered BY pacEard tent al
piications 1t developed still greater hor'
pg Az this ' time the United States had col
ceived an enormous sirplane programne
the most promising way OF wlhninsA :.
war Feeling that its experience ana
suits in designing aircraft motors would
valuable to our Government the comp"
can't Mr. Vincent its chief chmI,. de"s snsljd.
tions of his motors and also detailed plai
for producing them by quantity methoo
and sat in conference with French al
British military aircraft experts II vi
conceded that the COMPANY naa lear catrI To, a a
tained BY any other American manuia
turer and steps were taken to MAKE VI
vinoeuts services available 10 the cover
ment as we'll as to utilize the Packard q
signs. experience and manufacturing faa
However. there were SOM dircyu,ie
Quantity production of Amer'can metho
could hardly be attained unt!l one ye
power and lighter in wesht per ,,l hor
design a more powerful engine. and o
also lighter per horse power ,
No single factory factory in the , country ry, hsa
There were likewise certain difficult
connected with the adoption by the Cover
ment of aircraft motor bearing p
vate makers name. II was ielt that &c
Eress might hesitate 10 appropriate e,a mon Sn
meas concern was to profit by the aircri
programme. There was a possibility n q
motor under such circumstances
Furthermore, there was decidedly y9lual
tional teamwork. Uncle Sam wanted I
only an efficient aircraft motor but
wanted TO make 1t centre OF ma'lo ~
this was OF the utmost value in winn
tho war. Practically all airplane mot
developed abroad, however, bear priv
let us Increase the horse power and
duce the weight of this motor" propo
United states Government officials Il
us make 1t national product, calling
the Liberty Motor. and arrange, for MAJ
tdctuIe IN many AaS'o''0Ss "'" S'o-NN"
lied parts"
These suggestions were all gladly
proved by Packard officials, Patent rig
were given to the Government wttht
compensation for the period OF the W
Mr.. Nincent's services were loaned to
Government for ninety days, No compen
ton was asked for 500 900 previously sp
in research and Development of the Pack
motor.
Then came the famous period of i've d
hen Mr.; VINCENT and MI p: j. aalI
Created the Liberty Motor. Horse poV
was increased that subsequent te
gave / horse power for is pounds
weight Notifications were also made
the oiling system propeller attachment
other details. To enable Congress 10 vi
ahze the Liberty Motor complete WOO
model was constructed at the Packard pl
course, did not operate but enabled
legislators 10 grasp the problems tangi
and provide funds in keeping with the
quirements Work was Immediately bea
the first actual Liberty Motor VIII
was ready for testing at the Bureau
Standards, at Washington. in August, I
and found TO be one of the most effici
engines in the world, giving a horse POI
for less than two pounds weight I
Liberty Motors at the Packard plant,
made by hand and then began the eT
nous work of standarGizing parts. max
tools and gauges and preparing for gu
tity production of the Liberty Motors
thousands monthly in many different
tories
At this point it is we'll to show bri
how utterly impossible IL would have
for the Government 10 design Liberty
IN Aua hnu Ill