Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-16
Wy HEN Secretary Baker

VA y
NM made n @ dramatic an
W nouncement last summer
that a new motor, chris
tened the Liberty had
been developed by two American en-
g'neers in "A five day conference be-
bind locked doors, men who wera
experienced in machine desig n
shrugged their shoulders. They knew
the impossibillty of designing 50
| highly refined machine as an air.
plane motor in such brief time.
They assumed, therefore, that tho
so-called new motor was probably a
standard motor In which a few
notifications had been introduced. !.
and speculation was rife as to what
particular standard motor had been
the Liberty motor then other claim.
that the German motor, known as
the Mercedes. formed the basis for
the Liberty motor, then other calm.
ants came forward.
An air Of mystery has surrounded
the Liberty motor from its inception
and It Is high time that this was dis
PEELED. Recent announcements from
the war department, disclosing de-
tails of the motor and their similar
ity to other motors OF American and
foreign design, give us the liberty to
tell here for the first time the real
story Of the development of our
standard aviation motor.
Shortly af;or the outbreak OF the
great European war Henry JOY, then
president of the Packard Motor Car
company, became impressed with
the Importance Of the airplane in
modern warfare. lie felt certain
that before the conflict was over
the United States would be involved,
and looking about among our motor
manufacturers he realized how poor,
ly prepared we were to prodilce the
There was no question that Europe
was FAR ahead Of us In the construc-
tion OF airplanes and airplanc motors
and being a motor manufactures
himself he realized how long it
would take to develop the manufac-
ture of first-class motors in this
country. even after we woke up to
the realization OF their necessity,
Therefore, he urged his company to
proceed at once with the develop
ment of an airplane motor which
would compare favorably with the
very best produced in Europe. This
was in the fall OF 1914.
STARTED IN SPRING,
FINISHED BY FALL.
In the spring OF 1915 work was
started, on such a motor. and the de,
sign was completed in November of
that year The engine was ready for
block test in February of 1916. AS
there were no facilities for testing
airplane engines actual flights in
this country, the new motor was
placed in a racing chassis of special
construction and was subjected to
severe tests at the Sheepshead bay
speedway. The engine was of 29a
cubic inches displacement, or just
under the 300-inch racing limit es,
tablished by the A. A. A. II was Of
the 12-cylinder ''V'' type, with cast
iron cylinders. After 1t had been
thoroughly tested out a second
model was deigned. based on the
principles that had been proved out
on the first model. This was Of
much larger design with Axe cylin-
ders and of 905 cubic-inch piston
displacement. The new motor was
provided with an airplane propeller
and mounted on a truck. With this
unique power plant the truck was
driven about the streets of Detroit.
The air-propelled truck could travel
faster than any man would care to
drive 1t. In one test, theh wheels
were locked and yet the truck was
pushed over snow-covered ground.
In April, 1917, n second engine OF
this model was completed and placed
in a racing chassis. 1t established
the official world record of 1870
miles per hour-or q mile in 2S.76
seconds. In this second model, steel
forced cylinders were used, fitted
with pressed steel Jackets welded on.
Considerable difficulty was at first
experienced in attempting to weld
burning the metal, or introducing
strains in 1t. After a considerable
experiment it was found that the
meeting edges which we're to be
welded, must be of the same thick,
ness, otherwise the heavier section
would carry off the greater proper
tion OF heat and the two surfaces
could not be heated to the same
temperature. BY reducing the sur.
face to exactly the same section,
welding with the xy-acetylene torch
was readily accomplished.
In the first model the cylinders
were set at an ANGLE OF 60 degrees.
following the practice used in auto
mobile engines, but In the second
model an angle of 40 degrees was
adopted so as to cut doXn head re-
sistance. Tests OF the engine showed
that there was no noticeaH1e vibra- ]
ton with the cylinders set at this
unusual angle, even when the en-
gine was run at considerably re-
duced speed In this engine the cam
shaft was placed directly over the
cylinders and the housing for the
cam shaft acted an a truss to hold
the upper ends Of the cylinders rigid.
MADE
DURING 1917.
The third model was begun in
April, 1917, Immediately after war
was declared. and the first engine
was completed in May. This con-
tained certain Improvements over the
previous models, aimed particularly
at reduction of weight and simplifi.
cation of manufacture.