The sun., 1919-10-05
AIRCRAFT FEATURES
IN CARS OF 1920
Lessons Learned in War Time
Will Be Applied to New
Models.

When enough Of tho new models for
the new year are announced to design
the composite American motor car 1890
a study Of the engine and chassis specih-
cations will disclose the embodiment OF
many war time engineering principles in
the post-arInistice automobile.
The various airplsne engines, such as
the Liberty motor, the Roils-Royce,
Renault and Sunbeam engines, have had
an inspirational influence on the Amer
lean automobile engineer, according TO ID.
Mccall White, a member of the super
visory committee of three engineers
prominent in the design and development
Of the twelve cylinder engine that
powered Uncle Sans airplanes
'"The automobile industry has pronted
greatly from the lessons learned In war
time" says Mr.. White, who with 70. Z.
Howard Is preparing to manufacture a
new passenger car in Indianapolis
The cars of 1920 will show the benefits
of that experience for adaptations OF
aircraft engine principles already have
been made by many OF tthe leading
automobile companies. These principles
are not new to engineers. but until the
war they were to manufacturers and to
the public.
1.-THE war taught US. for example, the
absolute practicability of light weight
construction and the logic Of machin-
ing parts to close limits. As result
we shall have many hollow engine parts
Of greater diameter than the solid parts
previously used, giving them greater
strength and durability with less weight.
"In the development of the airplane
engines difficulties previously encoun-
tered in the machining of alloy steels
were overcome and great achievements
were made In heat treatments through
the attainment of closer limits in fur
mace temperatures, thus increasing the
durability and resistance to fatigue.
"a notable achievement was The solu-
ton of the baffiing problem Of welding
thin sheet of metal to a thicker one
without burning the thinner, the thin
steel water Jacket of the airplane motor
being welded to the steel cylinder.
"war reduced many of the so-called
dreams of engineers to commercial prar-
ticability. Necessity made the manu-
facturers do many things hitherto con-
sidered impossible. For example, they
learned through necessity that certain
parts could be machined on a produc-
tion basis which they once thought had
to be done by hand. Some OF these
lessons were radical, and manufac-
but the automobile manufacturer grad
ually learned to view his engineers
with greater respect, and the result was
real step forward from which the
public will derive the benefit
Ordinarily an established company
has many advantages over a new one.
Under postwar conditions, however. the
new plant with tools and equipment
based on these recent developments has
a unique advantage, provided Of course
that II Is dominated by the necessary
ability and experience.
There are several features of the
Liberty engine and other aircraft en-
gines, such as the steel cylinder, that
cannot be Incorporated into the power
plant of a passenger car. The two are
not parallel The aircraft engine was
operated practically continuously at full
power for short periods and frequently
torn down. Durability and quietness SO
essential in motor car were negligible
factors"