The New York herald., 1920-01-18
Aircraft Practice
Applied to the
New La Fayette
Hollow Shafts and Special Alloys
Among Advanced Engine Features of
Car Produced by Nash Associates.

With the passing Of fourteen months
since the armistice was signed and the
stimulation of motor car development by
the removal of wartime restrictions the
aerial efficiency, which characterized the
most spectacular branch Of the allied
armies during the four years Of sky fight
ing is now being translated into land ef-
ficiency by the automobile engineers OF
America and Europe.
The inevitable, in fact, has happened,
since the conclusion was foregone, as far
back as 1917 that aircraft engineering
principles would exert a powerful influ-
ence on the postwar automobile.
This forecasted influence is especially
evident in the new La Fayette. built by
the indianapolis company headed by
Charles w. Nash, which is being intro
duced to American motordom at the ma
tional shows this year. During the Chi
cago Automobile show, which opens Sat
urday, January "a, La Fayette car will
be on exhibition in the lobby Of the Audi
torium Hotel. At the New York shows
the car was a. centre of great interest
1t was generally approved as an import
ant development in eight-cylinder design
along practical lines.
The designer of this eight cylinder car
ID. Mccall White. was prominently lien
titled with the development of the Liberty
Motor. and had an excellent opportunity
to study aircraft principles and make
practical adaptation. Consequently. the
incorporation in the La Fayette OF features
that smack of aviation Is not unexpected
In mounting the water pump in front
of the engine the designer of the La
Fayette has followed an aircraft principle
The method of drive. however. is a distinct
advance, the water pump of the aviation
engine being operated by the conventional
gears, while on the La Fayette the dual
patented pump. without bearings. Is
driven by the crankshaft.
Another close relationship between air
craft principles and La Fayette design is
seen in the lubricating system. the cam
shaft bearings being oiled under pressure
as we'll as the crankshaft bearings. while
the pistons. cylinders and valves run in a
mist OF oil that is thrown UP by the revolv.
ing crankshaft.
AS in the aviation engine. both the
crankshaft and the camshaft of the La
Fayette engine are hollow, lighter weight
being obtained and ideal oil leads pro-
vided by means of this construction. which
also has the advantage of uncommon
strength. The crankshaft is Of unusually
large diameter with bearings OF excep-
tionally generous surface on either side OF
each crank.
a further parallel between aircraft and
La Fayette design Is the use of alloy steel
tubing of large diameter instead of solid
shafts of smaller cross section. This tub
ing is not only lighter but stronger, the
rear axle of the La Fayette. for example
weighing seventy pounds less than rear
axle OF similar size and shape made from
a solid shaft.
Additional weight reduction has been
attained by the discarding OF malleable
castings and substituting in their stead
drop forgings and specially heat treated
aluminium alloys Of high tensile strength
the superiorities of which were conclu-
s,vsly proven In the airplane engine. Ap-
Piled specifically to the La Fayette chas-
sis, the steel drop forgings reduce the
inspiring weight by approximately twenty
per cent and thus provide smoother spring
action and increase the riding comfort OF
the car.