New Britain herald., 1927-11-02
Better Motors In Airplanes Are Bringing Aviation to the Front
Both Air Cooled and Water Cooled Types Greatly I'm, proved - Horizontals Give Higher Speed and
 Greater Power-Radal Plants Are Reliable

ses. Turning at higher speeds, much higher in many cases. with more and heavier working parts, with plumbing" that is susceptible to wear and fatigue, the horizontal water-cooled engine may prove less reliable nd more expensive 10 main tain for certain types Of work. In general, it may be expected that the air-cooled engine will fill the bill where reliability and dogged per formance at low maintenance cost are the day-hy-day demands. while the high-speed, high-power work probably will be assigned to the water-cooled engines
 Of course, a sudden engineering development affecting either type Of motor might mean a significant en- croachment upon the others field. And with engineers working over time In the laboratories, such a de- yelopment by no means is Q remote possibility.
 Maintenance Expenses
 Indicative Of the lower mainte- nance expense of the radial motor are several factors For instance, the manufacturers of two very fine wa ter-cooled plants, Packard and Cur tiss, advise the over-hauling of their products at the end of each 200 hours of flight service. One large airline operator whose planes are powered by Wright Whirlwinds merely gives top" overhaul at the conclusion of similar period. This service is somewhat comparable to the valve and carbon job with which the motorist is thoroughly familiar, After 300 hours. even the radials are given complete overhaul, ! however.
 It is obvious that the process of repairing a radial, with its simple mechanism, is less delaying and costly than giving the same treat ment to the other type.
 Just as there is little overlapping of fields between the air and water cooled types. so there is little conpe- ' | in their own particular power i spheres. For instance, the Wright Whirlwind, is considered approxi mately standard where 200 horse , power is the desirable plant, At 400 to 425 h. D. the Pratt and Whit ] ney Wasp" is widely used, and at ! 525 the same concerns Hornet" is prominent along with the larger | Wright radials. The Curtis D1c, l V140O and the Packard 1500 and Packard 250o, both of which are offered with high compression l heads, and the Wright T3, all water cooled motors Of high speed and power, all find ready application to ] certain tasks.
 Keen Competition
 Keen competition to develop h popular and efficient radial of around 100 horse power is being 1 noted in many quarters and already some remarkable achievcmen have been recorded. Of interest is the re- ! gently announced Kinner 5-cylinder , plant and the progress made in i'm | provemcnt of the unusual 4-cylinder 1 Fairchild- -Camincz cam engine. 4 i great deal of genius is being con ccntrated in this particular sphere and results fitting the energy and | intelligence of tho engineers engaged l confidently may be expected. A G. | cylinder air-cooled motor that is prominent in the sport plane field is | the Anzani.
 Of interest among airplane en- i zines, because Of it's unique design. ! is the Packard motor. a 24-cylinder plant which develops 1c50 horse power. This engine is a combination | of two of the Packard 1500's, the | lower one inverted and placed di- rectly under the other. Counted upon to attain a speed of 300 miles an hour, it Is being built for Lieut. Afford J. Williams, r. s. N. In fl. i he expects to bring back the air speed records for both land and sea planes.
 This year has witnessed the frui- ton and recognition of remarkable