Liberty L-8 (Packard) V-8 Engine
date: label: Date
content: 1917
name: label: Designer
content: Elbert J. Hall
label: Designer
content: Jesse G. Vincent
label: Manufacturer
content: Packard Motor Car Company (Detroit, Michigan)
notes: label: Physical Description
content: Type: Reciprocating, 8 cylinders, liquid cooled, dual ignition, V-type
label: Physical Description
content: Power rating: 216 kW (290 hp) at 1,700 rpm
label: Physical Description
content: Displacement: 18 L (1,649 cu in.)
label: Physical Description
content: Bore and Stroke: 127mm (5 in.) x 178 mm (7 in.)
label: Physical Description
content: Weight: 261 kg (575 lb)
label: Summary
content: The Liberty's purpose was American mass production of standard units when the U.S. entered World War I. Co-designed in a week in mid-1917 by Jesse Vincent of Packard Motor Car and Elbert Hall of Hall-Scott Motor Car, with a planned series of 4-, 6-, 8-, and 12-cylinder models, this Model L-8 was the first Liberty engine. However, power requirements made it obsolete before entering service, and the twelve-cylinder Liberty was then built.
label: Summary
content: To ensure workable engines in the shortest time, only proven components were used. The Liberty's success was due entirely to the fact that the best engineers, production experts, and manufacturing facilities were provided to the Government. Leading automotive manufacturers, including Ford, Lincoln, Packard, Marmon, and Buick, built the engines.
label: Summary
content: The Liberty 12 Model A powered numerous aircraft including the de Havilland DH-4, the Navy-Curtiss NC-4, Fokker T2, Loening Model 23, Douglas World Cruiser, Douglas M-1 Mailplane, and Curtiss H-16 flying boat.
place: label: Country of Origin
content: United States of America
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Air and Space Museum Collection
label: Location
content: National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
label: Exhibition
content: World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transferred from U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Air and Space Museum
identifier: label: Inventory Number
content: A19270008000
objectType: label: Type
content: PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Metal
label: Dimensions
content: 3-D: 134.6 × 68.6 × 94cm, 260.8kg (4 ft. 5 in. × 2 ft. 3 in. × 3 ft. 1 in., 575lb.)
label: Dimensions
content: Support: 50.8 × 69.9 × 48.3cm (1 ft. 8 in. × 2 ft. 3 1/2 in. × 1 ft. 7 in.)