Packard Model 1A-1551, In-line 6 Engine
date: label: Date
content: Circa 1922
name: label: Manufacturer
content: Packard Motor Car Company (Detroit, Michigan)
notes: label: Physical Description
content: Type: Reciprocating, In-line, 6 cylinders, water-cooled
label: Physical Description
content: Power rating: 261 kW (350 hp) at 1,400 rpm
label: Physical Description
content: Displacement: 25 L (1530.4 cu in.)
label: Physical Description
content: Bore and Stroke: 137 mm (5.375 in) x 140 mm (5.5 in)
label: Physical Description
content: Weight: 516.2 kg (1,138 lb)
label: Summary
content: In early 1921, the Navy contracted with the Packard Motor Car Company, to develop the new Model 1A-1551 engine for its proposed ZR-1 airship, later named Shenandoah.
label: Summary
content: The engine carried with it an instrument and control panel for the operator. A hand crank, with automatic engagement and disengagement and geared 10 to 1, was provided for starting. Due to the necessity of directing the exhaust away from the ship for side-by-side installations, the engines were designed so that they could be easily changed to run in either direction.
label: Summary
content: Installed in "cars" attached to the airship, five Model 1A-1551 engines powered the Shenandoah, which made its first flight in October 1923. Mechanics controlled and serviced the engines in flight from these cars. In October 1924, the Shenandoah became the first airship to make a U.S. transcontinental trip. But, in September 1925, the Shenandoah broke up in a severe thunderstorm near Caldwell, Ohio, and crashed.
place: label: Country of Origin
content: United States of America
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Air and Space Museum Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transferred from the U.S. Navy
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Air and Space Museum
identifier: label: Inventory Number
content: A19710887000
objectType: label: Type
content: PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Steel, Aluminum, Rubber, Copper, Textile, Brass, Phenolic, Ceramic, Wood
label: Dimensions
content: Height 113 cm (44.5 in.), Width 79.5 cm (31.3 in.), Depth 168.4 cm (66.3 in.)