Wright 6-70, In-line 6 Engine
date: label: Date
content: Circa 1913
name: label: Manufacturer
content: Wright Company (Dayton, Ohio)
notes: label: Physical Description
content: Type: Reciprocating, in-line, 6 cylinders, water-cooled
label: Physical Description
content: Power rating: 52 kW (70 hp) at 1,400 rpm
label: Physical Description
content: Displacement: 6.64 L (405 cu in)
label: Physical Description
content: Bore and Stroke: 11.113 cm (4.375 in) x 11.430 cm (4.500 in)
label: Physical Description
content: Weight (wet): 159 kg (350 lb)
label: Summary
content: The original Wright brothers engines were vertical, four cylinder types. In 1910, needing a more powerful engine for the Gordon Bennett Cup Race, a single V-8 was built for this major event, apparently using much of the original four cylinder design concept. However, the aircraft and engine were wrecked before the race.
label: Summary
content: Faced with the problem of providing increased power for production aircraft in 1911, but insisting on their original objective of simplicity, the Wright’s compromise was a vertical six-cylinder engine. The engine incorporated a flexible (rubber band) drive on the flywheel which greatly reduced vibration and considerably extended the life of the chain drive that operated the propellers. The Wright 6-70 powered the Wright Model D aircraft in 1913, and the model designation was derived from the number of cylinders and the horsepower. Originating as a 45 kW (60 hp) model, further development led to a 60 kW (80 hp) version.
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: Early Flight
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transferred from the Department of the Navy, Bureau of Aeronautics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Air and Space Museum
identifier: label: Inventory Number
content: A19520103000
objectType: label: Type
content: PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Metal
label: Dimensions
content: 3-D: 114.3 × 38.1 × 78.7cm (45 × 15 × 31 in.)
label: Dimensions
content: Support: 62.9 × 100.3 × 52.1cm (24 3/4 in. × 39 1/2 in. × 20 1/2 in.)