Liberty 12 Model A (Packard), Moss Turbosupercharged, V-12 Engine
date: label: Date
content: October 31,1918
name: label: Designer
content: Elbert J. Hall
label: Designer
content: Jesse G. Vincent
label: Model
content: Liberty
label: Manufacturer
content: Packard Motor Car Company (Detroit, Michigan)
notes: label: Physical Description
content: Type: Reciprocating, V-type, 12 cylinders, air-cooled, supercharged
label: Physical Description
content: Power rating: 334 kW (449 hp) at 1,940 rpm
label: Physical Description
content: Displacement: 27 L (1,649 cu in.)
label: Physical Description
content: Bore and Stroke: 127 mm (5 in.) x 178 mm (7 in.)
label: Physical Description
content: Weight: 382.8 kg (844 lb)
label: Summary
content: The Liberty engine was America's most important contribution to aeronautical technology during World War I. Jesse G. Vincent of Packard and Elbert J. Hall of Hall-Scott co-designed it in mid-1917 for the U.S. government, which wanted a standard design in 4-, 6-, 8-, and 12-cylinder versions that could be quickly mass-produced to equip U.S. combat aircraft. Automakers Ford, Lincoln, Packard, Marmon, and Buick produced 20,748 Liberty 12s before the Armistice, which insured their widespread use into the 1920s and '30s.
label: Summary
content: Details of the turbo-supercharger design were based on experience of the turbine and centrifugal compressor departments of the General Electric Company, where the first one was built at its facility in Lynn, Massachusetts, led by Dr. Sanford Moss.
label: Summary
content: The Packard Motor Car Company built the engine, and GE built the turbo-supercharger assembly. Turbo-supercharged Liberty engines powered aircraft such as the: LePere LUSAC-11, Martin MB-2 (NBS-1), de Havilland XDH-4BS and DH-4M-2S.
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, Naval Supply Center, Cheatham Annex, Williamsburg, Virginia.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Air and Space Museum
identifier: label: Inventory Number
content: A19660043000
objectType: label: Type
content: PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Steel, Aluminum, Rubber, Textile, Paint, Copper, Phenolic, Brass
label: Dimensions
content: Overall: 49 × 27 × 67 3/8 in. (124.5 × 68.6 × 171.2cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Other: 49 x 67 3/8 x 27 x 61 x 76 x 48in. (124.5 x 171.2 x 68.6 x 154.9 x 193 x 121.9cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Approximate (Weight on Stand): 625.1kg (1378lb.)
label: Dimensions
content: Height 124.5 cm (49 in.), Width 68.6 cm (27 in.), 171.2 cm (67.4 in.)