Continental XR-1740-2, Sleeve Valve, Radial 14 Engine
date: label: Date
content: Circa 1941
name: label: Manufacturer
content: Continental, Inc.
notes: label: Physical Description
content: Type: Reciprocating, 14 cylinders, 2 rows, radial, air-cooled, direct fuel injection, single-speed centrifugal supercharger
label: Physical Description
content: Power rating: 652 kW (875 hp) at 2,600 rpm
label: Physical Description
content: Displacement: Not available
label: Physical Description
content: Bore and Stroke: Not available
label: Physical Description
content: Weight: 630 kg (1,388 lb)
label: Summary
content: In 1925, Continental, a successful manufacturer of automotive engines, purchased the rights for a Burt-McCollum single-sleeve valve engine design. Believing this technology might replace poppet valves in aircraft engines, Continental announced the R-790 engine in 1927, incorporating single-sleeve valves initially installed on a Wright 9-cylinder engine. It was never fully tested, but followed by the 7-cylinder R-794, for which five engines were ordered by the U.S. Navy in 1934. It was tested, but did not go into production.
label: Summary
content: The Navy later sponsored a number of unconventional engine designs; however, few entered production. In the case of the 1939 XR-1740-2 development, the outcome was apparently typical of single-sleeve valve history. For example, Bristol’s Roy Fedden, one of history’s great aircraft engine experts, was unable to mass produce single-sleeve engines. Continental only became successful after reverting to poppet valves, and this artifact represents a seemingly simple new concept that could not compete with older, conventional technology better developed for practical application.
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: A19710891000
objectType: label: Type
content: PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Steel, Aluminum, paint, Plastic, Copper, Stainless Steel, Rubber, Magnesium
label: Dimensions
content: Height 134.6 cm (53 in.), Length 176.5 cm (69.5 in.), Width 132.7 cm (52.25 in.)