Among the most successful early engines marketed in the United States were those designed and built by aviation pioneer and inventor Glenn H. Curtiss in his factory in Hammondsport, New York. The earliest Curtiss designed engines powered his racing motorcycles. The first Curtiss aircraft engine, a 5.2 kW (7 hp) air cooled, V-twin, powered a small dirigible in 1904.
In 1912, the Curtiss Company introduced a new six-cylinder, in-line water-cooled engine known as the Model S. Designed by Charles B. Kirkham, an associate of Curtiss for a number of years who later became the company’s chief engineer, only six Model S engines are believed to have been produced, and the U.S. Navy purchased five. This was the first Curtiss engine to depart from the single rocker arm operating both intake and exhaust valves since the Silver Dart aircraft engine of 1908.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date
Circa 1912
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
Manufacturer
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Physical Description
Type: Reciprocating, 6 cylinders, in-line, water-cooled
Power rating: 52.2 kW (70 hp) at 1,325 rpm
Displacement: 8.24 L (502.64 cu in)
Bore and Stroke: 102 mm (4 in.) x 127 mm (5 in.)
Weight: 129 kg (285 lb)
Dimensions
Height 77.5 cm (30.5 in.), Width 30.5 cm (12 in.), Depth 78.7 cm (31 in.)
Materials
Aluminum, Steel, Preservative coating, Wood, Rubber, Textile
Inventory Number
A19520104000
Credit Line
Transferred from the Department of the Navy, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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