Curtiss OX-5
Curtiss manufactured more than 10,000 OX-5 V-8s during World War I, mostly for Curtiss JN-4 Jenny military trainers. After the war, the U.S. government sold thousands of surplus OX-5s and Jennys to the public at a fraction of their original cost. The availability of a well-proven, inexpensive engine in such quantity was a mixed blessing. It enabled many people of modest means to fly, but manufacturers of more modern power plants suffered.
The OX-5 was a mainstay for barnstormers, private pilots, and aircraft designers in the United States in the 1920s and ’30s. Besides the Jenny, the OX-5 also powered many new civil aircraft manufactured by Alexander, Curtiss, Fairchild, Laird, Travel Air, Waco, and others. This OX-5 was removed from a Curtiss JN-4D that suffered a landing accident near Greensboro, North Carolina, about 1921.
Gift of Wesley Tallent
Type:reciprocating, 8 cylinders, V-type, liquid cooled
Power rating:67 kW (90 hp) at 1,200 rpm
Displacement:8.3 L (503 cu in)
Weight:177 kg (390 lb)
Manufacturer:Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co., Garden City, N.Y.
A19810723000
Display Status
This object is on display in Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
Object Details
Date
1910
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
Manufacturer
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Designer
Glenn H. Curtiss
Physical Description
Type: Reciprocating, V-type, 8 cylinders, liquid cooled
Power rating: 67 kW (90 hp) at 1,200 rpm
Displacement: 8.3 L (503 cu in)
Bore and Stroke: 102 mm (4 in.) x 127 mm (5 in.)
Weight: 177 kg (390 lb)
Dimensions
Length 144.1 cm (56.75 in.), Width 75.6 cm (29.75 in.), Height 93.3 cm (36.75 in.)
Inventory Number
A19810723000
Credit Line
Gift of Wesley Tallent.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.