Originating in Iowa to build automobiles, the Duesenberg Motors Corporation of Elizabeth, New Jersey was organized in 1917 by German immigrant Fred Duesenberg, one of America’s leading designers of internal combustion engines.
The company’s engines grew from a four-cylinder in-line model to a twelve-cylinder V-type. Apparently the company’s last aircraft engine, Duesenberg designed and built the Model H during World War I with both direct and geared propeller drives. Swinging a giant 4.88 m (16-foot)-diameter propeller, it developed as much as 597 kW (800 horsepower). The Armistice ended the need for such a powerful and costly power plant.
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
1918
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
Manufacturer
Duesenberg Motors Corporation
Physical Description
Type: Reciprocating, V-type, 16 cylinders, water-cooled
Power rating: 485 kW (650 hp) at 1,400 rpm
Displacement: 55.6 L (3,393 cu in.)
Bore and Stroke: 152.4 mm (6 in.) x 190.5 mm (7.5 in.)
Weight: 630.5 kg (1,390 lb)
Dimensions
Length 225.4 cm (88.75 in.), Width 81.3 cm (32.0 in.), Height 98.7 cm (38.875 in.)
Materials
Aluminum, Steel, Textile, Rubber, Ceramic, Paint, Preservative coating, Copper, Phenolic
Inventory Number
A19600100000
Credit Line
Transferred from the U.S. Air Force Central Museum
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Open Access (CCO)
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