Lycoming began as a subsidiary of the Auburn Auto Company, and the R-680 was a development version of its first 138 kW (185 hp) aircraft engine. It was one of a number of engines designed to replace the ubiquitous Curtiss OX-5 following World War I. The R-680 was type certificated in early-1930, and originally rated at 157 kW (210 shp). Considered a very reliable engine, more than 26,000 were built before production ended following World War II.
The R-680 powered the Stearman PT-13 primary American military trainer during the 1930s and 1940s, for which more than 2,000 engines were built. This model R-680-9 was an Army Air Forces engine that powered the Stinson L-1 and L-12, Curtiss AT-9/A, Beech AT-10, Stearman PT-9B, and Stinson CQ-2 aircraft.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.