After overcoming some initial reliability problems, the Homare (Honour) became the most important 18-cylinder Japanese engine toward the end of World War II. It powered aircraft with Allied Code Names George, Sam, Rita, and Frank. A very compact design, it had a very high specific output; and incorporated for the first time in a Japanese engine, a steel crankcase, dynamic balancers, a dual magneto with a remote distributor (on the nose), and a nose sump pump. Its supercharger drive followed the Wright Aeronautical design, with a planetary reduction gear in series with the high gear for obtaining a lower compression ratio. It was equipped with water-methanol injection.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.