Designed by Harold E. Morehouse, a preeminent light aircraft engine designer, this was the first successful U.S. inverted air-cooled engine designed for that aircraft type. An important advantage of the inverted design is improved pilot visibility.
The prototype engine, designated Rover L-236, was assembled in 1928, type certificated in 1929 at a rating of 41 kW (55 shp), and flight tested on a British Avro Avian. In 1929, work also began on the improved and higher powered, Model L-267, production version, which was type certificated in 1930. The primary aircraft applications of the L-267 were the Driggs Skylark and Fairchild 22. Approximately 80 to 90 Rover L-267 engines were built before the depression of the early 1930s necessitated a complete production halt in 1932. A legacy of the L-267 was its influence on the design of other U.S. and European inverted, air-cooled engines.
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 1930
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
Manufacturer
Michigan Aero-Engine Corporation (Lansing, Michigan)
Physical Description
Type: Reciprocating, Inverted, In-line, 4-cylinders, Air-cooled
Power rating: 56 kW (75 hp) at 1,975 rpm
Displacement: 4.4 L (267 cu in)
Bore and Stroke: 105 mm (4.125 in) x 127 mm (5 in)
Weight: 105 kg (232 lb)
Dimensions
Height 81 cm (31.88 in.), Width 28.3 cm (11.13 in.), Depth 120 cm (47.25 in.)
Materials
Steel, Aluminum, Paint, Wood, Brass, Phenolic, Copper, Rubber
Inventory Number
A19880406000
Credit Line
Gift of Cradle of Aviation Museum
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Open Access (CCO)
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