Beginning in 1911, the Sturtevant Manufacturing Co. produced a number of engine models, all water cooled in-line vertical and V-types. Later absorbed into the family’s B.F. Sturtevant Co., which was a long time manufacturer of industrial fans; it was one of a number of early aircraft engine manufacturers whose products were very similar to automobile engines. This smallest of its engine models had L-head cylinders. Others had T-head cylinders, and the largest apparently was a twelve cylinder, 224 kW (300 hp) V-type.

A Herring-Burgess aircraft, of the 1910-11 period, was the first aircraft to use a Sturtevant engine, a model D-4, and is in the museum collection. However, it is not known at this time if this engine artifact was actually associated with the aircraft artifact.

Later, in 1915, the Sturtevant Aeroplane Co. was organized to build aircraft, and obviously used Sturtevant engines. The entire Sturtevant aviation venture was unsuccessful, ending after 1919.