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Commissioned by Dr. Samuel P. Langley, this engine powered his unsuccessful airplane, known as the Langley Aerodrome A. It was the first internal combustion engine specifically designed for an aircraft. In its original form, the 1899 engine was a 6 kW (8 hp), air-cooled rotary designed and built by Stephen M. Balzer of New York City, N.Y. It derived from his automobile engine of 1894, and was never reliable, only running for a few minutes.

After being redesigned and successfully rebuilt as a water-cooled radial by Charles M. Manly, Langley's assistant, it had the best power-to-weight ratio (1.5 kg/kW or 2.4 lb/hp) of any engine in the world until 1906, and ran for up to 10 hours duration. Manly damaged his eyesight while brazing engine parts, and nearly drowned while piloting the last attempted flight of the Aerodrome on December 8, 1903. The Wright Brothers were successful on December 17.

 Display Status

This object is on display in Early Flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Early Flight
Object Details
Date 1903 Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary Designer Charles M. Manly
Stephen M. Balzer
 Manufacturer Langley-Manly-Balzer
 Physical Description Type: Reciprocating, 5 cylinders, radial, water-cooled Power rating: 39.1 kW (52.4 hp) at 950 rpm Displacement: 8.85 L (540 cu in.) Bore and Stroke: 127 mm (5 in.) x 140 mm (5.5 in.) Weight (wet): 95.2 kg (209.6 lb) Dimensions 3-D: 104.1 × 91.4 × 88.9cm (41 × 36 × 35 in.)
Support: 104.1 × 120.7 × 47cm (41 in. × 47 1/2 in. × 18 1/2 in.)
 Materials Metal
 Inventory Number A19080003000 Credit Line Deposit by the Smithsonian Institution Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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