Document Type: Book (Technical Reference). Purpose: Informational. Authority: Author Expertise. Series: Aircraft Engines of the World (2nd Edition)

Scope: This "international reference book...referred to as the "bible" of the aircraft engine industry" was written and published in January 1944 by Paul H. (Howard) Wilkinson, "Member, [American] Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences and author of: Diesel Aircraft Engines, 1936; Aircraft Diesels, 1940; Aircraft Engines of the World, 1941 and Diesel Aviation Engines, 1942." Mr. Wilkinson lived between 1895-1975.

From Preface: "The author of this book is an American-born citizen who has been connected with aviation since 1914. In England, he was with A. V. Roe & Company, Ltd., and the Royal Aircraft Establishment. In the United States he has been with the Boeing Aircraft Company and the Douglas Aircraft Company. He is the author of Diesel Aircraft Engines (1936), Aircraft Diesels (1940), Aircraft Engines of the World (1941) and Diesel Aviation Engines (1942). He visited the centers of aircraft engine production in England, France and Germany in 1939 just before the outbreak of war in Europe. His most recent aviation activities have been with the War Production Board and the Board of Economic Warfare of the United States Government."

Contents (from Preface): "Aircraft Engines of the World, 1944 edition, is the second volume of this reference book of international scope. It contains complete data of 130 of the latest aircraft engines including 10 of the new auxiliary engines used on aircraft, with 142 illustrations. The United States section contains 48 standardized pages of engine data, and there are 12 standardized data pages for France, 20 for Germany, 28 for Great Britain, 17 for Italy, 2 for Japan and 3 for the U.S.S.R. Condensed data is given of 275 variations of these basic power plants. All of the material has been revised. There are 65 new pages of engine data and 15 pages of obsolete data have been omitted. All of the data is given in both English and metric systems of measurement.

Among the latest engines illustrated and described in complete detail are the Aircooled Franklin 4ACG-199 and 6ACG-298; the Allison V-1710-E19, V-1710-F17 and V-3420; the Continental C-75; the Lycoming GO-435; the Packard V-1650-1; the Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp R-2800; the Wright Cyclone 18; the Gnome-Rhone 14R and 18R; the Hispano-Suiza 12Z; the B.M.W. 801; the Daimler-Benz DB 601-E; the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah XV; the Bristol Mercury 30; the De Haviland Gipsy Six IIIS; the Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, 45 and 61 and the Vulture; the Japanese Mitsubishi Kinsei and Nakajima Sakae; the U.S.S.R. M-38, M-88 and M-105; and auxiliary engines of Andover, Eclipse, Lawrance and Onan manufacture.

Brief data is also included of the 2-stage Packard V-1650-3; the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-2000 and 2-stage Double Wasp R-2800-10; the B.M.W. 802; the Daimler-Benz DB 603, DB 605 and DB 606; the Junkers Jumo 222 and Jumo 223; the Bristol Centaurus; the Napier Sabre; and additional Japanese and U.S.S.R. engines.

Several new features have been introduced in this edition. The Introduction now enumerates the products of the various aircraft engine manufacturers in each country and the types of aircraft in which their engines are used. The standardized data pages now include lubrication pressures and the grades of lubricants recommended. Tabulations have been included giving the general characteristics of the engines built in each country. An advertising section has also been added giving information on aviation products. Much of the information and many of the photographs in the book are exclusive."

From the Introduction: "War-time needs have done much to accelerate the development of aircraft engines. Air cooling and liquid cooling are about equally divided in popularity where high-powered engines are concerned. Air cooling is preferred for medium-powered and low-powered engines.

With regard to cylinder arrangements, practically all kinds are used. One-row and two-row radials, inverted in-line, vee and inverted-vee, horizontally-opposed and vertically-opposed, horizontal-H and vertical-H, X-type, W and inverted-W engines—all are in production.

With regard to recent increases in engine power outputs, much of this progress can be attributed to improvements in supercharging and the availability of better fuels. Gear-driven superchargers have reached the point where multi-speed multi-stage units can maintain the sea level power output of aircraft engines to the sub-stratosphere. Turbo-superchargers are being used at very high altitudes now that difficulties due to high exhaust temperatures have been overcome.

Both the United States and Great Britain now use gasoline of 130 grade (still known as 100-octane) in the engines of their combat planes. Germany uses 92-octane gasoline of high aromatic content which gives equivalent take-off power in its high-powered engines. Italy uses 87-octane gasoline in its aircraft engines and in Japan, 92-octane gasoline is used for military purposes. The U.S.S.R. uses 95-octane gasoline in its combat plane engines."