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Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major R-4360-59B, Cutaway, Radial Engine

Air and Space Museum

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Object Details

Manufacturer

Pratt & Whitney

Physical Description

Type: Reciprocating, Radial, 28 cylinders, 4-spiral rows, air-cooled
Power rating: 2,237 kW (3,000 hp) at 2,700 rpm
Displacement: 71.5 L (4,360 cu. in.)
Bore and Stroke: 146 mm (5.8 in.) x 152 mm (6 in.)
Weight: 1,585 kg (3,490 lb)

Summary

The R-4360 was Pratt & Whitney's last aircraft piston engine, as well as the largest and the most complicated piston engine produced in quantity in the United States. The 28 cylinders were in four rows of seven cylinders each, arranged in a spiral for better cooling, which contributed to the popular nickname of "corncob" applied to all multi-row radial engines.
The R-4360 (known by its commercial designation as the Wasp Major) mainly powered large American military aircraft, including the Boeing C-97, Douglas C-124, and Fairchild C-119 transports and the Boeing B-50 and Consolidated B-36 bombers. Early versions of the R-4360 produced 2,237 kW (3,000 hp); later models developed 3,207 kW (4,300 hp). It is believed that Pratt & Whitney crafted this cutaway from a production R-4360 as a teaching tool for military mechanics during World War II.

Credit Line

Transferred from the U.S. Marine Corps Aviation Museum

Date

1943

Inventory Number

A19790005000

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary

Dimensions

Diameter 137.2 cm (54 in.), Length 245.6 cm (96.69 in.)

Country of Origin

United States of America

See more items in

National Air and Space Museum Collection

Location

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA

Hangar

Boeing Aviation Hangar

Data Source

National Air and Space Museum

Metadata Usage

Not determined

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9a9e0218c-0d99-422d-bad4-c1a9e9c18de0

Record ID

nasm_A19790005000

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