Object Details
Manufacturer
Union Gas Engine Company, Oakland, California
Physical Description
Type: Reciprocating, 6 cylinders, in-line type, water-cooled
Power rating: 92.05 kW (123.44 hp) at 1,387 rpm
Displacement: 11.33 L (691.14 cu in.)
Bore and Stroke: 121 mm (4.75 in.) x 165 mm (6.5 in.)
Weight: 221 kg (485 lb)
Summary
The Union Gas Engine Company of Oakland, California began producing marine engines in 1885, and started experimental construction of an aircraft engine in 1915. In 1917, under Army and Navy supervision, that engine, with a pusher propeller, was the first to pass the U.S. government 50-hour test, which consisted of eight full throttle, six hour runs on consecutive days, followed by a tilting test.
Union engines were built primarily for use in lighter-than-air craft. A Union engine of this type powered a non-stop record 1,760 km (1,100 mile) flight of 25 hours from New York to Newfoundland on the U.S.N. Airship C-5 in 1919, an apparent trial for a later unaccomplished trans-Atlantic flight.
Credit Line
Gift of Stanley H. Page
Date
Circa 1917
Inventory Number
A19390028000
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
Materials
Steel, Aluminum, Paint, Ceramic, Rubber, Textile, Preservative coating
Dimensions
Overall: 40 3/4 in. × 17 in. × 65 in. (103.5 × 43.2 × 165.1cm)
Approximate (Weighed with Stand): 337.5kg (744lb.)
Height 103.5 cm (40.75 in.), Width 43.2 cm (17 in.), Depth 165.1 cm (65 in.)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A19390028000