American Engine Designation

Keeper of the Sacred Block Coefficient

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 8:29pm

Hey,

could anybody explain to me the system behind American engine designation, if there is any?

I/V = Inline engines
R = Radial engine

2800 = ???
17xx = ???

Thanks,

HoOmAn

Go to the top of the page

Hrolf Hakonson

Scooby-Doo

Posts: 6,178

2

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 8:34pm

V is upright V-inline engine, I is Inverted V-inline engine, O (rare) is opposed inline engine, and R is radial.

The # is, 99% of the time, the displacement of the engine in cubic inches (rounded to the nearest 10). An Allison V-1710 is a upright V-12 with a displacement of about 1710 cubic inches. A Pratt & Whitney R-4360 is a radial with a displacement of about 4360 cubic inches.

Using this system, the DB-601 would be an I-2070, and the BMW-801 would be an R-2560.

This post has been edited 3 times, last edit by "Hrolf Hakonson" (Jan 26th 2010, 8:46pm)

Go to the top of the page

Red Admiral

Italian Stallion

Posts: 7,019

3

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 8:55pm

As Hrolf says; it all makes sense. There are a couple of oddities like the IV-2220 which was an inverted vee and H-3730 which was a H block.

The bizarre thing in WW is that people are using power in the engine designations (like V-1300) which is seriously confusing.

Go to the top of the page

Hrolf Hakonson

Scooby-Doo

Posts: 6,178

4

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 9:13pm

If the IV-2220 had ever been finished, it would probably have been coded as the I-2220 (the I-1430 was also coded as the XI-1430 or as the IV-1430). The IV- is probably a legacy of the fact that inverted V's were very rare in the US.

The other real oddity in the American system was the X-1800, which really should have been coded as an H-2600. The "-1800" was the projected horsepower, kind of like the WW Atlantean system seems to be. The X is probably because it was only ever experimental, being cancelled in 1940.

Go to the top of the page

Vukovlad

Me too !!!

Posts: 4,137

5

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 9:15pm

Quoted

Originally posted by Red Admiral
As Hrolf says; it all makes sense. There are a couple of oddities like the IV-2220 which was an inverted vee and H-3730 which was a H block.

The bizarre thing in WW is that people are using power in the engine designations (like V-1300) which is seriously confusing.

Why is that more confusing than cubic inches/centimeters or random name/number?

This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "Vukovlad" (Jan 26th 2010, 9:16pm)

Go to the top of the page

Brockpaine

The Shadow

Posts: 15,109

6

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 9:19pm

I'd say it's because horsepower varies according to altitude and other similar factors, but displacement never changes.

Go to the top of the page

Hrolf Hakonson

Scooby-Doo

Posts: 6,178

7

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 9:23pm

The other reason a horsepower name is confusing is there's no way to know whether the "V-1340" is a new engine, an older engine that's been given more compression, or what.

It also is potentially confusing because if you don't know where the engine came from, the name is potentially the same as an American engine.

Go to the top of the page

Vukovlad

Me too !!!

Posts: 4,137

8

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 9:28pm

That is only a problem in game terms (ie confusing for other players) as with most designations there can be miss understandings. I assume that TSA has some kind of system for when the power is measured (I thought that the V-1300 remark was directed at me due to GW designations)

This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "Vukovlad" (Jan 26th 2010, 9:29pm)

Go to the top of the page

Red Admiral

Italian Stallion

Posts: 7,019

9

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 10:26pm

If you designate by power you can possibly have two or more completely different engines with the same designation. Also, power changes a lot; apply a little bit more boost to an old engine and you've suddenly got what might be an entirely new type. Gets worse when you consider all the power differences between different marks of engines for different applications.

Go to the top of the page

Marek Gutkowski

Professional

Posts: 1,280

10

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 10:30pm

Naming a engine by its power is confusing. But displacement is not better.

I like to name things with a Noun rather that letter-number.
RR Merlin sounds so much better that Allison V-1710 or Shvetsov ASh-82

Acronym's are the most confusing naming principle, there are so many language plus there are way too many words that fit.

This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "Marek Gutkowski" (Jan 26th 2010, 10:32pm)

Go to the top of the page

Vukovlad

Me too !!!

Posts: 4,137

11

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 10:48pm

Quoted

Originally posted by Red Admiral
If you designate by power you can possibly have two or more completely different engines with the same designation. Also, power changes a lot; apply a little bit more boost to an old engine and you've suddenly got what might be an entirely new type. Gets worse when you consider all the power differences between different marks of engines for different applications.

And you cant have two engines with the same displacement?
Pratt & Whitney R-1830 & R-2000 how do you see if these are completly different engines or variations of the same?

Go to the top of the page

Brockpaine

The Shadow

Posts: 15,109

12

Tuesday, January 26th 2010, 10:53pm

Quoted

Originally posted by Marek Gutkowski
I like to name things with a Noun rather that letter-number.
RR Merlin sounds so much better that Allison V-1710 or Shvetsov ASh-82

Ditto. Hence why Austral's renamed all the Roth-Packard airplane engines they license - the Austral Incitatus for example, or the Austral Streiff, or the future Austral Malacara.

Go to the top of the page

Hrolf Hakonson

Scooby-Doo

Posts: 6,178

13

Wednesday, January 27th 2010, 1:21pm

Quoted

Originally posted by Vukovlad

Quoted

Originally posted by Red Admiral
If you designate by power you can possibly have two or more completely different engines with the same designation. Also, power changes a lot; apply a little bit more boost to an old engine and you've suddenly got what might be an entirely new type. Gets worse when you consider all the power differences between different marks of engines for different applications.

And you cant have two engines with the same displacement?
Pratt & Whitney R-1830 & R-2000 how do you see if these are completly different engines or variations of the same?

You can have two engines of the same displacement, but you generally don't. The R-2000 is an enlarged (longer stroke) version of the R-1830. If you name based on horsepower, many of the different versions of the R-1830 would have their own name, yet they're all the same engine running at different RPM or compression.

Go to the top of the page

Vukovlad

Me too !!!

Posts: 4,137

14

Wednesday, January 27th 2010, 4:06pm

What i am trying to say is that any designation system has its flaws unless you are familiar with it, so instead of having R-1830-XX you have L-900, L-1050 etc, and unless you are familiar with a designation system you cant by just looking at the designation see if its a new design or development.