New Identification Standards For Aircraft Engine

FEBRUARY 1--A joint Army-Navy nomenclature for aircraft engines became effective whereby standard type names were assigned to engines based upon the cubic inches of piston displacement--to the nearest ten. Under this scheme, the Vee type Curtiss D-12 engine received the standard type name Curtiss V-1150 and the air-cooled radial J-5 Whirlwind became the first Wright R-790.

The Curtiss D-12 engine of 375 hp., a development of the K-12 of the WWI period, was an immediate success when introduced in 1921. In addition to powering the famous series of Curtiss Army Racers in the early 1920s, it was installed in such fighter aircraft as the PW-7, PW-8, and PW-9.

In 1926, Curtiss put into production its famous "Conqueror" engine, larger and more powerful than the D-12, but very similar in general principles of design. Rated at 600 hp. the V-1570 "Conqueror" was selected to power the Curtiss P-6 series aircraft in addition to various other Air Corps types such as the A-8, B-2, B-7, O-25, and P-16.