The Wright Vertical 4 was an American aircraft engine built by the Wright brothers in the very early years of powered flight. It was a liquid-cooled piston engine with four inline cylinders, mounted vertically. (Earlier Wright engines were mounted horizontally.) It generated about 30–40 horsepower (22–30 kW) from a displacement of 240 cubic inches (3.9 liters) and weighed about 160–180 pounds (73–82 kg). Developed by Orville Wright in 1906, the Vertical 4 was produced by the Wright Company until 1912 and was the most numerous engine they manufactured.[3][4] Around a hundred Vertical 4 engines were built, according to a Wright test foreman.[1][2]

Wright Vertical 4
Wright Vertical 4 aircraft engine on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. This particular engine was used on the Wright B-1 seaplane that crashed in 1912. A patch was bolted to the side of the crankcase in an attempt to repair the engine.
Type Liquid-cooled inline-4 piston aero engine
National origin United States
Manufacturer Wright Company
Designer Orville Wright
Major applications Wright Model A
Wright Model B
Number built around 100[1][2]

The Vertical 4 powered most Wright aircraft during this period, including the Model A and Model B and variants built for the U.S. Army and Navy.

This engine was also built under license by Bariquand et Marre in France and by Neue Automobil-Gesellschaft in Germany.[5][2]


Applications

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Engines on display

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Wright Vertical 4 engines can be seen on display in the following museums, among others:

Specifications

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Right side view of the Wright Vertical 4 on display at the National Air and Space Museum. This engine was originally a keepsake of Orville Wright's.

Data from "Wright Vertical 4, In-line 4 Engine (inventory A19620037000)". Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 12 June 2018.

General characteristics

  • Type: 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled inline piston aircraft engine
  • Bore: 4.375 in (111 mm)
  • Stroke: 4 in (102 mm)
  • Displacement: 240 in3 (3.9 L)
  • Length: 40.75 in (1,035 mm)
  • Width: 18 in (457 mm)
  • Height: 27 in (686 mm)
  • Dry weight: 160–180 lb (70–80 kg)[6][4]
  • Designer: Orville Wright

Components

  • Valvetrain: overhead valve, two valves per cylinder, "automatic" intake valve (driven by suction), exhaust valve actuated by camshaft and pushrod
  • Cooling system: liquid-cooled

Performance

  • Power output: Initially 28 hp (21 kW) at 1325 rpm, later up to 42 hp (31 kW) at 1500 rpm.[6][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Hobbs, p. 63.
  2. ^ a b c Lippincott, p. 89.
  3. ^ Hobbs, p. 34.
  4. ^ a b c Lippincott, p. 87.
  5. ^ Hobbs, p. 43.
  6. ^ a b Hobbs, p. 62.

Bibliography

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Hobbs, Leonard S. (1971). Smithsonian Annals of Flight, No. 5: The Wright Brothers' Engines and Their Design (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Lippincott, Harvey H. (1987). "Propulsion Systems of the Wright Brothers". In Wolko, Howard S. (ed.). The Wright Flyer: An Engineering Perspective. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 87–89. ISBN 0-87474-979-4.

McFarland, Marvin W., ed. (1953). The Papers of Wilbur and Orville Wright, Including the Chanute-Wright Letters and Other Papers of Octave Chanute. Vol. Two: 1906–1948. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 1215–1216.

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