Wright R-975 Whirlwind / J-6 Whirlwind Nine / J-6-9 / Fábrica Nacional de Motores FNM R-975 / Continental R-975 Whirlwind / Hispano-Suiza 9Q / Hispano-Wright 9Q / Continental R-9A

Continental-built R-975 from a Sherman tank

Wright introduced the J-6 Whirlwind family in 1928 to replace the nine-cylinder R-790 series. The J-6 family included varieties with five, seven, and nine cylinders. The nine-cylinder version was originally known as the J-6 Whirlwind Nine, or J-6-9 for short. The U.S. government designated it as the R-975; Wright later adopted this and dropped the J-6 nomenclature.

Model designations included Whirlwind 330, 365, and 420.

The R-975 cylinders are of a steel barrel over which an aluminium alloy head is screwed and shrunk. Intake ports are at the rear with exhaust ports on the forward side of cylinder.

The crankcase assembly is composed of four major castings of aluminium alloy. The cam follower housing carrying the tappet guides is cast integral with the main section of the crankcase.

Two-piece single-throw crankshaft with one-piece master rod and “H” section articulated rods.

Aluminium alloy pistons, cross ribbed on under side of head, and fitted with full floating hollow pins held in place by expanding spring wire locks.

Tulip shaped valves, solid stem inlet valves and hollow stem exhaust valves.

Rotary induction system of Wright design, with “pre-heating” device on carburettor. Provision is made for obtaining, at all times, a clean supply of air to the carburettor.

Lubrication system is designed to eliminate all external oil pipes to the engine.

Equipment supplied was air cleaner and heater, nose cowling, complete exhaust manifold, priming pump, ignition switch, tool kit, external oil filter, and instruction book.

Accessories available at extra cost were Ecllipse hand inertia starter, Eclipse generator, Eclipse generator control box, standard steel propeller hub, fuel pump, Eclipse combination hand and electric inertia starter, Eclipse hand starter with booster magneto, Eclipse electric inertia starter, propeller hub for wooden propeller, metal propeller, and hubs for two or three blade props.

Like all the members of the J-6 Whirlwind family, the R-975 had larger cylinders than the R-790. The piston stroke of 5.5 in (14.0 cm) was unchanged, but the cylinder bore was expanded to 5.0 in (12.7 cm) from the R-790’s bore of 4.5 in (11.4 cm). While the R-790 was naturally aspirated, the R-975, like the other J-6 engines, had a gear-driven supercharger to boost its power output.

Wright gradually developed the R-975, at first using suffix letters to indicate successive versions. The original R-975 (or J-6-9) was rated for 300 hp (224 kW), while the R-975E of 1931 could do 330 hp (246 kW) thanks to an improved cylinder head design. Wright later added numeric suffixes to show different power levels. The R-975E-1, introduced the same year as the R-975E, was rated at 365 hp (272 kW) thanks to higher-compression pistons and a slightly greater RPM limit. An even more powerful version, the R-975E-3, was also introduced that year, with greater supercharging and a still higher RPM limit, and was progressively refined until the final model of 1935 could reach 450 hp (336 kW) for takeoff.

As the most powerful Whirlwind engine to be commercially produced, the R-975 also became the most popular. It was a powerplant for a variety of civil utility aircraft, such as the Beechcraft Staggerwing, and was also used for some early airliners, like the Ford Trimotor 4-AT-E and the Lockheed Electra 10B. In addition, it powered several U.S. military training aircraft, the North American BT-9 and Vultee BT-15 Valiant for the Army and the Curtiss-Wright SNC-1 Falcon for the Navy. It was even used in a fighter aircraft, the Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk parasite fighter used on U.S. Navy airships.

However, the R-975 faced heavy competition from Pratt & Whitney’s R-985 Wasp Junior and from their larger R-1340 Wasp. Pratt & Whitney sold many more Wasp Juniors for aircraft use than Wright sold R-975s.

Wright’s production of the R-975 continued until 1945, with over 7000 engines being produced by the company.

In 1939 the U.S. Army, which had already been using Continental R-670 radial engines in its light tanks, chose Continental Motors to build the R-975 under license as the engine for its M2 medium tanks. Subsequently, the same engine was selected for the M3 Lee medium tank, the M4 Sherman medium tank, the Canadian Ram tank, the M7 Priest self-propelled gun, the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, and other Allied armored vehicles based on these. Continental versions of the R-975 for armored vehicles included the R-975E-C2, the R-975-C1, and the R-975-C4. Continental built over 53,000 R-975 engines for armored vehicles, far more than were ever built by Wright.

When installed in a tank, the R-975 did not have the benefit of being cooled by an air slipstream or propeller blast, so a cooling fan was attached to the power shaft and surrounded by a shroud to provide the same effect.

After the war, Continental introduced its own R-975 version for aircraft, the R9-A. Though it was basically similar to other R-975 engines, and its compression ratio and supercharger gear ratio were unchanged from the R-975E-3, other improvements in the R9-A allowed it to achieve 525 hp (391 kW) for takeoff, surpassing any Wright version. A military version, the R-975-46, could reach 550 hp (410 kW), and was used in Piasecki’s HUP Retriever and H-25 Army Mule helicopters. Continental’s production of R-975 engines continued until 1945.

The engine was built in Spain as the Hispano-Suiza 9Q or Hispano-Wright 9Q without modification apart from the use of Hispano’s patented nitriding finishing process and, on one version only, the 9Qdr, an epicyclic output speed reducer. The R-975 was also produced under licence by Continental Motors as the R-9A, and by Fábrica Nacional de Motores in Brazil.

Complete 1950s R975 with matching numbers – Fernie Chavez

Variants:
J-6-9 (R-975)
300 hp (224 kW) at 2,000 RPM.
R-975E
330 hp (246 kW) at 2,000 RPM. Higher power from improved cylinder head.
R-975E-1
365 hp (272 kW) at 2,100 RPM. Higher compression ratio.
R-975E-3
420 hp (313 kW) at 2,200 RPM up to 1,400 ft (427 m), 450 hp (336 kW) at 2,250 RPM for takeoff. Increased supercharging, slightly higher compression ratio.

R-975E-C2
400 hp (298 kW) at 2,400 RPM. Built by Continental Motors under license. Designed for use in armored vehicles.
Continental R9-A
500 hp (373 kW) at 2,300 RPM up to 4,000 ft (1,219 m), 525 hp (391 kW) at 2,300 RPM for takeoff. Continental’s improved post-war version.
Hispano-Suiza 9Q
Licence built R-975 J-6 Whirlwind
Hispano-Suiza 9Qa
variant of the Licence built R-975 J-6 Whirlwind
Hispano-Suiza 9Qb
variant of the Licence built R-975 J-6 Whirlwind
Hispano-Suiza 9Qd
variant of the Licence built R-975 J-6 Whirlwind
Hispano-Suiza 9Qdr
variant of the Licence built R-975 J-6 Whirlwind

Applications:
Beechcraft Staggerwing B17R, C17R, and D17R
Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker
Cessna DC-6A Chief
Curtiss-Wright CW-22
Curtiss-Wright SNC-1 Falcon
Dewoitine D.31
Dewoitine D.35
Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk
Fokker Standard Universal
Fokker T.VIII
Ford Trimotor 4-AT-E
Ireland N-2B Neptune
Keystone-Loening K-84 Commuter
McDonnell XV-1
North American BT-9
Pitcairn-Cierva PCA-2
Ryan B-5 Brougham
Stinson Detroiter SM-1F
Travel Air 6000B
VL Pyry
Vultee BT-15 Valiant
Waco JTO and JYO

Continental R-975
Kangaroo armoured personnel carrier
M3 Lee
M4 Sherman
M7 Priest
M18 Hellcat
M12 Gun Motor Carriage
M40 Gun Motor Carriage
Piasecki H-25
Ram tank
Sexton self-propelled gun
Sikorsky S-53
Skink anti-aircraft tank

Specifications:

Type: 9 cylinder, air cooled fixed radial
Military Rating: 300 hp at 2000 rpm
Commercial Rating: 300 hp at 2000 rpm
Displacement: 972 cu.in
Compression ratio: 5.1-1
Bore: 5 in
Stroke: 5 1/2 in
Length: 41 7/16 in
Diameter: 45 in
Weight: 520 lb
Fuel consumption: not more than .55 lb/hp/hr
Oil consumption: not more than .035 lb/hp/hr
Lubrication: Pressure pump
Ignition: Scintilla, dual
Carburation: Stromberg, single bbl
Spark plugs: 2 per cylinser
Price: $4800

R-975E
Power, continuous: 330 hp (246 kW) at 2,000 RPM
Compression ratio: 5.1:1
Supercharger gear ratio: 7.8:1
Octane rating: 73
Dry weight: 635 lb (288 kg)

R-975E-1
Power, continuous: 365 hp (272 kW) at 2,100 RPM
Compression ratio: 6.1:1
Supercharger gear ratio: 7.8:1
Octane rating: 73
Dry weight: 660 lb (299 kg)

Whirlwind R-975E-3
Type: 9-cylinder supercharged air-cooled radial piston engine
Bore: 5.0 in (127 mm)
Stroke: 5.5 in (140 mm)
Displacement: 972 cu in (15.93 L)
Length: 43.0 in (109.2 cm)
Diameter: 45.0 in (114.3 cm)
Dry weight: 675 lb (306 kg)
Valvetrain: 2 valves per cylinder, pushrod-actuated
Supercharger: gear-driven, 10.15:1 impeller gear ratio
Fuel type: 80 octane
Reduction gear: Direct drive
Power output: 420 hp (313 kW) at 2,200 RPM up to 1,400 ft (427 m); 450 hp (336 kW) at 2,250 RPM for takeoff
Specific power: 0.43 hp/cu-in (19.7 kW/L)
Compression ratio: 6.3:1
Power-to-weight ratio: 0.62 hp/lb (1.02 kW/kg)

Continental R9-A
Power, continuous: 500 hp (373 kW) at 2,300 RPM
Power, takeoff: 525 hp (391 kW) at 2,300 RPM
Compression ratio: 6.3:1
Supercharger gear ratio: 10.15:1
Octane rating: 91
Dry weight: 705 lb (320 kg)

Wright J-6-7 / R-760 Whirlwind-225 / Fábrica Nacional de Motores FNM R-760

Wright R-760

Wright introduced the J-6 Whirlwind family in 1928 to replace the nine-cylinder R-790 series. The J-6 family included varieties with five, seven, and nine cylinders. The seven-cylinder version was originally known as the J-6 Whirlwind Seven, or J-6-7 for short. The U.S. government designated it as the R-760; Wright later adopted this and dropped the J-6 nomenclature. Model designations included Whirlwind 235, 250, 285, and 320.

The R-760 cylinders are of a steel barrel over which an aluminium alloy head is screwed and shrunk. Intake ports are at the rear with exhaust ports on the forward side of cylinder.

The crankcase assembly is composed of four major castings of aluminium alloy. The cam follower housing carrying the tappet guides is cast integral with the main section of the crankcase.

Two-piece single-throw crankshaft with one-piece master rod and “H” section articulated rods.

Aluminium alloy pistons, cross ribbed on under side of head, and fitted with full floating hollow pins held in place by expanding spring wire locks.

Tulip shaped valves, solid stem inlet valves and hollow stem exhaust valves.

Rotary induction system of Wright design, with “pre-heating” device on carburettor. Provision is made for obtaining, at all times, a clean supply of air to the carburettor.

Lubrication system is designed to eliminate all external oil pipes to the engine.

Equipment supplied was air cleaner and heater, nose cowling, complete exhaust manifold, priming pump, ignition switch, tool kit, external oil filter, and instruction book.

Accessories available at extra cost were Ecllipse hand inertia starter, Eclipse generator, Eclipse generator control box, standard steel propeller hub, fuel pump, Eclipse combination hand and electric inertia starter, Eclipse hand starter with booster magneto, Eclipse electric inertia starter, propeller hub for wooden propeller, metal propeller, and hubs for two or three blade props.

Like all the members of the J-6 Whirlwind family, the R-760 had larger cylinders than the R-790. The piston stroke of 5.5 in (14.0 cm) was unchanged, but the cylinder bore was expanded to 5.0 in (12.7 cm) from the R-790’s bore of 4.5 in (11.4 cm). While the R-790 was naturally aspirated, the R-760, like the other J-6 engines, had a gear-driven supercharger to boost its power output.
Over time, Wright refined the R-760, using suffix letters to indicate successive versions. The original R-760 (or J-6-7) was rated for 225 hp (168 kW), while the R-760E of 1931 could do 250 hp (186 kW) thanks to an improved cylinder head design. Wright later added another suffix to show different power levels. The R-760E-1, introduced the same year as the R-760E, had a takeoff power rating of 300 hp (224 kW) thanks to higher-compression pistons and a greater RPM limit. The even more powerful R-760E-2 of 1935 could reach 350 hp (261 kW) for takeoff due to increased supercharging and an even higher RPM limit. On the other hand, the R-760E-T, designed for trainer aircraft, had the R-760E-1’s high-compression pistons, but the supercharger was removed, thus giving just 235 hp (175 kW).

The R-760 was a direct replacement for the R-790, with similar displacement and power. The U.S. Navy used it as the powerplant for several biplane primary trainers, including the Consolidated NY, the Curtiss N2C Fledgling, and the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N Canary. The last of these was produced in large numbers, with most of the engines built under license by the Naval Aircraft Factory. Trainers usually had the unsupercharged R-760E-T engine.

A variety of civil utility aircraft also used the R-760, including models built by Beechcraft, Cessna, Curtiss-Wright, Howard DGA-8, Stearman, Stinson, and Waco. These aircraft generally used the various supercharged versions of the R-760.

Production of the R-760 continued until 1945, with about 1400 examples being built by Wright, and more under licence by foraign anufacturers such as Fábrica Nacional de Motores in Brazil.

Applications:
Beechcraft Staggerwing
Cessna DC-6B Scout
Consolidated NY-3
Curtiss N2C-2 Fledgling
Fairchild Model 45
Howard DGA-8
Naval Aircraft Factory N3N Canary
St. Louis YPT-15
Stearman C3R Business Speedster
Stinson Junior
Stinson Reliant
Waco CSO and CTO
Waco CJC, CJC-S, DJC, DJC-S, and DJS
Waco CUC, DQC-6, EQC-6, DGC-7 & 8, EGC-7 & 8
Waco CRG

Specifications:

Type: 7 cylinder air cooled fixed radial
Military Rating: 225 hp at 2000 rpm
Commercial Rating: 225 hp at 2000 rpm
Displacement: 756 cu.in
Compression ratio: 5.1-1
Bore: 5 in
Stroke: 5 1/2 in
Length: 40 23/32 in
Diameter: 45 in
Weight: 445 lb
Fuel consumption: not more than .55 lb/hp/hr
Oil consumption: not more than .035 lb/hp/hr
Lubrication: Pressure pumps
Ignition: Scintilla dual
Carburation: Stomberg, single barrel
Spark plugs: 2 per cylinder
Price: $3900

J-6-7 (R-760)
225 hp (168 kW) at 2,000 RPM.

R-760E
Power, continuous: 250 hp (186 kW) at 2,000 RPM
Compression ratio: 5.1:1
Supercharger gear ratio: 7.05:1
Octane rating: 73
Dry weight: 530 lb (240 kg)
Higher power from improved cylinder head.

R-760E-1
Power, continuous: 285 hp (213 kW) at 2,100 RPM
Power, takeoff: 300 hp (224 kW) at 2,250 RPM
Compression ratio: 6.1:1
Supercharger gear ratio: 7.05:1
Octane rating: 73
Dry weight: 565 lb (256 kg)
Higher compression ratio.

R-760E-2
Type: 7-cylinder supercharged air-cooled radial piston engine
Bore: 5.0 in (127 mm)
Stroke: 5.5 in (140 mm)
Displacement: 756 in³ (12.4 L)
Length: 42.44 in (107.8 cm)
Diameter: 45.0 in (114.3 cm)
Dry weight: 570 lb (259 kg)
Valvetrain: 2 valves per cylinder, pushrod-actuated
Supercharger: gear-driven, 9.17:1 impeller gear ratio
Fuel type: 80 octane
Reduction gear: Direct drive
Power, continuous: 320 hp (239 kW) at 2,200 RPM at sea level
Power, takeoff: 350 hp (261 kW) at 2,400 RPM
Specific power: 0.42 hp/cu-in (19.3 kW/L)
Compression ratio: 6.3:1
Power-to-weight ratio: 0.56 hp/lb (0.92 kW/kg)

R-760E-T
Power, continuous: 235 hp (175 kW) at 2,000 RPM
Compression ratio: 6.1:1
Supercharger gear ratio: none
Octane rating: 73
Dry weight: 540 lb (245 kg)
Unsupercharged version of R-760E-1 for trainer aircraft.

R-760-2, -4, -8
235 hp (175 kW) at 2,000 RPM.
U.S. Navy versions of R-760E-T.

Wright R-4090 Cyclone

During the 1940s, Wright Aeronautical Corporation was constantly in competition with Pratt & Whitney for new engine designs required for civil and military aircraft. Utilising the Wright R-3350 as a basis, Wright developed a 22-cylinder engine (Wright model no. 792C22AA), using R-3350 cylinders arranged as a two-row radial engine with 11 cylinders per row.

The air-cooled R-4090 was rated to deliver 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) at 2,800 rpm for take-off, from a total displacement of 4,092 cu in (67.06 l), with a compression ratio of 6.85:1. Improved performance was expected from the R-4090 if it was proceeded with. A two-speed single-stage supercharger helped maintain rated power to higher altitudes.

The core of the engine was a forged steel crankcase which enclosed the three piece two-throw crankshaft. The three-piece crankshaft was built up through the two one-piece master connecting rods. Ten articulating rods were attached to each master rod. The cylinders were arranged equally around the crankcase, with each row off-set by 16.3636° to ensure cooling airflow. The cylinders had 3,900 sq in (2.52 sq m) of cooling fin area. Each cylinder’s hemispherical combustion chamber had two valves; the exhaust valve was sodium-cooled. It appears that the .333 to 1 propeller gear reduction was provided by Wright’s standard, multi-pinion planetary gear system.

Accessories similar to other Cyclone engines were arranged around the rear face of the crankcase and a 0.333:1 planetary reduction gearbox at the front. The supercharger and accessory drive section was very similar to that used on the R-3350 engine. However, the supercharger had a 14 in (356 mm) impeller and gear ratios of 5 to 1 and 7 to 1.

Rear view of the R-4090 showing the supercharger and accessory drive section which is very similar to that found on the R-3350.

Although there are no records of failings of the R-4090, the engine was abandoned to allow development of the R-3350 Cyclone 18 series. It is doubtful that the engine ever flew. Perhaps three R-4090 engines were completed: two XR-4090-1 engines with a single propeller shaft and one XR-4090-3 engine with a coaxial shaft for contra-rotating propellers. The XR-4090-3 weighed an additional 30 lb (13.6 kg) for a total of 3,260 lb (1,478 kg). In addition, the XR-4090-3 was to have a two-speed nose case to maximize propeller and engine speed efficiency for maximum power and cruise power.

Ultimately, the R-4090 Cyclone 22 was abandoned so that more resources could be used for the R-3350 Cyclone 18.

Variants:

XR-4090-1
(790C22AA1), drove a single propeller.

R-4090-3
(792C22AA), drove a contra-rotating propeller shaft and was intended to have a two-speed reduction gearbox to maximise efficiency in cruising flight.

XR-4090-1
Type: Air-cooled 22 cylinder two-row radial piston engine
Bore: 6.125 in (155.6 mm)
Stroke: 6.3125 in (160.3 mm)
Displacement: 4,092 cu in (67.06 l)
Length: 91 in (2,300 mm)
Diameter: 58 in (1,500 mm)
Dry weight: 3,230 lb (1,470 kg)
Fuel type: Gasoline
Power output: 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) at 2,800 rpm for take-off
Compression ratio: 6.85:1
Supercharger: 14 in (360 mm) diameter impeller, single-stage two-speed supercharger; gear ratios: of 5 to 1 and 7 to 1.
Reduction gear: 0.333:1 planetary reduction gearbox

Wright R-1300 Cyclone / Cyclone 7

The Wright R-1300 Cyclone 7 is an American air-cooled seven-cylinder supercharged radial aircraft engine similar to a single row Wright R-2600. The engine was mass-produced but not widely used. Engineering began in 1942 but the first flight of an R1300 did not take place until 1949. The engine was produced under license by Kaiser-Frazer and later by AVCO Lycoming.

The R-1300 was developed for installation in the North American T-28. A production contract wither $7,000,000 was signed in 1948, 266 T-28 were on order.

The engine was used in combat, the R1300-1A, -1B in the A model North American Aviation T-28 Trojan and the R1300-3,-3A,-3C,-3D Sikorsky UH-19 Chickasaw. The R1300-1B was used in the Ayres Thrush. The R1300-4, -4A was used in the N class blimp, 50 of these designation were produced by AVCO.
The engines early on had vibration problems, an improved lateral dampener in the crank brought about most of the model changes.

Variants:
R1300-2
A direct drive version of the R1300-1. It had a 0.5625:1 reduction drive. Both used the PD9F1 carburetor.
R1300-3
Derated to 690.3 hp (515 kW), uses forced-air cooling fan and uses a PD9G1 carburetor.
R1300-4
Similar to the R1300-1, uses some different accessory components.
R-1300-CB7A1
With reduction gear for use on fixed wing aircraft.

Applications:
N class blimp
North American T-28 Trojan
Rockwell Thrush Commander
Sikorsky H-19
Westland Whirlwind

Specifications:
R-1300-1A
Type: 7-cylinder supercharged air-cooled single row radial engine
Bore: 6.125 in (155.6 mm)
Stroke: 6.312 in (160.2 mm)
Displacement: 1,301 cu in (21.3 L)
Length: 48.22 in (1,225 mm)
Diameter: 55 in (1,397 mm)
Dry weight: 1,055 lb (478 kg)
Valvetrain: Two pushrod-actuated valves per cylinder with sodium-cooled exhaust valve
Supercharger: 1-stage
Fuel system: Bendix-Stromberg PD9F1 downdraft carburetor with automatic mixture control
Cooling system: Air-cooled
Power output: 800 hp (596 kW)
Specific power: 0.61 hp/cu.in (27.94 kW/L)
Compression ratio: 6.20:1
Power-to-weight ratio: 0.76hp/lb (1.25 kW/kg)

Wright R-1670 Whirlwind

The Wright Whirlwind was a family of air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical (originally an independent company, later a division of Curtiss-Wright). The family began with nine-cylinder engines, and later expanded to include five-cylinder and seven-cylinder varieties. Fourteen-cylinder twin-row versions were also developed, but these were not commercially produced.
The Whirlwind was a direct descendant of the Lawrance J-1, a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial built by the Lawrance Aero Engine Company for the U.S. Navy. Because the Navy was very enthusiastic about air-cooled radials, but was concerned that Lawrance could not produce enough engines for its needs, it forced Wright to purchase the Lawrance company in 1923 and build the J-1 itself. Wright’s J-1 was the first engine in its nine-cylinder R-790 Whirlwind series.
During the mid-1930s, Wright developed two fourteen-cylinder double-row versions of the Whirlwind, the R-1510 of 600 hp (450 kW), and the R-1670 (Introduced 1934, prototype only) of 800 hp (600 kW). These were used in a number of military aircraft prototypes, but neither engine reached the production stage.

R-1670
14-cylinder twin-row radial, 800 hp (600 kW).

Wright R-1510 Whirlwind

During the mid-1930s, Wright also developed two fourteen-cylinder double-row versions of the Whirlwind, the R-1510 (introduced 1933) of 600 hp (450 kW), and the R-1670 of 800 hp (600 kW). These were used in a number of military aircraft prototypes, but neither engine reached the production stage.

R-1510
14-cylinder twin-row radial, 600 hp (450 kW)

Wright R-790 Whirlwind / J-5 Whirlwind

Wright R-790 (J-5 Whirlwind)

The Wright R-790 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical Corporation, with a total displacement of about 790 cu.in (12.9 L) and around 200 hp (150 kW). These engines were the earliest members of the Wright Whirlwind engine family.
The R-790 Whirlwind began as the Lawrance J-1, a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial developed in 1921 by the Lawrance Aero Engine Company for the U.S. Navy. The Navy was very enthusiastic about air-cooled engines, which it felt were better suited for naval use than liquid-cooled ones. But Lawrance was a small company, and the Navy doubted it could produce enough engines for their needs.
Despite urgings from the Navy, the major U.S. aircraft engine makers, Wright and Curtiss, were satisfied with their liquid-cooled engines and showed no interest in building air-cooled ones. Since the Navy was already a major purchaser of Wright engines, it decided to force the issue by suggesting that Wright purchase Lawrance and build the J-1 itself, while informing the company that the Navy would not buy any more of its existing engines or spare parts. In order to keep the Navy’s business, Wright was thus compelled to buy Lawrance in 1923, and the Lawrance J-1 became the Wright J-1.
By the time Lawrance merged with Wright, it had already developed the J-2, a more powerful version of the J-1 with slightly enlarged bore and displacement. However, Lawrance decided the J-1 was large enough, and the J-2 never went into production; only two examples were built.
Over the next two years, Wright gradually refined the J-1 engine, introducing the J-3, J-4, J-4A, and J-4B. The changes improved the engine’s reliability, cooling, and fuel consumption, but the basic design, dimensions, and performance were unaltered.
The J-4 was the first engine to bear the Whirlwind name; previous engines had no name, only a designation.
The J-5 Whirlwind, introduced in 1925, was a complete redesign of the engine which greatly improved its cooling and breathing, further increasing its reliability and reducing its fuel consumption. Among the more visible changes were a much wider separation between the valves, for better cooling airflow, and completely enclosed pushrods and rocker arms, rather than exposed ones as on the earlier engines.
The U.S. government later designated the J-5 Whirlwind as the R-790, but it did not apply this designation to the older engines.
All these engines had a bore of 4.5 in (11.4 cm), a stroke of 5.5 in (14.0 cm), and a displacement of 788 cu.in (12.91 L).
The J-5 was the last of the original nine-cylinder Whirlwinds. In 1928, it was replaced by the seven-cylinder version of the Whirlwind J-6.
Many Whirlwind engines were used in U.S. Navy aircraft, mostly in trainers but also in some ship-based observation and fighter aircraft. As the engines were refined and their reputation for reliability grew, their usage expanded to U.S. Army trainers and a wide range of U.S. civil aircraft, including the earliest versions of the Fokker Trimotor and Ford Trimotor airliners.
The reliability of J-5 Whirlwind engines also led aviators to use them for a number of record-setting distance and endurance flights. The most famous of these is Charles Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight from New York City to Paris on May 20–21, 1927, in the Spirit of St. Louis, powered by a single Whirlwind J-5C. During Lindbergh’s flight, the engine ran continuously for 33.5 hours. Lindbergh’s achievement greatly boosted the Whirlwind’s already good reputation.
Some other historic long-duration flights made in aircraft powered by the J-5 Whirlwind:

  • Clarence Chamberlin and Bert Acosta made a record endurance flight of 51 hours, 11 minutes, 25 seconds in a single-engined Wright-Bellanca WB-2 over New York City in April 1927.
  • Chamberlin and Charles Levine flew non-stop from New York City to Eisleben, Germany, in the same Wright-Bellanca on June 4–6, 1927, in a flight lasting 42.5 hours (3,920 mi).
  • The first successful flight from the continental U.S. to Hawaii was made by Albert Hegenberger and Lester Maitland in the Fokker C-2 Bird of Paradise from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 28–29, 1927, lasting 25 hours 50 minutes (2,400 mi).
  • The first flight across the Pacific was made by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in the Fokker trimotor Southern Cross from Oakland to Brisbane, Australia, with stops in Hawaii and Fiji, from May 31 to June 9, 1928. The leg from Hawaii to Fiji lasted 34.5 hours over 3,100 mi (5,000 km) of open ocean.
  • A record endurance flight of 150 hours, 40 minutes, and 14 seconds was made by U.S. Army fliers in the Fokker C-2A Question Mark over southern California on January 1–7, 1929. Achieved with the help of aerial refueling, this flight only ended when a pushrod failure stopped one of the engines.
    Charles L. Lawrance, who developed the original Whirlwind series and became president of Wright, won the 1927 Collier Trophy for his work on air-cooled radial aircraft engines.
    The Whirlwind J-5 was also produced under license in Poland by several makers. Among these were Polskie Zakłady Skody, the Polish branch of Škoda Works, which built about 350 to 400 engines from 1929 to 1931, and the Polish firm Avia, which manufactured a further 300 engines from 1935 to 1938. Polish-built J-5s were used in numerous Polish aircraft, mostly in military training, observation, and liaison aircraft.

Variants
J-1: Lawrance J-1 as built by Wright Aeronautical in 1923.
J-3: Wright’s first refined version, 1923.
J-4: Improved version, 1924. First to be named “Whirlwind”.
J-4A, J-4B: Further refinements of J-4.
J-5 (R-790): Complete redesign with improved reliability and performance, 1925.

Applications:
U.S. aircraft-
Boeing NB-1
Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster (J-4)
Buhl-Verville CA-3A Airster (J-5)
Consolidated NY-1 and NY-2
Consolidated O-17
Consolidated PT-3
Curtiss AT-5 and AT-5A Hawk
Curtiss N2C-1 Fledgling
Fairchild FC-2
Fokker F.VIIA-3m and F.VIIB-3m
Fokker Universal (Model 4)
Ford Trimotor 4-AT-A and -B
Keystone Pronto
Lockheed Vega 1
Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-1 Canary
New Standard D-25
Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing and PA-6 Super Mailwing
Ryan B-1 Brougham
Spirit of St. Louis
Stearman NS-1
Stearman C2B and C3B
Stinson Detroiter SB-1 and SM-1
Stinson Junior SM-2AB
Texas-Temple Aero C-4
Texas-Temple Commercial Wing
Travel Air 4000
Vought FU
Vought UO
Waco 10-W (ASO) and 10-T (ATO)

Polish aircraft, using Polish-built engines-
Bartel BM-5d
Lublin R-XIII
PWS-18
PWS-26
PZL Ł.2

Specifications:
R-790 Whirlwind J-5
Type: 9-cylinder naturally aspirated air-cooled radial piston engine
Bore: 4.5 in (114 mm)
Stroke: 5.5 in (140 mm)
Displacement: 788 cu in (12.91 L)
Length: 34 to 40 in (86 to 102 cm)
Diameter: 45 in (114 cm)
Dry weight: 520 lb (236 kg)
Valvetrain: 2 valves per cylinder, pushrod-actuated
Fuel type: 50 octane
Power output: 220 hp (164 kW) @ 2000 RPM
Specific power: 0.279 hp/cu-in (12.7 kW/L)
Compression ratio: 5.1:1
Power-to-weight ratio: 0.423 hp/lb (0.696 kW/kg)

Wright IV-1460

Inverted air-cooled Wright 1460 not built in quantity and a complete switchover to inverted types for observation and pursuit types never occurred.

Eight Loening OA-1C with 480hp Wright IV-1460-1 engine were built, with modified tail surfaces and forward-firing machine gun moved to port upper wing.

There was one O-10, one XOA-1A, one OA-2, and one P-17 Wright IV-1460 powered built.