The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Union as the Shvetsov M-25.
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The R-1820 Cyclone 9 represented a further development of the Wright P-2 engine dating back to 1925. Featuring a greater displacement and a host of improvements, the R-1820 entered production in 1931. The engine remained in production well into the 1950s.
The R-1820 was built under license by Lycoming, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and also, during World War II, by the Studebaker Corporation. The Soviet Union had purchased a license for the design, and the Shvetsov OKB was formed to metricate the American specification powerplant for Soviet government-factory production as the M-25, with the R-1820's general design features used by the Shvetsov design bureau for many of their future radials for the Soviet air forces through the 1940s and onwards. In Spain the R-1820 was license-built as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V.[2]
The R-1820 was at the heart of many famous aircraft including early Douglas airliners (the prototype DC-1, the DC-2, the first civil versions of the DC-3, and the limited-production DC-5), every wartime example of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Douglas SBD Dauntless bombers, the early versions of the Polikarpov I-16 fighter (as the M-25), and the Piasecki H-21 helicopter.
The R-1820 also found limited use in armoured vehicles. The G-200 variant developed 900 hp (670 kW) at 2,300 rpm and powered the strictly experimental M6 Heavy Tank.
D-200 Diesel
The Wright R-1820 was converted to a diesel during World War II by Caterpillar Inc. as the D-200 and produced 450 hp (340 kW) at 2,000 rpm in the M4A6 Sherman.
- R-1820-04
- 700 hp (520 kW)
- R-1820-1
- 575 hp (429 kW)
- R-1820-4
- 770 hp (570 kW)
- R-1820-19
- 675 hp (503 kW)
- R-1820-21
- 690 hp (510 kW)
- R-1820-22
- 950 hp (710 kW)
- R-1820-25
- 675 hp (503 kW), 750 hp (560 kW), 775 hp (578 kW)
- R-1820-32
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- XR-1820-32
- 800 hp (600 kW)
- R-1820-33
- 775 hp (578 kW)
- R-1820-34
- 940 hp (700 kW), 950 hp (710 kW)
- R-1820-34A
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-40/42
- 1,100 hp (820 kW), 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-41
- 850 hp (630 kW)
- R-1820-45
- 800 hp (600 kW), 930 hp (690 kW)
- R-1820-49
- 975 hp (727 kW)
- R-1820-50
- 850 hp (630 kW)
- R-1820-52
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-53
- 930 hp (690 kW), 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-56
- 1,200 hp (890 kW), 1,350 hp (1,010 kW)
- R-1820-57
- 1,060 hp (790 kW)
- R-1820-60
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-62
- 1,350 hp (1,010 kW)
- R-1820-66
- 1,200 hp (895 kW), 1,350 hp (1,007 kW)
- R-1820-67/69
- 1,200 hp (890 kW), fitted with turbosupercharger
- R-1820-72W
- 1,350 hp (1,010 kW), 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
- R-1820-74W
- 1,500 hp (1,100 kW)
- R-1820-76A,B,C,D
- 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
- R-1820-77
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-78
- 700 hp (522 kW), 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-80
- 700 hp (520 kW), 1,535 hp (1,145 kW)
- R-1820-82WA
- 1,525 hp (1,137 kW)
- R-1820-84
- 1,525 hp (1,137 kW)
- R-1820-86
- 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
- R-1820-97
- 1,200 hp (890 kW), fitted with turbosupercharger
- R-1820-103
- 1,425 hp (1,063 kW)
- SGR-1820-F3
- 710 hp (530 kW), 720 hp (540 kW)
- SGR-1820-F2
- 720 hp (540 kW)
- R-1820-F53
- 770 hp (570 kW)
- R-1820-F56
- 790 hp (590 kW)
- GR-1820-G2
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-G3
- 840 hp (630 kW)
- R-1820-G5
- 950 hp (710 kW)
- R-1820-G101
- 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-G102
- 775 hp (578 kW)
- GR-1820-G102A
- 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-G102A
- 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-G102A
- 1,100 hp (820 kW)
- R-1820-G202A
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
- R-1820-G103
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-G105
- 1,000 hp (750 kW)
- R-1820-G205A
- 1,200 hp (890 kW)
Notes: Unit numbers ending with W indicate engine variants fitted with water-methanol emergency power boost systems.
Hispano-Suiza 9V
The Hispano-Suiza 9V is a licence-built version of the R-1820.[4]
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vr
- 9V with reduction gear
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vb
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vbr
- variant of the 9Vb with reduction gear[4]
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vbrs
- variant of the 9Vb with reduction gear and supercharger
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vbs
- variant of the 9Vb with supercharger[4]
- Hispano-Suiza 9Vd
- variant of the 9V[4]
- Hispano-Suiza 9V-10
- 429 kW (575 hp) driving fixed-pitch propeller
- Hispano-Suiza 9V-11
- as -10 but RH rotation
- Hispano-Suiza 9V-16
- 480 kW (650 hp) driving variable-pitch propeller, LH rotation
- Hispano-Suiza 9V-17
- as -16 but RH rotation
Preserved Wright R-1820 engines are on display at the following museums:
Data from Jane's. [6]
General characteristics
- Type: Nine-cylinder single-row supercharged air-cooled radial engine
- Bore: 6.125 in (155.6 mm)
- Stroke: 6.875 in (174.6 mm)
- Displacement: 1,823 cu in (29.87 L)
- Length: 47.76 in (1,213 mm)
- Diameter: 54.25 in (1,378 mm)
- Dry weight: 1,184 lb (537 kg)
Related development
Comparable engines
Related lists
Hartmann, Gustave. Hispano-Suiza, Les moteurs de tous les Records.pdf (in French).
- Bridgman, L, (ed.) (1998) Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7.
- Conners, Chris (2013). "Medium Tank M4 Sherman". American Fighting Vehicle Database. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- Eden, Paul & Soph Moeng, The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.
- Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines: From the Pioneers to the Present Day. 5th edition, Stroud, UK: Sutton, 2006.ISBN 0-7509-4479-X
- White, Graham. Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II: History and Development of Frontline Aircraft Piston Engines Produced by Great Britain and the United States During World War II. Warrendale, Pennsylvania: SAE International, 1995. ISBN 1-56091-655-9
- Lage, Manual (2004). Hispano Suiza in Aeronautics. Warrendale, USA: SAE International. ISBN 0-7680-0997-9.
- "Aircraft Engines in Armored Vehicles". Archived from the original on 2006-10-07. Retrieved 2006-10-03.