Curtiss OX-5 V-8 Engine

National Air and Space Museum

Object Details

Manufacturer
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Designer
Glenn H. Curtiss
Physical Description
Type: Reciprocating, V-type, 8 cylinders, liquid cooled
Power rating: 67 kW (90 hp) at 1,200 rpm
Displacement: 8.3 L (503 cu in)
Bore and Stroke: 102 mm (4 in.) x 127 mm (5 in.)
Weight: 177 kg (390 lb)
Summary
Curtiss OX-5
Curtiss manufactured more than 10,000 OX-5 V-8s during World War I, mostly for Curtiss JN-4 Jenny military trainers. After the war, the U.S. government sold thousands of surplus OX-5s and Jennys to the public at a fraction of their original cost. The availability of a well-proven, inexpensive engine in such quantity was a mixed blessing. It enabled many people of modest means to fly, but manufacturers of more modern power plants suffered.
The OX-5 was a mainstay for barnstormers, private pilots, and aircraft designers in the United States in the 1920s and ’30s. Besides the Jenny, the OX-5 also powered many new civil aircraft manufactured by Alexander, Curtiss, Fairchild, Laird, Travel Air, Waco, and others. This OX-5 was removed from a Curtiss JN-4D that suffered a landing accident near Greensboro, North Carolina, about 1921.
Gift of Wesley Tallent
Type:reciprocating, 8 cylinders, V-type, liquid cooled
Power rating:67 kW (90 hp) at 1,200 rpm
Displacement:8.3 L (503 cu in)
Weight:177 kg (390 lb)
Manufacturer:Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co., Garden City, N.Y.
A19810723000
Credit Line
Gift of Wesley Tallent.
1910
Inventory Number
A19810723000
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
Dimensions
Length 144.1 cm (56.75 in.), Width 75.6 cm (29.75 in.), Height 93.3 cm (36.75 in.)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
Hangar
Boeing Aviation Hangar
National Air and Space Museum
Record ID
nasm_A19810723000
Metadata Usage (text)
Not determined
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv974c4e8ea-3969-488a-9a3c-42526743fd8a
Angled view of front of black and gray eight cylinder engine. Yellow rope near the top.
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
Angled view of front of black and gray eight cylinder engine. Yellow rope near the top.
Side view of black and gray eight cylinder engine. Cylinders jut out at an angle, four per side.
Front view of black and gray eight cylinder engine. Brown dowels attached to the yellow rope.
Side view of black and gray eight cylinder engine. Cylinders jut out at an angle, four per side.
Three quarters view of black and gray eight-cylinder engine. Four black exhaust pipes extend outwards.
Side view of black and gray eight cylinder engine. Cylinders jut out at an angle, four per side.
Three quarters view of black and gray eight cylinder engine. Silver pipes and crank shaft near front.