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The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major is an American 28-cylinder four-row radial piston aircraft engine designed and built during World War II. First run in 1944, at 4,362.5 cu in (71.5 L), it is the largest-displacement aviation piston engine to be mass-produced in the United States, and at 4,300 hp (3,200 kW) the most powerful.
Oct 29, 2001 · P&W R-4360. The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major" was the largest aircraft piston engine to be mass produced in the United States. Although it found extensive military application, its 28 cylinders, 56 manually-adjustable valves, and 56 spark plugs prevented it from finding favor with the airlines.
The Wasp Major engine was developed near the end of World War II to power the Boeing B-50, an improved version of the successful B-29 Superfortress. The R-4360 is a 28-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine that produces a maximum of 3,500 hp and weighs approximately 3,500 pounds (1,575 kg).
The R-4360 (known by its commercial designation as the Wasp Major) mainly powered large American military aircraft, including the Boeing C-97, Douglas C-124, and Fairchild C-119 transports and the Boeing B-50 and Consolidated B-36 bombers. Early versions of the R-4360 produced 2,237 kW (3,000 hp); later models developed 3,207 kW (4,300 hp).
6 Images. The Wasp Major was Pratt & Whitney’s last big piston engine. Although four rows in the radial configuration seems a cooling problem, the Wasp Major was effectively cooled by staggering each of its rows of seven cylinders. Although reliable in flight, the engine required extensive and time consuming checks at startup and shutdown.
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Jan 12, 2023 · Learn about the 28-cylinder, four-row radial engine that powered the B-50 Superfortress, B-35 and B-36 bombers in World War II. Find out its design, structure, performance and history from Engineerine.
7.1K. 366K views 3 years ago. The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major was the largest and most powerful mass-produced radial engine built in the U. S., and more than 20 different...
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