Reference

A primary aim of the Aircraft Engine Historical Society is to share the reference material that allows authors and enthusiasts to write and speak knowledgeably on the subject of aircraft engines. To this end, AEHS provides to its members and to the public source material of historical interest.

Model Designations of U.S.A.F Engines - This invaluable reference provides detailed specifications (descriptions, ratings, dimensions, weights, aircraft used in) of all aircraft engines in the Air Force inventory as of 1 January 1950.

Searchable Catalog of USAF Engineering Division Records
at the US National Archives II

Engine-Related Records at the UK National Archives at Kew
Lists provided by Dave Birch

World War I Engine Records
Engine Technical Matters (AVIA), 1921 - 1939
Air Force (AIR) Engine Records, 1921 - 1939
Air Force (AIR) Engine Records, 1940 - 1970
Directorate of Scientific Research (DSIR) Engine Records, 1914 - 1939

One can obtain one's own list of document titles by visiting The National Archives site catalog search page. Enter the Word or Phrase (e.g. engines, Rolls-Royce, Wright, America, Rockets, etc.), the Year Range (e.g. 1939 1945) and Department or Series Code (e.g. AIR, AVIA, DSIR, FO, etc.). A reminder: just because the word 'engines' is in the file title does not mean that the contents are about engines.

More information about the National Archives at Kew, including opening times, is available from its web site. Please see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/

The AP references in the right-hand columns are Air Ministry manuals. All documents can be photographed with a personal digital camera, but no flash is allowed (light is good in there, so no problem}. Sadly, they do not allow use of a scanner. This is because all pages in the files are collectively kept together with a string through their top left corners, and you are not allowed to release them.

Table of US Engine Details, provided by Larry McClellan (PDF, XLS)

The Liberty Engine and Torsional Vibration (586K PDF) by Robert J. Raymond

NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS).
Online NACA (1917-1958), NASA (1958-present), and NIX (images and video). You can search for report number, title, keyword, or just look at everything done for a particular year.

Patent Resources
http://www.freepatentsonline.com
http://www.sumobrain.com
http://gb.espacenet.com

Index to Navy ADI(k) Microfilms of German Documents
These are held by National Air and Space Museum Archives - Courtesy of Art Medcalf (101k xls)

All 10 volumes of the Smithsonian Annals of Flight

Archive for Flight Magazine from 1909 on

Document Collection of the Aircraft Engine Historical Society

Air Force Case History Files

After the close of World War II, the US Air Force commissioned a number of Case History Files that examined various research and development efforts conducted by the Air Force and its contractors. Most of these reports are available as 16mm microfilm reels from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

List of Air Force Case History Files Available on Microfilm (99K PDF)

Index of over 550,000 Air Force Documents Includes the Case History Files

Problems of Accelerating Aircraft Production During World War II

(Excerpts Applicable to Engines, 1.9M PDF)

Jacobs Post WWII Auction Details (184K PDF)

Analysis of Rolls-Royce Merlin Propeller Speed Reduction Unit

Pratt & Whitney Reciprocating Engines

Key to Pratt & Whitney Engine Designations (218K)

Index of Wasp Jr. and R-985 Designated Engines (158K)

Index of Wasp and R-1340 Designated Engines (262K)

Index of Twin Wasp Jr. and R-1535 Designated Engines (102K)

Index of Hornet and R-1690 Designated Engines (322K)

Index of Twin Wasp and R-1830 Designated Engines (261K)

Index of Twin Wasp and R-2000 Designated Engines (86K)

Index of Twin Wasp, Twin Hornet and R-2180 Designated Engines (53K)

Index of Double Wasp and R-2800 Designated Engines (586K)

Index of Wasp Major and R-4360 Designated Engines (568K)

Wright Engines

Summary of Wright Engine Shipments: 1920 to 1963 - This was transcribed by Robert J. Neal T from a photocopy of a Curtiss-Wright document of the early 1960s.

Early Engines (1903 - 1940) (190K) - Note: Page 2 is missing. Anyone have it?

Engine Summary (1930 - 1983) (437K) - Note: Pages 4, 7 and 8 of this summary are missing. Anyone have them?

Carburetor Models and Usage -- Expanded to Include Float and Non-US Models (222K MS Excel Worksheet)

Contributed by Pete Law and expanded by Robert Mawhinney to include float and non-US carburetors . Users are cautioned that this document may contain errors or omissions.

Please help expand and improve this resource by sending additions, corrections and comments to

Packard Engine Statistics from Robert J. Neal

Statistics of All Packard Aero Engines (91K PDF)

Statistics of Production Packard Aero Engines (78K PDF)

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