Ranger L-440

{{Short description|Type of aircraft engine}}  {{infobox aero engine |name=L-440 |image=File:Ranger 6-440C-5 at the Museu do Ar, Alverca. 19-9-2022 (53740125614).jpg |caption=A Ranger 6-440C-5 on display at the [[Museu do Ar]], Portugal |engine_type=[[Piston]] [[aircraft engine|aero-engine]] |manufacturer= [[Ranger/Fairchild Engines|Ranger Aircraft Engine Division]] |first_run= |major_applications= [[Fairchild PT-19|Fairchild PT-19/PT-26]] [[Grumman Widgeon]] }}

The '''Ranger L-440''' (company designation '''6-440C''') are six-cylinder inline inverted air-cooled aero-engines produced by the [[Ranger/Fairchild Engines|Ranger Aircraft Engine Division]] of the [[Fairchild Aircraft|Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation]] of [[Farmingdale, New York]], United States. The engine was mainly produced for Fairchild's family of training aircraft in the mid-1930s.

==Design== According to H. L. Puckett, “Ranger developed a system of air-cooling that kept all cylinders at a high degree of uniformity. The system used pressurized air admitted through an opening in the front of the engine cowling, which then traveled through a tunnel connected to the air scoop.” The tunnel, with one side fitted with corrugations, directed the air against the cylinders at relatively equal pressure and volume. Baffles between the cylinders directed the air past machined cooling fins around the cylinder barrels and heads. This gave remarkably balanced temperature range in level flight..."<ref name="hlp">{{cite book |last1=Puckett |first1=H.L. |title=Sherman Fairchild's PT-19: Cradle of Heroes |date=1980 |publisher=Flambeau Lith Corporation |page=57-70,83}}</ref>

The [[Chromoly]] crankshaft with moveable counterweights on the rear to control torsional vibration. According to Puckett, "All main journals and [[Crankpin|crankpins]] are hollow for lightness and so that they may serve as oil reservoirs. Oil passages from the main bearings to the connecting rod bearings are drilled in each crankcheck so that each rod bearing is fed by two oil passages. The crankshaft is drilled so that excess oil from the main bearings is forced into the hollow journal and thence through tubes in the crankchecks to hollow crank pins." The [[crankcase]] is made of aluminum alloy.<ref name=hlp/>

Ranger manufactured the [[Cylinder (engine)|cylinder barrels]] from rough alloy steel forgings, while the pistons were machined from aluminum alloy castings, and the connecting rods were machined from chromoly steel forgings. The alloy steel forging [[camshaft]] was bolted to the cylinder heads, and driven by a vertical drive shaft.<ref name=hlp/>

Oil pumps, scavenge and pressure, were provided for engine oil distribution and return, as well as an oil cooler. Two [[Bendix Corporation|Bendix]]-[[Scintilla Magneto Company|Scintilla]] magnetos were standard, with the left one incorporating [[impulse coupling]]. Also standard was a Stromberg carburetor, and either an electric or manual starter. Generators were either made by Ranger or Bendix, though the PT-26 used a wind driven generator.<ref name=hlp/>

==Variants== [[File:Ranger L-440-1 engine plate.jpg|thumb|Ranger L-440-1 Model 6.444C-2 engine plate]] ===Company=== ;6-440C-2 :{{Convert abbreviated|175|hp}} variant with a 6:1 [[compression ratio]].<ref name="janes">Bridgman 1988</ref> ;6-440C-3 :{{Convert abbreviated|180|hp}} variant with a 6.2:1 compression ratio.<ref name="janes"/> ;6-440C-4 :{{Convert abbreviated|190|hp}} variant with a 6.8:1 compression ratio.<ref name="janes"/> ;6-440C-5 :{{Convert abbreviated|200|hp}} variant with a 7.5:1 compression ratio.<ref name="janes"/>

===Military=== ;L-440-1 :Military designation of the 6-440C-2<ref name="may4ranggapp3a">{{cite book |title=Ranger Overhaul Manual |date=August 1944 |publisher=Ranger Aircraft Engines, Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation |location=Farmingdale, New York |pages=6–7 |url=http://app.aircorpslibrary.com/document/viewer/may4ranggapp3a |access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref> ;L-440-2 :Military designation of the 6-440C-5<ref name="may4ranggapp3a" /> ;L-440-3 :Military designation of the 6-440C-5<ref name="may4ranggapp3a" /> ;L-440-5 :Military designation of the 6-440C-5<ref name="may4ranggapp3a" /> ;L-440-7 :Military designation of the 6-440C-5<ref name="may4ranggapp3a" /> ;L-440-9 :Military designation of the 6-440C-2<ref name="may4ranggapp3a" /> ;L-440-11 :Military designation of the 6-440C-5<ref name="may4ranggapp3a" />

==Applications== * [[Fairchild 24]] * [[Fairchild PT-19|Fairchild PT-19/26]] * [[Falconar SAL Mustang]] * [[Grumman Widgeon]] * [[Maestranza Central de Aviación HF XX-02]] * [[St. Louis PT-LM-4]]

{{pistonspecs|   |ref=<ref name="janes"/> |type=Six-cylinder inline inverted air-cooled |bore=4 {{frac|1|8}} in (104.8 mm) |stroke=5 {{frac|1|2}} in (139.7 mm) |displacement=441 in3 (7.2 litres) |length=53.156 in (1.351 m) |diameter= |width=21.954 in (0.549 m) |height=33.50 in (0.854 m) |weight={{Convert abbreviated|376|lb}} |valvetrain=[[Overhead camshaft]] |supercharger= |turbocharger= |fuelsystem=[[Updraft carburetor]] |fueltype=65 [[octane rating]] [[gasoline]] |oilsystem=Full pressure type |coolingsystem=air-cooled (pressure type cylinder baffles) |power={{Convert abbreviated|175|hp}} at 2,450 rpm |compression=6:1 |specpower= |fuelcon= |specfuelcon= |oilcon= |power/weight= |reduction_gear= }}

==See also== {{aircontent  |see also=

|related=

|similar aircraft=

|lists= *[[List of aircraft engines]]

|similar engines= *[[de Havilland Gipsy Six]] *[[Menasco B6]] *[[Napier Javelin]]  }}

==References== {{Commons category}}

===Notes=== {{Reflist}}

===Bibliography=== {{Refbegin}} * {{cite book |last=Bridgman |first=Leonard |title= Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II|year=1988 |publisher= Crescent Books|location= New York|isbn=0-517-67964-7}} {{Refend}}

[[Category:Air-cooled aircraft piston engines]] [[Category:1930s aircraft piston engines]] [[Category:Inverted aircraft piston engines]] [[Category:Straight-six engines]]