# Wright Whirlwind series > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wright_Whirlwind_series > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wright_Whirlwind_series.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Whirlwind_series > Source revision: 1338880412 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Family of radial aircraft engines Whirlwind series Partially sectioned Wright J-4B at Canada Aviation Museum Type Air-cooled radial piston engine National origin United States Manufacturer Wright Aeronautical The **Wright Whirlwind** was a family of air-cooled [radial](/source/Radial_engine) [aircraft engines](/source/Aircraft_engine) built by [Wright Aeronautical](/source/Wright_Aeronautical) (originally an independent company, later a division of [Curtiss-Wright](/source/Curtiss-Wright)). The family began with nine-cylinder engines, and later expanded to include five-cylinder and seven-cylinder varieties. Fourteen-cylinder [twin-row](/source/Radial_engine#Multi-row_radials) versions were also developed, but these were not commercially produced. The Whirlwind series was succeeded by more powerful but still air-cooled radial aero engines, notably the [Pratt & Whitney Wasp series](/source/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Wasp_series) and the [Wright Cyclone series](/source/Wright_Cyclone_series). ## Description The Whirlwind was a direct descendant of the [Lawrance J-1](/source/Lawrance_J-1), a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial built by the [Lawrance Aero Engine Company](/source/Lawrance_Aero_Engine_Company) for the U.S. Navy. Because the Navy was very enthusiastic about air-cooled radials, but was concerned that Lawrance could not produce enough engines for its needs, it forced Wright to purchase the Lawrance company in 1923 and build the J-1 itself. Wright's J-1 was the first engine in its nine-cylinder **[R-790 Whirlwind](/source/R-790_Whirlwind)** series and was quickly followed by the J-3, J-4, J-4A, J-4B, and finally the popular and successful J-5 of 1925. In 1928, Wright replaced the R-790 series with the **J-6 Whirlwind** family, in which a [supercharger](/source/Supercharger) was added to boost engine power and the cylinders were enlarged by expanding the [bore](/source/Bore_(engine)). This family included three members: the nine-cylinder **[R-975](/source/Wright_R-975)**, the seven-cylinder **[R-760](/source/Wright_R-760)**, and the five-cylinder **[R-540](/source/Wright_R-540)**, providing a range of different power levels using the same basic design. Of these, the R-975 proved the most popular, especially because of its use in [armored fighting vehicles](/source/Armored_fighting_vehicles) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). During the mid-1930s, Wright also developed two fourteen-cylinder double-row versions of the Whirlwind, the **R-1510** of 600 hp (450 kW), and the **R-1670** of 800 hp (600 kW). These were used in a number of military aircraft prototypes, but neither engine reached the production stage.[1][2] Air-cooled Whirlwinds were lighter and more reliable than liquid-cooled engines of similar power, since a liquid cooling system added weight and required extra maintenance. Thanks to these advantages Whirlwind engines were used widely and were built in large numbers. Licensed copies were produced by manufacturers such as [Continental Motors](/source/Continental_Motors_Company), [Hispano-Suiza](/source/Hispano-Suiza), and adapted for [Soviet](/source/Soviet_Union) government production by the [Shvetsov](/source/Shvetsov) [OKB-19 design bureau](/source/OKB). The Whirlwind's success led to the development of other air-cooled radial engines throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. ## Whirlwind series **J-4** (1924)[3] - 9-cylinder single row air cooled radial - Bore x stroke: 4+1⁄2 in × 5+1⁄2 in (114 mm × 140 mm) - Displacement: 787 cu in (12.90 L) **[J-5 / R-790](/source/Wright_R-790)** (1925)[3][4] - 9-cylinder single row air cooled radial - Bore x stroke: 4+1⁄2 in × 5+1⁄2 in (114 mm × 140 mm) - Displacement: 787 cu in (12.90 L) - Power output: 200–220 hp (150–160 kW) **[J-6-5 / R-540](/source/Wright_R-540)** (1928)[3] - 5-cylinder single row air cooled radial - Bore x stroke: 5 in × 5+1⁄2 in (127 mm × 140 mm) - Displacement: 540 cu in (8.8 L) - Power output: 165–175 hp (123–130 kW) **[J-6-7 / R-760](/source/Wright_R-760)** (1928)[3][5] - 7-cylinder single row air cooled radial - Bore x stroke: 5 in × 5+1⁄2 in (127 mm × 140 mm) - Displacement: 758 cu in (12.42 L) - Power output: 240–350 hp (180–260 kW) **[J-6-9 / R-975](/source/Wright_R-975)** (1928)[3][6] - 9-cylinder single row air cooled radial - Bore x stroke: 5 in × 5+1⁄2 in (127 mm × 140 mm) - Displacement: 972 cu in (15.93 L) - Power output: 365–475 hp (272–354 kW) **R-1510**[3] - 14-cylinder twin-row air cooled radial - Bore x stroke: 5 in × 5+1⁄2 in (127 mm × 140 mm) - Displacement: 1,512 cu in (24.78 L) - Power output: 680–700 hp (510–520 kW) **R-1670**[3] - 14-cylinder twin-row air cooled radial - Bore x stroke: 5+1⁄4 in × 5+1⁄2 in (133 mm × 140 mm) - Displacement: 1,667 cu in (27.32 L) - Power output: 830–850 hp (620–630 kW) ## See also - [Whirlwind Glaciers](/source/Whirlwind_Glaciers) in [Antarctica](/source/Antarctica) named after the Wright Whirlwind series[7] **Comparable engines** - [Bristol Jupiter](/source/Bristol_Jupiter) - [Pratt & Whitney Wasp series](/source/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Wasp_series) **Related lists** - [List of aircraft engines](/source/List_of_aircraft_engines) ## References ### Citations 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Curtiss-Wright (1940), p. 13 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Curtiss-Wright (1983), p. 4-5. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcCutcheon2023_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcCutcheon2023_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcCutcheon2023_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcCutcheon2023_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcCutcheon2023_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcCutcheon2023_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcCutcheon2023_3-6) [McCutcheon 2023](#CITEREFMcCutcheon2023). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcCutcheon2015_4-0)** [McCutcheon 2015](#CITEREFMcCutcheon2015). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWilkinson1945159_5-0)** [Wilkinson 1945](#CITEREFWilkinson1945), p. 159. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWilkinson1945161_6-0)** [Wilkinson 1945](#CITEREFWilkinson1945), p. 161. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["USGS site"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190329085914/https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:5:::NO::P5_ANTAR_ID:16510). Archived from [the original](https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:5:::NO::P5_ANTAR_ID:16510) on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2019-03-29. ### Bibliography - Gunston, Bill (1986). *World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines*. Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens. pp. 196–197. - [Curtiss-Wright](/source/Curtiss-Wright) (1940), [*Wright Engines - 1903 to 1940*](https://www.enginehistory.org/Piston/Wright/WrightThrough1940.pdf) (PDF), retrieved January 4, 2022. Available from the Aircraft Engine Historical Society's [reference page](https://www.enginehistory.org/reference.shtml). - [Curtiss-Wright](/source/Curtiss-Wright) (1983), [*Historical Engine Summary (Beginning 1930)*](https://www.enginehistory.org/Piston/Wright/C-WSpecsAfter1930.pdf) (PDF), retrieved January 4, 2022. Available from the Aircraft Engine Historical Society's [reference page](https://www.enginehistory.org/reference.shtml). - McCutcheon, Kimble D. (August 28, 2023). ["Selected Early Engines W: Wright Aeronautical Corporation"](https://www.enginehistory.org/Piston/Before1925/EarlyEngines/W/Wac.shtml). *Aircraft Engine Historical Society, Inc*. Retrieved September 7, 2024. - McCutcheon, Kimble D. (March 23, 2015). ["Wright J-5 "Whirlwind""](http://www.enginehistory.org/Piston/Wright/WrightJ-5.pdf) (PDF). *Aircraft Engine Historical Society, Inc*. Retrieved September 7, 2024. - Wilkinson, Paul H. (1945). *Aircraft Engines of the World 1945* (Revised ed.). New York: Paul H. Wilkinson. v t e Wright and Lawrance aircraft engines Wright inline engines E Gipsy L-320 T-1 Tornado T-2 Tornado T-3 Tornado T-4 Tornado V-720 IV-1460 IV-1560 V-1950 Lawrance radials A-3 C-2 J-1 J-2 L-1 L-2 L-3 L-4 L-5 Wright radials Whirlwind family J-3 J-4 J-5 J-6-5 J-6-7 J-6-9 R-540 R-760 R-790 R-975 R-1510 R-1670 Cyclone family Cyclone 7 Cyclone 9 Cyclone Twin Cyclone Duplex-Cyclone Cyclone 22 R-1300 R-1750 R-1820 R-2600 R-3350 R-4090 Others L-3 Gale R-1200 R-2160 Tornado Turbojets J59 J61 J65 J67 Turboprops/turboshafts T35 T49 Ramjets RJ47 RJ55 v t e United States military piston aircraft engine designation system H (four-bank H-configuration inline) H-1640 XH-2240 XH-2470 XH-2600 XH-3130 XH-3730 H-4070 IV (inverted-V inline) IV-1430 IV-2040 IV-2220 L (single-bank inline) L-330 L-365 L-375 L-390 L-410 L-440 L-510 L-825 O (opposed) O-15 O-40 O-45 O-90 O-100 O-145 O-150 O-170 O-175 O-180 O-190 O-200 (C) O-200 (F) O-205 O-235 O-290 O-300 O-335 O-360 (C) O-360 (L) O-405 O-425 O-435 O-470 O-480 O-520 O-540 (F) O-540 (L) O-550 O-580 O-805 O-1230 R (radial) R-250 R-265 R-270 R-370 (LB) R-370 (K) R-420 R-440 R-500 R-540 (W) R-540 (K) R-545 R-550 R-600 R-670 R-680 R-720 R-755 R-760 R-790 R-830 R-915 R-975 DR-980 R-985 R-1044 R-1300 R-1340 R-1454 R-1510 R-1535 R-1640 R-1670 R-1690 R-1740 R-1750 R-1820 R-1830 R-1860 R-2000 R-2060 R-2160 R-2180 R-2600 R-2800 R-3350 R-4090 R-4360 R-7755 V (upright-V inline) V-720 V-1150 V-1237 V-1400 V-1440 V-1460 V-1510 V-1560 V-1570 V-1650 (P) V-1710 V-1950 V-3420 V (inverted-V inline) V-770 V-1650 (L) VG (inverted-V inline) VG-1410 W (three-bank W-configuration inline) W-2779 See also: X-1800 US military gas turbine aeroengines Piston engine configurations --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wright Whirlwind series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Whirlwind_series) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Whirlwind_series?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.