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For a few months,
Air Trails magazine ran a series of scale line drawings called "Aircraft
Engine Scrapbook" which were meant to be cut out and put in a 3-ring binder. They
were one-page information sheets on various powerplants of the day containing dimensions,
mechanical specifications (displacement, horsepower, compression ration, rotations
per minute, etc.), and a brief note on the engine's production and usage history.
This drawing for the 9−cylinder
Wright J5 "Whirlwind" radial engine must be the
first of the series because it is numbered as "−1." Interestingly, the Fokker company
is included in the list of "American" aircraft manufacturers who used the J5. I
thought Fokker was primarily a Germany / Netherlands company, but according to the
Wikipedia entry
Anthony Fokker established a presence in the United States in 1927, and eventually
merged with General Motors and then North American Aviation. It is ironic that the
builder of the P−51 Mustang and the B−25 Mitchell bomber had it roots in the same
company that built the
Red
Baron's Dr.1 triplane.
Wright J5 "Whirlwind"
 Special Section for the Scale Model Builder
by Jim Triggs
Note - The J5 "Whirlwind" achieved wide fame and acceptance in 1927 as the power
plant of Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis". By 1928, these notable American manufacturers
were using the J5 extensively: Waco, Fokker, Boeing, Buhl, Lockheed, Ryan, Pitcairn,
Sikorsky, Stearman, Travel Air, and Chance Vought.
J. M. Triggs
Posted October 8, 2022
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