1907 Berliet-Curtis 8.2 litre V8 aero engine Special

1907 Berliet-Curtis 8.2 litre V8 aero engine Special

Berliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, buses, trucks and military vehicles among other vehicles based in Vénissieux, outside of Lyon, France. Founded in 1899, and apart from a five-year period from 1944 to 1949 when it was put into 'administration sequestre' it was in private ownership until 1967 when it then became part of Citroën, and subsequently acquired by Renault in 1974 and merged with Saviem into a new Renault Trucks company in 1978. The Berliet marque was phased out by 1980.

CURTISS OX-5 aircraft

This Particular aircraft it’s an engineering evolution, its eventual ubiquity—and its wonderfully bizarre valve gear. The engine is Glenn Curtiss’ OX-5.

Glenn Curtiss (1878-1930) was a pioneer aviator, talented engineer and one of the founders of the U.S. aircraft industry.

The OX-5 evolved in logical progression from Glenn’s initial manufacture of motorbikes. His first such effort, in 1902, was powered by a single-cylinder air-cooled powerplant of his own design. V-twins soon followed, including one in 1904 powering Tom Baldwin’s California Arrow, America’s first dirigible.

By 1907, the design had evolved into a V-8, albeit still air-cooled. Glenn earned the world speed record—land, water or air!—in taking his V-8 motorcycle across the sands of Ormond Beach, Florida, at 136.36 mph. This record wasn’t bettered in the air until 1911; no motorcycle went faster until 1930.

The same basic V-8 design got water cooling in 1908. A crossflow head and overhead valves came in 1909. Further development gave the engine its OX-5 nomenclature and a naval aviation contract in 1912.

The OX-5 powered the Curtiss JN biplane trainers, quickly nicknamed “Jennys,” thousands of which were built during and immediately after World War I.

This Microsoft Flight Simulator Jenny JN-4 buzzes the Brooklands clubhouse.

Then came a post-war flying craze largely powered by surplus OX-5s. For example, 38 percent of all aircraft licensed in 1929 had these engines, some of which had sold new in the crate for $20 (figure around $260 in today’s money).

The OX-5 is a 90-degree V-8 displacing 8.2 liters and producing a modest 90 hp. Like many of its era, the engine has individual cylinders of cast iron residing in an aluminum block.

The OX-5’s most innovative feature is its valve-actuating hardware.

What sets the OX-5 apart, though, is the oddity of its valve actuation. A single camshaft nestling in the vee actuates each exhaust valve conventionally through a pushrod and rocker arm. The pushrod, though, resides concentrically within a pull tube operated by the same camshaft. Each pull tube actuates its intake valve through an A-shaped rocker the base of which shares a pivot point with the lengthy exhaust-valve rocker.

The crossflow head is evident; intake valves above exhaust valves below. Their push-me-pull-you rocker arms share a common pivot.

The engine shown in a car, not an aircraft. The popularity of OX-5 powerplants encouraged many vintage race car enthusiasts to swap standard power for something rather more exciting.

This is John Dennis’ Berliet Curtiss Racer, as seen at the 2008 Brooklands Double Twelve in England.

Descriptions & pictures by wikipedia & simanaitissays & Other links