Curtiss OX-5 - 90 HP
Built by: Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, Buffalo, New York
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| Image from "The Aircraft Handbook" - 1929 - Public Domain |
First produced in 1915, the OX-5 became mainstay of the United
States Military during the First World War. The engine would gain a reputation
as unreliable, though this was due more to the complexity of the design and the
high maintenance required. Properly maintained, the OX-5 was as reliable as
most other pre-World War 1 engines, though somewhat underpowered.
The sheer number of engines manufactured during the war,
ensured the OX-5 would remain in circulation well into the 1920s. It proved
popular among aviators looking for a cheap powerplant and by 1928 an OX-5 (that
sold to the government for $8,160 in 1917) could be purchased for as little as
$250.
Rated at 90 horse-power and 1,200 rpm, the OX-5 had a dry
weight of 390 pounds giving it a power to weight ratio of 1 horse-power to 4.33
pounds of engine weight. The engine was a V-8, water cooled design, with
cylinders made from cast iron. The cylinder bore was 4 inches with a 5 inch
stroke.
Ignition was provided by a single spark, eight cylinder,
Dixie magneto with a Zenith Carburetor to furnish the mixture. Oil pressure was
maintained by a gear pump which forced oil from the base chamber. The OX-5 had
a total displacement of 503 cubic inches.
The OX-5 was used to equip the Babcock Teal and Series 1
biplanes.
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| Plate from "The Aircraft Handbook" - 1929 - Public Domain |
REFERENCES:
1. The Curtiss Standard JN4-B Military Tractor Handbook –
1918 – Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation – Pg 9
3. Airplane Engine Encyclopedia – by Glenn D. Angle –
1921 – Pg 143-145
4. The Aircraft Handbook; a collection of facts and
suggestions – by Fred Herbert Colvin – 1929 – Pgs 253 -262 – Entry on Curtiss
OX-5
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