Crosley Engine X-24 Defender

[Johnbr]

X-24 Defender
On May12th 1942 a report was submitted to Ray Olson Jr of the Navy Department proposing an all new 24 cylinder aircraft engine, designed by Taylor Engine of California. This would be a fabricated block engine using ideas developed by Daimler and Mercedes-Benz in the early years of the automobile as well as the 27 liter Liberty V-12 aircraft engine during WW-1.HP estimated from the 950-1050lb package:
Un-Supercharged 1000 HP
Supercharged 32 In.* 1,250 HP
Supercharged 39 In.* 1,600 HP
Supercharged 48 In.* 2,000 HP
*Manifold pressure in inches of mercury(hg).
The overall size with tapered nose for the prop and the rear accessory drive assembly was 76 inches and 45.5 inches in diameter. It was interesting to look at the drawings and see if the front nose and rear assembly was removed, the engine was almost a perfect cube and would have fit in a 36 X 35 inch box.

 

[iverson]

Thanks! I've never heard of this before.

One question: where does "Crosley" come in?

 

[Apophenia]

One question: where does "Crosley" come in?

I'm not sure that there is a direct Crosley connection. The 1,702 cid (27.89 L) X-24 began with Taylor but Taylor Engines, Inc. of Oakland was a 3-man operation incapable of producing anything but prototype engines.

The Crosley Auto Club website has this to say about another Taylor project - a fabricated block 4-cylinder: "The Navy liked the engine but Taylor was not in a position to build engines in quantity, Crosley Corporation came into the picture and that is where we begin this family tree."
-- http://crosleyautoclub.com/EngineTree/Crosley_Eng_Tree.html

BTW, on that same page is a drawing of Taylor's proposed 851 cid (13.94 L) horizontally-opposed 12-cylinder tank engine.