Douglas B-23 #93
The Douglas B-23 Dragon was equipped with Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14 radial engines, a significant advancement in aircraft engine technology of the time.
Engine
- Type: Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14
- Configuration: 14-cylinder, two-row, air-cooled radial engine.
- Power Output: 1,600 horsepower at 2,400 RPM.
- Design:
- The R-2600 was an evolution of Wright’s earlier R-1820 engine, featuring two pushrod-operated valves per cylinder in a hemispherical combustion chamber.
- Early models had integral cooling fins, while later models used Wright’s patented “W” design, which included an aluminum muff swaged onto the barrel.
- The R-2600-1 had a single-stage, single-speed Wright supercharger, whereas the R-2600-3, used in later B-23 models, had a two-stage supercharger and a different propeller shaft reduction gear ratio.
- The -3 variant was eventually replaced by the R-2600-11, which had a higher compression ratio.
Propellers
- Type: Hamilton-Standard Hydromatic Quick Feathering Propellers.
- Diameter: 13 feet, 6 inches (4.11 m).
- Functionality: These propellers featured constant speed and feathering control, essential for maintaining engine performance and safety in various flight conditions.
Oil System
- Tanks: Two oil tanks, each with a capacity of 33 gallons (125 l), were mounted in each engine nacelle.
- Features:
- A minimum oil quantity level of 20.5 gallons (77 liters).
- An oil dilution system for cold-weather starting.
- The pilot had gauges for oil pressure and temperature on the lower right-hand corner of the instrument panel.
- The oil temperature was controlled by hydraulically operated cooler flaps, which could be adjusted from fully open to fully closed.
Fuel System
- Fuel Tanks:
- Four wing center section tanks (two forward and two rear) with a total capacity of 888 gallons (3360 liters).
- An additional 420-gallon (1590 liters) jettisonable tank in the bomb bay, bringing the total fuel capacity to 1,290 gallons.
- Fuel Distribution:
- The left wing tanks supplied the left engine, and the right wing tanks supplied the right engine. However, any tank could supply either or both engines.
- Fuel pumps were mounted on each engine.
- Fuel pressure gauges and warning lights, indicating pressure below 12 pounds, were also located on the pilot’s instrument panel.