The Pratt and Whitney engine that completely revolutionized air travel

Amelia Earhart chose the famous Lockheed Electra 10E Special for the ill-fated round-the-world flight that led to her disappearance. This was chosen in part because the Electra used the Wasp engine, a particularly unique piece of machinery.

Air travel has been greatly affected by this technological marvel. So more opportunities were created in this sector. One of the most important developments in aviation history was the creation of the Wasp, yet the process was so fraught with problems that it is surprising that it ever happened. This is the story of Wasp’s creation, its impact on the industry and the enormity of its lasting impact.

A key figure in the development of the Wasp engine was Friedrich Rentsler. He was president of the Wright and U.S. Army during World War I. While serving in the Army Signal Corps, he worked closely with Hispano-Suiza engines made by Wright-Martin. When the corporation showed reluctance to innovate with new engine technology approaches, he decided to leave the company.

Rentsler concluded that the radial engine would weigh much less than the heavier engines currently in use. Better performance can be achieved by using an air-cooling system as opposed to a liquid-cooling system. The Amazing Wasp was a result of this line of reasoning.

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When Was The First Wasp Engine Developed?

Rentzler wanted to go big without going down in engine size. If effective, this could improve flight practicality and efficiency. The concept met with great promise, and when investors contributed a total of $1,250,000 to the project, Rentschler teamed up with tool manufacturer Pratt & Whitney to secure further financing and a manufacturing facility where he could build his prototype engine.

In 1925, he founded the Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company. Thanks to his previous expertise in the field, he was appointed by Andy Wilgoos, Earl A. A small but bright group of highly experienced engineers joined, including Ryder and John Borp. They quickly built the first Wasp engine in history, Wasp serial number 1, which premiered on Christmas Eve 1925. His legacy and impact will be staggering.

The US Navy was one of the early proponents of the Wasp engine, which was needed because the radial, air-cooled technology offered several advantages: a lighter, perhaps faster, and more powerful aircraft. These types of aircraft will eventually be able to land safely on aircraft carriers. There was a navy so impressed with the Wasp that it placed 200 engine orders.

The Legacy Of The Wasp Engine Family

Although the Wright R-790 Whirlwind was already used, the radial engine was not new, but was a development. The Wasp engine, so named for the humming sound it produced, was a smooth-running engine that was improved over time with modifications such as the substitution of steel for duralumin parts.

The R-1340, the original Wasp version, was produced until the 1960s. By then, it was already the stuff of legend: 300,000 engines were produced in 1945, making a significant contribution to the Allied effort in World War II.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers formally designated the first Wasp engine as a Historic Technical Monument in 2016. Pratt & Whitney vice president of engineering Tom Prete responded, according to the Hartford Business Journal, saying the award “is a tribute to the small group of visionaries who built it and set the standard for Pratt & Whitney’s reliable engines.”

According to Pratt & Whitney, 85,000 of its engines are now in use globally. Much of this, like  the company’s later JT3. can be attributed to the Wasp’s success.

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