Chrysler Aircraft Engines

From the early 1930s until just after World War II, engine designers worked to create a new and more powerful generation of piston aircraft engines. Military aircraft designers hoped these engines would give bombers intercontinental range and propel fighters to speeds of over 500 miles per hour. One such engine was the Chrysler XI-2220, an inverted V-16 less than 34 inches in diameter that produced 2,500 horsepower.

Chrysler Aircraft Engines tells the fascinating story of young automotive engineers and the engine they designed, built and flew during WWII. It is the second in a series of books about experimental engines built for the U.S. Army before and during World War II.

Chrysler Aircraft Engines is extensively researched using material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency, Chrysler Historical Collection, U.S. National Archives, National Museum of the United States Air Force, and several individuals who worked on the project. With unprecedented detail, it provides practically a day-by-day account of XI-2220 development. It includes a bibliography and index.