The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Union as the Shvetsov M-25.

Design and development

The R-1820 Cyclone 9 represented a further development of the Wright P-2 engine dating back to 1925. Featuring a greater displacement and a host of improvements, the R-1820 entered production in 1931. The engine remained in production well into the 1950s. The R-1820 was built under license by Lycoming, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and also, during World War II, by the Studebaker Corporation. The Soviet Union had purchased a license for the design, and the Shvetsov OKB was formed to metricate the American specification powerplant for Soviet government-factory production as the M-25, with the R-1820's general design features used by the Shvetsov design bureau for many of their future radials for the Soviet air forces through the 1940s and onwards. In Spain the R-1820 was license-built as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V. The R-1820 was at the heart of many famous aircraft including early Douglas airliners (the prototype DC-1, the DC-2, the first civil versions of the DC-3, and the limited-production DC-5), every wartime example of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Douglas SBD Dauntless bombers, the early versions of the Polikarpov I-16 fighter (as the M-25), and the Piasecki H-21 helicopter. The R-1820 also found limited use in armoured vehicles. The G-200 variant developed 900 hp at 2,300 rpm and powered the strictly experimental M6 Heavy Tank.

D-200 Diesel

The Wright R-1820 was converted to a diesel during World War II by Caterpillar Inc. as the D-200 and produced 450 hp at 2,000 rpm in the M4A6 Sherman.

Variants

• ;R-1820-04 • :700 hp • ;R-1820-1 • :575 hp • ;R-1820-4 • :770 hp • ;R-1820-19 • :675 hp • ;R-1820-21 • :690 hp • ;R-1820-22 • :950 hp • ;R-1820-25 • :675 hp, 750 hp, 775 hp • ;R-1820-32 • :1000 hp • ;XR-1820-32 • :800 hp • ;R-1820-33 • :775 hp • ;R-1820-34 • :940 hp, 950 hp • ;R-1820-34A • :1200 hp • ;R-1820-40/42 • :1100 hp, 1200 hp • ;R-1820-41 • :850 hp • ;R-1820-45 • :800 hp, 930 hp • ;R-1820-49 • :975 hp • ;R-1820-50 • :850 hp • ;R-1820-52 • :1000 hp • ;R-1820-53 • :930 hp, 1000 hp • ;R-1820-56 • :1200 hp, 1350 hp • ;R-1820-57 • :1,060 hp (790 kW) • ;R-1820-60 • :1200 hp • ;R-1820-62 • :1350 hp • ;R-1820-66 • :1,200 hp (895 kW), 1,350 hp (1,007 kW) • ;R-1820-67/69 • :1200 hp, fitted with turbosupercharger • ;R-1820-72W • :1350 hp, 1425 hp • ;R-1820-74W • :1500 hp • ;R-1820-76A,B,C,D • :1425 hp • ;R-1820-77 • :1200 hp • ;R-1820-78 • :700 hp (522 kW), 1100 hp • ;R-1820-80 • :700 hp, 1535 hp • ;R-1820-82WA • :1525 hp • ;R-1820-84 • :1525 hp • ;R-1820-86 • :1425 hp • ;R-1820-97 • :1200 hp, fitted with turbosupercharger • ;R-1820-103 • :1425 hp • ;SGR-1820-F3 • :710 hp, 720 hp • ;SGR-1820-F2 • :720 hp • ;R-1820-F53 • :770 hp • ;R-1820-F56 • :790 hp • ;GR-1820-G2 • :1000 hp • ;R-1820-G3 • :840 hp • ;R-1820-G5 • :950 hp • ;R-1820-G101 • :1100 hp • ;R-1820-G102 • :775 hp • ;GR-1820-G102A • :1100 hp • ;R-1820-G102A • :1100 hp • ;R-1820-G102A • :1100 hp • ;R-1820-G202A • :1200 hp • ;R-1820-G103 • :1000 hp • ;R-1820-G105 • :1000 hp • ;R-1820-G205A • :1200 hp Notes: Unit numbers ending with W indicate engine variants fitted with water-methanol emergency power boost systems.

Hispano-Suiza 9V

The Hispano-Suiza 9V is a licence-built version of the R-1820.

Applications

• Bloch MB.221 • Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress • Boeing 307 Stratoliner • Brewster F2A Buffalo • Curtiss AT-32-A Condor • Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver • Curtiss P-36 Mohawk • Curtiss SC Seahawk • Curtiss-Wright CW-21 • Douglas A-33 • Douglas B-18 Bolo • Douglas DC-2 • Douglas DC-3 (DST, G-102 and G-202) • Douglas R4D-8/C-117D • Douglas DC-5 • Douglas DF Wright SGR-1820G-2 • Douglas SBD Dauntless • FMA AeMB.2 Bombi • General Motors FM-2 Wildcat • Grumman TF-1 / C-1 Trader • Grumman E-1 Tracer • Grumman FF • Grumman F3F • Grumman XF5F Skyrocket • Grumman XP-50 • Grumman HU-16 Albatross • Grumman J2F Duck • Grumman S-2 Tracker • Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra • Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar • Lockheed Hudson • Martin B-10 • North American A-27 • North American O-47 • North American P-64 • North American T-28B/C/D Trojan • Northrop N-3PB • Northrop YC-125 Raider • Piasecki H-21 • Polikarpov I-16 • Ryan FR Fireball • Sikorsky S-58/HUS/HSS/H-34 • Vultee V-1

Vehicles

Engines on display

Preserved Wright R-1820 engines are on display at the following museums:

Specifications (GR-1820-G2)