Oh yeah, there is nothing listed in the book as 1710 AM. Sorry
I'm on a P-40 tear and want to add a Allison engine to one of my kits but
> am a bit unsure as to a few things. I have found 1/48 scale V-1710
> Allisons by CMK, Aires, and Engines and Things. I would like to stick to
> CMK or Aires as they seem to be better quality.
>
> According to various charts I've dug up on the web, neither Aire version
> (85, 89) is suitable for any P-40. The CMK's is listed everywhere as a
> V-1710 AM. Any thoughts on what version a "AM" is or if any of these
> engines by these two companies are close enough externally or modifiable
> to be suitable for a P-40D/E, K, M or N (meaning a Allison V-1710-39, -73,
> 81, 99, 115)?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Tom
Graham White's "Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II" makes no mention of a V-1710-AM as far as I can tell.
All V-1710s had a numeric dash number, and most (but not all) also had an alphanumeric manufacturer's dash number also. The alphanumeric number was of the form of a single letter which was the series (e.g. C, E, F) then a number, and optionally another letter which in almost all cases was L or R to indicate rotation direction, but in one case was a C.
Several of the listings for the CMK engine seem to describe it as a V-1710 American aircraft engine. Perhaps that's what the AM stands for .
The V-1710-85/E19 was in the series which Bell used for the P-39. Precursors in this chain were the -83/E18, -63/E6, -35/E4, and
17/E2. The difference between these different engines seems to be confined to supercharger and/or propeller gear ratios, and boost controls. The first one the -17/E2 was used n the XP-39 and had a different distributor, and a different (or perhaps no) gun synchronizer.
The V-1710-89/F17R, and it's companion V-1710-91/F17L were used in the Lockheed P-38H/J, F-5B/C/F and (in R form only) the XB-38. Precursors were the -75/F15R & -75/F15L, -51/F10R & -55/F10L, -49/F5R & -53/F5L, -27/F2R &
-29/F2L. Of these the first three (last in the list above) had different carburetors.
The -39/F3R was used in the NAA F-61, Curtiss P-40D/E and XP-46, and NAA XP-51/P-51A, it was similar to the -27/F2R except for blower ratio.
The -73/F4R used on the XP-40K and P-40K was similar to the -39/F3R except for having no provisions for gun synchronizer drives, and higher takeoff ratings.
The -81/F20R used on the P-40M/N/R and P51-A was like the -73/F4R except for the supercharger gear ratio and it was equipped with automatic boost control.
The -99/F26R used on the P-40N was similar to the -81/F20R except for the engine regulator and automatic manifold pressure regulator.
The -115/F31R also used on the P-40N was similar to the -99/F26R except for a counterweighted crankshaft, a stronger accessory housing, wider gears and a different magneto and carburetor.
So between the Aires engines the -89 would be the better choice since it's an F series engine too.
Your guess is as good as mine as to what the CMK engine represents.
There are several engines by CMK, Verlinden, and Aires with a few designated for the early Mustang. I suppose if I see Engines and Things engines at Nordicon this weekend I'll make some quick comparisons between theirs that are the exact version I want and the others that are also done by the other companies. If I'm lucky the upper parts won't differ much.
I find it ironic the P51A, a very early version, shares the same spec engine with the P-40M, a very late version.
IIRC, the Smithsonian Air and Space museum has vast library of manufacturer drawings and manuals on microfinch that is available to the public. I seem to recall someone in the model industry mentioning it as a valuable source.
The AeroE department a few blocks from here might have one... They also have a ME262 engine they obtained in 1947.
The Indiana War Memorial Museum in downtown Indianapolis has the real thing (Allison has a transmission plant here that built engines during the war), but it was in rather rough shape last I saw it. (ca. 1996)
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