The major airframe application of the Wright R-3350 engine was the Boeing B-29 during World War II. This engine continued to give useful commercial service after the war, one version of which was the first of its type to have its exhaust turbines (3 of them) geared into the power system. This engine, called the Wright Turbo-Compound Cyclone, was the last and the most highly developed piston engine to be widely used in large military and commercial airplanes. It was used in commercial aircraft such as the Douglas DC-7 and Lockheed Super Constellation.

The R-3350-91 powered the U.S. Air Force Lockheed C-121 (the military version of the Lockheed Constellation). A total of 4,653 of the -91 engines were built between May 1955 and August 1956.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date Mid-1950s Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary Manufacturer Wright Aeronautical
 Physical Description Type: Reciprocating, 18 cylinders, 2 rows, turbocompound, radial, air-cooled Power rating: 2,424 kW (3,250 hp) at 2,900 rpm Displacement: 54.9 L (3,350 cu. in.) Bore and Stroke: 156 mm (6.1 in.) x 160 mm (6.3 in.) Weight: 1,674 kg (3,690 lb) Dimensions Overall: 3690lb. (1673.8kg)
Other: 7 ft. 5 1/2 in. × 4 ft. 8 9/16 in. (227.4 × 143.7cm)
Storage: 177.8 × 317.5 × 160cm (5 ft. 10 in. × 10 ft. 5 in. × 5 ft. 3 in.)
 Inventory Number A19711805000 Credit Line Transferred from NASA, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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