At one time, the Liberty V-12 engine was the engine to install for power and speed. The development of this engine is well documented and played a critical role in powering First World War air craft. At the end of the war, surplus engines were available and quickly filled a need in Gold Cup boat racing and for some wooden boats that needed a performance engine.
In its original form, the machine gun assembly sat between the banks of cylinders and used the timing change to synch with the propeller. Just such an engine was in at Paul Brackley’s, freshly taken out of Evangeline. The engine was partly dismantled so some of the inner workings were exposed.
When these engines are running, it sounds like an old airplane from a movie. All the sputtering and clattering. I have photographed several Gold Cup race boats that were fitted with them. The original engine like a Liberty certainly does complete the period character of such a craft.
The Liberty engine was a critical contribution to aeronautical technology during World War I. It Jesse G. Vincent of Packard and Elbert J. Hall of Hall-Scott co-designed it between May 30 and June 4, 1917 for the U.S. government, which wanted a standard design in 4, 6, 8, and 12 cylinder versions that could be quickly mass-produced to equip U.S. combat aircraft. The V-12 was a powerful engine that could generate 400 HP at 1,800 RPM. The marine conversion was popular in race boats of the 1920’s and 30’s. The transmission cover is a work of art in itself.
By Tim Du Vernet
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