I wish I could hear what the old Chrysler V-16 Hemi aircraft engine sounded like. Those things were huge!
What did come from testing the aircraft engine was just another Chrysler accomplishment that went by unheralded but was nevertheless noted later. The inverted V-16 was conservatively rated at 2,500 horsepower, and Chrysler has always been known for under rating their engines.
The hemispherical chamber, as the name implies, is a portion of the sphere. And here you can see the arch shape of the sphere itself. With this we can bring the spark plug into the center of the chamber which is an excellent position for the spark plug. The same shape over in this view allows us to put the valves in a position where when they open, like this inlet valve, it has excellent breathing of the air past the valve seat. This combination of the excellent breathing, of the inlet and the exhaust makes for a very high volumetric efficiency of the engine. Willem Weertman on the 426 Hemi
For testing, a P-47 Thunderbolt was selected. Introduced in 1943, the P-47 was the largest and heaviest single seater in the Air Force inventory at the time. It was powered by a huge 2,800 cubic inch radial engine that developed 2,300 horsepower. It gave the 40 foot wing span plane a top speed of 439 miles an hour at 15,000 feet.
Some modifications were necessary to accommodate the long V-16. When done, the slimmed down nose actually helped reduce the drag produced by the big round radial. Preliminary testing showed promise. Gingerly the big fighter was coaxed slowly into higher altitudes and higher speeds. Finally the go ahead was given for an all out test. At 15,000 feet, the huge plane, under the Chrysler V-16's power, broke the 500 mile an hour barrier. No one thought it was possible for a piston engine to achieve that speed in level flight.
Thanks to accurate radar timing, it is beyond doubt how powerful that engine truly was. Flat out, it pulled the huge P-47 along at 504 miles an hour. Conventional wisdom at that time said that the V-16 was making at least 3,000 horsepower, and likely closer to 3,500!
Just to be sure, the test P-47 went out the next day with a different test pilot and again level at 15,000 feet, went through the 500 mile an hour mark. Hand shakes and elation went all around. However, the engine never went into production. The important thing to keep in mind about this engine is that it was a Hemi headed, push rod valve activated type. It survived the war, and now is on display at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
