The
'French' Hisso
by Jim Aamodt
Whether
it is an old car, or boat or airplane engine, the story is usually the same; and
goes something like this,
"A
friend of a friend of mine knows of a really neat engine,
in almost new condition, stored in a barn years
ago."
When
located, the rare engine is usually :
1.
Incomplete,
2. Broken, or
3. Actually a 1970 Briggs & Stratton lawn mower engine.
The odds of disappointment increase by the number of cylinders of
an engine we are seeking, times its current age, squared. However, the
addictive allure of an unfound treasure is always there.
This time it wasn't a barn, but a commercial building, where in the 1930's the
owner had stored an aircraft engine. This engine was destined to come back to
life in a 'project' race-boat. The owner's son, a teenager in the 1930's,
remembers the engine, the storage preparation and the promise of a future
'father & son' project.
World War ll arrived, priorities changed, race boats were a thing of the past,
and the engine was forgotten. The son took over his father's business in the
1950's, and occasionally he would stumble over the engine. When the business and
building sold in the early 1990's, the new owners agreed to continue to store
the engine. 2003 arrived and it was time 'she' moved to a new home.
I watched as the rented forklift took the dusty canvas covered palet out of a
dark corner. The excitement was there. Off comes the tarp,
"Yes!
It's a V12. A Hispano-Suiza V12."
She appeared wholly intact, no sign it had been tampered with or modified. The
Data Plates were French. The exhaust canisters were removed, and they are all
there, not rusted out ! Most important, all water drain plates were hanging
loose. She had been drained, and fogged with oil. There was no damage except for
dented ignition wire looms, and decomposed wiring. The 6 carburetors and all the
intricate linkage were complete. The accessories were all there.
"
I could almost hear and smell her roar ! "
Yes, she was used, but stored properly, totally original, not damaged, and
complete. With some exterior work, gasoline, oil and water, she would probably
run. But most important, she was a beautiful, historical 'Engineering Work of
Art' deserving a trip to 'The Spa' and a chance to 'Sing' again. And nothing
sounds as sweet as a V12 engine on throttle. Ferrari Hispano-Suiza, Lambougini,
Rolls Royce Merlin, Packard, Liberty, just count the cylinders, then turn the
key.
A copy of the 1925 Janes Aircraft Engine catalogue describes
the newly created Hispano-Suiza Model 51, 60 degree V12 engine. Initially a
450-545 H.P. engine, it was subsequently increased to over 700 H.P. in its
naturally aspirated, 6 updraft carburetor design. It appears this was the
predecessor to the later 12X and 12Y supercharged versions.
Additional information is being compiled on the heritage of the engine along
with a price evaluation. Information, pictures, and pricing are available to
serious buyers.
"Maybe
there are more old barns out there located
in
metropolitan areas? One never knows... "
Jim Aamodt
Specifications:
Model:
V12 N.B.-R.
Type:
believed to be # 51
Serial #:
430266
Origin:
France
Reduction Gear: B41-H.S. 2 to 1
Brevete S.D.G.E.
Magnetos:
Scintilla
Air Pump:
Eclipse
Tach Drive:
General Electric
Rating:
650 H.P.
Bore:
140 mm (Type 51)
Stroke:
150 mm (Type 51)
RPM:
1900
Weight:
420 KG (926 lbs.)
plus gear reduction unit (estimate 50 lbs.)
Build
date [est.] 1927-1930.
Some
Hispano-Suiza Logo's
Some
pictures of the engine:
Some
Hispano-Suiza related Websites
http://www.fut.es/~jjj/atm/castella/ct51hispano.htm
http://www.km77.com/marcas/hispano_suiza/k8/texto.asp
http://bruno.walter1.free.fr/HTML/clubs.htm
