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Liberty L-8

DAYTON, Ohio -- Liberty L-8 on display in the Research & Development Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)

DAYTON, Ohio -- Liberty L-8 on display in the Research & Development Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Note: This item is currently in storage.

The eight-cylinder version of the Liberty, also water-cooled, was the first Liberty designed and built; it preceded not only the Liberty 12 but also the four- and six-cylinder versions. It was also the first Liberty flight-tested in an airplane (Aug. 29, 1917). It developed 270 hp initially, but its output was later boosted to 330 hp. The L-8 suffered serious vibration problems and since the Hispano-Suiza 300-hp engine had already been perfected, development of the L-8 was halted after Buick of General Motors had built 15 at a cost of $3,000 each. The L-8 was installed in the Engineering Division USB-2 (only one built) in 1918 and the Pomilio FVL-8 (only six built) in 1919.

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