The Lorraine 12D, also referred to as Lorraine-Dietrich 12D, was a series of water-cooled
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines.
The fi ...
s produced by the French company
Lorraine-Dietrich
Lorraine-Dietrich was a French automobile and aircraft engine manufacturer from 1896 until 1935, created when railway locomotive manufacturer ''Société Lorraine des Anciens Etablissements de Dietrich et Cie de Lunéville'' (known as ''De Dietri ...
. The first variant began production in 1917, and the engines were used to power
bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
s for the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The Lorraine 12Da variant was the most powerful French engine at the time. After the war, the engines were licensed and produced by the Italian firm
Isotta Fraschini
Isotta Fraschini () was an Italian luxury car manufacturer, also producing trucks, as well as engines for marine and aviation use. Founded in Milan, Italy, in 1900 by Cesare Isotta and the brothers Vincenzo, Antonio, and Oreste Fraschini, in 19 ...
until 1925.
Design and development
In 1916, French engineer Marius Barbarou began working a new
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines.
The fi ...
oriented at a 60-degree angle and a bore, to improve on the existing Lorraine-Dietrich 8B engine by adding two
cylinders on each side. The Lorraine 12D was approved in January 1917 at .
Lorraine produced 50 of the 12D engines. In 1917, the Lorraine 12Da was produced with an increase to and 400 units produced.
The Lorraine 12Da variant became the most powerful French airplane engine at the time of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
The more powerful design resulted in a heavier
powertrain
A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...
due to added
radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics.
A radiator is always a ...
s for cooling. The extra weight meant that the planes could operate for two hours on the available fuel supply. The engines continued to be used by the military, but were unsuitable for commercial use due to the limited travel range.
The engines were mass produced at a factory in
Argenteuil
Argenteuil () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. Argenteuil is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Val-d'Oise Departments of France, ...
, to meet demands of the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
for
bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
s. At the time of the
armistice of 11 November 1918
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
, Lorraine had hundreds of surplus engines which were later used in French Navy prototypes. New models were not developed during this time, and Lorraine halted production of the 12D engines in 1922.
In 1924 the Italian company
Isotta Fraschini
Isotta Fraschini () was an Italian luxury car manufacturer, also producing trucks, as well as engines for marine and aviation use. Founded in Milan, Italy, in 1900 by Cesare Isotta and the brothers Vincenzo, Antonio, and Oreste Fraschini, in 19 ...
bought the rights for the engine under the license of the 12Db, and later marketed the engine under its own company name, Isotta Fraschini 12Db until 1925.
Variants
The Lorraine 12D had several variants produced which included:
Applications
The Lorraine 12D powered the first
Groupe Latécoère
The Groupe Latécoère () is an aircraft company based in Toulouse, France. Founded by the aeronautics pioneer Pierre-Georges Latécoère during 1917, the company became well known in its first few decades for its range of seaplanes, such as the s ...
planes. The 12Da was mounted on the
CAMS 37 prototype seaplane, and later used on the first
Potez
Potez (pronounced ) was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919 in aviation, 1919. The firm began by refurbishing war-surplus SEA IV aircraft, but was soon building new examples of ...
planes. The successor 12Db engine was used mostly by the
Farman Aviation Works
Farman Aviation Works (french: Avions Farman) was a French aircraft company founded and run by the brothers Richard Farman, Richard, Henri Farman, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 19 ...
, and the
Société Latham
The Société Latham was a French aeronautical construction company which built seaplanes for the French Navy. It is best known for the prototype of the Latham 47 which disappeared in 1928 with Roald Amundsen on board during a rescue mission to t ...
.
Isotta Fraschini 12Db used the Lorraine engines to power Italian aircraft including the
Macchi M.7
The Macchi M.7 was an Italian single-seat fighter flying boat designed by Alessandro Tonini and built by Macchi. A modified version of the M.7, the M.7bis won the Schneider Trophy in 1921.
Development
The M.7 was similar to the earlier M.5 ...
,
Macchi M.24bis and
Caproni Ca.73bis.
Complete list of planes powered by the Lorraine 12D:
12D
*
Halbronn H.T.2,
Latécoère 5
The Latécoère 5 was a French three-engined biplane bomber prototype of the early 1920s, based on the Latécoère 4 passenger aircraft. It did not fly until 1924 and only one was built.
Design and development
The Latécoère 5 was a revision o ...
,
Latécoère 16
12Da
*
CAMS 37 (prototype),
Latham 43 __NOTOC__
The Latham 43 was a flying boat bomber built in France in the 1920s for service with the French Navy. It was a conventional design for its day - a two-bay biplane with unstaggered wings, and engines mounted tractor-fashion on struts in ...
,
Lioré et Olivier LeO H-10
The Lioré et Olivier LeO 10 or LeO H-10 was a prototype French Naval reconnaissance aircraft built. Only one example of this two seat, single engine biplane floatplane was built.
Development
The LeO H-10 (H for ''hydravion'' or waterplane) w ...
,
SEA IV
The SEA IV was a French two-seat military aircraft of World War I and the immediate post-war era.
Development
The SEA IV was designed and built in 1917 by Henry Potez, Louis Coroller, and Marcel Bloch. It was a derivative of their previous SE ...
,
Potez SEA VII
The Potez SEA VII, otherwise known simply as the Potez VII, was an early airliner developed in France shortly after the First World War.Taylor 1989, p.750
Design and development
The SEA VII was a civil version of the SEA IV military aircraft t ...
,
Potez IX
The Potez IX was an early airliner produced in France in the 1920s, a further development of the SEA IV that Henry Potez had co-designed during the First World War.Taylor 1989, p.747''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'', p.2760
Design a ...
,
Potez XII
Potez (pronounced ) was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919. The firm began by refurbishing war-surplus SEA IV aircraft, but was soon building new examples of an improved versi ...
,
Farman F.120,
Percheron 18
12Db
*
Besson MB.26,
Latham E-5,
Lioré et Olivier LeO 12 __NOTOC__
The Lioré et Olivier LeO 12 was a night bomber built in France in 1924.Taylor 1989, p. 578.
Design and development
The Lioré et Olivier LeO 12 was a large biplane of conventional design, with three-bay equal-span wings and twin engi ...
,
Levasseur PL.3,
Potez XI
The Potez XI was the first fighter aircraft designed by the French company Potez
Potez (pronounced ) was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919 in aviation, 1919. The firm bega ...
,
Potez XV
The Potez XV (also erroneously written Potez 15) was a French single-engine, two-seat observation biplane designed as a private venture by Louis Coroller and built by Potez and under licence in Poland.
Design and development
The aircraft was de ...
,
Potez XVII,
Potez 23
The Potez 23 was a prototype French single-engine fighter biplane designed in 1923.
History
The Potez 23 was built by Potez in response to the C1 fighter program issued by the STAé in 1923. The C1 fighter specification called for a speed of ...
,
Potez 27
The Potez 27 was a French reconnaissance biplane first flown in 1924. 175 were operated by the Polish Air Force, most built in Poland by PWS under licence. Others went to Romania, where they were also used as light bombers.
Design and developme ...
,
Farman F.60 Goliath
The Farman F.60 Goliath was a French airliner and bomber produced by the Farman Aviation Works from 1919. It was instrumental in the creation of early airlines and commercial routes in Europe after World War I.
Design and development
The ''G ...
,
Farman F.62,
Farman F.63bis,
Farman F.122,
Farman F.140 Super Goliath
The Farman F.140 Super Goliath was a very large, four engine biplane night bomber, designed in France in the mid-1920s. Nine flew with the French Air Force until concerns about structural weakness grounded them in 1930. The prototype set several ...
,
Farman F.150bis,
Breda A.7 L.D.,
Breda A.8,
CANT 6ter,
CANT 10ter,
Caproni Ca.71
The Caproni Ca.71, originally Ca.70L, was a two-seat biplane night fighter produced in Italy in 1927. It was derived from the Caproni Ca.70 of 1925.
Design
Undaunted by the lack of interest the ''Regia Aeronautica'' (Italian Royal Air Force) h ...
,
Caproni Ca.73bis,
Macchi M.7
The Macchi M.7 was an Italian single-seat fighter flying boat designed by Alessandro Tonini and built by Macchi. A modified version of the M.7, the M.7bis won the Schneider Trophy in 1921.
Development
The M.7 was similar to the earlier M.5 ...
,
Macchi M.24bis,
Savoia-Marchetti S.59,
Yokosuka E1Y
The Yokosuka E1Y was a Japanese floatplane of the 1920s. A single-engined biplane that was designed and developed by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal as a reconnaissance aircraft for the Imperial Japanese Navy, 320 were built as the T ...
12Dc
*
Farman F.72,
Lioré et Olivier LeO H-10
The Lioré et Olivier LeO 10 or LeO H-10 was a prototype French Naval reconnaissance aircraft built. Only one example of this two seat, single engine biplane floatplane was built.
Development
The LeO H-10 (H for ''hydravion'' or waterplane) w ...
Specifications (12Da)
See also
*
List of aircraft engines
This is an alphabetical list of aircraft engines by manufacturer.
0–9 2si
*2si 215
*2si 230
* 2si 430
* 2si 460
*2si 500
* 2si 540
* 2si 690
3W
''Source: RMV''
*3W 106iB2
*3W-110
*3W-112
*3W-170
*3W-210
*3W-220
A
Abadal (Fr ...
References
External links
*
{{Lorraine aeroengines
Lorraine aircraft engines
Pages with unreviewed translations
1910s aircraft piston engines