Restored Continental AV1790-5B tank engine at the American Armored Foundation Tank Museum in Danville, Virginia.
The Continental AV1790 was an American tank V-12 engine. Produced by Continental Motors, the AV1790 was used in a variety of limited production or pilot heavy tanks, including the M53 and M55 Howitzer, T30, T34, T43 (neither to be confused with the Soviet T-34 or T-43), T57, and T58, as well as the production M103 tank (derived from the T43) and the M51 recovery vehicle. There were also diesel versions for the M47, M48, and M60 Pattons. The AV-1790-5B is also the engine of the Blastolene Special, a custom car owned by Jay Leno.
Specifications
| Type: | 90 degree four-stroke V12 |
|---|---|
| Bore: | 5.75 in (146.05 mm) |
| Stroke: | 5.75 in (146.05 mm) |
| Displacement: | 1791.7 cu in (29.36 L) |
| Dry weight | |
|---|---|
| AV-1790-3 | 2332 lb (1058 kg) |
| AV-1790-5C | 2554 lb (1158 kg) |
| AV-1790-7C | 2647 lb (1200 kg) |
| AVDS-1790-2A | 4700 lb (2132 kg) |
| AVSI-1790-6 | 3050 lb (1383 kg) |
| AV-1790-3 | AV-1790-5C | AV-1790-7C | AVDS-1790-2A | AVDS-1790-5B | AVSI-1790-6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supercharger: | no | no | no | twin turbocharger | yes | |
| Fuel system: | fuel injection | |||||
| Fuel type: | 80 octane gasoline (petrol) | 80 octane gasoline | 80 octane gasoline | 40 cetane diesel | 80 octane gasoline | |
| Ignition | magneto | magneto | magneto | compression | magneto | |
| Compression ratio: | 6.5:1 | 6.5:1 | 6.5:1 | 16:1 | 5.5:1 |
| Power output: | Torque (net) | Specific power: | Power-to-weight ratio: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AV-1790-3 | 704 hp (525 kW) at 2800 rpm | 1440 pound-feet at 2200 rpm | ||
| AV-1790-5C | 650 hp (485 kW) at 2400 rpm | 1250 pound-feet at 2100 rpm | ||
| AV-1790-7C | 690 hp (515 kW) at 2800 | 1410 pound-feet at 2200 rpm | ||
| AVDS-1790-2A | 643 hp (480 kW) at 2400 rpm | 1575 pound-feet at 1750 rpm | ||
| AVSI-1790-6 | 765 hp (570 kW) at 2800 rpm | 1670 pound-feet at 2100 rpm |
Sources
- Hunnicutt, R. P. Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank. Novato, California: Presidio Press, 1988. ISBN 0-89141-304-9
The original article can be found at Continental AV1790 and the edit history here.