of liquid oxygen is approximately 20 gal. Standard
liquid air containers of 55 litre capacity weigh 75 lb. Therefore the
weight of the oxygen and container is 350 lb while the possible saving
in engine weight is 4000 lb. The weight per take-off horsepower is
thereby reduced from 2 to 1.54 lb. The calculation is shown in Table 1.

[Illustration: Figure 38.--Effect of Oxygen Boost on Power and Weight.
(Cruising horsepower 6000, takeoff horsepower 8000.)]

Oxygen addition may be used for starting diesel engines. The raising of
the oxygen concentration from the normal 21 per cent to 45 per cent was
found to be equivalent to a raise of approximately 10 cetane numbers as
far as starting is concerned.

Five per cent increase in oxygen concentration eliminated exhaust smoke
completely.

TABLE 1

Normal horsepower 6000

Take-off horsepower 8000

Normal fuel consumption 0.4 lb per hp-hr, or
53.5 lb per min
Normal air consumption 900 lb per min

Normal oxygen consumption, 21 per cent oxygen 189 lb per min
concentration

Boosted oxygen consumption, 32 per cent oxygen 289 lb per min
concentration

Oxygen to be supplied 100 lb per min

Weight of 8000-hp engine 16,000 lb

Weight of boosted 6000-hp engine 12,000 lb

Weight of oxygen for 2-min boost 200 lb

Weight of container for 29 lb of liquid oxygen 150 lb

Net weight saving by oxygen boost 3650 lb

Weight per horsepower, nonboosted engine 2 lb

Weight per horsepower, boosted engine 1.54 lb

Footnotes:

[1] Appendix, p. 43.

[2] Letter, Hermann I. A. Dorner to National Air Museum, March 3, 1962.

[3] See p. 20 ff.

[4] Appendix, p. 46.

[5] _Aeronautics_ (October 1929), vol. 5, no. 4, p. 32.

[6] _The Packard Diesel Aircraft Engine--A New Chapter in Transportation
Progress_ (Detroit: Packard Motor Car Co., 1930), p. 5.

[7] A memorial to Woolson who was killed in the crash of a Packard
diesel-powered Verville "Air Sedan" on April 23, 1930.

[8] _Packard Inner Circle_ (April 18, 1932), vol. 17, no. 6, p. 1.

[9] _Aero Digest_ (February 1932), vol. 20, no. 2, p. 54.

[10] Letter, Richard Totten to National Air Museum, Janu