X-24 engine
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- This article is about the piston engine. For the experimental aeroplane, see Martin-Manrietta X-24.
The X-24 is one of the only configurations of X-type engines known. The design was developed as a pairing of V-12s in the 1940s for use in aircraft. Its size, complexity, and bulk would have made it unsuitable for most civilian applications, but the 24-cylinder motor could provide significant power for military aircraft. Designs were developed by two of the Axis Powers, Italy and Nazi Germany. The German engine was the Daimler Benz DB 604, intended for use in the Bomber B program. Development was cancelled as the strategic situation changed for Germany, and as the gas turbine engine made its debut. Italy's Isotta-Fraschini developed the Zeta R.C. 24/60 for the Caproni F6 fighter, but Italy's surrender ended development. The United States Fisher P-75 Eagle fighter used the V-3420, two conjoined Allison V-12 powerplants, which was similar to, but not a true X-24 engine. Despite sharing a modified crankcase, each Allison V-12 had its own crankshaft that sent power to a common gearbox. Postwar developments with the turbojet and turbofan engines apparently obviated the need for large aircraft engines of this type.
| Piston engine configurations | |
|---|---|
| Straight | Single, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14 |
| V | 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 |
| Flat | 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16 |
| W | 8, 12, 16, 18 |
| Other inline | H, VR, Opposed, U (Square), X |
| Other | Radial, Rotary, Pistonless (Wankel) |
