Liberty engines saw only very limited Wartime use, and most of the
production actually occurred after the Armistice.
*I think you better check again. See production figures before 1918.
During the War, the US used Caudron G-IIIE and G-IVA (rotary engined),
Farman F-40 (in-line),
Morane-Saulnier 30 E-1 (rotary) and MS-12 (rotary), Nieuport 10 (rotary),
Neiuport 17 (rotary), Nieuport 28 (rotary), B.E. 2E (in-line), F.E. 2B
(in-line), DH-4 (the only one with a Liberty, incidentally, and that only
in the final four months of the War), Sopwith Camel (rotary), Salmson 2A-2
(radial), Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter (rotary), Spad VII and XIII (both
in-line), Spad IIA-2 and 16A-2 (both in-line), and Voison 8 and 10 (both
in-line). Numerically, the largest procurement during hostilities was of
the Nieuport 28, though the largest single order was for the Spad XIII,
though most of these were delivered in early 1919.
The largest single manufacturer of rotary-engined aircraft was Nieuport, I
suspect, followed by Sopwith and Fokker. ALL Fokker designs save for the
D-7 used Oberursel rotaries from the E-1 to the D-8.
*The point, though, is that total number of water cooled engines used in
airframes outnumbered the "rotary" engines used. One bomber had several
engines.
The "rotary" engine was a dead end. In spite of the apparent love of
Sopwith.
You may wish to write to the Garver Facility at the Smithsonian, and the AF
Museum in Dayton. Janes Aircraft may help you as well.
Best,
Ray McCrary
"Speed is Life;
of course Luck and Altitude
are helpful, too."
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