Background

The Frederickson Engine By the World’s Motor Company, Bloomington, Illinois

This Frederickson Model 5A was manufactured in Bloomington, Illinois in 1916. It is a 5 cylinder, 70 hp, 2- cycle, radial and rotary type engine designed and built for aviation use. Its unique design was developed by C. E. Frederickson – he invented a curved seat intake valve that required no springs and operated by way of the connecting rod sliding each valve at the proper timing. It was further unique in that the engine and propeller (attached to each other and moving as a unit) rotated around a driveshaft that was fixed to the airframe.

There were 2 initial engines designs, a single cylinder (test engine) and a 5 cylinder single row radial and rotary. Both the single and 5 cylinder models were tested by the US Government Signal Corps in 1918 at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. Testing was done in preparation for the WWI effort. In the 5 cylinder engine, a piston froze and broke a cylinder after 75 minutes of operation during the 100 hour test run, thus stopping the engine while under full throttle (1000 rpm) with a standard propeller.

The World’s Motor Company had planned to introduce 6 cylinder and 10 cylinder (double row 5 cylinders with 180 hp) versions before the company ultimately failed due to lack of market penetration.

The remnants of the first two engines were kept by Marion McClure, an early aviator. By 1980 the boxes of parts were in the possession of Donald J. Lockwood of Chicago. In 2018 Mr. Lockwood donated the boxes and engine remnants to the Prairie Aviation Museum.

The Prairie Aviation Museum volunteers have restored both the one and 5 cylinder engines to the point where they can be displayed and continue to tell the story about an early aviation engine from Bloomington, Illinois - it should have been destined for greatness but ultimately did not. In retrospect, it has been suggested that the use of higher quality metals may have allowed this engine design to be very successful and even changed aviation history.

Special thanks to Heritage Machine and Welding, Mechanical Devices, and McLean County Glass and Mirror for donating components and expertise to rebuild these engines for display.