Allison Engine Co
of Indianapolis, USA
See also Allison Transmission.
The Allison Engine Company was an American aircraft engine manufacturer.
1915 James A. Allison established the Speedway Team Company to support his Indianapolis 500 racing activities.
1920 The Speedway Team Company changed its name to the Allison Engineering Company. Allison Engineering produced reduction-gear assemblies for the Liberty aircraft engines and marine applications, and engines for generators and marine applications.
At some point after WW1 Norman H. Gilman became General Manager and Chief Engineer. His contributions included an improved type of big end bearing for V-type engines. See US Patent 1,581,083, filed 16 June 1923, patented 13 April 1926.[1]. Allison produced bearings for other manufacturers. Bearings of this type were used in Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis.
1929 Shortly after the death of James Allison the company was purchased by the Fisher brothers. Fisher sold the company to General Motors. Norman Gilman became president and general manager. The company embarked on the design a 1,000 hp liquid-cooled aircraft engine.
1931 The U.S. Navy signed a contract with Allison to design and develop a fully reversible diesel engine to power its airships. The U.S. Navy abandoned airships after the break up of the 'Macon'.
Allison developed the V1710 12-cylinder liquid-cooled aircraft engine, which passed its 150-hour acceptance trails in 1937. The engine went on to power many of the U.S. Army Air Corps fighters, including the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, the Curtis P-40 Warhawk, the Bell P-39 Aircobra, and a host of others, including the North American P-51 Mustang (whose engine was soon replaced by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine).
1946 Allison began production of a marine gear reduction system for Detroit Diesel and entered the commercial transmission field.
1970 Merged with Detroit Diesel Engine to form the Detroit Diesel Allison Division, with headquarters in Detroit.
1983 GM separated Allison Gas Turbine (AGT) from Detroit Diesel Allison.
Allison Gas Turbine was acquired by Rolls-Royce plc in 1995 to become the US subsidiary, Rolls-Royce North America.
See Allison Transmission history timeline and Wikipedia entry.