This B-17 Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial engine table is built from a decommissioned R-1820 engine – this is the motor that powered every wartime example of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Douglas SBD Dauntless bombers as well as countless other aircraft, armored vehicles, and tanks including the M4A6 Sherman and the M6 Heavy Tank.
The Wright R-1820 Cyclone first entered production in 1931, it’s a 9-cylinder radial engine that was loosely based on the Wright P-2 engine, and it was built under license in the Soviet Union as the Shvetsov M-25 and in Spain as the Hispano-Suiza 9V.
Over the course of its decades-long production run the R-1820 was developed into dozens of different engine specifications including diesel variants. The most powerful example was the R-1820-82WA which was capable of an eye-watering 1,525 hp.
Although there are still a considerable number of Wright R-1820 Cyclones in service, most of them have been retired, and a lucky few have been converted into functional art like this one. With a diameter of 1,600 mm (5′ 3″) and a height of 1,100 mm (3′ 7″) it’s not a diminutive piece of furniture, meaning it’d make an excellent centerpiece and an ideal beverage consumption platform in a suitably large drawing or billiard room.
Ben Branch has had his work featured on CNN, Popular Mechanics, the official Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
The Original Bell Jar Table Lamp by Southern Lights Electric uses a large Edison bulb to give the same warm light that lit the workshops, factories, garages, and speakeasies of the 20th century. The lamp measures in at 8.5″ high by 5″ wide, with a 48″ white cloth covered cord, an antique-style brass socket, and…
The Courant Catch: 3 is a next generation wireless charger that’s faster-to-full than a standard wired charger by 30 minutes (180 minutes to full vs 210 with the iPhone USB cable). Whereas the majority of wireless chargers on the market are black plastic, the Courant Catch: 3 has a full aluminum frame with a premium…
Flying boats were initially considered to be the only way to feasibly build large aircraft successfully due to the fact that they didn’t need heavy and complex landing gear, just a hull-shaped underside allowing them to touch down on water – the water itself would act as shock absorber and runway. The great benefit of…
Ettore Bugatti was one of the early motoring world’s greatest characters, almost as famous for his gruff and oftentimes hilarious customer service as he was for his engineering genius. On dealing with a customer who was complaining about the lackluster braking performance on his new car Ettore yelled “I make my cars to go, not…
This documentary film titled The Flying Wing – What Happened To It? features the last ever interview with John K. Northrop, it also features remarkable footage of the Northrop YB-49 flying wing manoeuvring through the sky to the original Star Wars theme music. The documentary was filmed in 1979, Star Wars Episode IV – A…
The Meyers Manx was the original fiberglass beach buggy, designed by Bruce Meyers in the early 1960s. This film tells the story of both Bruce Manx and his Meyers Manx, it’s a fascinating watch and it includes some great footage of Bruce as well as the early (and very successful) racing efforts in the Manx. The…
