Aerospace Engines A to Z
Aerospace Engines A to Z

Updated: 01-May-2026

LAWRENCE SPERRY AIRCRAFT CO

(USA)


LAWRENCE SPERRY AIRCRAFT CO engine specifications

The Lawrence Sperry Aircraft Co. of Farmingdale, NY, manufactured the "WBB" engine in 1919.

- It was a 38 HP, four-cylinder, air-cooled V-engine with a two-stroke cycle, designed by Harold Wills.

From Appendix A5/6: Lawrence B. Sperry was the son of Elmer A. Sperry, the inventor of gyroscopes, which have become a benchmark for high quality, as well as his autopilots, etc.

- The 38 HP engine mentioned in the main text is not the one shown here, which is installed on an aircraft designed by the same company.

- Its main feature is a ski landing gear.

- The engine shown here is actually a Lawrence (LawrAnce, with an A, to avoid confusion). It is a three-cylinder radial engine. See the chapter on Lawrance.

Farmingdale testing of L.B. Sperry
“L.B. Sperry’s Farmingdale Trials” (PeT)

Engines of LAWRENCE SPERRY AIRCRAFT CO

Model: WBB, 2-stroke

Arquitecture:
Cooling:
Total Displacement:
Bore / Stroke: x
Power:
Weight:

Other details:

The author of this edition of Aeroengines AtoZ, through Aeroteca, collaborated on Version 2 of this video, which is presented here.

To understand the operation of the connecting rods, the 1929 Continental R 670 single-cylinder engine was chosen.

A demonstration of Version 3, improved at the author's suggestion, is also available on YouTube at a later date. This version shows bronze valve guides, improved valve spring movement, and the split crankshaft counterweights and front bearing balls also move.

The design is from Juan Soler, Sant Cugat, Barcelona

Below we show a flash of version 3

Counting also with the coloboration of JMC of Enginys Mecanics in Mataro, Barcelona