"P-47 Double Wasp Engine," is one of 20 short videos in the series Chronicles of Courage: Stories of Wartime and Innovation. Pilot Benjamin Cassiday Jr., of the U.S. Army Air Forces' 79th Fighter Group, describes his encounters in the sky with German Messerschmitt Bf 109 airplanes during World War II. (Note that the plane described by many veterans as the Me 109 is officially called the Bf 109. You will see them used interchangeably in the materials.) His P-47 Thunderbolt airplane is equipped with a powerful 18-cylinder engine (the Double Wasp) giving him the horsepower and speed he needs to complete his missions.

This inquiry lesson accompanies the video to enable students to explore various concepts related to factors that made the Wasp such a capable engine:

• aerodynamics
• radial engine
• piston
• four stroke
• crank shaft
• internal combustion
• intake
• compression
• power
• exhaust

The lesson features a timeline with discussion questions, and hands-on activity, writing prompts, and more.