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In 1923, the Packard Motor Car Company began development of a new series of 12-cylinder aircraft engines that would more fully meet the requirements of the Army and Navy. In these new designs, a great step forward was made in decreasing the weight per horsepower. The first engine employing the new construction, the 268 kW (360 hp) Packard 1300, was built under a Navy contract. While this engine was under development, Packard obtained an Army contract for a refined and enlarged version known as the 1500. This was superseded by the 2A-1500, built in upright direct drive and geared configurations and inverted direct drive configurations. The inverted engine could be mounted with its propeller shaft on top so that the propeller had maximum ground clearance, and also improved pilot visibility. Among aircraft powered by this engine were the Curtiss R3C-3 racer, the two-engine Huff-Daland XB-1 bomber, Boeing FB-5 pursuit aircraft, and Navy PN-10 seaplane.