[1] In the late 1920s Harry Ricardo wrote a paper on the sleeve valve design that led to the USAAC's hyper engine efforts.

The USAAC engineering team at Wright Field decided to test this claim by beating it.

The I-1430 was the result of an experimental effort at Wright Field to build a high-power cylinder using conventional poppet valves.

[2] The USAAC was interested in very large bomber designs, and in engines that could be buried in the wings in order to improve streamlining.

[3] From this requirement they designed a 12-cylinder horizontally opposed engine using twelve separate "hyper" cylinders.

The contract limited Continental's role to construction and testing, leaving the actual engineering development to the Army.

While the engine was producing exceptional power for its displacement, the reason it was not put into production may have had to do with its weight.

[1] Interest in the design had largely disappeared by then; piston engines with the same power or greater ratings were widely available, the Merlin for example had improved tremendously and was offering at least 1,500 hp (1,120 kW), and the military and aircraft builders were already starting to focus on jet engines.