Bristol history

Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd

Bristol Aircraft Engines history started as a motor-car makers just right after the turn of the century. Formed by an Irish engineer J.P. Brazil and a a London motor agent Sydney Straker. Until the start of the first World War cars, busses saw its life at the small plant in Bristol. Right after the war start, 1914 Brazil / Straker was appointed to build a small engine designed by Rolls-Royce. In 1918 the company was bought by the Anglo-American company Cosmos. Two years later it took quite some effort to get Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd. to buy the remaining after a liquidation of Cosmos. Mr. A.H.R. Fedden continued the development on the first success full engine, Jupiter a 9-cylinder radial air cooled poppet valve engine.

Two principles of sleeve valves was around at that time. The Knight type having double concentric sleeves and the Burt-McCollum type single sleeve, combining semi-rotary and reciprocating actions. Bristol used only the Burt-McCollum principle. Total War time production of engines exceeded 143,000 in round figures.

Jupiter originally designed by Fedden during the first world was and saw production from 1918 to 1930. As early as 1922 the engine was experimentally turbocharged.
  • Type: 9 cylinder spark ignition air-cooled poppet valve radial engine
  • Cylinders: 9 cylinders in one row
  • Valve arrangement: 2 valves per cylinder. From 1929 with 4 valves.
  • Bore and Stroke: 5.75 x 7.5 in
  • Swept volume: 1,753 cu in (28.7 litre)
  • Compression ratio: 5:1
  • Max revolution: 1,950
  • HP range: 400 - 580
  • Specific fuel consumption (lb/hp/h):
  • Weight, lbs:
 Jupiter3.jpg (19253 bytes)
Mercury differs from Jupiter with one inch shorter stroke for higher revolution and power ratio. Mildly supercharged to 5 psi.
  • Type: 9 cylinder supercharged spark ignition air-cooled poppet valve radial engine
  • Cylinders: 9 cylinders in one row
  • Valve arrangement: 4 valve
  • Bore and Stroke: 5.75 x 6.5 in
  • Swept volume: 1,520 cu in (24.9 litre)
  • Compression ratio: 7:1
  • Max revolution: 2,750 / minut
  • HP range: 435 - 825
  • Specific fuel consumption (lb/hp/h):
  • Weight, lbs:
 Mercury8.jpg (25313 bytes)
Pegasus had the same internal dimension af the Jupiter.
  • Type: 9 cylinder spark ignition air-cooled poppet valve radial engine
  • Cylinders: 9 cylinders in one row
  • Valve arrangement: 4 valves per cylinder
  • Bore and Stroke: 5.75 x 7.5 in
  • Swept volume: 1,753 cu in (28.7 litre)
  • Compression ratio: 5:1
  • Max revolution: 2,600 - one minut
  • HP range: 600 - 1010
  • Specific fuel consumption (lb/hp/h):
  • Weight, lbs:
 Pegasys18.jpg (24450 bytes)
Phoenix, a diesel engine family developed from 1928 to1932. Only a few engines saw production although the Westland Wapati performed at world record for altitude at 27.453 ft in 1932.
  • Type: 9 cylinder mildly supercharged ( max 3 psi) compression ignition air-cooled poppet valve radial engine
  • Cylinders: 9 cylinders in one row
  • Valve arrangement: 4 valves per cylinder
  • Bore and Stroke: 5.75 x 7.5 in
  • Swept volume: 1,753 cu in (28.7 litre)
  • Compression ratio: 14:1
  • Max revolution:
  • HP range: 470
  • Specific fuel consumption (lb/hp/h):
  • Weight, lbs:
 PegasysDiesel.jpg (27440 bytes)
Perseus was the first sleeve-valve engine in production as early as in 1932. The first engine to incorporate the Burt-McCollum sleeve valve principle.
  • Type: 9 cylinder mildly supercharged ( max 3 psi) spark ignition air-cooled sleeve-valve radial engine
  • Cylinders: 9 cylinders in one row
  • Valve arrangement: sleeve-valve
  • Bore and Stroke: 5.75 x 6.5 in
  • Swept volume: 1,520 cu in (24.9 litre)
  • Compression ratio: 6.75:1
  • Max revolution: 3,120 for 20 sec
  • HP range: 515 - 905
  • Specific fuel consumption (lb/hp/h):
  • Weight, lbs:
  
Hercules saw production from 1936 to the mid fifth´ties. With 65.000 engines produced the Hercules was by far the most popular engine type.
  • Type: 14 cylinder supercharged spark ignition air-cooled sleeve-valve radial engine
  • Cylinders: 14 cylinders in two row
  • Valve arrangement: sleeve-valve
  • Bore and Stroke: 5.75 x 6.5 in
  • Swept volume: 2,360 cu in (38.7 litre)
  • Compression ratio: 7:1
  • Max revolution: 2,800
  • HP range: 1,150 - 2,080
  • Specific fuel consumption (lb/hp/h): 0.41
  • BMEP:
  • Weight, lbs: 1,845 - 2,400
 Hercules.jpg (25947 bytes)
Centaurus was introduced right at the end of the second world war and 2800 was produced.
  • Type: 18 cylinder supercharged spark ignition air-cooled sleeve-valve radial engine
  • Cylinders: 18 cylinders in two row
  • Valve arrangement: sleeve-valve
  • Bore and Stroke: 5.75 x 7.0 inch (146 x 178 mm)
  • Swept volume: 3,270 cu in. (53.5 litre)
  • Compression ratio: 7.2:1 and supercharged
  • Max revolution: 2,800
  • HP range: 200-2,625
  • Specific fuel consumption (lb/hp/h): 0.42
  • Weight, lbs: 2,700 - 3,300
 CentaurusV.jpg (18787 bytes)