167:, Bristol's primary engine designer, became interested in the concept and by 1927 he had constructed a working two-cylinder V as a test bed, with the idea of developing it into a V-12. Problems cropped up on the design, notably the sleeves bursting during the power stroke and stripping their driving gears. A long series of tests and materials changes and improvements required six years and an estimated £2 million to cure. By 1933, the problems had been worked out and the Perseus went on to become the first sleeve valve aero-engine in the world, to be put into large quantity production.
335:
182:(433 kW), the same as the Mercury model for that year, which shows that the sleeve system was being underexploited. The engine was quickly uprated as improvements were introduced and by 1936 the Perseus was delivering 810 hp (604 kW), eventually topping out at 930 hp (690 kW) in 1939, while the Perseus 100 with an increased capacity of 1,635 cu in (26.8 L), produced 1,200 hp (890 kW) at 2,700 rpm at 4,250 ft (1,296 m). This far outperformed even the most developed versions of the Mercury.
31:
232:
160:
and the ability to operate at higher rotational speeds. This allowed a smaller engine to produce the same power as a larger one, leading to better fuel efficiency and compact design, particularly in multi-row radial engines.
223:
engines. It was in these designs that the advantages of the sleeve valve were finally put to good use and by war's end, the
Centaurus was one of the most powerful engines in the world.
215:
The main contribution of the
Perseus is that its design was used as the basic piston and cylinder for two "twinned" (double-row) types: the tremendously successful
1119:
729:
1134:
1124:
722:
700:
686:
672:
658:
523:
473:
1129:
438:
941:
715:
141:
1068:
932:
753:
738:
59:
967:
947:
575:
1098:
1058:
1000:
957:
1063:
125:
538:
334:
283:
278:
236:
157:
189:
flying-boats but was more common in the expanding military field, where it was found on the
757:
483:
174:-sized engine adapted to the sleeve valve system, the Perseus, and its smaller cousin, the
707:
8:
952:
937:
384:
318:
194:
877:
867:
696:
682:
668:
654:
626:
List from
Lumsden, the Perseus may not be the main powerplant for some of these types
563:
514:
323:
220:
190:
79:
901:
872:
742:
558:
268:
216:
105:
1015:
1010:
995:
990:
962:
835:
830:
825:
820:
815:
810:
805:
745:
375:
313:
263:
248:
198:
171:
121:
49:
1093:
887:
862:
853:
776:
446:
288:
273:
258:
202:
175:
83:
1113:
1049:
1005:
909:
840:
800:
795:
786:
505:
458:
366:
360:
253:
231:
206:
145:
118:
30:
1039:
1034:
850:
479:
432:
426:
308:
303:
186:
153:
149:
129:
904:
767:
293:
1088:
981:
449:
421:
405:
179:
164:
977:
298:
923:
919:
461:
185:
The
Perseus saw limited use in the civilian field, notably on the
338:
Cutaway
Bristol Perseus showing sleeve valves and reduction gears
178:. The first production versions of the Perseus were rated at 580
1025:
209:
46:
737:
681:. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 2006.
667:. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989.
695:. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003.
152:
principle. The main advantages over the traditional
117:
was a
British nine-cylinder, single-row, air-cooled
501:905 hp (675 kW) at 2,750 rpm at 6,500 ft (1,980 m)
359:Nine-cylinder single-row supercharged air-cooled
1111:
329:
128:starting in 1932. It was the first production
723:
730:
716:
498:* 830 hp (619 kW) at 2,650 rpm for takeoff
350:
1120:Aircraft air-cooled radial piston engines
693:British Piston Engines and their Aircraft
651:Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II.
135:
333:
230:
1112:
144:(RAE) published a series of papers by
711:
16:1930s British piston aircraft engine
13:
679:Development of Piston Aero Engines
665:World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines
14:
1146:
140:In late 1925 and early 1926, the
193:reconnaissance aircraft and the
29:
642:
617:Bridgman (Jane's) 1998, p. 272.
608:Bridgman (Jane's) 1998, p. 270.
226:
629:
620:
611:
602:
593:
489:
1:
1135:1930s aircraft piston engines
581:
528:0.43 lb/(hp·h) (261 g/(kW·h))
439:centrifugal type supercharger
414:
768:Horizontally opposed engines
534:0.28 oz/(hp·h) (11 g/(kW·h))
330:Specifications (Perseus XII)
142:Royal Aircraft Establishment
7:
547:
10:
1151:
649:Bridgman, L, (ed.) (1998)
284:de Havilland Hertfordshire
38:Preserved Bristol Perseus
1081:
1048:
1024:
976:
918:
900:
849:
785:
766:
754:Bristol Aeroplane Company
752:
524:Specific fuel consumption
274:Cunliffe-Owen Flying Wing
60:Bristol Aeroplane Company
37:
28:
23:
1125:Bristol aircraft engines
586:
576:List of aircraft engines
510:0.59 hp/in³ (26.75 kW/L)
319:Vickers Vildebeest Mk.IV
235:Bristol Perseus powered
543:0.88 hp/lb (1.45 kW/kg)
351:General characteristics
324:Westland Lysander Mk.II
339:
239:
136:Design and development
126:Bristol Engine Company
539:Power-to-weight ratio
337:
279:de Havilland Flamingo
237:de Havilland Flamingo
234:
158:volumetric efficiency
1130:Sleeve valve engines
635:Lumsden 2003, p.117.
599:Lumsden 2003, p.116.
553:Related development
401:55.3 in (1,405 mm)
340:
240:
195:Vickers Vildebeest
75:Major applications
1107:
1106:
1077:
1076:
896:
895:
564:Bristol Centaurus
515:Compression ratio
410:1,025 lb (465 kg)
389:1,520 in (24.9 L)
221:Bristol Centaurus
191:Westland Lysander
170:The result was a
111:
110:
80:Westland Lysander
1142:
916:
915:
902:Bristol Siddeley
764:
763:
743:Bristol Siddeley
732:
725:
718:
709:
708:
636:
633:
627:
624:
618:
615:
609:
606:
600:
597:
559:Bristol Hercules
532:Oil consumption:
478:0.5:1 turning a
395:49 in (1,245 mm)
371:5.75 in (146 mm)
269:Bristol Type 148
217:Bristol Hercules
124:produced by the
106:Bristol Hercules
102:
92:
76:
33:
21:
20:
1150:
1149:
1145:
1144:
1143:
1141:
1140:
1139:
1110:
1109:
1108:
1103:
1073:
1044:
1020:
996:Coupled Proteus
972:
907:
892:
845:
781:
756:
748:
736:
706:
691:Lumsden, Alec.
677:Gunston, Bill.
663:Gunston, Bill.
645:
640:
639:
634:
630:
625:
621:
616:
612:
607:
603:
598:
594:
589:
584:
550:
492:
482:variable pitch
467:Cooling system:
417:
380:6.5 in (165 mm)
353:
332:
264:Bristol Bulldog
249:Blackburn Botha
229:
199:Blackburn Botha
172:Bristol Mercury
138:
122:aircraft engine
115:Bristol Perseus
100:
90:
82:
74:
50:aircraft engine
17:
12:
11:
5:
1148:
1138:
1137:
1132:
1127:
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1104:
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1096:
1094:Stanley Hooker
1091:
1085:
1083:
1079:
1078:
1075:
1074:
1072:
1071:
1066:
1061:
1055:
1053:
1050:Rocket engines
1046:
1045:
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1029:
1022:
1021:
1019:
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973:
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945:
935:
929:
927:
913:
910:rocket engines
898:
897:
894:
893:
891:
890:
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870:
865:
859:
857:
854:radial engines
847:
846:
844:
843:
838:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
803:
798:
792:
790:
787:Radial engines
783:
782:
780:
779:
773:
771:
761:
758:Piston engines
750:
749:
735:
734:
727:
720:
712:
705:
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689:
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661:
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638:
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580:
579:
578:
567:
566:
561:
549:
546:
545:
544:
535:
529:
520:
511:
506:Specific power
502:
499:
491:
488:
487:
486:
474:Reduction gear
470:
464:
452:
447:Claudel-Hobson
441:
429:
416:
413:
412:
411:
402:
396:
390:
381:
372:
363:
352:
349:
331:
328:
327:
326:
321:
316:
314:Vickers Vellox
311:
306:
301:
296:
291:
289:Gloster Goring
286:
281:
276:
271:
266:
261:
259:Blackburn Skua
256:
251:
228:
225:
176:Bristol Aquila
137:
134:
109:
108:
103:
101:Developed into
97:
96:
93:
87:
86:
84:Blackburn Skua
77:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
57:
53:
52:
44:
40:
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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869:
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848:
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769:
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755:
751:
747:
744:
740:
733:
728:
726:
721:
719:
714:
713:
710:
702:
701:1-85310-294-6
698:
694:
690:
688:
687:0-7509-4478-1
684:
680:
676:
674:
673:1-85260-163-9
670:
666:
662:
660:
659:0-517-67964-7
656:
652:
648:
647:
632:
623:
614:
605:
596:
592:
577:
574:
573:
572:
571:
570:Related lists
565:
562:
560:
557:
556:
555:
554:
542:
540:
536:
533:
530:
527:
525:
521:
518:
516:
512:
509:
507:
503:
500:
497:
496:Power output:
494:
493:
485:
481:
477:
475:
471:
468:
465:
463:
460:
456:
453:
451:
448:
445:
442:
440:
437:Single-speed
436:
434:
430:
428:
425:
423:
419:
418:
409:
407:
403:
400:
397:
394:
391:
388:
386:
382:
379:
377:
373:
370:
368:
364:
362:
361:radial engine
358:
355:
354:
348:
347:
344:
336:
325:
322:
320:
317:
315:
312:
310:
307:
305:
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287:
285:
282:
280:
277:
275:
272:
270:
267:
265:
262:
260:
257:
255:
254:Blackburn Roc
252:
250:
247:
246:
245:
244:
238:
233:
224:
222:
218:
213:
211:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
183:
181:
177:
173:
168:
166:
162:
159:
155:
154:poppet valves
151:
147:
146:Harry Ricardo
143:
133:
132:aero engine.
131:
127:
123:
120:
116:
107:
104:
99:
98:
94:
89:
88:
85:
81:
78:
73:
72:
68:
65:
64:
61:
58:
56:Manufacturer
55:
54:
51:
48:
45:
42:
41:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1099:Gordon Lewis
933:Gyron Junior
882:
851:Sleeve valve
746:aero engines
692:
678:
664:
650:
643:Bibliography
631:
622:
613:
604:
595:
569:
568:
552:
551:
537:
531:
522:
513:
504:
495:
480:de Havilland
472:
466:
454:
444:Fuel system:
443:
433:Supercharger
431:
427:Sleeve valve
420:
404:
398:
392:
385:Displacement
383:
374:
365:
356:
345:
342:
341:
309:Short Scylla
304:Short Empire
242:
241:
227:Applications
214:
187:Short Empire
184:
169:
163:
150:sleeve valve
139:
130:sleeve valve
114:
112:
91:Number built
18:
982:Turboshafts
912:(1959-1966)
905:gas turbine
760:(1920-1956)
653:Crescent .
490:Performance
450:carburettor
294:Hawker Hart
156:was better
1114:Categories
1089:Roy Fedden
978:Turboprops
582:References
469:Air-cooled
455:Fuel type:
422:Valvetrain
415:Components
406:Dry weight
180:horsepower
165:Roy Fedden
66:First run
1082:Designers
924:Turbofans
920:Turbojets
868:Centaurus
484:propeller
399:Diameter:
343:Data from
299:Saro A.33
942:variants
873:Hercules
548:See also
346:Lumsden.
95:c.8,000
24:Perseus
1069:Stentor
1026:Ramjets
1016:Theseus
1011:Proteus
963:Phoebus
953:Pegasus
948:Orpheus
940: (
938:Olympus
883:Perseus
836:Phoenix
831:Pegasus
821:Neptune
816:Mercury
811:Lucifer
806:Jupiter
739:Bristol
393:Length:
210:bombers
148:on the
1059:BS.605
1001:Nimbus
991:BS.360
958:BS.100
888:Taurus
863:Aquila
777:Cherub
699:
685:
671:
657:
519:6.75:1
462:petrol
459:Octane
376:Stroke
119:radial
47:Piston
1064:Gamma
1006:Orion
968:Viper
878:Orion
841:Titan
826:Orion
801:Hydra
796:Draco
587:Notes
357:Type:
243:Note:
69:1932
43:Type
1040:Odin
1035:Thor
908:and
697:ISBN
683:ISBN
669:ISBN
655:ISBN
367:Bore
219:and
205:and
203:Skua
113:The
457:87
207:Roc
1116::
980:/
922:/
741:/
212:.
201:,
197:,
1052::
1028::
984::
944:)
926::
856::
789::
770::
731:e
724:t
717:v
703:.
541::
526::
517::
508::
476::
435::
424::
408::
387::
378::
369::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
