Bristol Perseus
Bristol
- Configuration
- 9-cylinder single-row air-cooled sleeve-valve radial
- Power
- ~580–930 hp
About
The Perseus holds a place in engineering history as the first sleeve-valve aero engine to enter production service — a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial of 580 to 930 hp that vindicated Roy Fedden’s long campaign for the sleeve valve. It powered the Westland Lysander and a range of 1930s types. Its lasting importance was as a stepping stone: its cylinder design, doubled into a two-row engine, produced the Hercules and the still-larger Centaurus.
Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including Bristol Perseus — Wikipedia and Lumsden, Alec — British Piston Aero-Engines and their Aircraft (Airlife, 2003). The text is original and has been written from factual source material.