Bristol Hercules sleeve valve radial engine plans drawings

[Vixen]

This is a long shot.

Does anyone know the whereabouts of a set of drawing/ plans for a fourteen cylinder Bristol Hercules radial engine. I have been given a part built engine but not the drawings. It's 1/4 scale and a big impressive engine

Mike

[steamer]

that sir is a shame...No I do not have any references at all for that engine.

Dave

[john mills]

that would be an impressive engine i only have a picture of that engine in a book one view of the cylinders and one of the complete engine.
john

[Jasonb]

Steve W did mention that they had some in his post about these which may have gone with the other engine to the RR Heritage Trust

"The collection of drawings however is far from complete, those we have seem to have been scaled directly from FB's originals"

[Jo]

The obvious person to ask would be Eric as he has, or had, a hoard of full sized drawings of various engines in his collection.

The next option is to try the various aviation museums. I will be seeing the archivist for the Farnbrough Air Sciences Trust Museum tomorrow I will try to remember to ask him.

Edit: This isn't the one is it? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373889560306?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338722076&customid=&toolid=10050

Jo

[wirralcnc]

Mike
Some photos of the engine would be awesome. Do you know any details of the engine? Was it ever built from a known set of plans? Ageless engines have plans for sleeve valve engine but will not sell plans.
https://www.agelessengines.com/sleeve.htm

[Jasonb]

A bit more in this thread on ME. I think we can all guess who I was talking about in my post.

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=176536&p=1

[Jo]

 

Jo

[Vixen]

Steve W did mention that they had some in his post about these which may have gone with the other engine to the RR Heritage Trust

"The collection of drawings however is far from complete, those we have seem to have been scaled directly from FB's originals"

Jason, I have copies of those drawings. As SW said, they are far from complete, maybe 10%? There are not even drawings of the crankcase or cylinders to complete them.

Jo, Is Eric answering e-mails these days? My ears are now so bad, I no longer use the phone.

Corporate RR have taken control of the Bristol Heritage Trust and made big changes. The army of volunteers who preserved the engine collection were told to collect their personal tools and depart. I am a life time member of the Trust and can no longer access the archives.

I have a similar CD copy of a handbook on it's way to me. I will see what it contains, A side view section, showing the lubrication system, at least.

Robbie, I contacted Lee at Ageless Engines. His sleeve valve engine is loosely based on the Hercules. He cannot get it to run and has wisely withdrawn it from sale.

Here is a photo of the part built engine. Workmanship of the highest order, I think it was professionally built in a tool room. If only there were more drawings



This is a photo of a full size Hercules being rebuilt



No wonder the Bristol Hercules as called "The Swiss watch which produced 2000HP"

I'll keep looking

Mike

[Jo]

Jo, Is Eric answering e-mails these days? My ears are now so bad, I no longer use the phone.

No  I'm trying to phone him for you... He's still gassing to someone 

Jo

[AVTUR]

Mike
Some photos of the engine would be awesome. Do you know any details of the engine? Was it ever built from a known set of plans? Ageless engines have plans for sleeve valve engine but will not sell plans.
https://www.agelessengines.com/sleeve.htm

I have just looked at Ageless Engines website and Lee gives his reason for not selling plans - he never got the engine to work. As I think Mike said, Fedden had a skill of taking a complex engine and making it incredibly complicated. I would like to have seen what he would have done with the gas turbine.

Mike - I will be sending you a PM.

AVTUR

[Vixen]

I'm trying to phone him for you... He's still gassing to someone 

Jo

Thanks Jo, perhaps Eric will also take the opportunity to try and sell you something

Mike

[Jo]

Eric has asked: " Is that Brian Perkin's engine"

Eric thinks he may have Brian's drawings.... filed somewhere 

Edit: He thinks he sold his drawings/manual and can't find Brian's stuff.

Jo

[Vixen]

Eric has asked: " Is that Brian Perkin's engine"

Jo

No, Brian Perkins built the 9 cylinder Aquilla, single row, sleeve valve engine. The Hercules is a twin row 14 cylinder sleeve valve.

Thanks for asking him

Mike

[Vixen]

 As I think Mike said, Fedden had a skill of taking a complex engine and making it incredibly complicated. I would like to have seen what he would have done with the gas turbine.

AVTUR

However, by adding all that complexity, Feddon usually managed to double the power output, during the lifetime of every engine.

As to gas turbines; Frank Whittle is said to have told Feddon that his gas turbine was basically very simple... just one moving part. Feddon is said to have replied, If I had that engine, we would quickly design the 'simple' out of it and then produce some real power.  But that's probably only hearsay.

Mike