NOVEMBER

3, 1938.

FLIGHT.

387

From top to bottom are detail views of the Bristol Hercules, Perseus and Aquila sleeve-valve engines. The Perseus is the first of the sleevevalve series to go into large-scale production. It is specified for some interesting new military and civil types. layshaft, which also carries the fan layshaft gear. From the pinion, power is transmitted to the fan layshaft gear through a centrifugal friction clutch consisting of six phosphorbronze clutch pads in a steel housing, the latter being incorporated in the gear which in turn drives a spur gear on the fan spindle. Drives for the auxiliaries are enclosed in a box on top of the rear cover, the generator on the Cheetah X being mounted on top of the box. There are two current models of the fourteen-cylinuer two-row Tigerthe Mark VII1 and the Mark IXthe former having the distinction of being the first aero engine with two-speed supercharger to go into production in this country. The medium supercharged Tiger I X powers the A'.W. Ensign.

* I * :P, W>'-***

Two'Speed

Supercharging

The two-speed supercharger of the Tiger VIII, combined with the v.p. airscrew, provides great- advantages in take-off power and output at altitude, together with great fuel economy under cruising conditions. The twospeed supercharger is assembled direct to a support plate, bolted and enclosed within the induction casing. The supercharger rotor is driven from the crankshaft by a countershaft drive in high gear and a planetary drive iii low gear. The gearing comprises a set of three balanced compound planets comprising a small and a large pinion housed in a: carrier which is allowed to rotate in low gear position and is held stationary in high gear. There is also an internally toothed annulus which meshes with the smaller pinions. This has a flange which, when held stationary, gives the planetary drive. Driving gear, which is integral with the spring drive on the rear end of the crankshaft, is coupled by means of an internally and externally toothed sleeve to the small planet pinions which, in-turn, <lrive the larger pinions. The smaller pinion is keyed to the spindles driving the centrifugally operated clutch within the larger planet pinion which drives the rotor shaft. The planet carrier is Held stationary when required by means of an internally toothed clutch plate having toothed engagement with the outer diameter of the carrier. This plate forms the high-gear clutch plate, and the annulus gear already mentioned forms the clutch plate for low gear. Either of these can be held stationary by a clutch which takes the form of two annular members. These members mesh with a stationary housing, and a small rotational movement will cause sufficient axial movement to lock either clutch plate, according to the direction ol rotation. Rotation of the clutch actuating members is by two toggles, each having one link mounted on a pivot on the stationary member and the other link mounted on a pivot on the control member. The centre pivot points are connected to a hydraulically actuated piston in each end of a double-acting cylinder. This cylinder is connected to the oil pressure system of the engine controlled by a handoperated piston valve. When this valve is pulled outward, oil is forced through a passage in the cylinder wall to the ends of the cylinder and forces the pistons inwards, the oil between them being exhausted through a port behind the valve (low gear). In the other extreme position of the piston valve, pressure oil is carried to the heads of the pistons, forcing them away from each other, the oil at each end of the cylinder being exhausted through ports in the cylinder (high gear). MAKERS: Armstrong Siddeley Motors. Ltd., Coventry.

ASPIN
HTHE salient feature in the unconventional Aspin engine -*- is the .rotary combustion chamber, which takes the form of an inverted hollow cone rotated by gearing over the top of the cylinder. As this cone revolves, a port in its side moves over the inlet and exhaust ports, thus providing communication with the combustion chamber. The sparking plugs are cut off from the contents of the cylinder except at the actual moment of ignition. Rapid and complete combustion is claimed, and the engine can be run at very high speeds and very high compression ratios. Modifications lately made are said to improve performance considerably. Interesting developments are expected before very long. MAKERS : F. M. Aspin, Ltd., Egyptian Mills, Elton, Bury, Lanes. ..

BRISTOL
' P H E current Bristol range of air-cooled radials comprises -*- the Mercury and Pegasus poppet-valve engines and the Aquila, Perseus, and Hercules sleeve-valve models. The Mercury (now giving 920 h.p. for take-off with 100octane fuel) was developed primarily for installation in