Rolls Royce Kestrel
Click on image for larger version The Kestrel was a V12 supercharged liquid cooled aircraft engine that emanated from a 1920's British Air Ministry's tasking of Rolls Royce and Napier and Sons to produce an aircraft engine that was in all respects superior to the American Curtiss D-12, a V12 liquid cooled engine that was at the time the most powerful aircraft engine at 450hp, and with the use of cast aluminium cylinder blocks instead of the contemporary use of individual steel cylinders attached to the crankcase, was lighter and made for a stronger engine structure.
A Napier Chief Design Engineer left and joining Rolls Royce designed what became the Rolls Royce Kestrel V12 engine.
The new engine featured a pressurised cooling system that prevented the coolant boiling with altitude against falling air ambient air pressure by heating the coolant to 160 degrees centigrade that also had the advantage of increasing the boiling point of the coolant at ground level. Another feature was a supercharging system that operated from ground level upward producing performance that surpassed that of normally aspirated engine at all altitudes.
The Mk1 engine first ran in late 1926 and produced 450hp, this was upped to 525hp with the Mk1b that was used exclusively in the Hawker series of biplane fighter aircraft in the early and mid 1930s. This became 695hp with the MkV and 720hp with the MkXXX in 1940.
The engine powered many military aircraft in the 1930s including several Fairey and Miles products, and was also used in the prototypes of the German Messerschmitt BF109 and Junkers JU87 aircraft as well.
A Napier Chief Design Engineer left and joining Rolls Royce designed what became the Rolls Royce Kestrel V12 engine.
The new engine featured a pressurised cooling system that prevented the coolant boiling with altitude against falling air ambient air pressure by heating the coolant to 160 degrees centigrade that also had the advantage of increasing the boiling point of the coolant at ground level. Another feature was a supercharging system that operated from ground level upward producing performance that surpassed that of normally aspirated engine at all altitudes.
The Mk1 engine first ran in late 1926 and produced 450hp, this was upped to 525hp with the Mk1b that was used exclusively in the Hawker series of biplane fighter aircraft in the early and mid 1930s. This became 695hp with the MkV and 720hp with the MkXXX in 1940.
The engine powered many military aircraft in the 1930s including several Fairey and Miles products, and was also used in the prototypes of the German Messerschmitt BF109 and Junkers JU87 aircraft as well.
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TECHNICAL DATA- Kestrel MkV
Cylinders Length Width Height Bore and stroke Displacement Dry weight Valve system Supercharger Cooling system Fuel system Maximum power Compression ratio Power to weight ratio |
V12 cylinder supercharged liquid cooled piston engine 74.61in (1,895mm) 24.41in (620mm) 35.63in (905mm) 5.0in (127mm) and Stroke 5.5in (140mm) 1,295.88 cu in (21.24L) 957lbs (434kg) Single overhead cam shaft operating 2 inlet and 2 exhaust valves per cylinder Centrifugal Liquid cooled, pressurised and heated to 160 degrees centigrade Rolls Royce carburettor 685hp @ take off - 631hp @ 14,400ft (4,390m) 6.0/1 0.72hp/lb |