Sunbeam Pathan
The Sunbeam Pathan, also known as the Sunbeam P.1, was a 1920s British diesel aero engine.[1][2]
| Sunbeam Pathan | |
|---|---|
| Type | 6-cyl. In-line, water-cooled, diesel, piston engine.[1] |
| Manufacturer | Sunbeam[1] |
| Designer | Louis Coatalen[1] |
| First run | 1929[1] |
| Number built | prototypes only[1] |
| Developed from | Sunbeam Dyak[1] |
Design and development
Louis Coatalen, Sunbeam engine designer, started work on a diesel powered aero-engine, that would be suitable for use in airships, in 1928.[2] Using his experience with both aero-engines and auto-mobile diesel engines, the result, given the company designation P.1, was based on the Dyak.[2] Given the name Pathan, a prototype engine was displayed at the 1929 Olympia Aero Show, but attracted no orders.[2]
Using the same bore and stroke of the Dyak (120mm x 130mm - 4.72in x 5.12in ), the Pathan was a water-cooled six-cylinder in-line diesel engine with a cubic capacity of 8.8l (537cu in). Rated to give 100 hp (74.6 kW) @ 1,500rpm the engine was fitted with a new type of fuel injection system allowing cold starts without other assistance.[1]
The engine did not enter production as the British Airship Programme was cancelled, and with no need for the engine only prototypes were built.[1][2]
Coatalen continued the development of Diesel engines after he left Sunbeam and returned to France, developing the Coatalen V-12 Diesel engine with limited success, due to the German invasion of 1940 halting further work.[1]
Specifications
Data from [1]
General characteristics
- Type: 6-cylinder, inline diesel engine
- Bore: 4.72 in (120 mm)
- Stroke: 5.12 in (130 mm)
- Displacement: 537 cu in (8.8l)
Components
- Fuel system: Direct fuel injection
- Fuel type: Diesel oil
- Oil system: Dry sump, pressure fed
- Cooling system: Liquid-cooled
Performance
- Power output: 100hp at 1,500 rpm
- Specific fuel consumption: 0.169 L/kW/hr (0.4 pints/hp/hr)
- Oil consumption: 0.0127 L/kW/hr (0.03 pints/hp/hr)
References
- Brew, Alec (1998). Sunbeam Aero-engines. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-023-8.
- "Sunbeam Overhead Cam Engines". Archived from the original on 1 June 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2009.