Armstrong Siddeley
Encyclopedia
Armstrong Siddeley was a British
engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars
and aircraft engine
s.
, was founded by John Davenport Siddeley (1866–1953) in 1902. Its products were heavily based on Peugeot
s, using many of their parts but fitted with English-built bodies. This company merged with Wolseley
in 1905 and made stately Wolseley-Siddeley motorcars. They were used by Queen Alexandra
and the Duke of York, the later King George V
.
. In 1912 the cars used the slogan "As silent as the Sphinx" and started to sport a Sphinx
as a bonnet ornament, a symbol become synonymous with descendent companies. During World War I
the company produced trucks, ambulances, and staff cars. In 1915 airframes and aero-engines started to be produced as well.
and became the Armstrong Siddeley Motors subsidiary. In 1927, Armstrong Whitworth merged its heavy engineering interests with Vickers
to form Vickers-Armstrongs. At this point, J. D. Siddeley bought Armstrong Siddeley and Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft into his control. In 1928, Siddeley partnered with Walter Gordon Wilson
, inventor of the pre-selector gearbox, to create Improved Gears Ltd, which later became Self-Changing Gears
.
Armstrong Siddeley manufactured luxury cars, and later, aircraft engines. In 1935, J. D. Siddeley's interests were purchased by Hawker Aircraft
to form Hawker Siddeley, a famous name in British aircraft production. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft became a subsidiary of Hawker. The aviation pioneer Thomas Octave Murdoch
- Tommy, later Sir Thomas, Sopwith - became chairman of Armstrong Siddeley Motors, a Hawker Siddeley subsidiary.
Armstrong Siddeley produced their last cars in 1960 and the aircraft engine business was merged with that of Bristol Aero Engines
to form Bristol Siddeley
as part of an ongoing rationalisation of the British aerospace sector. Bristol Siddeley and Rolls-Royce
merged in 1966, the latter name subsuming the former.
The first car produced from the union was a fairly massive machine, a 5-litre 30 hp; a smaller 18 appeared in 1922 and a 2-litre 14 hp was introduced in 1923. 1928 saw the company's first 15 hp six; 1929 saw the introduction of a 12 hp vehicle. This was a pioneering year for the marque, during which it first offered the Wilson
preselector gearbox
as an optional extra; it became standard issue on all cars from 1933. In 1930 the company marketed four models, of 12, 15, 20, and 30 hp, the latter costing £1450.
The company's rather staid image was endorsed during the 1930s by the introduction of a range of six-cylinder cars with ohv engines, though a four-cylinder 12 hp was kept in production until 1936. In 1933 the 5-litre six-cylinder Siddeley Special was announced, featuring a Hiduminium aluminum alloy
engine; this model cost £950. Car production continued at a reduced rate throughout 1940, and a few were assembled in 1941.
The week that World War II
ended in Europe, Armstrong Siddeley introduced its first post-war models; these were the Lancaster
four-door saloon and the Hurricane drophead coupe
. The names of these models echoed the names of aircraft
produced by the Hawker Siddeley Group (the name adopted by the company in 1935) during the war. These cars all used a 2-litre six-cylinder engines, increased to 2.3-litre engines in 1949. From 1953 the company produced the Sapphire, with a 3.4 litre six-cylinder engine.
In 1956 the model range was expanded with the addition of the 234 (a 2.3-litre four cylinder) and the 236 (with the older 2.3 litre six-cylinder engine). The Sapphire 346 sported a bonnet mascot in the shape of a Sphinx with namesake Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire jet engines attached. The 234 and 236 Sapphires might have looked to some of marque's loyal customers like a radical departure from the traditional Armstrong Siddeley appearance. However, in truth, they were simply too conservative in a period of rapidly developing automotive design. If the "baby Sapphire" brought about the beginning of the end for Armstrong Siddeley, it was because Jaguar had launched the unitary-construction 2.4 saloon in 1955, which was quicker, significantly cheaper, and much better-looking than the lumpy and frumpy 234/236 design.
The last model produced by Armstrong Siddeley was 1958's Star Sapphire, with a 4-litre engine, and automatic transmission
. The Armstrong Siddeley was a casualty of the 1960 merger with Bristol; the last car left the Coventry factory in 1960.
rating of their engines.
A feature of many of their later cars was the option of an electrically controlled pre-selector gearbox.
Like many British cars of the age, there are active owners' clubs supporting their continued use in numerous countries, e.g. the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Germany.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Armstrong Siddeley produced a range of low- and mid-power aircraft radial engine
s, all named after big cat
s. They also produced a tiny 2-cylinder engine called the Ounce
, another name for the snow leopard
, for ultralight aircraft.
The company started work on their first gas turbine
engine in 1939, following the design pioneered at the Royal Aircraft Establishment
by Alan Arnold Griffith
. Known as the "ASX" for "Armstrong Siddeley eXperimental", the original pure-turbojet design was later adapted to drive a propeller, resulting in the "ASP". From then on, AS turbine engines were named after snake
s. The Mamba and Double Mamba were turboprop
engines, the latter being a complex piece of engineering with two side-by-side Mambas driving through a common gearbox, and could be found on the Fairey Gannet
. The Python turboprop powered the Westland Wyvern
strike aircraft. Further development of the Mamba removed the reduction gearbox
to give the Adder turbojet.
Another pioneer in the production of the RAE engine design was Metrovick
, who started with a design known as the Metrovick F.2
. This engine never entered production, and Metrovick turned to a larger design, the Beryl, and then to an even larger design, the Sapphire. Armstrong Siddeley later took over the Sapphire design, and it went on to be one of the most successful 2nd generation jet engines, competing with the better-known Rolls-Royce Avon
.
The company went on to develop an engine - originally for unmanned Jindivik target drone
s - called the Viper. This product was further developed by Bristol Siddeley and, later, Rolls-Royce and was sold in great numbers over many years. A range of rocket motors were also produced, including the Snarler
and Stentor
. The rocket development complemented that of Bristol, and Bristol Siddeley would become the leading British manufacturer of rocket engines for missiles.
s, with a top speed of 1500 rpm. These air-cooled engines were intended for industrial and marine use, producing 10 horsepower (7.4 kW) per cylinder, and each cylinder had a capacity of 988cc (60.2 cubic inches). 1-, 2- and 3-cylinder engines were produced, designated the AS1, AS2 and AS3 respectively. The engines were often used in barges and narrowboat
s on British canal
s, as well as in domestic and light industrial electric generator sets.
Armstrong Siddeley rocket engines
Armstrong Siddeley aircraft engines
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
and aircraft engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
s.
Siddeley Autocars
Siddeley Autocars, of CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, was founded by John Davenport Siddeley (1866–1953) in 1902. Its products were heavily based on Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
s, using many of their parts but fitted with English-built bodies. This company merged with Wolseley
Wolseley Motor Company
The Wolseley Motor Company was a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1901. After 1935 it was incorporated into larger companies but the Wolseley name remained as an upmarket marque until 1975.-History:...
in 1905 and made stately Wolseley-Siddeley motorcars. They were used by Queen Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
and the Duke of York, the later King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
Siddeley-Deasy
In 1909, J. D. Siddeley resigned from Wolseley and took over the Deasy Motor Co and the company became known as Siddeley-DeasySiddeley-Deasy
Siddeley-Deasy was a British automobile, engine and aircraft company based in Coventry in the early 20th century. It was central to the formation, by merger and buy-out, of the later Armstrong Sideleley Motor and Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft companies....
. In 1912 the cars used the slogan "As silent as the Sphinx" and started to sport a Sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
as a bonnet ornament, a symbol become synonymous with descendent companies. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the company produced trucks, ambulances, and staff cars. In 1915 airframes and aero-engines started to be produced as well.
Armstrong-Siddeley
In 1919 Siddeley-Deasy was bought out by Armstrong Whitworth Development Company of Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and became the Armstrong Siddeley Motors subsidiary. In 1927, Armstrong Whitworth merged its heavy engineering interests with Vickers
Vickers Limited
Vickers Limited was a famous British engineering conglomerate that merged into Vickers-Armstrongs in 1927.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
to form Vickers-Armstrongs. At this point, J. D. Siddeley bought Armstrong Siddeley and Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft into his control. In 1928, Siddeley partnered with Walter Gordon Wilson
Walter Gordon Wilson
Major Walter Gordon Wilson was an engineer and member of the British Royal Naval Air Service. He was credited by the 1919 Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors as the co-inventor of the tank, along with Sir William Tritton....
, inventor of the pre-selector gearbox, to create Improved Gears Ltd, which later became Self-Changing Gears
Self-Changing Gears
Self-Changing Gears was a British company, set up and owned equally by Walter Gordon Wilson and John Davenport Siddeley to develop and exploit the Wilson or pre-selector gearbox...
.
Armstrong Siddeley manufactured luxury cars, and later, aircraft engines. In 1935, J. D. Siddeley's interests were purchased by Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer responsible for some of the most famous products in British aviation history.-History:...
to form Hawker Siddeley, a famous name in British aircraft production. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft became a subsidiary of Hawker. The aviation pioneer Thomas Octave Murdoch
Thomas Sopwith
Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, CBE, Hon FRAeS was an English aviation pioneer and yachtsman.-Early life:...
- Tommy, later Sir Thomas, Sopwith - became chairman of Armstrong Siddeley Motors, a Hawker Siddeley subsidiary.
Armstrong Siddeley produced their last cars in 1960 and the aircraft engine business was merged with that of Bristol Aero Engines
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
to form Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley
Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd was a British aero engine manufacturer. The company was formed in 1959 by a merger of Bristol Aero-Engines Limited and Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited. In 1961 the company was expanded by the purchase of the de Havilland Engine Company and the engine division of...
as part of an ongoing rationalisation of the British aerospace sector. Bristol Siddeley and Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
merged in 1966, the latter name subsuming the former.
Motor cars
Walter Gordon Wilson
Major Walter Gordon Wilson was an engineer and member of the British Royal Naval Air Service. He was credited by the 1919 Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors as the co-inventor of the tank, along with Sir William Tritton....
preselector gearbox
Preselector gearbox
A preselector or self-changing gearbox is a type of manual gearbox used on a variety of vehicles, most commonly in the 1930s...
as an optional extra; it became standard issue on all cars from 1933. In 1930 the company marketed four models, of 12, 15, 20, and 30 hp, the latter costing £1450.
The company's rather staid image was endorsed during the 1930s by the introduction of a range of six-cylinder cars with ohv engines, though a four-cylinder 12 hp was kept in production until 1936. In 1933 the 5-litre six-cylinder Siddeley Special was announced, featuring a Hiduminium aluminum alloy
Hiduminium
The Hiduminium or R.R. alloys are a series of high-strength, high-temperature aluminium alloys, developed for aircraft use by Rolls-Royce before World War II. They were manufactured and later developed by High Duty Alloys Ltd....
engine; this model cost £950. Car production continued at a reduced rate throughout 1940, and a few were assembled in 1941.
The week that World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended in Europe, Armstrong Siddeley introduced its first post-war models; these were the Lancaster
Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster
The Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster was the first post-war sports saloon automobile to be made by the British company of Armstrong Siddeley. It was made from 1945 to 1952....
four-door saloon and the Hurricane drophead coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
. The names of these models echoed the names of aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
produced by the Hawker Siddeley Group (the name adopted by the company in 1935) during the war. These cars all used a 2-litre six-cylinder engines, increased to 2.3-litre engines in 1949. From 1953 the company produced the Sapphire, with a 3.4 litre six-cylinder engine.
In 1956 the model range was expanded with the addition of the 234 (a 2.3-litre four cylinder) and the 236 (with the older 2.3 litre six-cylinder engine). The Sapphire 346 sported a bonnet mascot in the shape of a Sphinx with namesake Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire jet engines attached. The 234 and 236 Sapphires might have looked to some of marque's loyal customers like a radical departure from the traditional Armstrong Siddeley appearance. However, in truth, they were simply too conservative in a period of rapidly developing automotive design. If the "baby Sapphire" brought about the beginning of the end for Armstrong Siddeley, it was because Jaguar had launched the unitary-construction 2.4 saloon in 1955, which was quicker, significantly cheaper, and much better-looking than the lumpy and frumpy 234/236 design.
The last model produced by Armstrong Siddeley was 1958's Star Sapphire, with a 4-litre engine, and automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. The Armstrong Siddeley was a casualty of the 1960 merger with Bristol; the last car left the Coventry factory in 1960.
Model list
Cars produced by Armstrong Siddeley had designations that came from the Tax horsepowerTax horsepower
The tax horsepower or taxable horsepower was an early system by which taxation rates for automobiles were reckoned in some European countries, such as Britain, Belgium, Germany, France, and Italy; some US states like Illinois charged license plate purchase and renewal fees for passenger...
rating of their engines.
| Model Name | Type | Engine | From | To | No. Produced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thirty | Various | 4960 cc | 1919 | 1931 | 2770 |
| Eighteen | Various | 2400 cc | 1921 | 1925 | 2500 inc 18/50 |
| 18/50 or 18 Mk.II | Various | 2872 cc | 1925 | 1926 | 2500 inc Eighteen |
| Four-Fourteen | Various | 1852 cc | 1923 | 1929 | 13,365 |
| Twenty | Short and Long chassis | 2872 cc | 1926 | 1936 | 8847 |
| Fifteen | Tourer, saloon | 1900 cc | 1921 | 1925 | 7203 inc 15/6 |
| Twelve | Tourer, saloon, sports | 1236 (1434 cc from 1931) | 1929 | 1937 | 12500 |
| 15/6 | Tourer, saloon, sports | 1900 cc (2169 cc from 1933) | 1928 | 1934 | 7206 inc Fifteen |
| Siddeley Special | Tourer, saloon, limousine | 4960 cc | 1933 | 1937 | 253 |
| Short 17 | Coupe, saloon, sports saloon | 2394 cc | 1935 | 1938 | 4260 inc Long 17 |
| Long 17 | Saloon, tourer, Atalanta sports saloon, Limousine, landaulette | 2394 cc | 1935 | 1939 | 4260 inc Short 17 |
| 12 Plus & 14 | Saloon, tourer | 1666 cc | 1936 | 1939 | 3750 |
| 20/25 | Saloon, tourer, Atlanta sports saloon Limousine, landaulette |
3670 cc | 1936 | 1940 | 884 |
| 16 | Saloon, Sports saloon | 1991 cc | 1938 | 1941 | 950 |
| Lancaster 16 Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster The Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster was the first post-war sports saloon automobile to be made by the British company of Armstrong Siddeley. It was made from 1945 to 1952.... |
4 door saloon | 1991 cc | 1945 | 1952 | 3597 inc Lancaster 18. |
| Lancaster 18 Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster The Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster was the first post-war sports saloon automobile to be made by the British company of Armstrong Siddeley. It was made from 1945 to 1952.... |
4 door saloon | 2309 cc | 1945 | 1952 | 3597 inc. Lancaster 16. |
| Hurricane 16 Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane The Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane was a two door, four seat drophead coupé automobile made by the British company of Armstrong Siddeley. It was made from 1946 to 1953 and based on the 1945 Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster.... |
Drophead coupé | 1991 cc | 1945 | 1953 | 2606 inc Hurricane 18. |
| Hurricane 18 Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane The Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane was a two door, four seat drophead coupé automobile made by the British company of Armstrong Siddeley. It was made from 1946 to 1953 and based on the 1945 Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster.... |
Drophead coupé | 2309 cc | 1945 | 1953 | 2606 inc. Hurricane 16. |
| Typhoon Armstrong Siddeley Typhoon The Armstrong Siddeley Typhoon was a two door, four seat fixed head coupé car made by the British Armstrong Siddeley company. It was made from 1946 to 1949 and based on the 1945 Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster saloon and continued the company's theme of naming cars after Hawker Siddeley World War II... |
2 door fixed head coupé Coupé A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time... |
1991 cc | 1946 | 1949 | 1701. |
| Tempest Armstrong Siddeley Typhoon The Armstrong Siddeley Typhoon was a two door, four seat fixed head coupé car made by the British Armstrong Siddeley company. It was made from 1946 to 1949 and based on the 1945 Armstrong Siddeley Lancaster saloon and continued the company's theme of naming cars after Hawker Siddeley World War II... |
4 door fixed head coupé Coupé A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time... |
1991 cc | 1946 | 1949 | 6. |
| Whitley 18 Armstrong Siddeley Whitley 18 The Armstrong Siddeley Whitley was a large post-war sports saloon automobile and was a version of the 16/18 hp series made between 1946 and 1954 by the British company of Armstrong Siddeley... |
Various | 2309 cc | 1949 | 1953 | 2624. |
| Sapphire 346 | 4 door saloon & Limousine | 3435 cc | 1952 | 1958 | 7697 |
| Sapphire 234 | 4 door saloon | 2290 cc | 1955 | 1958 | 803 |
| Sapphire 236 | 4 door saloon | 2309 cc | 1955 | 1957 | 603 |
| Star Sapphire | Saloon & Limousine | 3990 cc | 1958 | 1960 | 980 |
| Star Sapphire Mk II | Saloon & Limousine | 3990 cc | 1960 | 1960 | 1 |
A feature of many of their later cars was the option of an electrically controlled pre-selector gearbox.
Clubs
Like many British cars of the age, there are active owners' clubs supporting their continued use in numerous countries, e.g. the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Germany.
Aircraft engines
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
s, all named after big cat
Big cat
The term big cat – which is not a biological classification – is used informally to distinguish the larger felid species from smaller ones. One definition of "big cat" includes the four members of the genus Panthera: the tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard. Members of this genus are the only cats able...
s. They also produced a tiny 2-cylinder engine called the Ounce
Armstrong Siddeley Ounce
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
, another name for the snow leopard
Snow Leopard
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
, for ultralight aircraft.
The company started work on their first gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
engine in 1939, following the design pioneered at the Royal Aircraft Establishment
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
by Alan Arnold Griffith
Alan Arnold Griffith
Alan Arnold Griffith was an English engineer, who, among many other contributions, is best known for his work on stress and fracture in metals that is now known as metal fatigue, as well as being one of the first to develop a strong theoretical basis for the jet engine.-Early work:A. A...
. Known as the "ASX" for "Armstrong Siddeley eXperimental", the original pure-turbojet design was later adapted to drive a propeller, resulting in the "ASP". From then on, AS turbine engines were named after snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s. The Mamba and Double Mamba were turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
engines, the latter being a complex piece of engineering with two side-by-side Mambas driving through a common gearbox, and could be found on the Fairey Gannet
Fairey Gannet
The Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-borne anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning aircraft of the post-Second World War era developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm by the Fairey Aviation Company...
. The Python turboprop powered the Westland Wyvern
Westland Wyvern
The Westland Wyvern was a British single-seat carrier-based multi-role strike aircraft built by Westland Aircraft that served in the 1950s, seeing active service in the 1956 Suez Crisis...
strike aircraft. Further development of the Mamba removed the reduction gearbox
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
to give the Adder turbojet.
Another pioneer in the production of the RAE engine design was Metrovick
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
, who started with a design known as the Metrovick F.2
Metrovick F.2
The Metropolitan-Vickers F.2 was an early turbojet engine and the first British design to be based on an axial-flow compressor. It was considered too unreliable for use during the war, and never entered production...
. This engine never entered production, and Metrovick turned to a larger design, the Beryl, and then to an even larger design, the Sapphire. Armstrong Siddeley later took over the Sapphire design, and it went on to be one of the most successful 2nd generation jet engines, competing with the better-known Rolls-Royce Avon
Rolls-Royce Avon
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:**** a 1955 Flight article on the development of the Avon...
.
The company went on to develop an engine - originally for unmanned Jindivik target drone
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s - called the Viper. This product was further developed by Bristol Siddeley and, later, Rolls-Royce and was sold in great numbers over many years. A range of rocket motors were also produced, including the Snarler
Armstrong Siddeley Snarler
The Armstrong Siddeley Snarler was a small rocket engine used for combined-power experiments with an early turbojet engine. It was the first British liquid-fuelled rocket engine to fly Unlike other rocket British projects that used hydrogen peroxide, Armstrong Siddeley's used liquid oxygen...
and Stentor
Armstrong Siddeley Stentor
The Armstrong Siddeley Stentor was a two-chamber rocket engine used to power the Blue Steel stand-off missile carried by Britain's V-bomber force...
. The rocket development complemented that of Bristol, and Bristol Siddeley would become the leading British manufacturer of rocket engines for missiles.
| year | type | |
|---|---|---|
| Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah | radial | |
| Armstrong Siddeley Civet Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major |-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.... |
7 cylinder radial | |
| Armstrong Siddeley Cougar Armstrong Siddeley Cougar |-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.... |
1945 | radial |
| Armstrong Siddeley Deerhound Armstrong Siddeley Deerhound |-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9... |
1935 | 21 cylinder 3 row radial |
| Armstrong Siddeley Genet Armstrong Siddeley Genet -Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.-External links:*... |
||
| Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major |-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.... |
1928 | radial |
| Armstrong Siddeley Hyena Armstrong Siddeley Hyena |-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.... |
15 cylinder 3 row radial | |
| Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar | ||
| Armstrong Siddeley Leopard Armstrong Siddeley Leopard |-See also:-Bibliography:* Smith, Herschel. Aircraft Piston Engines. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981. ISBN 0-07-058472-9.* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.... |
||
| Armstrong Siddeley Lynx | 1920 | radial |
| Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose |-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.-External links:*... |
||
| Armstrong Siddeley Ounce Armstrong Siddeley Ounce |-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9... |
1920 | 2 cylinder opposed |
| Armstrong Siddeley Panther Armstrong Siddeley Panther |-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.... |
||
| Armstrong Siddeley Serval Armstrong Siddeley Serval |-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9... |
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| Armstrong Siddeley Tiger Armstrong Siddeley Tiger -Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.-External links:*... |
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| Armstrong Siddeley ASP | turbojet | |
| Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba | Two Mamba linked by gearbox | |
| Armstrong Siddeley Mamba | turboprop | |
| Armstrong Siddeley Python | turboprop | |
| Armstrong Siddeley ASX | turbojet | |
| Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire | 1948 | turbojet |
| Armstrong Siddeley Adder | 1948 | turbojet |
| Armstrong Siddeley Viper | ||
| Armstrong Siddeley Snarler Armstrong Siddeley Snarler The Armstrong Siddeley Snarler was a small rocket engine used for combined-power experiments with an early turbojet engine. It was the first British liquid-fuelled rocket engine to fly Unlike other rocket British projects that used hydrogen peroxide, Armstrong Siddeley's used liquid oxygen... |
rocket |
Diesel engines
Between 1930 and 1955, Armstrong Siddeley produced the 'AS' range of medium-speed diesel engineDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s, with a top speed of 1500 rpm. These air-cooled engines were intended for industrial and marine use, producing 10 horsepower (7.4 kW) per cylinder, and each cylinder had a capacity of 988cc (60.2 cubic inches). 1-, 2- and 3-cylinder engines were produced, designated the AS1, AS2 and AS3 respectively. The engines were often used in barges and narrowboat
Narrowboat
A narrowboat or narrow boat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain.In the context of British Inland Waterways, "narrow boat" refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals...
s on British canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s, as well as in domestic and light industrial electric generator sets.
See also
Armstrong Siddeley rocket engines
Armstrong Siddeley aircraft engines