Armstrong Siddeley Beta
Encyclopedia
Armstrong Siddeley Beta was an early rocket engine, intended for use in supersonic aircraft.
The Miles M.52
, the intended British contender for supersonic flight, had been cancelled in 1946 due to uncertainty concerning its turbojet engine's thrust potential and the risks of manned supersonic flight. A scale model was then built by Vickers
with a 362 kg (800 lbf) thrust hydrogen peroxide
'hot' motor evolved at Westcott
derived from the Walter HWK 109-509
engine. This initiated the Beta and the subsequent Delta engines. In October 1948 the Vickers Transonic model flew at 930 mph (Mach 1.5) in level flight at 35,000 ft.
To reduce the risks of single-sourced engines, other makers were given experience of work with hydrogen peroxide
. In 1952 Napier
were providing their NRE.17 engines for missile trials, as a line of development from Beta.
The Miles M.52
Miles M.52
The Miles M.52 was a turbojet powered supersonic research aircraft project designed in the United Kingdom in the mid 1940s. Design work was undertaken in secrecy between 1942 and 1945. In 1946 the Air Ministry prudently but controversially changed the project to a series of unmanned rocket-powered...
, the intended British contender for supersonic flight, had been cancelled in 1946 due to uncertainty concerning its turbojet engine's thrust potential and the risks of manned supersonic flight. A scale model was then built by Vickers
Vickers Armstrong
Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927...
with a 362 kg (800 lbf) thrust hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
'hot' motor evolved at Westcott
Rocket Propulsion Establishment
The Rocket Propulsion Establishment at Westcott, Buckinghamshire on the site of the former RAF Westcott has made a number of notable contributions in the field of rocket propulsion, including input on the rocket design for the Blue Streak missile and the propulsion systems on Chevaline...
derived from the Walter HWK 109-509
Walter HWK 109-509
-See also:-Bibliography:*Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:*...
engine. This initiated the Beta and the subsequent Delta engines. In October 1948 the Vickers Transonic model flew at 930 mph (Mach 1.5) in level flight at 35,000 ft.
To reduce the risks of single-sourced engines, other makers were given experience of work with hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
. In 1952 Napier
Napier & Son
D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engine and pre-Great War automobile manufacturer and one of the most important aircraft engine manufacturers in the early to mid-20th century...
were providing their NRE.17 engines for missile trials, as a line of development from Beta.