ABC Motors: Wasp
Note: This is a sub-section of ABC Motors
The Wasp was a 7-cylinder radial aero engine designed by Granville Bradshaw for ABC Motors. George Purvis Bulman saw it running in the autumn of 1917, and reported that it developed about 170 HP for a weight of 290 lbs, and offered simplicity for production. At the same time he was shown drawings for the larger Dragonfly, a larger 9-cylinder radial engine, intended to develop 340 HP. Bulman reported that, subject to successful testing and trials, the Wasp might be suitable for production for application to training aircraft. There followed a scandalous episode in which the Government ordered 10,000 Dragonfly engines, whose design was seriously flawed.[1]
In production, the 657 cu. in. Wasp weighed 290 lb (dry) and produced 170 HP. It powered numerous prototypes, and was developed into the Wasp II.[2]
See also Royal Aircraft Factory: R.A.F.22