Napier Sabre
Encyclopedia
The Napier Sabre was a British H-24-cylinder
, liquid cooled
, sleeve valve
, piston
aero engine
, designed by Major Frank Halford
and built by Napier & Son
during WWII
. The engine evolved to become one of the most powerful inline
piston aircraft engines in the world developing from 2,200 horsepower
(1,640 kW) in its earlier versions to 5500 hp in late-model prototypes.
The first operational aircraft to be powered by the Sabre were the Hawker Typhoon
and Hawker Tempest
;
however, the first aircraft powered by the Sabre was the Napier-Heston Racer
, which was designed to capture the world speed record. Other aircraft using the Sabre were the Martin-Baker MB 3
prototype and one of the Hawker Fury
prototypes. Later it became used in the early production of the Blackburn Firebrand
. The rapid conversion to jet engine
s after the war led to the quick demise of the Sabre, because Napier also turned to developing jet engines.
, which had been a very successful engine between the World Wars and, in modified form, powered several of the Supermarine
Schneider Trophy
competitors in 1923 and 1927, as well as several land speed record
cars. By the late 1920s the Lion was no longer competitive, and work started on replacements.
Napier followed the Lion with two new H-block
designs: the H-16 (Rapier
) and the H-24 (Dagger
). The H-block has a compact layout, consisting of two horizontally opposed inline engines lying one atop or beside another. Since the cylinders are opposed, the motion in one is balanced by the motion on the opposing side, leading to smooth running. In these new designs, Napier chose to use air cooling; in service, the rear cylinders proved to be impossible to cool properly, leading to terrible reliability problems.
During the 1930s, designers were looking to future engine developments; for example, studies showed the need for engines capable of developing one horsepower per cubic inch of displacement (about 45 kW/L). This specific power output was needed to power aircraft big enough to carry large fuel loads for long-range. It was clear that this sort of performance would not be easy to achieve. A typical large engine of the era, the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp, developed about 1,200 hp (895 kW) from 1,820 in³ (30 L), so an advance of some 50% would be needed. This called for radical changes, and while many companies tried to build such an engine, none was successful.
In 1927, Harry Ricardo
published a seminal study on the concept of the sleeve valve
engine. In it, he stated traditional poppet valve
engines would likely have a hard time producing much beyond 1,500 hp (1,100 kW), a figure many companies were eyeing for next generation engines. In order to pass this limit, the sleeve valve would have to be used in order to increase volumetric efficiency
, as well as decrease the engine's sensitivity to detonation prevalent with the poor quality fuels in use at the time. Halford's office was next to Ricardo's in London, and while Ricardo started work with Bristol Engines
on a whole line of sleeve-valve designs, Halford started work with Napier, using the Dagger as the basis of what would become the most powerful engine in the world. The H-block layout's inherent balance, and the Sabre's relatively short stroke, allowed it to run at higher rpm to deliver more power from a smaller displacement, provided good volumetric efficiency could be maintained (better breathing), which sleeve valves could do. Another important effect of increasing the number of cylinders is that the piston area increases (for a given capacity and bore/stroke ratio) and this also aids higher power.
Napier first decided to develop a large 24 cylinder, liquid cooled engine, capable of producing at least 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) in late 1935. Although the company continued with the opposed 'H' layout of the Dagger the new design positioned the cylinder blocks horizontally and was to use sleeve valves. All of the accessories were grouped accessibly above and below the cylinder blocks, rather than being at the front and rear of the engine as in most contemporary designs.
The first Sabre engines were ready for testing in January 1938, although they were limited to 1,350 hp (1,000 kW). By March they were already passing tests at 2,050 hp (1,500 kW), and by June 1940 when the Sabre passed the Air Ministry
100-hour type-test, the first production-ready versions were delivering 2,200 hp (1,640 kW) from their 2,238 in³ (37 L). By the end of the year, they were producing 2,400 hp (1,800 kW). To put this in perspective, the contemporary 1940 Rolls-Royce Merlin
II was generating just over 1,000 hp (750 kW).
. After testing some 18 different materials and manufacturing techniques a process of nitriding
and lapping
the sleeves helped resolve the problem.
Quality control also proved to be a serious problem. Engines were often delivered with improperly cleaned castings, broken piston rings, and machine cuttings left inside the engine. Mechanics were constantly overworked trying to keep Sabres running, and during cold weather they had to run them every two hours during the night so that the engine oil would not congeal and prevent the engine starting the next day. These problems took too long to straighten out, and for many the engine started to attain a bad reputation. To make matters worse, mechanics and pilots unfamiliar with the very different nature of this engine tended to blame the Sabre for problems which were caused by incorrect handling. This was all exacerbated by the representatives of the competing Rolls-Royce company, who had their own agenda. Rolls-Royce eventually built their own interpretation called the Eagle.
Napier did not seem to be particularly interested in solving these sorts of problems, however, and instead continued to tinker with the design for better performance. In 1942 they started a series of projects to improve altitude performance with the addition of a three-speed, two-stage supercharger
, but at this point the basic engine was still not running reliably. In December 1942 the company was purchased by English Electric
, who immediately ended the supercharger project and focused the entire company on the production problems. The situation quickly improved.
By 1944, the Sabre V was delivering 2,400 hp (1,800 kW) consistently, and the reputation of the engine started to improve. This was the last version to see service, however, seeing service on the Hawker Typhoon
and its derivative, the Tempest
. Without the advanced supercharger, the engine's performance over 20000 ft (6,096 m) fell off rapidly, and pilots flying Sabre-powered aircraft were generally instructed to enter fights only below this altitude. At low altitude, both planes were formidable, the Typhoon easily outpacing its German counterpart, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
. With the destruction of the Luftwaffe
during early 1944, Typhoons were increasingly used as fighter-bomber
s, notably by the RAF's Second TAF
. The Tempest became the principal destroyer of the infamous V1 flying bomb (Fieseler Fi 103), being the fastest of all the Allied fighters at low level; subsequently it was responsible for the destruction of 20 Messerschmitt Me 262
jet aircraft, and was considered the most feared Allied aircraft by its German pilots.
Development continued, and the later Sabre VII delivered 3,500 hp (2,600 kW) with a new supercharger; the final test examples delivered 5,500 hp (4.100 kW) at 45 lb/in2 boost. By the end of the war there were several engines in the same power class; the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major initially produced 3,000 hp (2,280 kW) and later 3,500 hp (2,600 kW), but required almost twice the displacement to do so, 4,360 in³ (71 L).
Sabre I (E.107) 2,000 horsepower (1,490 kW).
Sabre II 2,300 horsepower (1,715 kW). Experimental 0.332:1 propeller reduction gear ratio.
Sabre II (production variant)
Sabre IIA
Sabre IIB
Sabre IIC
Sabre III
Sabre IV
Sabre V
Sabre VA
Sabre VI
Sabre VII
Sabre VIII
Sabre E.118 Three-speed, two-stage supercharger, contra-rotating propeller; test flown in Fo.108.
Sabre E.122 3,500 horsepower. Intended for Napier 500mph tailless fighter
Preserved Napier Sabre engines on public display:
Sectioned Napier Sabre engines on public display:
H engine
An H engine is an engine configuration in which the cylinders are aligned so that if viewed from the front, they appear to be in a vertical or horizontal letter H....
, liquid cooled
Coolant
A coolant is a fluid which flows through a device to prevent its overheating, transferring the heat produced by the device to other devices that use or dissipate it. An ideal coolant has high thermal capacity, low viscosity, is low-cost, non-toxic, and chemically inert, neither causing nor...
, sleeve valve
Sleeve valve
The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve-valve engines saw use in a number of pre-World War II luxury cars and in USA in the Willys-Knight car and light truck...
, piston
Piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from...
aero 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...
, designed by Major Frank Halford
Frank Halford
Major Frank Bernard Halford CBE FRAeS was an English aircraft engine designer.-Career:Educated at Felsted, In 1913 he left the University of Nottingham before graduating to learn to fly at Brooklands and Bristol Flying School and became a flight instructor using Bristol Boxkites.He served in the...
and built by Napier & Son
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...
during WWII
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...
. The engine evolved to become one of the most powerful inline
Inline engine (aviation)
In aviation, an inline engine means any reciprocating engine with banks rather than rows of cylinders, including straight engines, flat engines, V engines and H engines, but excluding radial engines and rotary engines....
piston aircraft engines in the world developing from 2,200 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(1,640 kW) in its earlier versions to 5500 hp in late-model prototypes.
The first operational aircraft to be powered by the Sabre were the Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
and Hawker Tempest
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
;
however, the first aircraft powered by the Sabre was the Napier-Heston Racer
Napier-Heston Racer
-Comparable aircraft:*Hughes H-1 Racer: 352 mph in 1935 .*Messerschmitt Bf 109 V-13, D-IPKY: 379 mph on 11 November 1937...
, which was designed to capture the world speed record. Other aircraft using the Sabre were the Martin-Baker MB 3
Martin-Baker MB 3
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bowyer, Michael J.F. Interceptor Fighters for the Royal Air Force 1935-45. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1984. ISBN 0-85059-726-9....
prototype and one of the Hawker Fury
Hawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
prototypes. Later it became used in the early production of the Blackburn Firebrand
Blackburn Firebrand
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN.; Green William and Swanborough, Gordon. "Fairey Swordfish". Wings of the Navy, Flying Allied Carrier Aircraft of World War Two. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1980, p. 157–167. ISBN 0-7106-0002-X.* Buttler, Tony....
. The rapid conversion to jet engine
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
s after the war led to the quick demise of the Sabre, because Napier also turned to developing jet engines.
Design and development
Prior to the Sabre, Napier had been working on large aero engines for some time. Their most famous was the LionNapier Lion
The Napier Lion was a 12-cylinder broad arrow configuration aircraft engine built by Napier & Son starting in 1917, and ending in the 1930s. A number of advanced features made it the most powerful engine of its day, and kept it in production long after contemporary designs had stopped production...
, which had been a very successful engine between the World Wars and, in modified form, powered several of the Supermarine
Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that became famous for producing a range of sea planes and the Supermarine Spitfire fighter. The name now belongs to an English motorboat manufacturer.-History:...
Schneider Trophy
Schneider Trophy
The Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
competitors in 1923 and 1927, as well as several land speed record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
cars. By the late 1920s the Lion was no longer competitive, and work started on replacements.
Napier followed the Lion with two new H-block
H engine
An H engine is an engine configuration in which the cylinders are aligned so that if viewed from the front, they appear to be in a vertical or horizontal letter H....
designs: the H-16 (Rapier
Napier Rapier
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
) and the H-24 (Dagger
Napier Dagger
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
). The H-block has a compact layout, consisting of two horizontally opposed inline engines lying one atop or beside another. Since the cylinders are opposed, the motion in one is balanced by the motion on the opposing side, leading to smooth running. In these new designs, Napier chose to use air cooling; in service, the rear cylinders proved to be impossible to cool properly, leading to terrible reliability problems.
Genesis
In 1927, Harry Ricardo
Harry Ricardo
Sir Harry Ricardo was one of the foremost engine designers and researchers in the early years of the development of the internal combustion engine....
published a seminal study on the concept of the sleeve valve
Sleeve valve
The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve-valve engines saw use in a number of pre-World War II luxury cars and in USA in the Willys-Knight car and light truck...
engine. In it, he stated traditional poppet valve
Poppet valve
A poppet valve is a valve consisting of a hole, usually round or oval, and a tapered plug, usually a disk shape on the end of a shaft also called a valve stem. The shaft guides the plug portion by sliding through a valve guide...
engines would likely have a hard time producing much beyond 1,500 hp (1,100 kW), a figure many companies were eyeing for next generation engines. In order to pass this limit, the sleeve valve would have to be used in order to increase volumetric efficiency
Volumetric efficiency
Volumetric efficiency in internal combustion engine design refers to the efficiency with which the engine can move the charge into and out of the cylinders. More specifically, volumetric efficiency is a ratio of what quantity of fuel and air actually enters the cylinder during induction to the...
, as well as decrease the engine's sensitivity to detonation prevalent with the poor quality fuels in use at the time. Halford's office was next to Ricardo's in London, and while Ricardo started work with Bristol 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...
on a whole line of sleeve-valve designs, Halford started work with Napier, using the Dagger as the basis of what would become the most powerful engine in the world. The H-block layout's inherent balance, and the Sabre's relatively short stroke, allowed it to run at higher rpm to deliver more power from a smaller displacement, provided good volumetric efficiency could be maintained (better breathing), which sleeve valves could do. Another important effect of increasing the number of cylinders is that the piston area increases (for a given capacity and bore/stroke ratio) and this also aids higher power.
Napier first decided to develop a large 24 cylinder, liquid cooled engine, capable of producing at least 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) in late 1935. Although the company continued with the opposed 'H' layout of the Dagger the new design positioned the cylinder blocks horizontally and was to use sleeve valves. All of the accessories were grouped accessibly above and below the cylinder blocks, rather than being at the front and rear of the engine as in most contemporary designs.
The first Sabre engines were ready for testing in January 1938, although they were limited to 1,350 hp (1,000 kW). By March they were already passing tests at 2,050 hp (1,500 kW), and by June 1940 when the Sabre passed the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
100-hour type-test, the first production-ready versions were delivering 2,200 hp (1,640 kW) from their 2,238 in³ (37 L). By the end of the year, they were producing 2,400 hp (1,800 kW). To put this in perspective, the contemporary 1940 Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
II was generating just over 1,000 hp (750 kW).
Production
Problems started to arise as soon as production started in volume. Up to then the prototype engines had been hand-assembled by Napier craftsmen and it proved to be difficult to adapt it to assembly line production techniques. In particular, the sleeves often failed, leading to seized cylinders. It was just such a failure that caused the loss of the sole prototype Martin-Baker MB 3Martin-Baker MB 3
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bowyer, Michael J.F. Interceptor Fighters for the Royal Air Force 1935-45. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1984. ISBN 0-85059-726-9....
. After testing some 18 different materials and manufacturing techniques a process of nitriding
Nitride
In chemistry, a nitride is a compound of nitrogen where nitrogen has a formal oxidation state of −3. Nitrides are a large class of compounds with a wide range of properties and applications....
and lapping
Lapping
Lapping is a machining operation, in which two surfaces are rubbed together with an abrasive between them, by hand movement or by way of a machine.This can take two forms...
the sleeves helped resolve the problem.
Quality control also proved to be a serious problem. Engines were often delivered with improperly cleaned castings, broken piston rings, and machine cuttings left inside the engine. Mechanics were constantly overworked trying to keep Sabres running, and during cold weather they had to run them every two hours during the night so that the engine oil would not congeal and prevent the engine starting the next day. These problems took too long to straighten out, and for many the engine started to attain a bad reputation. To make matters worse, mechanics and pilots unfamiliar with the very different nature of this engine tended to blame the Sabre for problems which were caused by incorrect handling. This was all exacerbated by the representatives of the competing Rolls-Royce company, who had their own agenda. Rolls-Royce eventually built their own interpretation called the Eagle.
Napier did not seem to be particularly interested in solving these sorts of problems, however, and instead continued to tinker with the design for better performance. In 1942 they started a series of projects to improve altitude performance with the addition of a three-speed, two-stage supercharger
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
, but at this point the basic engine was still not running reliably. In December 1942 the company was purchased by English Electric
English Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
, who immediately ended the supercharger project and focused the entire company on the production problems. The situation quickly improved.
By 1944, the Sabre V was delivering 2,400 hp (1,800 kW) consistently, and the reputation of the engine started to improve. This was the last version to see service, however, seeing service on the Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
and its derivative, the Tempest
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
. Without the advanced supercharger, the engine's performance over 20000 ft (6,096 m) fell off rapidly, and pilots flying Sabre-powered aircraft were generally instructed to enter fights only below this altitude. At low altitude, both planes were formidable, the Typhoon easily outpacing its German counterpart, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
. With the destruction of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
during early 1944, Typhoons were increasingly used as fighter-bomber
Fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fixed-wing aircraft with an intended primary role of light tactical bombing and also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. This term, although still used, has less significance since the introduction of rockets and guided missiles into aerial...
s, notably by the RAF's Second TAF
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
. The Tempest became the principal destroyer of the infamous V1 flying bomb (Fieseler Fi 103), being the fastest of all the Allied fighters at low level; subsequently it was responsible for the destruction of 20 Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
jet aircraft, and was considered the most feared Allied aircraft by its German pilots.
Development continued, and the later Sabre VII delivered 3,500 hp (2,600 kW) with a new supercharger; the final test examples delivered 5,500 hp (4.100 kW) at 45 lb/in2 boost. By the end of the war there were several engines in the same power class; the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major initially produced 3,000 hp (2,280 kW) and later 3,500 hp (2,600 kW), but required almost twice the displacement to do so, 4,360 in³ (71 L).
Variants
Note:'Sabre I (E.107) 2,000 horsepower (1,490 kW).
Sabre II 2,300 horsepower (1,715 kW). Experimental 0.332:1 propeller reduction gear ratio.
Sabre II (production variant)
- 2,200 horsepower (1,640 kW). Reduction gear ratio 0.274:1: mainly used in early Hawker TyphoonHawker TyphoonThe Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
s.
Sabre IIA
- 2,235 horsepower (1,665 kW). Revised ignition system: maximum boost +9 lbs.
Sabre IIB
- 2,400 horsepower (1,790 kW). Four choke S.U. carburettor: Mainly used in Hawker Tempest VHawker TempestThe Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
.
Sabre IIC
- 2,065 horsepower (1,540 kW). Similar to Mk VII.
Sabre III
- 2,250 horsepower (1,680 kW). Similar to Mk IIA, tailored for the Blackburn FirebrandBlackburn Firebrand|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN.; Green William and Swanborough, Gordon. "Fairey Swordfish". Wings of the Navy, Flying Allied Carrier Aircraft of World War Two. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1980, p. 157–167. ISBN 0-7106-0002-X.* Buttler, Tony....
: 25 manufactured and installed.
Sabre IV
- 2,240 horsepower (1,670 kW). As Mk VA with Hobson fuel injection: preliminary flight development engine for Sabre V series. Used in Hawker Tempest I.
Sabre V
- 2,600 horsepower (1,940 kW). Developed MK II, redesigned supercharger with increased boost, redesigned induction system.
Sabre VA
- 2,600 horsepower (1,940 kW). Mk V with Hobson-R.A.E fuel injection, single-lever throttle and propeller control: used in Hawker Tempest VI.
Sabre VI
- 2,310 horsepower (1,720 kW). Mk VA with RotolDowty RotolDowty Rotol is a British engineering company based in Cheltenham specialised in the manufacture of propellers and propeller components. It is owned by General Electric, forming part of its GE Aviation Systems division.-History:...
cooling fan: used in 2 Hawker Tempest Vs modified to use Napier designed annular radiators; also in experimental Vickers Warwick VVickers WarwickThe Vickers Warwick was a multi-purpose British aircraft used during the Second World War. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands, Surrey, the Warwick was used by the Royal Air Force as a transport, air-sea rescue and maritime reconnaissance platform, and by the civilian British Overseas...
.
Sabre VII
- 3,055 horsepower (2,278 kW). Mk VA strengthened to withstand high powers produced using Water/Methanol injectionWater injection (engines)In internal combustion engines, water injection, also known as anti-detonant injection, is spraying water into the cylinder or incoming fuel-air mixture to cool the combustion chambers of the engine, allowing for greater compression ratios and largely eliminating the problem of engine knocking...
. Larger supercharger impeller.
Sabre VIII
- 3,000 horsepower (2,240 kW). Intended for Hawker FuryHawker Sea FuryThe Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
; tested in the Folland Fo.108Folland Fo.108|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/folland_43-37.php* http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=525...
.
Sabre E.118 Three-speed, two-stage supercharger, contra-rotating propeller; test flown in Fo.108.
Sabre E.122 3,500 horsepower. Intended for Napier 500mph tailless fighter
Applications
The engine has been used in multiple aircraft, including the two widely deployed fighters.Applications - limited production and prototypes
- Blackburn FirebrandBlackburn Firebrand|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN.; Green William and Swanborough, Gordon. "Fairey Swordfish". Wings of the Navy, Flying Allied Carrier Aircraft of World War Two. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1980, p. 157–167. ISBN 0-7106-0002-X.* Buttler, Tony....
, only in 21 early production aircraft - Fairey BattleFairey BattleThe Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed...
, testbed - Folland Fo.108Folland Fo.108|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/folland_43-37.php* http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=525...
, testbed - Hawker FuryHawker Sea FuryThe Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
, prototype - Martin-Baker MB 3Martin-Baker MB 3|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bowyer, Michael J.F. Interceptor Fighters for the Royal Air Force 1935-45. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1984. ISBN 0-85059-726-9....
, prototype - Napier-Heston RacerNapier-Heston Racer-Comparable aircraft:*Hughes H-1 Racer: 352 mph in 1935 .*Messerschmitt Bf 109 V-13, D-IPKY: 379 mph on 11 November 1937...
, prototype - Vickers WarwickVickers WarwickThe Vickers Warwick was a multi-purpose British aircraft used during the Second World War. Built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands, Surrey, the Warwick was used by the Royal Air Force as a transport, air-sea rescue and maritime reconnaissance platform, and by the civilian British Overseas...
, prototype
Restoration project and engines on display
Napier Sabre engine under restoration:- National Aeronautics Museum Argentina, one Sabre on restoration project
- Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre, Macdonald CampusMacdonald CampusThe Macdonald Campus of McGill University houses its Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, and the McGill School of Environment.- History :...
, McGill UniversityMcGill UniversityMohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, MontréalMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
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Preserved Napier Sabre engines on public display:
- London Science MuseumScience Museum (London)The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
- Royal Air Force Museum London
- Solent SkySolent SkySolent Sky is an aviation museum in Southampton, Hampshire, previously known as Southampton Hall of Aviation.It depicts the history of aviation in Southampton, the Solent area and Hampshire. There is special focus on the Supermarine aircraft company, based in Southampton, and its most famous...
Sectioned Napier Sabre engines on public display:
- Imperial War MuseumImperial War Museum DuxfordImperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near the village of Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and minor naval vessels in seven...
, DuxfordDuxfordDuxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, some ten miles south of Cambridge.-History:The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex... - Birmingham Museum of Science and Industry
- Cambridge University Engineering DepartmentCambridge University Engineering DepartmentThe Cambridge University Engineering Department at the University of Cambridge is one of the largest departments in the university. The main site is situated at Trumpington Street, to the south of Cambridge city centre. The department is the primary centre for engineering teaching and research...
- RNZAF Museum, WigramRoyal New Zealand Air Force MuseumThe Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum or Air Force Museum of New Zealand as it is now known, is an air force museum located located at Wigram, the RNZAF's first operational base, in Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand...
Specifications (Sabre VA)
See also
Further reading
ISBN 0-517-67964-7 (1989 copy by Crescent Books, NY.)- Clostermann, PierrePierre ClostermannPierre Clostermann was a French flying ace, author, engineer, politician and sporting fisherman. Over his flying career he was awarded the Grand-Croix of the French Légion d'Honneur, French Croix de Guerre, British DFC and bar, Distinguished Service Cross , Silver Star , and the Air Medal .-Early...
: The Big Show. London, UK: Chatto & Windus Ltd in association with William Heinemann Ltd., 1953. ISBN 0-297-84619-1 (2004 edition). - Napier Power Heritage Trust site
- Setright, L. J. K.: The Power to Fly: The Development of the Piston Engine in Aviation. Allen & Unwin, 1971. ISBN 0-04-338041-7.
- The Hawker Tempest Page: Napier Sabre
- White, Graham: Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), 1995. ISBN 1-56091-655-9.
External links
- Cutaway illustration of a Napier Sabre drawn by Max Millar (uncredited) and coloured in by Makoto Oiuchi
- The Sabre-powered Napier-Heston Racer
- The Hawker Tempest Page
- The Greatest Engines of All Time
- NAPIER SABRE 3000 B.H.P A 1946 FlightFlight InternationalFlight International is a global aerospace weekly publication produced in the UK. Founded in 1909, it is the world's oldest continuously published aviation news magazine...
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