Bristol Cherub
1920s British piston aircraft engine
title: "Bristol Cherub" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["boxer-engines", "bristol-aircraft-engines", "1920s-aircraft-piston-engines"] description: "1920s British piston aircraft engine" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Cherub" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 1920s British piston aircraft engine ::
::data[format=table title="infobox aero engine"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Cherub |
| image | BristolCherub.JPG |
| caption | Preserved Bristol Cherub engine |
| engine_type | Piston aircraft engine |
| manufacturer | Bristol Aeroplane Company |
| first_run | 1923 |
| major_applications | Bristol Brownie |
| Hawker Cygnet | |
| :: |
|name=Cherub |image=BristolCherub.JPG |caption=Preserved Bristol Cherub engine |engine_type=Piston aircraft engine |manufacturer=Bristol Aeroplane Company |first_run=1923 |major_applications=Bristol Brownie Hawker Cygnet
The Bristol Cherub is a British two-cylinder, air-cooled, aircraft engine designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Introduced in 1923 it was a popular engine for ultralight and small aircraft in the 1930s.
Variants
;Cherub I :Initial direct drive version introduced in 1923. Bore and stroke of 3.35 x for a displacement of 67 cu in (1.095 L). 32 hp at 2,500 rpm. ;Cherub II :Geared down (2:1) version of the Cherub I. ;Cherub III :An improved and slightly larger (1.228 L) direct drive version introduced in 1925.
Applications
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Short_Satellite.JPG" caption="Cherub-powered Short Satellite"] ::
- Avia BH-2
- Avro Avis
- Beardmore Wee Bee
- Bristol Brownie
- Cranwell CLA.2
- Cranwell CLA.3
- Cranwell CLA.4
- Dart Pup
- Everson Evo III
- Granger Archaeopteryx
- Halton Mayfly
- Halton Minus
- Hawker Cygnet
- Johnson Twin 60
- Lippisch Delta 1
- Messerschmitt M17
- Meyers Midget
- Mignet HM.14 Pou-du-Ciel
- Parnall Pixie
- Pander DB two Pices
- Powell Racer
- RAE Scarab
- RAE Hurricane
- Short Cockle
- Short Satellite
- Stout Amphibian
- Supermarine Sparrow
- Vickers Vagabond
- Westland Woodpigeon
- Westland-Hill Pterodactyl
Survivors
An airworthy Messerschmitt M17 replica is owned and operated by the EADS Heritage Flight at Manching and is powered by an original Bristol Cherub III.
Engines on display
A preserved Bristol Cherub is on static display at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire.
Specifications (Cherub III)
| and start a new, fully-formatted line with -- |ref=Lumsden. |type=2-cylinder air-cooled, horizontally opposed, left-hand tractor |bore=3.54 in (90 mm) |stroke=3.8 in (96.5 mm) |displacement=75 in³ (1.228 L) |length= |diameter= |width=25.6 in (650 mm) |height= |weight=98 lb (39.5 kg) |valvetrain=Overhead valve |supercharger= |turbocharger= |fuelsystem= |fueltype= |oilsystem=Dry sump |coolingsystem=Air-cooled |power=36 hp (24 kW) at 3,200 rpm |specpower= |compression=5.75:1 |fuelcon= 2.5 imp. gallons per hour |specfuelcon= |oilcon= |power/weight= 0.36 hp/lb
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Guttery, T.E. The Shuttleworth Collection. London: Wm. Carling & Co, 1969.
- Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. .
References
- Guttery 1969, p.80.
- Lumsden 2003, p.101.
- [http://www.eads.com/1024/en/eads/history/airhist/1920_1929/Messerschmitt_M_17.html EADS - Messerschmitt M17]{{Dead link. (October 2019)
- Lumsden 2003, p.102.
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