Bristol Hercules
The Bristol Hercules is an air-cooled, fourteen-cylinder radial piston-engine family with two rows of cylinders. Moving sleeves within the cylinders open the intake and exhaust passages, replacing conventional poppet valves. Bristol developed this arrangement into a widely produced engine for aircraft including the Beaufighter, Halifax, Stirling and Wellington, followed by postwar transports. The family includes distinct marks such as the wartime Hercules VI and later Hercules 763; their power ratings and applications are specific to each version.
Identity
- Aliases
- HerculesBristol Hercules familyBristol Hercules radial
- Domains
- aviation
- Identity Level
- family
- Kind
- piston-engine
- Name
- Bristol Hercules
- Status
- historical
Details
- Description
- The Bristol Hercules is an air-cooled, fourteen-cylinder radial piston-engine family with two rows of cylinders. Moving sleeves within the cylinders open the intake and exhaust passages, replacing conventional poppet valves. Bristol developed this arrangement into a widely produced engine for aircraft including the Beaufighter, Halifax, Stirling and Wellington, followed by postwar transports. The family includes distinct marks such as the wartime Hercules VI and later Hercules 763; their power ratings and applications are specific to each version.
- Piston Specs
- Aspiration
- supercharged
- Configuration
- air-cooled two-row sleeve-valve radial
- Cylinder Count
- 14
- Displacement
- …
- Max Power
- …
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 14, 2026 at 00:55:14 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 17, 2026 at 12:27:57 UTC
Other
- Sources
- Title
- Bristol Hercules VI, 2-Row, Radial 14 Engine — National Air and Space Museum
- Title
- Engine – Bristol Hercules 763 — RAF Museum