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racing versions, the engine could reach 1,300 hp (970 kW) and it was used to break many world height, air speed and distance records in aircraft and boats, delivering 1,375 hp (1,025 kW) in a highly tuned Lion for a water speed record of 100 mph (160 km/h) in 1933. In
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became an option in 1922), the Lion went on to commercial success. Through the years between the wars the Lion was ubiquitous and Napier manufactured little else. They stopped making cars in 1925 and little thought was given to replacing their world-famous product. Between the wars the Lion engine
239:
in early 1918, and many cooling problems were observed during testing. The milled block was difficult to build with the required accuracy and the design reverted to separate aluminium cylinders. Both problems were solved by the middle of the year and the engine entered production in June 1918. The
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from 1917 until the 1930s. A number of advanced features made it the most powerful engine of its day and kept it in production long after other contemporary designs had been superseded. It is particularly well known for its use in a number of racing designs, for aircraft, boats and cars.
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in 1947—a record that came well after the Lion had passed its prime and stood until the 1960s. The record had been held by
British drivers for 32 years. Lions powered successful entrants in the most prestigious event in air racing, the
200:. Both engines proved to be unreliable and in 1916 Napier decided to design an engine with high power, light weight and low frontal area. Napier's engineers laid out the engine with its 12 cylinders in what they called a
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delivered just under 1,000 hp (750 kW). The engines were smaller than contemporary designs from other companies and Napier started afresh with a new
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The W, or broad arrow engine, has three rows of cylinders of which the central row is vertical with the other two rows forming equal angles with the vertical.
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322:. The Lion aero engine was also adapted to power propeller-driven motor sleighs, which were used for high-speed transport and SAR duties on sea ice by the
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During the 1930s a new generation of much larger and more powerful engines appeared and the Lion became uncompetitive. By the time the
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arrived in the late 1930s, the Lion was obsolete. The Sea Lion, a marine version of the Lion, was used to power high speed
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Early in the First World War, Napier were contracted to build aero engines to designs from other companies, initially a
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244:. The power output made the Lion the most powerful Allied aircraft engine, which had previously been the
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Turning away from the broad arrow layout, Napier designed new engines using the more compact
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instead of the common separate-cylinder steel construction used on almost all other designs.
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Inverted layout, for better visibility. At least some were built turbocharged, for racing.
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Contemporary technical description of the Lion with photographs and drawings.
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first Lion I versions delivered 450 horsepower (340 kW) from their 24
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164: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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including a record of over 250 mph (400 km/h) in 1932 and
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Two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder actuated via double
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Mainstay engine of the RAF in the late 1920s, replaced by Lion XI
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on each bank of cylinders and a single block being milled from
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As the most powerful engine available (particularly after a
1272:(Engineering textbook). J. Wiley & Sons. p. 7.
1269:
Aircraft
Engines: Theory, Analysis, Design and Operation
1018:
Preserved Napier Lion engines are on static display at
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produced 400 hp (300 kW) and the 24-cylinder
1266:
Domonoske, Arthur Boquer; Finch, Volney Cecil (1936).
1014:
Napier Lion on display at
Imperial War Museum Duxford
1396:. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003.
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1,350 bhp (1,010 kW) at 3,600 rpm (racing)
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60° (3 banks of 4 cylinders) aircraft piston engine
1321:"English Electric Aircraft and their Predecessors"
276:land speed records, Lion engines powered many of
681:580 bhp (430 kW) at 2,585 rpm, 6:1 CR
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1358:"Miss Britain III – National Maritime Museum"
967:British Power Boat Company Type Two 63 ft HSL
726:British Power Boat Company Type Two 63 ft HSL
8:
256:powered over 160 different aircraft types.
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719:500 and 600 bhp (370 and 450 kW)
248:, producing 400 horsepower (300 kW).
1394:British Piston Engines and their Aircraft
989:, a 1968 special in the vintage tradition
180:Learn how and when to remove this message
1165:480 hp (358 kW) at 2,200 rpm at 5,000 ft
356:
1319:Ransom and Fairclough, S and R (1987).
1258:
1208:Vehicles powered by Napier Lion engines
467:500 bhp (370 kW) at 2,250 rpm
465:470 bhp (350 kW) at 2,000 rpm
410:480 bhp (360 kW) at 2,200 rpm
391:450 bhp (340 kW) at 1,950 rpm
299:, in 1922 and 1927 but were dropped by
307:, which had been designed for racing.
31:
1448:(13): 397–402. 27 March 1919. No. 535
972:British Power Boat Company 60 ft 4 in
27:British piston aircraft engine family
7:
648:(John Cobb's land speed record car)
162:adding citations to reliable sources
583:875 bhp (652 kW) (racing)
547:900 bhp (670 kW) (racing)
521:700 bhp (520 kW) (racing)
25:
263:The Napier Lion installed in the
288:'s 394 mph (634 km/h)
138:
40:
394:geared, also related IA and 1AY
345:design, which evolved into the
303:in favour of a new engine, the
149:needs additional citations for
1001:world land speed record holder
995:world land speed record holder
1:
1650:1910s aircraft piston engines
612:Supercharged, about 6–8 built
1436:"The Napier Lion Aeromotor"
1033:Imperial War Museum Duxford
1671:
1308:(2579): 893. 27 June 1958.
864:Handley Page H.P.31 Harrow
643:(Schneider Trophy entrant)
529:(Schneider Trophy entrant)
488:Turbocharged, intercooled
470:VA had increased CR to 5.8
1068:12-cylinder water-cooled
812:English Electric Kingston
722:Marine version of Lion XI
223:Cutaway view showing the
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1242:List of aircraft engines
1049:Specifications (Lion II)
1038:National Maritime Museum
333:layout. The 16-cylinder
225:double overhead camshaft
1645:Napier aircraft engines
1360:. Collections.rmg.co.uk
1325:Their Fighting Machines
1060:General characteristics
919:Supermarine Southampton
749:Brooklands Motor Museum
426:geared high compression
1549:Turboprop / Turboshaft
1192:0.5 hp/lb (0.82 kW/kg)
1174:0.32 hp/in (15.0 kW/L)
1028:Canada Aviation Museum
1015:
869:Handley Page Hyderabad
751:
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194:Royal Aircraft Factory
130:Design and development
113:-fueled 'broad arrow'
94:Handley Page Hyderabad
51:Canada Aviation Museum
1296:"Napier Aero-Engines"
1188:Power-to-weight ratio
1099:1,461.6 in (23.944 L)
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792:Boulton Paul Atlantic
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291:Railton Mobil Special
262:
222:
1378:Lumsden 2003, p.166.
1346:2nd MTB Flotilla.pdf
1230:Lorraine 12E Courlis
1090:5.125 in (130.17 mm)
757:Alliance P.2 Seabird
684:RAF production model
278:Sir Malcolm Campbell
158:improve this article
1146:per cylinder block.
914:Supermarine Seagull
802:Boulton Paul Bolton
797:Boulton Paul Bodmin
767:Blackburn Blackburn
446:experimental geared
359:
320:RAF Rescue Launches
123:D. Napier & Son
74:D. Napier & Son
1411:. Stroud: Tempus (
1214:Comparable engines
1144:overhead camshafts
1016:
1006:Engines on display
961:Other applications
934:Vickers Valparaiso
807:Bristol Ten-seater
752:
357:
316:Rolls-Royce Merlin
269:
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109:is a 12-cylinder,
89:Major applications
49:Napier Lion II at
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1413:Images of England
1225:Hispano-Suiza 18R
1179:Compression ratio
1117:43.5 in (1105 mm)
1111:42.0 in (1067 mm)
1105:57.5 in (1460 mm)
1081:5.5 in (139.7 mm)
1023:Brooklands Museum
983:lap record holder
874:Handley Page W.10
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324:Finnish Air Force
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939:Vickers Victoria
777:Blackburn Pellet
637:Miss Britain III
616:Blue Bird (1931)
557:Blue Bird (1927)
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312:Bristol Hercules
297:Schneider Trophy
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1126:960 lb (435 kg)
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999:Railton Special
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954:Westland Walrus
909:Supermarine S.5
904:Supermarine S.4
854:Gloster Gorcock
787:Blackburn Velos
782:Blackburn Ripon
747:Napier Lion at
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667:Gloster Gorcock
646:Railton Special
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590:Supermarine S.5
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565:Supermarine S.5
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452:Gloster Gorcock
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282:record breakers
233:Arthur Rowledge
196:model and then
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1409:Napier Powered
1407:Vessey, Alan.
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1236:Related lists
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207:
203:
202:"broad arrow"
199:
195:
184:
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173:
170:December 2013
163:
159:
153:
152:
147:This section
145:
141:
136:
135:
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127:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
99:
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86:
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72:
70:Manufacturer
69:
68:
65:
62:
59:
56:
55:
52:
47:
43:
38:
33:
30:
19:
1529:
1496:aero engines
1450:. Retrieved
1445:
1439:
1412:
1408:
1393:
1386:Bibliography
1374:
1362:. Retrieved
1352:
1341:
1329:. Retrieved
1324:
1314:
1305:
1299:
1290:
1281:
1273:
1268:
1261:
1235:
1234:
1213:
1212:
1186:
1177:
1168:
1162:
1152:Water-cooled
1149:
1136:
1120:
1114:
1108:
1102:
1095:Displacement
1093:
1084:
1075:
1065:
1053:
1052:
1017:
993:Golden Arrow
889:Parnall Pike
859:Gloster Guan
844:Fokker D.C.I
734:Applications
663:direct drive
631:
623:
553:Golden Arrow
507:Gloster Guan
503:Turbocharged
358:Lion models
347:Napier Sabre
343:sleeve valve
328:
309:
289:
273:highly tuned
270:
253:turbocharger
250:
246:Liberty L-12
230:
191:
176:
167:
156:Please help
151:verification
148:
106:
104:
29:
1640:Napier Lion
1285:Vessey 1997
1220:Farman 12We
1157:Performance
823:Fairey Fawn
814:(prototype)
527:Gloster III
301:Supermarine
227:arrangement
107:Napier Lion
64:aero-engine
1634:Categories
1452:12 January
1248:References
1138:Valvetrain
1131:Components
1122:Dry weight
1043:Solent Sky
981:Brooklands
979:race car,
839:Fokker C.V
818:Fairey III
762:Avro Bison
641:Gloster VI
634:powerboat
624:Enterprise
594:Gloster IV
569:Gloster IV
326:and Navy.
237:Airco DH.9
80:First run
1655:W engines
1331:7 January
1054:Data from
879:Letov Š-8
830:– (N4839)
632:Estelle V
369:Works No.
286:John Cobb
214:aluminium
210:camshafts
121:built by
1619:Scorpion
1515:Culverin
1327:. Putnam
1197:See also
739:Aircraft
711:Sea Lion
353:Variants
331:H engine
314:and the
206:W engine
198:Sunbeams
1566:Gazelle
1525:Javelin
1364:6 March
1115:Height:
1103:Length:
1070:W-block
1056:Lumsden
694:Lioness
434:Mk.III
1612:Rocket
1535:Rapier
1520:Dagger
1493:Napier
1441:Flight
1419:
1400:
1301:Flight
1109:Width:
1086:Stroke
586:geared
242:litres
231:Under
111:petrol
61:Piston
1587:Nomad
1571:Naiad
1561:Eland
1540:Sabre
1253:Notes
1183:5.8:1
1066:Type:
375:Notes
372:Power
363:Model
83:1917
57:Type
35:Lion
1603:Oryx
1530:Lion
1454:2011
1417:ISBN
1398:ISBN
1366:2013
1333:2017
1077:Bore
714:1933
676:1928
656:1927
653:VIII
603:1929
600:VIID
578:1927
575:VIIB
541:1927
538:VIIA
516:1925
496:1927
404:1919
386:1918
366:Date
105:The
1510:Cub
699:E71
673:XIA
622:'s
606:E91
544:E86
513:VII
493:VIS
483:E79
419:III
407:E64
280:'s
271:In
267:car
160:by
115:W12
1636::
1446:XI
1444:.
1438:.
1323:.
1306:73
1304:.
1298:.
630:'
478:VS
439:IV
401:II
349:.
1485:e
1478:t
1471:v
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458:V
383:I
183:)
177:(
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168:(
154:.
20:)
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