The Hercules
The Other Engine that helped Win the War
Will be published approx. on 15. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-3981-3345-7 (ISBN)
Description
The Bristol Hercules was a 14-cylinder sleeve valve radial engine designed by Sir Roy Fedden and produced from 1939 by BAC. It powered Bristol's own Beaufighter but was more commonly used on bombers. From the 1375 hp Hercules I to the 1735 hp Hercules XVII produced late in the war, the variants powered the Avro Lancaster B.II, the Handley Page Halifax, the Short Stirling, the Vickers Wellesley and the Vickers Wellington, among others. The sleeve valve engine was an efficient configuration that allowed the use of lower-octane fuels for the same compression ratio. It was clever, and it worked.
Gordon Wilson provides a biography of this ingenious workhorse, designed and modified under the pressure of wartime. He has had exclusive access to the restoration of a Handley Page Halifax, which has provided picture details unavailable elsewhere.
Gordon Wilson provides a biography of this ingenious workhorse, designed and modified under the pressure of wartime. He has had exclusive access to the restoration of a Handley Page Halifax, which has provided picture details unavailable elsewhere.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chalford
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
50 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
240 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3981-3345-7 (9781398133457)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Gordon A. A. Wilson is a retired military and commercial pilot. He flew with the Canadian Air Force 414 Electronic Warfare Squadron, flying target aircraft on secret missions to test the defences of North America and as a squadron maintenance test pilot. He subsequently flew for thirty years for a major airline and since retiring has worked as a ground school instructor for Air Canada and as an aviation consultant writing standard operating procedures manuals. His other books for Amberley include 'NORAD and the Soviet Nuclear Threat', 'Lancaster Manual 1943' (Editor), 'The Lancaster' 'The Merlin', and 'The Hercules'. He lives in British Columbia, Canada.