The Wolseley Viper is a British-built, high-compression derivative of the Hispano Suiza HS-8 liquid-cooled V-8 engine, built under licence by Wolseley Motors during World War I.
It powered later models of the S.E.5a, SPAD VII and other British or British-built aircraft designed for the Hispano-Suiza.
Variants
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Wolseley W.4A Python I (1917)
- – licence produced version of the Hispano-Suiza 8Aa with minor structural changes and the weight increased to , retained the original's low compression pistons and compression ratio of 4.7:1. Only 100 built.
- – high compression version of the Python I with high compression pistons and compression ratio increased to 5.3:1.
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Wolseley W.4A* Viper (1918)
- – broadly the equivalent of the Hispano-Suiza 8Ab, compression ratio of 5.3:1 (19 early production engines had a higher compression ratio of 5.6:1), with 200 hp English Hispano propeller hubs.
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Wolseley W.4B Adder I (1918)
- – modified version of the Hispano-Suiza 8B.
- – modified and improved version of the Adder I.
- – modified and improved version of the Adder II with balanced crankshaft.
Applications
Surviving engines
A Wolseley Viper powered Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a is owned by, and on display at The Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden Aerodrome in the UK.
[ The Shuttleworth Collection - SE5a www.shuttleworth.org Retrieved: 09 March 2017.]
Engines on display
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A preserved Wolseley Viper is on public display at the Science Museum, London.
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A preserved Wolseley Viper is on public display at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina
Specifications (W.4A Viper)
See also
Notes
Bibliography
