Blackburn Cirrus Major
| Cirrus Major | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Right side view of a Cirrus Major III installed in an Auster J/5G | |
| Type | Air-cooled 4-cylinder inline piston engine |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aircraft |
| First run | 1936 |
| Number built | c.700 |
The Blackburn Cirrus Major is a British, four-cylinder, inline aircraft engine that was developed in the late 1930s.
Design and development
The Blackburn Cirrus Major started life as a development of the original ADC Cirrus series of aircraft engines which progressed through a number of variants, each with slightly different displacement and power outputs. The Cirrus series was later bought by Cirrus Aero-Engines (later known as the Cirrus-Hermes Engine Company) which produced the Cirrus Hermes I, II, III and IV, again each differing slightly in displacement and power.
In 1934 Cirrus was bought again by the Blackburn Aircraft company and later that year the Cirrus Minor was produced. In 1935 the Cirrus Major entered production.
Variants
- Cirrus Major I
- 135 hp
- Cirrus Major II
- 148 hp variant.
- Cirrus Major III
- Higher compression engine with an increase in output to 150 hp (116kW).
Applications
- Auster Aiglet
- Auster Autocar
- Blackburn B-2
- Chrislea Skyjeep
- de Havilland DH.60 Moth
- Fairey Primer
- Foster Wikner Wicko
- General Aircraft Cygnet
- General Aircraft Owlet
- HAL HT-2
- Hendy 302
- I.Ae. 31 Colibrí
- I.Ae.32 Chingolo
- Miles Aerovan
- Miles Aries
- Miles Gemini
- Miles Hawk Major
- Miles Hawk Trainer
- Miles Mercury
- Miles Messenger
- Portsmouth Aerocar Major
- Simmonds Spartan
- Stampe SV.4
Specifications (Cirrus Major I)
Data from Lumsden[1]
General characteristics
- Type: Inline air-cooled inverted 4-cylinder
- Bore: 4.72 in (120 mm)
- Stroke: 5.51 in (140 mm)
- Displacement: 385.64 cu in (6.31 L)
- Length: 50 in (1270 mm)
- Width: 17.5 in (444 mm)
- Height: 30 in (762 mm)
- Dry weight: 310 lb (141 kg)
Components
- Valvetrain: 1 inlet and 1 exhaust valve per cylinder
- Fuel system: 1 Claudel-Hobson carburettor
- Fuel type: 73 octane petrol
- Cooling system: Air-cooled
Performance
- Power output: 135 hp (101 kW) at 2,350 rpm
- Compression ratio: 5.1:1
- Power-to-weight ratio: 0.43 hp/lb (0.71 kW/kg)
See also
Related development
Comparable engines
Related lists
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Blackburn Cirrus Major. |
Notes
- ↑ Lumsden 2003, p.89.
Bibliography
- Oldengine.org
- Gunston, Bill (1986). World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens. p. 40.
- Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.