The Siddeley Puma was a British aero engine developed towards the end of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
and produced by
Siddeley-Deasy. The first engines left the production lines of Siddeley-Deasy in
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed ...
in August 1917, production continued until December 1918. At least 4,288 of the 11,500 ordered engines were delivered, orders were cancelled following the
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...
. Production was continued under the name Armstrong Siddeley Puma when the manufacturer was bought by
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles an ...
and became
Armstrong Siddeley.
The engine was based on a previous
B.H.P engine which was also developed as the Galloway "Adriatic."
Applications
*The Puma engine was used in the British
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
bomber aircraft, the
Airco D.H.9. In use it proved to be highly troublesome, making the aircraft significantly inferior to the type it replaced. The engine was also installed untidily, with the cylinder heads protruding. The D.H.9, as a type, was improved by replacing the Puma engine with the
Liberty 12 to make the
D.H.9A.
[Munson, Kenneth "Aircraft of World War I". Ian Allan 1967. ]
*The unit was used in the first prototype of the
Airco DH.10 Amiens
The Airco DH.10 Amiens was a twin-engined heavy bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airco. It performed the first nighttime air mail service in the world on 14-15 May 1919.
The DH.10 was developed in the final ye ...
in a twin-engined
pusher configuration
In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in no ...
but as performance was unsatisfactory, alternative engines were used in a subsequent prototype of the type and production models.
*
Short Silver Streak (1920)
Specifications (Puma)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Lumsden, Alec. ''British Piston Engines and their Aircraft''. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. .
External links
* Contemporary technical description of the engine with photographs.
The Virtual Aviation Museum
{{Armstrong Siddeley aeroengines
Puma
Puma or PUMA may refer to:
Animals
* ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae
** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat
Businesses and organisations
* Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company
* Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...
1910s aircraft piston engines