Bristol Centaurus for sale

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Member for

17 years 5 months

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24 years 2 months

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Ex Ambassador by the looks of it. Nice piece of kit, and for the start price, it would be ride not to bid!

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 2,841

A superb and compact bit of kit.

However, it is no use to anyone except as a ground runner and/or exhibit. Sleeve timing is completely different to the earlier (Sea Fury, etc) models so little is interchangeable for warbird use.

Nice - if you could get it for less than a grand.

Anon.

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24 years 2 months

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This thread should guarantee that doesn't happen!

Member for

24 years 2 months

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Nice - if you could get it for less than a grand.

Anon.

The stand is worth more than that.:)

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24 years 2 months

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...it is no use to anyone except as a ground runner and/or exhibit...

Has anyone done a ground-running Centaurus? Now that would be a sight to see!

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,024

Sleeve timing is completely different to the earlier (Sea Fury, etc) models so little is interchangeable for warbird use.

Please excuse my ignorance but why does that make it unusable for a warbird; surely it will still (if overhauled) turn a propeller and chuck out a respectable horsepower?

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16 years 2 months

Posts: 319

Listing ended.

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

It sounds like someone's made a deal on it, I wonder if someone off here has phoned him up and made a deal, it would be nice if someone here got it :)

Member for

24 years 2 months

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Its possibly North Weald bound

Member for

16 years 5 months

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Maybe a nice addition to the Creaking Door collection ;)

Rob

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16 years 2 months

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No, it's a Centaurus, Peter. Reduction gear mounted distributors can only mean one thing - Centaurus.

Anon.

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 474

Its only got 14 cylinders. Seen this engine at Duxford last year

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 839

Its only got 14 cylinders.

Looks like 18cyls to me.
Even the ad states it is an 18 cyl engine.

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 2,841

Count the oval-shaped cooling inlets. 18 means Centaurus.

Dan-Air operated the Airspeed Ambassador, which had just this type of power plant. As far as I am aware Dan-Air never operated Hercules-powered aircraft.

Anon.

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 1,270

Mike, I think we are talking at cross purposes, I'm referring to the YouTube vid posted by Kenyohan, which is quoted in my first post, not the engine which is the subject of this thread. See post #12.

Pete

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20 years 8 months

Posts: 474

Its from a Bristol freighter, I discussed this with the owner and restorer of this engine. The Centaurus has wider diameter cylinder fins as the cylinders mask each other as you will see in this photo and the incoming air is necessarily compressed further to allow it to do the extra cooling. I was talking about the video as well not the subject of the sale

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Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 2,841

Oh, OK. I just assumed we were discussing what was on the thread.

Nice bit of kit all the same. Bristol engines were beautifully engineered compact powerplants, it's a real pleasure to see them "naked" exposing all that luvverly engineering.

The most impressive display engines I have ever seen were sectioned Bristol piston powerplants produced post-war. All beautifully cut away and with chrome plating and high-gloss paintwork in abundance, complementing their compact, superbly designed machinery.

Anon.

Member for

17 years 6 months

Posts: 9,739

Maybe a nice addition to the Creaking Door collection ;)

Not guilty! :)

Although I'd love to own such a beast I have to keep reminding myself how big a complete Bristol Centaurus is!

There is a nice cut-away example (ex-Beverly) that has taken up residence at the Suttleworth collection; on airshow days its owner turns it over on the starter-motor and it is truly wonderful to see how the internal components move in coordination to produce the 'simple' sleeve-valve operation.

Member for

10 years 10 months

Posts: 3

Hi reading the posts things have got a little crossed, The one on the blue trailer (Youtube) is a Bristol Hercules 216 14 cylinder originally out of the Hastings C 2 i restored this engine which took about 2.5 years and run it a shows around the uk. The one for sale on EBAY was a Centaurus 18 cylinder which i also own and plan to restore to running order. Just for a bit of info i also have restored a Rolls Royce Griffon 57A which has taken 3 years and only got it running early this year.



Hope you all enjoy?
Forgot to mention i am also on my 3rd wife.