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Initially asked in 1914 to study an overheating problem in rotary engines, Captain W. O. Bentley, an established car designer, developed a new and more efficient engine, with a weight-saving effect realized by careful design and the use of aluminum wherever possible. Equally important was the lower cost, as compared to the French Clerget, then widely used in British aircraft; and itself considered an improvement over the earlier Gnome

Following success of the smaller A.R.1 (Admiral Rotary 1), which was later renamed Model B.R.1 for Bentley Rotary 1, the larger B.R.2 rotary aircraft engine powered a variety of World War I aircraft, including, among others, the: Sopwith F.1 Camel and 7F.1 Snipe; Nieuport B.N.1; and Vickers F.B.26A Vampire II. Humber Ltd., one of five British companies that manufactured this model during World War I, built this Bentley B.R.2 artifact.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date Circa 1917 Country of Origin United Kingdom Type PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary Manufacturer Humber Ltd. (Coventry, England)
 Designer W. O. Bentley
 Physical Description Type: Rotary, 9 cylinders, air-cooled Power rating: 149 kW (200 hp) at 1,300 rpm Displacement: 25.0 L (1,522.44 cu. in.) Bore and Stroke: 140 mm (5.51 in) x 190 mm (7.09 in) Weight (dry): Approx 227 kg (500 lb) Dimensions 3-D: 101.6 × 157.5 × 104.1cm, 336.6kg (3 ft. 4 in. × 5 ft. 2 in. × 3 ft. 5 in., 742lb.)
Support: 71 × 108 × 79cm (2 ft. 3 15/16 in. × 3 ft. 6 1/2 in. × 2 ft. 7 1/8 in.)
 Materials Metal
 Inventory Number A19570999000 Credit Line Gift of Preston Kirk Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Open Access (CCO)
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