D. Napier and Son began building aircraft engines in the World War I era. The Lion series was produced from 1917 until 1932 for military, commercial, and racing aircraft. Napier’s World War II era Sabre engines also powered a number of aircraft. Intended for use in long-range aircraft at the end of World War II, the Nomad was an engineering tour-de-force, although being one of the most complex aircraft engines ever built. Napier designed the Nomad to have the lowest possible fuel consumption by compounding a two-stroke diesel engine with a gas turbine and transmitting the power through a propeller.
The Nomad II, a simplified version of the original design, appeared in 1951 and was intended for the four-engine Avro Shackleton long-range patrol bomber. However, a single Nomad II flew only briefly, in the nose of an Avro Lincoln bomber. Napier cancelled the program in 1955 because the Nomad could not compete with gas turbine engines.
Display Status
This object is on display in Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
Object Details
Date
1954
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Type
PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
Designer
Ernest Chatterton
Manufacturer
Napier Aero Engines Ltd.
Physical Description
Type: Reciprocating, horizontally-opposed, diesel, 12 cylinder, liquid cooled
Power rating: 2,271 kW (3,046 hp) at 2,050 rpm
Displacement: 41.1 L (2,505 cu in.)
Bore and Stroke: 152 mm (6 in.) x 187 mm (7.4 in.)
Weight: 1,625 kg (3,580 lb)
Dimensions
Length 302.9 cm (119.25 in.), Width 142.9 cm (56.25 in.), Height 101.6 cm (40.0 in.)
Inventory Number
A19640017000
Credit Line
Gift of Napier Aero Engines Ltd.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.