Cosmos Engineering
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aero-engine manufacturing, Automotive |
| Founded | 1918 |
| Defunct | 1920 |
| Fate | Acquired by Bristol Aeroplane Company |
| Headquarters | Fishponds, Bristol , United Kingdom |
| Products | Aero engines (Mercury, Jupiter, Lucifer), Cars (Cosmos 10.5) |
Cosmos Engineering was an aero-engine manufacturing firm operating from a factory located in Fishponds, Bristol during the period of World War I. The company’s chief designer, Sir Roy Fedden, was responsible for creating the 14-cylinder radial Mercury engine in this timeframe. In 1920, the business was acquired by the Bristol Aeroplane Company.
Company origins
In 1918, Cosmos, an Anglo-American enterprise, acquired Straker-Squire (also known as Brazil Straker), a manufacturer of cars and buses that had expanded into aircraft engine overhaul and production. Their initial work involved refurbishing, then extensively redesigning and reconstructing Curtiss OX-5 engines.[1] Thanks to the high standard of their workmanship, Cosmos Engineering became the sole licensed manufacturer of Rolls-Royce aircraft engines, producing Hawk and Falcon models, key components for the Eagle engine, as well as 600 units of the Renault 80hp 8Ca engines.[1] The total production exceeded 1,500 engines.[1] Early in its history, the company came under the control of the Admiralty. During the war, Fedden and his draughtsman Leonard Butler designed two notable engines: the 14-cylinder Mercury and the larger 9-cylinder Jupiter.
Aero-engine range
By 1919, Cosmos Engineering’s product lineup included the 450 hp Jupiter, the 300 hp Mercury, and the smaller 100 hp Lucifer. On 9 April 1919, a Bristol Scout F powered by a Mercury engine established two British records at Farnborough, setting new benchmarks for time to reach altitudes of 10,000 ft and 20,000 ft.[2]
Car production
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Although Cosmos divested the engineering division of Brazil Straker,[3] which continued its successful vehicle manufacturing operations, Cosmos Engineering also produced a limited number of cars designed by Roy Fedden. The 1919 Cosmos 10.5 featured an air-cooled radial engine with three cylinders arranged in a radial configuration, displacing 994 cc and delivering 16 hp. It also incorporated pressed-steel wobbly-web wheels and represented a significant advancement for its era.[4][5] Production volumes were small, and it was succeeded by the larger 10.5 CAR, which did not progress beyond prototype development.
Fate
Shortly thereafter, the company entered liquidation and was acquired by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1920. Following this transition, production activities were relocated to a former flying school situated on the northern perimeter of Filton Aerodrome. The facility on Lodge Causeway was later assumed by Parnall & Sons, who utilized it for ship and shop fitting as well as the manufacture of aircraft components.
See also
Notes
Bibliography
- Bartlett, John Images of England, Fishponds Tempus 2004 ISBN 0-7524-3315-6
- Culshaw, David & Horrobin, Peter The Complete Catalogue of British Cars Veloce 1997 ISBN 0-9541063-9-3
- Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6.