Did you know…
Why did the Braemar carry Pumas instead of Eagles?
Short answer
Because the planned 360 hp Rolls-Royce Eagles were not available: Barnwell was told that no Eagle engines would be allocated to the bomber. The first prototype thus flew on 13 August 1918 with four 230 hp (170 kW) Siddeley Pumas.
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The Eagles that never came
The planned 360 hp Rolls-Royce Eagles were not available. Barnwell was informed that no Eagle engines would be made available for the bomber. Instead, the first Braemar prototype flew on 13 August 1918 with four 230 hp (170 kW) Siddeley Pumas.
An engine designed for mass production
The BHP was among several engines with cast aluminium cylinder blocks with which William Weir, 1st Viscount Weir, hoped to secure engines easier to mass-produce than the Rolls-Royce Eagle and Falcon. Those two Rolls-Royce engines could only be built by highly skilled workers.
From prototype to the Liberty-powered Mk.II
The prototype overall showed good performance, with a top speed of 106 mph (171 km/h). The Mk.II received considerably more power from its four 400 hp (300 kW) Liberty L-12 engines, which gave it an improved speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), almost 20 mph more than the Braemar Mk.I. The engine-room design was later revived, during the Braemar's development life, for the projected steam-powered Tramp. Two examples of the Tramp were completed in 1921, and neither ever flew.
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