The Sunbeam Pathan, also known as the Sunbeam P.1, was a 1920s British diesel aero engine.[1][2]
Louis Coatalen, Sunbeam engine designer, started work on a diesel powered aero-engine, that would be suitable for use in airships, in 1928.[2] Using his experience with both aero-engines and auto-mobile diesel engines, the result, given the company designation P.1, was based on the Dyak.[2] Given the name Pathan, a prototype engine was displayed at the 1929 Olympia Aero Show, but attracted no orders.[2]
Using the same bore and stroke of the Dyak (120mm x 130mm - 4.72in x 5.12in ), the Pathan was a water-cooled six-cylinder in-line diesel engine with a cubic capacity of 8.8l (537cu in). Rated to give 100 hp (74.6 kW) @ 1,500rpm the engine was fitted with a new type of fuel injection system allowing cold starts without other assistance.[1]
The engine did not enter production as the British Airship Programme was cancelled, and with no need for the engine only prototypes were built.[1][2]
Coatalen continued the development of Diesel engines after he left Sunbeam and returned to France, developing the Coatalen V-12 Diesel engine with limited success, due to the German invasion of 1940 halting further work.[1]
Data from [1]
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