Sterling (Sunbeam) Cossack, V-12 Engine
date: label: Date
content: 1917
name: label: Manufacturer
content: Sterling Engine Company (Buffalo, New York)
label: Designer
content: Sunbeam Motor Car Company, Ltd.
notes: label: Physical Description
content: Type: Reciprocating, V-type, 12 cylinders, water cooled
label: Physical Description
content: Power rating: 261 kW (350 hp) at 2,000 rpm
label: Physical Description
content: Displacement: 18.2 L (1,113.24 cu in.)
label: Physical Description
content: Bore and Stroke: 110 mm (4.33 in.) x 160 mm (6.3 in.)
label: Physical Description
content: Weight: 471.7 kg (1,040 lb)
label: Summary
content: The Sunbeam Motor Car Co., Ltd of Wolverhampton, England began producing successful automobiles in 1910. Applying the expertise of French Chief Engineer Louis Coatalen, its first aircraft engines were designed in 1913. A total of 350 Cossack engines were produced between August 1914 and December 1918. These engines powered the: Handley Page H.P.11 O/100 Type O; Short 310-A4 and Short 310-B North Sea Scout; R36 (Beardmore) Admiralty dirigible airship and R38 (Royal Airship Works) Admiralty dirigible airship. Sunbeam’s engines were the favored supplier to the Royal Navy Air Service until late in World War I. After Coatalen’s return to France in 1923, Sunbeam effectively left the aircraft engine business.
label: Summary
content: This Cossack engine was built by the Sterling Engine Company of Buffalo, New York, a leading American manufacturer of marine engines, which undertook to build Sunbeam aircraft engines during 1917. However, only a few of the twelve-cylinder units were constructed before the work was finally abandoned.
place: label: Country of Origin
content: United Kingdom
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Air and Space Museum Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transferred from the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. No known restrictions.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Air and Space Museum
identifier: label: Inventory Number
content: A19610136000
objectType: label: Type
content: PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Aluminum, Steel, Paint, Phenolic
label: Dimensions
content: Height 128.3 cm (50.5 in.), Width 121.9 cm (48 in.), Depth 190.5 cm (75 in.)