DAYTON, Ohio -- British ABC Wasp on display in the Research & Development Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Note: This engine is located in the Research & Development Gallery on a controlled-access portion of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The gallery will close until further notice beginning May 1, 2013, as part of budget reduction requirements due to sequestration.
The ABC Wasp is an experimental seven-cylinder, radial engine of 170 hp, designed by the noted British engineer Granville Bradshaw. At a weight of 290 pounds, it had one of the most advanced power-to-weight ratios of the day -- 1.7 pounds per horsepower. This World War I-era engine is noteworthy because it was the first in which the cylinders were coated with copper in an attempt to dissipate heat. The ABC Wasp never evolved beyond the experimental stage, but it was the predecessor of the unsuccessful production "Dragonfly" engine.
