In my 1998 book on Sunbeam aero-engines, I was only able to list 10 surviving engines. In the years since then, thanks largely to the efforts of Jerry Wells in Australia, the total has now risen to 17. As I have now been commissioned to write a new Sunbeam book, I will be able to correct any errors and omissions, so if anyone can add to the following list, or provide good photos of the distant surviving examples, now’s the time.
UK
Ghurkha Fleet Air Arm Museum Yeovilton (In Short 184 front fuselage)
Nubian II Science Museum, Wroughton
Maori II Rolls-Royce Heritage, Derby (owned by Imperial War Museum)
Manitou Black Country Living Museum, Dudley ?
Manitou (modified) Beaulieu, Hants (In 350hp Sunbeam LSR car)
Matabele x 2 Beaulieu, Hants In 1000hp Sunbeam, LSR car)
France
Maori II Musee de l’air, Paris
Viking Musee de l’air, Paris
Norway
Dyak Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo
USA
Cossack Smithsonian, DC (Sterling built)
Australia
Nubian II Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Maori I Museum of Victoria, Melbourne
Maori II In scratch-built car ex-Hamilton New Zealand
Maori III Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Dyak Longreach, Queensland
Dyak Bull Creek, Western Australia
It’s strange that two examples of the obscure and hardly used Nubian survive, but none of the infamous Arab, or the early side-valve engines, apart from the Ghurkha.
By: jerryw - 10th June 2017 at 02:49
Here is a pic of the data plate from the Dyak engine at Mascot, Sydney, AU
By: Flat 12x2 - 1st February 2014 at 21:02
I am told that Beaulieu want to get at least one of the Matabele’s (On the rack behind the 350 hp Sunbeam) running. Manpower and money are the restricting factors.
As I said in post #11 above
This is what happened last time with the Manitou necessitating the rebuild
[ATTACH=CONFIG]225116[/ATTACH]
By: Wulfie - 1st February 2014 at 18:03
I am told that Beaulieu want to get at least one of the Matabele’s (On the rack behind the 350 hp Sunbeam) running. Manpower and money are the restricting factors.
By: Flat 12x2 - 1st February 2014 at 16:34
All 3 of Beaulieu’s Sunbeams together a couple of weeks ago.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]225110[/ATTACH]
By: PanzerJohn - 30th January 2014 at 18:03
http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/news/sunbeam-350hp-roars-back-to-life
By: Wulfie - 30th January 2014 at 16:48
Yes the Manitou in the 350hp Sunbeam, and the Maori in the car built by Wallace MacNair, now in Australia, are the only two running Sunbeam engines.
By: SolentSpotter - 30th January 2014 at 08:11
Good Morning
I was Lucky to be able to witness the first official start of the 350hp Sunbeam Car at Beaulieu yesterday. Quite an experience to see this 94 year old engine bursting into life.
Does this make this engine the only running Sunbeam Aero engine in the Northern Hemisphere
Link to Sky News has photos and a short video clip.
http://news.sky.com/story/1202761/campbells-bluebird-roars-back-to-life
SSC
By: Flat 12x2 - 14th December 2013 at 20:35
The Matabeles are out of the car ! I suddenly have a desire to visit my wife’s relatives in Reading over the Christmas holidays. I wonder what there is to do in Berkshire/Hampshire ?
The engines are in the workshop, unfortunately not on public display.
By: Wulfie - 14th December 2013 at 17:00
This is great, a third Sunbeam side-valve engine, as it is indeed a Crusader in Brussels, though I see it’s placarded Arab. That make three together with the Mohawk in Krakow and the Ghurkha at Yeovilton
By: Evzen Vsetecka - 14th December 2013 at 16:46
Hi Evzen,
a great collection of photo’s, please check the first engine, the V8 as I am sure it is a 150hp Crusader rather than an Arab as in the second set of photo’s from Hendon.
Andy
It´s true. Than isn´t an Arab.
Thanks for the warning. Excuse my inattention .
Evzen Vseteka
By: racer2_uk - 14th December 2013 at 16:17
Hi Evzen,
a great collection of photo’s, please check the first engine, the V8 as I am sure it is a 150hp Crusader rather than an Arab as in the second set of photo’s from Hendon.
Andy
By: Evzen Vsetecka - 14th December 2013 at 15:37
I have prepared a folder Sunbeam engines that I have seen.
I still have pictures of Cossack RR Derby.
Unfortunately I got uncompromising ban on publishing my website .
http://www.aircraftengine.cz/Sunbeam/
Creaking Door
I must congratulate you on your wonderful engine website; I have spent many happy hours browsing through the excellent photographs on it. It is amazing what survives out there.
I stumbled across it looking for a photograph of a Bristol Taurus piston…..and I found one.
If you need any information or photographs from the United Kingdom I am sure forum members would help.
Many thanks!
I’m glad you like my website.
Taurus I have not seen much.
I have many raw photos from this year’s holiday in England.
It is possible that there will be some 🙂
If I want help with something so you definitely get back.
Evzen Vsetecka
By: Wulfie - 14th December 2013 at 15:12
Also, Sunbeam hardly sold an engine after the War, apart from a few Dyaks. They tried to market a range of engines, but they were up against cheap war-surplus engines, the superlative Rolls-Royce competition, and slightly newer state-of-the-art engines like the Lion, Jaguar and Jupiter, so they didn’t get very far. Louis Coatalen quickly lost interest and returned to his real ambition of building a car to win the French Grand Prix, which he achieved in 1923.
By: racer2_uk - 14th December 2013 at 12:33
Mike j,
WW2 and the need for high quality materials finished off many makes of early aero engines that were by then “out of date” but still around, most of the currently existing engines were in museums or collections before the outbreak of war and managed to escape the melting pot.
Andy
By: Mike J - 14th December 2013 at 09:29
I wonder why, with so many examples built, and used by a large number of different aircraft types, so few Sunbeam engines have survived.
By: Wulfie - 14th December 2013 at 08:04
The Sikh and Semi-Sikh, were never installed in anything, so will only have been prototypes. Louis Coatalen was very fond of designing new engines, rather than developing and refining his existing ones, unlike Henry Royce. Rolls-Royce produced four engines during the First World War, the Eagle, Hawk, Falcon, and Condor, whereas Sunbeam produced 22.
By: barnstormer - 13th December 2013 at 20:36
So .. None of the 6 or 12 cylinder Sikhs, then?
By: Wulfie - 13th December 2013 at 19:18
The Norwegian Armed Forces Museum in Oslo has a Sunbeam Dyak on display, but the Museum in Bodo has a Dyak-powered Avro 504K replica ‘flying’ from the rafters. Does anyone know if this has an actual engine installed, or is there another Dyak on separate display there ?
By: Creaking Door - 13th December 2013 at 17:06
In my 1998 book on Sunbeam aero-engines…
‘Sunbeam Aero-Engines’ by Alec Brew? I wish I’d held onto my copy…
…as a new one on Amazon is listed at over £28,000!
By: Creaking Door - 13th December 2013 at 16:37
…other piston engines from Krakow here http://www.aircraftengine.cz/Krakow/
I must congratulate you on your wonderful engine website; I have spent many happy hours browsing through the excellent photographs on it. It is amazing what survives out there.
I stumbled across it looking for a photograph of a Bristol Taurus piston…..and I found one.
If you need any information or photographs from the United Kingdom I am sure forum members would help.
Many thanks! 🙂
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December 10, 2013 at 8:31 pm