Roden 626 Wolseley Viper

The Wolseley Viper is a British aircraft engine from the end of World War I and the interwar period. In the W.4A version, the engine had a capacity of 11.77 liters, was an 8-cylinder V unit, and generated 200 HP at an altitude of 2,000 meters. It was first launched in 1918. The Wolseley Viper engine was constructed by a talented Swiss engineer, Marc Birkigt, who initially envisioned it to be used to power land vehicles. However, with a few changes, the engine could be successfully used in aircraft. What's more - it generated a lot of maximum power for those times and had a great modernization potential. It was this power unit that became the basis for the Hispano-Suiza 8 engine. One of the most important aircraft powered by this engine was the very successful Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a, which was considered one of the best British aircraft of the late Great War period. Other aircraft powered by this engine were, among others: Airco DH.9 or Avro 552.