- Napier Scorpion
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Scorpion Country of origin United Kingdom Manufacturer Napier Application aircraft booster Liquid-fueled engine Propellant hydrogen peroxide / kerosene Performance Thrust 4,000 lbf (17.8 kN) The Napier Scorpion was a British liquid-fuelled rocket engine developed and manufactured by Napier. It used hydrogen peroxide / kerosene propellant chemistry.[1]
Contents
Scorpion
The first Scorpion NSc.1 was successfully flight-tested in a Canberra.[2]
Double Scorpion
Double Scorpion 
Double Scorpion, RAF Museum LondonManufacturer Napier Application aircraft booster Predecessor Napier Scorpion Liquid-fueled engine Propellant hydrogen peroxide / kerosene Configuration Chamber two Performance Thrust 8,000 lbf (35.6 kN) Dimensions Length 856mm (33.7in) Diameter 584mm (23in) Dry weight 98kg (216lb) Triple Scorpion Application aircraft booster Predecessor Napier Double Scorpion Liquid-fueled engine Propellant hydrogen peroxide / kerosene Configuration Chamber three, independently fired Performance Thrust 12,000 lbf (53.4 kN) From 1956 the Double Scorpion NScD.1 [3] was fitted experimentally to two Canberra light bombers, to improve high altitude performance.[2][4]
A world altitude record of 70,300 feet (21,427 m) was set by Canberra WK163 on 28 August 1957.[5] This was on the eve of cancellation of manned aircraft programmes by the 1957 Defence White Paper.
The Double Scorpion was also considered for use in the English Electric P.1A interceptor (which gave rise to the Lightning)[2] The company Aerojet General was chosen for United States production. [6]
Cancellation
The Scorpion project was cancelled in February 1959, at a reported total cost of £ 1.25 million.[7]
Notes and references
- ^ "United Kingdom Aerospace and Weapons Projects: Rocket Engines". Skomer. http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/rocketengine.htm.
- ^ a b c Napier aero-engines. "Scorpion" (PDF). Flight. 27 June 1958. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200882.html.
- ^ Britain's Rocket Engines. "Napier Double Scorpion" (PDF). Flight: 338. 30 August 1957. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201250.html.
- ^ Compiled by Alan Vessey (1997). Napier Powered. Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-0766-X.
- ^ "Napier Rocket Engines" (PDF). The English Electric Journal. June 1957. http://www.cue-dih.co.uk/aerospace/aeropdfs/htp_for_prop.pdf.
- ^ Popular Science. Feb 1958.
- ^ "Cancelled projects: the list up-dated" (PDF). Flight: 262. 17 August 1967. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1967/1967%20-%201672.html.
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