The Wolseley Viper is a British-built, high-compression derivative of the Hispano Suiza HS-8 liquid-cooled V8 engine, built under licence by Wolseley Motors during World War I.
It powered later models of the S.E.5a, SPAD VII and other British or British-built aircraft designed for the Hispano-Suiza.
Variants Wolseley W.4A Python I (1917) – licence produced version of the Hispano-Suiza 8Aa with minor structural changes and the weight increased to , retained the original's low compression pistons and compression ratio of 4.7:1. Only 100 built. Wolseley W.4A Python II – high compression version of the Python I with high compression pistons and compression ratio increased to 5.3:1. Wolseley W.4A* Viper (1918) – broadly the equivalent of the Hispano-Suiza 8Ab, compression ratio of 5.3:1 (19 early production engines had a higher compression ratio of 5.6:1), with 200 hp English Hispano propeller hubs. Wolseley W.4B Adder I (1918) – modified version of the Hispano-Suiza 8B. Wolseley W.4B* Adder II – modified and improved version of the Adder I. Wolseley W.4B* Adder III – modified and improved version of the Adder II with balanced crankshaft.
Applications Airco DH.9 Avro 552 Bristol M.R.1 Bristol Tourer Cierva C.8 Martinsyde F.6 Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a Sopwith Antelope Sopwith Cuckoo
Surviving engines A Wolseley Viper powered Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a is owned by, and on display at The Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden Aerodrome in the UK.The Shuttleworth Collection - SE5a www.shuttleworth.org Retrieved: 09 March 2017.
Engines on display A preserved Wolseley Viper is on public display at the Science Museum, London. A preserved Wolseley Viper is on public display at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina
Specifications (W.4A Viper)
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