Well. I didn't think of that. To the limit of my knowledge (which isn't saying much but still) this seems like a very interesting and creative solution! Congrats! Bit of a risk with the timing but I like the direction.
There for all to see, without a huge condensing system to scrub the smoke stack and keep the "exhaust" water vapour free.I mean, I would hate to be sitting next to the boiler when it gets holed by and AP shell but the power capacity is there.
There was also some odd taxes on larger engine sizes IIRC which strangled larger truck engine developmentSmall series production runs in peace time so , limited profit.
And could provide enough hot water to make a brew for the attached infantry...There is - Steam. A steam powered tank would have worked and would have been over 500 hp.
TBH didn't come across them in my research.Enjoyable update as always Allen, my only question would be that have you given Gardner diesel any thought for helping with development?
Gardners modular cylinder and head system (cylinders in pairs or threes which could be combined to give you any number of cylinders from 2 to 8 in inline form) in both automotive and marine form could be combined with a new crank case to make a V12 or 16 or a broad arrow 18, power is a little lower than the lion in one of those forms but so is swept volume if based on the in production 6LW ( 84 hp @1400 rpm on 10.3 lts) or 6L3 (114hp@900 rpm on 18.3 litres).
Gardners are renowned for the high torque available at low revs and the extreme reliability of the engines, there is still a thriving market for rebuilt engines 20 years after the factory closed down.
Well, if you double up any of the size cylinder engines to get a 12 cylinder you could get into the ballpark.Checking Gardner's engine list, only one even gets close to the necessary power, and not all the way there.
Possibly as a Flat engine, but I doubt you could do a V engine quickly.Well, if you double up any of the size cylinder engines to get a 12 cylinder you could get into the ballpark.
At least one of them handed themselves into the police on arrival asking to help by passing false information.....IIRC, they were so bad the the German agents were captured by the British and either were forced/they were replaced by British agents who sent the Germans phony messages. And the Abwehr never caught on...
However less unnoticed by the Luftwaffe. Unfortunately RAF Peterborough, later Westwood farm, was around a mile and a half from Perkins Engines. The airfield, if I remember rightly was a training unit, (biplanes, obsolete types mostly), which was bombed a couple of times, probably out of boredom, however recon flights happened fairly regularly. If the factory is expanded before the war, the chances are it will go as unnoticed as it was OTL though.Considering how bad German intelligence gathering operations in the UK were due to the XX system, setting up a new factory to build the Diesel Lion would probably go completely unnoticed by the Abwehr.
Security by obscurity.
More security by confusion/obscurity!However less unnoticed by the Luftwaffe. Unfortunately RAF Peterborough, later Westwood farm, was around a mile and a half from Perkins Engines. The airfield, if I remember rightly was a training unit, (biplanes, obsolete types mostly), which was bombed a couple of times, probably out of boredom, however recon flights happened fairly regularly. If the factory is expanded before the war, the chances are it will go as unnoticed as it was OTL though.
Just for added confusion, Perkins Engines, of Queen Street, Peterborough, producers of diesel engines should not be confused with Baker Perkins of Westwood, Peterborough who produced Engines for the mk IV tank during WWI, and moved into making biscuit and confectionary machinery after the first war. This made them obvious candidates, (for some unknown reason), to build the 6lb anti tank gun in the second world war.
The two companies are completely unrelated.
Why would developing a flat engine crankcase would be easier than a V ?Possibly as a Flat engine, but I doubt you could do a V engine quickly.