- Home
- Transportation
- Aviation
- The Hercules (The Other Engine That Helped Win the War)
The Hercules (The Other Engine That Helped Win the War)
| Expected release date is Jun 30th 2026 |
- Availability: Confirm prior to ordering
- Branding: minimum 50 pieces (add’l costs below)
- Check Freight Rates (branded products only)
Branding Options (v), Availability & Lead Times
- 1-Color Imprint: $2.00 ea.
- Promo-Page Insert: $2.50 ea. (full-color printed, single-sided page)
- Belly-Band Wrap: $2.50 ea. (full-color printed)
- Set-Up Charge: $45 per decoration
- Availability: Product availability changes daily, so please confirm your quantity is available prior to placing an order.
- Branded Products: allow 10 business days from proof approval for production. Branding options may be limited or unavailable based on product design or cover artwork.
- Unbranded Products: allow 3-5 business days for shipping. All Unbranded items receive FREE ground shipping in the US. Inquire for international shipping.
- RETURNS/CANCELLATIONS: All orders, branded or unbranded, are NON-CANCELLABLE and NON-RETURNABLE once a purchase order has been received.
Product Details
Overview
The Bristol Hercules was a 14-cylinder sleeve valve radial engine designed by Sir Roy Fedden and produced from 1939 by BAC. It powered Bristol’s own Beaufighter but was more commonly used on bombers. From the 1375 hp Hercules I to the 1735 hp Hercules XVII produced late in the war, the variants powered the Avro Lancaster B.II, the Handley Page Halifax, the Short Stirling, the Vickers Wellesley and the Vickers Wellington, among others. The sleeve valve engine was an efficient configuration that allowed the use of lower-octane fuels for the same compression ratio. It was clever, and it worked.
Gordon Wilson provides a biography of this ingenious workhorse, designed and modified under the pressure of wartime. He has had exclusive access to the restoration of a Handley Page Halifax, which has provided picture details unavailable elsewhere.









