POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Galloway Atlantic V12 aircraft engine by Galloway Engineering Co Ltd

Object No. B2545

This is a rare 500 hp, V12, World War I aero engine, known as a Galloway Atlantic, made in Scotland in 1918 by the Galloway Engineering Co Ltd at Tongland, Kirkcudbrightshire, (now Dumfries). As World War I progressed the demands for aircraft engines changed from small engines used in spotter aircraft to larger engines powering planes such as the Hadley Page and Vickers bombers. Increased power of 500 hp was achieved by the introduction of the V12 engine which combined two, six cylinder engines. This aircraft engine is part of the Museum's Barraclough Collection. Sir Henry Barraclough was Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sydney and was interested in military engineering. He made trips to Europe to acquire stationary engines for the University, and several rare and significant examples have been preserved by the Museum since they became outdated for teaching purposes. During World War I Barraclough supervised a large contingent of Australian ammunition workers in Britain, and at the end of the war he had the foresight to acquire a group of aero engines made in several countries that had been parties to the conflict. This group, which includes this Galloway Atlantic, was later donated to the Museum and is significant as a record of the diversity of engine designs in the early days of powered flight. Prepared by N.L. Svensson May 2007, edited by Judith Campbell, MAAS volunteer, March 2017