Some Meadows "Gen"

We have received from Henry Meadows Ltd, who are supplying the Air Ministry with 11-litre, 4-cylinder, Type 4EC engines, rather like their well-known car units, some valuable information about the latter, that is, the Type 1 ED, 60 by 100-mm 4-cylinder engines as used in Frazer-Nash, HRG, and, at an earlier date, in Lea-Francis cars. The 4 ED was supplied in two types, the “Standard” and the “Brooklands.” The former ran up to 4,000 rpm, and the latter up to 4,500 rpm, and later examples of both types had a heavier crankshaft, with 45 mm diameter crank-pins and 46 mm diameter journals. The bores of these engines were tested to 500 lb/sq in, and the water jackets to 50 lb/sq in. Sump capacity was one gallon. The “Standard” type had a valve timing giving an inlet period of 220° and an exhaust period of 230′, while on the “Brooklands” engine the timing was i o 10deg before tdc, closes 50″ after bdc ; ex o 60deg before tdc, closes 15 after tdc, giving an inlet period of 240 and an exhaust period of 255′. Ignition advance was 35′ before tdc, or 55 to 60′ before tdc, for full output above 3,000 rpm. Both engines weighed 3 cwt. 2 qr 7 lb with flywheel, clutch and unit gearbox. The “Standard” model had a compression ratio of 5.2 to 1 and gave 371/2 bhp at 4,000 rpm with a bmep. of 109 lb/sq in at 1.000 rpm, 110 at 2,000, 97 at 3000 and 82 at 4,000 rpm. The “Brooklands” model had a compression ratio of 7 to 1, tulip racing-type valves, two SU carburetters instead of one Solex or Zenith, and a high-lift camshaft. It gave just over 52 bhp at 4,000 rpm, and bmep figures of 113, 118, 123 and 113 lb/sq in at 1,500, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 rpm respectively. At 2,400 to 3,200 rpm the torque was approximately 741 lb/ft, reaching nearly 75 lb/ft, at about 2,800 rpm. The dimensions of both engines, with type 4A gearboxes, were 5 ft by 2 ft 10 in by 2 ft. Henry Meadows Ltd, hope to produce a new range of sports car engines when they are released from war production. They have in mind a 3-litre 6-cylinder engine of very high output, but their post-war programme is not yet definite.