Old habits die hard with Flight; still calling it the RFC now three years on. GRIN!

For those who might find it interesting, the Hispano-Suiza engine from the Great War is an interesting plant. The engine itself actually had a good reputation and it was one of the most common if not the most commonly manufactured aero engines on the Allied side.

A Hissy powered aircraft is easily identified as the propeller is backwards, set to rotate clockwise because of the reduction gearing, and therein lay the initial weak spot, for the reduction-gearboxes in early HS-8s were known to undergo "instant disassembly" from time to time, sometimes releasing the propeller to wander off on its own in search of itself.

The name literally means "Spanish-Swiss", the nationalities of the two men who started the company. The company exists in Spain today.

HS-8s were made during the Great War under license in Britain, I believe by Wolesley. The Americans also built it, continuing to use it after the war in their Jenny trainers, these engines manufactured by Wright.

I know little about the in-line four Bentley you mention, but will be curious how the lads find it compared to the 12-litre V8 HS-8.

I only know anything about the thing because of an interest in early racing, aero engines (without the reduction-gearing, of course) being used after the Great War creating some truly monstrous, dangerous, and epic racers, as well as being a bit enamoured of the unsung SE-5 because everyone knows about the Camel and thinks it won the war; much the same reason I favour the Hurricane, the homely sister who does the heavy lifting whilst all the boys want to court the Spitfire. GRIN!