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Bristol / Gnome-Rhône Jupiter Series V, VI, VIII, IX, XI — Historical & Technical Documentation
€48,85

Bristol Jupiter / Gnome-Rhône 9A Jupiter — Series V, VI, VIII, IX & XI

The Bristol Jupiter is one of the most consequential aero-engines of the twentieth century — a nine-cylinder, air-cooled radial that defined the interwar era and powered the first generation of European commercial airliners. Designed by Roy Fedden at Cosmos Engineering during the final months of the First World War and brought to production maturity by the Bristol Aeroplane Company from 1921, the Jupiter was the first production aero-engine in the world to feature four overhead valves per cylinder — a configuration that became the industry standard.

In France, the engine was manufactured under licence by Société des Moteurs Gnome-Rhône from 1923, marketed as the Gnome-Rhône 9A Jupiter. In the Soviet Union, it was licence-built by Arkady Shvetsov's bureau and designated the M-22 — a direct copy of the Bristol Jupiter used in aircraft including the Polikarpov I-5 and Tupolev ANT-9. Across seventeen international licensees — including Alfa Romeo (Italy), Nakajima (Japan), and Shvetsov (USSR) — roughly 10,000 units were produced globally, making the Jupiter one of the most widely manufactured aero-engines of its generation.

Note on this collection: The Gnome-Rhône Jupiter variants (Series V and VI), the Serbian-edition direct-drive catalog, and the Soviet M-22 document are all licence-built or licence-derived versions of the original British Bristol Jupiter engine. They represent different national adaptations of the same base design, all documented within this collection.

Document Manifest — 10 Primary-Source Documents

Air Ministry Descriptive Handbooks (English)

  • AP 1278 — Jupiter Series VI Aero Engine. Descriptive Handbook. Air Ministry. 1st Edition, March 1927. Published September 1927. H.M. Stationery Office, London. Price 2s. 6d. Net.
  • AP 1871 — Bristol Jupiter Series VIII & IX Aero Engines. Descriptive Handbook. Air Ministry. 1st Edition, July 1929. Published December 1929. H.M. Stationery Office, London. Price 3s. 6d. Net. Ref. 22-104.
  • AP 1417, Volume I — Jupiter VIII F., VIII F.P., XI F. & XI F.P. Aero Engines. Descriptive Handbook. Air Ministry. 2nd Edition, August 1932. Published October 1932. H.M. Stationery Office, London. Price 5s. 0d. Net. Ref. 22-124.

Illustrated Parts Catalogs

  • Gnome & Rhône Jupiter Série V — Nomenclature Photographique des Pièces Détachées des Moteurs d'Aviation [French]. Société des Moteurs “Gnome & Rhône”, 34 Rue de Lisbonne, Paris (8e). R.C. Seine 176.707.
  • Gnome & Rhône Jupiter Série VI — Copy 1 — Nomenclature Photographique des Pièces Détachées des Moteurs d'Aviation [French]. Prise Directe: 9 Aex 480 cv / 9 Ae 480 cv / 9 Ady 420 cv / 9 Ad 420 cv. Démultiplié Réducteur II: 9 Akx 480 cv. Société des Moteurs “Gnome & Rhône”, Paris. R.C. Seine 178.707.
  • Gnome & Rhône Jupiter Série VI — Copy 2 — Nomenclature Photographique des Pièces Détachées des Moteurs d'Aviation [French]. Identical specification to Copy 1; separate print run (orange cover). Société des Moteurs “Gnome & Rhône”, Paris. R.C. Seine 178.707.
  • Гном-Рон Јупитер — Непосредан пренос — Номенклатура појединих делова аеропланских мотора са сликама [Serbian]. Gnome-Rhône Jupiter, Direct Drive — Illustrated Parts Catalog. Земун: Штампарија М. Млађана, 1929.
  • M-22 (Bristol Jupiter — Soviet Licence Build) — Russian-language technical document [Cyrillic script]. The M-22 is a direct Soviet licence copy of the Bristol Jupiter, produced under Shvetsov's bureau designation. Publisher details as visible on cover.

Operation & Maintenance Manuals

  • Gnome & Rhône Jupiter — Manuel pour la Conduite et l'Entretien des Moteurs d'Aviation Gnome & Rhône Jupiter [French]. Prix: 20 Francs. [Series not specified on cover.]
  • Gnome Rhône Jupiter Série VI — Notice Technique pour la Conduite et l'Entretien des Moteurs d'Aviation [French]. Prise directe (420 CV et 480 CV) / Démultiplié (480 CV). Société des Moteurs Gnome et Rhône, 34 Rue de Lisbonne, Paris (8e). Rég. Com. Seine 176.707.

Total documents in this collection: 10
Languages represented: English, French, Serbian, Russian

Historical Information

  • First introduction: 1918 (Cosmos design) / 1921 (Bristol production) / 1923 (Gnome-Rhône licence)
  • Manufacturers: Cosmos Engineering; Bristol Aeroplane Company (UK); Société des Moteurs Gnome-Rhône (France); Shvetsov bureau (USSR — M-22, direct licence copy)
  • Design origin: Evolved from the experimental Cosmos Jupiter by Roy Fedden
  • Military applications: Bristol Bulldog, Westland Wapiti, Junkers W.34, Dornier Do X, Polikarpov I-5 (M-22)
  • Civil applications: Handley Page H.P.42, de Havilland Giant Moth, de Havilland Hercules, Tupolev ANT-9 (M-22)
  • Production period: 1921 to early 1930s (superseded by the Bristol Pegasus)
  • Total production: ~10,000 units across 17 international licensees
  • Operational significance: Regarded as one of the most reliable aero-engines of the interwar period; powered many of the first European commercial airliners and military bombers
  • Post-service fate: Progressively replaced by the Bristol Mercury and Gnome-Rhône 14K Mistral Major; surviving examples relegated to regional mail and light cargo before complete obsolescence

Technical Specifications

  • Engine type: Air-cooled, single-row radial
  • Cylinders: 9
  • Displacement: 1,747 cu in (28.6 litres)
  • Power output: 420 hp – 580 hp (variant-dependent)
  • Bore × Stroke: 5.75 in (146 mm) × 7.48 in (190 mm)
  • Compression ratio: 5.3:1 – 6.5:1
  • Weight: 730 lb (direct drive) – 836 lb (geared)
  • Fuel: Aviation gasoline (~80 octane)
  • Notable engineering: 4 overhead valves per cylinder; BTH SC9-1 magnetos; cast-aluminium crankcase

Series Covered in This Collection

  • Series V — early production direct-drive variant
  • Series VI (9AD) — refined direct-drive; primary export and licence baseline. Sub-variants: 9 Aex / 9 Ae (480 cv, 2000 t/m), 9 Ady / 9 Ad (420 cv, 1750 t/m), 9 Akx geared (480 cv, 1000 t/m)
  • Series VIII / VIII F. / VIII F.P. — uprated output; F = supercharged, F.P. = supercharged geared
  • Series IX — geared variant; improved propeller efficiency at altitude
  • Series XI F. / XI F.P. — highest-output Jupiter production variants; supercharged and supercharged-geared
  • M-22 — Soviet licence-built direct copy; Shvetsov bureau designation for the Bristol Jupiter

Current Status

  • Still flying: No
  • Type Certificate holder: Obsolete / Historical (formerly Cosmos Engineering, Bristol Aeroplane Company, Snecma/Safran)
  • Active Service Bulletins / ADs: None
  • Primary use today: Museum display and historical research

⚠️ Regulatory Notice: Under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13 and EASA Part-M, any mechanic performing maintenance on an active aircraft must use current, manufacturer-approved revision-controlled data. This archival document does not satisfy that requirement.

This is an archival, static-copy edition fixed at its original publication date. Intended for historical reference, flight simulation, museum restoration, and educational use only. Not approved for active airworthiness maintenance under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13, EASA Part-M, or equivalent international regulations. Operators of active aircraft must use current, revision-controlled publications from the Type Certificate holder or an authorised distributor.
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