The All British Engine Company, Ltd. of London, United Kingdom was founded in 1912. Later, the name was changed to A.B.C. Motors, Ltd. The company owner was Ronald Charteris and the chief engineer was Granville Bradshaw. A biography (BMJ) of Bradshaw was published in 2008 by Barry M. Jones. It covers A.B.C. engines for aircraft, auxiliary power units (APU), and ground power units (GPU), as well as many other engines designed by Bradshaw, including motorcycle and auto engines.
Several A.B.C. engine types were built until the end of WWI, including the Gnat series and the unsuccessful Dragonfly radial (BGE; BMJ; S). During WWI, the firm began development of horizontally-opposed APU for aircraft and GPU. A 5hp A.B.C. flat twin APU provided onboard electrical power for a nose-mounted searchlight on the Supermarine Night Hawk and was a pioneering application (JMB). A.B.C. did little with aeroengines from 1919-1923 and concentrated on motorcycles. Their initial HOAE were motorcycle engines converted into low-power aircraft engines. They then built some widely-used low-power HOAE until they left the business at the end of 1926. However, they did build the A.B.C. Robin light aircraft in 1929 with an A.B.C. Scorpion II. Subsequently, the firm concentrated on GPU and APU production through and after WWII.
It has been reported (AM5/78, BMJ) that RAF personnel stationed in India in the 1920s built the Crawford Monoplane patterned after the de Havilland D.H. 53 Humming Bird. The initial power was from a 500cc A.B.C. flat twin from a GPU. When this aircraft would not fly, two of these 500cc engines were rebuilt, in some fashion, into a four-cylinder 1000cc A.B.C. HOAE. The Monoplane flew with this engine.
O-25 -- {2.717 / 2.126 / 24.6} / {69 / 54 / 404}
2cyl; N/A; 7hp@4000rpm, 8@4500; 1923; Wt = 40#.
Engine apparently geared to N/A; converted from motorcycle engines along with others of 10hp and 20hp; the French Gnome-Rhone firm also is reported (Ae39) to have converted A.B.C. motorcycle engines for light aircraft use. Some of these converted motorcycle engines may have been known as Bradshaw engines (Ae39).
Ae39; AJJ2; AM; BMJ; S.
Applications: (UK) English Electric Wren [G-EBNV] - see AM10/84; Granger Linnet (did not fly) - see AM11/78; Handley-Page Sayers Monoplane (flew better with A.B.C. 500cc engine) - see AM3/85.
O-75 -- {3.622 / 3.622 / 74.6} / {92 / 92 / 1223}
Same stroke as O-92.
2cyl; Scorpion Mk. I; 24hp@2500rpm; 1924-1926; Wt = 90#.
Dual-ignition engine.
Ae39; AJJ2; AM; BGE; BMJ; S.
Applications: (UK) Hawker Cygnet [G-EBJH] - see AM10/85; Noël-le Parmentier Wee Mite [G-ACRL] - see AM7/78; Wheeler Slymph [G-ABOI].
O-92 -- {4.016 / 3.622 / 91.8} / {102 / 92 / 1504}
Same bore as O-245.
Same stroke as O-75.
2cyl; Scorpion Mk. II; 34hp@2300rpm, 40@2750 (TO); 1924-1926; Wt = 109#.
Dual-ignition engine.
Ae39; AJJ1, 2; AM; BGE; BMJ; JBC; KMM; S.
Applications: (Canada) Saynor & Bell Canadian Cub [CF-APS]. (France) Jodel D.94 Bébé; Mignet HM-14 Pou du Ciel [including G-ADZS, 'EDN]. (Poland) RWD 1. (UK) A.B.C. Robin [G-AAID] - see AM9/77; Boulton & Paul P.41 Phoenix [G-AAIT]; Comper C.L.A.7 Swift prototype [G-AARX] - see AM8/78, 9/78; de Havilland D.H. 53 Humming Bird [G-EBHZ] - see AM4/85; Henderson-Glenny H.S.F. II Gadfly I [G-AAEY] - see AM11/76, Gadfly II [G-AAEY, G-AARJ which became CF-AMG] - see AM11/76; Hendy 281 Hobo [G-AAIG] - see AM6/77; Luton Minor [G-AFBP, 'UG, 'HMO]; Navarro Chief trimotor; Short S.4 Satellite [G-EBJU] - see AM11/85; Westland Woodpigeon II [G-EBJV] - see AM4/86.
O-140 -- {4.331 / 4.724 / 139.2} / {110 / 120 / 2281}
2cyl; Gnat; 35hp@1800rpm; 1915-1918; Wt=115#.
Single-ignition engine developed in direct-drive and geared versions. All of the military service applications had the direct-drive version because the 45hp geared version could not qualify for service use. Some of the radio-controlled aircraft had a short-life (2hrs) Gnat.
Ae39; AJJ1; AM; AprgHBSu68; BGE; BMJ; JMB; S.
Applications: (Italy) Macchi M.16G, M.16 Idro. (UK) Blackburn Sidecar [G-EALN] (did not fly); Blake Bluetit - see AM10/78; Port Victoria P.V.7 Grain Kitten [N.539], P.V.8 Eastchurch Kitten [N.540]; Royal Aircraft Factory "Aerial Target" (actually a radio-controlled aircraft) [A.8957 - A.8962]; Royal Flying Corps "Aerial Target" (designed by Geoffrey de Havilland); Sopwith "Aerial Target" (not flown), Sparrow. (US) J.V. Martin K-III (now in NASM collection); Loening Kitten.
O-195 -- {4.75 / 5.5 / 194.9} / {120.7 / 139.7 / 3194}
2cyl; Gnat II; 45hp@1800rpm, 50@2000 (TO); 1918-1919; Wt=115#.
Single-ignition engine; probably designed to achieve the power promised for the geared Gnat.
AAW 4/28/1919, Vol.9, p.335; BMJ; J1919.
Applications: None found.
O-245 -- {4.016 / 4.803 / 243.3} / {102 / 122 / 3988}
Same bore as O-92.
4cyl; Hornet; 75hp@1875rpm, 82@2175 (TO); 1925-1926; Wt = 225-245#.
Dual-ignition engine; development ended in 1926.
Ae39; AJJ1, 2; AM; BGE; BMJ; S.
Applications: (UK) Civilian C.A.C. Mk.I Coupé [G-AAIL]; Robinson Redwing I [G-AAUO]; Southern Martlet [G-AAII] - see AM7/80; Westland Widgeon III [G-EBRL] (fitted, but not flown) - see AM2/86.