The 1.46 cc E.D. Hornet was introduced in late 1952 to fill a gap in the range of displacements covered by the E.D. model engine range. The rotary disc-valved engine was based upon the well-established 1 cc E.D. Bee Mk. I, with which it shared all of its bottom end and fuel supply components. The use of the Bee crankshaft required that the extra displacement be achieved through a substantial increase in the bore, making the Hornet an exaggeratedly short-stroke engine.  

The use of conventional slit radial porting forced the use of an unusually early opening of the exhaust ports in order to provide a transfer period of adequate duration. This gave the Hornet an unusually penetrating exhaust note! Performance was nothing special, although it was quite comparable to that of competing 1.5 cc sports diesels from other manufacturers. 

A full review and test of the E.D. Hornet may be found elsewhere on this website.