▁the ▁earliest ▁versions . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁compact , ▁with ▁a ▁diameter ▁of ▁ 4 6 ▁inches ▁( 1 1 7 0   mm ) ▁ ▁which ▁made ▁it ▁attract ive ▁to ▁f ighter ▁design ers . ▁Unfortunately , ▁the ▁engine ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁" not or iously ▁troubles ome ", ▁with ▁prot ract ed ▁development ▁and ▁a ▁slow ▁growth ▁in ▁r ated ▁power . ▁After ▁several ▁years ▁of ▁development , ▁power ▁had ▁been ▁increased ▁from ▁ 1 , 0 1 5   hp ▁( 7 6 0   k W ) ▁to ▁only ▁ 1 , 1 3 0   hp ▁( 8 4 0   k W ). ▁As ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁applications ▁of ▁this ▁engine ▁were ▁in ▁aircraft ▁that ▁fle w ▁at ▁low ▁alt itude , ▁engine ▁development ▁efforts ▁foc uss ed ▁on ▁low - alt itude ▁performance . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁T aur us ▁engines ▁were ▁delivered ▁just ▁before ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁began ▁and ▁found ▁some ▁use ▁primarily ▁in ▁the ▁F aire y ▁Alb ac ore ▁and ▁Br istol ' s ▁own ▁Beau fort ▁tor ped o ▁bom ber . ▁Starting ▁from ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁it ▁was ▁suggested ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁T aur us ▁engines ▁of ▁the ▁latter ▁by ▁the ▁famous ▁Pr att ▁& ▁Whit ney ▁R - 1 8 3 0 ▁T win ▁W asp , ▁itself ▁possess ing ▁a ▁slightly ▁larger ▁ 4 8 ▁in ch ▁( 1 . 2 2 ▁meter ) ▁diameter , ▁but ▁this ▁change ▁was ▁post pon