Daimler-Benz DB 601

DB 601
Preserved Daimler-Benz DB 601.
Type Piston V12 aircraft engine
National origin Germany
Manufacturer Daimler-Benz
First run 1935
Major applications Messerschmitt Bf 109
Developed from Daimler-Benz DB 600
Variants Aichi Atsuta
Kawasaki Ha-40
Developed into Daimler-Benz DB 603
Daimler-Benz DB 605
DB 601A, partially sectioned (right side)
Aichi Atsuta, a license-built DB 601 (left side)
One of the DB 601 engines from Rudolf Hess's Messerschmitt Bf 110 on display at the National Museum of Flight in Scotland.

The Daimler-Benz DB 601 was a German aircraft engine built during World War II. It was a liquid-cooled inverted V12, and powered the Messerschmitt Bf 109, among others. The DB 601 was basically an improved DB 600 with direct fuel injection.

The DB 601Aa was licence-built in Japan by Aichi as the Atsuta, by Kawasaki as the Ha-40, and in Italy by Alfa Romeo as the R.A.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone.

Development

Based on the guidelines laid down by the German "Reichverkehrsministerium" (Ministry of Transport),[1] in 1930 Daimler-Benz began development of a new aero engine of the 30 l (1,800 cu in) displacement class: a liquid-cooled inverted-Vee 12-cylinder piston engine.[2] This was designated F4, and by 1931 two prototypes were running on the test bench.[2] These were followed by the improved F4B, which became the prototype for the DB 600.[2]

In 1933, Daimler-Benz finally received a contract to develop its new engine and to build six examples of the DB 600.[2] For the year after, the DB 600 was the only German aero engine in the 30-litre class.[2] In total, 2281 DB 600s were built.[2]

The DB 601A-1 was a development of the DB 600 with mechanical direct fuel injection. Like all DB 601s, it had a 33.9 litre displacement.[2] The first DB 601A-1 prototype, designated as F4E, was test run in 1935, and an order for 150 engines was placed in February 1937.[2]

Serial production began in November 1937, and ended in 1943, after 19,000 examples of all types were produced.[2]

Variants

DB 601 A-1
Up to 1,100 PS (809.0 kW; 1,085.0 hp) at sea-level with 2,400 rpm, up to 1,020 PS (750.2 kW; 1,006.0 hp) at 2,400 rpm and 4,500 m (14,800 ft) altitude, B4 fuel
DB 601 Aa
Up to 1,175 PS (864.2 kW; 1,158.9 hp) at sea-level with 2,500 rpm, up to 1,100 PS (809.0 kW; 1,085.0 hp) at 2,400 rpm and 3,700 m (12,100 ft) altitude, B4 fuel
DB 601 B-1
Same as DB601 A-1 for use in Messerschmitt Bf 110 and/or bomber aircraft (different prop/engine ratio, 1:1.88 instead of 1:1.55)
DB 601 Ba
Similar to Aa for use in Messerschmitt Bf 110 and/or bomber aircraft (different prop/engine ratio, 1:1.88 instead of 1:1.55)
DB 601 M
For use in the Heinkel He 100D 1,175 PS (864.2 kW; 1,158.9 hp)
DB 601 N
Up to 1,175 PS (864.2 kW; 1,158.9 hp) at sea-level and at 4,900 m (16,100 ft) altitude with 2,600 rpm, C3 fuel
Up to 1,270 PS (934.1 kW; 1,252.6 hp) at 2,100 m (6,900 ft) altitude with 2,600 rpm
DB 601 P
Same as DB 601 N for use in Messerschmitt Bf 110 and/or bomber aircraft (different prop/engine ratio, 1:1.88 instead of 1:1.55)
DB 601 E
Up to 1,350 PS (992.9 kW; 1,331.5 hp) at sea-level with 2,700 rpm, up to 1,320 PS (970.9 kW; 1,301.9 hp) with 2.700 rpm at 4,800 m (15,700 ft) altitude, B4 fuel
Up to 1,450 PS (1,066.5 kW; 1,430.2 hp) at 2,100 m (6,900 ft) altitude with 2,700 rpm
DB 601 F/G
Same as DB 601 E for use in Messerschmitt Bf 110, Messerschmitt Me 210 and/or bomber aircraft (different prop/engine ratio,1:1.875 (601F), 1:2.06 (601G) instead of 1:1.685)
DB 606 A/B
Two DB 601 F or G coupled to work on a single propeller shaft for use in early Heinkel He 177As - 2,700 PS (1,986 kW) at sea level with a mirror-imaged starboard component engine supercharger, and derided as "welded-together engines" by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring in August 1942, from the problems they caused with engine fires in the He 177A during service from their inadequate installation design; such problems were not present in either the Heinkel He 119 and Messerschmitt Me 261 which also used them.
Alfa-Romeo R.A.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone
Licence built by Alfa Romeo in Italy

Applications

DB 601
DB 606

Licensees

Aichi Atsuta
Alfa Romeo RA 1000 RC 41
Kawasaki Ha-40

Specifications (DB 601 Aa)

Data from [3]

General characteristics

Components

Performance

See also

Related development
Comparable engines
Related lists

References

Notes

  1. ↑ MTU-Museum Triebwerksgeschichte – gestern, heute und morgen, on www.mtu.de (German, PDF, 4,4 MB)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mankau&Petrick, 2001. pp. 347-355
  3. ↑ Tsygulev (1939). Aviacionnye motory voennykh vozdushnykh sil inostrannykh gosudarstv (Авиационные моторы военных воздушных сил иностранных государств) (in Russian). Moscow: Gosudarstvennoe voennoe izdatelstvo Narkomata Oborony Soyuza SSR.
  4. ↑ Wilkinson, Stephan (Jan 2003). "With the Noise of a Stone Crusher". Popular Science.

Bibliography

  • Mankau, Heinz and Peter Petrick. Messerschmitt Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410. Raumfahrt, Germany: Aviatic Verlag, 2001. ISBN 3-925505-62-8.
  • Neil Gregor Daimler-Benz in the Third Reich. Yale University Press, 1998
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