BMW VI

File:BMW VI Front Side.jpg

The BMW VI was the first twelve-cylinder engine built by the BMW. It essentially consisted of two cylinder banks from the six-cylinder BMW IV bolted to a common cast aluminium crankcase at a 60-degree included angle between the cylinder banks. Series production commenced in 1926 after type approval had been granted. From 1930 on, after 1000 engines of the BMW VI type had already been delivered, Germany was again permitted to construct military aircraft. The sudden additional demand resulted in the production figures increasing rapidly. In 1933 the BMW VI was used for BMW's first experiments with direct fuel injection.

The BMW VI was the chosen source of power for numerous record-breaking and long-distance flights, including an east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic in 1930 and a round-the world flight in 1932, both by Wolfgang von Gronau in an open Dornier Wal flying boat powered by two BMW VI engines.

The BMW VI was put to unusual use as a power unit for the "Rail Zeppelin" high-speed railcar.

Many versions of the BMW VI engine were developed, and it was built under license in Japan and the Soviet Union. This was further evidence of the reliability of an engine with which BMW made a fundamental contribution to the build-up of German air transport. At least 9,200 were built between 1926 and 1938. The engine was license-built in the Soviet Union under the supervision of Mikulin, who then further developed it as the M-17. More license built engines were produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan as the Kawasaki Ha9 (long designation:- Army Type 98 850hp Liquid Cooled In-line).

5.5, 6 or 7.3 denotes compression ratio. No additional letter denotes BMW carburetor and direct-drive propeller (7.3), u denotes a propeller reduction gear (7.3u), z denotes Zenith carburetor (7.3z), zu denotes Zenith carburetor and propeller reduction gear (7.3zu).

File:BMW VI right side front.jpg

;BMW VI 5.5

: Compression ratio 5.5:1, {{convert|600-650|PS|hp|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} at up to 1600 rpm at sea level

;BMW VI 6.0

: Compression ratio 6:1, {{convert|630-660|PS|hp|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} at up to 1650 rpm at sea level, 80 Octane fuel

;BMW VI 7.3

: Compression ratio 7.3:1 {{convert|680-750|PS|hp|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} at up to 1700 rpm at sea level, 87 Octane fuel

;Mikulin M-17: {{Main|Mikulin M-17}} Licence production in the USSR

;Kawasaki Ha9: (long designation:- Army Type 98 850hp Liquid Cooled In-line) licence production in Japan by Kawasaki

File:BMW VI valve covers.jpg

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

• Albatros L 77v
• Arado Ar 64
• Arado Ar 65
• Arado Ar 68
• Arado SSD I
• Brutus (car)
• Dornier Do 10
• Dornier Do 14
• Dornier Do 17
• Focke-Wulf Fw 42
• Heinkel He 45
• Heinkel He 51
• Heinkel He 59
• Heinkel He 60
• Heinkel He 70
• Heinkel He 111 prototype and civilian versions
• Junkers F.24ko
• Kawasaki Type 92
• Kawasaki Ki-10
• Messerschmitt M.20
• Polikarpov R-5 prototype
• Schienenzeppelin
• Tupolev TB-3

{{col div end}}

File:BMW VI-106.jpg

{{pistonspecs|

|ref=Flugzeug-Typenbuch. Handbuch der deutschen Luftfahrt- und Zubehör-Industrie 1944 {{cite book |last=Schneider |first=Helmut (Dipl.Ing.) |title=Flugzeug-Typenbuch. Handbuch der deutschen Luftfahrt- und Zubehör-Industrie 1944 |date=1944 |publisher=Herm. Beyer Verlag |location=Leipzig |isbn=381120484X |edition=Facsimile reprint 1986 |language=German |page=365}}

|type=V-12, 60° water-cooled piston engine

|bore={{convert|160|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}

|stroke={{convert|190|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} / {{convert|199|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} (different between right and left cylinder bank due to articulated connecting rods).

|displacement={{cvt|46.9|L|cuin|2}}

|length={{convert|1810|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}

|diameter=

|width={{convert|859|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}

|height={{convert|1103|mm|in|2|abbr=on}}

|weight={{convert|510|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

|valvetrain=1 inlet + 1 exhaust valve per cylinder operated by a shaft driven overhead camshaft via rockers

|supercharger=

|turbocharger=

|fuelsystem=2 x Zenith 60 DCL

|fueltype=min. 87 octane gasoline

|oilsystem=

|coolingsystem=Liquid-cooled

|power=

:*{{cvt|750|PS|hp kW|0}} for takeoff at 1,700 rpm (1 minute) at sea level

:*{{cvt|690|PS|hp kW|0}} at 1,650 rpm (5 minutes) at sea level

:*{{cvt|620|PS|hp kW|0}} at 1,590 rpm (30 minutes) at sea level

:*{{cvt|550|PS|hp kW|0}} at 1,530 rpm (max. duration) at sea level

|specpower={{cvt|16|PS/L|hp/cuin kW/L|2}}

|compression=7.3

|fuelcon=

|specfuelcon=

:*{{cvt|0.23|kg/PSh|lb/hph kg/kWh|3}} at 1,590 rpm

:*{{cvt|0.225|kg/PSh|lb/hph kg/kWh|3}} at 1,530 rpm

|oilcon={{cvt|0.003|-|0.01|kg/PSh|lb/hph kg/kWh|3}} at 1,530 rpm

|power/weight={{cvt|1.47|PS/kg|hp/lb kW/kg}}

• B.M.E.P.: {{cvt|6.9|atm|bar psi}}

|designer=

|reduction_gear=none

|general_other=

|components_other=

|performance_other=

}}

{{aircontent

|see also=

|related=

• BMW IV
• BMW VII
• Mikulin M-17

|similar aircraft=

|lists=

• List of aircraft engines

|similar engines=

• Liberty L-12

}}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|BMW VI}}

• {{cite book

|last= Gunston |first= Bill

|title=World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines

|year=1986

|publisher=Patrick Stephens |location= Wellingborough

|page=25

|ref=Gunston, Encyc. Aero Engines

}}

{{BMW aeroengines}}

{{Japanese Imperial Army aeroengines}}

Category:BMW aircraft engines

Category:1920s aircraft piston engines

Category:V12 aircraft engines