The Daimler-Benz DB 601 was a German aircraft engine that was built during World War II. It was a liquid-cooled inverted V12, and powered the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Messerschmitt Bf 110, and many others. Approximately 19,000 601s were produced before it was replaced by the improved Daimler-Benz DB 605 in 1942.

At its core, the DB 601 was an improved DB 600 with direct fuel injection. Fuel injection required power to be taken off the drive shaft, but in return, improved low-RPM performance significantly and provided aerobatic performance in maneuvers where early versions of carbureted engines like the British Rolls-Royce Merlin lost power when the carburetor float bowl ran dry.

The 601's fuel injection provided a significant boost in performance which its competitor, the Junkers Jumo 210, did not match for some time. By the time the fuel-injected 211 arrived, the 601 had already cemented its place as the engine for high-performance designs like fighters, high-speed bombers, and similar roles. The 211 was relegated to use in bombers and transport aircraft. In this respect, the 601 was the counterpart to the Merlin engine of roughly the same size and power.

The DB 601Aa was licence-built in Japan by Aichi as the Atsuta, by Kawasaki as the Ha40, 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" (Reich Ministry of Transport),[http://www.mtu.de/e-papers/MTU_ePaper/Marketing/MTU_Museum/epaper/ausgabe.pdf MTU-Museum Triebwerksgeschichte – gestern, heute und morgen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194848/http://www.mtu.de/e-papers/MTU_ePaper/Marketing/MTU_Museum/epaper/ausgabe.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }}, on www.mtu.de (German, PDF, 4,4 MB) in 1930 Daimler-Benz began development of a new aero engine of the {{convert|30|L|cuin|abbr=on}} displacement class: a liquid-cooled inverted-vee 12-cylinder piston engine.Mankau&Petrick, 2001. pp. 347-355 This was designated F4, and by 1931 two prototypes were running on the test bench. These were followed by the improved F4B, which became the prototype for the DB 600.

In 1933, Daimler-Benz finally received a contract to develop its new engine and to build six examples of the DB 600. For the year after, the DB 600 was the only German aero engine in the 30-litre class. In total, 2,281 DB 600s were built.

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. 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.

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

Variants

;DB 601 A-1

:Up to {{convert|1,100|PS|kW hp|abbr=on|0}} at sea level with 2,400 rpm, up to {{convert|1,020|PS|kW hp|abbr=on|0}} at 2,400 rpm and {{convert|4500|m|abbr=on}} altitude, B4 fuel

;DB 601 Aa

:Up to {{convert|1,175|PS|kW hp|abbr=on}} at sea level with 2,500 rpm, up to {{convert|1,100|PS|kW hp|abbr=on|0}} at 2,400 rpm and {{convert|3700|m|abbr=on}} 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 {{convert|1,175|PS|kW hp|abbr=on|1}}

;DB 601 N

:Up to {{convert|1,175|PS|kW hp|abbr=on}} at sea level and at {{convert|4900|m|abbr=on}} altitude with 2,600 rpm, C3 fuel

:Up to {{convert|1,270|PS|kW hp|abbr=on|0}} at {{convert|2100|m|abbr=on}} 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 {{convert|1,350|PS|kW hp|abbr=on|0}} at sea level with 2,700 rpm, up to {{convert|1,320|PS|kW hp|abbr=on}} with 2.700 rpm at {{convert|4800|m|abbr=on}} altitude, B4 fuel

:Up to {{convert|1,450|PS|kW hp|abbr=on|0}} at {{convert|2100|m|abbr=on}} 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

:Project initiated in February 1937, to "twin-up" two DB 601As or Es coupled to work on a single propeller shaft with all-up weight of some 1.5 tonnes;{{cite book |last1=Griehl |first1=Manfred |last2=Dressel |first2=Joachim |title=Heinkel He 177 – 277 – 274 |year=1998 |publisher=Airlife Publishing |location=Shrewsbury, UK |isbn=1-85310-364-0 |page=224 }} for use in Heinkel He 119 (one DB 606) and Messerschmitt Me 261 (twin DB 606) designs, where they worked well in their prototype airframes; saw first combat use with early Heinkel He 177As - 2,700 PS (1,986 kW) at sea level with a mirror-imaged starboard component engine supercharger. 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.

;Alfa-Romeo R.A.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone:Licence built by Alfa Romeo in Italy

;Aichi Atsuta:Licence built by Aichi in Japan

;Kawasaki Ha40:Licence built by Kawasaki in Japan

Applications

;DB 601

;DB 606

=Licensees=

;Aichi Atsuta

;Alfa Romeo R.A.1000 R.C.41

;Kawasaki Ha40

Kawasaki Ki-61

Specifications (DB 601 Aa / Ba)

{{pistonspecs

|ref=,{{cite book|last=Tsygulev|title=Aviacionnye motory voennykh vozdushnykh sil inostrannykh gosudarstv (Авиационные моторы военных воздушных сил иностранных государств)|language=ru|publisher=Gosudarstvennoe voennoe izdatelstvo Narkomata Oborony Soyuza SSR|location=Moscow|year=1939|url=http://base13.glasnet.ru/text/aviamotory/t.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324160448/http://base13.glasnet.ru/text/aviamotory/t.htm|archive-date=2009-03-24}} 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=de |page=388}}

|type=12-cylinder liquid-cooled supercharged 60° inverted Vee aircraft piston engine

|bore={{cvt|150|mm|2}}

|stroke={{cvt|160|mm|2}}

|displacement={{cvt|33.9|L|cuin|1}}

|length={{cvt|1722|mm|1}}

|diameter=

|width={{cvt|739|mm|1}}

|height={{cvt|1027|mm|1}}

|weight={{cvt|600|kg|0}} dry, unequipped

|valvetrain=Two intake and two sodium-cooled exhaust valves per cylinder actuated via a single overhead camshaft per cylinder block.

|supercharger=Gear-driven single-speed centrifugal type supercharger (later, hydraulic-driven) rated to {{cvt|4000|m}}{{cite journal|last=Wilkinson|first=Stephan|title=With the Noise of a Stone Crusher|journal=Popular Science|date=Jan 2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WAAAAAAAMBAJ&q=supercharger%20Daimler&pg=PA28}})

|turbocharger=

|fuelsystem=Direct fuel injection

|fueltype=

|oilsystem=Dry sump with one pressure pump at {{cvt|0.3|-|0.35|atm|psi bar}} and two scavenge pumps

|coolingsystem=Liquid-cooled

|power=

:*{{cvt|1175|PS|hp kW}} at 2,500 rpm for takeoff

:*{{cvt|1100|PS|hp kW|0}} at 2,400 rpm at {{convert|4000|m|abbr=on|-2}}

:*{{cvt|1070|PS|hp kW|0}} at 2,400 rpm at {{cvt|3700|m}}

:*{{cvt|1000|PS|hp kW|0}} at 2,400 rpm (max. continuous / cruise) at {{cvt|4000|m|-2}}

|specpower={{cvt|34.65|PS/L|hp/cuin kW/L|2}}

|compression=6.9:1

|fuelcon=

|specfuelcon={{cvt|0.220|kg/PSh|lb/hph kg/kWh|3}} at max continuous

|oilcon={{cvt|0.005|-|0.008|kg/PSh|lb/hph kg/kWh|3}} at max continuous

|power/weight={{cvt|1.96|PS/kg|hp/lb kW/kg}}

Reduction gear Spur

:* 601Aa 0.645:1

:* 601Ba 0.532:1

}}

References

Bibliography

{{cite book |last1=Bingham |first1=Victor |title=Major Piston Aero Engines of World War II |year=1998 |publisher=Airlife Publishing |location=Shrewsbury, UK |isbn=1-84037-012-2}}
{{cite book |last1=Christopher |first1=John |title=The Race for Hitler's X-Planes: Britain's 1945 Mission to Capture Secret Luftwaffe Technology. |year=2013 |publisher=History Press |location=Stroud, UK |isbn=978-0-7524-6457-2}}
{{cite book |last1=Gunston |first1=Bill |title=World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines: From the Pioneers to the Present Day |year=2006 |publisher=Sutton |location=Stroud, UK |isbn=0-7509-4479-X |edition=5th}}
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

External links

{{Commons category-multi|Daimler-Benz DB 601|Daimler-Benz DB 606}}

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110618002916/http://www.enginehistory.org/German/daimler-benz.shtml Daimler-Benz Aircraft Engines]
[http://www.aviation-history.com/engines/db605.htm Aviation History.com, DB 600 series page]
[http://kurfurst.org/#engines Kurfürst - Resource on Messerschmitt Bf 109 performance.]
[https://www.scribd.com/doc/71362812 (1940) Betriebs und Wartungsvorschrift zum Mercedes-Benz Flugmotor DB 601 A u. B - 1940 dated operation and maintenance manual for the Daimler-Benz DB 601A and DB 601B aircraft engines]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
[http://www.enginehistory.org/CAD/PasqualiS/DB606/DB606_01.gif DB 606 "power system" CAD-based animation of crankcase/conrod/piston components]

Category:Daimler-Benz aircraft engines

Category:1930s aircraft piston engines

Category:Inverted V12 aircraft engines

Daimler-Benz DB 601#Variants