Immediately after this material, a comparison and a long and thoughtful analysis on the topic of who was better: air vents or liquid-cooled motors downright suggests itself. But before that, it is really worth looking at the best representatives of water motors. And then just compare who was better, who was more promising, who was more convenient.
Rolls-Royce Merlin, UK
It is unlikely that anyone would argue that we have before us one of the most epochal motors of that time. Almost 20 years on the assembly line, 57 modifications, more than 150,000 copies - this suggests that the motor has gone beyond the usual framework. And flew away.
The list of aircraft that the Merlin flew into the sky is not only impressive. He is delightful. Hurricane, Spitfire, Seafire, Beaufighter, Mosquito, Whitley, Lancaster, Halifax and many others. And yes, if not for the Merlin and its licensed copy of the Packard V-1650, then the Mustang would have remained a flying coffin, and not an excellent fighter.
TTX "Rolls-Royce" "Merlin X":
Volume: 27 l.
Power: 1290 hp with. at 3000 rpm in takeoff mode.
Number of cylinders: 12.
Valves: Two inlet and two outlet valves per cylinder.
Fuel type: gasoline with octane number 87 or 100.
Fuel consumption: 177 l / h - 400 l / h.
Dry weight: 744 kg.
The highlight of all "Merlins" are the magnificent superchargers designed by Stanley Hooker. The downside is the love of engines for high-octane gasoline.
After the war, "Merlins" not only continued to fly on civilian aircraft, but even began to carry former opponents through the air.
Modification of the Messerschmitt Bf.109G-2, which was built in Spain, was modified by Hispano Aviación for the installation of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 500-45 engine with a capacity of 1,600 hp. under the brand name "Hispano Aviacion" HA-1112-M1L "Buchon".
Another German, "Heinkel" No.111, which enterprising Spaniards began to produce after the war, after the "native" engines from "Junkers" Jumo 211F-2, were redesigned for "Merlin".
The Italians had the same situation, after the war they had a Fiat G.59 fighter in service, in fact a G.55 with a Daimler-Benz DB 605A engine. When the German engines ran out, the 59th appeared under the Merlin.
All in all, the Merlin turned out to be one of the most demanded engines in the world. Seriously.
Allison V-1710. USA
The case when there was nothing and suddenly it was required. By the beginning of World War II, the United States approached, having generally one liquid-cooled aircraft engine. But - what!
In general, it did not possess special characteristics, but it was distinguished by its reliability. Allison V-1710. Obviously, the fact that the United States produced (the only country in the world) turbochargers in large series helped out. That is why the twin-engine R-38 "Lightning" with a power of 1150 hp. developed at an altitude of 7,000 meters 628 km / h. And the Messerschmitt Bf.110C with DB 601N engines with a higher takeoff power of 1,215 hp. at this altitude it barely accelerated to 470 km / h.
As a result, the US aviation received a very reliable engine with a good resource and even an abundance of positive aspects. Naturally, all US fighters that were developed for liquid engines received the Allison V-1710.
These are the P-38 Lightning, the P-40 Kittyhawk and Tomahawk, the P-39 Airacobra, the P-63 Kingcobra, even the P-51 Mustang began its career with this engine.
TTX Allison V-1710:
Volume: 28 l.
Power: 1500 HP at 3000 rpm takeoff mode.
Number of cylinders: 12.
Valves: Two inlet and two outlet valves per cylinder.
Fuel type: gasoline with an octane rating of 100 or 130.
Dry weight: 633 kg.
In total, almost 70,000 engines have been manufactured.
Klimov VK-105. the USSR
Deep and very successful modernization of the M-100 engine, a licensed copy of the Franco-Swiss Hispano-Suiza 12Y engine.
It differed from the imported progenitor by a radically revised circuit of the motor itself, the gas distribution system and a two-speed supercharger.
And most importantly, the engine made it possible to use low-octane fuel such as B-78 or B-20 (OCH 93), and in the most extreme case - 4B-74. Neither British nor even American engines allowed such an outrage. And ours - nothing, flew. And if we dilute our gasoline with the American Lend-lease B-100, everything was fine.
The forced motors VK-105PF and VK-105PF2 were already running on no-mixtures with an octane rating of at least 95, but still it could not be compared with their foreign counterparts.
In total, more than 91,000 M-105 / VK-105 engines were manufactured.
All Yakovlev's fighters (Yak-1, Yak-7, Yak-9, Yak-3), LaGG-3, bombers Yak-4, Pe-2, Er-2, Ar-2 flew on these engines. Plus, the P-40s were also equipped with these motors.
TTX VK-105:
Volume: 35, 08 liters.
Power: 1,100 HP at 2700 rpm.
Number of cylinders: 12.
Valves: 3 valves (one inlet, two outlet) per cylinder.
Fuel type: leaded gasoline 4B-78, mixture No. 1, mixture No. 2, imported 1B-95.
Dry weight: 570 kg.
The pinnacle of the VK-105 development was the PF2 modification with a capacity of 1290 hp, on which the upgrade resource was considered exhausted.
"Hispano-Suiza" 12Y. France
The main engine of the French Air Force, which gave the world many licensed copies. The motors were produced in the USSR (M-100), Czechoslovakia (Avia 12Ydrs), Switzerland (SS-77).
The list of aircraft on which the HS 12Y was installed is quite extensive. The most famous: "Dewoitine" D520 and "Moran-Saulnier" MS.406. More than 50 aircraft models of the firms "Farman", "Pote", "Breguet", "Bloch", "Amiot", "Nieuport", "AVIA".
The main highlight of the 12Y was the symbiosis of the engine and the motor-gun from the Hispano-Suiza HS.404. The engine and cannon developed by Mark Birkigt saved a lot of time on the corresponding layout developments. And since both the engine and the cannon were quite good, it is only natural that the production of more than 40,000 engines is not something out of the ordinary. If France had not ended so quickly in World War II, the number of engines produced could have been higher.
TTX "Hispano-Suiza" 12Y:
Volume: 36, 05 l.
Power: 840 hp at 2400 rpm on takeoff.
Number of cylinders: 12.
Valves: 2 valves per cylinder.
Fuel type: leaded gasoline with octane rating 92 or 100.
Dry weight: 475 kg.
Junkers Jumo 211. Germany
The Germans did it in a peculiar way. There was an engine for fighters, there was an engine for bombers. The Jumo 211 was carried in the sky by all German bombers. Junkers Ju.87, Ju.88, Ju.90, Heinkel No.111.
Exported, these motors were installed on the Italian "Savoy-Marchetti" SM.79 and the Romanian IAR 79, which was almost a complete copy of the Italian.
A total of 68,248 Jumo 211 units were manufactured in 8 modifications.
The engine from many contemporaries was highly advanced. Direct fuel injection in 1935, when the main majority used carburetors.
A great help to the engine was its ability to use low-octane gasolines. For the Germans, who had problems with oil, this was of great help. Aviation practically did not use synthetic gasolines, because the lower the octane number, the better it was for manufacturers.
TTX Jumo 211A:
Volume: 34, 99 liters.
Power: 1,025 HP takeoff at 2 200 rpm.
Number of cylinders: 12.
Valves: 3 valves per cylinder, two inlet and one outlet.
Fuel system: Direct petrol injection.
Fuel type: leaded gasoline with octane rating 87.
Dry weight: 585 kg.
Daimler-Benz DB 605, Germany
A competitor to the previous engine, which took over the fighter market. It was produced in a slightly smaller number than the Junkers engine, only 42,400 copies.
Stood on all Messerschmitt fighters of the 109, 110 and 210 series.
We can say that the evolution of these fighters was directly related to the development and improvement of this engine. In addition, under license, the DB 605 was produced in Italy, where it was flown by aircraft from the Macchi, Fiat, and Reggiane firms. In general, the engine served until 1950. The last aircraft to fly the DB 605 was the Swedish Saab J21 fighter.
The engine was mixed.
On the one hand, it was good at using low-octane B4 fuel (RH 87), but it was possible to use gasoline with RH 100. The engine was flexible in this regard. The use of afterburner systems did not cause any problems, it worked perfectly both with GM-1 with nitrous oxide and with water-methanol MW 50.
On the other hand, it was not safe. Fires due to overheating of bearings were completely normal. The problem was solved, but from modification to modification, the engine regularly trained both pilots and technicians. In addition, the engine was very demanding on the quality of fuel, and when at the very end of the war with this issue in the Luftwaffe it became very bad, engine failures became more frequent.
TTX DB 605AM:
Volume: 35, 76 liters.
Power: 1475 hp at 2800 rpm, from MW 50 to 1800 hp
Number of cylinders: 12.
Valves: 4, two inlet and two outlet valves per cylinder.
Fuel system: direct fuel injection.
Fuel type: leaded gasoline B4 with an octane rating of 87.
Dry weight: 756 kg.
Mikulin AM-38, USSR
In fact, this is the engine of one aircraft. But what a! Alas, the MiG-3 fighter did not have a significant impact on the course of the war, but the Il-2 …
Yes, the alliance of IL-2 and AM-38 turned out to be fatal in the full sense of the word.
Not a high-altitude, but a high-torque engine capable of running on low-octane fuel - this was a godsend for the attack aircraft. More than 60,000 produced engines, which lifted 36,000 Il-2 attack aircraft of all modifications, are a force that the Luftwaffe could not resist. It is a fact.
The engine was not without flaws, over which work was underway all the time the engine was being produced. Yes, the AM-38 was not as versatile as the motors mentioned above, but such a contribution to the Victory as made by Ilyushin's attack aircraft cannot be underestimated.
TTX AM-38:
Volume: 46, 662 liters.
Power: 1,500 hp at 2050 rpm nominal at 3000 m.
Number of cylinders: 12.
Fuel system: carburetor.
Fuel type: leaded gasoline 4B-78 (OCH 95) or 1B-95.
Dry weight: 860 kg.
The liquid-cooled engine has played no less a role in the history of aviation than the rotary engine and its further development - the “star” of air cooling. In the end, the world's first aircraft engine, which lifted the plane of the Wright brothers into the sky, was the most lightweight in the "custom" workshop, a four-cylinder engine that was water-cooled from a car.
And throughout their period, liquid-cooled piston engines competed with air vents on an equal footing, and in some ways even surpassed them.
In the very near future, we will compare the participants in these reviews.
