Warbird Information Exchange

Another wacky idea:

Due to the scarcity of DB-601's, anyone thought of mounting an Allison engine inverted on a 109 airframe? Curious to see if it would work.

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It´s been discussed on here before. IIRC the concensus was "would you want to fly behind it/invest money in making it work?"

What would cost all the money? Fuel injection system? Updraft carb?

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"No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!" R.R.

Welcome to the USSA! One Nanny State Under the Messiah, Indivisible with Tyranny, Higher Taxes, Socialism, Radical Environmentalism and a Loss of Income for all. Boy I'm proud to be a part of the USSA, what can I do to raise taxes, oh boy oh boy!

Just off the top of my head, wouldn't the oiling/fuel delivery system need to be completely redesigned. Being that it would be inverted 90% of the time?

Greg

Does anyone have any DB-601 prints? Heads, case, rods?

Here is an online auction for a 1944 built, bf109, alas, it ONLY has a Merlin in it!! No DB-601, but it IS a good start! My German is not so good, so I'm not with all the particulars!

http://alt.aero-auction.com/messerschmi ... t_0001.php

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With the recent discussion regarding CAD-CAM design and manufacture (*see link below), are we reaching a point where fabricating new DB601 engine components might be an increasingly realistic endeavor?



http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=32432

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Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

Rob: Two big problems with replicating the DB's, or for that matter, any large displacement aircraft engine.
First is finding someone that not only has the capability to cast the block cores and machine them, but finding someone that will undertake the project. Once you say "aircraft" the liability crawfishing starts...

The other is finding someone that has the proper size equipment to replicate the cams and cranks. Billet cranks are no problem for the horsepower, but finding someone that has a crank grinder that will handle a 5-6' blank.

Actually the smallest problem is just the couple of buckets of bucks that would get it all going.

Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Perkins etc...

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I think that DB licensed Volvo to build the DB601 or a later type.

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All of the above, plus cooling and oiling systems. It can get very expensive and isn't as simple as flipping the thing upside down. (Over 5 or 10 seconds inverted in P-51 will kill the Merlin from oil starvation, according to the WWII pilots' manual.) This is probably why FlugWerk did not attempt to invert the Allison in their Fw190D-9 replica.

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Whaddya know!-another 'German built' Buchon, amazing how many are around

My thought also!

But good to keep them in circulation, rather than sitting hangars snarling at passing pilots.

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

What about the carb.? Downdraft?
?

I don't know, but can new heads be made w/o too much expense?

_________________
"No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!" R.R.

Welcome to the USSA! One Nanny State Under the Messiah, Indivisible with Tyranny, Higher Taxes, Socialism, Radical Environmentalism and a Loss of Income for all. Boy I'm proud to be a part of the USSA, what can I do to raise taxes, oh boy oh boy!

Wouldn't surprise me. The Japanese built them as both the Atsuta AE1 and the Kawasaki Ha-40, the Italians as the Alfa Romeo "Monsone", and there were factories all over the 3rd Reich building them, principally in Czechoslovakia IIRC.

I recall that Mike Nixon had some comments on what it would take to make an engine like the Merlin from scratch, basically saying that it would be an immense effort. Just the magnesium front cover for the '601 he did for David Price I believe he quoted as costing $20K....

Still, it can be done, just takes skill, talent, and money, especially with the current state of 3d modelling and rapid prototyping. That roller-bearing crank would be fun though...

greg v.