Mercedes D.IVa

Template:Infobox Aircraft Engine

The Mercedes D.IVa was a German six-cylinder, water-cooled, inline engine developed in 1917 for use in aircraft and built by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG).

Design and development

The D.IVa replaced the failed Mercedes D.IV inline eight-cylinder engine. The D.IVa was primarily used to power bombers and large reconnaissance aircraft. Unlike most German designs, the D.IVa was relatively advanced, including four valves per cylinder actuated by a SOHC valvetrain, the same "single-camshaft" arrangement that had also been used on the earlier two-valve per cylinder D.I through D.IIIa powerplants.

Designed specifically to be installed in the fuselage, the engine featured a number of design elements intended to reduce its width. For instance, the carburetor was placed behind the engine, feeding fuel to the cylinders via a long tubular intake manifold. This had the disadvantage of poor fuel distribution. Two versions of the engine were produced in mirror copies, running in opposite directions.

Applications

• AEG G.IV
• AEG G.V
• AEG R.I
• AGO C.VIII
• Albatros C.X
• Albatros C.XII
• Albatros C.XV
• Friedrichshafen G.III
• Friedrichshafen G.IV
• Friedrichshafen N.I
• Gotha G.III
• Gotha G.IV
• Gotha G.V
• Gotha G.VI
• Gotha G.VII
• Linke-Hofmann R.I
• Linke-Hofmann R.II
• Rumpler C.IV
• Zeppelin Staaken R.VI

Engines on display

• A Mercedes D.IVa recently restored by the Museum's Friends ASSN. is on public display at the Museo Nacional de Aeronautica (MORON-Argentina).

Specifications (D.IVa)

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1918, Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War One

General characteristics

• Type: 6-cylinder, inline piston engine
• Bore: Template:Cvt
• Stroke: Template:Cvt
• Displacement: Template:Cvt
• Length: Template:Cvt approx.
• Height: Template:Cvt
• Dry weight: Template:Cvt

Components

• Valvetrain: Shaft driven SOHC operating twin exhaust and inlet valves with a half compression setting for starting
• Fuel system: Twin jet Mercedes carburettor with automatic mixture control
• Fuel type: Gasoline
• Oil system: Forced feed to bearings and camshaft
• Cooling system: Water-cooled
• Reduction gear: Direct drive, left-hand tractor

Performance

• Power output: Template:Cvt at 1,400 rpm
• Compression ratio: 4.94:1
• Fuel consumption: 125 pints per hour
• Specific fuel consumption: Template:Cvt / Template:Cvt
• Oil consumption: Template:Cvt
• Power-to-weight ratio: Template:Cvt
• Bmep: Template:Cvt

See also

Related lists

• List of aircraft engines

References

Bibliography

• Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. Template:ISBN
• Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1993. Template:ISBN

External links

• Tests of the Daimler D-IVa engine at a high altitude test bench (October 1, 1920)