The Daimler-Benz DB 600 was a German

aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Aircraft using power components are referred to as powered flight. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbin ...

designed and built before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as part of a new generation of German engine technology. It was a liquid-cooled inverted

V12 engine A V12 engine is a twelve-Cylinder (engine), cylinder Internal combustion engine#Reciprocating engines, piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V engine, V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more c ...

, and powered the

Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...

and

Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and medium bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany a ...

among others.

Development

Most newer DB engine designs used in WW2 were based on this engine. The RLM made a set of specifications listing the technologies which the new class of German aero-engines required. Among these items was

fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of a fuel injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All c ...

systems rather than

carburettor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor or carburetter) is a device used by a gasoline internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the Vent ...

s. Knowing that this would take some years to implement, the RLM permitted that the manufacturers could first design and produce the basic engine, and later develop it to include the injection system. The DB 600 formed this function (having in turn been developed from the Daimler-Benz F4A and F4B V12s), therefore when the injection system was ready it meant that the DB 600 was replaced by the otherwise similar DB 601, which in addition to direct fuel injection, also added the variable speed supercharger. Later DB series engines grew in bore,

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

, and

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...

, including the DB 603 and

DB 605 The Daimler-Benz DB 605 is a German aircraft engine built during World War II. Developed from the DB 601, the DB 605 was used from 1942 to 1945 in the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, and the Bf 110 and Me 210C heavy fighters. The DB 610, a pa ...

, but were generally similar to the pattern created with the DB 600.

Variants

; ;DB 600 A/B: 1,000 PS (986 hp, 735 kW) at 2,400

rpm Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or r⋅min−1) is a unit of rotational speed (or rotational frequency) for rotating machines. One revolution per minute is equivalent to hertz. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 def ...

at sea level with 5-minute ''Kurzleistung'' (short term output) :;DB 600Aa ;DB 600 C/D: 850 PS (838 hp, 625 kW) at 2,250 rpm at sea level with 1-minute ''Erhöhte Kurzleistung'' : 910 PS (898 hp, 669 kW) at 2,400 rpm at with 5-minute ''Kurzleistung'' ;DB 600 Ga/Ha: 1,050 PS (1,036 hp, 772 kW) at 2,400 rpm at sea level with 1-minute ''Erhöhte Kurzleistung'' : 1,050 PS (1,036 hp, 772 kW) at 2,400 rpm at with 5-minute ''Kurzleistung'' Note: *DB 600 A/C/Ga with a

reduction gearing A gear train or gear set is a machine element of a mechanical system formed by mounting two or more gears on a frame such that the teeth of the gears engage. Gear teeth are designed to ensure the Pitch circle diameter (gears), pitch circles of e ...

of 1.55 *DB 600 B/D/Ha with a reduction gearing of 1.88 Source:
Luftfahrt-Lehrbücherei, Band 21, Die Deutschen Flugmotoren: DB 600, Berlin, 1940

Applications

* Arado Ar 197 V1. 1937 prototype - naval variant of Arado Ar 68. * Dornier Do 17 S-0 Three pre-production aircraft. * Focke-Wulf Fw 57 * Focke-Wulf Fw 187 V6. * Heinkel He 60C One test aircraft. *

V5: DB 600A, B-1, B-2: DB 600C, G-4: DB 600G, G-5: DB 600C, J-1: DB 600C *

Heinkel He 112 The Heinkel He 112 is a German fighter aircraft designed by Walter and Siegfried Günter. It was one of four aircraft designed to compete for the 1933 fighter contract of the ''Luftwaffe'', in which it came second behind the Messerschmitt Bf 1 ...

V7, V8. *

Heinkel He 114 The Heinkel He 114 was a Biplane#Sesquiplane, sesquiplane Aerial reconnaissance, reconnaissance seaplane produced for the ''Kriegsmarine'' in the 1930s for use from warships. It replaced the company's Heinkel He 60, He 60, but it did not remain i ...

Three He 114 B-2 exported to

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. *

Junkers Ju 90 The Junkers Ju 90 was a four-engined airliner and transport aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers. Derived from the abortive Ju 89 strategic bomber, it was developed to be used as a long-distance commercia ...

V1. * Henschel Hs 128 V1. Twin engine, pressurised cockpit, high-altitude research aircraft. *

Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...

V10 through V14. Prototypes. *

V1, V2, V3. Prototypes. *

Messerschmitt Bf 162 The Messerschmitt Bf 162 was a light bomber aircraft designed in Germany prior to World War II, which flew only in prototype form. Design and development The Bf 162 was designed in response to a 1935 RLM (''Reichsluftfahrtministerium'', Reich ...

V1, V2.

Specifications (DB 600C/D)

References

Bibliography

* * * * Green, William. ''The Augsburg Eagle: A Documentary History - Messerschmitt Bf 109''. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishing Group. 1980. * Smith, J R and Kay, Anthony L. ''German Aircraft of the Second World War''. London: Putman & Company. 1972 * Neil Gregor ''Daimler-Benz in the Third Reich''. Yale University Press, 1998

External links

Aviation History.com, DB 600 series page
{{Daimler-Benz aeroengines Daimler-Benz aircraft engines 1930s aircraft piston engines Inverted V12 aircraft engines