BMW IIIa was an inline six-cylinder SOHC valvetrain, water-cooled aircraft engine, the first-ever engine produced by BMW, who, at the time, were exclusively an aircraft engine manufacturer. Its success laid the foundation for future BMW engine designs. It is best known as the powerplant of the Fokker D.VIIF, which outperformed any allied aircraft.
The BMW 801 was a powerful German 41.8-litre (2,550 cu in) air-cooled 14-cylinder- radial aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German Luftwaffe aircraft of World War II. Production versions of the twin-row engine generated between 1,560 and 2,000 PS (1,540-1,970 hp, or 1,150-1,470 kW). It was the most produced radial engine of Germany in World War II with more than 61,000.
BMW IIIa engine in the BMW Museum. | World war one, Bmw, Bmw museum
The Daimler-Benz company's virtual monopoly on the production of aircraft engines in Germany stifled research and development of other engines. As a result, when the Allies introduced a new generation of high-performance engines in 1916, Germany found itself without a suitable replacement for its now-obsolete standard aircraft power plant, the 119 kw (160-shp) Daimler. About 700 engines were built by BMW, however, a large demand for the new BMW IIIa aircraft engine in Munich (coupled with a lack of production capacity) caused part of the production to be transferred to the Opel factory in Rüsselsheim.
In the early 20th century, BMW originated as an aircraft manufacturer before events led them to pivot toward cars. However, they temporarily returned to making airplane powerplants during World War II at the Nazi government's behest. So did BMW ever truly make complete planes or just aircraft engines? Let's delve into BMW's little known aviation history.
1944 BMW 801 airplane engine at Visit of BMW Museum, Munich
BMW has a long history of manufacturing cars and motorcycles, but did it ever make airplane engines? If the answer is yes, do they still make them? Before it became a luxury car brand, BMW was known for manufacturing aircraft engines. The BMW IIIa engine significantly improved the performance of the Fokker D.VII aircraft in World War I. The BMW 801 engine was one of the most powerful piston engines during World War II.
Joseph Hudecek BMW IIIa At the end of the First World War, Bayerische Motoren Werke drew attention to themselves with their first product, the BMW IIIa aircraft engine. It was considered by many pilots to be the best German aircraft power unit, a fact that is recognised in many quotes. Thanks to the altitude carburettor developed by BMW engineer Max Friz, it was possible to adapt the fuel mix.
Fw 190 High Resolution Stock Photography and Images - Alamy
The BMW 801 radial engine powered the Luftwaffe's most feared fighter, but a dark secret nearly destroyed Germany's aviation program from within. In 1941, German pilots called the BMW 801 "the. BMW created not only remarkably concieved and well-built automobiles of an above-average quality, but the company had also been very active in the fields of aircraft piston-engine, jet engine, motorcycle, commercial-vehicle engine and marine engine design and construction, where exceptional results had been achieved and valuable pioneering work.
