WWII Inline engines: Daimler Benz vs Rolls Royce vs Allison vs Klimov vs Jumo

[OdinGrunherze]

My vote is for the JUMO.... Just because they looked sooooo cool.... The Dora9/ta152, or the UHU, or the Arrow, they had the coolest looking engine cowlings

I know pretty superficial huh....

OG

[OdinGrunherze]

Oh yeah, Just a little trivia!!! The beemer radials were a development of the Wright Cyclone... Ernst Udet bought them in the US before the war.... The French and Ruskies had their versions too...

OG

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by 1K3
In the radial department, nothing beats the Pratt & Whitney series.  Not even the BMW radials can beat P&W.

  Oh boy.  Okee-dokee.

[1K3]

Originally posted by Masherbrum
  Oh boy.  Okee-dokee.

The P&W that powered the P-47s, F4Us, F6F, are tough and it's got not dead spots at all altitudes (except at extreme high altitudes)

[gripen]

In the category of inline engines nothing comes close to the Merlin; by far the best developed and only one of these to see some civil use.

In category of radials the Hercules comes close the R-2800; infact in the terms of reliability (particularly TBO) and fuel consumption, it's better than R-2800. However, the R-2800 saw much wider use during war as well as large civil use.

[Serenity]

Originally posted by leitwolf
Allisons win the "best sound" award.

DB 605 I beleive it is takes the cake. You ever hear that startup-scream? It will wake the dead and scare small children to death. THATS my kind of engine.

[Knegel]

Originally posted by gripen
In the category of inline engines nothing comes close to the Merlin; by far the best developed and only one of these to see some civil use.

In category of radials the Hercules comes close the R-2800; infact in the terms of reliability (particularly TBO) and fuel consumption, it's better than R-2800. However, the R-2800 saw much wider use during war as well as large civil use.

The Merlin???

Even the Griffon did count as more advanced, the main advantage over  the DB´s was rather the fuel than the stage of development.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

The Merlin never lived long enough to win a Gold race at Reno, until someone figured out how to put Allison connecting rods in one. Merlins have too many problems for me to rate them #1. From a mechanic and engine builder's point of view anyway.

[Angus]

Best? RR Griffon

[Nilsen]

Plenty of geek awards to be handed out here..

[gripen]

Originally posted by Knegel
The Merlin???

Even the Griffon did count as more advanced, the main advantage over  the DB´s was rather the fuel than the stage of development.

Well, the question was about the best, not about the most advanced. The Merlin was there when needed and giving very good performance. And regarding the reliability, the other inlines are far behind; even the civil version of the two stage Merlin were rated for 2000hp while the military versions of the Allisons and DBs were really hard pushed at that output.

[Viking]

Which was the "best" engine is very subjective; however I nominate the DB 603. It saw service with several LW bombers and fighters from 1943 to the end of the war. Some notable planes that used the 603 were: the Me 410, He 219, Ta 152C, Do 335. The (very) late-war DB 603N with two-stage supercharger developed 2800 hp using C3 fuel (~130 octane). With B4 (~87 octane) it developed 2000 hp.

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by 1K3
The P&W that powered the P-47s, F4Us, F6F, are tough and it's got not dead spots at all altitudes (except at extreme high altitudes)

The DB603 was better, but we all have "our own opinions".    There is no point in a discussion like this, because of that.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by gripen
Well, the question was about the best, not about the most advanced. The Merlin was there when needed and giving very good performance. And regarding the reliability, the other inlines are far behind; even the civil version of the two stage Merlin were rated for 2000hp while the military versions of the Allisons and DBs were really hard pushed at that output.

No, the Allison was NOT hard pushed at 2000 HP. Not at all.

[Angus]

So why weren't they all at 2000 hp+?
And at altitude, why bother putting a Merlin into a P51?
How about a 2000 hp P-40 instead of escorting them with Hurricanes?

(okay, the last one was a tad trollish, but it has a foot in it)