Mercedes D.IVa

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)

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

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

Further reading

External links

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