The Legends of Innovation, from the skies above, down to the streets below!

Even today, people remember the carnage and destruction brought about by the First and the Second World Wars. But there is a silver lining to this dark cloud! Some of the most amazing inventions and discoveries have emerged during those dark times - the aviation and industrial revolutions got a rocket boost during that period, even the motoring industry was not too far behind.

Lamborghini Reventon (Source: Google Images)

Every one remembers the launch of the Lamborghini Reventon, which had sports car enthusiasts all agog over its fighter aircraft inspiration. But then again, the motoring industry has been known to look to their aviation brethren since the days of yore! The Japs with their ‘Zero’ were inspired by the famed A6M Zeke and the mighty ‘Evo’ series - which has its roots in the lethal war-birds from WW II - all prime examples of the aviation influence on motoring technology. Even the peaceful Swedes have the Gripen Fighter made by Saab, while the safe-playing Volvo powers this bird in the skies. Even the logos of the automobile manufacturers pay homage to their aviation roots. For instance, the wings on Bentley’s logo and the propellers of BMW are both examples of their rich aviation history.

How could anyone forget the acrobatics of the WW I fighters, like the Sopwith Camel, which were powered by Bentley’s Pistons. The most memorable of the Bentley AeroPiston engines was the Rolls-Royce Merlin. Backed by superior engineering, the ‘Merlin’ was known for its unmatched attention to detail, and came with bullet-proof reliability. This power-house of an engine had to be developed to counter the most revolutionary aviation engine of that time, which was the ‘DB601’.

(Daimler-Benz DB 601-  Source: Daimler-Benz)

 

 

Daimler-Benz had re-written the rules of aeronautical engineering with their 33.9 Litre V-12 upside-down engine, monikered the ‘DB601’. Employing exotic sodium-filled exhaust valves, it had an advanced four valves per cylinder layout with a single OHC. The pistons and crankshaft were made from light-weight, forged alloy; the dry sump lubrication system had one pump to regulate the oil pressure, and employed double that number to scavenge the heated oil as it flowed through the high pressure engine. It even incorporated roller bearings for its con-rods, to iron out any residual vibes.

(Daimler-Benz DB 601 Aero Engine, 1935 - Source: Daimler-Benz)

But the piece de resistance was a piece of technology that it adapted from another German compatriot, Bosch. The Direct Fuel Injection employed by Daimler-Benz, gave the Luftwaffe pilots in the Messerschmitt Me 109 a lethal advantage. The gravity controlled float-pins of the enemies carburettors would jam close in negative G manoeuvres.  While the enemy Spitfires and Hurricanes sputtered during those fierce moves, Luftwaffe’s finest, rolled and spun spirals without missing a beat. With their powerless propellers, all that the enemy could do was to glide around till they levelled off to operating altitude. 

The ‘DB-601’ of 1935 fame is on proud display in the ‘Legend Room 3’, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Here, visitors can marvel at the quality of construction and the machining effort that has gone in the making of this aero-piston engine.