WIX Archives
Re: Engineering question (DB engines)
Posted by Mikael O on Sat Apr 26, 2003 02:12:31 AM
In reply top Engineering question (DB engines) posted by Rob Mears on Fri Apr 25, 2003 01:47:44 PM
The question is if you really need to reverse engineer the engine, at least when it comes to the DB605. There might still be drawings and specifications etc around since it was built on license in several countries (Italy, Sweden, Hungary). Could be worth checking, then you just might end up with a need for a translation...
/Mikael
: In light of the growing potential of multiple WWII Axis fi
: ghter & bomber restorations to flying condition (even repl
: icas), I'm becoming more and more focused on the one facto
: r that's keeping this from becoming a reality - the engine
: s!
:
: With millions upon millions of dollars worth of potential
: investment quality restorations sitting stagnant in storag
: e lots around the world, what exactly would it take to rev
: erse engineer, and tool up for a production run of DB601/6
: 05 engines? At $250,000 for what amounts to little more t
: han a inoperable core, and at least that much more for a p
: roper overhaul, surely there's a profit making possibility
: for someone who wanted to take on the challenge of toolin
: g up for a new production run. This one feat would open u
: p an entirely new dimension of warbird activity. There's
: a huge list of German, Japanese, and Italian warbirds that
: would finally become viable projects.
:
: I'm thinking BMW, GM, or any of the other mass producers o
: f inline reciprocating engines could accommodate the produ
: ction of these if they stood a chance of making a decent p
: rofit, though it would probably be more feasible for a mid
: dle-market producer of custom powerplants.
:
: So what's everyone's take on this? Any engineers out ther
: e that these engines could be produced for a unit cost equ
: al to that of a Merlin?