Argus As 17

Argus Motoren

Industry	Aircraft engines
Founded	1930s
Headquarters	Germany

Template:Infobox aero engine

The Argus As 17 was a air-cooled, six-cylinder inline aircraft powerplant engineered by the German firm Argus Motoren during the 1930s. Derived from Argus's smaller four-cylinder As 8 model, this engine was manufactured with output ratings ranging from 200 to 280 hp (149 to 209 kW). Introduced in 1934, it equipped several aircraft competing in the Challenge International de Tourisme that year, including the notable Messerschmitt Bf 108. Despite its capabilities, production volumes remained limited as German manufacturers such as Messerschmitt favored V-8 configurations for their planes.

Design and development

The Argus As 17 was an inverted six-cylinder inline aircraft engine delivering approximately 200 horsepower (149 kW), first unveiled in 1934. It evolved from the company's earlier four-cylinder As 8 engine. Constructed with cast aluminium cylinder heads and aluminium pistons housed within steel cylinders, it featured a crankshaft made of chrome-nickel steel. The bore measured 120 millimetres (4.7 in) while the stroke was 130 mm (5.1 in).

During the late 1930s, this powerplant was installed in a limited number of German aircraft, most prominently powering three entries in the Challenge International de Tourisme 1934: the Fieseler Fi 97, Klemm Kl 36, and the Messerschmitt Bf 108. Each model was presented in two variants—one equipped with the Argus engine and another fitted with the more potent Hirth HM 8U V-8 engine. The As 17 was developed into three main versions: the base As 17A producing 200 hp, which powered the fourth Bf 108 prototype; the improved As 17B rated at 220 hp (164 kW), used in the seventh prototype of the Bf 108A; and a high-performance As 17 Special featuring a supercharger that boosted output to 280 hp (209 kW).

Despite these developments, production remained minimal and never reached mass manufacturing levels. Only two Fieseler aircraft were fitted with this engine, while Klemm ultimately selected the Hirth HM 8U for its final Kl 36B variant. Production models of the Bf 108 commonly employed either the Hirth HM 8U or Argus’s own V-8 design, the As 10, with the latter becoming standard for the Bf 108B series.

Variants

Model 17A

200 hp (149 kW)

Model 17B

220 hp (164 kW)

Model 17 Special

280 hp (209 kW)

Applications

• Fieseler Fi 97
• Klemm Kl 36A
• Messerschmitt Bf 108A