Argus As II
| Industry | Aerospace, Aircraft engine manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1914 |
| Headquarters | Germany |
| Products | Aircraft engines |
The Argus As II was a water-cooled, six-cylinder inline aircraft engine developed by Argus Motoren in Germany in 1914.[1] This powerplant delivered 120 hp (89 kW) at a rotational speed of 1,350 rpm.[2]
Design and development
The Argus As II represented a significant evolution from the earlier Argus 120/130 hp and Argus 140/150 hp six-cylinder models. Among numerous modifications, key enhancements included newly engineered steel cylinders and a completely overhauled crankcase design featuring an integrated oil pump and an advanced lubrication system.
Each cylinder was individually machined from steel, with intake and exhaust ports as well as cooling jackets welded on during a subsequent process.[2] Although steel cylinders remained paired under shared cooling jackets, their adoption coincided with revisions to the intake duct configuration and pushrod layout. Unlike the previous design where two intake ducts merged into one, the updated model provided separate intake ducts for each cylinder. This adjustment required repositioning the two pushrods to flank each side of the intake duct individually, contrasting with the former arrangement where both pushrods were situated on one side of the combined duct. Additionally, the number of bolts securing each cylinder pair to the crankcase increased to ten.
Cast iron cylinders were still offered in an improved version compatible with the redesigned components—featuring separate intake ducts, new pushrod placement, and more crankcase mounting bolts.[2]
The intake manifold was redesigned to accommodate the new individual intake duct arrangement. Two centrally located Cudell-G.A.-carburettors were mounted closely together on the engine’s left side. These carburettors were enclosed within a heating jacket integrated into the coolant circuit. Each carburettor supplied one of two separate intake manifold pipes, each serving three cylinders.
Constructed from aluminum, the crankcase consisted of upper and lower halves cast separately; mounting arms were incorporated into the upper half. The crankshaft rested on two intermediate and two outer plain bearings, with additional thrust ball bearings situated at the propeller end.[2] A conical nose at the propeller end of the crankcase created extra clearance between the propeller and the foremost cylinder to accommodate these bearings.
Lubrication employed forced circulation via a piston-type oil pump positioned mid-engine at the crankcase bottom, which collected and recirculated oil within the system. The pump automatically supplemented small quantities of fresh oil as needed.[2] Oil was delivered initially to the main crankshaft journals before flowing through hollow sections within the crankshaft to reach the crankpins via drilled passages. From there, it was further channeled through copper conduits to lubricate the piston ends of connecting rods.
The camshaft received drive from the crankshaft through an intermediate spur gear located at the control end. Two vertical layshafts—also driven by bevel gears from the crankshaft—powered auxiliary components including magnetos and both water and oil pumps. The centrifugal water pump was directly driven by the lower layshaft, while oil pump drive involved bevel gears coupled with an additional horizontal shaft and worm gear. The upper layshaft provided output for a tachometer and drove two transversely mounted magnetos via separate bevel gears.
Applications
- Albatros B.II[1]
- Friedrichshafen FF.29, Naval Numbers 290–296[3]
- Germania B.I[4]
- Häfeli DH-1[5]
- Häfeli DH-3
- Halberstadt D.II[1]
- Jeannin Stahltaube (1914)[6]
Engines on display
- An example of the Argus As II engine is exhibited at the Fliegermuseum in Duebendorf, located in Switzerland.[7]
Specifications
See also
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Der Argus Flugmotor, 1916
- ↑ Herris. 2016, pp. 29-33, 38 (photograph)
- ↑ Düsing. 2020, pp. 27-34
- ↑ Early Aviator: Aeroplanes 1914-1918
- ↑ Krzyzan; Steinle. 1989, pp. 2, 56-57, includes image and description of Jeannin-Stahltaube A.271/14
- ↑ Argus As II at Fliegermuseum Duebendorf
Bibliography
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External links
- ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv. Image of Argus As II before installation, Eidgenössische Konstruktionswerkstätte Thun, viewer
- ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv. Photograph of Argus As II mounted in aircraft, Eidgenössische Konstruktionswerkstätte Thun, viewer
- ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv. Argus As II installed in Häfeli DH-1 (M I) No 243, viewer
- ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv. Argus As II fitted in Häfeli DH-3 (M III) No 530, viewer
- ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv. Argus As II mounted in a Wild WT aircraft, viewer