Fiat AS.8
| Company type | Aircraft piston engine |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | Late 1930s |
| Founder | Fiat |
| Defunct | 1940 (program discontinued) |
| Fate | Program discontinued due to WWII; shifted to licensed production of Daimler-Benz DB 605 engines |
| Headquarters | Turin , Italy |
| Products | Liquid-cooled 16-cylinder V-type piston aircraft engine |
The Fiat AS.8 was an Italian liquid-cooled, 16-cylinder V-type piston engine created in the late 1930s by Fiat with the goal of breaking the air speed record. Additionally, it was intended to supply the Regia Aeronautica with powerful engines for fighter aircraft.
Due to manufacturing difficulties, the program was discontinued after Italy's entry into World War II in June 1940, and fighter propulsion shifted to the licensed production of Daimler-Benz DB 605 V-12 engines, designated as the Fiat RA.1050.
Design and development
This V-16 powerplant incorporated a supercharger akin to that on the Fiat AS.6, capable of providing boost pressure up to 1,350 mmHg (53.15 inHg). To counteract torsional vibrations, its notably lengthy crankshaft was supported by nine main bearings. The engine also featured a reduction gear unit driving contra-rotating propellers.
During dynamometer evaluations in the early 1940s, the AS.8 reliably produced 1,680 kW (2,250 hp) and sustained operation for over 100 hours, a significant improvement compared to the AS.6’s one-hour endurance.
Progress on the speed record aircraft, known as the Fiat C.S.15, was gradual; by June 1940, a static airframe had been completed for wind tunnel testing and was projected to reach speeds of approximately 850 km/h (530 mph). The project suffered setbacks when air raids damaged the aircraft and the factory was seized during the German occupation of Italy in 1943.
Applications
- Fiat C.S.15 (planned)
Specifications
See also
Notes
Bibliography
- Montalbano, Giovanni, Il Fiat A.S.8, in Aerofan III Gen.-Mar., Milano, Giorgio Apostolo Editore, 1980.
- Alata, Compiuti 50 anni di costruzioni aeronautiche a Torino, volume XV, 1959.
