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| BMW VI | |
|---|---|
 BMW VI at the Technik-Museum Berlin | |
| Type | V engine |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| First run | 1926 |
| Major applications | |
| Developed from | BMW IV |
| Developed into | |
TheBMW VI was awater-cooledV-12aircraft engine built in Germany in the 1920s. It was one of the most important German aero engines in the years leading up toWorld War II, with thousands built. It was further developed as theBMW VII andBMW IX, although these saw considerably less use. It was also produced in theSoviet Union as theM-17 and Japan as theKawasaki Ha-9.
The BMW VI was the first twelve-cylinder engine built by the BMW. It essentially consisted of twocylinder banks from the six-cylinderBMW IV bolted to a common cast aluminium crankcase at a 60-degree included angle between the cylinder banks. Series production commenced in 1926 after type approval had been granted. From 1930 on, after 1000 engines of the BMW VI type had already been delivered,Germany was again permitted to construct military aircraft. The sudden additional demand resulted in the production figures increasing rapidly. In 1933 the BMW VI was used for BMW's first experiments with direct fuel injection.
The BMW VI was the chosen source of power for numerous record-breaking and long-distance flights, including an east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic in 1930 and a round-the world flight in 1932, both byWolfgang von Gronau in an openDornier Wal flying boat powered by two BMW VI engines.
The BMW VI was put to unusual use as a power unit for the "Rail Zeppelin" high-speed railcar.Many versions of the BMW VI engine were developed, and it was built under license in Japan and the Soviet Union. This was further evidence of the reliability of an engine with which BMW made a fundamental contribution to the build-up of German air transport. At least 9,200 were built between 1926 and 1938. The engine was license-built in theSoviet Union under the supervision ofMikulin, who then further developed it as theM-17. More license built engines were produced byKawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan as theKawasaki Ha9 (long designation:-Army Type 98 850hp Liquid Cooled In-line).
5.5,6 or7.3 denotes compression ratio. No additional letter denotes BMW carburetor and direct-drive propeller (7.3),u denotes a propeller reduction gear (7.3u),z denotes Zenith carburetor (7.3z),zu denotes Zenith carburetor and propeller reduction gear (7.3zu).
Data fromFlugzeug-Typenbuch. Handbuch der deutschen Luftfahrt- und Zubehör-Industrie 1944[1]
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