Daimler-Benz DB 604

The Daimler-Benz DB 604 was an experimental German 24-cylinder aircraft engine that never got past the engine testing phase and was abandoned in 1942. Among the DB 600 series it was unique in having its cylinders arranged in an X, as four inline rows of six, and among X-24 engines it was unusual because it was not two existing Daimler-Benz engines joined together but a completely new design. Its bore and stroke were both 135 mm, a perfectly square layout, and the short stroke allowed a high speed of 3,200 rpm. The first engine tested in 1939 gave 1,725 kW, and the later DB 604A and B, fitted with a two-speed supercharger, reached 1,835 kW on test. The Reich Air Ministry cancelled development in September 1942. A preserved engine is shown at the Flugausstellung L.+ P. Junior museum in Hermeskeil.