Aires 7135 Daimler Benz DB 603

The Daimler-Benz DB 603 was a German WWII aero engine manufactured by Daimler-Benz AG. It was first tested in 1939. The engine - in the DB 603 A version - weighed 920 kilograms with a displacement volume of 44.5 liters.

The Daimler-Benz DB 603 was a 12 cylinder V12 inverted, liquid cooled V12 engine. The engine was originally developed as an automotive engine with maximum power, but was quickly used as an aircraft engine. Compared to the previous Daimler-Benz engine - DB 601 - it was much larger and had a larger displacement, and the same was the case when it came to the maximum power obtained. Since entering series production, the Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine has been refined, but has not resulted in a significant increase in maximum power. For example, in the DB 603 A version it was 1726 hp, and in the DB 603 E version it reached 1755 hp. Due to its weight and size, this type of engine was used primarily in heavy fighters and Luftwaffe bombers. The Daimler-Benz DB 603 was used as a power unit for such German aircraft or their prototypes, for example: Dornier Do 217, Dornier Do 335, Focke-Wulf Ta-152C or Heinkel He-219.