Klimov VK-107
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Klimov VK-107 is a V-12 liquid-cooled piston aircraft engine used by Soviet aircraft during World War II.
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[edit] Development
VK-107 was a brand-new design having little in common with its predecessors M-105 and VK-106. To achieve a greater power output, each cylinder now had four valves (two intake and two exhaust), crankshaft and camshafts were completely revised, and a new supercharger design was implemented. Although the engine could have been ready for production as early as 1942, Soviet factories lacked the capacity to produce a brand new design. Thus, less powerful VK-105PF and VK-105PF2 were built instead. However, the appearance of Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me 109 with Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine in 1943 created an urgent demand for a more powerful engine. VK-107A was put into production in 1944 and was used on Yak-9U fighters. The engine was not well liked by either pilots or mechanics -- it had a life expectancy of only 25 hours and war emergency power was almost never used for fear of decreasing this even more. The engine was also difficult to service, in part because exhaust gas collectors were on the inside of the cylinder banks.
[edit] Variants
- VK-107A - production version
- VK-107R - version for hybrid piston-thermojet powered Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250 (N) and Sukhoi Su-5 fighters
- VK-108 - attempt to further develop VK-107 with 1,380 kW (1,850 hp) on takeoff, used on several Yakovlev Yak-3 prototypes but did not enter production.
[edit] Specifications (VK-107A)
General characteristics
- Type: 12-cylinder supercharged liquid-cooled Vee aircraft piston engine
- Bore:
- Stroke:
- Displacement: 35.0 liters (2,135 in³)
- Dry weight: 765 kg (1,685 lb)
Components
- Valvetrain: Two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder actuated via an overhead camshaft
- Supercharger: Gear-driven centrifugal type supercharger
- Cooling system: Liquid-cooled
Performance
- Power output:
- 1,230 kW (1,650 hp) at 3,200 rpm for takeoff
- 1,082 kW (1,450 hp) at 3,800 m (12,500 ft)
- Specific power: 35.1 kW/L (0.77 hp/in³)
- Compression ratio: 6.75:1
- Power-to-weight ratio: 1.61 kW/kg (0.98 hp/lb)
[edit] Related content
Related developments:
Similar engines: Daimler-Benz DB 605 - Rolls-Royce Merlin - Rolls-Royce Griffon - Allison V-1710
