Austrian aircraft engines

[leo]

The engines of Hiero and Austro-Daimler always seemed to offer more HP than did German engines. Considering that AH was industrially backward compared to their German ally makes me wonder how this is possible. One engine i am curious about is the Austro-Daimler 360HP v12. What were they planning to use it in? One would think that they had something in mind. Did AH ever contemplate any G or R class bombers? Did AH ever build any rotaries of indigenous or foreign design?

leo

[Cliff]

Leo

The Austrians didn't seem to have much success with two engine bombers.
Two types that I found in 'Austro-Hungarian Aircraft' by Flying Machines Press are the Aviatik 30.17 - 30.18 and the Brandenburg G.I
The Aviatik examples were equipped with two 345hp. Daimler V-12 engines mounted in fuselage driving four outboard mounted props. Tests were carried out from late 1916 thru the war's end but neither a/c seems to have been used operationally.
The Brandenburg example was a more conventional layout with two 160hp Daimler engines and about 96 were built. There were continuing problems with the design and although used for some bombing missions, a comment in the book sums it up ... 'At best the G.I was used as a twin engined trainer in preparation for the imminent arrival of the Gotha G.IV bomber from Germany.
The Austrians by 1918 had decided on purchasing Friedrichshafen G.IIIs for a small bomber force but when these could not be supplied, bought 40 Gotha G.IVs instead.
As with the German Gothas they also had problems, but thats another story.

Cliff