Argus Motoren
Encyclopedia
Argus Motoren was a German
manufacturing firm known for their series of small inverted-V engine
s and the V-1 (flying bomb) pulse jet engine
.
in 1906 as a subsidiary of Henri Jeannin's automobile business
, Argus Motoren company spun off entirely in November 1906. Their early products were car and boat engines, but later that year they were contracted to produce engines for the French
airship
, Ville de Paris
, supplying them with a converted boat motor. They turned increasingly to the aviation market, and were widely used by 1910, receiving an order from Sikorsky
for one of his large airplanes under construction in Russia
. During World War I
Argus produced engines for the German army
and air corps
.
After WWI the company manufactured automobile engines and acquired a majority interest in Horch Automobile
in 1919. In 1926 they resumed aircraft engine design, producing a series of inverted inline and V engine
s. Although all were at the "low-power" end of the market by the start of World War II
, they saw extensive use in training aircraft and other utility roles. Most famous of these designs are the Argus As 10
, used in the Fieseler Fi 156
Storch, in the Arado Ar 66
and in the Focke-Wulf Fw 56
Stösser; and the Argus As 410
, used on many German trainers, including the Arado Ar 96
.
The Berlin-Reinickendorf
subcamp of Sachsenhausen concentration camp
provided labor for the Argus-Werke.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
manufacturing firm known for their series of small inverted-V engine
V engine
A V engine, or Vee engine is a common configuration for an internal combustion engine. The cylinders and pistons are aligned, in two separate planes or 'banks', so that they appear to be in a "V" when viewed along the axis of the crankshaft...
s and the V-1 (flying bomb) pulse jet engine
Pulse jet engine
A pulse jet engine is a type of jet engine in which combustion occurs in pulses. Pulsejet engines can be made with few or no moving parts, and are capable of running statically....
.
History
Started in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1906 as a subsidiary of Henri Jeannin's automobile business
Argus (automobile)
The Argus was a German automobile manufactured by Internationale Automobilzentrale KG Jeannin & Co from 1902 to 1904, then Argus Motoren-Gesellschaft Jeannin & Co from 1904 to 1906, and then Argus Motoren-Gesellschaft m.b.H...
, Argus Motoren company spun off entirely in November 1906. Their early products were car and boat engines, but later that year they were contracted to produce engines for the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
, Ville de Paris
Ville de Paris
Ville de Paris may refer to:* Paris* A number of ships of the French Navy named Ville de Paris. See French ship Ville de Paris* HMS Ville de Paris...
, supplying them with a converted boat motor. They turned increasingly to the aviation market, and were widely used by 1910, receiving an order from Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky , born Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was a Russian American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft...
for one of his large airplanes under construction in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Argus produced engines for the German army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
and air corps
Luftstreitkräfte
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
.
After WWI the company manufactured automobile engines and acquired a majority interest in Horch Automobile
Horch
Horch was a car brand manufactured in Germany by August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century.-History at a Glance:The company was established first by August Horch and his first business partner Salli Herz on November 14, 1899 at Ehrenfeld, Cologne. August Horch was a former production...
in 1919. In 1926 they resumed aircraft engine design, producing a series of inverted inline and V engine
V engine
A V engine, or Vee engine is a common configuration for an internal combustion engine. The cylinders and pistons are aligned, in two separate planes or 'banks', so that they appear to be in a "V" when viewed along the axis of the crankshaft...
s. Although all were at the "low-power" end of the market by the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, they saw extensive use in training aircraft and other utility roles. Most famous of these designs are the Argus As 10
Argus As 10
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9*Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
, used in the Fieseler Fi 156
Fieseler Fi 156
The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a small German liaison aircraft built by Fieseler before and during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market...
Storch, in the Arado Ar 66
Arado Ar 66
-See also:-References:* Smith, J.R and Kay, Antony L. German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam, 1972. ISBN 0-85177-836-4.-External links:*...
and in the Focke-Wulf Fw 56
Focke-Wulf Fw 56
-See also:-External links:* http://aviationtrivia.info/Focke-Wulf-FW-56-Stosser.php* http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/fw56.html* http://www.luftfahrtmuseum.com/htmi/itf/fw56.htm...
Stösser; and the Argus As 410
Argus As 410
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
, used on many German trainers, including the Arado Ar 96
Arado Ar 96
-See also:-Bibliography:* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-356-02382-6....
.
The Berlin-Reinickendorf
Reinickendorf
Reinickendorf is the twelfth borough of Berlin. It encompasses the northwest of the city area, including the Berlin-Tegel Airport, Lake Tegel, spacious settlements of detached houses as well as housing estates like Märkisches Viertel.-Subdivision:...
subcamp of Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
provided labor for the Argus-Werke.
List of Argus engines
- Argus As IArgus As I-See also:- References :...
, 4-cylinder, 100-hp, year 1913 - Argus As IIArgus As II|-See also:...
, 6-cylinder, 120-hp, year 1914 - Argus As III, 6-cylinder upright inline, used in WWI aircraft
- Argus As 5, odd radialRadial engineThe radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
-like arrangement 24-cylinder inline - Argus As 8Argus As 8|-See also:-References:*...
, 4-cylinder inverted inline - Argus As 10Argus As 10|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9*Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
, 8-cylinder inverted V - Argus As 014Argus As 014|-See also:*List of aircraft engines*Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon*Ford PJ31*Chelomey D-3-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
, pulse jet enginePulse jet engineA pulse jet engine is a type of jet engine in which combustion occurs in pulses. Pulsejet engines can be made with few or no moving parts, and are capable of running statically....
for V-1 flying bombV-1 flying bombThe V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
and Tornado boat - Argus As 16, 4-cylinder inverted inline
- Argus As 17, 6-cylinder inverted inline
- Argus As 401, development and renumbering of the As 10
- Argus As 402
- Argus As 403, radial engine project, not built.
- Argus As 410Argus As 410|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
, 12-cylinder inverted V - Argus As 411Argus As 411-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
, 12-cylinder inverted V - Argus As 412, 24-cylinder H-block, prototyped
- Argus As 413, similar to 412, never built