Daimler - Benz DB 605 The Daimler - Benz DB 605 is a German aircraft engine , built during World War II . Developed from the DB 601 , the DB 605 was used from 1942 to 1945 in the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter , and the Bf 110 and Me 210C heavy fighters . The DB 610 , a coupled " power system " powerplant comprising a pair of side - by - side configured examples of the DB 605 , geared together in the front to turn a single output shaft , was used in Germany ' s only operational heavy bomber , the Heinkel He 177 . License - built versions of the DB 605 were used in the Macchi C . 205 , Fiat G . 55 , Reggiane 2005 and some other Italian aircraft . It was also initially used in the pusher - design Swedish Saab J21 . Approximately 42 , 400 DB 605s of all kinds were built . Design and development . The primary differences between the 605 and 601 were greater displacement , higher revolutions , higher compression ratio and a more powerful supercharger . Through careful study the engineers determined that the cylinders could be bored out to a larger diameter without seriously affecting the strength of the existing block . The difference was minimal , increasing from the 601 ' s 150 mm cylinder bore to the 605 ' s 154 mm , but this increased the overall displacement from 33 . 9 litres to 35 . 7 . Altered valve timing increased the inlet period and improved the scavenging to give greater volumetric efficiency at higher speeds , which improved the maximum allowable RPM from 2 , 600 in the 601 to 2 , 800 in the 605 . The combination of these changes raised power output from 1 , 350 PS ( 1 , 332 hp ) to 1 , 475 PS ( 1455 hp ) . The engine was otherwise similar , notably in size , which was identical to the 601 . However , its weight did increase from 700 to 756 kg . In other ways the engine was essentially identical to the 601 , being a 12 cylinder , inverted - V ( with the crankshaft above the cylinders ) design . Both used dual Bosch magnetos firing twin spark plugs for ignition . Fuel injection was powered by a pump supplying up to 90 bar and the oil system used three pumps with a separate 35 litre oil tank . The supercharger was fairly advanced for the era in that it used a barometrically controlled hydraulic clutch ( fluid coupling ) which allowed the system to automatically compensate for changes in altitude . One major design difference was the switch from ball bearings to sleeve bearings which , when combined with increasingly poor grades of lubricants , led to serious problems in service , including engine fires ; initially , for example , the use of emergency power was forbidden . Although Daimler - Benz redesigned the bearings and added oil slingers and their associated coolers , the RLM considered the DB 605 to be a " sick engine " and the problems had not been fully resolved by the end of the war . Like the 601 , the 605 was designed to run on " B4 " fuel with an octane rating of 87 . In 1944 a series of newer engines was introduced , allowing the engine to run on the 100 octane " C3 " fuel and optionally including fittings for various optional power - boosting agent dispensing systems , such as the MW50 methanol - water injection system , and GM - 1 nitrous oxide injection system . The DB 605AM , running initially on C3 and MW - 50 , saw power improved to 1 , 800 PS ( 1775 hp ) for takeoff . In mid - 1944 , the requirement for C3 was dropped and standard B4 fuel with MW - 50 was used . The DB 605AS ( M ) improved the maximum rated altitude by using a larger supercharger taken from the DB 603 but was otherwise similar to the A ( M ) . The DB 605ASB ' s takeoff power was also rated at 1 , 800 PS ( 1 , 775 hp ) , while maintaining the high - altitude performance of the ASM . The final version of the A - series was the DB 605ASC of 1945 , which improved takeoff power to 2 , 000 PS ( 1 , 973 hp ) . As early as 1942 Daimler had also been working on an upgraded D - series engine that could run on either C2 or C3 fuel . The first of these , which appeared in late 1944 , were a small series of DB 605DM , followed by the main production series , the DB 605DB / DC . These engines were fitted with an adjustable screw stop which allowed the use of either B4 fuel with MW - 50 , or C - 3 fuel without MW - 50 , in which case the engine was designated DB 605DB , or the use of C - 3 fuel with MW - 50 , in which case the engine was given the - DC suffix instead . In its DB - suffix form the engine generated 1 , 800 PS ( 1 , 775 hp ) for take - off at 1 . 8 ata , while the DC was capable of 2 , 000 PS ( 1 , 973 hp ) at 1 . 98 ata . If MW - 50 was not available for use with the B4 fuel the throttle was limited to 1 . 45 ata for the entire flight . Thus , this series was ideally suited to catering for the chaotic fuel supply situation prevalent during the last months of the Third Reich . These engines were mainly used in the Bf 109G - 10 and K - 4 series . Variants . Note : All power ratings in PS ( metric horsepower ) . Unless otherwise noted takeoff / emergency power at sea level . Survivors . A Hispano Aviación HA - 1112 a license - built Messerschmitt Bf 109 G - 2 has been rebuilt by EADS / Messerschmitt Foundation in Germany with a Daimler - Benz DB 605 engine . Engines on display . Preserved DB 605 engines are on display at the Royal Air Force Museum , London and the National Air and Space Museum , Washington D . C