BMW 132

BMW 132
Preserved BMW 132E
Type	Radial engine
Manufacturer	BMW
First run	1933
Major applications	Junkers Ju 52
Number built	>21,000

The BMW 132 was a nine-cylinder radial aircraft engine produced by BMW starting in 1933.

Design and development

BMW took over the license for manufacturing air-cooled radial engines from US aircraft manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company on 3 January 1928. The nine-cylinder model Pratt & Whitney Hornet was initially manufactured virtually unchanged under the designation BMW Hornet. Soon BMW embarked on its own development. The result was the BMW 132 that went into production in 1933, which was essentially an improved version of the Hornet engine. A number of different versions were built. Aside from the carburettor designs used mainly in civilian aircraft, versions with direct fuel injection were manufactured for the German Luftwaffe. The engines had a displacement of 27.7 liters and generated up to 1,200 PS (880 kW)^{[citation needed]}, depending on model.

The 132 found widespread use in the transport role, remaining the primary powerplant of the Junkers Ju 52 for much of its life, turning the BMW 132 into one of the most important aeroengines for civilian aircraft during the 1930s.

Numerous pioneering flights were undertaken with the BMW 132. The most impressive was the first direct flight from Berlin to New York in a Fw 200 S-1 Condor equipped with four BMW 132 engines. It covered the distance to New York in 24 hours and 57 minutes on 10 August 1938.

Variants

• 132A - 725 PS (715 hp, 533 kW)
• 132Dc - 850 PS (838 hp, 625 kW)
• 132De - 880 PS (868 hp, 647 kW)
• 132J/K - 960 PS (947 hp, 706 kW)
• 132N - 865 PS (853 hp, 636 kW)
• 132T - 730 PS (720 hp, 537 kW)

Applications

• Arado Ar 196
• Arado Ar 197
• Blohm & Voss Ha 140
• Blohm & Voss BV 141
• Heinkel He 114
• Heinkel He 115
• Henschel Hs 123
• Junkers Ju 160
• Junkers Ju 52
• Junkers Ju 86
• Junkers W34

Specifications (BMW 132 Dc)

Data from

General characteristics

• Type: Nine-cylinder single-row supercharged air-cooled radial engine
• Bore: 155.6 mm (6 ¹⁄₈ in)
• Stroke: 161.9 mm (6 ³⁄₈ in)
• Displacement: 27.7 l (1,690 in³)
• Length: 1,411 mm (55.55 in)
• Diameter: 1,380 mm (54.33 in)
• Dry weight: 525 kg (1,157 lb)

Components

• Valvetrain: Two overhead valves per cylinder
• Supercharger: Single-speed centrifugal type supercharger
• Fuel system: Hobson carburetor
• Fuel type: 87 octane rating gasoline
• Cooling system: Air-cooled
• Reduction gear: Farman epicyclic gearing, 1.61:1

Performance

• Power output:
  
  • 589 kW (789 hp) for takeoff
  • 581 kW (779 hp) at 2,290 rpm at 2,900 m (9,515 ft)
• Specific power: 21.26 kW/l (0.47 hp/in³)
• Compression ratio: 6.5:1
• Specific fuel consumption: 322 g/(kW•h) (0.53 lb/(hp•h))
• Oil consumption: 8-11 g/(kW•h) (0.21-0.28 oz/(hp•h))
• Power-to-weight ratio: 1.12 kW/kg (0.68 hp/lb)

See also

Related development

• BMW 114
• Pratt & Whitney R-1690
  

Related lists

• List of aircraft engines