| VL II | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | V-12 liquid-cooled 4-stroke piston engine (Otto) |
| National origin | Germany |
| Manufacturer | Maybach |
| Major applications | Graf Zeppelin, USS Akron, USS Macon |
| Number built | at least 24 |
| Developed from | Maybach VL I |
The Maybach VL II was a type of internal combustion engine built by the German company Maybach in the late 1920s and 1930s. It was an uprated development of the successful Maybach VL I, and like the VL I, was a 60° V-12 engine.[1]
Five of them powered the German airship Graf Zeppelin, housed in separate nacelles. The engines developed 410 kW (550 hp) and were of 33.251 L (2,029.1 cu in) capacity. They could burn either Blau gasorpetrol.[1][2] The American USS Akron used eight of them, mounted internally,[3] as did its sister ship Macon.[4] The engines were reversible, meaning different cams could be engaged allowing the engine crankshaft to run in either direction, enabling reverse thrust.[5]
Lürssen built the fast yacht Oheka II in 1927; powered by three VL IIs, it was the fastest vessel of its type and became the basis of Germany's E-boats of World War II.[6]
Data from National Air and Space Museum [7]
Related development
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