wiking85
Staff Sergeant
I know this is more a thread for the engine subforum, but I've already broached the topic there in this thread without much in the way of answers:
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/engines/jumo-213-what-took-so-long-39029.html
Anyway my question is why was the Jumo 222 really not put into production? From what I've read recently via Lutz Budrass it seems that it was a combination of being developed to death (by constantly upping the HP requirements and displacement just as the previous requirement was being met) and being placed on low priority to undermine Erhard Milch's rival, Dr. Heinrich Koppenberg, who was running the Ju 288/Jumo 222 program (he also separated the program to kill it too). Budrass pretty much states that this rivalry killed the engine, rather than technical issues being the real cause of it never entering production status.
It also seems that in April 1941 the Jumo 222 in its original design configuration (2000 hp) achieved 100 hours on a bench test, which is a strong indication that it is closing in on being production ready, though there were still some issues with corrosion and piston seizure that set in at about 50 hours (which in 1941 was better than the BMW 801 or DB 603). Eventually this original 2000hp configuration and displacement was the version, the Jumo 222E/F that was the one that actually got near production status in 1943 before Allied bombing killed it for good (though work continued on refining it until 1945). However in 1941 the requirement was upped to 2500hp in response to the Ju 288 airframe gaining weight during the development process, which required an increase in power from its engines to keep up performance. This of course set back the process and prevented the engine from getting ready until 1943 at which time the requirement was again bumped up to 3000hp, setting development back again.
So based on all of this it seems that had the original displacement and HP output been kept from 1941 on the engine would have been ready some time in 1942 for serial production, though perhaps not at the 100 hour between overhaul mark (which didn't keep the BMW 801 or DB 603 from production historically). Obviously it would be weaker than needed for the Bomber B program, which IMHO should have been killed at the point its weight jumped up too far for the engine, but it would have had plenty of other uses in the He 177B, Do-217, Ju 188, and even a FW190 version (or Ta-152 which tested with the Jumo 222 historically). The fuel consumption would have been significantly better, as the smaller cylinders were more efficient than say the DB 603 or BMW 801, and the weight and dimensions wouldn't have been that much bigger than the DB 603.
Am I missing something here or was the Jumo 222 killed by administrative action and development rather than technical issues?
As a side subject, what would its effect have been had it entered production in March 1942 with 70 hours between overhauls and no greater requirement for strategic materials than say the DB 603 of Jumo 213? Would it have meant an earlier He 177B powered by these engines, a Do-217 not underpowered, a Me 410 with Mosquito-level speed, a FW-190/Ta-152 with altitude performance challenging the P-51, a Ju 188 with better performance than the Ju88, and a series of night fighters/intruders that actually lived up to spec (like the He-219, Ju 88G, and Ju88S)?
What becomes of the Ostmark production facility if it were actually able to start operations with its original tooling, rather than being partly retooled for the DB603 and not really ever being operational?
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/engines/jumo-213-what-took-so-long-39029.html
Anyway my question is why was the Jumo 222 really not put into production? From what I've read recently via Lutz Budrass it seems that it was a combination of being developed to death (by constantly upping the HP requirements and displacement just as the previous requirement was being met) and being placed on low priority to undermine Erhard Milch's rival, Dr. Heinrich Koppenberg, who was running the Ju 288/Jumo 222 program (he also separated the program to kill it too). Budrass pretty much states that this rivalry killed the engine, rather than technical issues being the real cause of it never entering production status.
It also seems that in April 1941 the Jumo 222 in its original design configuration (2000 hp) achieved 100 hours on a bench test, which is a strong indication that it is closing in on being production ready, though there were still some issues with corrosion and piston seizure that set in at about 50 hours (which in 1941 was better than the BMW 801 or DB 603). Eventually this original 2000hp configuration and displacement was the version, the Jumo 222E/F that was the one that actually got near production status in 1943 before Allied bombing killed it for good (though work continued on refining it until 1945). However in 1941 the requirement was upped to 2500hp in response to the Ju 288 airframe gaining weight during the development process, which required an increase in power from its engines to keep up performance. This of course set back the process and prevented the engine from getting ready until 1943 at which time the requirement was again bumped up to 3000hp, setting development back again.
So based on all of this it seems that had the original displacement and HP output been kept from 1941 on the engine would have been ready some time in 1942 for serial production, though perhaps not at the 100 hour between overhaul mark (which didn't keep the BMW 801 or DB 603 from production historically). Obviously it would be weaker than needed for the Bomber B program, which IMHO should have been killed at the point its weight jumped up too far for the engine, but it would have had plenty of other uses in the He 177B, Do-217, Ju 188, and even a FW190 version (or Ta-152 which tested with the Jumo 222 historically). The fuel consumption would have been significantly better, as the smaller cylinders were more efficient than say the DB 603 or BMW 801, and the weight and dimensions wouldn't have been that much bigger than the DB 603.
Am I missing something here or was the Jumo 222 killed by administrative action and development rather than technical issues?
As a side subject, what would its effect have been had it entered production in March 1942 with 70 hours between overhauls and no greater requirement for strategic materials than say the DB 603 of Jumo 213? Would it have meant an earlier He 177B powered by these engines, a Do-217 not underpowered, a Me 410 with Mosquito-level speed, a FW-190/Ta-152 with altitude performance challenging the P-51, a Ju 188 with better performance than the Ju88, and a series of night fighters/intruders that actually lived up to spec (like the He-219, Ju 88G, and Ju88S)?
What becomes of the Ostmark production facility if it were actually able to start operations with its original tooling, rather than being partly retooled for the DB603 and not really ever being operational?
