Me 264 - why no DB606/610?

[wuzak]

The Messerschmmitt Me 264 was designed around four 1750hp DB603 V-12 engines.

As the prototype was being built there weren't any DB603s available, so 1350hp Jumo QECs were substituted. These were underpowered for the size of the Me 264, so 1750hp BMW 801s were put in their place. Even with 7000hp the Me 264 was underpowered.

Why wasn't there an attempt to use the DB606 or DB610 coupled engines instead?

Messerschmitt had already used these coupled engines in the Me 261, with far fewer issues than would occur in the later He 177.

The DB606 had a maximum rating of 2700hp (~3000lb?) and the DB610 a maximum of 2900hp and around 3500lb weight.

To gain extra range one half of the coupled engines could be shut down.

The DB606/610 would increase the weight, but I should think the extra power would more than compensate for that.

btw, a wiki fail:

A variant on the P.1061 was the P.1062 of which three prototypes were built, with only two "engines" to the P.1061's four, but they were, in fact, the more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 606s, each comprising a pair of DB 601 inverted V-12 engines, successfully used in the long-range Messerschmitt Me 261, itself originating as the Messerschmitt P.1064 design of 1937.

The twin engined one, of which three prototypes were ordered, was the Me 261 (and the link redirects there).