M-5 (engine)

The history of the Soviet M-5 engine began in 1922 with the initiative proposal of the Moscow Ikar plant to organize the production of powerful engines for the young Republic. The plant was tasked with copying foreign engines, and the American Liberty L-12 and the French Spanish-Suiza 8Fb with 400 and 300 hp respectively were chosen as samples.

The Liberty motor L-12 was chosen mainly because at the Moscow GAZ No. 1 aircraft factory the production of one of the best reconnaissance aircraft of that time with this engine - the English - called P in the USSR, was unfolding -1 .

According to the worn-out trophy prototype of the Liberty motor available at GAZ No. 2 (the so-called Ikar plant), at the end of 1922 a set of working drawings of the motor in the metric system of measures was released, which required a large number of verification calculations. A tolerance and landing system, manufacturing and assembly technology for parts and assemblies were developed, cutting and measuring tools and devices were manufactured. The plant was reconstructed, equipped with missing equipment and somewhat expanded. Work on the production of documentation and preparation of production was carried out under the guidance of designer A. A. Bessonov and chief engineer of the plant M. P. Makaruk.

The first engine passed state tests in December 1923, and the first batch of engines was adopted by the commission in 1924. The engine was launched into serial production at the Ikar plant and the Bolshevik Leningrad (formerly Obukhov) under the designation M-5-400 - a motor, fifth model, 400 horsepower. (subsequently simply M-5).

By 1925, mass production ensured the supply of completely reliable M-5 engines. Their reliability was confirmed by the participation of aircraft with these engines in a number of flights, including the Moscow-Beijing flight in June - July 1925 of two R-1 aircraft, which were piloted by M. M. Gromov and M. A. Volkovoin .

M-5 engines were in production for several years, operated until 1932-1933; their total number was several thousand. They were installed on reconnaissance aircraft R-1 , MP-1 and R-3 , on imported Fokker aircraft and fighter jets: I-1 versions of Polikarpov and Grigorovich , and I-2 . M-5s were also used in the BT-5 light tank . About 3200 engines were manufactured only for delivery to aircraft factories.

The M-5 engine was a two-row 12-cylinder V-shaped engine with freestanding cylinders and a camber angle of 45 degrees. The connecting rods are forks, the crankshaft bearings are sliding babbitts . A characteristic feature of the engine was the use of Delco's “Remy” ignition system as an automotive system, that is, without magneto , the use of which was typical for aircraft engines. When the engine was started and it was running on low gas, the system was powered by a storage battery, and at working speed, by a direct current generator.

The reason is simple - the engine was developed in the United States in 1917 by a group of automotive engineers and was intended for production at the plants of the largest automotive concerns.

As far as we know, this was the only serial aircraft engine with such an ignition system. The ignition was double - with two candles on each cylinder. The motor had two carburetors and was equipped with drives for the machine gun synchronizer, rev counter, gasoline pump and motor units.

As motor fuel was used (terminology of those years) Baku gasoline of the 2nd grade . Engine oil AAC (summer) and AB (winter).

The M-5 engine is presented in the expositions of the following museums:

• Air Force Museum , Monino (Moscow Region) ^[1]
• Armored Museum in Kubinka

• Engines, Piston, M-5