The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Thin stamped metal data plate 75 mm x 36 mm, from a Benz Bz IV aircraft in line engine. Plate has two holes in short sides to attach to engine. Black with raised type and stamped numbers on raised base.
Plate reads: Type Bz 4 Fabr. No. 1247. (Benz Bz IV Works number 1247)
Uml/Min 1415 P.S. 220 (Revs/min 1415 H.P. 220)
Gewährkeistung läuft BLANK (Warranty to - No Date Given)
See REL49172 for Data plate showing Military Number. May be from same aircraft as both plates came from same collection.
Data plates gave the manufacturer's and the military's numbers of the engine for bookkeeping purposes.
Karl Benz started his first firm at Mannheim in 1871 to build two stroke engines. In 1906 he became associated with aviation when he built engines for non-rigid airships.
The Benz Bz.IV was a six-cylinder inline water cooled aero engine produced from 1916 and some 6,400 were produced. Benz engine were confined to the vertical type until late in the war when eight and twelve-cylinder types were experimented with. All Benz engines bear a certain resemblance. The overhead valves are operated through push rods and rockers. The separate cylinders are made with sheet metal water jackets welded to either a cast-iron cylinder or to a cast-head cylinder with a screwed in steel barrel. They were known for their reliability and ease of maintenance.
The Benz Bz.IV was of nominal 200-hp but capable of 220-hp at 1400 rpm. There were two inlet and outlet valves and two spark plugs per cylinder. The engine had two carburettors and two magnetos. This engine was used in two-seater and Risenflugzeug (Giant) aircraft as well as prototypes. Common types that used the engine are the AEG J.I and Albatros J.I armoured infantry co-operation/ground attack aircraft. Reconaissance aircraft that used the engine included the Albatros C.II, Ago C.IV, Halberstadt C.V, LVG C.VI. The Pfalz D.XII single-seat fighter also was fitted with this engine. Marine aircraft included the Friedrichshafen FF.49 floatplane as well as the Friedrichshafen G.II landplane bomber.
Collected by 7159 Private Horace Alchin, who enlisted from Crookwell, NSW on 7 August 1917, aged 21. He served with 17th Battalion AIF in 1918 and joined the Australian Graves Detachment when it was raised in early 1919.
German aircraft propeller for 200hp Benz engine. Light coloured laminated wood, 9 feet X 9 inches in length with steel hub fitting. Stamped on hub is the following: 'no 3831 200 P.S Benz D.297 stq.'
Metal Plate from Benz engine. Reads: Motor Benz No 25547. Dimension of plate 79 mm x 15 mm. Figures are impressed and appear to have been blackened. Karl Benz established his first factory at Man
Metal data plate from a German aircraft. 62 x 46 mm in size black with raised lettering in the base metal of the plate. The number boxes are plain with the serials, etc., stamped thereon. The edges of
Metal identification plate 91 x 25 mm from a Fokker D.VII manufactured by Albatros GMBH, Schneidemuhl. The plate has a hole in each corner for attaching to the airframe. The text is surrounded by a ra
Broken data plate from an Albatros built Fokker D.VII. 85 x 26 mm in size. Damaged on one end where pulled off airframe. Two holes added presumably to display the plate. Text reads: Albatros GESSEL
Nameplate from a Marston Honeycomb Radiator. Brass coloured with pointed ends with holes for attaching to radiator. 90 mm overall length, 75 mm length straight section between pointed ends; 15 mm wide
