19 Facts About V12 engine

V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft.

The even firing order for a four-stroke V12 engine has an interval of 60 degrees, therefore a V12 engine can be perfectly balanced only if a V-angle of 60 degrees is used.

At any given time, three of the cylinders in a V12 engine are in their power stroke, which increases the smoothness of the power delivery by eliminating gaps between power pulses.

Theoretically, the rotating parts of a V12 racing engine could be lighter than a crossplane V8 engine of similar displacement, due to the V12 engine not requiring counterweights on the crankshaft or as much inertial mass for the flywheel.

Five years after the first V12 engine was introduced, Renault introduced the first V12 engine for aircraft in 1909.

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The Renault engine was closely mimicked by the RAF 4 and its derivatives, which was used by various British military aircraft during World War I The RAF 4 engine had a displacement of 13.

In March 1914, a prototype version of the Sunbeam Mohawk V12 engine was unveiled in the United Kingdom, based on the 'Toodles V' motor racing engine.

Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine was used in several British aircraft including the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters, and the Avro Lancaster and de Havilland Mosquito bombers.

The Allison V-1710 was the only liquid-cooled V12 engine designed in the United States that was used on active service during World War II.

Each bank of the V12 engine consisted of two-cylinder blocks with three cylinders each.

Amongst the first production cars to use a V12 engine were the 1915 Packard Twin Six, the 1915 National V12 engine and the 1917 Weidely Pathfinder; all of which were built in the United States.

However, Cadillac was unsatisfied with the performance of its V12 engine, having little advantage over the large displacement V8 that was cheaper to enlarge for more power.

The first V12 engine used in Formula One was in the 1964 Honda RA271 racing car, and continued through to the 1968 Honda RA301 racing car.

Ferrari's V12 engine debuted in the Ferrari 312 racing car and was used up to the 1975 Ferrari 312B, after which Ferrari switched to a flat-twelve V12 engine.

Maserati's V12 engine was introduced in the Cooper T81 and was used until the 1969 Cooper T86.

The Weslake V12 engine was used from 1966 to 1968 and was introduced in the Eagle Mk1 racing car.

The Matra Sports V12 engine was introduced in the 1968 Matra MS11 racing car and used until the 1978 Ligier JS9.

The Yamaha OX99 V12 engine was used in the 1990 Brabham BT59 through to the 1992 Brabham BT60.

In 1935, the V12 engine used by the Pierce Arrow luxury car was fitted to firetrucks built by Seagrave .