Editing V engine

{{Short description|Internal combustion engine with two banks of cylinders at an angle resembling a 'V'}}
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| image1            = Blumfield V-twin motorcycle engine.jpg
| caption1          = V-twin motorcycle engine (circa 1910)
| image2            = VG30E.jpg
| caption2          = V6 car engine (circa 1990)
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A '''V engine''', sometimes called a '''Vee engine''', is a common [[engine configuration|configuration]] for [[internal combustion engine]]s. It consists of two [[cylinder bank]]s—usually with the same number of cylinders in each bank—connected to a common [[crankshaft]]. These cylinder banks are arranged at an angle to each other, so that the banks form a "V" shape when viewed from the front of the engine.

V engines typically have a shorter length than equivalent [[Straight engine|inline engines]], however the trade-off is a larger width. [[V6 engine|V6]], [[V8 engine|V8]] and [[V12 engine|V12]] engines are the most common layout for automobile engines with 6, 8 or 12 cylinders respectively.

==History==
The first V engine, a two-cylinder V-twin, was designed by [[Wilhelm Maybach]] and used in the 1889 [[Daimler Stahlradwagen]] automobile.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Larson |first1=Len |title=Dreams to Automobiles |date=2008 |isbn=978-1-4691-0104-0 |page=171 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zSCLAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT181 |access-date=2 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

The first [[V8 engine|V8]] engine was produced in 1903, in the form of the [[Antoinette (manufacturer)|Antoinette]] engine designed by [[Léon Levavasseur]] for [[Boat racing|racing boats]] and [[airplane]]s.<ref name="itstillruns.com">{{cite web |title=Who Invented the V8 Engine? |url=https://itstillruns.com/who-invented-v-engine-4894231.html |website=www.itstillruns.com |access-date=1 January 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="uniquecarsandparts.com.au">{{cite web |title=The V8 Engine |url=https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/history_v8_engine |website=www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au |access-date=1 January 2020}}</ref> The first [[V12 engine|V12]] engine was produced the following year by Putney Motor Works in [[London]], again for use in racing boats.<ref name="Ludvigsen" >{{cite book |title=The V12 Engine |last=Ludvigsen |first=Karl |publisher=Haynes |location=Sparkford, Yeovil | year=2005 |isbn=978-1-84425-004-2 |pages=14–19}}</ref> The first [[V6 engine]] to reach production appeared soon after in 1908, by the [[Deutz AG|Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik]] in [[Germany]] for use as a generator for gasoline-electric [[Locomotive|railway engines]].<ref name="Matschoss">{{cite book|last=Matschoss|first=Conrad|title=Geschichte der Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz|publisher= Berlin|year=1921}}</ref> However, it was not until 1950 that the V6 engine was used in series production automobiles, with the first example being the [[Lancia V6 engine]].<ref name="Matschoss"/> This V6 engine used a 60-degree V angle and separate crankpins for each cylinder, to reduce the vibration issues experienced by earlier attempts at production V6 engines.

==Characteristics==
Compared with an equivalent [[Straight engine|inline engine]] (the most common configuration for engines with less than six cylinders), a V engine has a shorter length but is wider. This effect increases with the number of cylinders in the engine; the length difference between V-twin and straight-twin engines might be insignificant, however V8 engines have a significantly smaller length than straight engines.<ref>{{cite book |last= Erjavec|first= Jack|year= 2010|title= Automotive Technology: A Systems Approach|url= {{Google books|0T30OyFiNKQC|Automotive Technology: A Systems Approach|page=226|plainurl=yes}}|location= Clifton Park, NY USA|publisher= Delmar, Cengage Learning|isbn= 978-1428311497|lccn= 2008934340|access-date= 2014-02-09|pages=226–227}}</ref> Compared with the less common [[flat engine]], a V engine is narrower, taller and has a higher [[center of mass]].

[[File:Blokhoek.jpg|thumb|V-angle illustrated by the yellow lines]]
The "V-angle" (or "included angle") between the [[cylinder bank]]s varies significantly between engines. Some engines have used a V-angle of 180 degrees (the same angle as a [[flat engine]]), such as several Ferrari V12 engines.<ref>{{cite web |title=Here's Why Ferrari's Old 'Flat-12' Isn't Exactly A Flat-12 At All |url=https://www.carthrottle.com/post/heres-why-ferraris-flat-12-isnt-exactly-a-flat-12-at-all/ |website=www.carthrottle.com |access-date=1 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=There's a Big Difference Between a Boxer and a Flat Engine |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/there-s-a-big-difference-between-a-boxer-and-flat-engine-85305.html |website=www.autoevolution.com |access-date=1 August 2020 |language=en |date=15 August 2014}}</ref> At the other end of the scale, the 1922–1976 [[Lancia V4 engine]] and the 1991–present Volkswagen [[VR6 engine]] use V-angles as small as 10 degrees, along with a single cylinder head used by both banks of cylinders.

The [[engine balance]] of a V12 engine is that of perfect primary and secondary balance. For V engines with fewer cylinders, the engine balance will depend on factors such as the firing interval, crankshaft counterweights and whether [[balance shaft]]s are present.

The [[crankpin]]s on a V engine are usually shared by two cylinders from opposing banks, with an offset between the two cylinders. Alternative configurations are separate crankpins per cylinder (such as several V-twin engines) or articulated [[connecting rod]]s.

=== Inverted engines ===
[[File:Argus AS 10 Aviaticum.JPG|thumb|[[Argus As 10]] inverted engine]]

Some airplanes of the 1920s and 1930s used [[Inline engine (aviation)#inverted engine|inverted engines]], whereby the crankshaft is located at the top of the engine and the cylinder heads are at the bottom. Advantages include better visibility in a single-engined airplane, a higher thrust line, and resultant increased ground clearance for the propeller. Examples include the 1928 [[Argus As 10]] V8 engine and the 1935 [[Daimler-Benz DB 601]] V12 engines.
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==Specific configurations==
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| image3            = ScaniaV8.jpg
| caption3          = V8 truck engine
| image4            = Honda RA121E engine front Honda Collection Hall.jpg
| caption4          = V12 Formula One engine from 1991
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It is common practice for V engines to be described with '''"V''#''"''' notation, where ''#'' represents the number of cylinders. Configurations of V engines which have reached production are as follows:
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[V-twin engine|V-twin]] (also known as "V2")
*[[V3 engine|V3]]
*[[V4 engine|V4]]
*[[V5 engine|V5]]
*[[V6 engine|V6]]
*[[V8 engine|V8]]
*[[V10 engine|V10]]
*[[V12 engine|V12]]
*[[V14 engine|V14]]
*[[V16 engine|V16]]
*[[V18 engine|V18]]
*[[V20 engine|V20]]
*[[V24 engine|V24]]
*V32
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==See also==
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*[[VR engine]]
*[[Straight engine]]
*[[Flat engine]]
*[[Radial engine]]
*[[U engine]]
*[[H engine]]
*[[W engine]]
*[[X engine]]
* {{Commons category-inline|V engines}}
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==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Piston engine configurations}}
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[[Category:V engines| ]]
[[Category:Engines by cylinder layout|V]]