Argus As 8 Aircraft Engine — Manuals Collection

A curated archive of original technical documentation for the Argus As 8 inverted inline piston engine — Argus Motoren GmbH's pioneering postwar clean-sheet design and the direct technological ancestor of the legendary Argus As 10. This living collection brings together 6 unique primary-source documents spanning engine handbooks, operating instructions, and illustrated parts catalogs, covering the As 8 B and As 8 (no-variant) series.

Collection Contents by Variant

Variant B — 4 Documents

As 8 B Engine Handbook

• As 8 B Series I Aircraft Engine Handbook Manual 1933 — Motoren-Handbuch (German Language)
• As 8 B Series I Aircraft Engine Handbook Manual 1937 — Motoren-Handbuch (German Language)

As 8 B Operating Instructions

• As 8 B Series III Aircraft Engine, Operating Instructions 1932 — Betriebsvorschriften 1932 (German Language)
• As 8 B Series I Aircraft Engine, Operating Instructions 1933 — Betriebsvorschriften 1933 (German Language)

As 8 B Illustrated Parts Catalog

• As 8 B Series I Aircraft Engine — Illustrated Parts Catalog — Ersatzteilliste (German Language)

No-Variant Manual — 1 Document

As 8 Operating Instructions

• As 8 Series III Aircraft Engine, Operating Instructions 1932 — Betriebsvorschriften 1932 (German Language)

Historical Background

The Argus As 8 entered service in 1928, manufactured by Argus Motoren GmbH (Berlin-Reinickendorf, Germany). It represented a complete architectural departure for Argus — a clean-sheet, air-cooled inverted inline design marking the company's return to aviation engine production after WWI. The As 8 powered notable aircraft including the Heinkel He 64, Messerschmitt M 29, and Klemm Kl 32, and competed in the Challenge International de Tourisme. Production ran from 1928 to the mid-1930s, when it was superseded by its 6-cylinder and V8 derivatives. Its most significant legacy is as the direct blueprint for the Argus As 10 V8, which powered tens of thousands of Luftwaffe trainers and the Fieseler Storch.

Key Variants

• As 8 A — Initial variant, 80–95 hp
• As 8 B — Upgraded standardized version, 115–130 hp
• As 8 R — High-compression racing version, 150 hp

Technical Specifications

• Engine Type: Inverted inline piston engine
• Configuration: 4-cylinder inline, inverted
• Displacement: 386.40 cu in (6.332 L)
• Horsepower Range: 80–150 hp
• Bore × Stroke: 120 mm × 140 mm (4.72 in × 5.51 in)
• Weight: 256 lbs dry (116 kg) / 283 lbs fully equipped
• Fuel: 80 Octane Aviation Gasoline
• Notable Features: Inverted cylinder block for maximum pilot visibility; air-cooled system; single down-draught carburetor

Current Status

• Airworthy Examples: None — museum and historical preservation only
• Type Certificate: None active (Argus Motoren GmbH dissolved post-WWII)
• Active Service Bulletins / ADs: None — fully legacy, unsupported by modern aviation authorities

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