Recent content by billswagger

If it was only about output they would've just installed 2nd stage/geared superchargers, no? Aside from wing loading, the wing has other factors that contribute to performance characteristics, aspect ratio and lift to drag to name a couple. More power is usually the way to circumvent an...

At that height and speed, the F4U has the advantage. The logic reads like this. F4U out turns Fw190. Fw190 out turns 109. therefore...F4U out turns the 109. The only real advantage of the 109 is climb. Otherwise, i think the duel would be reminiscent of a P-47/109 match up, except the...

I read the advantage of the V16 was the piston cranks didn't require counter balancing because there was an opposing cylinder in place. Aside from saving weight, wouldn't that also help the crankshaft? The issue with the V16 i see is that in order to achieve that, it would require a V angle...

Consider the fuel economy and range of the bomber. I could be wrong, but radials were seen as more reliable for that role, and didn't require the plumbing for a cooling system. There's also the weight issue. 8 engines on one wing might actually make up more gross weight than the potential of...

I remember seeing an F-18 fly a low pass into a steep climb right over my head. The blue angles flew out of the local airbase near San Jose. They did the trick where each plane fans out from a center point at low level, then they pull up and climb looping back. The smoke trail they form looks...

Compared to?? Its a simple observation of aerodynamics. The boundary layer is disrupted by leading edge vents, and drag over the nose. Diminishing drag in these areas helps diminish drag over the wing. The air frame would therefore be cleaner and faster. Could planes with leading edge vents be...

Well, of course not all of the increase in speed was due to the radiator placement, however the P-39, and early P-51As did use the exact same power plant as did the P-40. Part of having a better drag profile would be eliminating the chin radiator. Its also been discussed the limitations of the...

Leading edge radiators were not the best for drag. The intake usually disrupts the boundary layer going over the wing, which causes more drag than just the frontal area of the intake. Similar to sticking your hand out of the window of a car, the air that doesn't fit in the intake creates a...

Its funny, because we can talk displacement and HP ratings, but actual performance of the plane seems to be where you end up putting the damn radiator. under wing? chin? aft the pilot? It would appear that aft the pilot offered the least drag to the air frame, but then its also more vulnerable...

I always held it in my head that the P-38, although one of the first piston fighters to fly high altitude escort missions for the US, was the least suitable. Much of its development was spent overcoming its complications with compressibility at high altitudes. Most pilots, however, spoke highly...

Basically a P-36 vs a P-40B Despite the added weight of the cooling system, the P-40B was said to be significantly faster despite having the same "rated" output. Basic performance only favored the P-36 in turn seeing as it was a tad lighter. The streamlining of the V engine allowed...

I also wonder what political agendas were being served at a time when most Allison engined aircraft were being shipped away on lend lease programs. Even though they might be allies, why would the US ship similarly capable or better aircraft to foreign countries? The idea of arming an ally...

The Allison attached to the P-51 was said to have performed better. Maybe i'm stating the obvious, but the air frame will effect performance more so than the engine. I think the Allison gets its reputation of lower performance at higher altitude because it was never designed to be operated at...

Typically, WEP rating has a lower FTH unless the throttle arm and inlet is also adjusted. Increased turbo efficiency can also change FTH. In that case you might have a chart that reveals stats for two different aircraft. One with out WEP and the other with WEP. If it were the same...

The spitfire is somewhat over rated IMO. It did make for a great interceptor because of its high rate of climb, but it was not as fast as some records show particularly when equipped with cannons. There are comparisons out there with the A6M and figures were surprisingly close in all...