Recent content by Piper106

Maybe a better choice would have been... a two stage Allison V-1710. In the book "V-1710 and V-3420 Designs and Concepts" by Dan Whitney and John Leonard, pages 124 thru 127 show installation of the Allison V-1710-45 (F7) two stage engine in the NA X-73 (Mustang I prototype). The drawing...

One bit of data not yet mentioned are the production quantities for the Packard Merlin engines dash 11 and higher. I assume that each variant dash 11 and higher, the production was limited to a single digit number of engines for testing / prototype airplanes (and for some dash numbers, no...

Note that the speed density fuel injection systems used by the Merlin 113/114, Merlin 130/131 and V-1650-11 were nothing like the fuel injection systems used by the German aviation engines. The systems on the above Merlin / Packard Merlin engines sprayed a continuous stream of gas into the eye...

Most of the info below comes from "Mustang" by Robert Gruenhagen, which I had to dig out late last night. The Packard V-1650-9 was built for the P-51H. and was equipped with ADI (water injection). This engine was similar to the British RM16SM except for the carburetor. The V-1650-9A was...

The Packard V-1650-19 was to be similar to the -11 engines, but with a continuously variable fluid coupling supercharger drive that allowed any ratio between 8.3:1 (max) and 5.0:1 (minimum), in place of the two gear ratios for the supercharger drives in previous engines. The dash 19 was to be...

Look at the drawing on page 235 of "Vee's for Victory!" by Dan Whitney. On the C series engines the 'accessory' drive shaft comes off the propeller drive gear. Replace a C series nose case with a E series adapter, and there is no drive to the camshafts, distributors, and supercharger, a...

Dan Whitney in his book, 'Vees for Victory' notes that post war an E series Allison V-1710 was prepared / modified / reserved for use in an armored vehicle. No indication which vehicle this engine was intended to power. Seems reasonable to me. The Allison would be equivalent to the RR...

WW2 era Tech Order (T.O.) 02-1-38 covers the use of grade 91 fuel for training and US continental use to conserve 100/130 gasoline for overseas combat operations. In the section of the various Allison V-1710 engines, the above T.O. refers the user to T.O. 02-5A-66 for the operating limits to be...

I am trying to figure out whether the P-38 or the P-47 would have been the better strafer / ground support airplane after the P-51 takes over air defense / bomber escort tasks . . I have read the same articles you have about the toughness of the R-2800, coming home with cylinders shot off...

As far as I know all of the combatant nations would have liked to put more toluene in aviation fuel, but nearly all the toluene available was needed as raw material for trinitrotoluene (TNT).

I am assuming that the bombers retained their night camouflage (black underside), since there were not used enough times on day missions warrant a change to day camouflage.

Another thing that has been confused. As bomber, it seems the Do217E / K / M and the Ju 88A / S were a close match in speed. As a night fighter, the Do217 J / N versions seem to have been real dogs compared to the Ju 88 C / R / G. What was about the Dornier that made it such a bad choice...

Obviously the ventral panier on the J-88A-15 and Ju88S-2 reduces speed when empty compared to a similar version without the panier because of the increased frontal area. But while the bombs are still on board, which gives better speed; carrying the bomb load inside the panier or externally on a...

I am trying to decide which would have been better for level bombing (using standard 250 to 1000 Kg bombs) at a altitude of 3000 to 6000m (10000 to 20000 feet) up to 600 kilometers (350 miles) away from its base. JU 88A or Ju88S vs. Do 217E / K / M. Let's not discuss which is better as carrier...

The F28 had the 9-1/2" engine stage impeller turned by 8.1:1 step up gears and the 7.23:1 gears in the auxiliary stage. The G6 had a 10-1/4" engine stage impeller turned by 7.48:1 gears with 8.03:1 auxiliary stage gears. For the G6 engine Whitney states (page 280): "The Military rating was set...