Recent content by SHOOTER

Effective range is much different in the air than on the ground. In the air the higher MV of the Mk-103 offsets the higher BC of the Bk-5. Secondly, the curvature of the trajectory at those sorts of ranges means that at 2000 M, you might fire off the hole magazine WO hitting anything. If the...

My landlord when I was stationed in Heidelberg claimed to have flown and used a Me-109K with the Mk-103 in it. He had pictures of him and the plane. Willy Messerschmitt also made that claim in his book that several were made and some used for test and evaluation. I think that disputing the head...

I have been taught over the years that simple engine swaps can be calculated with little difficulty. First, the Square Root of the difference in power changes speed proportionally. Secondly changes in weight do the same, also as a second order function. The big bugaboo is the extra weight of the...

I like the aerodynamics of the FW-187. It has a higher aspect ratio wing, low form drag and less SA/power as shown by it's quick climb rate and speed on so little power. The very small differences in the weight of the two engines makes consideration of same a moot point. As I see it, the plane...

Why not just install the big engine with annular radiators like those on the Ju-88 and be done with it? There was no down side to frontal area. Little downside to Form factor and huge increases in power.

Including, IIRC, a larger tail.

Well, yes it is. Fitment of a heavier engine reduces static CoG margin and makes the plane vertically unstable. The four blade prop required to put the power into the air added area forward of the CoAP and made the plane "snaky". Those problems took a long time to solve when they were...

It seems the Authors of "Spitfire, the history" do not agree with you. Start on page 307 and keep going until you get to the part where they changed the tail size.

Missed the part with the book recommendation. Could anyone please post it again so I can have a look? Thanks.

I do not think it was that short. If you look at "Spitfire, the history" There are at least four sections, each of several or more pages concerned with changing the size and area of the empennage to increase stability on each of the new planes with more blades on the prop(s). While it may have...

PS. Just for your information from open source Wiki; "Private ownership[edit] According to the FAA there are 2 privately owned Su-27s in the U.S.[37] Two Su-27s from the Ukrainian Air Force were demilitarised and sold to Pride Aircraft of Rockford, Illinois, USA. Pride Aircraft modified some of...

I spent three years in the "Peace Sun" Program in Saudi Arabia and knew and conversed planes with dozens of them on a weekly, or by weekly basis. I have had several check rides in the back seat. We also played cards and BBQ'd with the Brits who were there for Their Military Support Mission. None...

Having an "in" with that circle of Pilots during my two tours in Germany, I have to say that ALL of the people I talked to thought that the Me-109 was a great weapon in the hands of a good Pilot. To a man, all four of the men I talked to regularly preferred the single 20 MM gun through the prop...

The was only one real contender, the Me-262(Un-known Mod?) with two Mk-103s. Then the standard Me-262 with four Mk-108s. PS. As a second thought, the Ta-152H, or as a last resort, the P-38L.

Contra-rotating propellers; From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia;Not to be confused with counter-rotating propellers. Contra-rotating propellers on a Rolls-Royce–Griffon–powered P-51 unlimited racer Aircraft equipped with contra-rotating propellers, also referred to as coaxial contra-rotating...