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Over 30,000 feetHello Pinsog,
It kinda depends on what you really mean by "high altitude". Just remember, the Me 109 also had a pretty small wing and wasn't a particularly light aircraft in the versions that were likely to encounter a P-47.
It really isn't a matter of just wing loading though that is a good indication of relative stall speeds. It is a matter of stall speed clean and I don't think you will find a single engine Japanese fighter with a stall speed as high as 115 MPH. I was just using Oscar as an example because I had already calculated its stall speed as somewhere below about 68 MPH from earlier discussions.
- Ivan.
Over 30,000 feet
So a bit of topic but what piston engined fighter would be good for shooting down B29's at 30,000ft, Spitfire 14 with 4 hispano's, Ta152 with 20 or 30mm cannon, late mark P47 with hispano's or say a mozzie with Merlin 70's and 8 hispano's in the nose or a 40mm bofors in the bomb bay with an auto loader?.
Westland Welkin. Intercept of high altitude pressurised bombers or recce aircraft is what it was designed for.
Hello Kevin J,
There were reasons why the Welkin was never produced. The problem was that the aircraft had a serious compressibility issue and compressibility problems and high-altitude aircraft just do not work well together. That is my understanding for why the design failed.
I believe I heard this in a recorded interview with Philip Lucas.
- Ivan.
Kevin,
The Welkin is a very good choice. I personally believe the Spitfire XIV
with 4 x 20 mm armament would have been and excellent choice. My
personal favorites were a close call. The P-72A with 4 x 20 mm. and
De Havilland Hornet I.
Welkin I: 387 mph/26,000 ft.
Spitfire 14: 437 mph/32,808 ft.
P-72: 490 mph/25,000 ft.
Hornet I: 460 mph./32,808 ft.
The P72 was supposedly going to be armed with either 6x20 mm or 4x37 mm cannon.Kevin,
The Welkin is a very good choice. I personally believe the Spitfire XIV
with 4 x 20 mm armament would have been and excellent choice. My
personal favorites were a close call. The P-72A with 4 x 20 mm. and
De Havilland Hornet I.
Welkin I: 387 mph/26,000 ft.
Spitfire 14: 437 mph/32,808 ft.
P-72: 490 mph/25,000 ft.
Hornet I: 460 mph./32,808 ft.
My mistake. I read your original question wrong, I thought you were asking what was high altitude for a B29 intercept.How many encounters do you have data for at that altitude that involved a turning fight?
30,000 feet also happens to be about the optimum altitude for a Thunderbolt.
I don't believe the 109G and later had a particularly low stall speed either.
- Ivan.
Only the Welkin is pressurised. Neither the P-72 or Hornet are operational.
So long as there is no escort fighters the Welkins deficiencies are irrelevant.
My mistake. I read your original question wrong, I thought you were asking what was high altitude for a B29 intercept.
High altitude for the P47 to start out turning an Me109 was, I think, 28,000 feet. (Could be as low as 26,000 or 27,000 feet) but I'm 95% sure it was 28,000. I just read that, couldn't tell you where. But especially with the paddle prop, no loss in power and large wing it certainly doesn't surprise me.
I was always curious why they weren't thinking 4 x 20 mm.
Even the F-86 was still using 0.5in. Brownings.
And before everyone gets rabid about height of operations.
Why did they move the B29 operations to lower levels, incendiary attacks etc.
And why was it done?
And who was the rocket signtist behind that plan?
All asked as a non American myself of course.