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If they were over boosting. That would,mean they were using the British 100/130 octane fuel. Not the US 100 octane fuel.According to my records, the V-1650 / Merin 28 on the P-40F/L got up to ~1450 hp at max boost, whereas (by mid 1942) the P-40E was rated at 1470 hp at the 'official' WEP setting of 56" and the P-40K was rated at 1550 hp at it's official WEP setting of 60" Hg. Both engines were reportedly sometimes operated at overboost as high as 66" or even 70-72" Hg for over 1,700 hp.
65" is overboost for that engine, by a considerable margin. And it's obvious he was using it a lot longer than 5 minutes. It means he was probably operating at ~1,500 hp or more.
I believe the 61" rating had actually developed from combat experience, increased from a previous lower rating. Much like the "official" WEP rating had gone from 45" to 57" for the Allisons and in the field 60" (secretly acknowledged by Allison) and routinely 65" - 72" by actual combat units, for up to 20 minutes according to that report on the Mustang I.
In this case it appears Lt Mobbs was running his P-40F on 65" boost for more than 20 minutes. Enough Hp for long enough to outrun a Bf109F-4.
S
If they were over boosting. That would,mean they were using the British 100/130 octane fuel. Not the US 100 octane fuel.
Can someone verify this?
D
I really have no idea what planes he was suggesting that the boost limits be raised on.
The F-6As which were about the only planes/engines that would actually hit those limits were used by two squadrons in North Africa/Italy. The 154th observation squadron and the 111th Photo Recon squadron.
It didn't matter what the British were doing with their -39 engines in hundreds of Mustang Is if your Mustang/Apaches in North Africa/Italy have different engines with different supercharger gears.
We can see above that it wasn't possible to use 70in boost under the conditions of the test. The low altitude to which 52in boost could be maintain is also noted.9. ZERO vs P-3D-1:
Climb from sea level to five-thousand (5000) feet
indicated. Take-off was accomplished in formation on signal.
P-39D-1 was drawing 3000 RPM ard seventy (70) inches manifold
pressure. Engine started to detonate so manifold pressure was
reduced to fifty-two (52) inches. P-39D-1 left the ground first
and arrived at five-thousand (5,000) feet indicated just as Zero
was passing four-thousand (4,000) feet indicated, Fifty-two (52)
inches manifold pressure could be maintained to four-thousand
five-hundred (4,500) feet indicated. At five-thousand (5,000)
feet indicated from a cruising speed of two-hundred-thirty (230)
miles per hour indicated the P-39D-1 had a marked acceleration away
from Zero. Climb from five-thousand (5,000) feet to ten-thousand
(10,000) feet at the respective best climbing speeds, (thus elimi-
nating zoom) P-39D-1 reached ten-thousand (10,000) feet indicated
approximately six (6) seconds before Zero. At ten-thousand (10,000)
feet indicated, from a cruising speed of two-hundred-twenty (220)
miles per hour indicated, P-39D-1 still accelerated away from
Zero rapidly. Climbing from ten-thousand (10,000) feet to fifteen-
thousand (15,000) feet, both airplanes maintained equal rates of
climb to twelve-thousand five-hundred (12,500) feet. Above this
altitute the Zero walked away from the P-39D-l. At fifteen-
thousand (15,000) feet indicated, from a crulsing speed of, two-
hundred-ten (210) miles per hour indicated, P-39D-l accelerated
away from Zero slowly...
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/japan/intelsum85-dec42.pdf
I must say that the anecdotes you quote seem very much like PR blurb, very emotive and flowery language "At this point I really swore by a P-40, because I could dogfight and out turn him with ease. " Had the pilot been in combat in any other type, did he have any connection to the aviation industry?Found this interesting quote in the Osprey book P-40 Warhawk Aces of the MTO, P. 65.
This was from a letter by Lt Richard T Conly of the 315th FS / 324th FG describing an April 29 encounter over Tunisia in which he scored his first confirmed victory:
'When I pulled back up, I had just climbed to about 7000 ft when another '202 jumped me at nine o'clock high. I turned into him, and he started turning to get on my tail. At this point I really swore by a P-40, because I could dogfight and out turn him with ease. He saw I was going to get a shot and headed for the deck, strait down. I never got farther than 100 yards behind him, and he stayed right in my sights. I watched my tracers pound into him all the way. Those good old six "fifties" raked him from the tail up. He hit the deck about 50 ft just offshore and went strait in. I almost got wet in the splash.'
Just a particularly clear anecdote out of many similar which emphasized that the P-40s flown by USAAF units at that time (mostly P-40F/L plus some P-40K) could easily out turn the MC 202 / 205, and I also have numerous similar anecdotes about the Bf 109F and G. Will post a few of those later.
It also seems he had no trouble keeping up with it in a long dive.
S
If the P40 out turned a Italian Fighter. It was about a 1000 lb lighter because they used a good half of their fuel to travel and attack the Italian bases. The Italian Fighters were filled with fuel to intercept. So weighs would have been similar.Just a note on turning.
During the BoB it was found that less experienced pilots in Spitfires could be out-turned by experienced pilots in Bf 109s. This was found in evaluations of captured 109s by experienced test pilots.
When pilots of equal experience and skill were flying the two aircraft, the Spitfire easily out-turned the Bf 109. All about knowing how far the aircraft could be pushed.
In the BoB, many RAF pilots were novices, while Luftwaffe pilots had some experience behind them.
I do not know whether a 202 could out-turn a P-40, but equally the pilot may have lacked the skill and experience to get the best out of his aircraft.
The P-40 had a slightly lower wing loading at 1/2 fuel than the MC 202 did with full fuel. As in a P-40E with 600lbs of fuel on board (1/2 fuel if the drop tank is counted.) has a wing loading of 91% of the MC 202 sitting in dispersal with tanks full but engine not started.
A P-40E with 1000lbs of fuel gone is in serious trouble over an Italian fighter base. It has 200lbs of fuel left. 33-34 gallons. enough for 1 hour flying low and slow.
enough for 11-12 minutes using the overboost some forum members are so fond of. Not enough to do both.
Look at the arguments concerning the Spitfire (wing loading 24lb/sq/ft) and the 109E ( wing loading 32lb/sq/ft) .
Although the P-40 apparently had a better wing loading, wing loading is not the only factor in turn radius or turn ability.
Engine power made a difference in a turn and P-40F/L or K had a bit better power, depending on altitude than the MC 202. MC205 had superior power but a much higher wing loading.
Both P-40 and MC 202 pilots used partial flap settings to tighten turns especially at lower speed. I believe on the MC 202 it was a specific setting, on the P-40 it was kind of like a dimmer switch, there was a wheel and a switch on the control column.
I must say that the anecdotes you quote seem very much like PR blurb, very emotive and flowery language "At this point I really swore by a P-40, because I could dogfight and out turn him with ease. " Had the pilot been in combat in any other type, did he have any connection to the aviation industry?
Merlin 24, which is generally similar to the V-1650-1, had the following ratings at +18psi boost (66.4inHg MAP):
Takeoff: 1,610hp @ 3,000rpm
MS: 1,640hp @ 3,000rpm @ 2,000ft
FS: 1,500 @ 3,000rpm @ 9,500ft
With 100/150 fuel the boost could be taken up to +25psi (80.8inHg MAP) and the ratings would be:
Takeoff: 1,730hp @ 3,000rpm
MS: 1,730hp @ 3,000rpm @ sea level
FS: 1,780hp @ 3,000rpm @ 4,000ft
The engines could probably take the over boost on lower grade fuels, but detonation would be a big risk.