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How would the P-51 have performed (and appeared) with a DB601/DB605?
For that matter, how would any Merlin powered craft have performed appeared with Teutonic power?
The Germans, clever though they were, never bested the Merlin/Griffon. There are other engineering examples where British design has proven superior. Motorcycles being one.
Cheers
John
How would the P-51 have performed (and appeared) with a DB601/DB605?
For that matter, how would any Merlin powered craft have performed appeared with Teutonic power?
well I can't answer those questions, but the P-40F used the Merlin engine ( built by Packard to exacting british specs)
and ground crews pilots complained the Merlin was tempermental, unreliable, had mediocre performance.
the next version, the P-40K went back to the Allison V-1710, which was more powerful, more reliable, and faster.
I think the myth of the Merlin stems from its use in the P-51, which wasn't that great of an aircraft IMO.
not all P-40 powerplants my friend, just the merlin powered 'F' series. Jay Overcash had plenty to say on that subject.
if I'm wrong, oh well.. lets see some proof saying so
plenty has been written on the P-51, good bad. no need to rehash here
Blew my tea out my nose on that one. Personal experience being limited to a late 60's Triumph Bonneville and a 1975 BMW R/90. While the BMW had some problems there is no question as to which was the better machine for day to day riding or which one might require a ride home from another vehicle.
I have never seen a drip pan under a BMW, but ever British bike I seen had one.
In bike racing, the last British Constructors Championship was in 1954 (sidecar - Norton) and 1951 (500cc - Norton). For the next 19 years BMW won the sidecar championship. Italian and Japanese bikes ruled the other classes.
Now, where did I put my shovel?
well I can't answer those questions, but the P-40F used the Merlin engine ( built by Packard to exacting british specs)
and ground crews pilots complained the Merlin was tempermental, unreliable, had mediocre performance.
the next version, the P-40K went back to the Allison V-1710, which was more powerful, more reliable, and faster.
I think the myth of the Merlin stems from its use in the P-51, which wasn't that great of an aircraft IMO.
Now if only those British bikes used Merlins.....
Top man drinking tea. You must be of English stock.
German motorcycles were worthy but, dull. British motorcycles like the BSA Spitfire, Norton Commando, Triumph Bonneville...the list is endless are, by comparison, fast, exciting ,albeit leaky motorcycles.
Cheers
John
I expect some lunatic has tried to fit one. I see some V10 and V8 motorbikes that go like the wind....
Too much for me
Cheers
John
Unless you're riding that bike in the Andes, Himalayas or other similar area, the V-1710 would probably outperform the Merlin
A guy in Aus called Lucky Keizer chopped a pair of cylinders off the end of a Merlin and bolted a headstock to one pot and a swinging arm pivot to the back of the crankcase.
They also had a tendency to leak electrons. Never knew when the electrics were going to just stop in mid-ride. Riding with one hand while using the other to catch/re-tighten falling bits could also be considered exciting but perhaps not in the way you mean
Watching the front wheel dance back and forth about an inch at idle was entertaining though.
The Bonnie was certainly 'flickable' and better off pavement, BMW seemed to send warning signals even in a gravel parking lot. BMW could be ridden several hundred miles one day and then the next and then the next without resorting to prayers, incantations and a good tool kit.
They also had a tendency to leak electrons. Never knew when the electrics were going to just stop in mid-ride.
Joseph Lucas wasnt known as the Prince of Darkness for nothing. I have a BSA A65 Thunderbolt that I wouldnt sell if I was down to my last pound. The Jap and Italian bikes I can take or leave but you even look funny at my Beezer and you will get a 1/2 inch Whitworth spanner round the back of your head.