Greg Boeser
1st Lieutenant
Allied pilots were encountering Bf 109s over Malaya in 1941.
Did the P40 fly in the Battle Of Britain? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter RAGMAN
- Start date
Luftwaffe could have seen Curtiss Mohawks, as they were used for training in those months, but I think the earliest P-40s were stuck at Maintenance Units being assembled and equipped with British radios and armament in late 1940, and were not operational before the beginning of 1941.
John D. Voss
Airman
- 68
- Aug 10, 2016
The RNZAF flew them as well...Thanks guys!I didn't know about the p40 being the backbone of the RAAF.
Barf
Airman
Only 18 P-40E's were taken over from the 68th PG, USAAF. All told the RNZAF operated 300 P-40's of different marks. Corsair were received from March 1944. Whilst the RNZAF purchased Mustangs to replace their Corsairs, they didn't arrive until August 1945, too late for WW2. They were stored until being activated in early 1952 to equip the RNZAF Territorial squadrons. The Musangs retired in 1955 and most airframes were scrapped.
Barf
Airman
RNZAF P-40 squadrons accounted for 99 (confirmed) Japanese aircraft destroyed. Some sources say it was an even 100. Another 14 probables were claimed. They only lost 20 P-40s due to enemy action (anti-aircraft fire or Japanese fighter opposition).
The Germans used captured French T-6's and Curtiss Hawks for Luftwaffe pilot training after the fall of France.
The Rolls-Royce P-40's in 1940 were unmodified as far as I know, with maybe just 2x .300 fuselage/cowling mounted guns. From memory, the reference is either in Hooker's "Not much of an engineer", or "The Merlin in Perspective" by Alec Harvey-Bailey.
Eng
No, the aircraft I refer to were V-1710 powered early P-40, they were being trialled and tested by Rolls-Royce at their development airfield and factory at Hucknall, near Nottingham.
Eng
Geoffrey Sinclair
Staff Sergeant
- 1,278
- Sep 30, 2021
Information received,
Propeller diameters,
Hurricane II – range between 10ft 10 ins and 11ft 3 ins (Rotol)
Defiant II - 11ft 9ins (Rotol)
Beaufighter IIc and IIf – 12ft 0ins (Rotol)
Lancaster I and III – 13ft 0ins (DH)
Halifax I, II, V – 12ft 0ins/12ft 6ins/12ft 9ins/13ft 0ins (Rotol)
Restoration of a Merlin XX recovered from a crash site in Germany, with regard to the topic under discussion a link covering the reduction gear, stated to be 0.42 to 1,
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqjfyHA_qXc&t=27s
The usual position with regard to reduction gears of early Merlins was two different ratios, 0.477:1 (fighter) and 0.420:1 (bomber). There are conflicting sources on the gearing ratio for the Merlin XX, most suggest 0.420 across the board, others 0.477 for the Hurricane.
Blade tip speed limits and other performance constraints were constantly tested during the war years by improving blade design, not only in terms of diameter but root design and sections.
An additional note, for the bomber version in comparison with that of the fighter, it seems more of the available ancillary drives were used for additional equipment.
Propeller diameters,
Hurricane II – range between 10ft 10 ins and 11ft 3 ins (Rotol)
Defiant II - 11ft 9ins (Rotol)
Beaufighter IIc and IIf – 12ft 0ins (Rotol)
Lancaster I and III – 13ft 0ins (DH)
Halifax I, II, V – 12ft 0ins/12ft 6ins/12ft 9ins/13ft 0ins (Rotol)
Restoration of a Merlin XX recovered from a crash site in Germany, with regard to the topic under discussion a link covering the reduction gear, stated to be 0.42 to 1,
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqjfyHA_qXc&t=27s
The usual position with regard to reduction gears of early Merlins was two different ratios, 0.477:1 (fighter) and 0.420:1 (bomber). There are conflicting sources on the gearing ratio for the Merlin XX, most suggest 0.420 across the board, others 0.477 for the Hurricane.
Blade tip speed limits and other performance constraints were constantly tested during the war years by improving blade design, not only in terms of diameter but root design and sections.
An additional note, for the bomber version in comparison with that of the fighter, it seems more of the available ancillary drives were used for additional equipment.
Source : ROTOL Nos. 5 and 6 size Hydraulically Operated Airscrews, October 1941
ThomasP
Chief Master Sergeant
re reduction gear for the Merlin XX
See my post #51 up-thread. I have posted the relevant page form the Beaufighter Mk II Type Record for the Merlin XX as fitted to that aircraft. The document shows that the Merlin XX as used on the Beaufighter had a reducton gear ratio of .420:1.
See my post #51 up-thread. I have posted the relevant page form the Beaufighter Mk II Type Record for the Merlin XX as fitted to that aircraft. The document shows that the Merlin XX as used on the Beaufighter had a reducton gear ratio of .420:1.
Beaufighter II, Merlin XX, 0.42 : 1 reduction gear ratio and 12 feet (three-blade) propeller diameter looks to be a reasonable combination. If I remember correctly, that is the dawn of the "power egg" concept.
Yet another distraction : is there any publication of a flight test report concerning Beaufighter Mk II ? I have seen Beaufighter II F ADS only.
Concerning Hurricane II A(B,C), as well as XII, and P-40F(L) for the sake of completeness, 0.477 :1 reduction gear ratio and 11 feet 3 inches propeller is the norm, although it can make sense to use 0.42 : 1 gear ratio with a 12 feet propeller for a "Hurri-bomber", or "gunship" Mk II D variant. It was not the case, however, as much as I know?
Best regards,
Yavor
