Dive limits

tomo pauk · Mar 24, 2014

Was thinking of making a dedicated thread for aircraft dive limits. Hopefully, we should have plenty of prime source data for many of the A/C of ww2. To start the ball rolling, here is data for the P-38, along with some other related stuff:

Juha · Mar 24, 2014

Pilot's notes usually has the max permissive dive speeds (IAS) and here is an old thread:
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/flight-test-data/ww2-fighter-critical-mach-speed-802.html

tomo pauk · Mar 24, 2014

Thanks. The idea is to post the excerpts from manuals and tests here.

Aozora · Mar 24, 2014

tomo pauk said:
Thanks. The idea is to post the excerpts from manuals and tests here.

P-51B/C/D Technical Orders:

P-51D/K Flight Restrictions:

Aozora · Mar 24, 2014

From Westland Wyvern S4 Pilot's Notes -
Weapons Release Limitations:

Other Flight Limits:

tomo pauk · Mar 25, 2014

Thanks

P-47N dive limits. That variant was without dive flaps, and still dived great, despite the 'old' S3 profile shared with granpa P-47B. And P-43??

tomo pauk · Mar 25, 2014

Dive limits for P-47D-25 through -35:

FLYBOYJ · Mar 25, 2014

Great stuff guys!!! I love to see actual FM data as opposed to what is written in "a book" by an author who probably never flew a plane or read a flight manual. You're gonna find the ability to bust many a myths by researching actual data.

tomo pauk · Mar 25, 2014

Thanks.
Some other A/C: P-39L/M/Q, P-40 (later models) and Hurricane II/IV. Unfortunately, I don't have neatly listed altitude limits:

tomo pauk · Mar 25, 2014

double post

tomo pauk · Mar 26, 2014

Dive limits for the P-61. Unfortunately, the person that draw the diagram mixed up the 10000 and 20000 ft lines.

OldSkeptic · Mar 28, 2014

tomo pauk said:
Dive limits for the P-61. Unfortunately, the person that draw the diagram mixed up the 10000 and 20000 ft lines.

View attachment 257531

Love the P-61 one... its maximum dive speed was less than a Mossy XXX maximum level speed....

FLYBOYJ · Mar 28, 2014

OldSkeptic said:
Love the P-61 one... its maximum dive speed was less than a Mossy XXX maximum level speed....

Remember that's Indicated Air Speed - you'd have to calculate True Air Speed, even then it still might be slower.

tomo pauk · Mar 28, 2014

This is from the picture from pots #1 of this thread:

So the P-61 can dive at 10000 ft and under at 415 + 5x10 = 415 + 50 = 465 mph

Keen eye might also see that the P-38 is at red line at 30000 ft when flying at 440 mph, and while at ~35000 ft when flying at 430 mph; seems like that expecting from the (X)P-38K to be topping 450 mph above 30000 ft might be a tad too much?

tomo pauk · Mar 31, 2014

Dive tests found at Williams' site:
Fw-190 (early model)
Bf-109 (9.3 MB pdf, in German, but numbers should be self-explaining)

('Vw' = Wirkliche Geschwindlikheit = TAS; 'Va' should be IAS ; 'Machzahl = Mach number)

Many thanks, Mike al

added: dive limits for the Bf-109F - table - should have bearing on problems with wings of the Bf-109F

tomo pauk · Apr 1, 2014

Dive limits for the Spitfire XIV/XIX:

tomo pauk · Apr 1, 2014

Dive limits for the Spitfire XIV/XIX:

View attachment 258182

tomo pauk · Apr 1, 2014

Air speed limits for the Sea Fury 10 and 11 - same limit would be for dive speeds?

tomo pauk · Apr 1, 2014

Dive limits for the Spitfire IX and XVI:

Speed limits for the Mosquito FB.VI:

FLYBOYJ · Apr 1, 2014

Dive limits

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