Do-217 fins

[maxmwill]

Something I've been wondering for a while now, is why the slots on the leading edges of the fins of the Do-217? I don't know of any other aircraft that has that.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Good question, I guess I have always wondered the same without knowing it.

 

[GrauGeist]

Those "slots" on the leading edge of the vertical stabilizers were actually leading edge slats that solved stability issues that plagued the early prototypes.

 

[strider190]

Something I've been wondering for a while now, is why the slots on the leading edges of the fins of the Do-217? I don't know of any other aircraft that has that.

They improve the airflow over the surface of the vertical stabilizer, essentially making them more efficient (improving stability) with out having to make them larger. Especially true at lower airspeeds.

 

[Oilit77]

I have visited warplane museums from Hawaii to Luxembourg and seen many wonderful 'birds' but my favourite is and likely will always be the Supermarine Spitfire but for speed have seen the P51 with a RR Merlin propel it at 600mph at an airshow in Mt Hope in Ontario. A sweet engine sound nowhere else in the air.

 

[chipieal]

From what I know and learned from this site, a striaght winged airplane (no matter whether it is a laminar flow wing or not) would at the least shake itself to pieces at that speed and probably fall out of the sky. Also, as I have learned from this fine site, a propellor goes "supersonic" from the tips towards the hub. And (another member can correct me if I am wrong) once the prop goes supersonic it no longer can grab the air to propel the airplane. Lastly, The Hinton clan have been trying (unsuccessfully) to take a much modified P 51 through the 585 mph barrier. Lastly, what RR engine could develop the power to achieve this feat? The only one I personally know of that had the power to come anywhere close to achieving this is the Chrysler Hemihead aircraft engine that never went into series production. Lastly, it has been widely quoted that the ME 262 had a top speed of 540 mph. If that is the case, why did the P-51's in Europe have such a hard time battling the 262's? A 600 MPH Mustang would have eaten the 262 for breakfast.

 

[Crimea_River]

......... but for speed have seen the P51 with a RR Merlin propel it at 600mph at an airshow in Mt Hope in Ontario..

Ahhh.......no.

Besides, that has nothing to do with the subject of this thread.

 

[fubar57]

The Other Mustang: At More Than 550 MPH, This P-51 Is Now The Fastest Piston-Engined Airplane Ever - Roadkill