MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
The F4F, F6F, F4U, and P-61 supercharger controls required the pilot to switch to high or low speed manually. I have always thought that had to be real pain in combat. In the P-38 and P-47 the turbo controls took care of that task and in the Merlin P-51 an aneroid device switched at around 18,000 ft. In the P-63 the auxiliary supercharger was coupled via a fluid drive "automatic transmission" and the F4U-5 used the same basic idea.
I recently read the book "Fighter Squadron at Guadalcanal" and found two cases where F4F pilots failed to switch to low speed supercharger when coming down from high altitude. In one case the very experienced pilot figured out whay his engine was behaving so strangely and switched to low speed. In the other case the relatively inexperienced pilot that failed to switch to low speed blew out his already tired engine and had to make an emergency landing. I am surprised that kind of thing did not happen more often.
I recently read the book "Fighter Squadron at Guadalcanal" and found two cases where F4F pilots failed to switch to low speed supercharger when coming down from high altitude. In one case the very experienced pilot figured out whay his engine was behaving so strangely and switched to low speed. In the other case the relatively inexperienced pilot that failed to switch to low speed blew out his already tired engine and had to make an emergency landing. I am surprised that kind of thing did not happen more often.