Fastest Piston Engined Aircraft of WW2?

[GregP]

Republic claimed that the XP-47J (one of) attained a recorded top speed of 507mph. (According to Republic, and referenced by Warren Bodie). The P&W R-2800-57w/GE CH-3 turbo deivered 2800hp at 36000 feet.

Note that it was not flown and tested by cold hearted AAF flight test engineers. Note also that at NAA when the XP-51G attained 495mph that it was a speed run by NAA top test pilot Bob Chilton. Neither of the two aircraft types were carrying a full combat load - reducing induced drag contribution by 3-5mph - nor carrying installed combat pylons which would further reduce top speed with significant added parasite drag. In production and in combat configuration and load out, it (P-47J) would be estimated 30+ mph slower at top speed.

The top production Republic a/c was the P-47M, of which few were built and only saw combat in ETO with 56th FG. The P-47M was faster at WEP/32,000 ft = 475mph (marginally) than P-47N at 467 mph. I haven't read the flight tests that specify the Gross Take Off weights for either. - but suspect Fighter config with reduced fuel and ammo load. Note that GW for P-47M is 2500 pounds less than P-47N in the attached AAF Flight test summary between P-47D, M and N.

P-47 Performance Tests

The long standing Rare Bear closed circuit top speed of average of 5 flights - was broken by Voodoo which averaged 531mph One of Voodoo's runs attained 550+ mph, and ony the last run with a slightly sick engine dropped the average from the 540's. Voodoo (Steve Hinton, Jr.) was a highly modified P-51D

Voodoo is still at the Planes of Fame in Chino and, for all the world, looks like it gets regular work done on it. Not too sure at this point whether or not the speed run wing is still on it. Can check next time I'm there, which isn't often these days.

FYI only, Yanks Air Museum P-63A is due for its first post-restoration test flight, perhaps this Friday.

 

[Snautzer01]

FYI only, Yanks Air Museum P-63A is due for its first post-restoration test flight.

Wootttt

 

[Admiral Beez]

What's the fastest the Italians got to? Their war ended in 1943, before some of the super fast fighters we mention above entered service. The Macchi C.205 was good for 400 mph, per Wikipedia.

 

[Peter Gunn]

Imagine if the Seafang had made it to the Pacific, facing 340 mph Zeros? Those IJN will be sitting still when a 460 mph Seafang zooms past.

I doubt Zero pilots were too thrilled of P-51's roaring past at 440+ either.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I doubt Zero pilots were too thrilled of P-51's roaring past at 440+ either.

True, but I was more thinking of carrier aircraft encounters. I thus nominate the 460 mph Grumman F7F Tigercat.

 

[Peter Gunn]

True, but I was more thinking of carrier aircraft encounters. I thus nominate the 460 mph Grumman F7F Tigercat.

Good point, I was just on the "Mustangs of Iwo" site so that was fresh in the old brainbox.

 

[GrauGeist]

There is also the F8F...

 

[Peter Gunn]

There is also the F8F...

Eh, the F8F is a myth, they took some Hellcats and added some plywood to make them look different and then fudged the performance numbers...

 

[SaparotRob]

Eh, the F8F is a myth, they took some Hellcats and added some plywood to make them look different and then fudged the performance numbers...

I Knew It!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Eh, the F8F is a myth, they took some Hellcats and added some plywood to make them look different and then fudged the performance numbers...

They also removed the nose armor.

 

[33k in the air]

Eh, the F8F is a myth, they took some Hellcats and added some plywood to make them look different and then fudged the performance numbers...

"That's no F8F, that's an F6F. Er, I mean, that's no moon, that's a space station."

 

[GrauGeist]

If they had just left the upper wing on the F4F-1, none of this would be an issue!

 

[special ed]

And the rounded wingtips on the prototype. Everyone knew rounded tips were the way to go, as in the Buffalo.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Why did the F7F and F8F not have Grumman's STO-Wing? It was used on the F4F, F6F, TBF, TB3F and E-2 Hawkeye, but not on any of the fighters after the F6F.

Instead the A-6, F7F, F8F, F9F, F11F have straight up folds, with the later having just wingtip folds. The S-2 Tracker's fold was a different beast altogether.

Was the system considered too heavy or fragile for fast performance types, or unnecessary as the carriers and lifts became larger?

 

[GrauGeist]

The S-2 Tracker was a "high wing" configuration, so that required a little different thinking.

Also, late war/post war, carriers were getting much larger as well as the loadout demand on the airframes.

 

[ThomasP]

re "Why did the F7F and F8F not have Grumman's STO-Wing?"

I have read that part of the reason the STO-wing fold fell out of favor with late- & post-war aircraft was due to 2 primary factors, not in any primacy order:

1. The STO-fold method took up more space in the wing, and tended to interfere with placement of fuel tanks and/or other equipment (guns for example) close to the fuselage.

2. The STO-wing fold mechanism was heavier than a simple break-wing fold mechanism, and more complicated in that it did not lend itself to hydraulics as well. The article said that it also required more maintenance, and took more time to repair the aircraft if damaged.

I can not say how authoritative the article was, although it was in a USNI Proceedings magazine from the 1970s (I think).

 

[EwenS]

It hasn't entirely been replaced even today. The AEW E-1 Tracer, E-2 Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound use it. In each case the wings couldn't be folded vertically and still reduce the aircraft height enough to fit in a carrier hangar.

Ultimately whatever method was chosen it still had to fit in the 17' 6" hangar height of the Essex and Midway classes. The USN only moved to a 25' hangar height with the Forrestals and subsequent super carrier's until moving to 26' 6" in the Nimitz.

The E-2 was fitted with a radome that could be lowered 2' to fit the earlier carriers (but it never operated from an Essex). Now these have left the fleet it is no longer used and I believe has been deleted from the latest E-2D version.

 

[Macandy]

Piston engined fighters reached their development peak when they reached @450mph

 

[GrauGeist]

P-51H - 487 mph @ 25,000 feet
P-47M - 470+ mph @ 30,000 feet
Spitfire F Mk.24 - 454 mph @ 29,000 feet
Spiteful F Mk.14 - 483 mph @ 21,000 feet
XP-47J - first piston powered fighter to break 500 mph: 504 mph on 4 August 1944


Plenty of others that went well beyond 450 mph during or shortly after the war.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Piston engined fighters reached their development peak when they reached @450mph

Was that the magic number where the pixie dust didn't work any more?