GregP
Major
In most carriers water was let into the fuel bilges for ballast because fuel floats on the water. It works except in violent seas when flying wouldn't be happening anyway. I realize bilges are planned out. What I was saying is simply that if they wanted to emplane liquid-cooled aircraft, they'd have to allow bilge space for coolant ... or space above the bilges, and I cannot see a way around that statement.
You can't fly liquid cooled planes and expect the same coolant they emplane with to be used for the entire cruise. They lose some due to leaks and they also loose some due to maintenance. You MUST be able to replace it so the plane can fly.
Ergo, had they acquired any liquid-cooled aircraft on carriers, they'd HAVE to have coolant aboard somehwere, whether in bilges or not. I'm not arguing about where it would be stored or what procedures would be required. All I'm syaing is the coolant would be required; it would not be optional.
Maybe coolant did play a part in the Naval preference for air-coold radials. I wasn't around to hear the arguments, but have heard that the guys making the decisions were biased toward air-cooled radials because that's what THEY flew when engine becames much more reialble during their earlier flying careers. Again, these stories might be wrong, but they do get repeated occasionally at museum events by guys who were there. Maybe it ws all scuttlebutt. Maybe not. I don't recall ever having heard anyone who flew the Wildcat / Hellcast / Bearcat saying they weren't great aircraft. Everyone who flew them loved them.
Of course, you could say the same about Spitfires and Bf 109s, too, and a host of others.
You can't fly liquid cooled planes and expect the same coolant they emplane with to be used for the entire cruise. They lose some due to leaks and they also loose some due to maintenance. You MUST be able to replace it so the plane can fly.
Ergo, had they acquired any liquid-cooled aircraft on carriers, they'd HAVE to have coolant aboard somehwere, whether in bilges or not. I'm not arguing about where it would be stored or what procedures would be required. All I'm syaing is the coolant would be required; it would not be optional.
Maybe coolant did play a part in the Naval preference for air-coold radials. I wasn't around to hear the arguments, but have heard that the guys making the decisions were biased toward air-cooled radials because that's what THEY flew when engine becames much more reialble during their earlier flying careers. Again, these stories might be wrong, but they do get repeated occasionally at museum events by guys who were there. Maybe it ws all scuttlebutt. Maybe not. I don't recall ever having heard anyone who flew the Wildcat / Hellcast / Bearcat saying they weren't great aircraft. Everyone who flew them loved them.
Of course, you could say the same about Spitfires and Bf 109s, too, and a host of others.