P-47 Questions

[Marshall_Stack]

If the P-47 didn't have "wet wings" until the P-47N, where did the earlier versions have their fuel? Was it in the fuselage behind the pilot?

Also, does anyone know anything about the XP-47F? It was a P-47D with laminar flow wings. All I can find on it is that it crashed and killed the pilot. It doesn't say if this was the only flight. I am curious about the performance...

 

[antoni]

One prototype, 41-5938, with R-2800-21 2,000/2,300hp and Curtiss Electric 12ft 2in dia. Major change to the airframe was laminar flow wing with straight taper on both leading and trailing edges with rounded tips. Sent to Wright Field for intensive trials. Maiden flight 17th Sept 1942, crashed 14th Oct. MAX Speed 430 mph.

 

[comiso90]

Republic

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[Wurger]

...

 

[Marshall_Stack]

Thanks Wurger.

Man, if the fuel tank caught on fire, you would really be in the "hot seat".

Sorry for the pun, couldn't resist....

 

[Wurger]

Thanks Wurger.

Man, if the fuel tank caught on fire, you would really be in the "hot seat".

Sorry for the pun, couldn't resist....

No mate,it is a good expression.Unfortunately it is true.the fuel tanks were plased at a very unfortunate place.But you should know ( I'm sure you know about it ) these were bullet-proof (armoured) and selfsealing to give a protection to a pilot.I have to mention that many of WW2 aircraft had their fuel tanks in similar places.And I'm not thinking about Spitfire of course.

 

[renrich]

The problem with locating fuel tanks was that fuel weighed a lot. As the fuel was used up that weight was reduced. If the fuel tanks were not placed as close to the CG of the AC then less fuel weight would mean a change in the CG. Another factor was that if the CG and the CL(center of lift) ideally should coincide. If they did not then the AC was either nose heavy or tail heavy which meant that that disparity had to be trimmed out with the elevators which caused drag. The location of the fuel versus the CG and the CL was all a compromise. The shape of the airplane was often a function of the fuel tank location. The Hellcat had an oval fuselage because most of the fuel was in the belly under the pilot. The Corsair had a cylindrical fuselage because the fuel was located in front of the pilot. partly because of the fuselage shape the Corsair had less drag and thus was faster with the same engine.

 

[Wurger]

A good point Renrich.I agree with you.
In addition I have to tell that PZL P-11c had its fuel tank in front of its cockpit but it could be thrown away outside the a/c. What was done very often when the fuel tank caught fire.

 

[antoni]

I forgot to mention that the XP-47F was a P-47B airframe not a P-47D. See photo.

 

[Wurger]

Nice pic here Antoni.

 

[fly boy]

i belive that a verson of the p-47 had a in-line 2,300 engine i look at my book and edit it tomarrow

 

[Marshall_Stack]

I believe that was the P-47H that had a Chrysler in-line engine like you mentioned. It was never put into production but Chrysler benefited from the experience.

 

[antoni]

There were two attempts at producing an in-line variant of the P-47. Kartveli had produced a P-47 design powered by an Allison V-1710-39 engine of 1,150hp in the early months (August 1939) of developing a P-43 variant, the AP-l0, and in the following November the Air Corps ordered a single prototype as the XP-47. The following January a second airframe/engine combination was ordered as the XP-47A with six guns. It was defined as a lightweight fighter. The design and prototypes were cancelled, after the mock-up had been approved, in June 1940 in favour of the XP-49B with the P&W XR-2800 radial engine of 2,000hp.
Allison, a sub-division of General Motors of America, had sub-contracted further development of their V-1710 in-line engine series to another GM division, Chrysler Motors. The results were to produce the experimental, inverted Vee, turbosupercharged, sixteen cylinder in-line XIV-2220 providing 2,300hp with watermethanol injection. In 1943 Republic was instructed to install a new engine in a P47D airframe and in anticipation of an early delivery of the new engine and Curtiss Electric 13ft diameter propeller, the company removed two P-47D-15-RAs, serials 4223297/98 from the Evansville production line and proceeded to modify them to accept the engine and accompanying modifications.
When completed they were stored while Chrysler struggled with the problems of developing and bringing to production status an engine that required years of progressive testing. After many long months, and with the European war ending, the whole project was cancelled and the first prototype made its maiden flight on 26 July 1945.

 

[Marshall_Stack]

The P-47 was not pretty to begin with, but the XP-47H is downright ugly.

 

[fly boy]

you guys are right thanks

 

[Soren]

The problem with the self-sealing fuel tanks is that they weren't very effective against anything larger than rifle bullets. A single hit by a 20mm projectile would cause a large rupture and even disasterous damage if it was an incendiary type, which most ammunition carried by fighters was.

In short self sealing fuel tanks wasn't a meaningful advantage by 43 and onwards where most fighters were equipped with automatic cannons heavy machine guns. What then became important was armor protection of the pilot fuel tanks.

 

[Njaco]

The P-51's overweight cousin.

 

[Heinz]

Cant say Ive seen that version before. Strange indeed.

 

[Eurofighter]

Soren, a 20 mm bullet was not a radar guided missile you know. I have read several P-47 pilots accounts which landed with more than ten 20 mm shots in their thunderbolts.