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I always thought that one of the problems the Germans had was the lower grade fuels that they had to use and this would have forced them to use boost systems to catch/keep up.
I openly admit I could be wrong on this and am happy to take better information than I have at my disposal.
Re the USAAF I was under the impression that most of the water based boost systems were for the radial engines not Merlin powered aircraft. As the RAF didn't use Radials in their fighters it wouldn't have been much of a problem.
As for the RAF they did increase the power of the engines via increased boosts but the biggest increase surely was the introduction of the Griffon for the Merlin iro Spitfires.
ok,
Is it the boost (compression) from the supercharger?
I'd like to see the evidence of 30 Squadrons actuallyconverting.
A proposal was given out in november 1944 for doing so, but it was never actually fully implemented due to re-occuring engine troubles that lead to fatal accidents over and over again after the fuel started being introduced in scale to the RAF in February 1945
SHAEF has also evidenced interest in the question by pointing out orally to this division that the US Air Forces on the Continent are presently using 100/130 Grade aviation fuel and that the RAF on the Continent are using 100/150 fuel with one- Theory of Ethelene Dibromide and that should the Eighth Air Force's request be granted
Not to mention to mention those 30 originally proposed Spitfire Squadron were but a part of the 'whole of the' 2nd TAF which had lots of Typhoons etc. as well that continued to run on 100 octane fuel, and very few Merlin Mustant Squadrons in it.
Few people realize the vast majority of RAF fighters were flying on the same performance as they did in early 1943,
whereas the USAAF and Luftwaffe fighters gained several hundred horsepowers due to the introduction of higher grade fuels and water injective boosting systems.
Source?
From the USAAF, dated 5th Feb 1945:
No, the whole of 2nd TAF went over to 100/150 fuel. The reason was to simplify the supply situation, the last thing they wanted was to have to supply different grades.
As of course did the RAF front line units. The Spitfire IXs went from about 1750 hp to 2050 hp.
The Typhoons got power increases of at least 200 hp, and possibly as much as 400+. The Mosquito FB Vis switched from Merlin 23s to Merlin 25s, gaining a few hundred HP in the process. On 150 octane fuel, they gained close to 1,000 hp from their early 1943 figures.
And that doesn't include new types. The Spitfire XIV had over 2000 hp on 100/130 fuel, more than 2,200 on 100/150, and the Tempest was introduced which gave a huge performance increase over the Typhoon.
It's certainly true that in 1944 the Luftwaffe managed to raise their engine powers from the very low levels they had made do with in 1943, for example the DB 605 finally beat the power output the Merlin had been running on in 1942, but by then the Merlin had moved on, to 2000 hp+
Problem is, 150 grade fuel was only slowly introduced from February 1945 in the 2nd TAF Spitfire Squadrons, it immidiately resulted in fatal incidents and just as it become a bit more widespread in use amongst Squadrons, the accident rate was seen unacceptable and they reverted to 130 grade fuel which also meant reverting to early 1943 power outputs.
No, the whole of 2nd TAF went over to 100/150 fuel. The reason was to simplify the supply situation, the last thing they wanted was to have to supply different grades.
That's purely speculation on your part. There's absolutely no written evidence supporting it.
The only known hint about the 2nd TAF's planned usage of 150 grade fuel is a note from November 1944, which notes 30 Spitfire Sqns of the 2nd TAF should switch to 150 grade fuel.
The paper does not note that any of Typhoon, Mustang etc Squadrons should switch to 150 grade fuel,
there were more than 30 Squadrons of Spitfires in the 2nd TAF so it's quite clear not even all Spitfires were planned to get 150 grade fuel.
No they didn't for any practical purpose. The only Spitfires going to +25 / 2050 HP were TWO Squadrons of of Mk IXs (out of 60+) doing operational trials with the new engine boost which otoh turned up engine problem after engine problem, and they reverted to +18 in the summer appearantly. The engine rating were not used on with 99% of the frontline units.
You sure have a vivid fantasy. :lol
The Spitfire XIV had very short engine life even on +18, and at +21 there were continual failures even after the war ended.
The only time the XIVs were operating at +21 lbs was during the few month they were busy chasing V-1s over Britain in 1944.
The only problem is the Merlin did not move to '2000 HP+' until about February 1945 in any numbers, and that for only about two months since almost immidietely engine failures started to occur and the whole bunch again reverted to 130 grade fuel and limited output to about 1690 HP.
Whereas the DB 605 moved to 1800 HP + in around March 1944 and beated the Merlin at all atitudes in output, and by March 1945 they moved to 2000+ HP output,
Jumo 213s were doing 2200+ horsepower in a comparable weight class as the Griffon engines.
Up to February 1945, the only use of 150 grade fuel in the RAF totalled in 2 Sqns of Mk IXs performing operational trials until the summer of 1944 since March, reporting various engine troubles. The other scale (emergency) use of 150 grade fuel was by a handful of ADGB Squadrons which were all engaged in V-1 hunting after the launches started. They all reverted to standard 130 grade fuel in September, 1944, after the campaign stopped.
The rest of the entire RAF never seen a drop of 150 grade fuel and was essentially fighting the war typically with Spitfire Vs, but mainly IXs and Typhoons, with the same performance as in 1943.
And yet, strangely enough, the RAF consumed 49,000 barrels of 150 octane fuel, or about 6700 tons, in August 1944, 44,000 barrels in October and 88,000 in December.
Seems an awful lot for just two squadrons of Spitfires.
Further more increasing consumption, even with the end of the V1 threat, seems a little odd if the fuel was that loathed.
And the last frontline Mk V squadrons swapped their fighters for Mk IXs in June or July 1944.
None seem to have been based on the continent, with most being part of ADGB and hadn't flown offensive sorties for months, operating as reforming units in Groups 12 and 13.
well if i had to fly more than 3 hours to complete my mission then it is the pony obviously ...
if not then it would depend on whether my mission required me to fight, if i gotta fight then it is the dora and here is why ...
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/naca868-rollchart.jpg
The 190A could out roll the 51 (and the 47 and the Spit and the Tempest, etc). It died because the it generally had to meet the 51 at its (51) best altitude. At medium to high altitudes the Fw 190 and 190D survival depended on pilot skill
as evenly matched as they are this single greatest advantage between the two fighters (that counts after the merge) goes to the dora ...
and in that case all else being = dora wins big imo.