Hardrada55
Airman
Has anyone seen the posts by Mr. Ventimiglia on the Facebook group "I Cavalieri del Cielo la Regia Aeronautica" concerning the "bottle-necks" the Italians faced in their efforts to improve the performance of their aircraft engines during WW2? If anyone is aware of these postings, what do you think of them? In some of Mr. Ventimiglia's posts from late June and early July, he enumerates and delves into some of the Italian attempts to improve their engine performance through water-injection, increasing the octane of their fuels, and that the lack of appropriate lubricating oils and certain metals was a limiting factor in achieving favorable outcomes in this area. Is Mr. Ventimiglia a member of this forum by any chance? He seems to have researched some interesting primary documentation.
I have used google translate on part of one of his postings:
"The unsurpassed "bottle neck" of Italian engines: tests carried out on Piaggio radials with 100 octane gasoline. The surprise. Piaggio P XII Part 4
The trials carried out by the Aeronautica Regia and Piaggio with the 100 octane fuel (the so-called anti-[detonating?] detoning aircraft fuel) represent one of the most controversial historical nodes of the Italian war effort.
While the Allies (especially the British in the RAF) standardized the use of 100 octans already in 1940, gaining huge performance advantages, Italy faced the war using the least efficient fuel at 87 octane, conducting experimental tests.
The results of those tests, the implications on the Piaggio P.XII engine and the reasons for the lack of serial use outline a very precise picture:
Performance jump in rehearsals (The Potential of P.XII)
On-the-counter and in-flight tests performed by Italian engineers (on both Piaggio P.XI and the larger P.XII engines) proved that the fuel supply with 100 octane radically transformed the propellers:
Immediate power increase: A radial engine designed to deliver 1,350-1,500 HP with standard gasoline at 87 octane, if powered at 100 octane and with higher compressor overload pressure, could deliver up to 15-20% more power.
Minor overheating: The high anti-[detonating] detoning power reduced the phenomenon of "head beating". This would theoretically solve one of the chronic problems of the Piaggio P.XII on the P.108 bomber: too high exercise temperatures in the rear cylinders."
I have used google translate on part of one of his postings:
"The unsurpassed "bottle neck" of Italian engines: tests carried out on Piaggio radials with 100 octane gasoline. The surprise. Piaggio P XII Part 4
The trials carried out by the Aeronautica Regia and Piaggio with the 100 octane fuel (the so-called anti-[detonating?] detoning aircraft fuel) represent one of the most controversial historical nodes of the Italian war effort.
While the Allies (especially the British in the RAF) standardized the use of 100 octans already in 1940, gaining huge performance advantages, Italy faced the war using the least efficient fuel at 87 octane, conducting experimental tests.
The results of those tests, the implications on the Piaggio P.XII engine and the reasons for the lack of serial use outline a very precise picture:
Performance jump in rehearsals (The Potential of P.XII)
On-the-counter and in-flight tests performed by Italian engineers (on both Piaggio P.XI and the larger P.XII engines) proved that the fuel supply with 100 octane radically transformed the propellers:
Immediate power increase: A radial engine designed to deliver 1,350-1,500 HP with standard gasoline at 87 octane, if powered at 100 octane and with higher compressor overload pressure, could deliver up to 15-20% more power.
Minor overheating: The high anti-[detonating] detoning power reduced the phenomenon of "head beating". This would theoretically solve one of the chronic problems of the Piaggio P.XII on the P.108 bomber: too high exercise temperatures in the rear cylinders."
