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Should've more generally said use of injection systems. If N2O was used, BMW801s used on high altitude recons were able to produce 1,410 hp instead of 868 hp.
The 628 had the first stage in front of the engine with a long and curved "ofenrohr" extension to the second stage. Not only does this mean extra weight, it also makes the system much less efficient as compared to e.g. the straight forward Merlin 2-stage system.
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I submit the alluded-to Fw 190 / Ta 152 with the BMW 803 would have been an entirely new and larger aircraft that never even made the drawing board, much less had metal cut for it. I would view any suggestion of flying a standard Fw 190 or Ta 152 with a BMW 803 as being unrealistic to say the least, but the potential for a heavy fighter was certainly there, as far as a powerplant goes, when the war ended. Things might have gotten interesting if this dreamed-of fighter had ever gotten into production. Of course, by then, other more advanced piston fighters were flying for other countries and most were rapidly being abandoned for jets. Some were even built and never flown!
I submit the Third Reich would have done the same and concentrated on jets, had it survived past early 1945.
Any comments on the potential future of big pistons in mid-to late 1945 had the war continued?
The 628 had the first stage in front of the engine with a long and curved "ofenrohr" extension to the second stage. Not only does this mean extra weight, it also makes the system much less efficient as compared to e.g. the straight forward Merlin 2-stage system.
Extra weight of what...? The Ofenrohr extension, how much could that - a piece light alloy tube - weight, like, 5 kilos, maybe 10 kilos perhaps? Two stage Merlin installations were a good 2-300 kg heavier than their single stage cousins..
Regardless of the allaged effiency of the "straight forward Merlin 2-stage system", comparing the two stage Merlins to the DB 628 is pointless, since the Merlin was simply not in the same league when it came to high altitude performance...
IIRC the DB 628 simply lost out to the DB 605AS - the 628's extreme performance was simply not required, and the AS engines were simple, instant, minimum risk solutions to the need for better high altitude engines: bolt a DB 603 supercharger to the 605, and ta-daa, problem solved.. hundreds of /AS engined fighters within a few months was a better solution than a couple of dozen uber-high altitude fighters..
Extra weight of what...? The Ofenrohr extension, how much could that - a piece light alloy tube - weight, like, 5 kilos, maybe 10 kilos perhaps? Two stage Merlin installations were a good 2-300 kg heavier than their single stage cousins..
I'll leave you to your opinion. In mine it's clear the assembly and location of the first stage was very less than ideal and most likely only chosen because of concerns that the airframe might get to "fat" would they mount it in the traditional place: right next to/on top of the second. The way pretty much everyone else did. And the way Daimler Benz also continued to pursue with the DB 605L (and DB 603L) long after the DB 628 was given up on.Extra weight of what...? The Ofenrohr extension, how much could that - a piece light alloy tube - weight, like, 5 kilos, maybe 10 kilos perhaps? Two stage Merlin installations were a good 2-300 kg heavier than their single stage cousins..
Regardless of the allaged effiency of the "straight forward Merlin 2-stage system", comparing the two stage Merlins to the DB 628 is pointless, since the Merlin was simply not in the same league when it came to high altitude performance...
IIRC the DB 628 simply lost out to the DB 605AS - the 628's extreme performance was simply not required, and the AS engines were simple, instant, minimum risk solutions to the need for better high altitude engines: bolt a DB 603 supercharger to the 605, and ta-daa, problem solved.. hundreds of /AS engined fighters within a few months was a better solution than a couple of dozen uber-high altitude fighters..
~ 140 kg iircSo, the extra supercharger stage, its housing and its gearing didn't weigh anything?
Extra weight of what...? The Ofenrohr extension, how much could that - a piece light alloy tube - weight, like, 5 kilos, maybe 10 kilos perhaps? Two stage Merlin installations were a good 2-300 kg heavier than their single stage cousins..
Regardless of the allaged effiency of the "straight forward Merlin 2-stage system", comparing the two stage Merlins to the DB 628 is pointless, since the Merlin was simply not in the same league when it came to high altitude performance...
Two-speed, two stage Merlin installations were about 140-160 pounds/60-70 kg heavier than a single stage engine installation, not two or three hundred kg heavier.
The Merlin 76/77 gave more power than the 628 until about 38000-40000 ft.
Maybe not as good at extreme altitudes, but just as good for practical combat altitudes for Ww2. Combat above 40000 ft was exceptionally rare.
So, the extra supercharger stage, its housing and its gearing didn't weigh anything?
Allegadly it did not weight anything on Merlins so it seems entirely plausible that it did not weight anything on DBs neither.
Seriously, people get into guesswork instead of simply looking at weight of engines themselves... weight of DB 628 was 860 kg, so between ordinary layout 605 and 603...
Sorry guys ... typo. The "222" was supposed to be "211." The 222 WAS developed but there is mo evidence it was ever put into an Fw 190 or a Ta 152.