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I think one Gladiator was fitted with 6 x 303 on Malta but it was destroyed on the ground before it could go into combat. I also think it was fitted with an engine from a Blenheim, but that might have been a different airframe.
The only major difference to an ex Gauntlet pilot would probably have been the flaps, canopy and radio. Out in the Middle East Gauntlets and Furies were still being used into 1941; albeit in tiny numbers.
IIRC the extra two guns in the top wing was a FAA option so the fittings for the lower guns might be used in a straightforward installation.
In the BoB Plymouth was defended by an RAF flight of Gladiators at Roborough as it was then too small for Hurricanes or Spitfires and the Dockyard held FAA Gladiator spares. So they were in BoB service and had only recently been in use in France.
The only major difference to an ex Gauntlet pilot would probably have been the flaps, canopy and radio. Out in the Middle East Gauntlets and Furies were still being used into 1941; albeit in tiny numbers.
Some of these look attractive at first glance but a bit deeper look reveals the problems. For instance the Supermarine 313 was a larger plane than the Whirlwind, was supposed to use lower powered engines (The Goshawk?) and yet go faster? Something seems off.
Wow, I had no idea they had been used during the war. Great info!
The '313' whilst having bigger dimensions was supposedly going to be much lighter than the Whirlwind, also it was offered with an alternative engine - the Aero Engines (Hispano) 12Y engine -just a thought while not bigger than the Peregrine, would it have been more reliable, and therefore a viable alternative engine for the Whirlwind?
The '313' whilst having bigger dimensions was supposedly going to be much lighter than the Whirlwind, also it was offered with an alternative engine - the Aero Engines (Hispano) 12Y engine -just a thought while not bigger than the Peregrine, would it have been more reliable, and therefore a viable alternative engine for the Whirlwind?
What "Aero engines 12Y engine?" a licensed Hispano or imported? There may have been a suggestion that some company build a license Hispano but it came to nothing.
The "unreliability" of the Peregrine has been much over blown. A few early minor troubles including taxing with flaps (which controlled the radiator airflow) in the wrong position leading to ground over heating, but the early troubles were soon solved. Until you get to the 12Y-45 the Hispano does NOT offer more power than the Peregrine at altitude.
Re: engines in general - does it mean that the Merlin DB 601 - were the only 1940 engines capable of high-altitude combat performance?? Whilst Bristol learnt a lot from the Fw-190 engine, was there anything to learn from other earlier LW engines from shot down aircraft!??
The Merlin III offered the best performance at altitude of engines commonly available in the Summer of 1940, with the Merlin XII and XX staring to come online in the fall. However the Merlins were installed in larger, heavier aircraft than the 109 was so the combination of the Merlin III and Spitfire/Hurricane and the DB 601/109 worked out about the same.
You can always learn something from captured engines even if it was not as ground shaking as the BMW 801 engine installation ( the FACT that an air-cooled engine could come close to a liquid cooled engine in terms of drag was ground shaking to a lot of people.) Even things like piston ring alloys were analysed to compare with the capturing countries products to see if there might be room for improvement. The German fuel injection systems were looked at pretty closely but rejected for a number of reasons. Some had to do cost, both actual money and time/labor to manufacture.
The Henley was designed as a light bomber, carrying just two defensive guns; the wings might have utilised the same jigs as the Hurricane, but the Henley airframe had nowhere near the capability of that aircraft.Yes, but what a perverse tragedy the RAF resort to that, while the Henley was wasted as a target tug!
The Henley was designed as a light bomber, carrying just two defensive guns; the wings might have utilised the same jigs as the Hurricane, but the Henley airframe had nowhere near the capability of that aircraft.
What the heck is OTL and ATL?
Doesn't compute.