Jabberwocky
Staff Sergeant
I recently got into a discussion with another member of a different webboard about the top level speed of the P-51J. The P-51J was a P-51 with a lightened structure, redone nose intakes and an Allison V-1710-119 rated at 1720 hp.
His contention was that in documented testing it had done over 500 mph, and he gave Graham White's 'Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II' as his reference.
However, I have always understood that the P-51J never even got near that speed. Both Joe Baughers and Greg Goebels state that performance of the Allison engine was well below expected. On the one prototype built performance expectiations were below the estimated 491mph.
So which was it? Does anyone have anything definitive on the P-51J? Can anyone locate the passage in White's book?
His contention was that in documented testing it had done over 500 mph, and he gave Graham White's 'Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II' as his reference.
However, I have always understood that the P-51J never even got near that speed. Both Joe Baughers and Greg Goebels state that performance of the Allison engine was well below expected. On the one prototype built performance expectiations were below the estimated 491mph.
So which was it? Does anyone have anything definitive on the P-51J? Can anyone locate the passage in White's book?