U.S. manufactured RR Griffon

[Shortround6]

Leave the radiators where they were, The less futzing about you have to do the quicker the "design" could have been made.

The radiators are already fairly well back, moving them forward and trying to find something else to stick back there for balance is doing double (if not triple) work.

You have 150 US gallons of fuel in each wing root between the fuselage (crew nacelle) and the engine nacelles. Not much is going in there without even more relocation work.

Cut away drawing of P-38, I don't know how accurate it really is:
Cutaway Views

Another photo, notice open landing gear doors with tire just showing under the door. Not a lot of space to shuffle things around with landing gear bays in the way.

Another cut away: http://up-ship.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/p-38-art.jpg

 

[BiffF15]

Well done Wuzak! I sat in a P-38 in 94-95 timeframe and was amazed by the "girders" in the canopy as compared to the P51D. Your picture looks great, too bad Lockheed didn't do that mod!
Cheers,
Biff

 

[wuzak]

Well done Wuzak! I sat in a P-38 in 94-95 timeframe and was amazed by the "girders" in the canopy as compared to the P51D. Your picture looks great, too bad Lockheed didn't do that mod!
Cheers,
Biff

Thanks Biff.

 

[wuzak]

Leave the radiators where they were, The less futzing about you have to do the quicker the "design" could have been made.

View attachment 251204

The radiators are already fairly well back, moving them forward and trying to find something else to stick back there for balance is doing double (if not triple) work.

You have 150 US gallons of fuel in each wing root between the fuselage (crew nacelle) and the engine nacelles. Not much is going in there without even more relocation work.

Cut away drawing of P-38, I don't know how accurate it really is:
Cutaway Views

Another photo, notice open landing gear doors with tire just showing under the door. Not a lot of space to shuffle things around with landing gear bays in the way.

Another cut away: http://up-ship.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/p-38-art.jpg

View attachment 251206

You make some good points there SR.

Weight balance will be an issue - even for a 60-series Merlin installation.

For the Griffon you are adding 600-700lbs ahead of the wing, and taking ~300lb from behind the wing (the turbo) and some weight between the two (ducts, exhausts, intakes).

You will get some back as the Griffon's intercooler is air:liquid, so its radiator can be positioned with the main radiators. The Griffon doesn't allow room under the spinner for oil coolers (positioned there in all P-38s), so move them back as well. But I think we'll still be moving weight backwards to get the balance.