cocky pilot
Airman
- 40
- Dec 21, 2010
Just curious - what's your source for that???
Flyboy
It is the common narrative for the mosquito based on the weight wetted area thrust and other factors. It was twice the weight twice the power and twice the wetted area but had radiators in the wing leading edge, a mid wing configuration which was theoretically better than a spitfires low wing and had a laminated wood finish which didnt have rivets (even flushed ones). I am not an aerodynamacist but I dont have to be. The air ministry didnt believe the claims and it was panned on the other side of the pond too. Nobody believed the claims until they were proved.
It is easy to overstate claims for an airplane, the Mosquito gave the luftwaffe a big surprise when introduced. There are so many marques that it is difficult to compare one with another and same for its adversaries but generally it required the best of the luftwaffes planes to intercept it throughout its career. Towards the end nitrous oxide powered 109s and Me262s had a clear speed advantage but before that the best interceptors didnt. 30/50 MPH is a decisive advantage in a combat but it is the absolute minimum required to intercept, bearing in mind the range of radar at the time and the number of airfields. In WW2 BoB terms the mosquito was as fast as as a JABO 109 but had the bomb load of a Ju88.
I found this which I found interesting. The various Merlin engines are often quoted for BHP/altitude I didnt realise the weight changed considerably
from
Scoopless Mustang
The Story of Anson Johnson's Race 45 and Where it is Now
With no funds left, Johnson went back to Miami to come up with a program to improve his aircraft's speed. In his mind, he knew he had the proper aircraft, but the -3 Merlin wasn't the optimum engine for racing. After some research, Johnson sought out and bought a Merlin -225, a lighter version of the engine normally found on the de Havilland Mosquito. The -225 was a single stage, dual speed blower Merlin with a 1,620 hp rating at 3,000 rpm. It was also 240 pounds lighter that the 1,380 hp dual stage -3 Merlin. Other engine modifications were made to increase horsepower. Johnson was well on his way in the quest for speed.
also discussing the mosquito aerodynamics I found this
Airplane aerodynamics and performance By Jan Roskam, Chuan-Tau Edward Lan
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