Supercharger / spotting AI

[JtD]

Originally Posted by Jumpy

1) Firstly, what's the deal with the supercharger? When flying the F4U I can see a noticable amount of manifold pressure gained if I toggle to speed 2 immediately at ground level. If more MP = more engine power, are there any side effects in switching to speed 2 right from the start and not at recommended 2000m?

2000m is probably an outdated recommendation. It's about true at high speed with lots of ram pressure when flying without water injection. With water injection, or at lower speeds, you need to switch earlier.

Higher MP doesn't always mean more power, because the higher gear supercharger consumes part of the extra power. So while MP might go up for the F4U at sea level, the engine actually delivers less hp until you're at about 1000m altitude, the exact figure depending on atmospheric conditions and your engine settings.