Airshow Spit vs 109 - Youtube - In cockpit camera

[kimosabi]

Cool vid!

It's one of the Legendary dogfights for sure, but the Spanish Merlin 109 kinda puts a damper on it for me. 109's needs Daimler Benz engines to be awesome, in my opinion.

[Ernst]

In the end was clear that 109 could disengage Hehehe...

[baronWastelan]

I agree w/ kimosabi: It's better with an authentic Gustav!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAO-ACuXMkY

[Fafnir_6]

Man, I get tingles every time I hear a DB-powered Bf109 do a flypast. Merlins are nice but the D-B takes the exhaust note cake .

Cheers,

Fafnir_6

[*Buzzsaw*]

Salute

Airshow aircraft run around 70% max. power most of the time.

Spits capable of +25 boost are run max. +6 boost.

[Blackdog_kt]

These however are the maximum permissible values for very short periods of time.
Actually running +6lbs boost is not that much lower than maximum continuous power.

For example looking at a Spit Mk.XIV/Griffon 65 pilot's handbook i have lying around, it is capable of +18lbs but only for 5 minutes (war emergency power). Maximum takeoff power is +12lbs when heavily loaded but it can takeoff with +7lbs as well, +9lbs can be used for 60 minutes on the climb out and the maximum continuous power is +7 lbs. Anything more than that will eventually heat the oil up to the point that it dissolves, lubrication is lost and the engine cooked. More or less similar limits were imposed on the Merlin engined variants as well.

This is not only applicable to the Spit, most aircraft of the time can't operate at full power for very long. For example, a 190 that is rated for 1.4 Ata at full power is limited to 1.2 Ata for continuous use, a P47 can go up to about 60" of manifold pressure but usually runs a good 15"-20" lower and so on.
Just another reason i'm eagerly awaiting SoW and a refined engine management model. No more Spit +25lbs going at full throttle for hours or 190s running 110%+WEP and resetting the overheat timer by popping the cowl flaps open every few minutes

If you want to see how much difference it makes try flying a Spit Mk.IX in IL-2 and limit yourself to using no more +7lbs, unless exceeding it for a couple of minutes at a time.

[kimosabi]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

No more Spit +25lbs going at full throttle for hours or 190s running 110%+WEP and resetting the overheat timer by popping the cowl flaps open every few minutes

I'm sure there's no such thing as a "overheat timer" but I see your point. Just watch the temp gauge. I'd love to play the game in super realistic engine management mode too. WEP used ONLY in emergencies, like it was supposed to and utilized during WW2.

[David603]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

No more Spit +25lbs going at full throttle for hours or 190s running 110%+WEP and resetting the overheat timer by popping the cowl flaps open every few minutes

If you keep the speed up then its not only possible to run until the fuel runs out but also to fight for very long periods of time on full power in the Spit 25lbs. And it is very easy to keep up speed on the Spit 25lbs, because you have just over 2000hp hauling a plane that is by late war standards very light.

Here is a scary piece of info for the Blue pilot out there

25lbs was not the most boost that a Merlin 66 could be made to use, there were also successful experiments with 28lbs boost giving almost 2200hp.

Of course, by the time this could have been made operational, there was no need, the Allies had air superiority, most Spitfire IXs were being used for ground attack, and even the 25lbs IXs were changed back to 18lbs to standardise fuel types and reduce engine wear, but it is still something to think about.