The Sound of the Spitfire
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Nunc est bibendum
Funny you should mention that Sunfish. My brother is a committed non-aviator (but he does like his cars and their engines) and I managed to drag him to the Temora airshow at Easter a couple of years back.
He too commented on how hot the Spit sounded. I didn't prompt him at all about it.
He too commented on how hot the Spit sounded. I didn't prompt him at all about it.
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Look, I hate to state the obvious, but it sounds just the same as a commodore V6, all them inline engines sound the same........now listen to a radial engine and that is something else..
..it's heaven to the ears....and the fastest WW2 fighters had radials....big ones.....and they don't have glycol leaks......
Schmacko......chicken plucker..chicken plucker..chicken plucker..chicken plucker..chicken plucker..chicken plucker..chicken plucker..chicken plucker
Schmacko
Not sure I agree with the Commodore V6/Merlin comparison but I'll agree with you on the rest.
Radials are where it's at, sound wise.
Nothing beats the sound of a big old radial waking up when it hasn't been run for a while.
Radials are where it's at, sound wise.
Nothing beats the sound of a big old radial waking up when it hasn't been run for a while.
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I thought the Mustang was a British design. Wouldn't perform well with the original engine. Yanks got hold hold of it, replaced the donk and made a few other mods and turned it into a mainstay.
I remember many years ago talking with a WWII vet who flew both. His comments re: Spitfire, "They designed an aeroplane and then looked for a place to cram in the pilot's seat." Re: Mustang, "They started with a seat and then designed the aeroplane around it."
I remember many years ago talking with a WWII vet who flew both. His comments re: Spitfire, "They designed an aeroplane and then looked for a place to cram in the pilot's seat." Re: Mustang, "They started with a seat and then designed the aeroplane around it."
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Mustang was designed by the Yanks to a Pommy spec. Story has it, 90 days from first starting the design to first flight. The original Allison engine gave disappointing performance.
Not sure who decided to fit the Merlin but it was an inspired choice. Roll Royce had very superior supercharger technology to the Allison. However the Packard built Merlins were superior engines to the Rolls Royce built ones.
Spitfire V Mustang?
A debate that will never end. Both very good piston fighters. The Spitfire was designed as an interceptor and thus the early marks had a small endurance and fuel endurance was an issue for most marks of Spitfire. The Mustang was designed to have a long range right from the start.
The Spitfire would out manouvre and out fight the Mustang, the Spitfire was perfect as a defender as used in the Battle of Britain where as the Mustang had a speed advantage over some marks of Spitfire and the range to protect the bombers during the daylight raids over Occupied Europe.
Not sure who decided to fit the Merlin but it was an inspired choice. Roll Royce had very superior supercharger technology to the Allison. However the Packard built Merlins were superior engines to the Rolls Royce built ones.
Spitfire V Mustang?
A debate that will never end. Both very good piston fighters. The Spitfire was designed as an interceptor and thus the early marks had a small endurance and fuel endurance was an issue for most marks of Spitfire. The Mustang was designed to have a long range right from the start.
The Spitfire would out manouvre and out fight the Mustang, the Spitfire was perfect as a defender as used in the Battle of Britain where as the Mustang had a speed advantage over some marks of Spitfire and the range to protect the bombers during the daylight raids over Occupied Europe.
Pffft ...
V-16 supercharged 1.5 litre 1953 BRM F1 car rips them all!
http://www.billzilla.org/BRM-fulltrack.mp3
V-16 supercharged 1.5 litre 1953 BRM F1 car rips them all!
http://www.billzilla.org/BRM-fulltrack.mp3
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The Spit vs Mustang debate will, indeed, probably go on forever. I would be quite happy to compare them if someone will give me one of each
The British approached North American Aviation asking them to produce the P-40 under licence because they couldn't get them fast enough from other companies. Dutch Kindleberger at NAA proposed a completely new aircraft built around the V1710 Allison that he thought would be a better plane than the P-40 anyway. The British agreed, especially given that NAA guaranteed the first flight of the prototype would occur faster than they could tool-up for the P-40. The airframe was completed in 117 days. It was another six weeks before Allison could deliver an engine for it.
The RAF Air Fighter Develoment Unit first thought to mate a Merlin with a Mustang in 1942 and suddenly the British had the fighter they thought the P-51 would be when they first bought it.
Walrus
The British approached North American Aviation asking them to produce the P-40 under licence because they couldn't get them fast enough from other companies. Dutch Kindleberger at NAA proposed a completely new aircraft built around the V1710 Allison that he thought would be a better plane than the P-40 anyway. The British agreed, especially given that NAA guaranteed the first flight of the prototype would occur faster than they could tool-up for the P-40. The airframe was completed in 117 days. It was another six weeks before Allison could deliver an engine for it.
The RAF Air Fighter Develoment Unit first thought to mate a Merlin with a Mustang in 1942 and suddenly the British had the fighter they thought the P-51 would be when they first bought it.
Walrus
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Merlin V12 or this beast... it's a tough call 
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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and the fastest WW2 fighters had radials
In flight testing, the Tempest reached 470mph in level flight.
Last edited by Pinky the pilot; 27th Feb 2008 at 00:37. Reason: Clarification; Mk of a/c added.
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From the mustangs mustangs website:
http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51...ts/P-51H.shtml
370 were delivered by VJ Day.
I have had the chance of seeing a P-51 doing engine runs at night! Awesome sight to see the flames coming from the exhaust stacks.
Either way any of these WW2 fighters sound good, radials or V12, something which is so unique to that era of aircraft.
http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51...ts/P-51H.shtml
370 were delivered by VJ Day.
I have had the chance of seeing a P-51 doing engine runs at night! Awesome sight to see the flames coming from the exhaust stacks.
Either way any of these WW2 fighters sound good, radials or V12, something which is so unique to that era of aircraft.