Originally posted by Hajo
Widewing
Took the N up this morning again. then took the D40 up to compare. remember this is the MA where the planes will be 20K or lower.....more then likely 15K and lower.
First sortie in the N. Took off autoclimb....best it could do with 50 fuel and dt was 1.8ftK/min at 180 mph. Good thing it has wing tanks takes forever to get to 15K. In D40 at could climb at 75 fuel and DT at rate of 2.2K/min at 180mph. In N model climbed to 20K and leveled. Marginal speed difference between D40 and N at that alt. I realize the higher they go the faster both get but in the DA why bother unless shooting down and tracking Rook Space Shuttles?
N Model........landed two kills both fighters one a SpitV but naturally with BnZ. Pulling up in the N under 12K and climbing leaves you a sitting duck. The D40 climbs much faster and with 50 fuel in the D40 I can climb 3K/min. N can't touch that below 12K. Again......for MA purposes D models seem superior. I can extend and maneuver better in the 40. True....the N model is faster if it comes nose down then climbs....but under 15K it bleeds E faster then the D40 and becomes a nice fat target.
D40 Sortie. Took off auto climb rate of climb in autoclimb 75 fuel DT 2.2K/min. during this sortie engaged in a multiplane equal numbers fight. Largest was a 2 vs 2 with two spitVs against D40 and G10. Took out a spitV at 8K went up....rolled over flaps two notches and got another 109G2. Let flaps retract automatically and built enough E to yoyo a spit from it's low 8 O'Clock. I couldn't have done that in the N Model at 7K imho because of the Bleed doing same maneuver I did in the D40 and considering alt and performance at that level.
I can find no evidence that the N bleeds E faster than any other P-47. On the contrary, some simple tests indicate that it bleeds less E for a given maneuver.
Test 1, level 360 degree turn at highest rate beginning at 300 mph TAS. Both aircraft at 25% gas.
At 300 mph, I engaged WEP and rolled into a left bank and turned as hard as possible for a full 360 degrees. Speed measured via E6B at 360 degree mark. Took average of 3 tests.
Speed at end of maneuver-
P-47D-40: 183 mph
P-47N: 187 mph
Level acceleration from 200 mph TAS to 300 mph TAS, using WEP. Altitude: 50 feet.
P47D-40: 44.94 seconds
P-47N: 33.65 seconds
Reference aircraft- Ki-84: 35.96 seconds.
Zoom climb: I stablized both aircraft at 300 mph TAS at 100 feet. I then engaged WEP and pulled them into a vertical climb, making note of the max altitude when speed went to zero. Did 3 tests of each plane.
My results show that there is very little difference, but if any had a minicule edge, it was the P-47N. Yeah, the D-40 wins in steady rate climb, but in a pure vertical zoom there's no real difference. A vertical zoom is a better indicator of combat performance than steady rate climb.
As to speed at 20k, the N has about a 17 mph advantage. Roughly the same as between a 190D-9 and the 190A-5. Likewise on the deck, the N is about 24 mph faster than the D-40.
Now, we all understand that many players prefer the P-47D-11 to the other models, despite having less acceleration and substantially lower steady climb rate. Not to mention horrible outward visibility. They prefer it because they are comfortable in it and have had success. The same can be said for any fighter. If you prefer the D-40, there's no argument to the contrary to be made.
anyway, actual testing shows that the P47N retains E a bit better than the other Jugs, simply because it has so much more power. It offers much faster acceleration, faster roll rate and higher speeds at all altitudes. Where the D-40 beats it is in steady state climb. That's certainly important if you want to have more altitude when arriving at a fight.
This can be largely mitigated by how the P-47N is loaded. With 50% internal gas, it will fly as far as a D-40 with 75%. That's because the N has a 556 gallon internal capacity, while the D-40 can only carry 370 gallons. Indeed, 50% in the N is virtually the same number of gallons as 75% in the D-40 (278). So, careful loading of fuel and ammo can offset much of the difference between the two in terms of steady rate climb.
Ultimately, the choice is that of the user. Whether or not one agrees with the choice or the reasoning, if a pilot is more comfortable in his preferred ride, then he will ultimately have greater success. So, fly what you like and have fun.
Besides, if a lot of people still prefer the other Jugs, we won't have to sweat the N being perked for over-use.
My regards,
Widewing
