I am going to respond one last time about engine reliability, and after this post, I will
NEVER again respond in a discussion about it, on this board.
I agree with the uber reliability folks on the following points;
- A pilot (in real life) will do what ever it takes to get back, regardless of some numbers in a book or on a placard on the instrument panel
- There are many anecdotal stories of engines pushed well past their design limits, for extraordinary times and distances
- That during World War 2 most combat aircraft (of all country's) were pushed well past the manufacture's recommendations
But to read over and over that these engines were faultless and or could never fail in one flight, is completely baseless and inaccurate. I suggest that many of you really go look at the history much more closely. I suggest you start with a book titled
Sigh for a Merlin by Alex Henshaw from Arrow Books. He was a factory test pilot for Supermarine and tested Spitfires through out the war. He does a very good job explaining what it was like testing all these aircraft and many of the issues they faced.
But as a point if you look to the last page (pg 205) he provides "Summary of flying from Castle Bromwich Works from June 1940 to January 1946"
He states that;
"During this period 11,694 Spitfire aircraft and 305 Lancaster bombers were produced at Castle Bromwich and the dispersal factories of Cosford and Desford. In the course of the production and performance trials completed on these aircraft, 8210 hours were flown on Spitfire aircraft and 344 hours on Lancasters, involving 900 Lancaster test flights and 33,918 for Spitfires. During five years of flying, 25 pilots were engaged for six months or longer, the majority of these comprising RAF officers who had completed various tours of active service.
127 forced landings were made, largely due to engine failures of one sort or another. Out of this number, in spite of often appalling weather and the critical nature f the failure, 76 aircraft were landed with the wheels down and no further damage."
These are his words, not mine and they relate to testing aircraft before they were delivered to the RAF or other armed forces. And just to be clear this is not about testing new prototype Spitfires but standard production models.
I strongly suggest reading the book, and appreciate the tremendous technological advancements that were made in manufacturing during this time. Prior to WW2 Aircraft safety and reliability ranged from mediocre to abysmal, the amazing growth of aviation after the war is due to the huge strides in reliability that were achieved during this time. But to keep perpetuating the notion that reliability was not a daily concern of the pilots and crews, dose a disservice to their sacrifice, both in the air in battle, and in the factory's making things better.
And with that I am done with this topic,
<S>