Prop Rotation effects on combat

[Wreked]

2 quick questions - 1st the premise: Over the years I've been left with the idea that German and British planes had opposing prop rotation. That is the Brits clockwise and the Luftwaffe counter clockwise. (don't ask where I got that from - going back 20-30 years here).

1. If this is the case is it modelled here in AH?

2. If modelled then what advantage does it create?

The anecdotal info I seem to have been left with is that an early war  109 evasion technique was the use of this effect in a "left hand spiral" climb when engaged with spits and hurri's.

Comments? clairification??

thanx eh!

[Lusche]

The effect of prop rotation direction is modeled in AH. But it's not that all British fighters use counterclockwise rotation - only Typhoon and Tempest (and the Yak's) do.
You can see it when starting up the engine, and you can feel it when taking off without autotakeoff.

It doesn't really create an advantage as such. It basically just means your plane will roll quicker (and turn somewhat better) to the right at full power. You may be able to use that to your advantage, but so may your enemies use their quicker roll to the left.

[FLS]

Gyroscopic precession, torque and P-factor are also modeled and are presumably reversed along with the spiral slipstream in counterclockwise prop rotation.

The advantage of reverse prop rotation in a spiral climb is that you can push the stall limit in the opposite direction as your opponent.

[Saxman]

It doesn't really create an advantage as such. It basically just means your plane will roll quicker (and turn somewhat better) to the right at full power.

Actually the torque effect can be much more significant than that. 109s do NOT like to roll to the right, particularly in low-speed high-power situations. The lack of torque due to counter-rotating propellers in the P-38 makes her very stable, especially in vertical maneuvering, so she's less likely to flop over to one side as she approaches the stall.

[Mighty01]

Actually the torque effect can be much more significant than that. 109s do NOT like to roll to the right, particularly in low-speed high-power situations.

as Saxman has mentioned, you can gain a very significant amount in some of the planes ( 109, F4Us etc ) that have a more pronounced torque effect when at slower speeds when turning opposite of torque effect if you back off the throttle a tad bit. I do not mean CHOP THROTTLE, just decrease from full throttle and you'll gain in turnrate, in regards to the above quote

 

[Karnak]

Lushe,

Spitfire Mk XIV as well.

[Wreked]

thanx folks - great info!!


cheers eh!