Engine defensive shields on the P51 and Spit?

[Naudet]

I really get the feeling, that the merlin engines of the Spit and P51 have some nice defensive energy fields. With no other thing i can explain why they take a toejamload of hits to there noses/engines without any damage showing up.

In the last days i tried a few new things out, especially front quarter shoot against turning tgts, cause i assumed the chance to hit the engine is way higher that way than from 5,6 or 7 oc.

I usually fired at them from 10-11 or 1-2 oc High, so i could perfectly aim for the eng.
And what showed up was that against most planes i get good to very good result. Usually 1-2 well place cannon round gets the other guy smooking.
But spits and P51 never get hurt, i more than once put 3-6 rounds into the eng but no damage showed up. The plane keeped flying with no damage at all.
I could only down them bye hitting there wings or tail. Never an engine would show up any damage from direct hits to the nose.

They all started smoking when i blew a wing off. But than never was a shell coming even close to radiator, oil lines or engines. So why the engines seems to get damaged when i aim for the wings from behind?

[SKurj]

I didn't see a problem like this last night...  hit a pee51 just in front of the canopy above the engine with one ping and pooof.. grey smoke came billowing out.


SKurj

[ZOSO]

I don't know about the spit, but spend some time in the cockpit of a mustang, and you'll see that the radiator (at least) is extremely vulnerable.

[Dux]

P-51 radiator is not in the nose.

btw, I seem to get plenty o' engine damage when I fly those planes.

[funkedup]

Spit Radiator and oil cooler are under the wing.  The only really vulnerable thing in the nose is the oil tank which forms the "chin" under the prop spinner.

[Staga]

Was Merlin's engine-block made of Titanium ?

[SOB]