The P-40.....

[EvilDingo]

Did the Merlin do to the P-40 what it did to the P-51? I mean, was the performance increase a major one?

[gofaster]

Originally posted by EvilDingo
Did the Merlin do to the P-40 what it did to the P-51? I mean, was the performance increase a major one?

The Merlin provided an increase in power (as in speed).  The Allison was notorious for being underpowered given its weight.  The Allison-powered P-40s also used exposed rivets in the fuselage construction, which created all sorts of drag problems compared to the smooth-skinned Mustang and later P-40s.  I would expect that, in the MA, the high-alt performance drop-off would cause a lot of players to drop the P-40 in favor of faster airplanes or planes with a better bomb load-out (the Mustang comes to mind).  Comparing the P-40E to the P-51B, the Mustang _should_ be faster in level flight (even though both would have the same engine) and has the ability to carry 2 bombs instead of the P-40E's ability to carry just one.  Both the P-40E and P-51B should have six .50 calibre guns (I believe the P-51B had 4 in the wings and 2 under the nose, but please correct me if I'm wrong).

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like the P-51B, you may not like the P-40E.  The real question is how well the P-40E will turn and how much damage it will be able to take.  When it was introduced in Air Warrior, those two factors were the main reasons I flew the P-40 in low-alt furballs: it packed a wallop and could take two or three hits from lucky snapshots.  Its performance was pretty average otherwise.

[teufl]

When i came to AH, i found it a challenge to fly many of the planes.  Now that i have been here awhile,  the challenge comes from flying the less used planes.  The p40e and FM-2 will be a challenge to be able to stay alive in.  I flew the p40 in AW quite a bit and used the same tactics as the Flying Tigers; i.e. stay high, dive upon opponents, don't turn with opponents.  I believe that most pilots in AH think of this when they fly different planes, always use the planes advantages, minimize the planes disadvantages.  So i think alot of people will fly the wildcat and warhawk, and quite often too.                                                      Teufl C.O.          WIDOWMAKERS

[AKDejaVu]

I will fly it exclusively.

My time in the F6F-5 has come to an end.

AKDejaVu

[Sabre]

I'll fly it quite a lot.  My first CT set up after it comes out will be "Burma, 1943" where it will feature prominently (along with a new terrain from Sundog:D).  As for the Allison vs. Merlin (actually, the Packard version of the Merlin) debate, the later was faster on the deck, but suffered nearly as much above 15k.  This was due to the fact that even though they put the same engine in it as the Mustang, it still had the same single-stage mechancical supercharger used on the earlier Allison-engined models.  The Mustangs (and Spitfires) had two-stage blowers that dramatically improved engine performance above 15K.

[Widewing]

Originally posted by EvilDingo
Did the Merlin do to the P-40 what it did to the P-51? I mean, was the performance increase a major one?

No. It was hoped that the Merlin V-1650 (in this case, the equal of the Merlin XX) would provide better altitude performance. It did so, but only slightly. The Merlin had a two speed, single stage supercharger, as opposed to a single stage, single speed supercharger on the Allison. Ironically, the Merlin proved to less reliable in the desert (most were deployed to North Africa) than the Allison powered P-40s. This was due to the updraft carb of the Merlin ingesting more dirt and dust than the downdraft Bendix carb on the Allison. Any speed advantage was marginal in favor of the Merlin, maybe 3-5 mph. Also, the Allison was more fuel efficient.

My regards,

Widewing

[Widewing]

Originally posted by gofaster


The Merlin provided an increase in power (as in speed).  The Allison was notorious for being underpowered given its weight.  The Allison-powered P-40s also used exposed rivets in the fuselage construction, which created all sorts of drag problems compared to the smooth-skinned Mustang and later P-40s.  I would expect that, in the MA, the high-alt performance drop-off would cause a lot of players to drop the P-40 in favor of faster airplanes or planes with a better bomb load-out (the Mustang comes to mind).  Comparing the P-40E to the P-51B, the Mustang _should_ be faster in level flight (even though both would have the same engine) and has the ability to carry 2 bombs instead of the P-40E's ability to carry just one.  Both the P-40E and P-51B should have six .50 calibre guns (I believe the P-51B had 4 in the wings and 2 under the nose, but please correct me if I'm wrong).

So, in a nutshell, if you don't like the P-51B, you may not like the P-40E.  The real question is how well the P-40E will turn and how much damage it will be able to take.  When it was introduced in Air Warrior, those two factors were the main reasons I flew the P-40 in low-alt furballs: it packed a wallop and could take two or three hits from lucky snapshots.  Its performance was pretty average otherwise.
 

Typically, the Allison engine installation weighed less than the Merlin XX, not more. I can give specifics when I get home this evening. Furthermore, all P-40 aircraft were constructed using flush rivets, not round head rivets.

Finally, the Allison powered Mustangs were the P-51, P-51A and A-36. Why was the P-51A faster than the P-40? Look at the radiator ducting for that answer. It incorporated Meredeth Effect theory to generate positive thrust by harnessing the heated and expanding air from the radiator core. Some minor gains may be the result of the laminar flow wing, but even Lee Atwood (headed P-51 design team) thought that 99% of the speed gain was do to using "thrust augmentation" from the ducting.

I expect that the P-40E will be slightly more effective in the MA than the Ki-61. Note that the Ki-61 is a rather capable fighter when handled correctly, a clear match for the N1K2 in everything but steady state climb. Remember the initial howls about the "uberness" Bf 110G-2 when it first arrived? Expect worse when the P-40 shows up, as it will prove to be a terrific low level fighter (under 15k).

My regards,

Widewing

[Replicant]

I thought the P40F was the first P40s to use the Merlin?  The reason I say this is that the P40F became known as the Warhawk to distinguish it from the previous Tomahawks in US service although the RAF continued to use the name Kittyhawk instead of adopting the name Warhawk.

"When Curtiss introduced the P40F powered by the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, the new name Warhawk was applied to distinguish it from the Allison-engined P40D and P40E. This name was not adopted by the RAF for the re-engined model, and the name Kittyhawk was retained for both versions of the Model 87"

Regards

[moose]

ill give it a go

new stuff is always fun

[streakeagle]

I'll fly it as much or more than any other plane. Initially, I will probably fly it a lot like when the P-51B first came out. Then I will put it in my American iron rotation I always use when playing head-to-head.

What little time I have spent in the MA in the last couple of tours has been just a couple of hops in the A6M5 and P-38L to have fun defending bases being vulched.

In the CT, I fly whatever needs to be flown both in terms of country and aircraft type.

[Citabria]

if they give it a 50 perk eny i will fly it all the time

[Weave]

With apologies to Superfly:D (hope this works)

[Fatty]

I usually sort by ENY in the hangar, then look from the bottom up to see what's interesting.  I think 6 .50s on an early war plane fits that category pretty well.

[Hangtime]

Prolly a good teamwork plane down low.. mediocre vis out the back and cruddy accel coupled with it's notorious lack of top speed in anything other than a brick drop dive will keep it outta the hands of lone wolfs.

I doubt seriously it'll be much use above 10k.

[Yeager]

Weave,  paste a couple of zekes swoopin down from behind with gunz blazing and I think you may get a blue ribbon (if the thread dont get locked first)

HEHEHE