Originally posted by funked:
The "massive" problem with the Typhoon was the reliability of the sleeve-valve engine.
According to the Pilot's Notes, swinging to starboard on takeoff was only a problem if the throttle was opened suddenly at the beginning of the takeoff roll when using 30 degree flap setting. Otherwise the rudder and rudder trim were entirely adequate.
Interesting also to note that the aileron control was "light and effective up to the maximum permissible speed" which was 525 mph indicated. It was however "sluggish at low speeds and heavy when carrying bombs".
The RAF airfield architects were drunk when they removed the right-side hangars from the extreme sides of the field, then?.
Wow, lots of whisky they had to drink. I used to think that the removal of those hangars was because tyffies used to smash there because the torque made them yaw and squid so hard...
But yes, they quitted those hangars while they were drunk. yeah right
Talking about serious trouble, I would say that the falling tail was the worse one. You know, when your engine dies at least you can glide, but when your tail goes out to take a beer...well...lets say you dont have a chance.
And dont tell me that this was adressed with the strenghtening of the tail. It was PARTIALLY adressed. Proof of that is that since the strenghtening of the tail until the last identified loss because a tail fell off the plane,there were 26 documented losses. Only 2 of the 26 pilots involved survived. And the last typhoon lost because this failure was in 18-July-1945.
Oh, and BTW the NACA test roll charts show indeed a "light aileron" typhoon. In AH, I mean,because real life's typhoon rolled more or less like a Zero (roll of wich is also grossly overmodelled in AH
)
[This message has been edited by R4M (edited 05-09-2001).]
