Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Badboy on April 18, 2008, 01:20:33 PM
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Guys
I notice recently there have been a number of threads and requests for AHII aircraft performance data such as the corner velocity etc. So I recently tested all 57 prop fighters for their sustained turn radius and rate, their stall speed and corner velocity, as well as the turn rate and radius at corner velocity.
I don't think that range of information has been made available before so I thought it would be of interest to the community. However, I've had second thoughts, and taken another approach. Instead of just releasing the output I’ve spent some time preparing a tool that can be used by anyone so that you can produce your own results.
A problem I've noticed with just publishing data, is that no matter what configuration you use, someone will always be interested in something different. For example, I always test at 25% fuel, sea level and in a clean configuration. I do that for two reasons, firstly because I like to get the best possible performance for the aircraft, and secondly because I don't have to re-test for heavier internal fuel, the tools I use give me additional weight scenarios with ease. The problem is that many pilots prefer to see data for more probable combat situations, more fuel and different weapons etc.
In order to give everyone what they wanted it would be necessary to do a lot more testing... But the simple answer would be to make it possible for everyone to collect the same information, with as little effort as possible. If only you could get the sustained rate and radius, the stall speed, the corner velocity, and the rate and radius at the aircraft’s corner velocity from one simple flight test for each aircraft.
Introducing Badboy's BootStrap approach
I've written a small spread sheet (The BootStrap Calculator) that will accept two measurements, the speed and time from a sustained level turn test. From that it provides us with the usual sustained turn information that we are familiar with seeing posted on the boards, (MOSQ and Kweassa spring to mind) but it also provides the stall speed, the corner velocity and the turn rate and turn radius at corner. All that information from just one flight test.
Here it is, with a document that explains how to do the flight testing:
Download Badboy's BootStrap Calculator (http://www.badz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Academy/AH_BootStrap.zip)
You can do the tests yourself, or use data from other posters, or pool information and share data, and so on. Either way, I think my BootStrap method represents the greatest amount of information, for the least amount of flight testing possible.
If anyone needs any help interpreting the results, just ask.
I hope this will be useful.
Badboy
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Tango Mike
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To use Badboy's calculator spread sheet you will need to have MS Excel installed on your machine.
If you do not have MS Office or Excel, that will not be a problem. Go to http://www.openoffice.org/ (http://www.openoffice.org/) and download their free software suite. Their spread sheet program, "Calc", is completely compatible with Excel (as is all of the suite, which is compatible with MS Office).
My regards,
Widewing
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Where do we input data???? D14 says this..."Read the maximum i"??? Just wondering where to put in the data ;)
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Where do we input data?
Sorry, I must have moved the cells after writing the instructions. I've corrected that now. Meanwhile, just replace the blue text in the columns labeled "Measured Speed" and "Measured Time" with your own test data. as shown below.
(http://www.badz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Academy/EnterData.jpg)
I just put 100mph and 20.00 seconds in for each aircraft as example data, and I just left the aircraft names in to save you typing them again.
The original download contains the updated calculator, but you can get it in a smaller download here:Updated Calculator (http://www.badz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Academy/BootStrap2.xls)
Hope that gets you up and running.
Badboy
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Thank you for that Badboy
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Thanks much Badboy :) Felt silly after I opened it again and started playing around in it, but only after I couldn't edit the post :D
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Sorry, but how exactly do I work this? I don't think I've ever used Microsoft Excel before.
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Badboy, can you modify the protection feature to allow additional rows to be inserted? For instance I have multiple configurations for each plane and need to have multiple occurrances of F6F ect. I have 290 rows in my own spreadsheet now!
And I'd like to add columns for flap settings results ( 1 flap, 2 flap, full flap ect.)
I'd also like to add additional columns for acceleration and top speed results.
Is this possible?
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Is this possible?
Anything is possible, in view of the amount of hard work you put into testing, I feel inclined to make you a custom version to your own specifications, let's take it to PM or email.
Badboy
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He said he wanted to add the rows, not test them! That's your job! ;)
Thanks very much for this, Badboy. It's a fantastic asset.
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Thanks very much for this, Badboy. It's a fantastic asset.
Agreed. Thank you very much.
- oldman
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Very nice work. Thanks!
Mossi? Oh where oh where is the Mossi? :cry
;)
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Thanks Badboy, I look forward to trying this out.
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Badboy, as someone who has spent hundreds of hours programming excel macros, I can appreciate the time and effort you have put into this. Big :salute and hearty thanks.
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hmm..Asking for a network user name and pass word. ?? :confused:
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hmm..Asking for a network user name and pass word. ?? :confused:
It shouldn't be, and it doesn't when I try. I also can't think why it would.
Try again, see if it was just a temporary glitch.
Badboy
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I tried it just as another subject, and it the link worked for me.
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Thanks guys. I simply closed the Password/username dialog box, and the updated version of the calculator was there. :)
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Guys
I've updated the Bootstrap calculator so that it is easier to record the configuration settings under appropriate headings.
Download Badboy's BootStrap Calculator (http://www.badz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Academy/AH_BootStrap.zip)
Hope that helps...
Badboy
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Thanks Badboy, I'll give it a try.
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I've updated the Bootstrap calculator.
It now includes graphics for one and two circle fights for both sustained and instantaneous turns. The graphs can be edited for personal preference and copy and pasted for use on the boards.
Download Badboy's BootStrap Calculator (http://www.badz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Academy/AH_BootStrap.zip)
Also, for anyone who wants to analyse the flap performance the two circle graphic includes the first 6 aircraft on the list. That way you can either compare six different aircraft, or one aircraft with six different configurations (flap settings). It also allows you to enter the maximum flap speeds, and checks to see whether the maximum turn rate achievable in that configuration will be limited by the flap speed, G limit or lift limit and quotes appropriate values. When the flap notch is set to zero it calculates corner data in the normal way.
If you load the lower cells with aircraft data, you can then copy and past rows into the top slots so you can get graphic comparisons for any aircraft combinations.
I've loaded it with data for the P-38L and BF109K4 so you can play with it from the get go.
Badboy
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I've updated the Bootstrap calculator.
It now includes graphics for one and two circle fights for both sustained and instantaneous turns. The graphs can be edited for personal preference and copy and pasted for use on the boards.
Download Badboy's BootStrap Calculator (http://www.badz.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Academy/AH_BootStrap.zip)
Also, for anyone who wants to analyse the flap performance the two circle graphic includes the first 6 aircraft on the list. That way you can either compare six different aircraft, or one aircraft with six different configurations (flap settings). It also allows you to enter the maximum flap speeds, and checks to see whether the maximum turn rate achievable in that configuration will be limited by the flap speed, G limit or lift limit and quotes appropriate values. When the flap notch is set to zero it calculates corner data in the normal way.
If you load the lower cells with aircraft data, you can then copy and past rows into the top slots so you can get graphic comparisons for any aircraft combinations.
I've loaded it with data for the P-38L and BF109K4 so you can play with it from the get go.
Badboy
Excellent resource as always, BB...
Thanks!
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Fixed broken link:
Download Badboy's BootStrap Calculator (http://www.leonbadboysmith.com/Files/AH_BootStrap.zip)
Badboy