Author Topic: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?  (Read 1898 times)

Offline Mongoose

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Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« on: October 31, 2022, 10:36:19 PM »
I know the early P-38 and P-47 models had problems with compression and control lock in dives, until the engineers figured out how to fix it.

Did planes from other countries have similar problems with dive speed? 
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Offline TryHard

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2022, 12:43:49 AM »
Short answer: Yes

Me109 comes to mind right away

Offline Arlo

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2022, 01:47:48 AM »
Physics be universal, eh?  :)

Offline TryHard

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2022, 11:01:29 PM »
Physics be universal, eh?  :)
Until you run into a blackhole or Nazi anti-gravity yes a I believe something to that effect.

Offline TryHard

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2022, 11:02:35 PM »
I don't recall the P47 ever having compressabilty problems, It performs the best with full power pointing straight at the ground regardless of airspeed.

Offline Drano

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2022, 11:17:30 PM »
Later models (think M and N) had a similar dive recovery flap to the ones on the later P-38J's and all of the L's

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Offline DaddyAce

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2022, 09:24:18 AM »
M has dive brakes in game, does N also have them in game?

Offline TryHard

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2022, 06:31:14 PM »
M has dive brakes in game, does N also have them in game?
M and N both have dive  flaps not really dive brakes, they make the elevator surfaces lighter at high speeds delaying compression by changing the airflow impacting the horizontal stab/elevators. They actually cause very little drag when deployed

For the P47s they are only needed when diving from 20k with WEP straight down at 600mph+. On the P38L they are A LOT more useful and offset the main weakness of the 38 (low critical mach number).
« Last Edit: November 04, 2022, 06:33:02 PM by TryHard »

Offline Drano

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2022, 07:11:22 PM »
People get confused even tho they are marked in the controls setup as such they are most definitely NOT dive brakes. These things aren't gonna slow you down!

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Offline MiloMorai

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2022, 10:51:03 PM »
P-47s had low Mach numbers compare to Spit and Mustang.

Offline drgondog

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2023, 10:19:26 AM »
Both P-47 and P-38 as well as Bf109 and Fw 190 had same issues with compressibility - primarily manifested in nose down pitching moment as center of pressure moved during transonic to supersonic flow. The issues were compounded by wake immersing h.Stab and blanking elevator authority until Mach number decreased below critical mach. The Mustang avoided the need for dive flaps because the CP was already 10-15% aft of the classic NACA 23xxx and similar airfoils of the day. The P-47D wing however was closer to the P-51 wing with max t/c very similar (30% vs 37%) and Root T/C of 14% vs 16.5%, and had a simiar Mcrit.

The P-47D-30 had first dive flap installation, the P-38J-25 was first production dive flap installation, but kits were sent for J-15 (One such delivery famously short circuited by RAF on way to ETO (in Feb 1944??)

NAA installed a dive flap on P-51B-10-NA but found no material benefits to dve control 'without' flaps.
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Offline Vulcan

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2023, 05:10:53 PM »
....and then there's the Brewster.

Offline icepac

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2023, 10:29:48 AM »

The P47 had compressability issues at much higher speeds....................bec ause it was faster.

Offline drgondog

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2023, 10:42:38 AM »
No - the P-47 and P-51 were the same, limit dive speed. Both were placard restricted at 0.75, both 'do not exceed at 0.8M. IIRC the max dive attempted and survived by P-47 was 0.83M. 0.85M for P-51D;

The P-47C and D made holes in the ground just like P-38s for the same reason, just a little higher threshold for the aft movement of Center of Pressure that caused the infamout 'mach tuck'. Both were more or less solved by P-38J and P-47D-30 (IIRC) installation of dive flaps.  The P-51 never had that problem due to he unconventional nature of the 45-100 airfoil.

The dive flap both moved the CP forward when deployed, and reduced the acceleration of the extreme turbulence that blanked the elevator authority.  The P-38 while also having wing mounted dive flap also moved the CP forward whe deployed but while it redced mach tuck, the centerbody was still blanking the elevator - but pilot 'got relief' anyway because the dive flap introduced a pitch up (small but important-both P-47 and P-38).
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Offline save

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Re: Did Enemy Have Compression Problems?
« Reply #14 on: August 14, 2023, 05:13:43 AM »
I read some accounts of P51 pilots, switching from P51B to the D model, experienced problems trying to dive after the German planes, they experienced problems due to the bubble canopy.
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