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Leandros -> RE: But I LIKE that plane!! (3/31/2020 4:23:10 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth
I like the F4F-7 too. On paper, it looks like a great idea, but in practice it probably was not practical. Single engine fighter, with an enormous amount of fuel, limited visibility,no navigator, built to fly exclusively over water. Regular single engine fighters had enough navigating over oceans as it was. Reconnaissance aircraft should have at least 2 engines and a dedicated navigator who was really good at his job. Say what you will about the p-38 as a fighter, it must have been comforting to have 2 engines over those long open water flights
The F4F-7 did have one of the most reliable engines of its time - the P & W Twin Wasp, with a double oil reservoir. It also had an autopilot, improved radio and navigation equipment, camera and a glazed cockpit floor. It could dump its fuel, even had - a "tube"....[;)]. As for navigation, who says it was built to fly exclusively over water? I would also expect that only the best pilots were picked to fly long-range missions in the F4F-7.
Also, while it could carry 500+ gallons of fuel, it could do a good job with 300 onboard, too. The P-36 with the same engine, flown economically, had a range of more than 1.200 sm/200 mph.. with less than 150 gallons of fuel (89 octane).
Talking about the P-36, everybody playing the allied side in WITP should insist on having its performance upgraded in the game. It was the only allied fighter that could actually turn and climb with the Zero. I am talking about the US 1941 version with the 1.200 hp. engine and standard 1941 equipment. That engine was the same engine as the 1.050 hp version, only adjusted for the use of 100 octane fuel (as used in the P-40's Allison engine). Most P-36 performance figures I have seen are quoted for the 1.050 hp. engine, even if the latest engine as such is rated at 1.200 hp.
The P-36 had about equal wing loading and better power/weight ratio and roll ratio than the Zero. While I believe it is generally acknowledged that the Zero's high-speed handling qualities were less than optimal, the P-36's were excellent.
The 100 octane fuel made a marked difference in performance as the British also experienced in the Fall of 1940 with the Spitfire, particularly in the climb. P-36 MTOW time to 15.000 was less than five minutes - 10 minutes to 22.000! Would the US pilots in the Philippines have loved that in December 1941!
Max level speed has little meaning when the turning and climbing starts!
Fred
P.S.: The last chapter in my 8th book of my "Saving MacArthur" series cover the flight of an F4F-7 from Manila to Japan and back.
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