And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Precious Metal P-51D (XR) Mustang 2013 qualifying run
Beautiful aircraft. Never seen a P-51 with contra-rotating props before. Interesting. Seriously modified canopy, too. I wonder how the 440mph speed compares to P-51s with just one prop. Probably similar if they all still have Merlin engines in them.
The P-51D with Packard Merlin engine could hit 440 mph at 24,500'. Precious Metal hit 453 mph at less than 5,000 altitude thanks to its Rolls-Royce Griffon engine (50% more HP than a Merlin) and it's more efficient contra-rotating prop. I doubt a stock WWII Mustang could break 400 mph at that altitude.
A sad statement to add, the last of the Reno National Air Races will be held this September. They are looking for a new venue for the National Air Races but it has yet to be identified.
Speed in a dive is dictated by compressibilty factors. WW ll aircraft commonly achieved the speed of sound in dive - and the pilots who survived that were very skilled and very lucky because what normally happens is the aircraft will start to come apart and the controls will no longer have any effect. - regardless of what sized engine is bolted into it. Accelleration due to gravity is what puts you into the danger zone. Chuck Yeager knew all about this because he did it as a test pilot numerous times before he "officially" broke the sound barrier while under observation.
440mph but what's it speed in a dive?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful aircraft. Never seen a P-51 with contra-rotating props before. Interesting. Seriously modified canopy, too. I wonder how the 440mph speed compares to P-51s with just one prop. Probably similar if they all still have Merlin engines in them.
ReplyDeleteThe P-51D with Packard Merlin engine could hit 440 mph at 24,500'. Precious Metal hit 453 mph at less than 5,000 altitude thanks to its Rolls-Royce Griffon engine (50% more HP than a Merlin) and it's more efficient contra-rotating prop. I doubt a stock WWII Mustang could break 400 mph at that altitude.
DeleteA sad statement to add, the last of the Reno National Air Races will be held this September. They are looking for a new venue for the National Air Races but it has yet to be identified.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine a pair of those on a P-38J-LO model?
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous machine.
ReplyDeleteSpeed in a dive is dictated by compressibilty factors. WW ll aircraft commonly achieved the speed of sound in dive - and the pilots who survived that were very skilled and very lucky because what normally happens is the aircraft will start to come apart and the controls will no longer have any effect. - regardless of what sized engine is bolted into it. Accelleration due to gravity is what puts you into the danger zone. Chuck Yeager knew all about this because he did it as a test pilot numerous times before he "officially" broke the sound barrier while under observation.
ReplyDelete