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Bug or intentional design tradeoff? When you choose an inline V12 over a radial engine, you're implicitly choosing to be more sensitive to battle damage. But t

• bootload 11y ago
  "Bug or intentional design tradeoff? When you choose an inline V12 over a radial engine, you're implicitly choosing to be more sensitive to battle damage." @Agathos you have to remember history to understand why the RAF selected this design. The conflicting design problems at the time (mid 1930's) dictating power plant choice? How do we create a fighter with enough power and speed that will allow bombers & fighters to be shot down using the limited resources we have (dollars, manpower and materials) post, "great depression"? The answer, the Rolls Royce V12, inline Merlin. It did the job. Especially in '39 and 1940, when the only thing separating a full out invasion by Nazi Germany was 22 miles of water and the sky. References: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radial_engine#Radial_versus_inline_debate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radial_engine#Radial_versus_in... - http://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/2920/why-are-inline-engines-more-commonly-used-than-radial-engines http://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/2920/why-are-inl... - http://www.warbirdsforum.com/topic/545-radial-vs-inline-engines/ http://www.warbirdsforum.com/topic/545-radial-vs-inline-engi...