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Radial engines did their own cooling, didn't they? Coolant loss would cause any in-line engine to seize up, Merlin, Allison, or whatever it was that the ME-109
by cafard 11y ago
Radial engines did their own cooling, didn't they? Coolant loss would cause any in-line engine to seize up, Merlin, Allison, or whatever it was that the ME-109 used.
- WalterBright 11y agoIt wasn't just the coolant. My dad, who flew both P-51s and P-47s, had an incident in each where the engine swallowed a valve. The P-51 immediately lost power, and clearly wasn't going to keep running for more than a few minutes, and required an immediate emergency landing. The P-47 kept producing power as if nothing had happened, and enabled my father to bring it home.
- bootload 11y agoloved this story @WalterBright and not the first time I've heard a description of a Bolt returning home, shot to bits but functionally intact. Pity the pilots who had trouble with a '51 with a full tank of fuel at take-off. A great article to read, "Chuck Hawks" and "Rip Collins" (who flew both) comparison of 47 and 51. ~ http://www.chuckhawks.com/p47.htm http://www.chuckhawks.com/p47.htm
- WalterBright 11y agoThanks for the great link! The P-51 is a thing of grace and beauty, but in combat I'd rather be in a P-47.