J.A.W. wrote:Tactical trials vs the Spit V showed the Typhoon to have a level speed..
"40mph faster at all levels above 14,000ft, & even faster below that height" ( via Chris Thomas)
Wel, that is blatantly wrong, since the Spitfire V's ceiling was several thousand feet higher, so at some point the Typhoon clearly could not go faster than the Spitfire V.
The speed difference at 26,000ft was ~22mph. As they went higher, the speed difference would be reduced.
Also, having an extra 1000hp helped - especially at low altitudes where the Typhoon had MS gear and the Spitfire V did not.
Also, we spoke in PMs aboutthe Spitfire XII - which was a match for speed with the Typhoon when it first emerged, but receiving little or no development of its airframe or engine.
J.A.W. wrote:.."High frequency vibration & general commotion" - were the compressibility issues..
..according to test pilot Beamont.. ..but he never had his tail fall off & not for want of trying..
..which were ameliorated somewhat by use of the thinner Tempest tailplane used in late production Typhoons..
.. but they were cleared for ordnance dropping dives at speeds above the Spit Vne 'limitations'..
Of course Beamont never experienced the tail coming off - Hawkers re-engineered the rear fuselage after it happened.
J.A.W. wrote:Typhoon was still faster & more heavily armed than contemporary Spitfires.. ..for years..
..until the Tempest took over..
..both in dive & on the level..
P-38 Mach limit 0.65 = Vne of 420-440 mph IAS..
a) The Spitfires had the option of up-gunning to 4 x 20mm - but that was rarely used. There were some Vc's fitted with 4 x 20mm.
b) The Tempest site has the citical mach limit of 0.83
http://www.hawkertempest.se/index.php/c ... 10-stories. This is the point at which the power requirements to increase speed become far higher. They say it was simlar to the Typhoons - which I find barely believable.
c) Gravity can assist an aircraft to exceed its critical mach limit - as shown by the story of the dive test at the end of teh page.