Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

[marke]

Here's a thought. Do you think it is possible to mate the P-51 airframe with a P.W. R - 2800. I've wondered about the feasibility of it. The frontal area would be bigger. But maybe with the proper engineering anything is possible. Lear wings or standard Mustang clipped wings. I am thinking about doing a drawing to see what it would look like. Maybe it would defeat the purpose of low frontal area of the merlin. You might have more horsepower and better reliability and lower cost to maintain the Radial. Build the Fuselage up from scratch and not use existing airframes. Might look like Shock Wave anyway. What are your thoughts. I saw a early concept drawing of the Mustang During the Production of the Stang with I think were forward sweep wings. Shown in a Publication.

Mark----- May the Mustang Rule again

[Lowell]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

After Mike Loening ground looped and substantially damaged his P-51D racer #2, N5482V in the final race (after leading the first lap or two of the record setting Sunday event) he began looking for a big sponsor with intent to mate a R-4360 to the Mustang airframe. He never got the sponsorship and the corncob sat in the Boise Air Service hangar a couple of years while the remains of the very pretty Miss Salmon River sold.

[W J Pearce]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

I'm going to butcher this a bit but....

The original Commonwealth CA-15 was to be powered by an R-2800. Keep in mind that CAC were looking at (or currently) building P-51s. It ended up with a Griffon because they could not get the R-2800. The Griffon powered CA-15 looks nothing like the R-2800 drawings even though they use the same wings and cockpit aft of the fuselage. The Griffon CA-15 does closely resemble a P-51 however.

If you can, try to find line drawings of the R-2800 powered CA-15 and the Griffon powered version. You will quickly see that a P-51 should be kept inline just as much as a P-47 should be kept a radial (see XP-47H).

If you can not find the drawings, I can email them to you. I would be happy to scan them and post them here with the source's (a book) info if they would not violate any copyright laws.... Wayne?

[Mike51]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

Interesting topic. I can't see the P-51 fuselage being mated to an R-2800 without a lot of structural re-work to widen it, however.

How many production versions of single-engined WWII aircraft flew with both radial and in-line engined variants?

I can think of the Curtiss P-36 / P-40 Hawks, and the Hawker Tempest and Miles Master trainer in the UK.

Any others?

[Tin Man]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

FW190?
Tom

[W J Pearce]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

Focke-Wolf 190A used the BMW 801 while the 190D used the Junkers Jumo 213 and DB 603.

Russia's La-5 was a radial version of the LaGG-3. Some of the MiGs and Yaks tried on radials for a bit but I think only inline's were in production.

I think the Ki 100 was the radial version of the Ki 61.

I'm sure there are more.

[W J Pearce]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

I forgot the Italians...

Macchi 202 the in-liner version of the 200 and 201.
Fiat G 55 in-line from the G 50
Fiat's bi plane CR 32 was in-line that went to radial in the CR-40/42
Reggiane 2000 was a radial that went to in-line for the 2001, then back to radial for the 2002, and back to in-line for the 2005

[race9]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

Thought I remembered a thread about a griffon sea fury a while back?

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

Thought I remembered a thread about a griffon sea fury a while back?

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong but somewhere in my memory banks, I remember someone telling me that originally, the sea fury was going to get a Griffon but somewhere along the line, the design changed and it got the Radial...

This was explained to me why the fuse has to widen from the cockpit to the spinner...

Which has more HP... a "stock" Griffon or the 3350?

[W J Pearce]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

The Sea Fury flew with a Centaurus, Griffon, and Sabre. The Sabre performed and looked the best. The Griffon the worst (all my opinion).

http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthread.php?t=2866&page=1&pp=10&highlight=griffon+sea+fury

[Victor Archer]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

Fury & Sea Fury threads:

http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthread.php?t=2866

http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthread.php?t=2812

[fenceliner01]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

FW-190D went from radial to inline, too. Had to lengthen the rear Fuse to compensate for the CG shift.

[FlyKidChris]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

A radial engine Mustang was considered, see:

http://www.up-ship.com/apr/volume4.htm

http://www.mustangsmustangs.us/thehangar/index.php?PHPSESSID=0ce2f589f3b93df9759394c905630cd6&topic=64.0

[number17fan]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

If you want to use a 2800, put a Bearcat behind it with clipped wings, a really small canopy and a big red 1 on the tail, and it WILL GO FAST.
Round engines forever!!

[440_Magnum]

Re: Radial Engine P-51 Mustang

I've been crazy enough to wonder the same thing. After all, the Sea Fury fuselage was originally contoured to have a V-type engine. But I'm not sure it would be competitive. Yes, we've all read the article that shows the R-2800 reciprocating section can produce 4000 horsepower.... Great. What I want to see is proof that an R-2800 installed in an airframe can even *match* (let alone surpass) the output of a Sparrow Merlin without an external electric powered fan on the dyno room roof providing all the required boost. Maybe with a big enough nitrous bottle, but otherwise I just don't see it. Just like with an Allison, "yer gonna need a bigger blower."