Quote:
@Andy
Corner Speed
Corner speed is an important factor of maximum turn performance. Corner speed is defined as the minimum airspeed at which the maximum allowable g can be generated. At corner speed,the aircraft can attain its maximum turn rate. For our purposes, 280 KIAS is the T-2C cornerspeed. Below this speed, if you attempt to pull more "G", the aircraft will enter buffet and stall at its aerodynamic limit. This results in an increase in the turn radius and a decrease in the turnrate. On the other hand, if the aircraft is maneuvered above the corner speed, the max allowable"G" becomes the limiting factor. The excess airspeed (above corner speed) will result in a turnradius increase and a turn rate decrease. Knowing and flying the corner speed and the appropriate AOAs will give the fighter the mostbang for the buck: the best turn performance for the minimum amount of energy loss.
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Thanks for that - more or less what I've already written.
As for turn rates/turn radii, I've only ever been commenting on
sustained turns - no WWII fighter is capable (as far as I'm aware) of achieving its best sustained turn rate, or minimum-radius sustained turn, at anything approaching its corner speed - though I'm not sure that 'corner speed' was even a design consideration at the time. I don't recollect seeing this speed being given in the pilots' notes etc I've seen. I'm sure that most pilots were aware that you could cause structural damage by pulling back hard enough in a high speed manoeuvre, but was this ever explicitly stated as a manoeuvring speed limit?