Spitfire Question

[MorgothNL]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

That would be the MkXIV with the Griffon.

OH DAVID!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!?

no right? mk XIV? I'm pretty sure the mk XII has it (not sure at all about the other one i mentioned).

David...we need you indeed

[MorgothNL]

"The Mk XII was the first Spitfire powered by a Griffon engine to go into service."

If we dont have david...we use wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superma...ed_variants%29

[Soviet Ace]

Yes, the Mk XII also had the Griffon engine. But it is the MkXIVs (I believe) that really proved the Griffon Engine, and they are better known to have the Griffon.

DAVID!!!!

This sight should give you some info on some varients: LINK

[Wissam24]

Originally Posted by MorgothNL

Yeah...I heard the same thing... but I could never figure out why this would happen . I can imagine it to happen at a go-around due to sudden torque effects... but I heard that the problem was mostly while landing on the carriers.
I understand that landing brings you close to stall speed...but why would one wing have this before the other one? prob because of the ugly looking wings

I asked a guy who did aeronautical engineering at uni how it was possible, and he didn't actually know.

[Skorteus]

I just learned another interesting fact about the Spitfire when it was converted for carrier use into the Seafire Mk47...in that because it was geared with a counter clockwise prop rotation (from the cockpit) that they had trouble during takeoff of hitting the flight control bridge to their right because of the opposite rudder control needed. I guess the new pilots were too used to right rudder, wow. Then came the counter rotating props to correct for this, damn, I learn something new every day. Thanks for the input all.

[Wissam24]

Please explain...

[MorgothNL]

Originally Posted by Skorteus

I just learned another interesting fact about the Spitfire when it was converted for carrier use into the Seafire Mk47...in that because it was geared with a counter clockwise prop rotation (from the cockpit) that they had trouble during takeoff of hitting the flight control bridge to their right because of the opposite rudder control needed. I guess the new pilots were too used to right rudder, wow. Then came the counter rotating props to correct for this, damn, I learn something new every day. Thanks for the input all.

I didnt quite get what you were saying... but I read a few times over ... and only then I saw you were talking about the seafire 47 ..
So you are saying... because the pilots were used to applying right rudder (because of the torque to the left)... the also used right rudder in the seafire 47 .. Even though the 47 was eliminating the torque effect with its 2 props . Thats ... well.. not hilarious... but still LOL

[ChankyChank]

I don't understand how the starboard wing could stall prior to the port wing...It would be interesting to read about if anyone knows the answer. All single engine prop driven aircraft have left turning tendencies-P-Factor, Torque, spiraling slipstream, gyroscopic precession. P-Factor occurs at low airspeeds and high angles of attack when the descending blade(s) create more thrust than the ascending blade(s) due to a higher angle of attack. Because of this there is a center of thrust created on that side. This and torque are the primary causes for the left turning tendency in single engine aircraft. Because of this higher center of thrust on the descending side of the blade, there is a higher center of lift directly aft of this area which could perhaps explain why one wing would stall prior to the other. If this is true Corsairs must have been very susceptible to spins (spin=the result of an uncoordinated stall in which one wing is more stalled than the other). However this theory wouldn't work if the Corsair's propeller rotated clockwise because the port wing would be the first to stall.

[sir70]

I've read that the Corsair did have a tendancy to drop one wing in a stall,
don't know if it was always the same wing though.
Apparently the problem was rectified with a strip of wood acting as a spoiler on one or both wings.

[MorgothNL]

Originally Posted by sir70

I've read that the Corsair did have a tendancy to drop one wing in a stall,
don't know if it was always the same wing though.
Apparently the problem was rectified with a strip of wood acting as a spoiler on one or both wings.

I think it was always the right wing.. but I still wonder why... and what is that piece of wood changing...so it makes the wings stall at the same time . (not saying you're wrong...found the same thing about that 'piece of wood fix')