Spit IIa Performance graph

[Crumpp]

Originally Posted by Blackdog_kt

Watch your language...

On the topic at hand, going fine pitch/high RPM while flying in low-density air decreases performance after a certain point. The air is "thin" so you need to coarsen the pitch (lower RPMs) to get a sufficient bite of air, otherwise the prop just spins around really fast without pushing the needed amount of airflow.

It's modeled the same way in 109s by the way (you get better performance if you drop your RPMs a bit at higher altitudes) and it's one of the first things i noticed and really liked in the sim.

That is one of the details I really like about the sim too.

The best thing is the mindset it forces upon a player. You have to keep a scan going even during a dogfight and above all "fly the plane". That fact alone makes it a better simulation than anything to date.

[Crumpp]

It was virtually impossible to destroy an engine at high altitude because the engine simply can't produce enough boost to cause damage.

Actually it is the fact the engine supercharger can produce boost that can damage it.

It would be pilot error though as if the POH instructions are followed, it will not occur.

You don't lean an aircraft engine in a climb below ~5000 ft Density altitude. Leaning can cause detonation.

In a supercharged engine, the supercharger keeps the density altitude in the manifold low below FTH and below 5000 ft for all or a portion above it depending on the specifics.

For example, in the Spitfire you are instructed to leave the mixture control in NORMAL. It has a WEAK setting and if used, the POH instructs that the boost is limited to 3 1/2 lbs except for short periods.

If you tried to climb at the normal climb rating in WEAK mixture, you could cause detonation and destroy the engine.