Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

All six of you?
That is why Mach number is used.
It does not matter, due to nature of Mach.
What page?
If it was an instrument speed it would be called IAS and not TAS. Otherwise nobody used ASI to such measurements!
That means that Fw 190 was worser even from Thunderbolt, nothing more.
This was simply realised in 1943, when it was a little bit too late. Had it been found earlier, no doubt Spit pilots would have been encouraged to chase their enemies.
Acceleration is one thing, speed is another, and yet another is air combat. No aircraft could escape Spitfire by simple diving because Spitfire is the fastest piston aircraft ever known.

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

Spitfire is the fastest single engine piston plane ever known..............

Ehhhhhhhh NOT

The record for the fastest single-engined piston plane is held by a modified Grumman F8F Bearcat
545.07 mph (876.47 km/h) in 1969
Before that a Messerschmitt Bf 209 hold the speed record for 30 years.
469.22 mph on April 26, 1939

Olve Dybvig

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

Olve, are you trying to prove 545 mph is more than 600 mph?

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

ha ha funny Franek
Well, No spitfire hold the world record of the fastest aircraft.
Perheps the Spit is awsome in dive, but since the current record holder is not tested in the same condition, the frase: Spitfire is the fastest piston aircraft ever known, has no value

remains me of the old add; Wolkswagen Beetle, no one faster in free dive

Best
Olve Dybvig

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

Franek - Iim pretty sure the fastest production fighter in level flight is the P-51H which flew at 487mph at 25,000 feet. I think the Do-335 was the fastest German fighter at 474mph and I recall that one variant of the Spitfire attained 479mph. They never flew against each other obviously.

The fastest experimental P-51 was the XP-51G at 495mph and the fastest experimental P-47 was the P-47J at 507mph. All of these were achieved at high altitude in level flight.

I am not aware of any 'official' faster speeds for un-modified ships in level flight.

It should be noted that the Reno racer Bearcats and Mustangs (HIGHLY modified) flew at 528 mph world speed records on the deck but were never tested for max speed at optimal altitude and presumably would have been faster in 20-25,000 range if the contrast between P-51 on the deck and altitude were used as a thought guideline. I recall (but could be wrong) taht the only non Bearcat/Mustang a/c that exceeded 500mph on the deck was the highly modified Sea Fury..

Offhand what true airspeeds were recorded and validated (accurate TAS) in either the Luftwaffe or RAF dive tests for the Spit, the P-47, the Fw 190 and the P-51? For example the Mach crit number for the 51 airfoil was around .82 but the mach limitation in a dive was .76 before bad things happened - a reflection of the entire a/c not just the wing.

What was a comparable critical mach for the Spit in a dive?

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

You do relize that on the deck at Reno is around 5000ft.

Did Franek say the fastest in level flight?

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

He said: Spitfire is the fastest piston aircraft ever known.
And since official speed records are done in level flight, we have to use that

Olve

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

Yes - I do know what the 'altitude' of the deck is at Reno. The rules however stipulate that the speed records be established 300 feet AGL not sea level.

No - He stated fastest fighter (presumably piston) but I must admit I have serious doubts that a Spitfire ever came close to 600mph in a dive but willing to examine the facts (and the data).

The 262 reached a verified and validated .86 Mach in a dive - no way the Spit exceeded that and kept it's tail on.

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin
 

Nice data on the Spit's dive performance
http://www.spitfireperformance.com/sd2011.jpg

Re: P-47 Actions 29 Mar 44 near Berlin