Request for Aircraft Data sheets - British fighters in 1941 1943

[Paul Thompson]

Dear all,

I wonder whether I might ask whether anyone has digital copies of the Aircraft Data Sheets for British fighter types in service in 1941-1943. I am looking particularly for data on the Hurricane IIb and IIc, as well as the Spitfire Vb and IX. I know that the information is available at the National Archives, but my next couple of visits there promise to be very busy, so I thought I would ask for help.

Warm regards,

Paul

[drgondog]

Paul - you should be cautious regarding data not acquired from impeccable sources. In particular data not acquired from sources like RAE testing with clearly defined flight conditions, HP vs altitude and Speed, load outs of fuel and ammunition, external stores versus clean, etc will not serve 'accuracy' very well

Regards,

Bill

[Graham Boak]

I'm not familiar with the term "Aircraft Data Sheets" with respect to British aircraft of this period. Could you enlighten me please?

[Juha]

Hello Pail
Here

[Paul Thompson]

Bill,

Thank you for your comment, I entirely understand your concerns. My main intention is to make broad comparisons where precise figures are less important. For example, I would use this data to illustrate that the Spitfire V had a large performance margin over the Hurricane II, but I would not quote as an established fact that the difference in their maximum speed was exactly 32 mph.

Do you happen to know where the best place to look for RAE testing data is, should I need it? As it is technical material, I am not sure whether it has remained at Farnborough or has been transferred to Kew.

Regards,

Paul

[Paul Thompson]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

I'm not familiar with the term "Aircraft Data Sheets" with respect to British aircraft of this period. Could you enlighten me please?

Graham, I'm rather surprised by that! I am not very literate in wartime technical matters, but I had the impression that the Data Sheets were the most obvious and frequently used source of basic performance information for each aircraft sub-type. If you know of other sources, I would be very happy to learn about them! To reiterate, this is not my area of expertise.

Juha has attached an example of a Data Sheet in his post above, taken from www.spitfireperformance.com . That website is the usual reference on these matters for most of us. Here is a Data Sheet for the P-51B (Mustang III) - http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.o...-III-ads-3.jpg . Here is one for the P-51D (Mustang IV) - http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.o...ang-IV-ads.jpg .

Bill, may I ask you, as the Mustang expert, what are the most important inaccuracies in these documents? I would like to have a rough idea of what I would need to look for if I needed more accurate performance data for a particular type.

Warm regards,

Paul

[SteveB]

I think possibly you mean the AAEE reports rather than the RAE reports? The AAEE reports are to be found in AVIA 18 at the NA.

In my view these Aircraft Data Sheets are of very uncertain value. They are a Ministry of Supply document and they can be found at NA in SUPP 9/1 and SPP 9/2. For each a/c type there is usually two photos and the single sheet of detail. It seems to me they were used in that department as a very basic quick reference tool providing basic info about a/c types.

Most details I have seen show no records of any up dating process. The Mustang III and IV details are possibly the most complete/elaborate of any that I have seen and the MkIII document includes a statement "This card cancels provisional card..." which is not common. I have got sheets for Tomahawk, Kittyhawk, Mohawk III and Mohawk IV and they all have the same date 22/8/41 and no record of any updating.

Steve

[Paul Thompson]

Originally Posted by SteveB

I think possibly you mean the AAEE reports rather than the RAE reports? The AAEE reports are to be found in AVIA 18 at the NA.

Steve

Steve,

Thank you, I assume that I do mean the AAEE reports, since I don't know any better I am a novice in technical issues in any case, that is why I am attracted to brief summary statements like those on the Data Sheets.

The value that I find in the Data Sheets is that they are a very good quick reference and provide a documentary foundation for simple observations such as the one that the Spitfire V was a higher performance aircraft than the Hurricane II, hence its arrival in the Middle East had considerable importance for the evolution of air operations in theatre. I am not attempting to reduce aerial warfare to a series of technical generalisations, but merely to find a reliable source for some observations about the evolution of aircraft performance.

Your observations regarding the limitations of the source match my impressions. Here is a sheet for the Hurricane IIa, which is more like the ones that you have - http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.o...ne_IIA_ADS.jpg .

I have sent you a private message.

Warm regards,

Paul